Runs on food and music, will sing for chips and pasta.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

i perform therefore i am...

Not that I haven't realised it but every now and then I gotta remind myself of the fundamentals and basics...

The thing about being a performer make is that, she has enough balls/guts to be on the other side of the camera and bare all soul, be judged by whoever, risk the chance of failing to impress whoever, fail completely in a performance, fall flat on her face, etc....

..and then get back on her feet tomorrow, smile, and do it all over again, hopefully better than yesterday.

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Thursday, March 13, 2008

Soul Doc at Bangkok Jazz

Come hear me sing song for you :)

tomorrow and Saturday @ Bangkok Jazz
14th & 15th March (Fri 7 Sat)
10pm
No cover
Bangkok Jazz
Chulan Square
92, Jalan Raja Chulan

Tel 603-2145 8708

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Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Tailors in Shenzhen

...for those of you who wonder about the tailors I went to in Shenzhen to make those qi-paos..here you go.

the four sequined ones are from -

Shanghai Longfa Fashion
Lot 5080, 5th floor
Luohu Commercial City (LCC)
Mobile - 13 80 2294 625
Email - hell83@163.com
(ask for Ah Xin or Mdm Yang Hong Mei the owner)

the two brocade-lookin' ones are from -

Joey Tailor Shop
Lot 5056A, 5th floor
Luohu Commercial City (LCC)
mobile - 137 141 2700
(ask for Ah Zen or Ah Fan)

cost / price

I asked my hotel receptionist (we stayed in Shanshui Trends Luohu Hotel - not bad) the minute I checked in, where to make qipao. She told me to go to LCC (this hotel also provide free shuttle service to LCC every 15 minutes from the hotel lobby) where she has gone herself to make some dresses. She said for about RMB 100 - 300 you can get a qipao. When I got there myself I realised for the drama-queen design (sequin, laces and the works) that I wanted, I had to pay higher than RMB 300 per dress.

At the end I spent about RMB 500 per qipao, that's around RM 240 each. Which is not bad, consider that in KL, you need to pay about RM 800 or more for a decently tailored qipao.

Bargain and agree on a price before you start ordering anything. Usually they will make you choose or indicate what material/textile you want before quoting a price.



What I learned / Tips
- bring a pic or a sample of what you want to make to show the tailors

I brought these pictures with me there
- be very specific on what you want when you order,

eg. how high you want your collar to be, I wanted the vintage look which is high collar, that's at least about 2inches for my measurement, 2-2.5 inches.

eg. how high you want the dress side slits to be. They will tell what the normal ones are like if you ask. I made a mistake for not asking for a higher slits where it would look nicer

eg. how low or high you want the lining-neckline to be for those who order the lacy/see-thro designs like three of mine (the black/purple, the gold and the white one)

eg. how fitting you want your qipao to be

- mind and consider which material might flatter your body more and what kind is good for which design. Mostly the shop ladies or tailors can advise you on that but have some ideas would help you cut down on decision time...if you haven't a clue on what you like or want when you get there, going to their textile shops might even further confuse you, coz the variety there is dazzling (can be a good thing if you are decisive). Generally the thin, lacy ones shows more flaws as it is more clingy to the body, the stiffer textile flatters more.

- do not get intimidated by those who grab your hand and insist on taking you to their shops for a look-see, just walk on or tell them you want to browse yourself, unless you want to be taken to where they take you. After spending about 15 minutes at the plaza you should be able to tell which vendor is more sincere.

- it is an advantage if you speak Mandarin, many of them at LCC also speak Cantonese. If you speak neither, they do have plenty of Caucasian clients but be prepared to do a lot of explanation until you know they understand you fully. They seemed to like me because I sound like one of them there...

I hope these information help some of you out there who are planning on a trip to China to make qipao...if I think of anything other useful information, I will update this post :)

the vain-pot,
soul doc

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Monday, March 10, 2008

my precious qi-paos

Ever since YC put the idea in my head (just over two months ago), I've been dreaming about going to China to get some tailor made qi-paos.

I did it, of course it cost to fly to Shenzhen, and spent two nights there (only crazy people like me n J would something like that...we needed to come back in time for the election!) but the reward is...look at these six pieces I ordered. I ordered four pieces in one shop and two in one other shop at the Louhu Commercial City. They made all of them over night, I picked them up just less than four hours I flew home to KL...


this one is what I wanted all the time, a white long one...but maybe I should have chosen a non-lace one....next order lah!
black & purple...

this one I picked the material with ...in the mood of In The Mood For Love

some can you look bigger....like this one..check out the hips

Ah Xin, the shop girl and me..
with the other shop girls...Ah Zen & Ah Fan, we became fast friends :)

so there you go....my first order...a few things I learn:

be very specific, VERY VERY specific

slits should be higher...

certain colors only look good with certain material, think hard before ordering

etc..

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The day after...

The dust settled. Now the triumphant citizens shall sit back and heave a sign of relief (in disbelief). Time for the new blood chosen by the people to get to work, for a better tomorrow, literally.

For this election a bunch of us (families & friends) volunteered for the Barisan Rakyat (DAP, PAS & Keadilan) as poling & counting agents.

To be present while ballots were being counted was something beyond my imagination. My heart skipped a beat when I witnessed the election clerks separate the votes for Barisan Nasional (BN) & Keadilan (PKR)...

It was a great feeling. To witness a new result taking shape through the counting of ballots...and holding back breathe and the urge to break into big smile, to finish the counting and signing on the seals of counting results...

The rest, is history by March 8, around 3am...when results were announced.

Some pictures by J to share...
at the Keadilan bilik gerakan, as the counting outcome slowly arrived at the centre, cheers broke out as Fahmi Fadzil announed the good news
yay! Keadilan is leading!!
State candidate for Subang Jaya Elizabeth Wong waiting for more updates (she won!)
after leaving the Keadilan centre we went to the Pantai nomination centre to see if we could catch the result announcement of the recounting of Sharizat vs Nurrul Izzak Anwar ballots.

Arrival of the last of sealed ballot boxes
Outside the centre (Bangsar Sports Centre) the Nurrul Izzak supporters stood waiting for the results...
Nurul Izzak turned up at the centre to receive the results...

I would like to end this post by quoting the new MP Elizabeth Wong, this is her latest blog entry, please read the last paragraph especially...

"In our meeting last night, Anwar Ibrahim brought us down to earth.

First - we have to change this ‘bodek’ feudal culture of Umno. ‘Yang Berhormat’ or YB is only appropriate in the halls of the state assembly or Parliament. Do the Brits or Australians go around calling their MPs or state legislators ‘Right Honourable’ in public? Nope.

So please don’t call us YBs. It gives me a strange icky feeling if you do.

Two - any unreasonable perks will be slashed. There will not be any redecorations in our offices and we will use the vehicles bought earlier by the state government. Our salary will also be cut. We gotto cut those wasteful and unnecessary spending.

Tan Sri Khalid is gonna run this state like a corporation. We are expected to file quarterly reports like an good company. Expect some redundant committees and positions created to appease the Umno-aites to be erased. And yeah - no belly-dancing in those ‘lawatan sambil belajar’. It’s ‘belajar sambil bekerja’.

Three - we will be open to everyone in regards to suggestions and inputs. We want to be take stock of what is immediate and urgent. And please give us time. Fifty years of nonsense will take time to be rectified and corrected."

Viva new Malaysia :)

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Monday, March 03, 2008

Are you ready?

I could hear Raja Petra's voice booming in the rain, from the loud speakers as I pulled into the incredibly crowded Aminurddin Baki 3. I was late for the ceramahs last night, the DAP and Keadilan campaign...

The big pour didn't stop the people from arriving
It was my second attendance at the election ceramah two days in a row. Besides being impressed with the talents we have in the opposition parties, I was genuinely enlightened by the many of facts brought up in the speeches by these speakers.

some of the speakers last night

Nurul Izzak Anwar
Gobind Singh Deo
Tony PuaAnyway, just want to showcase the pictures taken by J last night at the location. I urge you to attend one of the ceramahs between now to March 7 before you cast your vote to the future of our nation on the 8th. Come, listen, consider, and vote very wisely on the 8th.

check out TV Smith's picturesque report on last night's turn out.

Further readings for all of us, on the facts of things in our nations....since everything on mainstream media these days (this week especially) is very controlled and limited, biased.

Malaysia Today by Raja Petra Kamarudin
Screenshots by Jeff ooi
Malaysiakini

Missed last night's ceramah? Come tonight and listen to

Fong Po Kuan
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Tony Pua
Dr Cheah Wing Yin
Lau Weng San

8.00pm
Ceramah SS2 (MJ Cafe, SS2/63) Near the morning market location, behind Hong Leong Bank

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