Happy New Year 2009!

Despite all the bad auras, feelings, emotions, sadness, demotivation, I would like to wish all - everybody to stay great, beautiful, handsome, healthy most importantly, and really be happy in the year of 2009. Christmas comes too close with Chinese New Year. And, I feel nothing much about celebrating a new year, but it comes in and shoo 2008 away.

I wish to have a great year ahead. I want myself to be more motivated and achieved things in excellency. I hope everything is fine and stays good and healthy. It's really a new year coming in, like Ripley's believing it or not. I will accept it as it is. Happy New Year everybody.

Kian Leong & Natalie Wedding Car Decoration

Once again, I got the priviledge and was entrusted to create an Oriental-themed wedding car decoration. It was for Kian Leong, my fellow colleague. To make it more special, I try to use a different approach and the textures, shapes and folds created were more solid and prominent for a modern touch. And yet, it have to be oriental - gold and red theme.

We in fact, shopped a month ago for the right materials and I did suggested the textured gold cloth to give a soft touch to the whole decoration. I'm afraid it to be too fierce. But, as the outcome turned out to be nice and decent, not overdo, but emphasized. I'm really glad. The newly wed were happy with it, and also the groom's sister who complemented the design. I have done my best. Here you go!:

Oriental Wedding Decoration Project

I was given the opportunities to work on a wedding decoration project with Eugene and Boyce. The theme is Oriental style. It supposed to look Chinese traditional and what I did was to inject modern and contemporary mood to the whole theme so it is not as predictable as it is.

For the project, I spent many nights preparing a lot of details such as dangling accessories for main table decoration as well as tie-ing pearls and beads, and also, creating big red ribbons for the stage, and many more tasks that were tedious and time-consuming.

The most difficult part was the flower arrangement - It was easy for the styling, but it was difficult to sustain the flowers to look fresh as it suppose to be. But I did managed to do it, but the flowers are many in quantities and I finally finished up all the arrangement at 3 am on Friday night. The decoration is needed on Saturday night actually. I'm really proud of it. Thanks Eugene for beautiful photos taken and it shall be my portfolio. Do look into Ren's Photos for more photographs of the wedding and the decoration as well. Without further elaborating, here you goes:

Tokku & Noriko's Mexican Wedding Party

The photographs below are the best captured on that night where we celebrated Tokku & Noriko's wedding party in USJ, Subang. It was great and I was happy with the decoration tasks that I was assigned. Everybody was comfortable and complimented it. Here you go:

The Making of Tokku & Noriko's Wedding - The Preparation

I felt honored and happy to be consulting Tokku and Noriko for their wedding concept and also, their decoration. I do not want to elaborate too much, but the photos speak thousand words of it. The preparation took quite some time from shopping for materials and preparation of it. It took us few months ahead to prepare it well and nice. Here you goes!:

Toku and Noriko's Bridal Car

Toku and Noriko's wedding was held in Cameron Highlands last Saturday and I had the privilege to witness it and also, was entrusted to create their bridal car.

I reached Cameron on Friday evening and it was raining quite heavily. It was really difficult and hesitated to start the bridal car decoration because rain downpours were heavy and water was dripping from the ceiling. It was really .. hmm difficult.

At the end, they changed their mind to use another car, which is also black and I started the decoration job. It lasted for 3 hours, I guess, to settle and stitch and stick and tie everything on the bridal car. Pheww! It was great.

Before that, I had already finished the design for the front part (the big ribbon ball), the back part, the doors knots and it causes me many sleepless nights. The reason was I hand-sewed every single details and I was glad with the outcome.

One month ago roughly, me, Noriko and Joanne went shopping in cloth shop to hunt for right materials and we did get some good combination. I'm glad to see the creation and how it did impressed people on the wedding day. I'm satisfied when I look at the photographs again.

Here you go!:


No regret (except that I was shocked to see the red cloth that morning when they reach Noriko's house. Such a spoiler! Well, still alright, I guess!) and I think Toku and Noriko were really happy with it. Wish them loving forever!

A Bouquet for a Friend

It's been sometime since I last updated this blog. I was busy working on wedding preparation for Toku & Noriko. There's alot of details that I need to manage: including her casual wedding party in KL, and also a bridal car design for Cameron.

They had look at everything that I had prepared. They were satisfied. Phew!

I finally finished making all the details needed and I shall reveal it here after their wedding.

Beside that, I promised to help a colleague, to help her to make a bouquet for her registration. I took some photographs by using my handphone:


I felt happy with the outcome of the bouquet, given limited time and budget, and also dealing with stupid wholesale florist, with stupid treatment.

I realised that my digital camera's lens were spoilt. I knew it is almost time because recently, whenever I start taking photograph, the LCD shows sign of blurness and un-focus.

I feel saddened by it. I need to spend money again. That must be the aura of this whole year - spend on unexpected circumstances.

I shall update soon after their wedding! Look out!

All Performance Videos - Posted by Reuben!

Hey, back with the updates on the performance. Reuben actually edited all the videos for me and posted all of it in You Tube! So kind of him! Thanks Reuben , I owed you a big fat meal! Here I shall post all the songs again:



1st Song: 我愿意 (Wo Yuan Yi)

2nd Song: Sway

3rd Song : Black Magic Woman

Last Song: Wonderful Tonight

Thanks guys for supporting us! And, thanks Reuben once again.

We did Great for the Performance!

We had just finished our performance few hours back and I felt it was a great outcome. I was satisfied with my singing and I was pleased with my band members. They did faboulously. I felt really good with the supports of friends, colleagues, students and even some graduated students who came and witnessed our live performance. I sang naturally and wanted to give the best and not to disappoint my band.

I did introduced ourselves by saying - "We called ourselves After Hours because we practiced after works". And then intentionally, I didn't tell them about our first song because it was differently interpreted and re-arranged to match instruments used in our band. The first song is popularized by Faye Wong, 我願意(I'm Willing (Wo Yuan Yi)).

The second song we attempted was Sway by Michael Buble. I sang much better compared with many occasions because it was played live and collaborated with this band.

The third song was Black Magic Woman by Santana. This was the song I mentioned earlier where I faced so many obstacles because the pronounciation and rhythm doesn't sticks to the beat and count. But I did it well tonight. It gave me an opportunity to change genre of singing differently.

I'm still uploading some videos taken from my digital camera of the performance. Now, there's only half of a song had been uploaded. Take a look first:





I will upload more next time. And, I would also like to thank Reuben, Mafex, Jo and Boyce for recording video for me as well as take photographs of our performance. Appreciated it!

Final Practice before the Show!

Finally, after a month of anticipations and jammings, the show is about to begin! Our final jamming will be tomorrow and everything must be PERFECT ! - yes, I mean PERFECT. For every band members as well as my goal, is to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible for a performance. For everyone's information -whenever I sing karaoke for practising my vocal, if something doesn't sounds right, I can always "replay" and sing again. But, for a "live" performance, all the hardships and sweats for perfecting pitch and sound, all goes to only one-take of a performance - No "rewind", nothing non-linear. It's totally linear.

I wish it to be a great performance on Friday. Maybe it is not a big event, but I always appreciate performance's opportunities especially this round, where I met talented band members who are willing to put up their efforts for the show. I shall do my best!

Friday is our finale, our due and I hope it will be glorious. I will post the songs as I did converted it into MP3 for post-events! I remembered Bern (bass guitarist) said to me earlier about this statement "Take care of your voice!". I think I should. I should even sleep now. Seeya!

Here are short clips of them warming up before jamming:

Date : 12 December 2008
Time : Approximately 630 - 700pm
Venue: The One Academy
Event: Moon Cake Festival

Wish me Luck!!!!!!!!!

Bali - My Ideal Paradise - 01

I wanted to edit all the photographs and put it up here, but it was too much tasks for this near-midnight. I think I shall stop look at other photographs but just post few interesting photographs first for this first post about Bali. The trip was fun but short.. I think it was too short to enjoy the Balinese breezes and sun. I wanted so much to dip in the clear water ocean, but well, I guess I have to give and take for the trip. I shall called it as "Sight-seeing, relax, shopping and shopping" trip. My post this time is not going to be in sequence, but would like to tell my trip's stories here and there.

Let's begin my story with the place we stay: Kuta- yes, we stayed at Kuta Beach, - well as many people actually said the beach is polluted and messy, but I actually enjoyed it well enough. We got to stay a little bit further of Kuta Beach and the hotel is called Haris Hotel. It is different from the rest of the hotels because it is modern. I noticed alot of Malaysians who took the same flight, stayed in the same hotel. I think it must be economical, but clean and looks great in the same time. Luckily, I woke up early in the morning for a quick swim before our day tour. It was fun and cool. The hotel is decent enough, really.

I managed to travel with friends who are nice and warm, as we did managed the trip with satisfaction, compromising with each other, despite the time, few of us spent alot of time to choose paintings to buy back! Ops.. we shall not do that again! Promised! If given another chance, I shall travel with them again.

Next , let me talk about a great dinner place called Jimbaran. We went there on the first night. It is famous for their beach restaurants where one can enjoy their fabulous dinner and if lucky enough, will be able to feel the breezes, hear the sound of strong waves, and also, enjoy a great moment of warm sunset. Romantic. I did experienced all of it except the sunset. The meal that we took was equally tasty: a combo meal that comprises of a rattan basket of seafood with a bowl of rice. (Our dinner was in the package of our tour. It was decent).

The reason of missing the sunset at Jimbaran (on the first day of tour) was because we spent a better view in Uluwatu. Uluwatu is an art spot as well as temple where people would be able to do their prayer on top of the high land facing the ocean, and if interested, there's another spot for people to watch traditional dance (but need to pay for it). We skip both of it anyway, and concentrated on the impressive sunset. The view was great, with high cliffs and rocks near ocean. It reminded me of Great Ocean Road of Australia. It was superb, really breath taking. Despite the great view of Uluwatu, we were warned by our tour guide about the monkeys who happen to be "pencuri" - they always take advantage by stealing spectacles and anything that looks edible and playable. They even opened zip of bags too! My friend was a victim and I did "Hooooii!!" the monkey away. So clever. Uluwatu is amazing except ... the monkeys - they are.. hmmm.. not so beautiful.

We were lucky to experience Balinese's prayers and ceremonies alongside of our trip because we were told that on the Saturday when we landed, it was a holy day for prayer, and in fact, it was a holiday for all Balinese. We saw alot of people wearing their traditional clothes: sarong for males, see-through kebayas (with their bras) and sarongs for females. I did captured some photographs of their prayer in Tanah Lot. I also did took photographs of these group of aunties sitting nearby the pathway, preparing their folds to sell to people for prayer. They were co-operative. One auntie saw me taking photograph of them. I walked really quickly away.

Tanah Lot is really mystical. One of the temples is on a small island where nobody shall cross the ocean to reach it when it is high tide. Only low tide, it is permittable for people to worship their god in that temple. The other temple is located at the other side of the rocky island where it forms a curve below. The temple is located at the far end where one have to cross over the small path to reach it. If it's really big wave, it could hit the top of the temple. It was really amazing.

Tanah Lot also comprises of so many small shops where I did many bargains to buy alot of things there: rattan handbags, percussion drum, wood carved cats and animals. Quite alot to mention. I actually took photograph of this little boy who was selling pencils with wood carved animals on it - It costs Rupiah 10,000 for 10 pencils (which is about RM3.85 for the packet). He is so cute and I bought one packet from him. It was the first thing I bought from Bali. It was a nice trip. Well, I need to stop here and look out for the second post about Bali soon! Seeya!

I'm Back!

Hello everybody..! Sorry for such delays. I wanted so much to write previously when I got back after the excitement of Balinese treats, but I got into feeling exhaustion and depression due to post-Bali trip's depression and also, really feeling sickening in some extends. It's much like the people who are in Beijing, who feels Beijing Olympic was actually over. I was not well as what I am always be. I was down and needed alot of rests. I'm fine now, really.

I have a lot of great photos taken in Bali trip and I will post it very very soon. Bali is such a paradise especially their culture and art. I was lucky to witness their prayer ceremony on the few days; I also have the opportunities to understand the friendliness of Balinese. Now I really understand about why people never complain about holiday in Bali because it is so all-rounded: Everything you need is there: leisure, art, shopping, culture, beach.

I have to make a move now. Will get back with more updates with my photos from Bali. Meanwhile, I actually had the 3rd jamming with my band, and we got it much better this time and we will be performing next Friday! Finger cross! Look out for our performance in TOA's Moon Cake Festival on Friday, 12th September 2008!

Seeya!

2nd Practice tonight, but Anticipates Bali

Tonight will be our second practice for the moon cake performance. Not to mention, I had first practice with Joanne Wong for Noriko's wedding earlier on Sunday and it was quite good. Hmm.. But well, mostly, I anticipated Bali trip on this Saturday. I already had the itenaries and really have no idea of most places being mentioned in the trip.

But it sounds interesting and get me some "wow" gestures when I started searching all the places on Wikipedia and Google. Then I got this idea of compiling interesting pictures as a guide list for me and my friends.

Here you go! Take a look at the simple visual-based list:

And I also did a simple research of what to buy (I love shopping!) and also what are the best things to do there:

Guess. I'm ready to go!! The environment in office is very silent today: If a fly or mosquito to pass by, I'm surely to be able to identify the sound, despite the background sound of my "mainframe" (workstation) in office.

This will be the 3rd times to have my birthday in overseas: once in UK while I was studying my MA, once in Taipei for company trip, and this time in Bali for a leisure holiday. I wish it could be the leisure-est and best-est.

First Practice with the Acoustics

First of all, I must thank Nelson and Emmanuel for inviting me to be part of the performance in coming Moon Cake Festival Celebration in The One Academy. Well, Nelson's efforts to arrange everything were really inviting and great. Salutes!

Well, besides being the vocalist for the performance, I really had no idea of the whole arrangement until two days ago. Finally, we (me and the rest of the people who are performing with me) met up on Tuesday night (22/08/08) at Emmannuel's studio and had our jamming session. They called it "jamming" but I refered it as .. well... "practice". hahaha. I was introduced to Bern and Venu, Nelson's friends, and they are in charged of the bass guitar and tabla, respectively. Emmanuel is on acoustic guitar for rhythm and Nelson on lead, if I'm not mistaken. Earlier, they had already pre-arranged the songs that I had recommended to sing.

They already knew how the chords goes especially for the Chinese song that I'm going to sing. But they had no idea of the melody until I started singing on that night. They were alright and pleased with my singing and of course, the melody of the song.

For the English song, well, they knew it quite well and we had fun doing it. They were professional enough to understand the mood, the melody and the overall touch that song could go for. So, basically, I had no problem with the song at all. I just hope I sing better. Maybe I shall stand.

Well, we were still in dilemma to decide one more song to perform. But on today's afternoon, I received a text from Nelson, and he suggested to me about this song by Peter Green. I have no bloody idea about Peter Green until now.

And at this moment now, after the steamboat buffet dinner I had with colleagues, I returned to my room, searching through You Tube for that song to get better idea about it. I'm still feeling full in my stomach because of many intakes of foods from the buffet. Burp! I know I couldn't really sleep yet with full stomach and that's why I keep searching for Peter Green and knowing what is it all about with that song and how special it is.

Wow.wow.wow. Peter Green seems to be a big shot for blues rock and when I first listened to the song, I just love it. It is catchy and nice. But it is totally out of my genres. I decide to take the dare. I will do that song. I replied to Nelson's and will give it a shot. I shall decide which version it is best for me, as the song had many interpretations by many artists who actually re-cover the song before.

To look out for the performance, it's on 12th August 2008. I'm excited over it. I shall record it down for my portfolio. Hahaha.

How to Make a Miniature Gown

Here is the process (Save and have a bigger view of picture):

Labbit's Illusion

Today seems to be finest Saturday of the month because it lead me to have great mood; and while I walked home, the weather was really nice and cooling; windy but no sunny; no sweaty for me and I got real prepared for one aim: complete my recent painting. I got home with a satisfied feeling and without really hesitated, I started what I had not completed.

I'm not coming from illustration background but whenever I hold a brush when I feel like painting or even scribble, I really feel the energy and the urge of me to deeply venture into my painting's world. Recently, I managed to sketch out a different style of mine where I wanted to get out of my style of using alot of warm colours and fierce textures with gradient.

Before the painting, I have decided to look for some inspirations through Flickr. I did a simple research and found some great paintings that worth me mentioning:

I love this painting above because of the approach of colours were used and the daring strokes that being applied.
I like this concept of the painting and it is funny in its idea. I loves the rabbit too.



This formation of the area and territories are interesting and the feeling of completeness is there.


This painting reflects some of my strokes with curvy and ornament patterns to fill in all sorts of corners.

I loves this. The balancing of patterns and the textures around the pear - great. I just love it.

After all those paintings above as my references, made me inspired and came up with my own version of a painting. I would like to thanks them for giving me different touch of inspiration: DerStruwwelpeter for the Rabbit's painting, Roxo89, AndyZzZ, and the rest of the artists (Sorry for not knowing some of them).

My workspace is always the precious floor of the hall in my apartment. Hahaha! Well, usually, for weekend, when I'm in good mood for painting, the floor is my workspace where I rest myself on the floor, holding the canvas for painting, but also watch TV at the same time. Like just now, I was distracted by Olympic news. But, well professionally, I did managed my painting too.

Well, after an afternoon of hard work for finishing and crafting my painting to be the best ( I think!), here is my painting. Introducing..... Labbit's Illusion .

I think it is a new step ahead for me because I'm venturing into different colours usage and exploring different approach in patterns and texturing. In the same time, I also sees the significant strokes and styles of mine in the painting. I just love the outcome. It is a new benchmark.

I was excited over the outcome and asked my housemate to look at the painting and he commented of the paintings to be more pastel instead of my previous style. Winks ** I successfully did it in purpose. He also commented about the consistency of strokes so that's why we made comparison of my previous painting and this recent one. Yeah it does show my style, but it is different now. I will keep on exploring. (Cross my finger and never give up!)

(Having my favourite drink, Malta while finishing this line. Hint - new project coming up - more like Project Runway!!!)