The library @ The Curve - soft launch on 19th Aug

A new place.....Are you a believer that first expressions count?

I wasn't planning on going for this launch initially, but since a colleague invited and i had nothing else to do, I went. As expected, it was obviously packed to the core. It was busy at the entrance as anyone could come but they had sms their email add or something to get in. So it was messy, people asking the same questions over and over again - sms to what number and bla bla bla.

That i already felt annoyed. Walking in, we went straight to the bar. We were about 10mins early to the so-called free flow. But when the announcement was made, it turned out to be the worse free flow event i have ever been to. Crowds figthing for drinks and squeezing their way for drink is the norm and i can handle that. But here, the staff seemed not prepared, drinks would come and stop. Then suddenly they are out of glasses la or too busy taking orders and other things. It was so frustrating, i was waiting in line a good 30mins and not a single drink in my hand. And to make matters worse, everyone else was frustrated as well and screaming at the bartenders. You could feel tension vibes brewing. Some couldnt take it and ended up ordering their own drinks just so they could drink. I was nearly tempted to order myself but after the time wasted waiting, HELL NO! The rate it was going, i probably had to wait another 30mins to get my paid drinks.

A crowd puller no doubt, the free flow seriously felt half-hearted from the Library. For me, not much point except to make me feel that it would be no lost to not ever step into that place again and made me realise the fact that i wasted a perfectly good Wednesday night.

In the end, I did as Rome do, made a fuss and whined at the bartender to get a drink for me and my friend. We finally got our 1 drink each, drank and then left to obviously drink somewhere else.

p/s: How was the place? Forgettable. And the books obviously looked very fake

Black Moon Party, 22nd July 2009 @ Koh Phangan

I took a very last minute trip down to Koh Samui and decided to stay in Koh Phangan for a few days. We just arrived on the 22nd so were a little tired from the travelling, plus the weather was a little rainy so we thought a nice stay in for the night would be nice (in other words - saving our energy for the weekend, ...hehe). So after dinner, strolling the little streets of Haad Rin, we came across tons of people talking about a party. We soon found out that what party they were talking about was the Black Moon Party. Then it dawned on us - Koh Phangan, the island famous for their full moon party was having a Black Moon party in conjunction with the eclipse that very night!! Could we really miss it? A full moon party happens every month but how often a Black Moon party?

Needless to say, we were quick to change our minds and went back to our room to warm up with some drinks. Got dressed an hour later and we were ready to go. Bumped into our neighbors, a couple from Israel who was open to joining us. We had to get transport to get there coz the party is on the Ban Tai beach (which is roughly 20mins from Haad Rin) so had to pay 100 baht each. Exxx! To make this worse, when we arrived, there was a long queue to the entrance which i found rather strange especially since its off peak time. Turns out there was a cover charge of 300 baht each! WHAT A RIP OFF! But we were stuck, and as usual, i needed to pee so bad, i didn't even want to think about the price. Grrr..... it was sooo unexpected, especially since the Full Moon party is FOC and only charges of 100 baht each for people staying out of the Haad Rin area (in which the money goes to keeping the cleanliness of the beach). I felt cheated.

But took a piss and got rid of the negativity. Going in, they did up the place quite nice with the decor and stuff. The crowd was just nice and the music was pretty good. Fortunately, drinks were affordable though slightly more ex. The sky was like darkness fell, not even the normal blinking of the satelite that alot of people mistaken as the North Star. I ended up having a good time as the drunkedness slowly seeped in. Of course, as always on the island of Koh Phangan, there were the fire twirlers and fire rope jumping for the added entertainment :)

In the end, what ever party, Full moon, Black moon, Half moon.....its all an excuse to PARTY! .......... and to the Thai's - an excuse to make money :P

P/S: Staying in Koh Phangan a few nights were more than enough to find out, that its a party island especially in the Haad Rin area. Always things going on the sunset beach, its definitely a place to visit....when you're young ;)

P/P/S: One of the reasons I had this last minute trip to Thailand was because i scored a voucher to stay in this gorgeous hotel in Koh samui for 2 nights. Nice and quiet, great service and just beautiful in general, definitely a place to visit when you got the cash. Check out the website at http://www.villalawana.com/

MU Asia Tour - MU vs Msia, July 18th @ Bukit Jalil Stadium

To be honest, I am only a MU fan because of my partner. When we first started dating, a good 5-6 years ago, the only football i watched was the World Cup. It felt less superficial, as the talent had to be a footballer playing for his country and not players bought over. So to join the frenzy of EPL & champions league was not something i was very keen on, but as time passed by and as I saw the struggles and competitive spirit of all the teams and especially the fans, i turned to be a "supporting" fan but fortunately not a fanatical one :)

I was in London last year when they were having the community shield of MU Vs Portsmouth and we couldn't score tickets in time to watch. I went to the Wembley stadium anyways to get a feel of the atmosphere and went to the nearby pub to drink and watch the game - very ENGlish style. Needless to say, i grew accustomed to the game, so felt a bit sore that i havent' been able to watch a footie game LIVE.

So when news broke out of the MU Asian tour, my partner was so hyped up, he bought tickets for us tickets immediately. MU Vs Malaysia.....the last remembered when that happen, it was a 6-0 score. Although i did want to see more goals, the small patriotic side of me didnt want the Malaysian team trashed.....

We arrived at a reasonable good hour before a the game was to start, and we had a quick walk around the ASTRO stadium (which was build next to the stadium, featuring a lot of booth with different activity line-ups). The atmosphere was nothing like it was outside the Wembley stadium (i hate to compare but can't help it)........no people singing and cheering, but instead a typically malaysian crowd of all kinds....old, young,families,couples.....truly 1Malaysia. Tons of people already wearing the new launched MU jersey with the black V stripe in front. And little bit of the "kiasu" feeling that everyone was out to book good seats.

As there were security doing crowd control, we had to bluff ourselves into the centre sitting area right in the middle of the field, a nice centralized view of the field and both its goal posts. But since we were still not early enough, we had to sit on the stairs. It was standing in the stadium itself, that i really started to feel the vibe. The crowd cheering was infectious and i didnt see a Malaysian jersey in sight. But later on, we realised there was a small fan gathering - as you can see in the picture below.

As the MU players, came on it was exciting to see them .....but it was clear that everyone was slightly sluggish. Was it from the travelling? or from the weather? or from the food? I even saw someone carry one of those poster saying " Fergie, are you enjoying the nasi lemak?" (i cant remember the exact words but it was something along those lines) Funny funny malaysians.

As most know, the scored ended with a 3-2 win o MU. The Malaysian Team played well that day and it was nice to see even though most were all MU fans, they didnt fail to cheer the Malaysian team on. Special kudos to our Malaysian player - Amri Yahyah. Who's name i learned only after watching this match.

As this game was also Michael Owens debut, i was surprised that there were coutless fans cheering for him. He was definitely welcomed with open arms. I was slightly surprised since i have seen the ridiculous rivalry of players and everthing else competitor wise. Needless to say, Owen scored the final goal for MU's win.

After the game, we went back to Astro stadium and the activities had just started. Bands playing, ball stunts and even a futsal tournament. It was fun to stick around for a little bit just to see scene.

All in all, in was a great experience......but it has instilled my need to watch an EPL game live. I'm looking into some cheap flights to London :) or can i just make to South Africa for World Cup? A girl can dream...

p/s: That night, we visited the Sultan Lounge as it was known that the MU players were staying in Mandarin Oriental. Unfortunately, not a sight of any one of them. Then the next coming Monday night, it was down a pipeline that it was confirmed the MU players were gonna be at Sultan Lounge. I wasnt desperate enough especially since the news came so late, nearing the midnight mark. But my desperate partner went, and he took pictures with Van De Sar, Carrick and Ferdinand. Nice one.

Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, July 12

Featuring:

Karen Kamensek (conductor)

Benjamin Schmid (violin)

Sometimes I feel the need to do something cultured. So when a pair of tickets to the Philharmonic Orchestra fell into my hands, it was that time. To be honest, I've only been once before and that was maybe 10 years ago.

So this very Sunday afternoon, we got dressed and went for it. We sat in the corporate suite which is on the upper level on the left hand side. We looked down and it was half packed.

The beginning of the programme were music by Michael Torke who is a famous American composer who I obviously have never heard off till this very day. The conductor Karen was one of the most enthusiastic one i have ever seen and as the music score played on, it felt her movements were the one visual movement i could focus on to keep me from dreaming. I do like to close my eyes and listen but today I was seriously scared of falling asleep. Not a good idea to this on a Sunday afternoon!

From a layman, the closest connection to orchestra music was from all the Disney cartoons. So it felt like i was creating a story in my head, something similar to the "Little Mermaid", sound of the ocean, the drama, the evil conspiracies and the forbidden love of course. Half hour through and it was just enough to bare. My imagination was running thin. Plus it doesn't help when my partner is even less interested than me and he kept whispering in my ear!

When Benjamin Schmid the violinist came on for the Violin Concerto in D, it was the turning point. It really was inspiring and romantic. He was a charismatic performer and I slowly managed to soak up the music. It was moving. So moving, I almost moved my hands to sway to the music.

Another half hour through and then there was an intermission. It felt that the violin concerto was the climax for me. I couldn't do another 40mins of just symphony so I am embarassed to say, we left. I am soooo not cultured, it feels sad :( boo hoo...

Lesson learnt:

1) Not on a Sunday afternoon! Choose the night show if you have a choice as it puts you in a better frame of mind

2) Always have coffee before and consider one during intermission

3) Go with someone who atleast has a relative interest or you are going to get even further distracted

4) Sit back, close your eyes, soak in the music and BE PREPARED to let your imagination run wild.

P/S: From top view, I saw a guy nodding in his sleep. And he was sitting right in front! Tsk tsk.

P/P/S: Will I ever do it again? For sure....but in another 2-3 years maybe. Hehe :) I do know they once had one programme with the musical score from the Lord of the Rings. I did want to go but it was SOLD OUT. So there is hope for me yet.

Sunburst 2009 @ Bukit Kiara

I have such found memories of last years Sunburst so i was really look forward to it this year.

Rumors were flying by for the artistes.......NERD, Erykah Badu, ...COLDPLAY?? I wish it turned out all true ( i was really praying for Coldplay) but it the end, the main international artistes were NERD and KORN....hmmm, not as exciting as last year's John Legend, Incubus, The Roots.... but atleast i get to see Pharrell. Plus i also love the Indonesian band Nidji which were also performing. Ok larrrr.....Can lar...

Besides, music festivals are always a "noteworthy" experience ;)

We planned an early outing, knowing that parking was going to be killer, we opt to catch a ride there from a friend. Fortunately, location wise, Bukit Kiara is pretty strategic and close to home.

Needless to say, reaching early.....meant drinking early! So we all gladly surprised with the carry-beer by Tuborg. Very smart....and convenient! :)

Reaching early also means keeping ourselves pre-occupied.... fortunately they had these pretty hilarious games that we always miss and never participate since we're nearly always late. Sumo wrestling and the mechanical bull.....

Ahhh yes, the mechanical bull.....is actually man-controlled by a guy who directs the speed and the movement. It was very annoying to see the moment a girl steps on, they make the movements slower and circular (yes, dirty little bugger that guy).....but the moment any guy steps on, it was no mercy. Full speed and odd movements to get the guy falling in seconds. It was hilarious. I was laughing so hard....that this couple (i think they were in the process, not together yet) got so annoyed as they took their turns that they DARED me to the challenge. Me? Hell no.

That's what you do when you arrive early sometimes....make fun of people? Love it or hate it. Its a part of life. We are all guilty of it and we all know it.

By the time the acts that i wanted to see started, i was having such a buzz and it was Nidji on the main stage. I surprised myself how much of the lyrics i did know and was singing so loud, people were giving strange looks. I guess we didn't look like a typical fan of an Indonesian band. But it was a charismatic performance and was very happy i got to see them live.

When NERD started, i remember trying to squeeze our way to the front only to realise that there were barriers in front that blocked a certain front portion of the stage for the so-called VIPs (discrimination of the middle class i tell you! :P ). A friend of mine took little notice of those barriers and jumped right over into the VIP area. That's what i call overcoming your obstacles! But the fact that he got to go on stage and DANCE with NERD. Now that i call a LUCKY F@*ker! Yes, NERD allowed a bunch of guys on stage just to dance when they were performing. A few songs after, they allowed a bunch of girls....trying real hard to do some sexy moves, but let's face it, Malaysians aren't famous for their dancing. With that said (and yes, its a hint of jealousy), the performance was truly energetic and mind-blowing. You want to jump and scream and all that concert nonsense :)

By the time Korn came , it was the end of my adrenaline level. I chilled nearby to watch but left half way. That's another setback of coming early, you get tired faster too. I do have to say though from the little i saw, KORN surely still can rock it.

P/s: Pharell wore just a simple plain grey T-shirt which was lose and casual. Such a disappointment. He should have atleast took his shirt off. I mean, he didn't have a permit to perform anyway, so how much more trouble could he have gotten into?

F1 & Jamiroquai concert @ Sepang Circuit

Not a big fan of F1 myself, the draw this year for me was clearly JayKay! I've always been upset that i missed his concert when i was overseas studying, so there was NO WAY i was going to miss it here.

I was all prepped up..even had one of his songs for my ringing tone. I was in the Zone...and i knew i was in for an eventful day. I was gonna go for the race and scream my heart out for JAY KAY.

On the day itself, we decided to take the bus from KL Sentral. It was the last bus and we would have made it in time if it wasn't so ridiculously jam entering the Sepang Circuit. When we arrived, the walk in was soooo far and to make it worse, it had started to drizzle. I managed to see probably about 5 laps before it was called quits due to the heavy rain. Everyone was in the limbo of when the race would restart, we even sneaked into the Grand Stand area but was disappointed that it was called off.

Lucky there was a silver lining, the starting of the concert! Again, another very long walk but we were early in and managed to get a good place with nice view in front of the stage, but had to bypass an obstacle course of muddy fields and wooden planks. The other drawback of course was the waiting. Super long line to get any drinks and the stage was way far off. My legs were aching and i was too sober for comfort. My lifesaver, the little bit of adrenaline left and the start of a group called "Naturally 7". A very interesting concept, R&B acappella style with beat boxing.

By the time JayKay came on, it was a pure relief. JayKay turns 40 this year but he surely moved on the stage like age didn't matter at all. He sounded just like how he was supposed to sound that it almost felt surreal. Was truly worth the wait and every ache and pain on my legs.went home HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY :)

P/s: News came that JayKay went to Three lounge @ Asian Heritage Row after the concert. I was so knackered after the concert then i couldn't bring myself to go and that my BIGGEST regret EVER!! A quiet Sunday night/ Monday morning........had JayKay asking my male friend who went "Where are all the Malaysian chicks??!" ....sob sob. I was at home sleeping. Boo Hoo.....

Harlem Globetrotters @ Stadium Melawati, 20th May 2009

GLOBIEEEE!......

Despite being a relative basketball fan when i was much much younger (days of Chicago Bulls of course), I had never heard of the Harlem globetrotters. I happened to see a short showcase on ESPN over a weekend and the next coming Monday, I found out that they were in here in KL performing that very Wednesday. I started asking around and though not many had heard of them either, the ones that did know said they were world famous.

I of course, tried to score free tickets but to my despair, whoever i asked didn't even know this show was going on..... seems the publicity wasn't very big and i wondered how the response was going to be. When i checked the website, they reduced the ticket pricing, so it would cost me around rm50.....for something "so-called" world famous? ok lar.....time to try something new once in awhile.

There seemed to be a relative good crowd especially since the publicity wasn't great. And after buying the ticket (which is in the cheapest range), we managed to bribe the guard RM10 for letting us into the a more expensive zone. Valuee. So we ended up with pretty good seats and i was feeling like a kid again.

Just so you know, the Harlem Globetrotters is really a basketball show that kinda mixes stunts and humor. Simply put, the story is a basketball game competition in which they play against a bogus team that always loses. Lots of juggling, dancing, music, slum dunks, fighting with the referee together with the trash-talking team coaches. Their unforgettable mascot is called GLOBIE which i found myself calling non-stop........GLOBIEEEE, GLOBIEEEE, GLOBIEEEEEEE!

Unfortunately, the sound system was horrible so the show wasn't to the full effect but there were some funny moments and some cool stunts that managed to sustain interest. Weirdly, i found the funniest moment was when a giant GLOBIE came out and they played the Chumbawamba song, the one that goes like " i get knocked down, but i get up again, you never gonna keep me down..........pissing the night away". I swear everytime the verse "I get knocked down.." was played, the giant GLOBIE would fall flat on his face. F**king funny.

In the end, they had an autographing session but surprisingly they weren't very friendly. Which i find odd especially since they are supposed to be atheletes cum comedians. Suckss. They made the autographing look like such a chore.

P/s: In the end, what i craved was to watch a real basketball game LIVE. Maybe the LA lakers? LA here i come ;)