The Family Photo

Taken in July 2012 at Istana Budaya, I only realised yesterday how everyone in the family was beautifully captured in this picture.

Coffee

Saw this T-Shirt hanging in Joma in Vientiane most times I scuttle in to buy my morning cup of Americano to bring to work. I can't get started without my cup of brewed coffee. And the message says it all.
I got my Starbucks Card activated back home in KL all because of a planner I covert. 15 Drinks to get one free planner. I got a plan in place. Buy a tumbler and get major discounts. I'm going full steam with a talle Americano each time now.
But I also brew a great pot every morning at home. I guess I'll have to OD on caffein for a little while.

One Day in One Second.

Today I'm inspired to write once again.

From an article on FastCompany about Cesar Kuriyama who advocates documenting one second to represent each day and then stringing those seconds together to play the movie of your life to represent one month (30 secs) or one year (365 secs). This is really what living in the moment means.

For me it's a reminder to continue to blog one sentence or one picture a day.

I'm just happy to be in the presence of the women in my home. Mum doing jottings on her baking trials, Summer watching nothings on Youtube and Rati scurrying around the house performing her duties. While I nurse a hangover from the night celebration following ganforhire's DCA Camp 2013.

Racking up Balls

A comely lass at work; captured under the light of the pool table

Drinking beer, playing pool and framing shots.

Gangnam Style Unites the world.

Walking down Rue Faghoum in Vientiane where they have their annual Boat Race Festival, rows and rows of makeshift shops, stalls and corporate booths plying their wares amidst blaring music and loud announcements. The bigger brands have platform stages for performances.
As I walked down the short stretch to attend a party at the invitation of my new found friends at Asia Pacific Brewery, I have witnessed no less than 3 Gangnam style dances performed by models on stage. I must say that the song coupled with the dance is very uplifting. It makes me happy just taking in the sights of people mimicking the quirky moves of Psy.
Asian music has indeed taken the world by storm.
As I arrived at the very elaborate and stylish booth of NamKhong, the sponsors of the event, another Gangnam style dance was in progress.
Many NamKhong beers later, I was back in my hotel lobby and I recounted my experience of the night to a Canadian Chinese having his foot massage. He told me that in clubs in Canada, the white guys are all playing Gangnam style.
Music is indeed the universal language that unites regardless of origin.

MotoGP Weekend & World Ducati Week Asia 2012

The Moto GP at Sepang this year was a wet affair. With the race having been stopped several times due to heavy rain. Somehow I got to experience the wet when I got caught riding to the gym from home. I thought I could make a quick dash to the Club before the rain; it was pelting down so heavy I had to seek refuge in the ample driveway of Wisma Semantan, which now seems deserted.

Health & Family

Mum went to Seremban with Bernie, Zane was in inter-church badminton competition. Summer was under the weather. Baby sat her till evening when it was time, I went to the gym and ran 2.5K again and worked on my legs and core.
Worked up an appetite and treated ourselves to a healthy, yummylicious meal at Village Roast Duck.
Caught up with mum, Bernie & Jamie at Wondermama. Good thing they were out of ABC. Went home and we all watched the new Spiderman on DVD.

Men Only or Just Boys

A realisation came upon me as I strode into the studio into Darren's dungeon for a review with the team; a bunch of men gathered in a small plot of space about to engage in discussion standing up.

Darren, Mustakim, Khairi, Hugo, Kelvin, Vincent, Hafiz and I. 
All good men. All extremely talented. All is good.

The Boys' Day out

Zane picked me up from the office so we could go grab some yummy lunch then shopping for some khaki pants for me. And if time permits go see the Mini at Glenmarie.
We did all that and he was unusually patient with me trying on pants after pants in Paradigm Mall. So I decided to take him to AB.
We saw more than our Mini. 

Gawking at the new F10 M5 V8

Dashboard of the M5

My personal favourite 6Series 4-door

2.5K

I did 2.5km in 16mins on the treadmill today. Well on course for my target of 5k this month.
And I was feeling slightly under the weather. Felt so good went on to do some new technique weights on biceps with Zane. I love working out with my son.

The Samurai

A lone samurai walked into our office today.
We both conducted ourselves in the most honourable manner.
I hope we get to meet this samurai again.
G.R.A.C.E.

Fast Track in Putrajaya

Golf course view from a penthouse unit

"We will take all your brand values at face value and apply those values to the task of branding your current project"  My reply to a Client who asks for a fast track to the brand communication process.

Then we took a tour of the place and I wondered had I bought a unit 15 years ago when I first started playing golf there, would the value have appreciated or would I have been staying there?

We took the ERL, fast track train from Sentral Putrajaya to Sentral KL aka The KLIA Express.
A smooth fast ride it was as everybody wants fast tracking these days.

Gala Night - Short and Sweet Malaysia 2012

We only found out late last night that Summer's dance group performing 'Forbidden' made it to the Gala night. Although we had expected that they breeze through from their sterling performance the week before, still it was a small celebration of sorts- hugs & kisses, when we got official word.
Tonight we're all excited once again to see the beautiful opening dance movement the five swans will make on stage before paving the way for the white and black swans to tell their story on stage. 

Meanwhile after dropping Summer earlier this afternoon, Zane and I took in the sights at the park at KLPAC and saw how well maintained the former Sentul Golf club was.
A good case of sacrificing the enjoyment of a few for the enjoyment of a larger few. The Arts& Dance fraternity and owners of the Condos of Sentul East & West.



Have fun you all. I know I will be bursting with pride once again.

The Seventh Day

Happy Chinese New Year! Gong Xi. Gong Xi.

This year of the water dragon has been pleasant so far. Just before the new year, I managed to convince my family to spend CNY eve at our ancestral home in Johol. So there we were Summer, Zane, Agnes, Peter Gan and Aunty, (my father's surviving third wife) had reunion dinner in our ancestral home once more. The food was painstakingly but lovingly prepared by Aunty, who managed to fill the table to the brim the way my father had always wanted it.  Fireworks and crackers erupted noisily outside our first floor dining room window as we settled down to our sumptious meal celebrating the auspicious moment. As much as we were startled by the incessant loud noise, we heartily agreed that this was necessary to properly scare away the monster Nien, who terrorized the villages in ancient China, so all could stay alive and safely guo Nien.
After dinner we had no TV, no internet, no distractions to busy ourselves with and so we just spent time talking and playing games with each other. It was nice spending time with loved ones in the memory of those who have gone before us.

Today, that memory belongs to my father who passed away 6 years ago on this seventh day of the lunar new year. The seventh day is also known as everybody's birthday as this is the day on the Chinese lunar calendar when everybody gets a year older.
As I grow older each seventh day of the CNY, I also grow wiser thinking of the lessons my father taught me not by lecturing me or beating me up. No never. The old man never laid a hand on me. He loved me and he showed me through living his life with honour, respect and integrity that things could be resolved and life is to be enjoyed. Always the one to look for the humor in life, my father was fun to be with.
So as we shared the reunion dinner in my ancestral home this new year, I know my father is pleased. The fireworks and firecrackers that erupted outside our window to scare away the monster Nien, I look back from the seventh day and I realize my father gave us valuable life lessons to scare away own own demons. For me it's just to look inward and dig deep into the values my father taught me and in it's powerful silent revelation know that demons only exist in our own minds.
Back in ancient times, people believed that their land was in constant threat from outside forces. When the rains didn't fall the crops would not grow and the land was barren, people would not have food. So they blamed the monster when what was actually happening was that the seasons change just as spring will surely follow winter. Which is precisely when the new year celebrates, the start of spring.
So as we go forth this Chinese New Year, have a beautiful springtime and know that the only demons we need to scare away are the ones in our minds.
I love you Papa.

Xin Nian Quai Le Everyone.