Tuesday, August 28, 2007
-12:20 PM
Hey there folks!
Just to let you guys know, pictures of my Bangkok trip is up at my Multiply at
http://wancornelius.multiply.com. Have a peek and drop by sometime!
-8:14 AM
Tickets available at info@beats.sg for $10, $12 at the door
Sunday, August 26, 2007
-9:08 PM
We had the best Speakeasy ever! An appropriate closing to the series. I know for a certain Salim had fun. I believed Imran had fun too, except when he had to entertain a "certain" fan. Krazie Starr had fun, performing with his backup dancers, Anything.
Cute yang si satu tu. Richard had fun , doing an impromptu performance. We honoured their birthdays with a candle-blowing-cake-cutting ceremony on stage. Zul had fun, showing off his new beatboxing routine.
About time eh Zul! Wifey wasn't really having fun in the beginning actually because of a CD cock-up/some people incapability to inform/technical inadequacies. But it turns out pretty alright in the end. We all had fun and I bet the crowd had lots of fun. The tranny host, Leroy added come colour to the event with his/her funny banter
ala feeling Boom Boom Room. It was all good! Thank you Speakeasy for the memories...
Friday, August 24, 2007
-12:47 PM
So tomorrow marks the last Speakeasy ever. It's been an eventful 2 years for the series. We started out at the Earshot Cafe at the Arts House before moving on to our current, bigger premise at the Glass Hall at the Art Museum. We started out by having just hip-hop performances but has since moved on to include poetry reading, band performances, electronica showcases and even a drum & bass DJ set. We've brought in stage games and novelties to break the monotonous flow of performances. We gave away freebies like buttons, lollipops and even our own short-lived zine at the door. I picked up on using the VJ software, Resolume just for the series too. We've packed the Glass Hall to the brim every Speakeasy even after we added $2 then $4 for entry. We've watched, like proud parents, this little baby grow from an infant to full-fledged adult..
And tomorrow's edition will be the last one. Thank you to everyone who helped us along the way. Thank you to the kind people at the Art Museum for believing in us and providing us a venue to showcase the talents we have. Thank you to the supporters who comes in religiously every month and stayed throughout the entire event, even when your friends are not performing. Thank you to our sponsors who have provided us much and yet expect so little from us. It still amaze me to see listings for Speakeasy in issues of iS magazine and even being highlighted in The New Paper. So join us as we bid our farewells to the one and only SpeakEasy. You'll always be in my heart...
Don't fear though! Beats Society will be back with a brand new series after our Ramadan and Aidilfitri hiatus. It's be Speakeasy with a little more zest, a little more oomph!
-10:52 AM
We're officially back from Bangkok! Well, we've been back since Tuesday afternoon but I've only got the chance to blog about it now. It was a great trip to Bangkok. I've never realised how much I missed Bangkok since I left Thailand 4 years ago but memories of the place starts flooding back as soon as our bus hits town. When you get stuck in a gridlock of a traffic jam, you know you've arrived in Bangkok. I wasn't really impressed with the new airport. The system needs a change, not the place! It took ages to get our passports stamped. I however, realised how fortunate I was that I had travelled one day ahead than the rest. At least, there weren't so much of us unlike the next day when the main group would have arrived.
Our accommodation for the trip was the Baiyoke Sky Hotel, the tallest tower in Bangkok. I've always wanted to stay there during my 7 months stint in Thailand and I finally got the chance to stay there. Well, it turns out to be a disappointment. The room is rather spartan and the only saving grace of the hotel is that we have a fabulous view of the city from our breakfast table on the 77th floor.
Pathumwan Princess next time, dear? I don't quite like the area it's in either. The nearest BTS station is a good 15-20 minutes walk away! Though it is mostly about 50baht to everywhere else by the metered taxi, I still prefer travelling around Bangkok on the BTS.
I'm still proud of the fact that I can converse in simple Thai still. It's been a while since I held a conversation in Thai but I do remember the simple yet important phrases in Thai. I think that somehow saved us from getting slaughtered by exorbitant prices usually demanded by the stallholders and tuk-tuk drivers. I saved us from getting on cabs that don't switch on their meters but charge a 100baht for a 50baht trip. I saved us some more Thai baht by doing my bargaining in Thai which is deemed essential to buy things at local prices. I even got us a tuk-tuk ride for a 100baht which is very low compared to the prices they would quote to foreigners. I should have picked up more on the language when I was there for my National Service. Well, it's never too late to learn..
We had the customary company dinner on Monday evening. It was held at some Nanthong Restaurant (
that's the name of the restaurant, babe). Food was a-ok and I was still kinda pissed they didn't put Tom Yam Goong and my favourite Sticky Rice with Mango on the menu. We had to pass on some of the dishes cause they were cooked in XO liquor. I bet they didn't actually need that looking at the amount of Johnnie Walkers going around the other tables. As part of the trip, every outlet (+ us, the office people) had to put up a performance each and the best one would receive a few thousand baht as prize money. The stakes were upped further when Heather, our CEO, added in a 1000 SG dollars of her own money to the prize kitty. I was pretty nervous during the beginning of dinner but loosened up when O Bar opened up the
Talentime competition by dancing to "
Give It To Me". They were pretty impressive too. The Office did our own rendition of Stomp by banging on dustbins and hitting on some wooden instruments and some rapping too. Well, I didn't rap actually.. that would be too obvious so we got Sherri, our HR manager, to rap a couple line off
"One Night In Bangkok", seeing we were in the city after all. I was merely her hype man but I think overall, we did pretty alright. The winner turns out to be Que Pasa who had their staff to cross-dress which I think is pretty easy to pull off. You can get a guy to be in drag and just put him on stage without saying a thing and the audience will still go off in laughter. A lil' too obvious and straight-forward but it's OK. The important thing was we had fun doing it and we showed everyone how well the camaraderie among the office people are, since we got everyone in the office involved. All except one, which I will not waste space to say who 'cause she's not really important anyway.
After that we headed down for some merry-making at a club called Slim/Flux down at the famous RCA strip. Slim being the hip-hop joint while Flux plays house music. You don't have to guess which was the more crowded of the two. Hip-hop is pretty big all around the world now eh. I can still hear the familiar tunes they played when I used to go there 4 years ago. Some things still never change. Wifey was surprised to find that the club has no dance floor and she was more amazed when I told her most clubs in Bangkok don't have one. I danced for a lil' bit at Slim, showing off to Wifey a couple of my moves.
I still got it eh? But got a lil' annoyed when the club got too packed for my liking. We went over to Flux 'cause of its bigger room space for some great house music and more dancing. Me and Wifey stuck out like sore thumbs because we were the only ones not drinking alcohol there and I had to turn down a couple of drink offers as well. Who the hell works in the entertainment line and doesn't drink?! Well, me I guess.. Heh.
It was amazing how I couldn't find my favourite Mango Sticky Rice when we were out and about in the streets of Bangkok.
Mangga tak musim agaknya.. I told Jeannie about it when we checked into the departure gates and she also said the same thing. I then told her maybe we'll find it in the departure lounge of the new airport. After walking down rows and rows of duty-free stores, we finally found somewhere where we can fill our stomachs and have a good rest before our flight. They didn't quite had Mango Sticky Rice though but I settled for second best, Pad Thai Goong! You could see my joy at finally finding good old Thai food, at the last moments before we left Bangkok.
I'll think I need a PSP the next time I fly. Travel Scrabble is too taxing on the brains and Wifey can always come up with long long words that rake up a lot of points while I settle for simple 3 letters words. Hmmphh.. I want a PSP.. I want a PSP... Focus and it will come. It's a wonder that a DVD I bought for 100baht at Patpong taught me that!
Pictures will be uploaded as soon as we have the time to extract them from the memory card!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
-7:20 AM
The weather's been pretty eccentric lately. It looks like it's gonna pour this morning so I had to wear my sweater out to the office but strangely the expected rain never came. Oh well..
Anyway it's been awhile since I last blogged. I think I'm losing it. I always have these cycles of intense blogging one minute and then I have nothing to write, the next. Now that we're only down to one computer that's connected to the net at home, one of us has to sacrifice out time on the internet. Usually it'll be me who has to give way to the Wifey since she has no internet connection at her office while I am enjoying my T1 office connection. The laptop needs a reformat too! I'm glad Wifey has finally made her intention to quit known to her office mates. It's about time, I think. I hope she will enjoy what's coming for her instead. We've been busy lately preparing for Beats Society's double whammy of events - the last Speakeasy and our biggie, Platform 7. I hope we'll close Speakeasy with a bang, no matter what the obstacles are.
Off to Bangkok in 2 days! Just got to know our flight details and even though we're coming back early on Tuesday, we're leaving early on Saturday! First stop, Chatuchak market! I even did hoework on it 'cause there's been rumours that it's closed for renovations. It's not! Rest assured, lots of pictures will be posted in here once we get them. I'm even bringing the Holga with me while Wifey will have her DSLR with her. We're a snap-happy couple!
Friday, August 3, 2007
-5:38 PM
For those who don't know, the Wifey got admitted into hospital on the 17th July. First thought to be an appendicitis scare is actually an issue with some blood cells in her urine. She's well now but still complains of the pain at the same are. We'll see what the ureologist has to say when she makes her appointment in August. Thank you to all those who came by and visited her in the hospital and to all well-wishers as well..
On a happier note, I can't wait for the 18th August. Heading to Bangkok for my company's annual staff retreat. Which will be my first time back there long after I left the Land Of Smiles some 3 years ago. It'll be the Wifey's maiden trip to The City Of Sins and I'm sure she's much more excited than I am. Chatuchak - Here I come! Another break from work too!
Weekend is here! Wifey suggested Sentosa tomorrow. We might as well since I've got a $50 Coastes voucher for my birthday gift from my company. We'll see...
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
-1:34 PM
Ok ok ok... more on my July sheninagans..
On the 14th day, I officially turned 27. Yes yes, I know I don't look a day over 20 still (Jangan jeles eh!) but really really I turned 27! And Wifey threw me a surprise lunch over at her parents' for me! Which was really nice of them.. I finally get to taste the rich-to-the-point-of-being-sinful chocolate cake from Prego that Wifey got for me during our engagment but I didn't get to taste 'cause I was away. Sedap nak mampus cake tu! Masya'Allah!
I really didn't suspect anything when I knocked on the door of the in-laws although the fact that Wifey insisted on taking the camera bag from me was a good indication. The cake was already on the table with the lighted candles on it and everyone greeted me with a round of the HAPPY BIRTHDAY song as soon as I stepped into the house. Parents-in-law, Kak Nenny+Abang Farid, Nadia+Imran and E'en and of course lil' Asfa who was more excited than I was! After the traditional make-a-wish-and-blowing-out-the-candles, we took a couple of pictures and I was handed my birthday gift and cards! From the moment I saw the shape of my wrapped present, I know it must be a toy. Turned out to be a remote-controlled helicopter called The Mosquito! I've always wanted the Pico-Z but Wifey got me the Mosquito instead 'cause the salesman told her the Mosquito is better :P
I then went outside the house, by the corridor to give the Mosquito a run. I still need practice though! It was a lot harder to handle than I initially thought! Then the batteries decided to run out on me and I have to charge it again before I get to play with it again. I then proceeded to help Wifey in the kitchen 'cause she wanted to cook me a birthday dish, chicken rice with black pepper chicken and her favourite mixed vegetable dish. Wifey didn't want me in the kitchen actually as it was my birthday but I insisted 'cause I love being in the kitchen to kaypoh-kaypoh and help in any way I can. The food turned out pretty tasty! I was impressed with the Wifey's cooking. Heh.. Oh and daddy-in-law-dearest bought me durians too! Woohoo! I love thorn-thorns!
Much thanks to the Wifey's family for the birthday treat/surprise. I must think it was hard to coordinate everything behind my back and they kept the secret well. Thank you for accepting me as part of the family so warmly. And special gratitude to my wife for planning this special day for me. You're still my best birthday present ever! ;)
