We're very excited! The line-up for Series #3 is simply fantastic... You've gotta come on 21st May (Monday). Come hang out at The Bee, Publika @ Solaris Dutamas. Show starts at 9pm, but come over and have a nice dinner and drinks with your friends. You won't be disappointed.
I reached One World Hotel at around 9:45am. I felt a lil' awkward. It's been some time since I last attended a function this scale. Alone. And I was representing VIP for the first time officially. I told myself to relax, be cool and just enjoy the moment. So I did.
The Adobe Creative Suite 6 launch was pretty... normal. Nothing to shout about at the beginning. I did bump into two friends before the start of the launch. One was Chee Seng, an old friend back from primary school! He was very famous back then for his talent in art. Everyone knew he could draw. And guess what, he's now a creative designer in a well known publishing house :)
Another friend that I bumped into, he's a high school friend. He's now a lecturer at my old college-IACT College! Nice to see familiar faces at unexpected places.
Oh, I manage to catch up with Nelson, the Adobe speaker. We knew each other way back when I was still with Sapura. We actually visited a few schools together and I helped organized some Adobe events for them.
The entire launch overran a lil'. Photoshop CS6 was placed at the end of the show. Upon first reveal of the interface, it reminded me so much of Aperture! Then the speaker demonstrated new features after new features, and some of them are really super fantastic! It really lived up to their promise of 'it's magic'. Wow, simply mind-blowing.
And then, the epic moment of the entire launch was the lucky draw-one creative suite to be won, worth over USD 2,000! Sadly, I wasn't the lucky one. Sigh...
After the launch, I headed over to 1U's Isetan. I wanted to surprise Yn at her new workplace. I haven't seen her for quite some time and it's nice to see her big bright smile. Alvin was busy manning the kitchen so I didn't go over to say hi.
This bowl of noodle is incredible. The broth is really special and you know what? This meal last me the entire day! The noodle texture was just-nice; broth was hot, thick and fragrant; the meat was at the right thickness... I highly recommend Menya Musashi! It's located in Isetan 1 Utama, you can't miss it :) It's a bowl of comfort food. Plus, it'll last you the entire day! Seriously, you don't need to spend on dinner with a bowl of noodles like this, lol.
Said a quick goodbye to Alvin and Yn, then made my way to a golf club nearby to collect a check on behalf of Target Marketing.
Guess what? I met my old boss-Mr Hong! He's now the Club Manager. We did some catching up and gosh, it was great talking to him. It's like meeting a long lost friend :)
After a while, I made a move and traveled to The Curve to meet with Sh'n. I enjoyed a drink and a nice tea-time chat with her-both work-related topic and girly stuff :)
Then, around 6pm, met up with Jia Jia and talked about music stuff. We bumped into Will Ng and his wife. Small, small world, today.
Phew, that was how my day went...
So, today was simply awesome because:
- Bumped into many friends. I think I should hang around Damansara area more often :p
- Visited Yn and Alvin at Menya Musashi, and had a great meal.
- Another kind driver slowed down just to let me turn into a junction! The same junction!
- Walked around in heels the entire day but feet didn't kill me. Must go back to the same shop to buy another pair of heels from them. You don't find comfortable heels often.
Today's boo boo went to:
- The jerk promoter for WWF at Ikea. When I was walking pass by them, he said out loud, 'Are you a writer?'. I thought he knew I was a songwriter. Maybe he attended some of the indie songwriter gigs before and he recognized me. So I turned around and he said, 'A book writer?' My heart dropped. And he immediately said, 'Come, come sign on the board'. I just said no thank you and walked away. I felt lousy because I felt cheated... he cheated me to turn around just to make me sign the board and perhaps, pester me to donate or something? Sigh...
- Not being the lucky on winning the Adobe Creative Suite 6! SIGH... - Mr Hong said I look more matured already... a nice way of saying I look older already, boohooooooo~
After a long, long wait... finally, Lassie got her last jab and we can take her out for a run!
It was her first time out in the nature. When we were traveling towards the park, she was sitting quietly at the passenger seat. Very alert and cautious. Maybe she thought I was gonna sell her off or something, lol.
Once we reach the park and upon her first step on the grass, she was super curious of her surrounding and she sniffed fiercely at almost everything.
We were alone at the park, which was fantastic. I took her for a round, hoping to tire her out a lil'. After the lap, I was ready to bring her in the gated compound but the guard asked me to register at the clubhouse. That was when Wawa smsed me saying she's coming! So, Lassie and I waited at the steps outside of the club house. Relaxing and enjoying each other's company.
This is us sitting at the steps. She seems happy :)
When Wawa, TC and Kobe arrived though, Lassie squeal and bark with fear. It was her first time seeing another dog other than Bibi. After calming her down, Kobe, as always a gentle-dog, came to Lassie and said hello. Lassie was OK but she still seem uncertain.
Wawa went to the club house first to register, but she came out shortly to tell us that it's a whopping RM 150 per year membership! Nah, we'll skip that... the park itself is more than enough for the dogs to have a good exercise.
So we went for a walk...
And chilled out for a while at a shaded area. Took pictures, talk and relaxed...
Lassie stayed very close to me throughout the outing. It's a nice fuzzy feeling to know that you're loved by a non-human being. Strange but nice feeling :)
After the lap, we went to the patio area and chilled out. It was a great place... free wifi, cooling fan, comfortable cafe chair/table... with the dogs relaxing at our feet.
Around 12PM, it was time for me to drop Lassie off and for me to grab lunch.
This is Lassie crashing out at the passenger seat on our way home. Heheh. When we were almost reaching home, she was daring enough to come to my side and make herself comfortable at my lap; she was looking out of the window, seeing the world, trying to lick my face and just soaking in the day.
Just to share with you a new business my brother and I are working on together. It's called Zebratree and we bring you premium fashion brands which are directly imported from the U.K.
Now, we realize there are tons of online shops and blogshops around, so what makes Zebratree different, you may ask?
First of all, 90% of the designs (and some brands) displayed at Zebratree are not available in any Malaysian retail stores. This means, whichever product you purchase on Zebratree, it's one-of-a-kind.
Secondly, Zebratree offers at original U.K. retail price. Branded goods are expensive in any Malaysian retail stores because of sales tax, transportation, ROI etc. Most of the prices are 100-300% marked-up price! But not at Zebratree, nuh-uh, Zebratree offers you the original U.K. retail price; no tax of any kind and no hidden cost. You can be sure of that because the original price tags are all attached to the goods.
What else?
Zebratree offers further discounts, on-top of the original U.K. retail price! Insane?! You bet we are! But we're happy to do so!
What we do to make it even more interesting is that we will do wild-cardpromotions periodically. Some days (depends on our mood, lol), certain products will have additional discounts for limited time only! Our tip? Keep checking in our website and facebook page every day so that you won't miss out.
That's not it! We are offeringfree delivery within Peninsular Malaysia!
So there you go, ladies and gentlemen-Zebratree.com.my, the only Malaysia online store that brings you branded fashion at a super fabulous deal.
Other things you should know: Customers can pay with credit/debit card (paypal) or opt to make a direct/online cash transfer.
We appreciate feedbacks to further improve Zebratree! You can write to us at zebratree.malaysia@gmail.com :)
1. Got answers to some questions; doubts are cleared and the path ahead seems good.
2. Bought a red color leash and body harness for Lassie. I can't wait to bring her out this weekend for the first time! Time to get some exercise Lassie girl!
3. 'Me' time at Popular bookstore @ Curve. My favorite place to unwind. Bought two books and a document organizer. The desk at the factory needs some organizing!
4. A nice driver slowed down just to let me turn into a junction. What a great feeling... the driver's kind gesture made me feel special. Thank you for making my day!
5. A good morning wish and chat via Whatsapp from Boonyee who is currently in Germany.
6. A nice chit chat session with mom and dad, as usual, everyday.
Following my recent craze over Ryan Gosling, I discovered that he acted in a low profile movie called 'Lars and the Real Girl'
This must be the sweetest show I've ever watched. Simple, sweet and super touching. I've watched it many times since and still manage to cry every time.
At first, when I read the synopsis, it sounded so bizarre... a man, a love doll and a small quaint town... how can a story unfold with seemingly unmatched, weird and boring characters?
Oh, I was so wrong.
This story is about a man coping and trying to overcome loneliness and being socially inept. His mother died while giving birth to him and his father, was broken ever since. Lar's brother, couldn't stand being around a sad and grieving father, which led him to leave the house at early age, leaving Lars alone with the father.
It seems that Lars is afraid of being close to people yet, he craves to be close to people.
Lars decided to get a companion in the form of a love doll one day. Her name is Bianca. Dr Dagmar, the very kind and patient family doctor diagnosed Lars with delusion. She is vital to Lar's road to recovery... she was the one who told Gus and Karen to 'go along with it', until Lars does not need it anymore, that's why Gus and Karen (sister in law) and the entire town bend their ways and went along with Lars, treating Bianca as a real person, in order to help Lars. Everyone was so willing to do this because Lars is a sweet, harmless man in need of help.
With Bianca's help, Lars started to mix with other people and expressing himself in ways he never did. The part where he was in the car with Bianca (after leaving a colleague's party), when he cried and told Bianca, 'No I'm fine... I'm just happy', shows that he's been craving to be around people for a long time. That scene broke my heart :'(
At the end of the story, it appears that Lars is ready to let go of Bianca. She fell sick and eventually passed away... which also symbolizes that Lars is ready to face the real world and be a part of life again. The movie ends with Lars asking Margo if she'd like to take a walk with him.
Ever since Bersih 2.0, I vowed that I will not again miss an event like this; an event that is true to my heart.
On the days leading towards Bersih 3.0 on 28 April 2012, many discussions took place online and on the eve of Bersih 3.0, I visited the pharmacy to stock up-bought ear plugs (actually I felt that I was just being paranoid, buying this, but I thought, better safe than sorry), liquid antacid, Snickers (just in case we get hungry), Milo packs etc... I joked to my parents saying that it felt like a camping trip.
On 28 April 2012 (Saturday), I woke up at 7am and got ready. Sh'n and Pou reached my house at 8am. Dad, in his yellow shirt, then drove us into KL. Once we turned down towards Seremban Highway (towards Midvalley direction), massive jam! I regretted not asking Dad to drop us at LRT Bangsar directly. So anyway, Dad was pretty calm and he said he'll be able to get to Seremban Highway...
Once we passed by the above part, it was smooth traffic. On Seremban Highway, Dad took the Sg. Besi route and towards KL. Without any glitch, Dad manage to dropped us off at Hang Tuah Monorail Station.
The three of us then walked towards Jalan Sultan using Jalan Hang Jebat route (passing by Stadium Merdeka on the way). It was a breeze walk. Many supporters were also making their way on foot towards Jalan Sultan. It was a nice morning... birds chirping and warm sun shine (I'm serious!)
Less than 10-minutes, we arrived at the Jalan Sultan assembly point.
First on our agenda-find food! So we walked towards China Town, which was already super crowded! It was only 8:50am!
Business at China Town was roaring too. We had to stand to eat our piping hot fish porridge. And guess what, we bumped into our friend YJ. I didn't imagine we could find anyone in a crowd like this. Not long later, we even bumped into another group of musician friends :)
After breakfast, we made our way back to Jalan Sultan assembly point. The atmosphere was great; exciting... I felt goosebumps from time to time. People were singing Negaraku, chanting 'Bersih!' and just being happy. Everyone was there for a reason and the energy was great!
There were Policemen barricading at Jalan Sultan. For what reason, I do not know. But we took the side walk and walk towards the assembly point easily. After a while, the group of Policemen dispersed and we found them shading from the scorching sun.
When we finished breakfast and walked back to the Jalan Sultan assembly point, it was roughly around 9:30am+ only. We were gonna have a long day ahead... so most of the time we just sat at shaded road kerb and chilled out. I actually yawn many times... it was just peaceful, even though the crowd was getting significantly bigger.
We were trying to do live updates on Facebook, Whatsapp but somehow it couldn't go through. SMSes could, but once in a while. We were thinking, maybe the traffic is too heavy, that's why the line is so bad.
Finally, around 1pm+, people were informing each other that the march has begun. The energy was ten times greater. I even bumped into another group of friends!
At one point, a great yellow air ball came into sight and everyone went crazy over it! It felt so much like a street party, a carnival! If Merdeka Day celebration was anything like this, I'd participate every year!
I feel more like a Malaysian on this day instead of Merdeka Day.
After what felt like ages... I started to get tired and kept drinking water to ensure I don't get heat stroke. Thankfully there were small breezes on and off. Also, there were some times when the march came to a halt, and we just stood there waiting. There was no communication or whatsoever. We just followed the crowd.
It's impossible to know what's happening on the front line-is the road blocked? is someone negotiating with the Police? Standing under extreme heat, feeling thirsty, feeling lethargic, and not knowing what's going on.. you start to wonder whether it is all worth it... but of course, you push on, with determination. If everyone else can do it, why can't I? I see small children and old people marching alongside. If they can, why can't I? We all draw strength from each other...
I downloaded the above picture from someone's Facebook. Please, if you know who took this picture, please let me know who to credit! Thanks in advance.
Soon, the crowd begun moving forward again and the remaining march was smooth sailing. When I saw the great flag of Merdeka Square, my heart skipped a beat. We're there. We've arrived.
Of course, we can't get into Dataran Merdeka. As close as we can, that's what all matters to us.
Our group rested at the side walk and checked out the scene at Jalan Tun Perak/Masjid Jamek surrounding. Groups from all assembly point has made it as near as possible to Dataran Merdeka. The crowd was massive.
At 2pm sharp, Negaraku was sung. Dato' Ambiga said Duduk Bantah that is scheduled from 2-4pm will start with Negaraku.
After a while, our group made our way to the walkway that was facing Jalan Mahkamah Persekutuan (the fuschia portion). A vantage point that allows us to see what's happening on the stretch of Leboh Pasar Besar (Agro Bank was visible). On the other end, (along Jalan Mahkamah Persekutuan), FRU and Police force (marked as the red star) were all lined-up and gathering there. For the longest time, it was like 'you look at me, I look at you' kind of situation.
It was un-eventful and peaceful. Of course with the crowd cheering, chanting and singing non-stop.
I was telling YJ, it's almost 3pm+... I don't think the FRU and Police will be so silly to attack us right? If they do, they can only get off work much later. I don't think they want that right? Plus, they might need to write more report if they do. And, and and, I don't think they will be stupid to repeat what has happened the last time right?
Not long after I made that comment, suddenly we heard a loud commotion on our right. From where we stood, we could see water cannons spraying large jets of water and tear gasses dropping like rain (mark as green star).
Something must has happened over there...
We could see people escaping and seeking refuge in Jamek Mosque. But from where we stood and behind (Leboh Pasar Besar), everything was still calm.
Maybe it's because I was tired, the scene that took place on the right (Masjid Jamek side) didn't really frighten me enough to want to run. My group and I were just watching from afar... I felt concerned and curious why the FRU attacked. Did someone break through the barrier?
Soon later, someone who escaped from the Masjid Jamek side came and told us that the rally has actually ended. I couldn't remember much information from him though. My mind was too cooked from the heat and tired to retain any information. Soon later, my group and I agreed to leave. Maybe grab a bite at McDonalds or something...
That was around 3:20pm. We turned around (from the location as seen in picture above) and walk straight towards Jalan Tan Siew Sin. That's when we saw tear gasses being drop on the other end of the road (which was Leboh Pasar Besar)! I'll never forget that scene... it felt like a scene from war movies.
The wind direction was blowing the gasses towards us. Fast. We started running.
Where we were running to, I don't know, I just know we had to run straight and as fast and far as possible.
Suddenly I felt my eyes stinging and that's when my brain told me, 'Hey, I think the tear gasses caught on'. And almost immediately I start choking as though I choked on water and trying to catch breath; eyes stung like someone spread chilli around my eyes and blow pepper into my face; mucous leaked from my nose like a loose pipe.
It was a good thing I carried my bag in front of me all the time. I quickly took out my mix of water + liquid antacid and sprayed into my mouth, swallowed, then spray some on my towel and wiped my eyes. In my head I was like, 'Hey this stuff really works'. I helped Pou with the mix too cuz his eyes, mouth and nose was exposed too. Sh'n was doing better than us because she had face mask and big sun glasses.
We were actually running along side with YJ but YJ's brother sprained his leg and the last I saw is YJ supporting his brother... me, Sh'n and Pou kept running... helping ourselves with the water + liquid antacid mix...
We ran pass Menara Maybank, and we decided to go all the way to Times Square. On the way, we bumped into Ah Guan laoshi and Will Ng. Looks like they have also got separated from the other members. We said a quick goodbye and moved on... we were unsure if the FRU/Police will catch up and continue to attack...
We were walking alongside with many other fellow Malaysians. We were talking and expressing our disbelief that the FRU and Police actually attacked us. An elderly Malay couple in front of us even turned to us and expressed her disbelief as well!
While passing by Tong Shin Hospital, we saw a young Chinese man obviously suffering. He is suffocating and it looks as though he is about to die. Looks like the effect of tear gas. I walked to the people around him, a by passer I assume, and asked if he was attacked by tear gas, they said yes. So I passed the bottle of water + liquid antacid the by passer's hand and ask him to spray the victim's eyes and mouth... there was a crowd around him and a Malay lady asked me what is the mix I'm holding. Once I told her, she nodded approvingly and the by passer started to spray the victim's face and mouth. Then the by passer asked everyone to move away and give the victim some air... me, Sh'n and Pou moved on... I felt so bad for the victim.
I thought of the old people and children who are in the rally... can they survive the ordeal of tear gas? It is really a terrible, horrible sensation and I don't ever want to experience it again... I only caught wind of it and it's enough to make me suffer for a while. What about those who took direct hit? I can't imagine... I don't dare to imagine...
Finally, we reached Times Square and we got news that Police force is starting to arrest anyone in yellow. I went to the toilet and removed my yellow top, and joined Sh'n and Pou at Starbucks.
After resting for a while, we made our way to Imbi Monorail. We purchased the ticket and went to the platform. There was tons of people there. A train came by and it was impossible for us to go in as it was super duper packed. I cannot imagine how long more we have to wait, so I suggested to call my dad to fetch us at the same drop off point earlier in the morning. Dad called back some time later to say there are road blocks and he can't get into KL. So, we went to Times Square taxi counter to buy the coupon instead. Waited for a while, and finally reached home at around 5:30pm.
That, ladies and gentlemen, was my personal experience at Bersih 3.0 on 28th April 2012. A day where I felt like 'this is what being Malaysia is about-being united and showing extreme love for the country'.
There are too many Malaysians to be grateful for in this Bersih 3.0 event: volunteer medical teams, security teams, lawyers etc etc, those who help others in times of need... we can't thank you enough.
I've also made a personal video that documented my day (recorded with a pocket video cam):
During the end of year 2011, my client-Azrina, called me one day and asked if I could help photograph her. It was a very short notice. She won the "Manager of the Year 2011-Service Category" by MIM Public Bank, and she was to be featured on her company-Tenaga Nasional Berhad (the national power company) internal magazine called 'Tenagawan'.
Nero Fico, a very lovely restaurant in Bukit Damansara allowed us to use their space for the photoshoot. My assistant of the day was Man Man, who helped me with the off-camera flash. Many thanks to them!
My setup was pretty simple. Canon 5DMKII + pocket wizard and one 580EXII + pocket wizard.
Azrina was so sweet to send me a copy of the magazine! Here's the scanned version:
And here's the original version:
Azrina looks great on the cover, doesn't she? Strong and confident woman, that's what she is; it's no wonder she received the award :) Congrats once again, Azrina!
All thanks to the Notebook, I'm now officially obsessed with Ryan Gosling, or Ry Ry, which is how his hardcore fans call him. I burst out laughing when I saw this nickname. Hilarious.
Anyway, it's been ages since I last felt so strongly towards a performer. I think the last time I felt this obsessed was with Jay Chou, sometime between 2002-2008. Back then, I thought he was the most talented modern musician I've ever seen. By the way, Jay Chou was the one who influenced me to song-write. I collected everything single news about him and went to most of his shows in Malaysia. Even got on stage to speak with him 1-to-1 during a fan meeting session. I was that crazy. Huuuggee celebrity crush.
But then a few years ago, that celebrity crush has been crushed by adulthood. I grew up and grew out of him. His songs doesn't speak to me as strongly as it did anymore. He's like a long distant, fading memory of a person I use to love so strongly and grew out of love with. Lol.
So, after watching the Notebook, which made me cry my eyeballs out, I found myself searching for more movies with Ryan Gosling. Which led me to Crazy. Stupid. Love (the best part was when Emma Stone said: "Seriously?! It looks like you've been photoshopped" when Ryan Gosling took off his shirt), Blue Valentine and The Ides of March, which I'd like to recommend to you.
Blue Valentine is such a gripping show. It is so real. Too real. So believable. The story is about two young lovers who fell in love and many year down the road, how their marriage is breaking down. The reality part of love. The part where Michelle Williams said she was out of love with Ryan, and how Ryan is begging her not to say those words and begging her to keep the relationship really ripped my heart apart. Please, watch it. I can't believe how good this film is. Incredible.
Next, the Ides of March. By the way, I love this cover so much. The first time I saw it, I stared at it for the longest time, thinking it was such a brilliant design. Such creativity... will I ever be blessed with that? The Ides of March has a darker plot. Its completely different from the Notebook, Crazy. Stupid. Love (obviously) and Blue Valentine. This is about dirty politics; who to trust? who not to trust? One thing I learnt from this movie? Be careful of what you say and do because just one mistake, may change your life forever.
Now, go on and watch this two movies, throw away his good looks and charm and tell me Ryan Gosling is not an incredible performer :)
The Songwriters' Showcase is happening tonight at The Bee-Publika@Solaris Dutamas from 9PM onwards! Please come and enjoy good food, good company and discover talented songwriters. You'll be blown away by the talents we have in Malaysia :)
