Monday, October 03, 2011

Don't Mess with Foo Fighters

Ok, to prove a point:
This is Dave Grohl:


This is Ramli Sarip:


And no Dave DOES NOT look like Ramli Sarip!
I never thot during Nirvana days that I would ever call Dave even borderline hot. Oh, but he is all grown up.  Bless!

Thursday, September 29, 2011

We need to talk more. 

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

And now, getting inked myself

Well I have been mulling over the below for more than a year now. 

I keep falling in love with this lotus tattoo. Pretty old skool yet, my only concern is that for it to blossom, it needs to be a certain size. And I don't want a big one. 

Yet I am getting alot of flak for wanting one. WTF must it be called a tramp stamp just because its on a girl.  
Despite it being such common theme, be it with or without religious connotations,  I have always liked its oft quoted symbolism. Still  it remains quietly beautiful. 

Monday, September 19, 2011

Chill for a while



Oldie but oh so goodie.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

I ink therefore I am

In the era of erganomic keyboards, I suppose that using a fountain pen is on the quaint side. And let me qualify that when I say using a fountain pen, its for actual daily writing as oppose to pocket displays or for signing ceremonies. 

Besides Chris,  I am the only other person I know who still has use for ink bottles and blotting paper. It is a joy you know - inking paper, each stroke imbued with distinctness as pressure and angles form words and pictures. 

Penmenship is not for posers. Nor it it bourgeoisie.  Granted that it is nostalgic and romantic. A throw back to a time when pride was to be had in having a good hand and better care was accorded to word crafting, and backspace referred to a store room than a keyboard function.  And besides, love letters are best written with a wet pen than a ballpoint any day.

My everyday cherry red Lamy Safari fountain pen has gotten quite a few second glances. Relatively inexpensive at below RM100, it is minimalist and writes like a dream.  I think that this makes a very good introduction for fountain pen newbies.  Better than getting the much cheaper Pilot beginner's pen which bleeds all over the place, turning frustrated students off what could be a truly wonderful lifelong love affair.     

Anyway back to the Lamy Safari, it has a stainless steel nib without any fancywork.  It is light having an angular plastic body that helps with the grip and is not at all unpleasant. I use the fine nib and am very satisfied with the ink flow.   

Compared to my Lamy 2000, the Safari gives much more satisfaction. Despite the 2000 being of a different class all together being platinum coated and hand polished with a 14c gold nib, my Extra Fine is heart-breakingly scratchy. I love the  Bauhaus industrial design design, yet I expected much better.  I got mine at the Pen Gallery at the Weld, and even after sending it back after they gave me a less than satisfying nib the first time, I can't say that I am totally satisfied. 
Will be going to Singapore to get the opinion of a nibmiester. Yes, that is the name and yes again, that is an actual profession.

In Malaysia, The Pen Gallery in the heart of Kuala Lumpur does stock a good range from Namiki to Montegrappa. Irritating thing is that the store does not open during weekends. 

However for the Lamy, being fairly common, they can be bought at selected departmental stores which do offer discounts during sales. I got my Safari at Parkson with a 30% off and its a perfect pen. Only downside is that they may have a smaller range of nibs. 
       
Yes, the geek is strong in this one. 

Saturday, September 03, 2011

Thursday, July 28, 2011

I laughed

Credit: Threadless 

A website I <3 but only ships to Malaysia via normal post. Of course mine disappeared but they resent it via registered mail to a Sg address. Bless..   

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

The Furry Friends Farm


The Furry Friends Farm. 
Absolutely delightful name for an animal shelter, don't you think!

I made a visit last week and yes, I fell in love many times over. Its a joy being at the shelter that does not have an air of despondency. I could sense  that the animals are at a place where their welfare is paramount and they are taken care with love. Every animal has a name there and Sabrina, doyen of the farm, knows every one of the dogs.  

Helps that the animals are among the friendliest. Being an avid dog lover, I didn't expect to be the subject of affection of a juvenile calico cat. I was lost the moment she jumped on a stool, closed her eyes and rubbed her face against my chest with the tiniest of smiles. Of course my heart was reduced to a syrupy puddle. 

Being just from the dog enclosure, no way she could have mistaken me for a giant tuna.          

The furry friends farm is a no-kill centre, meaning that if the dogs or cats are not adopted, they will still have a home for life at the shelter. Even the difficult, uncute and old won't be put down.  

However this means that the shelter can only take in a maximum number of animals. At present it is already at full capacity at over a hundred dogs and cats hence they are forced to turn away new strays. They have already taken in the dogs that were abandoned at Pulau Ketam if you recall that sad incident. 

Anyway, more about the farm here: http://www.furryfriendsfarm.org.my/
And as with every shelter, volunteers, donations and assistance in kind are always in short supply. They are trying to obtain NGO status but its taking time. Hence they can't really offer tax exemptions now for donations which discourages most corporate sponsors. So they rely on people like you and me.

The farm is in Kundang, past Sungai Buloh. You will DEFINITELY need a map. Here is the link and please note that the flyover bridge is completed so please don't go looking for rubble.  
Next time I am there, I will get the GPS coordinates. 

*  sorry, map has been removed from the FFF site.

To visit please call Ms Sabrina a few days in advance. She has a farm to run hence don't expect immediate call backs. Visitors are welcomed on Sundays after 12pm.  If you intend to be up close and personal, a change of clothes is good and don't bring your best shoes as you will have to disinfect your footwear in bleach as you leave. 
Whatever it is I'd definitely encourage you to go have your heart stolen.  


------
*We mourn the passing of Sabrina Yeap on 17 July 2012.  My heart is resolutely broken. May she rest in peace.

Monday, July 11, 2011

WOW. What a weekend.

As most who know me personally would attest, I have been going on quite abit about the BERSIH initiative, which culminated in the demonstration that was on Saturday 9 July.

As to why BERSIH is important to me and to a lot of Malaysians, I direct you  to the words of others with superior eloquence. Art Harun's Bersih and Fall of Reason is a very good read.

People who attended the rally cited overwhelming pride, unity and patriotism..as well as tear gas, water cannons, arrests by the police and manhandling by riot teams. Despite not attending the rally - I was left behind by SOMEONE who got tear gassed trice as a consequence (bribe me and I won't tell dad) -  my BB was close to calling it quits due to my 12 hour Twitter vigil.

Social media has played its part in transforming Egypt and I dare say that it will continue to be a platform for people's movements everywhere including Malaysia. BERSIH would have been less organised and its effects less far-reaching without Twitter for one.  From eye-witness accounts, to warnings and words of comfort, strangers are linked to each other by a common aim and a hashtag.  How amazing is that!

Anyway, back to BERSIH, the mainstream media's coverage of the affair is filled with half truths but that is to be expected, being the governments' lackeys. The most blatant lie is that only 6000 protesters marched the streets of KL. In the age of camera phones and Youtube, who are they kidding?




While many did not  make it to Dataran Merdeka, being chased by FRUs, the demonstration was largely peaceful, and if you are on Twitter, do  follow the #bersihstories and you will find many heart warming experiences of those who were there.

Yes it was a success in the sense that there was  no parang wielding molotov cocktail hurling mob as warned by the IGP or the government, and it was a damn good show of support for electoral reforms, the largely non-partisan effort is being sadly hijacked by opposition  parties taking credit for the move and claiming support for their causes. This is highly regrettable to me.

Anyway, for more thrill and spills, the best reads are from the following: 

Well done and thank you to all who were there, braving risks of arrest and violence, walking for the rest of us who can't and making a stand for our rights. And I have never been prouder of the legal fraternity especially the legal aid emergency arrests teams. 


Wednesday, June 15, 2011

If I Should Have a Daughter by Sarah Kay


If only we did more  literature in school. In whatever language.

Between the Sheets

HAD I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet,
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
- Yeats

Always as beautiful as the first time I read it, eons ago.  
Thanks to Eng Kian for the poem. I lost him to the hustle and bustle of life, and I have no idea what has happened to him.  Of course Mentalf gave me a whole book of Yeats which still sits on my bookshelf, dog eared and trying its darnest not to turn yellow.  

Most of my best loved poems have been introduced to me by people who appeared very briefly in my life, as if their sole purpose were to say "here, have this!"

So wherever you guys are, thank you for the Nerudas, Keats, Gibrans, Yeats and Blakes.  And my heart brims with love and gratitude for your thoughtfulness and beauty of the poetry you left me.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Wistfulness

You know, don't you 

Balik China

Great Wall. Photo has not been retouched. 
Not too long ago (ehem, April), I finally visited Beijing, as luck would have it - during the short weeks of Spring.  As winter quickly melts to sweltering summer there, Spring makes a very short but treasured cameo appearance.

And its hard not to fall in love with the city when even the weather is generous to a fault. The air was crisp enough for everyone to beam with rosy cheeks and still the sun shone against skies so blue, it made hearts lift.

Before the trip, I expected to be awed by finally experiencing all that I had read and learnt in my Asian History classes. Just like how I was totally blown away  when I walked through the exhibits at the Louvre once upon a long time ago going oh I know this  and wow,  I remember that.

What I did not expect was feeling an immense sense of belonging and identity. And perhaps even pride.

Walking down the same cobbled pavements as long dead emperors, looking up at monuments so breathtakingly beautiful and ancient, made by a people who lived through invasion, glory, starvation, rebellion and triumph. A kingdom my ancestors called home.

Its awesome, the realization that I am the legacy of a long line of people  whose destinies at one point or another were determined by Sons of Heaven whose gates I now walk through.

Its a homecoming to my heritage.
And what a magnificent heritage it is.


Temple of Heaven  

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

gorgeous flowers

Hope you like the new look of the blog. Yes it borders on twee but after half  a year of dark  grey, its doesn't make the flowers grow. With all my favourite sites articulating the  doom that is our local political climate, maybe blooms can dispel gloom, even if its only temporarily.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Sunday, January 16, 2011


The coming Chinese New Year will be the Year of the Rabbit. So to herald all things rabbity, expect bursts of bunny themed randomness starting with this one