You know how some songs just keep getting stuck in your head and the minute you think you've gotten rid of it, another one comes along and wedges itself in?

Chris Brown seems to have a knack for songs like that. Thankfully, almost all of his songs that are released on the radio are friendly on the ear, and even friendlier on the dance floor!


Its been about 4 years already since 16-year old Chris Brown burst into the music scene with his insanely catchy #1 hit "Run It" from his self-titled first album. I loved that song. Even until now when it comes on the radio while I'm in the car or walking around a mall or at a club, I cant help but imagine myself dancing like mad to it. Because I cant dance for nuts and imagination is the furthest I'll go with my slick dancing moves that will blow your mind.

Speaking of dancing..

Take that.

I watch Chris Brown's music videos if only to watch what crazy dance moves he'll be pulling off next. With Michael Jackson clearly as an inspiration, Chris' dancing skills are insane! I remember watching a music awards show once (I think it was MTV) with him dancing on tables with a little kid. Totally blew me away. I think its no coincidence that most of his songs like "Gimme That" and "Kiss Kiss" were definitely made to be default party songs.

Secret revelation: I secretly enjoyed his duet with Jordin Sparks in "No Air".


Well, Chris Brown is moving on from all the press coverage he's received in 2009 (we all know over what incident) and getting back in the game with the upcoming release of his third album "Graffiti" (15th Dec 2009 in USA)! Its apparently his most personal album yet, because at the ripe young age of 20, its a reflection of his sense of self. Deep.


The "Graffiti" album playlist looks pretty promising as it spans a wide range of musical influences, genres and collaborations. Expect the ever popular hits made for the clubs (like "I Can Transform Ya" feat. Lil Wayne, "Wait" and "I.Y.A.") and even a ballad or two like "Crawl" and "Take My Time" which would probably be perfect to serenade a lady with when you're in the doghouse for forgetting an anniversary date or something.

Most of the tracks on "Graffiti" were written by Chris himself, so expect more emotion and feel to the lyrics because of what he's been through in the past few years. "Lucky Me" sounds like it's gonna be quite an inspirational tune to pick you up when you feel a downer coming on.

Well at the moment, Chris Brown is back on the road doing what he does best - an intense 18-city tour aptly called the "Fan Appreciation Tour" (for where would he be without them), which also doubles up as a charity effort where some of the tour's proceeds will be donated to Best Buddies International. Looks like he's taking alot under his wing for the coming new year.

To cap it all off, I've gotten my hands on a video featuring Chris Brown himself, introducing his new album to the world (cant find it anywhere else yet). Enjoy it!

Looks like Chris Brown is going into 2010 alright.

I've been wanting to get a shelf of sorts to store my little make-up collection that just keeps growing and growing, but somehow never end up used at all - aside from mere swipes on my hands/face to test it (i decided not to mask the awesomeness within).

My room is a complete mess and I think the reason I hardly use any of the stuff I buy is because most of the time, I cant find them. I have the attention span of a mosquito and if I cant find what I want to use within 30 seconds, life goes on.

So I popped over to Jusco, which was a horrible disappointment because everything cost a grand total of RM30 and above. I'm not going to pay so much for a shelf to keep my lipsticks in. If it collapses halfway, cellophane tape can be had for RM3.90.

I thought shelf-salvation would rain down upon me in IKEA, the grand dame of all things colourful and plastic, but it was not to be! IKEA being well, IKEA, all their storage spaces were meant to maximise space and consisted almost entirely of a huge assortment of boxes, in varying degrees of pretty, designed for stacking.

Boxes which were.. So tempting. Paper.. Cardboard.. Felt.. Embossed cloth ones.. Red faux leather.. Zebra-print..

But willpower prevailed! Stupid IKEA. Getting my hopes up to find the perfect home accessory and instead, making me walk out empty-handed without any purchase to validate my parking ticket for free parking. I need mini drawers IKEA, not Lego blocks disguised as storage boxes TQVM.

Who knew that the little gem I was looking for would be in the last place make-up would dare show its cakey little face - ACE Hardware Store, Ikano.

Behold!

9 mini-drawers ready to be filled with.. Awesomeness!!

A flat top-shelf bit just waiting to be weighed down with.. Awesomeness!

I decided to do a little bit of DIY myself. Y'know, get my hands dirty and work for my craft.

I lovingly lined the inside of all 9 mini drawers with tissue. Because make-up can be a very messy business indeed.

Whew, that totally tired me out. I'd make an awesome Stepford wife.

I am morphing into a robot.

Surviving only on siew pau, dwindling bank accounts, egg tarts and Cooking Mama 2.

... equal cranky weekdays.

Sigh I dont know why, but I always feel that my weekends should be full up doing something - anything! If the weekend is not spent out somewhere, I get restless, cranky and lament about what a wasted 48-hours its been.

Yumcha session? Jom! Bazaar? Must go! More than one bazaar? Go for all (luckily there are 3 bazaars this weekend)! No money? Window shopping!

I think its because I spend 5 whole weekdays with my butt planted in a chair, I'd rather make the best of the 2 weekend days by sitting down as little as possible and moving it around somewhere else - much to the dismay of the one who is always the innocent victim of my "itchy backside syndrome" =P

So, weekend plans anyone?

Buying make-up online might be a pretty scary step to take. Afterall, I'm pretty deep in the school of thought that if I can't touch/test/sample it, I'm not buying it. Especially things like lipstick and foundation where buying the wrong colour can prove to be pretty disappointing (emotionally and financially).

Then I started reading some beauty blogs and all their make-up reviews on loads of international make-up brands really got to me and I was really tempted to try some of them out! Most of them either bought it online or have friends (really nice friends) who send them swag from overseas.

I decided to go the online route and ordered some make-up from a US brand called NYX. Its a pretty cheap make-up range, which did make me kinda apprehensive at first because I'll be putting this stuff on my face and I dont want my face to morph into something else the next day. But thank goodness for Google and tons of make-up reviews by bloggers!! =D

(details on how I ordered it at the end of the post)

So here goes my little review on the NYX make-up range I bought!

Item 1: NYX Mosaic Powder in Highlight (USD6.50 after discount)


As per its name, the NYX Mosaic Powder is a palette of 5 shades in various hues in 1 compact. The entire range has blusher and bronzer shades, and only 1 was a mosaic for highlighting. Decided to play it safe and buy that one since I already have 2 blushers that are barely even half-used.

"Highlighter" came in a mosaic of light pink, lilac, pale yellow, white and light brown.

Packaging wise, it came in a simple round, black, plastic casing (no mirror) and doesnt look too tacky. Generally, some make-up bases come in different colours like green to minimise redness, lilac to brighten up dull skin, etc. So "Highlight" is a combination of those and I think its purpose is just to even out your skin a little bit overall.

I swirled a big powder brush (dont know why I have one lying around) in it and brushed it over my face after I'd finished putting foundation on. Well, it does give a pretty decent glow (shimmer), but not too much until you look like a disco ball glittering. The effect isnt too obvious and I wasnt hoping for any complexion miracles from it (so cheap mah), so not too bad. I'd say good to highlight places like cheekbones, nose bridge, etc. Might buy a blusher next. No colour swatch of this because you wont be able to tell anyway.

Ingredients, for those who care to look.

Next up, lip stuff! The world according to me (haha) is divided into 2: lipstick and lipgloss people. I'm in Camp Lipstick. I used to do lipgloss, but my hair kept getting stuck on my lips whenever a gust of wind came and annoyed me to no end. Its no fun having to pull sticky hair away from my lips and it just feels really uncomfortable.

I love lipstick! I have about 5 lipsticks (not a very big collection la. amateur only) which I rotate depending on my mood/outfit, and I'm always looking out for more shades. Now I cant leave the house without any lipstick on because seriously, I look pretty corpse-like without it. I'm a true believer that lipstick alone really can make you look fresher and alive =P

Item 2: NYX Round Lipstick in Rose and Indian Pink (USD1.95 each after discount)


I'm abit upset at myself because the colours I picked for the NYX Round Lipsticks arent exactly what I was looking for (thankfully not a very expensive mistake). That's one downside to shopping for lipsticks online. Try choosing a shade you think will be perfect for you from NYX and tell me how you do - they have over 100 colours to choose from! Its madness!

Rose is a rather solid pink colour and looks all too similar to a lipstick shade I already own, so I dont see myself using it much. Indian Pink is a light peach colour which is a shade too pale for me. Probably best paired if I'm using heavy eyeliner or something. Its also abit frosted when it goes on my lips, which I'm not a fan of.

Both lipsticks go on pretty easy (i use lipbalm before lipstick anyway) and although they're not long-lasting, they do a pretty decent job. Kinda easy to remove too. Quite moisturising, unlike the cheaper no-brand lipsticks we can find at Guardian/Watsons, with a small hint of glitter/shine.

Item 3: NYX Jumbo Lip Pencil in Plush Red (USD3 after discount)


As for the NYX Jumbo Lip Pencil in Plush Red, I love it! I've always wanted to have at least one mega-red lip colour for the heck of it and this lip pencil is great! Its a fiery red that's not too bright and goes on like a dream! Its got a pretty creamy texture, which surprised me because its in a pencil form and went on nice, smooth and thick. No need to colour over my lips in repeated swipes. Texture might be abit too creamy for some, but I'm fine with it. Pencil tip is kinda fat, so gotta be pretty careful when applying it.

Looks good freshly applied, looks even better after blotting with tissue for a matte look. Definitely gonna get more of this in other shades. I dread having to sharpen it though. Have not done the time-test on it yet to see how long it can last, but removing with just a tissue wasnt easy (good!).

The NYX Round Lipsticks came in a decent black casing with a transparent plastic bit at the bottom which shows a pretty precise representation of the lipstick colour.

Edit: Beatrice (of Beetrice's Reviews) told me that the transparent plastic base at the bottom of the NYX Round Lipsticks contains actual lipstick! So that explains the precise colour. Shall find a way to prise it open and see whether can use or not.

Colour swatches on my sad hand! L-R: Rose, Indian Pink, Plush Red.

Ok, on to the good news on how to buy NYX (or any other international make-up brand) that's not found in Malaysia! I was reading the Skin Deco blog and she posted about how she ordered make-up online via this thread on Lowyat.NET called "sgDrugstore" (click here) which made the ordering process really simple! Just read through the step-by-step instructions. Its not rocket science.

All you have to do is check which online shopping spree is currently open, browse through those websites, take down the links of the products you want, post it up there and a nice guy named Ryan will quote you the price in RM inclusive of shipping costs/taxes and postage (depending on which type you choose). He orders alot in 1 go, so he usually manages to get free shipping/discounts. Definitely much cheaper than buying it alone. Plus, I dont have a credit card, so he makes it much easier with local online bank transfers and all.

I was a little apprehensive at first, but a quick read through the thread shows alot of satisfied customers and Ryan is pretty efficient and very patient with the tons of girls and their questions/requests. Now you can order stuff from brands like Urban Decay, MAC, Cover Girl, Benefit, Stage and all those other brands you read in magazines, no problem (not just make-up. hair, body, facial products too)! Delivery depends on how fast you order and how long he keeps the spree open. Mine took about a month to arrive, but sometimes it can come in a few weeks.

I got my NYX swag from this website called Cherry Culture, but he's closed the spree for that so I'm gonna wait till its open again (he only opens sprees if there's a discount going on at the website) and order more!

Brownie points for sgDrugstore because my package came in an envelope that was completely double-sealed with cellophane tape around the edges of the entire envelope (to avoid those pesky post people from ripping it open) and my make-up was in a ziplock sandwich bag tightly packed in a layer of bubble-wrap. It was so difficult to open, I had to use a scissors and slice through everything (THIS.. IS.. SPARTAAAAAA!!). So yea, he does put alot of effort to make sure that your swag doesnt get damaged/stolen.

Man, this make-up review thing is kinda fun. And I'm addicted to looking at tons of potential make-up buys online.

The entire world was buzzing about the movie that was about to bring us behind the scenes of what would have been the greatest come-back concert ever - "Michael Jackson's This Is It".


Basically, the movie is made from over 100 hours of behind-the-scenes footage of Michael Jackson hard work during rehearsals for what would have been his last concert before he closed the curtain on his performing career. Fans around the world went completely mental at this news.

Well, I wont go into the details of what happened next, because we all know what happened - Michael Jackson was gone too soon.

The movie is played out like a really long and extended Michael Jackson music video. Which to all his fans, is definitely not something to complain about. It was just a straightforward movie of Michael practicing several of his most popular songs and how all the concert extras rehearsed.


The movie featured songs like "Black or White", "Man In The Mirror", "Billie Jean", "I Just Cant Stop Loving You", "Beat It" and loads more! All the favourites are in there.

What really makes this movie something to remember are the scenes where Michael is directing and giving his opinions on various issues for his concert. From lighting to sound, from costumes to selecting his backup dancers, he seemed to be really hands-on with his concert and you can really tell that his passion for performing and giving the audience a show of a lifetime still runs deep.


And gosh, can the man dance or what?? At the ripe old age of 50, his moves are still just as fluid and perfect as he was in his prime! Every shuffle, every shoulder roll, every moonwalk was perfect! Even the dancers who were half his age looked like they were having a hard time keeping up with him. Amazing. Plus, they interviewed most of the back-up dancers and it looks like they all cant believe they're working with Michael Jackson.


Also fun to watch was the production of the various mini-movie scenes/visuals that they were creating for the concert. Like the digital cloning of thousands of soldiers marching for a scene in "They Dont Really Care About Us" (love this song btw. the beat is just too cool), or the 3D shooting and make-up process for the creepies in "Thriller".


In a nutshell, this movie is a great insight to the dedication that Michael puts into his craft and fans all over the world will get to witness something they never thought they'd get to see. The movie might be a tad draggy for those who arent hardcore Michael Jackson fans (I got abit restless towards the end), but still a pretty good watch.


Oh, sit tight and stay in your seat as the credits roll! There's extra footage at the end, so you dont want to miss that.

"Michael Jackson's This Is It" will only be screening for 2 weeks from 29th October 2009 onwards, so watch it if you can! Thanks Sony Pictures for the premier screening tix!

P.S. Silver/gold shiny and madly embellished jackets are going to be all the rage next season, judging from the outfits that Michael wore throughout the movie.

This post is about a few months late, but a good rant never goes stale!

I attended the Samsung Imagi.Nation event at Bijou, Mont Kiara (August I think). Now I've been really lucky to have been able to attend other events before, and there have been some pretty sucky ones, but all quite bearable still.

However, Samsung's was hands down one of the most badly organised events I've ever been to!! That was 3 hours of my life I'm never getting back.

I may sound like a really unappreciative cow after this, but I was fuming so much at the end of the event, I just have to rant!

The event was a closing/prize-giving ceremony for their "Samsung Imagi.Nation - The Search for the Nation's Most Imaginative Bloggers" contest [link], where they invited the top 20 finalists to announce the Grand Prize winners.

Firstly, the way the contest was run and its mechanics were kinda weird (and ridiculous). It was supposedly "The Search for the Nation's Most Imaginative Bloggers", but when I registered online, there wasnt any column for "Blog Address" at all. You're looking for bloggers, but you dont want my blog address. Weird. So I dont need a blog to enter this blogging contest? I figured maybe they wanted to give an opportunity to people who dont actually have blogs (which rather defeats the purpose of the contest name), so I didnt really think much of it.

I didnt really intend to enter the contest because when I registered, it was a few days away from the closing date anyway. But I saw the amount of submitted entries (most of which were other contestants spamming their entries. so nauseating) and decided to give it a shot anyway when some free time came up. I cant even remember how I stumbled upon the contest website because there was hardly any publicity at all!

Btw, I got David and Kel Li to submit entries for it too and all 3 of us made it into the top 20 (whew).

Anyhoo, what was really odd about this contest was that blog entry submission can only be done via the Samsung Imagi.Nation website and that it wasnt necessary to post our Samsung entry up on any actual blog we might have. I'd think that for contests like this (especially involving blogging), it would mean milking as much marketing mileage out of the contestants as is humanly possible like a plump, juicy cash cow! Its nothing new these days for most contests to require some mention on our personal blogs (blog post, badge, link, etc) to qualify as a valid entry, and I wouldnt have minded. But since it wasnt compulsory, none of us bothered. Some marketing value (however little it may be) lost right there, Samsung.


At the event itself, I couldnt really tell what they were thinking. The only indication that its a Samsung event was a single banner at the main entrance of Bijou. So I walked in expecting the place to be buzzing with people and excitement, with lots of things to see. How bad can it be? Gadgets here and there, banners, balloons maybe?

The main foyer of Bijou was completely cleared of tables and chairs. It was uncomfortably empty, but I brushed that off and looked for the basic event requirement - a registration table. I looked around lost, wandered in and out of Bijou several times and couldnt find it. There wasnt a registration table prepared. So who's supposed to make sure that the people who are supposed to attend, actually attend? There were some people walking about, but I couldnt tell if they were from Samsung, other top 20 contestants or working at Bijou.

Seriously, if you dont intend to have a registration table, at least have someone ready at the door to greet your guests and tell them where to go. Its so basic, I cant believe they totally neglected this!

The entire time I was there wandering around looking very lost, not a single person from Samsung came up to me to ask whether or not I was one of the contestants they invited. In fact, I could have brought another 10 random friends to come with me because it seemed like nobody bothered who was supposed to be there or not. It did not feel inviting at all.

I was quite relieved when Kel Li and David showed up (with Joshua and Nigel as their guests), and we picked a spot at where we assumed (once again, no signage, no guide, nothing) we were supposed to be seated and waited for it to start.

Looking around, I was quite surprised at the lack of Samsung brand presence at their own event. There was only 1 Samsung banner outside, 2 Samsung LCD TV's (1 turned off, 1 hooked up to Guitar Hero), and that was it! They later mentioned that they intended it to be a very casual event, but really, would a few more buntings, gadgets lying around, leaflets, or anything else be too formal? A little branding never hurt anyone. I brought Kenneth as my guest and if I didnt tell him who organised the event, he wouldnt have had a clue.

Well, there was the latest Samsung ST550 digital camera (pretty nifty for camwhoring) being passed around. One camera, to be shared among 40+ people. Great. There's only 1 measly digital camera left at gadget HQ? I thought I'd be able to have a look at their latest handphone or something, but I was sorely dissapointed.


Malaysian punctuality as usual meant that everyone else started trickling in well after the time stated on the invitation. Slowly tables started to fill up, so 6 of us occupied a table and waited around feeling rather bored.

As we waited, I started getting abit ticked off. We were sitting there for close to 45 minutes, and the whole time, not a single Samsung representative came up to our table to have a chat, introduce themselves or even to say hi!! As if to make us feel even more ignored than we already were, we saw some Samsung people sit at other tables, happily chatting away with them.

I figured that when one of them were done socialising with the other contestants, they'd come over and talk to us or something. But nope, until the end of the event, the only Samsung person we talked to was the guy who showed us how to work Guitar Hero.

We were quite looking forward to talking to them, but apparently our table was not worthy of their time. I noticed that most of the other contestants either look older (like middle aged) or came with their families. Our apologies for not being your obvious target market, Samsung, and looking like we wont be interested/cant afford your products, ergo why bother talking to us when we wont spend anyway. Waste time only.

Even if they were a little short-staffed at the event, hire a PR company or something to treat us like customers you'd like to keep. I cannot stress how pissed I was at this - that not a single person from Samsung at a Samsung event they invited us to, talked to us. At all. Mind you, there were only 4 tables, and 1 hour of waiting time.

Moving on to lunch (which was late anyway), which was another dissapointment! On the contest website, it stated that the top 20 would receive an MP3 player each + Lunch for 2 at Bijou, Mont Kiara (they spelt Bijou as "Bijoux" on the website btw. shameful). Now I'd normally assume that the latter prize meant a food voucher for 2 that can be used any other time.

How was I to know that it meant the lunch provided at a lunch-time event for me and my guest!? I didnt expect them to serve us lunch. Some snacks or finger food would have sufficed (Bijou's known for cupcakes afterall). But to include the lunch as one of the "prizes" (which should have been something you automatically provide) was so misleading! I was not pleased.

On another note, they made the DJ announce that lunch was served and he mumbled like he'd stuffed the microphone in his mouth. The place was so small, someone from Samsung could have easily clapped their hands for attention and cheerfully announce that we could help ourselves to lunch. Y'know, engage themselves abit with audience interaction/be friendly. Fail.

Oh, and shame on them for organising an event that involves complimentary lunch during the Ramadhan period where Muslims are fasting! There were a few Muslim contestants, and I felt sorry that everyone else was tucking in while they waited for us (i'd be really offended if i were them). Samsung apologised, saying they "Forgot it was Ramadhan". Forgot!!?? How inconsiderate! There's this thing called a calendar, which they seriously need to take a look at before planning events. Common courtesy, people. Always check the calendar for clashing dates/special occassions. Everyone knows that. Except Samsung.

The list just keeps getting longer and longer.

After lunch, they decided to have a Guitar Hero contest where one person from each pair could send a rep. That's 20 rounds of Guitar Hero. 20 rounds of the same song. Equivalent to 1 really boring hour! Did they expect the rest of us to happily listen to the same song over and over and over again?? I was bored out of my wits! At least pick only 5 people to battle it out. What a crappy filler for the event. Plus, the Guitar Hero setup was kinda far from where everyone was seated. Goodness knows who they put in charge of "1 hour of random free time", but that person did a really bad job! Even a quiz would have been better.

Those are some pretty bored fingers.

Anyway, Kenneth won the Guitar Hero game, to which the MC proceeded to further insult us when Kenneth admitted that it was his first time playing and they kept going on in disbelief. His prize was a random Samsung DVD player which came in a box that looked like it had been at the bottom of the pile in a forgotten storeroom for ages. Recycling old items, guys? Nice.

What attracted me to this contest were the prizes, which went according to the topic one chooses to blog about. It goes like this: Topic 1 = Prize 1, Topic 2 = Prize 2, Topic 3 = Prize 3. So if Prize 1 attracted me the most, I'd write a blog post for Topic 1. If I were feeling kiasu (which unfortunately i didnt have the time to), I could have written several blog entries for all topics.

As it were, I only submitted an entry for Topic 1 and Topic 3 because those prizes appealed to me the most. We were feeling pretty excited as we waited for them to announce the results because I personally felt we submitted some pretty decent posts (most of the other entries were copy + paste rubbish) with a good chance of winning something.

In a brilliant move that I'm sure they spent LOTS of time thinking about, Samsung decided to throw all purpose of the contest to the wind and announce that they'd just made the (really stupid) decision to choose the winners THEIR way. Meaning the winners wouldnt be chosen according to the topic they blogged about. Instead, they were going to take ALL the entries regardless of topic, and pick the 3 winners from that pile instead.

At this point, a logical person would ask "Then why bother coming up with the 3 different topics and 3 different types of prizes in the first place?"

The top 3 winners were chosen based on (you're not going to believe this) a general question Samsung asked in a random status update on Facebook, asking fans if they could win a prize, what would it be? Now normally I wouldnt take status updates (especially random questions) like this seriously. Afterall, I'm sure they've already chosen the winners right?

So WRONG its nauseating.

For example, Winner 1 wrote for Topic 1 which indicates that he/she intends to win Prize 1. But at the prize-giving, Samsung announced that since Winner 1 commented on their Facebook status update that he/she would reaaaaallllyyyyy (with puppy dog eyes) love to win Prize 3, they decided to give Winner 1 Prize 3 instead even though he/she submitted a post for Topic 1! Really, this is quite retarded no matter how you look at it.

If I had known, I'd have answered with a whole damn list of Samsung products on their stupid status update.

Worst part - who knew that winners were picked not based on the quality and content of their entries (y'know, standard judging procedures), but instead on the effort it took them to get to the event. Seriously, Samsung admitted that since Winner 1 and Winner 2 "Came all the way down to KL" (Penang and East Msia respectively) from soooo bloody far away, lets give them 2 of the grand prizes! What fuckery is this, Samsung?? Winners should be based on merit, not amount of KM travelled. If you knew they were from out of town with entries that were not winning ones, then let them know so they can decide not to come.

Also, there was a surprise winner for an award they probably made up about 20 seconds before announcing it - for the oldest contestant in the Top 20. Why would anyone want to reward that!!?? Unless the person is 200 years old and blogging with their toes while being fed intravenously, I dont see any reason why someone deserves a special prize because they happened to be the oldest person in the room. Hey, I could have been the youngest. Give me something for that!

I say Kel Li and I deserved a special award for wearing the nicest shoes to the event, David and Kenneth deserve an award for having the best hair, Nigel deserves an award for wearing the nicest t-shirt and Joshua, well, give him an award for breathing the same air as everyone else.

I've been to college events that are 10 times more organised and professional than this. When they were announcing the roll-call of Samsung staff who were at the event, there wasnt a single Marketing/PR person present. Sure, we need all the tech guys there to explain stuff, but COME ON!!

The event was badly organised, the contest was not well thought out and the winner selection was the most ridiculous procedure ever. Even more nauseating (if possible) is the fact that all the other contestants were doing some major sucking up to Samsung, especially on Facebook. Stop grovelling, people. If you think your efforts in the contest are good enough, then sit back and let it do the work for you.

And FYI, the free MP3 player I got came in a casing that was so badly scratched, I think someone must have run it over with a car first.

They ought to hire an event management/PR company to do the work for them next time.

*pics from Kel Li*

After years of being "forced" to tune in to early morning cartoons on Nickelodeon and Playhouse Disney on the telly (thanks to the kiddywinks at home), there are a few cartoons whose opening theme songs have become stuck in my head.

And I'm quite upset to admit, they've grown on me and I quite like them T___T


The Backyardigans! Yea, a bunch of goodness-knows-what colourful creatures prancing around in their backyard (hence the name. not rocket science really) having adventures.


The Wonder Pets! A bunch of adorable fluffy little animals who live in a classroom, and secretly sneak out to save other pets in trouble. Watch out for the duck! He has a cute lisp. "This is tewible!"


Kipper the Dog! Ok, I admit, I introduced this cartoon to the kids. No idea why I like watching this, but I love how simple it always is with the plain white background settings. So soothing =P

But of course, the best opening theme song is..



OH YEAH!!!!! XD

Look, you. I'ma grab you by the collar, shake you up abit and say this once.

If I want to eat half-boiled eggs for lunch, I'll eat half-boiled eggs for lunch. If I want to eat a whole steak for breakfast, I'll damn well eat a whole steak for breakfast.

I dont need to justify my reasons on why I eat what for lunch. I dont need to come up with half-baked excuses that oh, I had a huge breakfast, I couldnt possibly fit anything else. I dont need you to shake your head in disbelief. I do not need you to automatically assume that I'm on a diet. I'm not sure which school of thought you're trained in, but mine goes by the adage that I dont have to eat as much as you do or eat the exact same things you think I ought to be eating.

I dont have to conform to your ideas of what type/amount of food would make a proper meal for whatever time of the day it is. My choosing to eat something that isnt ordinarily considered "proper food" for a particular meal isnt something that is out of this world. I eat when I'm hungry, and I dont when I'm not. If it doesnt go according to your biological clock, I can live with that, but I'm not sure if you can. I can eat cereals for dinner and a lobster for breakfast if I want. As a matter of fact, I do eat cereals in the middle of the day because I like it, and if it offends anyone in any way, that's just too bad.

Because its pretty much my problem, not yours, isnt it?

On 25th June 2009, the entire world was in shock when rumours were confirmed, news footage showed anguish and Tweets were spreading like wildfire - that Michael Jackson, our beloved King of Pop, had passed away.

It was complete chaos around the world, and its not difficult to see why Michael's fans took his death really hard. He started out as the adorable little one in Jackson 5, getting everyone from kids to grown-ups singing along with him about ABC's and misunderstood pets (poor Ben). As he grew, so did all his fans together with him.


The man created an entire musical legacy, the likes of which will probably never be seen again. From everything to pop culture, music and fashion (military jackets, gloves and fedoras, anyone?), Michael Jackson influenced us all tremendously.

Just before he passed away, Michael was hard at work on a come-back concert tour that was predicted to blow everyone away. We never got to see the concert, but we've been given the opportunity to experience the magic of Michael Jackson again.


The movie will only be shown on for 2 weeks (29th October onwards) at limited cinemas, and it's a must-see for any Jackson fan out there (which basically includes the entire world).

Thanks to Sony Pictures, I'm giving out 2 pairs of tickets to attend an exclusive premiere of "Michael Jackson THIS IS IT"! Screening details are:



Advanced sale tickets for local and international screenings were sold out within minutes (fans in LA lined up for 3 days)! That's how much the world still pines for the King of Pop and this movie truly is a special gift to all his fans from a man who was gone too soon.


In order to be the 2 lucky folks to win a pair of passes, simply leave a comment at the bottom of this post and tell me "What is your favourite Michael Jackson song and why?" along with your full name, blog URL and valid email address. Tell me your stories, how he's touched your lives, memories, anything!

The 2 most creative comments will receive a pair of passes to watch "Michael Jackson THIS IS IT", so get started! Comments close on 20th October 2009 (6pm) and will be judged by the organisers.

I shall leave you with one of my personal faves from Michael Jackson:


Yea, you know you just bopped your head to that infectious beat.

P.S. I was told that there's more clips at the end of the movie after the credits, so if you do watch, stay back and wait for it!

P.P.S. I'm not the only one giving out special premiere tickets! Do check out these other blogs as well for your chance to win a pair of tickets in the next few days - Nigel, Kel Li, Joshua, Mike Campton. Good luck!

Was on Twitter today when a Tweet came in about about the most fashionable 14-year old the Malaysian fashion scene has ever seen.

So I busybody-ed along and checked out the blog.

Ok, the kid looks like any normal 14-year old. With the exception that most 14-year old kids (or most people twice that age for that matter) are not clad in things like Topshop leggings, Aldo shoes and Michael Kors wedges! Seriously, from her daily dress posts, the kid is clad head to toe in things like Topshop, Zara and the like. So these brands arent exactly the cream of high-end, but even my Topshop experiences end at window shopping. And she has designer shoes.

Argh 14, I tell you! Not even post-PMR age yet and she's tottering around in high heels and wearing real pearls. Judging by her posts, she has quite encouraging parents too. Come on mum and dad, I'm all for fashion on kids, but get your kid to dress her age/price-range please. Treating them right is one thing, but spoiling them rotten is another. I dont know how parents can bring themselves to spend so much on frivolous things like designer clothes and huge leather handbags on someone so young.

I really dont think kids should look at a RM150 price tag on a pair of leggings and think that its reasonable. Its far from it. Its ridiculous.

Plus, the kid has a fashion wishlist that could feed a third-world country or something (and its not so much of a wishlist. more of a crossing-things-off list).

And from what other people have been telling me, there are 15-year old kids toting Gucci bags to school and 13-year old lucky brats getting a Mac for their birthday.

What with people encouraging the kid and all, she might just turn out to be a fashion label junkie and refuse anything less than Chanel by the time she hits 16. What will her poor parents do then? Oh yea, buy her Chanel.

While I'm on the subject of ranting about underage "fashionistas", what is up with the obsession of fashionable people and this kid (she's only 13. beat that) called Tavi? Everyone's lauding her as some fashion revolution who will save mankind. The kid even gets invites to Fashion Week, featured in fashion magazines and has top designers kissing her feet.

Have you seen how this kid dresses? Come I show you.

Behold, the face of underage fashion.

Ok seriously, are any of those outfits even nice to look at?? They're hideous. I could just layer my 10-year old sister in random rags and she'd turn out exactly the same! Wtf. The kid looks like someone's abandoned granny. She just picked the most mis-matched things in her closet, walked out the door and lauded as amazing by goodness-knows-who they hire as fashion-watchers these days.

What is with the herd mentality when it comes to things like this?? Everyone seems to think she's a fashion darling. Vintage-avant-garde-layering-of-textures - whatever you call it, its damn ugly.

This kid is brilliant. Think of all the money she's making and the thought of thousands of people who will later realise how stupid they were when they patted her little head and told her she's the most fashionable thing they've ever seen. I wouldnt be surprised if she started her blog off as a joke and decided to carry on anyway when stupid people started taking her seriously.

Yes, I'm a hater. Having no money can do that to you.

A few weeks ago (it was my birthday week I think), David and I popped by a carnival/fun fair sort of thing going on near his place in Klang. We've been driving past it for a few weeks now, and the call of bright blinking lights and huge roving spotlights was too much for us to resist.

Plus, I've always wanted to visit a carnival like this. Y'know, to see the carnie life and all.

It was in an empty lot at the new Klang bus station and though there wasnt much to see, it was pretty exciting nonetheless. There were a few rides (rickety-looking ones that David forbade me to go near. spoilsport.), booths for games and LOTS OF PRIZES TO BE WON!

Each game/ride is paid for with tokens that can be bought at a counter. I think its RM1 per token and each game/ride needs an average of 2 tokens. So not to bad la right.

Rubber duckies with numbers underneath them (indicating the prize to be won), bobbing around waiting to be fished out.

First prize of the day! A very disappointing orang utan keychain, which I decided to clip onto my bag.

Bigger view of duck fishing.

There were the usual fishing games, ring/ball tosses, shooting sitting ducks/tin cans, etc. But like most carnival stories/movies we've seen before, they're mostly kinda rigged =( Like the goal holes for the ball toss are exactly the same size as the ball, which renders it almost impossible to score.

There wasnt a haunted house though. Bummer.

A game with better odds.

Increasing our odds.

What the odds decided to reward us with =(

A bingo game in session.

I really wanted to win a stuffed toy really badly (or a remote-controlled car), but it was not to be. Sigh.


Rides!

The rides are all pretty well spaced out in case one of the rides does a "Final Destination" and blows up so its not too crowded.

Pretty darn big. You cant miss it from a distance.


Haul of the night: 3 key chains, a photo album (because carnie people print pics instead of going digital wtf), plastic fan and a bottle of water.

I'm not too sure when the carnival ends though. Passed by last weekend and it was still there. But it disappeared for a few weeks before, and came back again, so I guess it'll be around if you're lucky.

Not exactly the most lively carnival/fun fair ever (or the cleanest for that matter), but great to spend an hour or two gawking at things and playing games you cant win.

P.S. As I was walking back to the car, I realised that the orang utan key chain I clipped to my bag had dropped off somewhere in the carnival =( I'm sure it wouldnt feel quite at home in my room anyway.

C'mon, beam me up already.

Who'd have thunk?

In just over a year, I'm already stumbling over the proverbial pots of gold that keep materialising as soon as I avert my eyes towards "The Grand Plan" I had in mind.

I need my Mario outfit to match the pace as I run around left, right and centre, greedily picking up every little mushroom, every little gold coin I see, because waste not, want not - I dont want to think of what if's and what could have been's later on down the road.

So daunting to think that there are so many different levels of faith and confidence thrust upon me. I ought to stop measuring myself and just let other people do it for me since they seem to be doing a better job of it anyway.

I've long since known that what I fear more than disappointing myself, is to disappoint other people and bungle up their expectations. Because, lets face it, as much as everyone says they dont care what other people think and to carve our own path in the world, the picture you paint of me does matter.

We've already built our entire lives upon it anyway.

Gather around children, and I will share with you the tale of a most disturbing dream. Wtf.

Ok, so I woke up this morning feeling very disturbed because I have yet another dream to add on to my list of "Weird Ass Dreams" (WAD).

I dreamt that I was visiting a friend (not sure who though. must not have been a very important friend haha) at some condominiums and I was wandering around while waiting for something. There was a courtyard sort of place right in the middle, so I guess that looked like the most interesting place at the time.

There was a fountain in the courtyard. Those old school fountains we see in old English gardens, with a naked cherub and he's either spitting or pissing out fountain water. There's a garden around me and some weeds growing around the fountain.


I walk over to the fountain for a closer look, found it to be just as ordinary as it looks (seriously, i need to get a grip in my dreams) and turned around to go somewhere else. But as I turned, a beggar appeared from behind some bushes and came towards me, with a bowl in his outstretched hands.

I think I gave him RM1 and turned away to leave. Just as I turn, another beggar appears out of nowhere and slowly limps towards me, also holding out a bowl. Right.. So I fished out another note and quickly give it to him and when I turn around, lo and behold, another beggar is silently coming my way.

The creepy thing is, none of them make a sound. They just quietly shuffle along towards me, begging and begging and begging. Everytime I give something to a beggar and turn around to try and leave the vicinity of the fountain, another beggar silently appears.

Ok, I did a little Google-ing and this is what I found out:

To see an old, decrepit beggar, is a sign of bad management, and unless you are economical, you will lose much property. Scandalous reports will prove detrimental to your fame. To give to a beggar, denotes dissatisfaction with present surroundings. To dream that you refuse to give to a beggar is altogether bad.

A beggar in your dream could represent you, and the focus will be the area of your personality or sphere of your life that is in some way deficient. Very likely that your emotional life is pretty empty. Dreaming about a beggar entering a house means that a visitor is going to surprise you. If you are giving a gift to a beggar, you will soon get positive results and get a relief from an uncomfortable situation.

(source here and here)

Wah lau can I panic now or not?? Bad managment?? Me?? Well at least I did give to the beggar(s), so its not that bad. Hmm.. An area of my personality or sphere of my life that is in some way deficient. I suppose that could be a clue right there. Shall keep that to myself then.

Though the dream interpretation doesnt quite explain the meaning of not being able to escape from beggars wherever I turn. Oh dear. Will I be caught in a rut of bad management??

Either way, this WAD shit is creeping me out. How do I learn to be more conscious of my dreams and turn them into something nice? My sister apparently does it all the time and manipulates her dreams to whatever she likes. Like freaking flying. My freak of a sister tells me that halfway through her dreams, her mind somehow subconcsiously realises that its a dream and decides she can do whatever she wants anyway. And then proceeds to fly.

I want to fly too =(

There's always a very distinctive sound with BritRock bands, and I've always quite fancied the quirks and witty tunes they churn out.

Which shames me to say that even though I've heard of Kasabian, I didnt really follow through and give them much thought until I saw them perform live at MTV Worldstage Malaysia recently.


Where they totally. Blew. Me. Away.

So what better way to make up for my huggeeeee mistake than by going through their latest album "West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum" (WRPLA) and digesting every bit of deliciousness that is Kasabian! The cd has been on a loop in my car for about 2 weeks already, and its friggin' awesome.

FYI, there is a mental institution called West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum in England and the band decided to base the album on it after it struck a chord with them when they watched it in a TV documentary. Deep.

This album cover apparently depicts the band all dressed up for a party at the asylum. Okaaaaayyyy...

The album is like the soundtrack to an unknown movie in our heads. And its one movie that's got a whole spectrum of genres and emotions in it.

The first track "Underdog" kicks off the album on a huge soaring note and is a great energetic song, with the riffs really getting stuck in my head after awhile. There's a slight aloof swagger in Tom Meighan's voice and the little synths here and there make this a great intro to the album.

I've already found one of my favourite songs in the album with the second track, "Where Did All the Love Go?", with its oddly placed (but perfectly matched) middle east influences and the dragged out backup vocals in the chorus. Man, this song sounds kinda like how you'd sing something after you've had a pint or two =X


"Swarfiga" is a short filler instrumental song that is half floating along in space and half acid trip. I didnt know what to think.

Another song that will grab you by the ears and not let go would be "Fast Fuse"! Almost fooled by the blues-y intro that it would be a slow song, it caught me by surprise by jumping straight into a chaotic mess with a hint of urgency! This is definitely for the nail-biting car-chase scene in any movie! And I love the thump-thumping first chorus (i can imagine a concert crowd going wild with this) which I keep repeating to myself.


"Take Aim" is a song straight out of a Quentin Tarantino movie with it starting really slow and quiet with teasing vocals (are those sirens i hear?), then gradually building up to a song that will have your head swaying with the chorus. There is a fab middle eastern-ish horns and strings arrangement throughout the song and towards the end for a perfect hypnotic touch.

If ever there was a song playing in the background of a Charles Dickens story, it would be "Thick as Thieves". Its got a great melancholic tune which makes you think of sneaking down dark back alleys to plot naughty things and the twanging (i dont know how else to describe it) guitars add a dejected feel to the song. Very familiar melody too. But it does have a great moment with the grand la-la-la's towards the end =P

By far the creepiest song on the album (and very fitting with the album concept) is "West Ryder Silver Bullet". Really, you have to listen to this song on full blast to appreciate the complexity of it. The constant creeping and marching tone with haunting chiming (xylophone? haha) and a distant choir that builds up, just barely keeps you on the edge of an audio high wtf. The vocals which feature a duet with Rosario Dawson is absolutely mesmerising, especially at the end of the chorus.

Yes, her.

The line "She's my baby/He's my baby" gave me goosebumps the first time I heard it. Ok, this song can get abit depressing after awhile and makes me feel abit jumpy everytime I listen to it. I dont know why I cant stop listening to it 0_____0


Thankfully, the next song "Vlad the Impaler" will snap you right out of any depressing stupor you might be in! Its angry, rebellion-fueled with very distorted guitars and a great thumping beat that will make this song an anthem at any concert methinks. The chorus of "Get loose, get loose" has all the makings of a great mosh-pit moment.


"Secret Alphabets" is a little bass-y, a little synth-ish and a little neither here nor there. Not high on my list of favourites, it does have a dramatically orchesta-laden ending which would be great in a tragic movie.

One of my major faves of the album would be "Fire". This track is like listening to several different songs at once as it switches effortlessly between highs and lows! It starts off slowly and plods along with a creeping tone, before exploding into a big chorus with great whistling whoo's (goodness, my elaboration skills leave much to be desired) that always has me humming along as well. And the secondary chorus layered in makes you think you're hearing things. Love it.


There are 2 slower songs in WRPLA which are "Ladies and Gentlemen (Roll the Dice)" and "Happiness". They're great because they're the mellow side of Kasabian. "Ladies and Gentlemen" is actually quite a sad ballad with its grand organ lilt and rather dejected lyrics and vocals. It sounds like a song to give up on, but please dont haha.

I love love love "Happiness" which is the best song to end the album with! Its absolutely inspirational with a chilled-out feel to it and really uplifting to the soul as it slowly builds up. Having a full gospel choir to back up this song just completes it perfectly and you'll probably clap along with it towards the end too =)


Clearly, I'm a fan of almost every song on the album. Kasabian's got their psychadelic rock act down to a science. Transition between each song is nicely done and there isnt a disconnected feeling with some tracks like you get with most other albums. Listen to this album again and again and you'll see each track in a different light each time. Its all so distinctive, slightly haunting and the tunes blend seamlessly with one another which will have you wondering which song is which when you start hearing them in your head days after.

I guess that's what happens when you pay a visit to the West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum.

• 
  Hsu Jen
  20th September
  Shah Alam
  jen2wyvern@hotmail.com
  

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