Life in MONO

LOOKBOOQUE

2010-06-18T20:05:00.002+08:00

Bon Voyage by syuke featuring Prada bags

Zelphia cashmere-blend sweater
$140 - net-a-porter.com
More Theory sweaters »

VIKTOR & ROLF Pants
238 EUR - colette.fr
More Viktor & Rolf pants »

SHOESAnglomania Ultragirl Wax Seal Black Shoes
70 GBP - coggles.com
More Vivienne Westwood flats »

Large Frame Tote - Black
$2,550 - barneys.com
More Prada tote bags »

Black Club Master Sunglasses by Ray-Ban
118 GBP - my-wardrobe.com
More Ray-Ban sunglasses »

Nautical Cap
$38 - yesstyle.com
More Tian Mu hats »

100% Silk Crepe Embroidered Rose Square Neckerchief Scarf - Red
buy.com
More scarves »

Jiman

2009-11-10T19:43:00.013+08:00

Job? I am currently the Chief of Corporate and Legal Affairs Officer of Sepang International Circuit. I am also a part time stylist, and a full time fashion freak.

Style icon? Carinne Roitfeld. The woman is a rockstar.

Describe your personal style Style is all about being individual. It’s about finding out what works for you and taking it from there. I am very much influenced by music. I believe that music and fashion definitely goes hand in hand. When “Hella Good!” by No Doubt were released and I first saw the video, I remember it made me so pumped I had to to go put on something rockin’ and hit the clubs. It was the same when I saw “Honest Mistake” by The Bravery. I always have music on whenever I’m getting ready to go out. It sets your mind free. I have always had a playful relationship with clothes, yet I don’t feel as though I am a victim of trends. Nor do I pore over piles of fashion magazines looking for something to wear. In fact, it would be a film or a song that inspires me. Or even, I might see a bracelet I like, and dress around that.

I build my daily look around Myself and whatever that looks good on me. These days I just stick to my favourite jeans and t-shirt. It’s all about the fit, if the fit is good, it would look good. And I love jackets. I try to wear them if it’s not too hot. Shoes are also important. Shoes are actually the real deal breaker. Get that right, and you'll be fine.

Personal Style quirk? The thing about it is that I am always bejeweled. I love accessories. Rings, bracelets, pendants, earrings - the works. And I like them chunky. So even in dirty old jeans and a vintage black t-shirt, people perceive me as having a “big look”.

Favorite designers? Definitely John Galliano. The man is an artist. His work is like art. They’re so well crafted that each piece of his haute couture collection should be put in a museum for all to see. When he came out with the Egyptian inspired collection, I thought this man was crazy genius. The clothes, the model selection, the make-up, the walk, the music and the poses at the end of the runway, it was all a spectacle. I have never seen anything like that before. It doesn’t matter what you do, just watching that show, it makes you want to be better. And that made John Galliano a hero in my book. I also adore Hedi Slimane and Rick Owens. All fabulous menswear designers.

The first thing I look at in another Sartorialist's outfit ... The fit. And then the shoes.

Favorite stores? I don't have a favourite. I'm not gonna limit myself when it comes to shopping.

I only buy __________ in Europe. I can't answer this question. I couldn't think of anything in particular.

Most stylish city? Whatever city that I am in. Having said that, I am gonna be in Paris for the first time this December. I have really high hopes for that.

Favorite vacation spot? My mom's house.

Favorite cocktail? I don't do cocktails.

Favorite place to search for inspiration? I could be inspired anywhere and everywhere. My friends inspire the most. I have some of the most inspiring friends one could ever hope to have in their lifetime. It's the reason why I bought my first camera, that is to take photos of my friends. They are all fearless in their own way.

I spend my weekends… Watching TV. Lots and lots of TV. Hanging out with my besties. I go out clubbing sometimes. And I eat.

On heavy rotation

2009-06-05T18:41:00.001+08:00

The Grain Effect

2009-05-26T09:13:00.003+08:00

Im still perfecting (rather ambitious) getting the right effect for my works and like the idea of experimenting during post-production. This is just one of it, its a bit contrasty but I do fancy the film grain look and slightly embossed as if the subject is carved into the photo. What do you think?

Back to Black

2009-04-21T09:40:00.008+08:00

I ve been toying with this idea (vanity fair/mafia/noir inspired shot) for a while now and found the right people to do it with and they were all game and gave their best as you can see from the shots above. Im also still looking the right tone and hues for the photos and here some color experimentations that I went through shown in the photos. I think I know which one is the one I prefer most but everyone has their very own preference. I love putting a lot of faces in a photo and organize their positions and play with their expressions. I cant wait to do more of this kinda shoot with more props and dramatic/noir style in the future, any takers??

The List

2009-02-12T15:09:00.008+08:00

Last night, I went out with an old friend who is never dull with stories and updates when it comes to the man she is currently seeing. Lets just name her Mina for the sake of this writing. She’s 30, gorgeous and a successful business training manager for a major telecommunication company. She has been seeing Jason (19 and still studying) for a while now. As a friend, katanye. She told me that apparently she gave an ultimatum to the guy because she was afraid that she might fall deeper and the guy would not reciprocate the way she hoped him to. I knew for a fact that was not the only reason but you see, they have been going for a while, started out as friend, then it slowly developed into more than that but no actual physical contact yet. Poor guy is very young and I assume he was so excited with this new found friend, Mina and supposedly play along with whatever Mina throw at him, unfortunately the only thing he wont play for now is her body. That’s beside the point. I get to thinking that this is such a classic situation, I can guarantee almost everyone of us went through this situation either as Mina or the poor supposed virgin boy, Jason. Mina is a big girl. You can say these and that to her, but in the end of the day deep down she knows what to do. All can I say to her that, as much as it is fun to have such companionship, I believe if you really looking for one, then find a real guy or girl who wants the same thing because we all deserved so much better. Hence, I called upon to share these thoughts with you. This list is just what I come up based on my very own experiences, (yes, I have learnt things the hard way people) and friends as well as people in general. Not meaning to judge but merely valuable information so that we are aware and prepare ourselves with what’s ahead of us.

5 GUYS YOU SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM.

1. Rebound guy. I was reading a similar article (where this entry is partly inspired from) on yahoo the other day and it was the first to be mentioned on the list of guys you should stay away from. I couldn’t agree more. Majority of the rebound guy just want to get laid, and chances are they are not fully recovered from the break-up. Thus, you will be compared to the ex’s and this sucks big time. It will be hard for you to get to his heart. He needs to be 100% sure that he’s over and ready to be in another relationship. Now if you really want to go out with the guy for the fact that this is your only chance for love, just tell him straight to his face, ‘you can only take me out on a date when you are really over with your ex. IM NOT A SUBSITUTE FOR YOUR LOST LOVE’ I deserve so much better.

2. Fisherman. Ha? Motif tak leh nak dating nelayan? Apart from the slight smell of dry fresh fish and sea water, theres absolutely nothing wrong with dating a fisherman. They make an honest living. However, this is not the kind of fisherman I’m talking about. A dear friend said once, fisherman refers to guys who like to fish for compliments. Our society values humility so much that sometimes, it gets annoying. When people give you a genuine compliment, you pay them back by saying ‘Thank you’.. Contoh ayat; “You look really good tonite’.. and you simply answer ‘ thank you, You not bad yourself’.. What I used to do and what I get to hear are mostly when I say..’you look good’ ..then they reply ‘nah, this is old stuff’ ..’takdelah, you lagi cantik’.. ‘seluar I ni beli kat zara je’ .. perlewke nak elaborate uols?! Jawab thank you sudahlah!. Susah sangat ke? The problem is that our society is becoming cynical and jaded. Its hard for one to accept compliment without thinking ‘why are they saying that’ or is there something wrong of what I wear today. Motif??!!. Paranoia. Negativy. Ignorance. Its an epidemic of mind. It’s a sign of weakness. I very much avoid this type of people. I don’t need gloom in life. No thank you. Gosh, there are more important matters than just physical attributes you know. Or maybe we do know. We cant just stop thinking with our dicks and bumhole. Oh well.. that’s too bad then.

3. Next, the Magistrates. Oh this one I really feel that I want to share with you guys. Im sure we are all very familiar with the infamous proverb, ‘don’t judge the book by its cover’. We even used that to defend ourselves in situation where we are ridiculed or offended by someone. Magistrates are not just conducting the courthouse, they also administer the law i.e. sentencing, hearings etc….. How many of you guys have had someone saying to you..’orang macam you ni mesti banyak scandal’ or ‘orang handsome macam you ni takkan takde boyfriend and my ultimate favourite, ‘orang handsome macam you nak ke keluar ngan macam I?.. ayo, geramz betul aku dgr ayat sebegini. Tak kira nih, belum apa apa dah jatuh hukuman. Kononnya nak cover diri sendiri lah, ease themselves into rejection. Say all the bad things about themselves first before the guy says it. Bloody insecure!. It’s shows how we devalue ourselves. Magistrates are best friends with the fishermen. They saying that so you could say back to them ‘alah, you lagi handsome’.Iim not going to give compliments for the sake of it, Hell no!. I just find it unattractive for people saying those to me when I ask them on a date. Clearly, if I ask you on a date, its because theres something about you that intrigues me and yes, perhaps because you are very attractive. Its such a turn off when you let yourself reduced to cultural cliche. Apa, orang handsome takleh ajak you keluar ke? That good looking guys are bad guys. Must i say, mind my flattering lashes, I break hearts as a hobby. Not all men are beautiful and cruel. Lagipun orang tu handsome ke tidak its not his doing, he didn’t ask to be born beautiful. . Nobody can guarantee that all good looking men are bastards.Ayo, kalau cam tu sampai bile pun tak dapat nak carik dek non hoi. All I can say is GOOD LUCK. Which brings me to another famous and cliché English proverb, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and my next point, the Swan.4 . The ugly duckling that blossom into a beautiful swan. Or in short, adek-adek baru nak naik. Im not here to teach you how to love. Grow up already. (I wrote a rather long entry then when i read back, I feel this is rather a preferential matter. No offense to anyone who likes younger guys though.)

5. Finally, the one and only, the Actor. No, not the song from Michael Learns to Rock, ayo korang ni so old school lah.. This one kind, the tip of the pyramid, the quintessential dramatic artist, you name it they have it. Best at making excuses, picking up a fight, sulking like theres no tomorrow, suicidal, cry crocodile tears and morphed into a green monster. Actors are filled with imagination and wide range of emotions. They get extreme at times even though you have perfect hearing they tend to shout at you to get your attention or regardless how many times you try to convince them with a truth they will manipulate those words to their advantages. Not to forget, the unnecessary quirks such as constant checking for your location, whether you have eaten your breakfast, lunch and dinner and whose accompanying you. You might say well, I care for this person and whats wrong with that? Aku sayang gila kat dia, sukati akulah! ,Oh the dramarama!!! Perhaps they want me to feel they been looked after. Sure, if you’re my mother that is. Even my mom doesn’t text me or call me every 5 minutes!! Please dont make excuse for others. I felt that guys whose falls into this category suffers from ADD. Maybe a mild one but still. Well, the word trust doesn’t just turned up in the dictionary for no reason babes. That’s like the foundation of any relationship. Without that you have nothing to support on. And if you have difficulty trusting anyone than ask yourself this question ‘why am I spending my time with you when I should be with someone I trust?, I deserve so much better.’ The aspects of an actor that I think would surely win them an award is when the appear differently the minute you show up with your peers. The whole split personality thing is one thing that irks me. Depan orang bukan main cintan mintan, pijak semut pakai heels pun tak mati, kat belakang you make freddy kruger looks like a baby. Why cant just you love yourself the way you are. If you cant love yourself how can you expect for other people to love you back. Its not cute babe. Now that’s ugly.

You see I have met all five characters in my life, gosh I even played those parts one way or another. I don’t like it. I want to be the first one to admit it. I want to be a better person, if I do want someone great than I have to be great too right? Thus im rectifying it, slowly accepting that its ok that if someone doesn’t love me back as much as I do them and that’s its ok for me leave him and move on. I’ll get over it. One really has nothing to loose over a rejection after a first date, a terrible partner or leaving unhappy situations. We just want to be happy. That’s why we have a relationship with one another. Never underestimate yourself when it comes to thing that you desire. Just remember that if you know in your heart that you are kind, warm, loving, charming and treat other people with the utmost respect and that you should know you deserve to be getting the same or even more. It might be a lonely wait but its worth it.

Coming soon, THE 5 GUYS YOU SHOULD BE WITH.

Hello 2009!

2009-01-25T16:04:00.004+08:00

Its new year already and I figure I need to freshen up this blog a little.. perhaps add some more er... colour, then i might have to change the blog name too. Mmm.. Watch out for its new look. Coming soon to a screen near you!!

We Heart Mr. Manager

2008-12-27T23:11:00.012+08:00

I received a text late wednesday afternoon from Mr. Manager aka Mr.V asking me where is Bing Cafe here in Kuching? Apparently a fan reader of his blog suggested a meet there in Bing and I replied by saying there’s two outlets running, one in Padungan and one near Simpang Tiga. Which one did they want to go to? Mr. V later came to meet at work and we discussed about the dinner arrangements as well as the location. The date was set on boxing day at around 7pm. Location was Magenta, a converted colonial house serving western fusion food.

My dear friend Farah rang me up the day after, informing me that she is in town and I told her about the dinner and whether she could accompany me and she said yes. And now I just need to persuade one more friend, Neyna just in case nobody respond to Mr. V invitation (by friday afternoon I asked Mr.V has anyone RSVP yet and he said, just 2 and told me Id better come!) I figured a dinner of 6 isnt bad after all..

Now based from the photos it is obvious there were more than 6 people came for the dinner. Half of which I never met before but Kuching being Kuching the town where everyone is separated by a mere 6 degrees, it turned out that we had mutual friends apart from our infatuation with Mr. V’s blog. It was really nice to have met new acquaintances and perhaps we will see more of each other in the future. We exchanged thoughts, experienced and interests and interrogate Mr. V with a question or two. The respond? Lets just say it stays there on that table in Magenta, shall we?

Mr. V did ask us what makes us read his blog and what is it that attracts us the most about it? My answer? It is the way he writes and that its self-deprecating in a way that either you love it or hate it and one who doesn’t take himself too seriously for you know when you are in the entertainment industry you are to face up all sorts of people. Hence, its only natural for Mr. V to lash out some of his anger through his writings and then moved on. Its therapeutic, no? Not that he's angry 24/7.. more like 'lepas geram'.. Some people get it but a fair amount will never will. And its too bad that they don't. Keep on writing mate, we will keep on reading.

I’m looking forward for my next meet with Mr. V and our little project with Miss Nikki. Thanks again Mr. V, i had such a good time and we can go to Bing Cafe for our next meet. I know you will like it for so many reasons. Till then.

simply beautiful

2008-12-20T18:13:00.001+08:00

Im seldom moved by a dancing performance but this one made me gasp!! the dress, the song and the moves are just impeccable and beautiful.

On heavy rotation

2008-12-14T04:14:00.003+08:00

my top 5 songs currently blasting way too much on my mac.

Ran - Pandangan Pertama (At first sight)
Leona Lewis - Run
Bunkface - Situasi
Ran - Nothings last forever
Faizal Tahir - Coba (Try)

My new style Icon

2008-11-26T10:15:00.006+08:00

Brandon Flowers of The Killers.
http://www.thekillersmusic.com

note to self: will tailor those razor sharp suits!

Pretty-ful!

2008-11-25T15:10:00.007+08:00

My dear friend Inez had recently opened a bridal boutique and asked me to shoot some of the bridal wear for their premise. We met the previous day to discuss the look that we're going for and I found a cover shot from Australia Vogue and fell in love with it! Suffice to say we were inspired! Here are some of the shots.

Jaquita's 20th

2008-11-23T03:51:00.006+08:00

Gosh, how time flies. My cousin Jackie entered the semi big 2-0 club and she threw a fabulous party at the manor with cute delicious cupcakes and scrumptious feast for all the guests. Shes practically like a smaller sister that I never had and I watched her grow from that adorable little baby and now almost a full grown woman. Its annual celebration and its time for all family members to gather and eat like theres no tomorrow. This time around daddy even bought a new bbq cooking set just to prepare those yummy bbq chickens. And of course its not complete without the photos. This time Jaquita requested my assistance and brought along the strobe light and make those photos look fab!

...too bad she ran away once she knew we gonna smear frosting on her face! that would make a memorable birthday photo!

Happy Birthday Girl.. welcome to the 20s Hotel. enjoy your stay for the next decade!

my thoughts exactly

2008-11-18T15:08:00.005+08:00

It has not been a good week for me.. well more like weeks now. Some things didnt turn out the way it supposed to be and Im wondering whether I could be able to stay strong and hope for the best. I wont go into details but I reckon that it is necessary to make few changes in order to make things right. My close friends would know that Im not the type that 'plans'.. they hate that about me but i do understand that spontaneity can looses it charms too. My artistic self controls much more than my sensible self and I only would realize that later when I have to deal with the upshot. I do wonder would that make one a bad person? When guilt creeps in. Oh how I hate that feeling. People who have worked with me recognized and believed in what I'm passionate about and I supposed I want the ones who really loves me sees that too. Maybe they do, and thats the only reason why they want the best for me thus doing the things that I might not like for the being to save myself from more burden in the future. Aziz would tell me t0 grow up, which I supposed its true. The quintessential Dorian Grey and suffering from peter pan syndrome, floating and dreaming away in Never-Neverland. It took me years to discover myself, and it will take just seconds that change that. Perhaps that is what scares me, that I'll become the exact person that I dont aspire to be. This place I'm at I know is just a transition space, that I'm in the lobby waiting to check in and get into the right lift to take me to the right floor where i have the key to open the right door. I've mentioned once that the great thing about life is that we are given options, where often we dont pick the correct one and or a promise to good end.

Am I at the right lobby?

Wedding Photographs

2008-11-08T22:40:00.010+08:00

My wedding shots and albums are mostly of close friends that were really helping out a struggling artist friend to get by. :) Since I know them personally it was rather easy to capture their essence as a couple. Here are some sample of works that I can share with you guys and girls.

Serenity

2008-10-27T11:25:00.004+08:00

Its been a while, but always great to be back.

Guts, Camera, Action!

2008-10-17T11:31:00.010+08:00

Lots of Guts, two cameras and plenty of actions! It took me a lot of courage, but I had to do it. I was slightly nervous for some unexplained reasons. More like unsure. I even took the wrong keys to the studio! Maybe I wanted it to be perfect, maybe Im just thrilled just to be able to do what I love to do or maybe just pure joy of having to see a very familiar face. But I did take out the mini as promised, a promise that I never forget and wanted to keep. I wanted to honor that. Nora came and we finally opened up. It was a relief. We really had a good time. As Lynn would say its the company that matters. I couldn't agree more.

Thanks HB for the time and the pack of Salem Lights. So tell me what was the sign behind a broken cigarette?

eid, kuching

2008-10-09T15:50:00.004+08:00

Didnt have enough light to shoot but I just love the settings and thought it would be great just to snap a few photos since everyone was there anyway...

Eid Shoot Part Duex

2008-09-25T11:29:00.005+08:00

Our own version off Vanity Fair Eid Spread 2008. From left Aziz, Jas D, Kast, Farihan and Zairol

The Interview-From Aziz

2008-09-22T12:02:00.011+08:00

Job?
Visual Communicator - styling/graphics/photography

Best Sartorial advice from your parents?
Always iron your shirt.

Style icons
Hedi Slimane, Johnny Depp, Pete Doherty, Carrie Bradshaw, Audrey Hepburn

Describe your personal style
Monochromatic-black skinny jeans, oversize 'pagoda' tee layered with grey cardigan and a bowler hat. And white converse. Comfort-sheek. Im at the 80's phase.

I build my daily look around...
My white tops. Wife-beaters, work shirts, casual shirts, round neck.

Personal Style quirk
I dont like socks but one has to wear it.

Favorite designers
Hedi Slimane, Karl Lagerfeld, Stefano Pilati, Coco Chanel, YSL, Christian Dior, Helmut Lang, Christopher Kane, Gareth Pugh, Aida Saidin.

Most cherished item
Karl Lagerfeld H&M white shirt. Its also a gift from my best mate, Vince.

I feel best wearing...?
A skinny well tailored black suit. Its amazing how one would feel empowering the seconds you put them on. Its like an armour.

The first thing I look at in another Sartorialist's outfit ...
The design and then the fit.

I always break this fashion rule.
Wearing a suit with white converse.

I never break this fashion rule.
Over sized collar and cuffs. Only Elvis can pull that one off.
.
Never caught wearing?
A top with designers label splashed all over it! its tacky!

Most underrated item in menswear?
Wife-beaters!

Dress to impress who?
Moi. When I feel good everyone else's will too.

Shine your own shoes?
Only if I have a pair of shiny shoe.

Favorite stores?
Top Shop for the size and basics, Zara for design and price, H&M for making a kid feels like he's in a candy store.

Your next "must have" purchase?
A skinny well tailored suit. A pair of white patent shoe. Make it Hedi's Slim Suit. To die for!

I only buy __________ in Europe.
vintage clothing

I skimp when buying ...
Trousers

I splurge on.....
White tops and cardigans

Favorite item of clothing
White shirt and skinny jeans

Guilty pleasure
For now? I dont have any. But if I do, I agree with Raja, it would be a pair of patent black shoe

Best cologne, skincare?
Men's scent : DIOR Homme Intense, Narciso Rodriguez For Her, Intuition for Men by Estee Lauder & BOSS Bottled by Hugo Boss.
Skin Care : Banana Boat Aloe Vera Gel

Most stylish city (Milan, Paris, London, New York, other)
London and most probably Tokyo

When I was in high school I wore?
I wore my hair wrong! As far as clothing is concerned, I dont think I've worn anything bad because I pretty much realized I was stylish then. :D, at least I think so.

Sports?
Swimming.

Favorite fashion magazine?
Its on my reading list.

Favorite vacation spot?
Anywhere where I could have fun with my best friends. Its all about the company.

Favorite neighborhood restaurant?
Quan Ice Cream

eid shoot

2008-09-22T11:29:00.007+08:00

Just another reason to shoot in colour. Happy Eid Mubarak!

Derelict Diary

2008-09-12T21:03:00.013+08:00

weekend shoot

2008-09-08T09:44:00.003+08:00

I had a good weekend and did an impromptu shoot with my close mates. This week's theme.. Hoodies.

i miss you, Beach!!

2008-09-04T23:47:00.004+08:00

in times like this i just feel like a dip. gosh i miss it. just me and the ocean. i know its ramadhan and you cant swim but you know what I mean. you wait, i will be there. i will be back.

What to wear?

2008-08-28T13:30:00.015+08:00

My good friend Tamer and I were talking via skype the other day and touched on the subject of Hedi Slimane, the fashion designer rock star that we both admired like no other. His innovative yet relevant designs are solely missed but left a footprint that one can emulate over and over again. Im planning to go out to this party this weekend and I secretly would plan my outfit way way before the day of the event. I guess the secrets out but let me share with you my thoughts and wardrobe wish list. I discover the joy into going back dressing in black and white after my return trip to the England last year, and how VERY sheek it looked, with the new silhouettes and fabrication. My very fashion forward friends are already flaunting them and I gave it shot and fell in love with the look all over again. The best thing is that it will never run out of time. I found myself buying lots of white shirts and wife-beaters and few pairs of black skinny jeans. The one thing Im still struggling is to wear a black shirt here in Malaysia, for some weird reason I feel sweats going to come out the second I put it on. Blazers and jackets are fine on certain occasions and venue (with full blast A.C.) for I think the look suits the age I'm at right now and IT does make you feel good whenever you a suited up from head to toe. Here are some looks that I'm considering for this coming weekend. Choices, choices, choices.

punk-rock?

skinny-sleek?

casual-smart?

now wheres Hedi when you need him??

short stint

2008-08-25T05:04:00.005+08:00

Although it was short, I have learnt so much and met wonderful new friends as well as gained new knowledge that were not taught in school. I guess architecture was never really the answer to all this. Oh well.

ZLGians shot by yours truly

English Enchantment

2008-08-24T23:35:00.018+08:00

About a year ago on a cloudy monday afternoon, I walked passed the famous Royal Albert Hall London, scouting for a spot to shoot my model Karim for a fashion spread in the Oct issue of Going Places MAS inflight magazine. The glam squad consists of me starring as the stylist, Lynn W as the photographer, Viv as the fierce editor, Colin as the muse and Joseph as err.. eye candy. I was just pinching myself for I couldnt believe I was back in the old city reuniting with my favourite people and doing things i love the most! And the clothes were part of the character and London couldnt be more suitable as a background. The shoot started by the side of the Thames near Vauxhall, then a strolled by Buckingham Palace (too many tourists -scratch that), had lunch at Kensington High Street Wagamama, The R.A.H and of course the very green Hyde Park.

Thanks to my mate Tamer W for hooking us up with London's fashion PR offices for the wonderful clothes from Erotokritos, Armand Basi, Alessandro Dell'aqua, Dolce and Gabbana, Oliver Spencer and Hudson shoes. I could easily pull a klepto (because I did try them on.. and the items were in my size! How could they! and it was all in black and white!)

Special thanks to Viv for the opportunity. From Kuching to London, who knew eyh?.

To the one and only Miss Lynn, isnt it the best when work become play?

Check out the spread and photos from the shoot. I seriously want to go back!

Glam squad -Editor Viv, Photog Lynn W, Muse Coco, Model Karim H, Eye candy Paul

Lynn "fine. i wont look shuk!"

..and of course, i would not miss the chance to be in one too, would i? ..the first imaginary multi-racial boyband in the world; the nigerian, the egyptian, the malaysian and the english :D

oh what a nite!

2008-08-23T03:38:00.008+08:00

When my dear friend Aidawati Saidin invited me out to the Royal Arts Gala night at One World Hotel last nite, I clearly didnt have any sorts of expectations whatsoever. I needed an excuse to go out in my suit, white shirt and slim tie.. doing that hedi slimane thing again. I do miss it..:) My so called way of ego-boosting, one needs to feel good about oneself once in a blue moon..as long as you dont bug other people's life thats fine. I just wish I could have a razor-sharp cut blazer ala Hedi. Alas, the spirit is there anywhere.. and also, I did the crew cut again.. and I wanted to see whether it looks good in a suit.. VANITY! VANITY!

We arrived rather early so we took out on sweet time to get ready and had chicken rice as in between filler. Its a fashion gala, hence people are gonna be fashionably late. Aida is showcasing a piece to be worn by a royalty from the state of terengganu, and true to form.. its VERY Aida, no beadings no sequins only cuts/pleats/shape/lines which I like too.. the best part of the was the sexy slit exposing the wearer's tighs and legs.. daring.. and again, I like it too.. we both have the same way of looking at clothes, coming from the architecture background its so much about the construction/process that matters rather than the final aesthetics. Did i mention it was in purple silk-wool? delish!

Aida and her strings of royal fans. Literally.

dress by Aidawati Saidin

After the event, I couldnt help but noticed someone I knew very well, well not on a personal level that is but simply because I have been a fan of his musings/rantings/writings for the past few months.. :) I then introduced myself much like a star-struck fan and took few photos.. of course I told him about how much I enjoyed reading his blog.. together with Perezhilton.. my few source of meaningful yet cerebral info-tainment. Im glad I had the chance to tell him that, because there were times when I'm down and I would browse through his blog and found myself laughing and smiling, it made my day..with his no holds bar and tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. it gets me! So thank you again Mr. Manager. ' Mak kaseh, iboh jerak ..'

Ning came and sang. Glorious!

yours truly, Jovian Mandagie and Mr. V aka Mr.Manager

Nubhan reminds me of my younger brother but he is WAY taller. I had to cheat my way to appear just a tad shorter that him. He sounded good and all the best Nubs.

Its quarter to 4 am and i need to get some rest for I have a shoot tomorrow at 10. crazy but it keeps me going.

later peeps. x

S.

'Can we be friends?' says the ex.

2008-08-10T15:00:00.006+08:00

I was meant to be writing this blog after the wonderful adventure I had on the wee hours of the auspicious day, the Friday 08.08.08. I went online earlier chatting with a new acquaintance, somewhat mutual friend, and he had this crazy idea of having late supper and was crazily enough to drive all the way from Sentul to Damansara where i was staying and then pick up my other friend Jas who lives in Klang who already thought that we were already sleeping at home. It was meant to be a surprise but honestly speaking, I haven't been out that late in ages! To cut the long story short, our mini morning scheme ended up at Shah Alam and that journey from Sentul to Shah Alam via Kelang took about 11/2 hour!! I couldnt help but laugh the minute I saw Jas ushering us into the lawn of this house for he just cant believe it. From then on I know we gonna have so much fun.

After scouring the dead shop houses in Klang and not happy with the choices, Jas came up with the idea of shifting the venue to Shah Alam where he thinks its more 'happening'. I couldnt agree more but I felt that regardless where you are its the company that counts. In our case it was rather special, two best friends and a new-found 'friend'. I have to use this friend term loosely because it might progress into something else.. you know who you are! :P Once we are all at ease, with roti canai on the table paired with ice tea, we started talking about things around us, relationships bla bla bla, ex-es, preferences and what not. I told the guys my next topic on my blog would be 'can we be friends with our exes. Often we hear stories where a relationship that has ended and people try to salvage whatever good things that has left from that relationship, and decided to be friends. I question this motive simply because its a theory that doesnt work for me..

Break-ups are painful. Regardless whether its mutual and it gets worst when its ugly. Hence, you will mourn, because like a small death, part of your soul has gone. And no text book out there tells you exactly how to deal with it because only you can understand the weight and repercussion that is caused by such pain. This pain ladies and gentlemen, needs to be dealt in its on way and TIME, and like death, you need to bury the feelings and slowly pick yourself up and move on. The time factor is so important and again, its you who has the power to decide or perhaps realize how much time you need until you are able to accept the situation. To me a friend is simply someone who is honest with their feelings towards you as well as genuine and asking nothing in return. Being friends with an ex lover or partner is like going into a grey area where the line is drawn but simply can be erased or even ignored because theres so much feelings thats been invested. Ask yourself this, how can you say 'I'm so in love you , or I love you forever ' today and then become just friends the very next. Friends are for keeps, good friends for that matter.. and feelings of love comes with jealousy, rage and anger. Yes, our subconscious tells us otherwise but how can you be in the right state of mine the minute you become friends with your ex and see them with some one else. Id be lying if I couldnt help feeling slightly envious and apprehensive, maybe because that person nonchalantly introduce their new partner or the fact that they are happier with some one else. In order to move on, in order to be able to love again, you need to have a clear conscience and leave all the baggage from your previous relationship.

My cruel but practical way of dealing things is to avoid myself from my exes, to not let myself interfere with their life, stop all mode of communication and slowly perhaps painfully get myself on my feet and learn to live without that someone again. It may take two days, or two months and even 2 years. You will know when you over someone when you have no feelings of anger or even affection the next time you see or talk to them. And maybe only then, you can decide whether you want to stay friends with them. I can only speak on my behalf, for I know some relationships are different and how it started and ways it ended, my method works for me because I simply want to avoid complications. Our life is complicated enough as it is, with family, friendships, financial and jobs to juggle, its just not enough room for anymore mess. Ultimately, we want to be happy and in order to achieve that we need a clear conscience for us to make the best and RIGHT decisions for our self in our daily life. Fact of the matter is, take time to mourn and find ways to be happy again.

For you guys out there, please dont use the word 'friend' like some cheap meaningless label because friends are supposed to be there when you need them, in both good or bad times, and if you want to use that term just for you to come off as 'nice', then forget it. Look around you and ask yourself, what a friend really means to you. Define it well, and then you decide. I can happily say I have a healthy relationship with my friends, no suppressed feelings or pretence, because lying to yourself is a pain that will ruin you in time regardless you acknowledge it or not.

So there you go, I know some of you might not agree entirely or opposed to the idea. Like I said earlier, its MY take on things. You may use it or disregard it but I want to share it because I know some of us craves for answers.

...We left our not-to-be-forgotten breakfast slightly sleepy yet exhilarated, I was at ease with this new acquaintance of mine and glad that I was able to reveal myself and comfortable talking about what I feel because often we have hard time showing our true colours for fear of judgement or being misunderstood. All I can say is you have to nothing to lose, in fact everything to gain.

love and other disasters

2008-05-13T12:08:00.000+08:00

When I told my good friend Jas that I’m blogging and gave him the url to check it out he immediately browsed through the pages and then replied ‘ I thought you write about love or heart breaks and heartaches (something like that).” My respond was “Hello!!?? Me? Writing about love?!! “ No way! Im sorry to say but I really feel that writing about rejections, jilted lover, broken hearts and relationships is not what I plan to dish out when I started this blog. Not yet that is. Granted we all been there or thought that we’ve been there. I certainly have. You name it. I know Jas just had one of his many episodes from his real life soap drama and needed some assurance from his closest friends that hes going to be ok, as always. Trust me Jas, there are worse things that are happening around us every day and somebody who you think who is in love with you lying about their undying love, is to me, so trivial. Perhaps I may have heard it so many times with different version or perhaps I know that you’ll bounce back and move on ever so rapidly.
I firmly believe now (after years of learning it the hard way), that if you feel that your are a good loyal lover, if some one cheats on you then it is simply not your lost. You have to learn to stop blaming yourself. He or she can promised you the moon and the stars for all I care but if I discover that you are one lying bastard I have nothing else to offer but the exit door. Bon Voyage! Harsh I hear you say? I’m just being practical. Lets not play games and waste each other’s borrowed time and energy. It’s not worth it. We all deserved something good right? So here goes, Im going to attempt to write about something that is consider matter of the heart, love and other disasters.
All these years I have had the privileged to be around wonderful loving lovers and partners. Sounds like a lot but I could probably count my true lovers probably in one hand. And just leave out the bad ones for the sake of this essay. It all didn’t last long enough mainly because I had to leave the place, and I don’t think long distance relationship would work simply because we all have needs. It requires lots of work and a tonnes of money. Hate to admit it but its true. When I was much younger I didn’t know what I wanted, thus it has always been the case of going for the one simply because that person is there. As a result of uncertainty you go out dating all kinds of people for different reasons. Physical? Check. Materials? Check. Personality? Check, check, check! Heck, at one point I was so easy that as long as the person was nice to me I would go gaga over them immediately. All I need to do was just signed, sealed, delivered.. then IM YOURS!. I believed at that time that kind of person doesn’t come along all the time. Or maybe never? Oh boy, naivety is not even enough to begin with and that describe me back then. More like desperation. However in retrospect its all a process that one might have to experience in order to move on with their life. Accepting oneself.
Attraction is a funny thing you know. Its explicit. Its animal instinct. Its impromptu. Sometimes, its the illusion of grandeur. Yes its even BLINDING!! You think youre ready when in actual truth you just longing for the idea of someone caring for you. That you jump into a relationship because you like the idea of being in one. That’s different from being in a relationship for love, real love. Peer pressure, desperation, loneliness often come as the factors or reasons why one needs to have a relationship. That “I don’t want people to think that Im a pathetic single guy or girl ”. The office loser. Unlucky inlove. And don’t forget those pick up lines ‘ takkanlah orang cute/handsome/lawa macam you takde orang nak?” “hows is it possible for someone as cute as you hasn’t been snatched by anyone?” Don’t you just hate that? Now that’s pathetic! Whats wrong about being single? And happy? And good looking for that matter? Which one you would prefer? Being in a messy pretentious relationship or having a happily independent single life? Go figure.
My idea of a relationship is very simple. That, I just want to be happier. That, the person I chose completes me. Vice versa. Corny but that’s it. Here am I, doing what I love to do, feeling great about myself (most days, ha!) and people around me and enters this person to share all that with me. And the feeling is mutual. Why go around the beating around the bushes? Human being has been on this planet for thousands of years and they way our heart function has never really changed. Its pumps out blood to our head and beats faster when we fall in love. simple. its not rocket science people.
Rejection is the one word we fear pretty much. Let me tell you that it happens, almost to everybody but nobody wants to be rejected. Yes even to the prettiest girl or the richest man. One thing I learnt from all the rejections that I got was to be able to go back and look at myself, not necessarily blaming for all the imperfections that might caused it but to accept and love yourself exactly the way you are. Because no ones going to love us if we don’t love ourselves. Don’t get mislead by being vain though, simply to realize that you have good human qualities in you, that you are kind to people, somewhat funny and approachable because these translates to an energy that is so visible the minute you walk in to a room! Having said that it also applies to someone who are nasty, unkind, rude and they exude bad energy. Its like when you walked down a dark alley. We just need to tune more to our instinct. To listen and to trust that gut feeling. Some much about not writing about rejection.
How do we prevent rejections (on the initial stage of dating?) Frankly it’s an ongoing struggle. Its how you handle the rejections that intrigues me. Nowadays, Id joke about it. Humor helps, in my case. That is that person’s lost and you really have nothing to loose. Its just one date. Maybe I don’t suit their criteria. That’s it. You can stop analyzing the why’s ,what if’s, maybe I should do this or maybe I shouldn’t have done that. Trust me you could go insane! Be yourself and if it doesn’t work that you could still walk out with your head up high. Not every one is going to like us. Its preferential. Your worst enemy is yourself. It may hurt abit but it ll go away. You move on and find that person and when you do that hurting feeling will vanish. Unless you have invested so much that you thing its worth saving or fight for that you declare that war and get what you deserved. If I feel Ive done everything I could have in my power to salvage any kind of good things that is left in that relationship and still find my self in a relationship cul-de-sac that you just have to just let go. Everyone wants to be happy, and if there is no room for that then what’s the point? From being the wonderful loving person that you are then you suddenly turned into an angry bitter ugly beast that projects bad energy. Good luck to the next person who wants to date you (if theres any!).
My point is you have to learn to give yourself the chance to grow up and deal with things the way it should be. We allowed ourselves to make mistakes and learnt to correct them. One also needs to have fun, let loose and relax because theres just enough negative vibes out there that you just don’t want to add up to. I understand we all grow up differently and that our idea of happiness varies, but as human being are essentially the same. All these feelings whether its pain or joy, we feel it simply because we designed by the Al Mighty the way we supposed to be. It makes us humane. And its not the end of the world. Just don’t underestimate you heart. It can take so much more than you think.
So until you find that right person, I wish you my readers and yours truly, to just try and be the best person that we could be and live to the fullest and that believe we deserved all the happiness and love in this world as much as the next person. That’s our part to do and let the universe conspire us to make it happen. Insya-Allah.

The Interview 3

2008-05-02T17:26:00.007+08:00

Relocated

2008-04-03T18:04:00.003+08:00

Moved to kl last saturday the 30th. start new job here in kl on the 3rd April. architectural design firm. check it out http://www.zlgdesign.com

The Interview 2

2008-03-26T01:54:00.009+08:00

The Interview

2008-03-25T06:01:00.004+08:00

my favourite place

2008-03-23T10:00:00.007+08:00

Ive been a member of youtube for months but never upload any videos so I figure since I have this slideshow for ages on my mac, I might as well debut it for the world to see. It is of me with my super friends whom I consider family. It just goes to show that we can come from all these different places but we have the same need, to surround ourselves with good people and unconditional love. And make this world a better place to live.

p/s you guys know who you are. i cant wait to see you again, as always.

cher photoshoot part deux

2008-03-18T18:02:00.014+08:00

Cher has been modelling well, 'working the runway' for ten years and seldom get the opportunity to do print work. When she saw some of the work I did in the past we came to a discussion that lead us to the shoot we had been working all this while. We thought we should do our very own photoshoot and the result can be used as a portfolio for her to get more work in the future. The first part was done weeks ago and we wanted to continue and do a second part with a bar as the background.

Here are some shots from last sunday. It was fun, as always.
Thanks Inez (Make-up) and Shuk for the menthol DUNHILL. Thanks IPANEMA.

spitalfields

2008-03-09T09:56:00.006+08:00

Yesterday was rather eventful. In a way. After getting the cat food at the pet shop, I drove around with Miss W looking for pearl tea. It was rather quite because the citizen of kuching have been busy voting the whole day. Oh ya, it was the general election day and the whole nation (well almost) went out to practice their rights. I finally get to cast my vote, after registering for almost 10 years and thought Id be a good citizen, do my part because you never know, every vote counts.

Anyhow, we finally found our pearl tea. We then went to this old school mall and checked out some random shop that sells pretty much everything that you could never think off. We would laughed histerically and even just looking at the sales girls giving you funny gaze because you making fun of their sale item is rather hilarious. Im always amazed and wondered who would buy these items (from toys to stationary to nail clipper..) and some of them would collect dust because nobody has ever lay their hands at them. Having said so, we bought sweets and cigarette to make up for the fun we made at the auntie store.

Walking away with sour apple flavour mentos in my mouth, we looked around and passed through optometrists, tailors, shoes shops etc. Miss W has a thing for vintage stuff and in this mall if you look hard enough you'd find 'it'.Whatever that is. We moved to the top floor where they specialize more on ready-to-wear collection and suddenly Miss W had found something, well more like someone.

Miss W : "look at her.."
Yours truly : "who?, where?"
Miss W: "there, the lady with that dress"
Yours truly: "awww, look at her, she fabulous!"
Miss W: "she looked like someone who would shop at the spitalfields market and that dress looks like vintage topshop... maybe I should use her for the shoot.."
Yours truly: "you want me to ask her?"
Miss W: "not now, maybe some other day"
Yours truly: "wait shes coming, shes coming, ...im scared.. "
Miss W: laughing.." she's pro-ana"
Yours truly : " pro-ana?"
Miss W: "anorexia nervosa"
Yours truly : "what the?? ha ha ha ha ha"

Now when we say anorexic we dont mean it literally and definitely not in a bad way, she was just skinny/slim figured and perhaps a near size 0 kinda lady. Come to thing of it the lady is FABULOUS. With her long grey hair with low ponytail and her dress does look a like something you would find at the vintage rack in TOPSHOP. We reckon she works at the shop as one of the sales girl. Of course she have to look the part.I wonder what would she wear on a different day?

We had to leave the spitalfields lady alone to carry on with our mall mini adventure, rifling through stuffs and what not, and later Miss W found herself another rare find. When I said she likes vintage, I mean vintage.

Check out the amazing very bulky 80s vintage camera that can double as a faux purse or even a weapon for that matter. sheek and fabu-LASH! so old school! we love it!

maybe now we can go snap a picture of that spitalfields lady, eh?

Miss Neyna

2008-03-09T05:07:00.017+08:00

Its been a while since I last met Miss Neyna for drinks. One of my closest confidante was trying to get hold of me the whole week(bless him/her cotton socks) and since the muse Miss W is around Id figured she should come along and hang out like the good old days. There's alot of catching up to do and updates on gossips, relationships and life among other things. I always make a point that you should have room for dessert and its never a dull moment when the gregarious Miss Neyna is around, thus its the perfect combo. I took her out that saturday night and at exactly 5 minutes after 11pm, we reached Miss Neyna's mansion.

Yours truly : "where we heading to?"
Miss Neyna: "tempat biasa mok?, (the usual?)"

Our usual is Cafe Cino @ Hilton. Its cozy and kinda secluded.Incase there were swarming trigger happy paparazzi around we brought our own camera instead. Atleast we looked ready and composed.

Miss W: "I want chocolate"
Yours truly: " me too, lets"..(im such an addict,its so bad i should go to chocolate rehab!)

We ordered our drinks, two cappucinos and a pot of earl grey for me as well as fruit salad and a strawberry gateau. And of course, assorted chocolates.yummy!

Test Shoot part deux

2008-03-07T22:38:00.025+08:00

'see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil'

Again today was test-shoot day, we brought the lights to the studio and start flashing around the AC-less room. It was scorching hot. Still, its always fun being in front of the camera everynow and then. This is us, just playing silly for the day.

doing the miley 'doing the lohan'

Miss W : "how do we do this again?"
Yours truly : "Just laugh, just laugh..ha ha ha ha.." doing the most unconvicing fake laugh ever.

Test Shoot

2008-03-07T15:10:00.008+08:00

These shots were taken right after the budding photographer Miss W and her brother DJ Reese brought home the newly purchased studio lighting set. I still have more to learn about photography, especially artificial lighting and the kind Miss W showed me how to work the lights. We played around a little bit (heck, like have we ever been serious before??). We all suffer from the peter pan sydrome.

miss W: "Im so over this.."

Slim-MANE Silhouettes

2008-03-07T02:34:00.007+08:00

Apparently theres a big fashion rumor going around at the moment. Enough to create a buzz. I wont divulge for Im not the one to gossip but I can tell you this much for free, two words, HEDI SLIMANE. Not only he was the genius behind the success of Dior Homme, (the revival of the punk-rock look and my personal favourite, the eponymous razor sharp slim suit), he is also an accomplished artist and a brilliant photographer. Im always fascinated with talented, passionate people and how their brains work, their process and what inspire them. His collection is a reflection of his personality and vision. He departed from House of Dior last fall and ever since then he is busy setting up modern art exhibitions around the globe. Let's hope he will come back with a bang. Here are some insights from his take on life.

On ambition;
HEDI: I don’t really have one, I’m afraid. Everything I’ve done is part of a chain reaction. But I’m naturally determined, so I guess you could say that my ambition is just to make the next day interesting. Also, I’ve been lucky enough to meet people with whom I have a good understanding. So another ambition is to meet the people with whom I might develop future projects. Things arrive by accident. I really believe that.

I believe that too.

On how did he get in to fashion
I was twenty-three, and I was a little bit lost, doing things like street casting, anything. I was all over the map.Jean Jacques Picart(PR extraordinaire) has been involved with fashion for so many years. He did the same with Christian Lacroix — he started Lacroix.
Some people care about you, and are really able to see you, and other people will never see you, even if you’re standing in front of them and waving. It’s like I said about ambition — who you meet next is so important. That’s how ideas get translated into a project. What makes it wonderful is that you never know what will happen next.

Ditto.

On photography and design process
HEDI: Since I was eleven, I’ve always carried a camera with me. I’m always taking pictures for my archives. When I work on collections, I always photograph more. I’m trying to get a sense of composition and proportion within the frame. That’s very important in terms of the construction of the clothes.

On inspiration
Oh, anything. It’s difficult to say, because I don’t like to start with a narrative, the way some designers do. I don’t like focusing on themes at all.

On his objective
I’m quite day to day person and I’m always thinking that something will come along to destroy whatever credo I have. I’m most interested in that moment when my entire perspective changes, and I have to reconsider everything.

Day to day person. Thats someone I would like to be.

These are what I would love to have in my wardrobe. It doesnt come cheap but can you blame them? But for now, a bottle of DIOR HOMME perfume would do.

for more info, please click his name under my reading list.

Zoom In

2008-03-05T11:28:00.003+08:00

Its no secret that Im a huge fan of Malaysian songstress Siti Nurhaliza for many years now. Well, to be exact since her first debut with the boyband 2BY2 duet 'Mawarku' aka 'My Rose'. There were situations where I was ridiculed for this particular adoration and obsession. My closest mates simply couldnt get it. Now, I dont just normally like someone for vanity reasons, granted shes pretty and all (I see raised brows out there) but this girl can sing. For over 13 years, she has won numerous awards and achievements at the local and international grounds as well as having the third asian performer to ever staged a solo concert at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London.

In 2006 she finally married the businessman Datuk K in a lavish ceremony. We still couldnt get enough of her, scared that she might stop doing what she does best but turns out the husband is also her number one fan and that he wants her to continue singing. Its been a while since we last saw her in a concert so when RTM announced the return of Siti on their musical programme Zoom In last sunday, I cancelled all plans and glued my hand to the remote control.

Her latest record was released in December and as brilliant as it sounds, it didnt have the same impact as the previous record. In 'Transkripsi -2006" she challenged her self with different sound and even penned two songs and her vocals on each songs were spot on. "Hadiah Daripada Hati-2007" is more subtle but rich in music and very radio friendly. Having said that, I still very much like it and yes, remember all the lyrics by heart. Call me what you want, I love this record.

Back to my point, Siti's been great at what she does and the accolades have proven so, but one thing shes not is a fashionista. I dont know whether its her fault or the stylist but Siti hardly get it right. You see, I know a little thing or two about fashion and trend for I worked in that industry for a while and as a fan you want the best for your idol right? Last sunday was no exception. Her first number was ok since it was black and white, although I wasnt feeling the fedora. Needless to say her second and third outfit were just 'her'. You fans out there dont hate me yet, I always believe less is more and at the same time understands the requirement of heavy beadings and bling-bling to enhance one's appearance but I just felt the look was wearing her instead of the otherwise. With such beauty and grace I always picture her in a more minimalist, classy and sassy look so she could just focus more on her vocals and showmanship rather than getting distracted with unnecessary elements. Well atleast thats how I would like dress her up. I supposed we cant pleased everyone and you cant have everything, so you just work hard on what you are good at. I see it worked for Siti and regardless on what people say, you just strive to be the best.

I am merely a fan who has his opinion to share, with no evil intention or sorts to bring a person down because I believe in the end of the day, we all do our best and that we can only do so much to impress people that we care. As for the result, some might like it and some may not. So what? The show must go on. And thats how it should be.

To Siti, if you ever find yourself reading this, I will continue be the fan that I ve always been, loyal, supportive and opinionated. I wish you nothing but the best and more success in the future. You know, WE CARE.

To her fans, 'hate me or love me', I thank you for the time. It means that we really do er, care.:) or dont. Keep up with the support.

Oh ya, did I enjoy the show last sunday? YES. Especially when she rendered that song 'Mulanya Cinta'. The most played song in my itunes.

For more info, click: www.sitizone.com

This is Siti's performing 'Berhenti Berharap' (not from the show). goosebumps.

Bleeding Love

2008-03-04T20:05:00.002+08:00

Like my best mate Aziz, Im a big fan of Leona Lewis. Her song is infectious and her voice is a like a breath of fresh air. Rihanna's 'Umbrella' had been covered by musicians so many times (some are great ,some are not) and Ive been waiting for different version of "Bleeding Love" and I thought I'd share this find with you guys out there. Its rather new and I fancy this version very much.

check this out;

Jamie Scott and The Town covering "Bleeding Love". Tell me what you think.

oh sun, where are thou?

2008-02-29T18:50:00.009+08:00

It has been raining non stop in Kuching. I dont really mind it that much. Its cosy and makes you just want to cuddle up. The only problem is that when you plan to do something that requires the sun and when darkclouds come out to play you wont get much glimpse of the sun rays. Alas, its something beyond my control and my model, make up artist and me just need to work this one out with or without the enough sun light.You see we wanted to do a shoot using as much natural light that we can but it was almost ridiculous to achieve this that day. We couldnt postpone this shoot to some other days as because of work commitments.

However, work is work. Between getting on make-up, lunching with nasi ayam and 100plus, big hair dos, Mariah Carey wailing away in the background, choosing outfits and overcast sky we managed to (barely) pull it off. Here are some shots from that day. Enjoy.

model: Cher
make-up master : Inez

grey + beige = greige?

2008-02-28T21:30:00.005+08:00

Today (27.02.08) was just one of those days when one couldnt spend much time thinking straight and make the right decision. Today, one just didnt have that luxury. Today, one just, You just, I just, DO. Or else, you hit rock bottom.

This morning I woke up to my aunts barging into the room telling me that my office had a break in. Stunned and zombied, I had to ask her again. WHAT?? Another burglary?? This would be the second time in 3 months.In that instant, I feel like a snake rattling in my stomach, not knowing what to say I took the car key and stormed my way to the crime scene.

By now Im half awaked driving away and kept replaying in my mind how my office would look like, what was missing and did I lock the gate and the doors the last time I was there? Would I gave the burglars their way in???GOSH, its too early to compute. Help.

Anyway as I got into the office, I looked around and couldnt utter a word. It was such a mess and I was suddenly scared, scared that the burglars would still be in the premise and that they might jumped out from dark corners and attack me! Paranoia had suddenly lurched on me. The doorknobs were cracked from the doors, a heavy object was dragged on the wooden floor and things got moved. In that instant my inner-Grissom had kicked in too, mind mapping the whole incident, which door the burglars cracked first, what did they rummage and eventually steal. Then I soon noticed we ve lost a safe and a 24'inch G4 apple lcd monitor. Damn. I talk to my staff and found the safe down stairs in the conference room, where the burglars try to crack them open with metal clippers but by look of it they got mad and could get into it and left it there. Luckily I was told later thats theres nothing valuable in that safe. So I supposed the monitor is their consolation prize. Does that supposed to make me feel better? of course not. 'I need a ciggy, I need a ciggy now!'

Last night I planned to visit my good friend Didi whose father just passed away yesterday and didn’t get the chance to see him to pay my respect. So today I was supposed to meet him because I know he needs comfort from friends. Bless him. Obviously I couldn’t get to that now this burglary has took place. After doing some damaged controlled, we went home for lunch and later plan to come back but another errand had to be taken care off. My cousin’s whose room Ive been designing for months is on its way to finally seeing the light of day. I have to help her choose the wallpaper and decide on paint jobs and such. This was great because I was able to take my mind of the incident that happened earlier and just savoured my self with some gorgeous wall coverings and fabrics at the suppliers. But work is work right? DID IT HELP ME? Oh Yes in deed. By the way, we opted for Erqu, Matia, Asha And Greige. Wallpaper people.

Afterwards we drove down to MUROBOND Paints, which I love. Its been almost a year, but I still love that aubergine paint. Rich. Sexy. Oh la la. After saying goodbye to my love, we made our way to a Chinese hard furnishing shop. Here our mission was to find key pieces for the room. One or two furnitures to furnish our French-chinoserie-opulence themed room. Fortunately we spot few potential. EXTREMELY GORGEOUS. I think we re moving on right track here.

We then spoiled ourselves to a reflexology master, getting our feet massage for 40 mins. Tickled and at times painful, we distract our selves with silly conversation and got serious by talking bout this feng shui master Miss W interviewed recently. It was so interesting to hear about this master and how he told her that all this feng shui placements and organization wouldn’t work if you yourself project bad aura or energy. Now, I believe this apply in every day life. That if you surround yourself with bad energy or thoughts you are basically asking for trouble.

Ive always try being positive whenever facing adversity and its still a struggle sometimes.I supposed mainly because you just dont know what to do or act and felt utterly helpless. Lets just hope tomorrow is better than yesterday.

Trigger Happy

2008-02-27T00:52:00.000+08:00

I have never been to a rally before. Be it supporting a cause, fighting for rights, celebrate a victory or etc, I just dont feel like Im a campaigner to begin with. Or perhaps I have never found a cause to support, a right to fight for or a win to celebrate, yet. So when I was asked to shoot a rally somewhere in rural Sarawak, I jumped at it. It was during the recent candidates nomination day for the coming general election.

Young and old, men and women and yes, blue and white scales. Loads of them. And some fashion statement nonetheless.

Enjoy.

Late Bloomer

2008-02-26T22:50:00.000+08:00

Im here, finally. I could write about all the reasons why I finally decided to set up my own blog and bore you with the details but I decided theres no need for such dreary introduction. I will just write and publish whatever and whenever I feel like because thats the whole purpose right?

So welcome and lets do this people!!

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