Excuse me, that was my jealousy speaking
because i can’t sing to save my life.
If i could, i’m sure i would have tried being in a band by now for fun
and rock it out like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs!
I could so dress and look the part,
i almost have the wardrobe down pat
(i say almost cos there’s never enough clothes)
The only thing i don’t have down at all is the voice…
and okay, i’m a bit tone deaf when it comes to singing too.
I tell friends that it’s so bad, i stop singing to myself in the car sometimes!
I’ve always admired people who are performers/singers.
You have to sing well, look good and be (effortlessly) cool.
The kind of cool like you’re not trying.
I love lovelove her energy at all the events i’ve seen her performing at,
with her M.I.A.-esque vocals and attitude.
She also looks like she wears colourful clothes out to shoots just as naturally as she wears them to sleep at home (she probably does).
Of course there are so many different types of singers.
Liyana Fizi is the opposite of Ara, with a sugar sweet voice that makes me feel like eating desserts or sitting in the sunshine.
Formerly part of band Estrella (who received 8 Voize Independent Music Awards nominations),
Liyana has ventured out as a solo act since the end of 2009,
continuing to share her acoustic indie tunes with the rest of us.
Not all musicians achieve that level of success.
Many have gripes about being a musician in Malaysia,
with the most common ones being financial strain and publicity.
What if you could sing at an event with all the artistes i just mentioned?
In conjunction with the launch of the Volkswagen Polo, Volkswagen Group Malaysia is giving away RM200,000
worth of prizes
including a professionally-produced album!
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WHY Volkswagen Polo for musicians, you ask?
Because just like Polo, musiciansmake a statement.
They have a distinctive presence.
And present a powerful performance.
(Pssst! And just as Arabyrd is a colourful character,
the new Polo Volkswagen comes in 9 colours!)
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Auditions will be at 27 locations in the Klang Valley, Penang, Ipoh and Johor Bahru
and will start from 13th October – 31st October,
and is open to all Malaysian under 30 years old. *Click here* to view full list of audition dates and venues.
Performances will be recorded and uploaded to www.facebook.com/mypolorocks and winners will be determined by popular votes on the same site and a panel of distinguished judges.
So even if you’re not going to try for this competition,
VOTE for the most deserving winner in your opinion!
I have a close friend… who was always a bit different from my other friends.
Besides his better characteristics which drew him to be a part of my circle of friends,
he also had some disturbing qualities which tend to make me frown and ask him to stop it.
He was sometimes angry at the world.
Violent (but that has calmed down, thank god).
And occasionally reacted to situations in a way different from how most of us would.
When we got closer, he confided in me a very personal piece of information about himself.
That he was abused as a child.
Needless to say, I was shocked.
I *know* about child abuse… but i never *knew* anyone who had been abused!
Sometimes i forget how fortunate i am.
I’m encapsulated in a safe bubble and world of loving family and friends,
work that i love, traveling,
and a slightly more materialistic side of life – fashion.
Being surrounded by people who are as equally privileged as i am,
i sometimes forget that there are many out there who didn’t receive the same love, treatment, and education we did.
As we get older, we learn more things.
And we have the power to change certain things,
or shut our eyes to them.
We can’t change the past.
I can’t change my friend’s past.
But we can make an effort to prevent child abuse that’s happening today,
and alter these innocent children’s future.
What DEFINES child abuse?
Neglect – failure to provide for a child’s basic needs Physical abuse – punching, beating, kicking, biting, burning, shaking, stabbing, choking, or otherwise harming a child. Sexual abuse – fondling a child’s genitals, penetration, incest, rape, sodomy, indecent exposure, and commercial exploitation through prostitution or the production of pornographic materials. Emotional abuse – constant criticism, threats, rejection as well as withholding love, support, or guidance. [source]
In Malaysia, the reported number of cases for child abuse has been rapidly rising.
In 2006, there were 1,999 cases reported.
In 2007, there were 2,279 cases reported.
In 2008, there were 2,780 cases reported.
And these are not counting the ones which go UNREPORTED.
So these statistics could just be the tip of the iceberg.
Unicef has launched the Get On Board campaign,
to provide the Malaysian public with the knowledge, insights and resources to stop child abuse.
And raise your hand by submitting your
– full name
– ic number
– email
That’s it!
Unicef hopes the Malaysian public will embrace this campaign as their own,
and support and promote it in their own unique ways to ensure a safe and protected childhood for every child in Malaysia.
Do your bit by spreading the word on Facebook, Twitter or your blog.
Even a small update will make a difference in spreading the word to your followers/readers.
I’ve been hairstylist-less since MilcahG migrated to New York to conquer the world.
Since then, i was pondering which salon/stylist i should approach to be my hair’s new best friend.
A hairstylist is someone very important in my life…
not only do they have to understand the type of person/style i am,
but i MUST get along with them grandly seeing the number of hours we’d be spending in each others’ personal space.
I need them to be creative,
go against the grain,
and experienced enough to know what works for what head shapes and what doesn’t.
For the longest time,
i always told myself that i’d go with MingDaBomb if Milcah ever abandoned me.
And when she did (nothing lasts forever!),
i was a bit in a rut cos Ming didn’t operate from any salon at the time.
Now all that’s fallen into place,
since he’s got his own place again
Bombshell has reopened for a few weeks,
but i’ve been so busy that my hair wasn’t very high on my priority list!
At one point, i was so sick of my dry ends (i didn’t have time to just GO and get it done, and i couldn’t stop playing with it!! I do have a mild case of trichotillomania) that i cut my own ends above the toilet bowl in desperation.
Of course… nobody could tell cos my hair’s so short anyway.
But yes.
Now you know that i can be super karat.
This is Toby.
He’s Ming’s new doggie.
I said they’re like a gay father with a straight son (cos Toby’s so quiet and angelic).
Bombshell screams kitsch, quirk, colour, pattern, and all things unpretentiously old school.
I was so excited when MingDaBomb started on my hair.
We’ve been friends for quite long, traveled to Jakarta together,
yet he’s never cut my hair (cos i was with Milcah… and being with a hairstylist is like being in a relationship once you’ve committed to each other!)
So i felt like this was a step forward in our relationship! *corny*
“I feel like we’ve been going out with each other for a long time, and this is our first time having sex!” i said, as Ming was fiddling with my hair.
He gave me a pixie cut as to help grow out my sides.
I really can’t stand having my shaved sides anymore though Clem really likes it.
Nor do i want it red anymore.
“You look nice with it, i like it!”
“Yeah but Rihanna copied me. That bitch. So i don’t want it anymore.”
I jest.
I like Rihanna.
But i AM sick of my shaved sides + red hair even tho it stood out.
And she DID have the exact same hairstyle a year after Milcah devised it for me.
So i want to grow my hair out now.
And think of what to do later hmph.
MingDaBomb is an expert with growing out shaved sides gracefully,
cos he did it for himself last year!
He’s dyed my hair two tones of ash blonde,
and given me a pixie cut that will cover the sides as it grows out (the terrible stage)
I love it.
AshleyTheMonkey said it’s so much better now.
Clem said i look like Joan of Arc
i’m wearing > crop top; can’t remember (i know, it’s got to a p0int where i forget where i purchased some things… at least i’m not like Yishyene who managed to buy the same top TWICE before )
vintage pants; lah lah land
For hair appointments/inquiries of their secret hideout,
please call either one of their 3 fabulous hairstylists:
Gary +60126576569
Amenda +60123898584
Ming +60126581790
Sun of Lah Lah Land above.
Everytime i tell myself i won’t be buying much at a flea market,
all that’s shot to shit once i see her stall there.
Vintage.
Patterns.
Colour.
Kitsch.
Irresistible.
Trying out one of the filters Jess bought. SarChan on right.
I walked one round.
Spent RM200.
Had some KBF readers take pictures of me.
Had 3 beers.
And the best was the sitting around doing nothing talking about something.
I always feel that alcohol in Malaysia is so expensive,
but because we’re USED to the prices,
we continue paying for it.
Everytime i travel, i feel like drinking is cheap.
Because it IS cheaper everywhere else in the world!
Even with the currency exchange, buying myself a drink in another city is cheaper than KL.
Barcelona, New York, London, Amsterdam, even Copenhagen (where everything else is so expensive!), drinking is around the same price as KL’s, or lower.
That never made much sense to me… cos the people there are already EARNING in their own currency,
so paying for drinks in respective currency makes it affordable.
Just earlier this week, a group on Facebook was formed, called:
Alcohol-Consumer-Rights Group Malaysia
[Info from FB]
For too long, responsible consumers of alcohol beverages in Malaysia have been subject to one of the highest prices on the planet for drinks, whether on-trade (outlets) or off-trade (retail).
Although we contribute BILLIONS to the economy EVERY YEAR (and more than $1 BILLION/year to the government via alcohol taxes), there is not a single association or body that protects the fundamental rights of these consumers and drinkers. This group plans to change that.
We will speak out whenever it’s needed, by communicating with the media, and the all the stakeholders in the alcohol industry in Malaysia. In the future, we might consider formalizing this consumer association.
Currently, the high prices consumers face causes them to burn holes in their pockets, even for casual and irregular drinkers.
Taxes, and F&B outlet’s prices should be lowered, or at the worst, maintained. Recent talk about increasing the tax even further, has to be opposed.
Reasons:
1. We already pay HUGE duties and taxes on EVERY glass that we drink. It’s unjustified and very expensive at the moment compared to any other country in the region. We already have the SECOND HIGHEST duty on alcohol in the world, after Norway, BUT Norway has higher income of 8-9 times compared with Malaysia! Which means Malaysians probably pay the MOST for booze in the world.
2. The per-capita income for Malaysians is still so low and yet we still need to pay for premium prices for normal drinks. Eg: Local beer at a bar costs between $10 – $20, and imported beer $15 – $30.
In most countries, beer and soft drinks are about the same price-wise. Even tourists complain of the prices here.
3. High prices cause Malaysians to drink cheap and dangerous backyard brews like samsu, because they have been priced-out of the market for normal, safe alcohol.
Many local producers don’t have any safety standards or quality checks.
4. High prices also lead people to substitute alcohol for drugs. Drugs like ecstasy, erimin and such are widely available. Because of expensive alcohol, these drugs provide intoxication for much better value-for-money.
5. The government does not do studies on the impact of the prices. By increasing the duty, many F&B outlets that survive on volume will be greatly effected as less people will drink.
Even worse, some outlets will be forced to shut down. That will further reduce the employment in the market.
6. Smuggling and related illegal activities are very high in Malaysia due to the ridiculous taxes. Legitimate importers lose out. Also smuggled products are often fake or expired.
7. The MAJORITY of Malaysians are responsible and social drinkers. However, any concern about the effects of becoming an alcoholic should be addressed via education, not MORE taxes. Eg: If motorcyclists are killed on the road, you dont solve the problem by banning motorcycles.
8. The government should give out legal brewing licenses to serious investors so that they can monitor the industry, rather then just stopping brewing licenses to limit the capacity.
Eg: Many foreigners are tempted to open microbreweries in Malaysia but because of the restriction of license, many have turned away to neighbouring countries like Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand.
We miss out legitimate and tourist-attracting businesses to our neighbours.
THUS, we Malaysians call upon the government, importers, distributors and F&B outlets to attend to the unsustainable situation Malaysian consumers face, and make sincere and effective efforts to price alcohol beverages at a lot more reasonable levels, in accordance with the public’s per-capita income.
This group is also to PROMOTE & ENCOURAGE reasonably-priced outlets, and discourage those that are over-priced. So feel free to post info about this.
Alcohol consumers make up a BIG-SPENDING AND SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS, TAX-PAYERS, AND VOTERS, and can be an influential force when needed, so take note.
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In just a few days, over 1,000 people have already joined the group to show their support.
Also, please sign this petition to reduce the high taxes of alcohol in Malaysia.
It’s really easy as it also allows you to sign via your FB or Twitter account (no fuss!)
This petition will be submitted to the ministry next week, as there will be a budget announcement the following Friday (more expensive alcohol again?!)
Signing the petition will be your first step as a consumer.
There is already a team working on a media conference and getting in touch with the ministry,
so all you have to do is sign!
Else make sure you never whine about the price of drinks in Malaysia again.
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