My Intelligent Little Buddy

Question: Why didn't you do this page at home when I can see that you know how to do the questions?
Ans from a precocious chubby 7-yr old: Because when you are here, I feel smarter.

Make my day Dion :)

will my patience be rewarded?

Guess Who?!?!

Just couldn't resist putting up this pic. Haha :P

I'm a year older...

Ok so i didn't get the corner piece but who cares!! This birthday was one of the best birthdays!! A very public celebration though :)

Okok credits now. To Joyce for the yummalicious chocolate birthday cake from Lana cake shop.

To all the people who were there from Gamelan Asmaradana, Now Playing, Gethsamane, Rei and Hellvan, Sian Eng, Stella, Zach, Cynthia, Jon, Adeleena, Yap and Junwei, Ling, Laurie, Phyllis and Leonard, Chairen and girlfriend. Thanks for just being there. Your presence means alot to me.

Birthday Sentiments

its inevitable...i always look back at the past year on this very day every year, reflecting on what i have accomplished, how much i have grown, on my relationships with my friends and loved ones, and of course, what i can do better for next year.

i have been very fortunate this year. especially fortunate. i have had the support of my loved ones and friends in the opening of Hoity Toity - my dream thats finally come true. i'm glad to say that we are coping very well. business hasn't been phenomenal, but enough to sustain us through. i've also learnt many things about business - the art of business and how to run one successfully. Lovie, many thanks for being the pillar of support for our shop. Muacks.

my music, always the greatest part of my life may not have grown as much as i would have wished (but thats partly due to the fact that i've not been practising as hard as i should). but i'm content. my thanks to Now Playing too - the second band i've joined ever since i pulled enough courage to come on stage to sing. the boys have been inspirational and supportive and together we've grown so much over the past months. my appreciation to Joyce, my artistic director in GA and also my friend. thanks for the guidance and for the support you've shown me in my compositions. it will push me to compose more.

and last but not least, extra special thanks to Stanley. you may be faraway, but you're always there for me. always. YOU are my pillar of strength.
ok now for the fun stuff. Now Playing will be performing a set at Gashaus, 114 Middle Rd at 7.30pm. thereafter, all those there are invited to join in my birthday celebration. yup yup...be there or be square~~~

Hot off the Press!!

Hoity Toity is featured in September's issue of Harpers Bazzar and Lime!! I'm absolutely bubbling with joy!!!!! Go to http://hoitytoity-pressrelease.blogspot.com and check us out!! This is my earliest birthday present!! muahahaha~~~~

Whats the Point?!?!

Okay, whats the point of texting people the details of my gig and birthday bash two weeks in advance? For those who have absolutely no clue...its so that you can clear your schedules for that day? Understood? Comprehendo? Unfortunately, some clearly don't. Its alright if you reply that you already have something on that day. Ok. Fine. Some told me that you can't confirm yet? Hmm...this is the part i don't understand. If someone were to text me that there was an event on a particular day and nothing has been scheduled for me yet, i'd accept the invitation and just schedule the event for that day. No two ways about it. Can't confirm? Forget it, don't come then. I don't even wanna talk about those who have not, as yet, replied. Whats the point?!?!?! Precisely. Talk about messaging etiquette. Someone should seriously incorporate that into the personal grooming sessions that they are holding these days.

Argh!!!!!! Ok ok....cool down cool down...i'm listening to some great tunes from Mr Jamiroquai...funk it up and cool me down i say....

this one's "Stillness in Time"
seriously thinking of doing this for my next gig


my everlasting favourite: "Virtual Insanity"

Last but not least, I leave you with this. Work your minds more, people...hehe.

--Home Quarantine--

i've been cooped at home for three days now. its really no fun being sick! and now i'm really worried as to whether i'll be able to get well by Saturday...sigh...


i went to see my doctor yesterday (which is no mean feat considering i hate visiting the doctor) but no choice...sacrifice for the bigger picture.

so i've been getting loadsa smses on what i want for my birthday. hmmm~~~ actually what i really really want is a Godin electric guitar with an amp!!! HINT HINT. ahaha...Laurie actually asked me if she can make one with paper. but seriously guys, just surprise me. I love surprises.

ok, i'm off to pop my meds and practice my piano now. Seriously, one good thing that came out of this home quarantine is that i've got more time to practice!!

a day of nothingness

i'm even more blah today than yesterday. this is wat i get for not staying home when i should have but you know wat? i ain't complaining. i spent the bulk of today sleeping the meds off, watching tv and reading trashy romance novels. things i haven't done in a looonnngg while. i guess its my body's way of telling me to slow down, stop all the mad rushing about and just have a little R & R.

so today i had time to go through wateva photos i had from all my past excursions...and i found loads. even those i forgot i even had! aren't photos amazing? they bring back so much memories. no wonder they say a picture is worth a thousand words...or more.





















sometimes i wish i could be transported back to the time the picture was taken while looking at it. would i have done something differently back then? there's this one with the two of us just sitting there, smiling into the camera...a gleam of something in our eyes. what were we thinking then? what were we feeling?....

had to miss out on jamming tonight though. I feel really bad...not being there for the boys. but Z tells me they cancelled tonight's session. i feel doubly bad now. on the brighter side, there's still 2 more sessions left before the gig. COUNTDOWN TIME= 4 DAYS LEFT!!

"this is not a good weather to be sick in"

yes yes...a quote from you Darren....so what weather is good enough for one to be sick in? None, I say....being sick is never good...watever weather.

it seems that i've been falling sick before every big gig. my immune system is down big time...its either lack of sleep, too much stress...or bad germs from someone.

luckily, my voice held up for my gig yesterday. some flat notes. but seriously great tunes that i so know i wanna do again! especially Dream a little Dream and My Favourite Things. but the crowd was subdued. Hello??!! You deaf?? Or stoned?!?!?!

so today, i woke up feeling big time blahness...and i really mean blahness. i could have stayed in bed the whole day...and miss teaching Siannie, jamming with my band, dinner with Joyce and watching Casey, Noor and Joshua playing at their acid jazz gig? No way!! So up i get...Siannie very sweetly buys lunch and meds for me...i pop many pills...and i'm good to go. Let me at it!

Jamming was good. We've sort of gotten two arrangements of new songs down. A sigh of relief. We'll probably get it spruced up tomorrow. I'm getting excited! Countdown = 5 days to big gig! Argh! Stress! Heaven!! Pure Bliss!!!

Dinner with Joyce was great. We had our fave Old Chicago salad at Seah St Deli. I swear this is gonna be my next favourite eating place after Ichiban Boshi. Ooh...Ichiban Boshi!! Now thats truly indulgent Jap sushi. I'll never eat at Sakae again. Mmmmm~ just thinking of their lobster salad sushi, aburi salmon and now they even have aburi maguro. Just delectable...mmmmm~...

Evening entertainment for the night came in the form of K'Ass - aka Meimei (keys), Casey (vox and guitar), Josh (bass), Noor (percussion) and Bobby Singh (percussion). My poison for the night...their version of Virtual Insanity, Maysa's Head to the Sky, Yellowjacket and Incognito numbers. More please? More!! almost broke my neck while seriously bopping to the funk rhythms emanating from the stage. I knew performing could give one a high...but watching a performance? Man, i almost peed in my pants because i avoided going to the ladies just so I wouldn't miss any part of the set. Wanna get a high? Abstain from the loo and sit watching freaking great performers playing great music and you'll know what i mean. Its torture and pleasure rolled into one.

Okay, i need to go. The screen seems to swimming before my eyes. Ciao before i write something i regret. Thats all folks!

Camwhoring Episode 2 - Girls will be girls

See what i mean?

Camwhoring Episode 1 - Ah Bye and Ken's birthday

This will go down in history as the one of the best outings in SRVballer history....

The protagonists aka birthday boys:

The cast:

It was a night of couples....lucky guy...

I'm on a high....

Still reeling from that amazing jam session yesterday with the guitarist and vox from Rei...check out Honnou....amazingly hot, superbly svelte and rockingly flush...woohoo...

Yesh Baboo....credit goes to you for the blog about Now Playing...thankew a thousand muchies!

We've got fanssssss!!!

Z found some guy's blog...about our band Now Playing's Tapestry gig outside Heeren...who are these people anyways?!?!

I just missed a Tokyo Jihen cover band gig

July 22nd, 2006

As I’m typing this, I believe my friend over at town would have just finished watching a Tokyo Jihen cover band gig. The band is called “Now Playing” and one of their members, LEMONed, is from the Ringo Jihen forum. According to my friend, as he arrived there, he saw them playing Himitsu, Sounan, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You and Marunouchi Sadistic.

Well, now I really regret leaving early instead of staying on. I didn’t know that Now Playing would be playing at the same gig as the Dream Theater cover band that my friend was telling me about. Since I was feeling real tired having played soccer just hours ago, I decided not to wait on for the gig and went home instead. Another reason why I left was because I’m not really a big fan of Dream Theater so I thought I’ll give the gig a miss.

I’m still regretting now but in the future, I’ll be on the lookout for any gigs that Now Playing will be playing in.

Hopefully their today’s performance had been recorded down somewhere

(I’ve got a recording of one of their earlier gig grabbed from the Ringo Jihen forum so if anyone wants it or missed it, I’ll be willing to upload it)

1. Where were they performing? I saw ppl busking here and there and everywhere and I just kept looking for NowPlaying. Cheh. Mannnnnn………I missed it too. I swear next time i will catch them somewhere in Singapore

   by baboo July 22nd, 2006 at 11:30 pm
   

2. They were performing at Heeren. Oh well, at least I did manage to check out another good band, Ivy’s Vendetta, before I left. They were really rocking out at Wheelock place.

   by KC July 23rd, 2006 at 3:05 am
   

3. yea………both bands rocked… I think besides the soundmix screw up, NowPLaying really rocks. The vox can sing….. The guitarist damn suay, something screwed up later in the set. Causing him to sound really really soft.

   by Mr.X July 25th, 2006 at 3:05 pm

Now Playing - Tapestry 2006

July 23rd, 2006

I managed to find an audio recording of Now Playing’s performance mentioned in my previous post. It was recorded by a fellow Singaporean, LSE over at Jpopmusic forum, so credits to him for that. By the way, my friend also told me that Now Playing’s vocalist was playing the pianica for the song, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”. (Shiina Ringo played a kazoo in her cover).

Now Playing - Tapestry 2006 (Live at the Heeren)

Tracklist:
01. Himitsu
02. Sounan
03. Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
04. Marunouchi Sadistic

Do check them out if you haven’t. The recording isn’t exactly the best but I thought Now Playing’s performance was pretty good. Besides, I don’t think it’s easy to find a band that covers Shiina Ringo/Tokyo Jihen songs, especially over here (where many people still ask me, “Why do you listen to Japanese songs? Do you understand what they’re singing?”).

1. You are fast . I have also downloaded their covers in one of the Tokyo Jihen fanstie. So good! I like the way the play Kabuki. Very pro.

   by baboo July 23rd, 2006 at 8:52 am
   

2. These guys are good! The vocalist’s voice is interesting ^^… thanks!

   by Taiyou July 24th, 2006 at 4:20 am
   

3. Yeah, I’ve heard some of Now Playing’s mp3s of Tokyo Jihen before - and it wasn’t too bad. It seems they have become better with time.

   by ringo July 24th, 2006 at 4:28 pm
   

4. Not bad at all. I like their cover versions. At least they didn’t butcher the songs.

   by Rid July 25th, 2006 at 12:46 am

Latest Object of Affection

Beanie oh Beanie...my latest object of affection



Here's Beanie acting shy. She just doesn't pose for pictures when she knows that a camera is trained on her. So I always have to do it the candid way....















Was over at Wei and Tim's place today to pass Tim the webpages for Hoity Toity's website. After tea, I decided to bring Beanie for a seriously belated shopping trip. So off we went, me, Nancy, Wei and the strapped in toddler for a walk in shopaholic land aka Causeway Point. We decided to let Beanie off the stroller for a walk in Kiddy Palace. She went absolutely bonkers instead, one minute running to touch a mitten, and then off to pull a dress to her little body as if to see if it would fit...and then to cap it all off, she'd stand there and do her signature laugh - throw her head back and go "ha ha ha" I kid you not, thats exactly how she laughs. NOW if only i can post a video on this blog...

The Historian

A book I'm reading now. Lent to me by Joyce...about the legend of Dracula. A great read but so thick that its added weight to my already heavy bag.

I feel stupid but just the other night, this unspeakable fear came over me while i was reading and i just couldn't continue. I switched off the lights in the hall and started off towards my bedroom, feeling like someone or something would come at me from the back...so i started walking real fast. Ok, now i really feel stupid...

My New Occupation

Got your attention? Relax, i'm not gonna up and open a music studio. I think I've got more than enough on my plate already...been up all night cutting and pasting html for blogs that we're linking to Hoity Toity's website. I've come up with 2 templates but the latter one is the most satisfying one. I'm so tempted to make it my own blog!! check it out at http://hoitytoity-eradiva.blogspot.com

Its really not easy for someone who doesn't know a thingamajig about html to come up with a suitable template for Hoity Toity's blogs. I admit, I do cut and paste from existing templates...but i do adjustments to the template, resulting in that i now know what to write and where to write, to resize a photo to use on the blog; or how to add another paragraph or category to a side menu of a blog. yes yes...quite the genius here...muahaha

Bloody Fireworks.

Okok, so i've been neglecting my blogger duties...but anywho...i'm here to unload my frustrations.

I was supposed to go watch the Harvard Din and Tonic at Esplanade this past Tuesday night. So there I was at the GA bbq, gulping down my food as fast as i can, trying to talk to everyone, before I had to leave for the concert. I leave Michi at 8.20pm, hop into the cab at 8.30pm, expect to reach Espy by 9pm. Guess what time i arrived? 9.45pm. Thats right. A whole hour of my life wasted in the cab with the numbers on the meter rising, as was the case with my temper. And all because of some bloody fireworks display. Hello? All these Singaporeans have no place to go?? The ENTIRE area resembled Little India on a Sunday. Packed like little yellow sardines. WTH!!!

Worst still to come..when I arrived at Espy, I was told to go round the back to the other entrance near the waterfront amphitheatre, because that main entrance was for the sardines to slowly make their way out after watching the fireworks. And by the time I got to the other entrance...it was already 9.50pm. Damn it! Forget about watching the show already! I just had to off load...so I called Hidir, Siannie and Stanley...yes, i had that much to off load. Oh, and later to the gals who had the fortune to watch the Harvard boys - Eunice, Jo, Tabi and EeJia.

The sad story of my life...I seem to always have run-ins with cabs or something crops up or jams when I'm in the cab. Like the other time, for Sarah's birthday over at SMU: I called for a cab. Destination was specifically S-M-U. Taxi driver brings me to S-I-M. Hello???? Literacy anyone??? And he kept insisting they were one and the same. If I wasn't so pissed off...i'd have rolled around the backseat of the cab, laughing my head off. After some heated conversation, wherein I told him to get me to S-M-U pronto, I managed to reach my destination, half an hour late. And he did not even have the decency to give me a discount. I just couldn't be bothered to talk to him anymore.

Me and taxis. Well, at least I did have a good time at the bbq. Food was really good by the way. And an even better session with my bandmates. We had a small audience while jamming who gave us rave reviews. I am appeased....well at least for the moment.

K. Off loading is over. Over and out.