Words from TkN (and updates)

Back in July of 2004, I thought I was among the most passionate AV fans. I did not hesitate to purchase AV Odyssey’s first domain name (av-odyssey.org) and began at once constructing the site full of AV medias, news, and images. Now, almost four years later, that passion began draining. I can no longer consider myself an AV fan. I had, more than once, wanted to give up the site.

But even when the passion is no longer present, the obligations remain. I cannot shut down the site when there are still projects left hanging. I cannot shut down the site when you have not given up on me, despite my constant failure to keep up with your expectations.

And today, I wish not to give the excuse of “I’m too busy to work on AV Odyssey”. I am not here to give an empty promise either. I only wish to apologize for my neglect, for the lack of updates at AV Odyssey.

As well, I’m happy to announce that I’ve re-uploaded all medias once shared at AV Odyssey. Unfortunately, I have yet created pages to display them. But all the same, you can download them straight from our directory:

URL: http://www.avodyssey.net/media
Username: avodyssey.net
Password: avmedia4fans

Of course, you must now be pondering about the status of “Old House Has Joy”. On April 20th, the project will resume. This summer will see its completion, no doubt. I would also like to take this moment to thank Isabelle for her continuous and tremendous help in the project. Without Isabelle, I highly doubt I can give word on this project’s completion.

Meanwhile, I will continue to update this blog with birthday greetings and keep our VIP section up-to-date.

Regards,
TkN

AV Odyssey… Back!

First and foremost, I deeply regret the constant delay in AV Odyssey’s reopening. Several setbacks – both online and off – have prevented me from fulfilling the duties of an admin (and a friend). I apologize. On the same note, I am deeply appreciative towards your patience and encouragement during our period of being off the net.

It is no secret that I am no longer a passionate AV fan. [Wait, I see some shocked expressions. Oops! :P] The site is continued due to my sense of obligation/responsibility, and more so – my sense of “kinship” with AV fans.

Though back, the site has many sections still under construction and many more to tweak out, as you can notice. Nonetheless, I could no longer hold back AV Odyssey’s re-opening since we must all be very excited to sample Vicki’s latest album. 😉

And what future installments do we have to offer? It is our goal to have the following be uploaded DIRECTLY to our server and made available to ALL members:

20 episodes of OHHJ in Mandarin (14 of which are English subbed, and the rest will continue to be subbed. Subtitling help is always in need if you can lend a helping hand. :))

46 episodes of QSSYMM (Mandarin, and we will soon offer it English-subbed)

48 episodes of HZGG II (Mandarin & Viet-dubbed)

24 episodes of HZGG I (Mandarin & Viet-dubbed)

Many of the above episodes were made available prior to and/or during our offline period (via a mailing list). If you still have these episodes in your possession and would like to help reupload them to AV Odyssey’s server, I’d be eternally grateful. Please contact me at tkn@avodyssey.net if you are interested. You will be supplied with an FTP account to upload clips directly to our server. [Unfamiliar with FTP? I’ll gladly provide tutorials. :)]

Comments/suggestions/inquiries are always welcomed! You can leave a message under any post, the Guestbook, or chat away with fellow fans at the Lounge. Alternatively, you can contact me.

Lastly, please help spread the word around that AV Odyssey is back! 🙂 Thanks!

Sincerely,
TkN

AV Musical Contest – The FINALIST

A wonderful contest it has turned out to be! Brilliant submissions. Beautiful participants. And by participants, I meant not only those who submitted entries, but also those who discussed and contributed to our 190+ comments. 🙂

On a personal note – I thank myself for having hosted this contest. 😛 The fruits bore are unbelievable. I’ve bonded more with those who were merely acquaintances before. I got in touch (finally) with a friend who disappeared on me years ago. 😦 [Yes, Nicole, I’m talking about you. :P] On top of it all, I now reserve the right to stalk four amazing people, from across the globe! 😛

Okay. I’m getting a bit too personal here… Back on track – I’ve learned something. My long, boring introduction to deviate you from the fact that I have to do the evil job of deciding our ultimate winner isn’t exactly working. I’ll still have to face the music nonetheless…

And the Oscar goes to…

Wait, wrong speech! Ay, where’s that little piece of paper I typed up last night? Eh… pardon the intermission as I go searchin… Here it is!!!

AV Odyssey Musical Contest asks for an interpretation of either an Alec or Vicki song. This entry fulfilled said requirement, and went beyond. It was an almost flawless portrayal of hope, love, and nostalgia – the rhythms that often dictate our lives. Though written specifically of a war setting, these notions are pertinent to our modern world. “Station of Separation”, successfully delivered by Larisa, is this contest’s overall winning entry. Congratulations Larisa! 🙂

Let us all appreciate her winning entry once more:
http://avodyssey.net/musical/2_Separation.mp3

Musical Contest: Our Four Winners

Once again, much thanks to everyone who has participated in our Musical Contest! I’d like to extend my thanks especially to those who I’ve been pressuring, wringing every ounce of creative juice left, and practically threatened to join. lol. I hope that despite it all, you’ve found the contest enjoyable, if not anything else. 🙂 As well, I do hope that you still think of me as a friend, despite my roller coaster of pleas, threats, and then immense gratitude. 😛

Introductions aside, let us now introduce our four wonderful winners:

(All entries and voting results are shown here.)

[[ The Singer ]]

Winning entry – Station of Separation from Larisa

Impressive entry. Great vocal controls. Larisa has a rich voice, even when performing the higher ranges. Her articulation is lovely – strong yet hinting fragility (which suits the song’s mood). And Larisa, I’ve listened to this song multiple times 😉 That, I believe, is the highest form of praise. 🙂

[[ The Lyricist ]]

Winning entry – Never Apart from Iris Lim

Beautiful! And I have to share that Iris shows impeccable speed and flexibility. She asked for a song suggestion. I sent her “Wind”. And immediately, her poetic muse went to work. “Never Apart” not only matched the meter but also the tone that “Wind” possesses. Dare I say these lyrics are more meaningful than the original set? I dare. 🙂

[[ The Artist ]]

Winning entry – Gradually from Aurora

lol. This name is familiar to us all, isn’t it? Before discussing her winning entry, I must first thank her support in all AV Odyssey’s activities. Beautiful banners and countless birthday greetings/posters have been credited under her name. This entry is no exception. I especially like how the collage articulated a sense of gradualness through softening the faces from left to right – decreasing their clarity. A thoughtful entry, indeed. 🙂 [I do suggest, though, that the artwork shows greater contrast to illustrate the concept of day appearing like night.]

[[ The Author ]]

Winning entry – My Heart is Sincere from HMSChocolate

Amazingly fitting of the lyrics in which inspired this entry. I’m not a fan of lighthearted romance, but I have to admit – I felt giddy inside after reading this story. lol! Realistic dialogues entertwined with descriptive passages. A great balance of imagery and humor. And if I may – a cute story of cute Vicki and cute Alec. lol.

And the overall winner is….

How does one decide!??! Each entry has its own merits. Why am I the one responsible for making this hard decision?! Oh wait, I was the one who came up with the terms for his Musical Contest. A dense moment on my part, no doubt. So please allow me to prolong this suspense and undo my mistake (of putting myself in charge). Simply put, I need your help. 🙂 I can set up another voting poll to decide the winner among our current four. But nope, I won’t do that. Numbers do not appeal to me as reasons do. So I am asking for your opinions. 🙂 Who do you think is the most deserving winner?
Discussion ends at 11:59 PM CST on Tuesday, March 27th.

Musical Contest – VOTE NOW!

Friends, I can conclude: we have talents. I feel I should walk around asking for autographs because these people will make it big one day. 😛 I hope you are as excited as me in discovering the talents at AV Odyssey and voting for your favorite entry of each category! [Polls closed.]

[[ The Singer ]]
http://avodyssey.net/musical/songs.htm

You can also download the songs by right clicking on the following links, and select “Save Target As”:

01 – Realize
02 – Station of Separation
03 – Eternal Shakespeare
04 – Eternal Shakespeare
05 – Hao Xiang Hao Xiang
06 – I and Shang Guan Yan
Guest – Waltz Waltz
Guest – Love

*Please note that not all participants are Chinese-literate; refrain from judging enunciation 😛

[[ The Lyricist ]]

Entry 01 – Midnight’s Reverie
Entry 02 – Never Apart
Entry 03 – Crazy For You
Entry 04 – Little Mischief!
Guest Entry – I Only Want You To Love Me

[[ The Artist ]]

[[ The Author ]]

Entry 01 – My Heart is Sincere
Entry 02 – Ten Steps Forward – Three Years Back

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT WHO OUR WINNERS ARE!

Musical Contest – Updates!

My thanks to everyone who have submitted their entries! All submissions have been responded to. If your entry did not meet all criteria of the contest, you have also been notified. Voting begins on March 11th. Does this mean what I think it means? Yes! There is still time! I am still accepting last minute entries. If you wish to use this extra time to improve your submitted entries and resend them, that is fine too.

Please send your submissions to tkn.paradox@gmail.com

Also, more prizes have been added. As previously stated, the overall winner will receive 1 GB of online storage and one year of AV Odyssey’s VIP membership. In addition, winners of each category will receive a little special gift from TkN in the mail, regardless of which side of the globe you reside. Tell me if this is not the best incentive to join our contest! I mean, you get to see TkN’s beautiful chicken scratch (handwriting)! 😛 For now, the gifts remain a secret (and purchased). But don’t worry, TkN has awesome tastes. 🙂
Haven’t joined the contest yet? JOIN NOW!

Musical Contest – 23 Instrumentals Available

It’s approaching! It’s coming to theaters networks near you! The deadline for AV Odyssey’s Musical Contest is March 1st, 2007. Mark it! Don’t forget it! 🙂

To refresh your memory, the contest entails FIVE categories: The Singer, The Lyricist, The Artist, The Author, and The Director. More details are provided at http://www.avodyssey.net/blog/?p=263

To help participants of Category I – The Singer – we have provided a list of 23 instrumentals, available to download at http://avodyssey.net/instrumentals. All 23 songs are from Vicki’s albums, ranging from the days of “Little Swallow” to “Double”.

Many thank to Little Swallow for providing the instrumentals of Vicki’s “Afloat” and “Double” abums. 🙂 If you have instrumentals that aren’t listed above, please share!! 🙂

If you would like to record a song in which instrumental cannot be found, give me a holler. I’ll create a vocal remove for you.

If you love to sing, but wish not to compete (??!?), you are more than welcome to be our guest performer. 🙂 Guest performances will be presented for all to enjoy, but will not be judged and voted upon.

The other four categories are straightforward in descriptions and criteria. But if anything nees to be clarified, let me know. Don’t just let me sit here and rot away, hmm? I want to help! 🙂 Bombard me with questions regarding the contest, regarding the tools you’re using, anything! 🙂

If you’re a friend and you’re not joining, expect me to erase you from my Friends’ list for three months. All right, I kid. But really, I will be VERY heartbroken if you don’t join the fun 😦 😦 😦 <– See, just the thought of it is making me shed tears 😦 😦 😦 Cheer me up, yeah? 😛

I will hunt you down! And trust me, you don’t want a terribly sick person to breathe germs down your throat! 😛
SPREAD THE WORDS! RECRUIT OTHERS!

But first, recuit yourself! 😉

A Musical Contest – ENTER NOW!

This is a special contest, hosting five different categories, so do not stop reading, for perhaps you may find one appealing.

Deadline: Saturday, March 10th
Prizes: A year of VIP membership and 1 GB webspace infinitely (unless AV Odyssey closes :P)

Rules:
1. All submissions must be your own work.
2. Do not enter something you have created long ago.
3. You can enter as many categories as you wish, and can enter more than one submission per category.
4. All inquiries and entries are to be sent to tkn.paradox@gmail.com

[[Category I – The Singer]]

Learn a song originally performed by Alec or Vicki, then make your own rendition. Contact TkN for help in choosing the right recording program, and/or finding the instrumental/vocal removal of the song you wish to sing.

[[Category II – The Lyricist]]

We have had the privilege in knowing the meanings of Alec’s and Vicki’s songs. However, for this challenge, we wish to read new and creative lyrics from you! The only requirement is that these lyrics can be sung to an existing Alec’s or Vicki’s melody.

[[Category III – The Artist]]

We all have certain reflections and interpretations toward a musical piece. Now, turn your thoughts into an artwork. Capture the meanings of the song, according to you, through a graphical representation.

[[Category IV – The Author]]

Write. Let’s write! For this challenge, you are to compose a fictional work that embodies the theme of an Alec’s or Vicki’s song. There is no restriction to length. Be creative!

[[Category V – The Director]]

Create a musical video to accompany a current Alec’s or Vicki’s song. We recommend using Windows Movie Maker, but any suitable program shall do. And of course, Alec and/or Vicki must be the stars of your video.

Most songs of Alec and Vicki can be downloaded here at AV Odyssey.

All entries will be voted upon by visitors to select a winner from each category. TkN will then choose one overall winner from these top five.

I hope we will all have fun with this contest! 🙂 I am very open to new ideas so please share yours. I await your inputs and of course, submissions! 🙂
PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORDS AROUND!!! 🙂

AV Odyssey Wishes You and Yours a Merry Christmas!

Christmas is here! During a time of celebration with your family, we thank you for having spent a couple minutes of your day here with us. 🙂 2006 marks AV Odyssey’s third Christmas, and we do hope for your continuous support to maintain this website infinitely. [Of course, it would help much to have actual AV collaborations to discuss ;P]

In 2006, AV Odyssey made its comeback after a long hiatus, and much to our delight, the site was not forgotten by fans. 🙂 Instead, we were greeted by many eager helpers to make AV Odyssey’s fourth version a bigger success. This year, our biggest development was the release of Old House Has Joy (OHHJ). Though we are not even halfway through the project, the initiating process is always most difficult, and we have surpassed it. Much thanks to the following individuals who have diligently translated episodes of OHHJ: Alyssa, Christine, Iris, Kai Lien, lil~blue~tiger, and Tina! Below is a token of gratitude crafted by Aurora:

[Click image to enlarge]

In addition, our greatest appreciations to benevolent donators who have aided AV Odyssey financially. We’d be without webspace and bandwidth if you did not lend your helping hands 😛 Thank you to Andeline, Andie, Fran, Hien, Huey, Jaisy, Linh, Mai Vang, Marce, Nadine, Nicole, Rachel, Thanh, Thu-Trang, and Trang!

[Click image to enlarge]

And of course, how can I not remember to thank Aurora for being a wonderful graphic designer of AV Odyssey, who has helped me greatly with celebrating fans’ bdays with her beautiful artworks. Thank you dear!

And this is to all the brave souls out there who dare to listen to TkN “sing” Jingle Bell Rock 😛

[audio:http://tkn-portrait.net/singing/JingleBellRock.mp3%5D

To a great 2007 ahead! *cheers*

Quick Survey

For fun & serious purposes (ie: I’m curious and I also want to improve the site), please answer the brief survey below in your comments:

– How did you find AV Odyssey?
– What do you like most about AV Odyssey?
– What do you like least about AV Odyssey?
– (optional) Where are you currently residing?
– (optional) What is your nationality?

Also, you may or may not notice the Google ads displayed throughout the site – along the right sidebar and main page. This is implemented to help fund for the site. With each click, we receive a fraction of a penny. And hopefully one day, it’ll all add up. 😛 This is by far the fastest and easiest method of helping AV Odyssey, so I do hope to receive a few clicks from you each day. 🙂 Thanks!