March. April. May. June. July. August. September

Drifted away into a no update period. I'm hopeless when it comes to keeping track regularly for a long period of time. I have a love-hate relationship with systems and discipline. Well, I hate it when it becomes like a chore, then I stop, ponder and accumulate and start again and the cycle continues.

I thought it would be great to pick one main thing that I want to remember each month from these MIA months. :)

MARCH 2011.

The last month in our little rented nest. Spent the last few weeks packing, walking around the neighborhood and doing the regular things we did before they all becomes little " we used to" memories. We loved our monthly, sometimes weekly night walks by the Kallang river talking about dreams and nonsenses.

Walking, dreams and nonsenses

Like little hives we humans come back to

Whimsical window grills

APRIL 2011.

We moved out. We will miss the old place but by the last 2 weeks, we can't wait to move on. It's time for a new chapter before the next new chapter. Hmm..that's life.

Empty rented lorry carrying good friends to help :)

New space, same stuffs :)

MAY 2011.

Djembe Drum Camp at Pulau Ubin Island. My third year going for the djembe camp. My favorite one among the three. I'm not a great player but it's nice to know inside, I'm a much better player compare to 3 years ago and it's still a joy to play together with a community. Another priceless joy of life. :)

...and I also love this poster I design :)

JUNE 2011.

One year ago, I set up my Etsy shop to share my handmade crafts with the world just for the fun of it. It's a little space I appreciate away from work and everything else. I feel this little virtual space is a nice, cool little hideaway and it belongs wholly, entirely to me. I can play with colors, materials, ideas and see my ability to create happy handmades.

Still clueless about the wonder of web sometimes but I learnt a lot from this online shop in this one year. One of the best thing about it is that it makes me realise that somewhere near or far across the ocean, somewhere in another continent, in another time zone, there's someone looking at my craft in my little virtual space and thinking what I create is awesome. This satisfaction is priceless. :)

JULY 2011.

Yuya's family came to Singapore for the first time. Kind of nervous to host them for the first time here in my homeland but I would love to think I did quite good in the end. I think they enjoyed their trip here. :)

A pity I'm still rubbish at speaking Japanese.

I love, love these 2 pictures!

AUGUST 2011.

Ian left the company after working 14 years here. I'm so used to having him around. He is like a big brother who I can relay on for good advices and stupid jokes. For years,we feed each other gossips and great music in the studio while we work.

Will miss him but like we always say, things happen for a reason. Good or not, changes of ANY kind are always good changes, no matter how you look at it. That's life.

My all time favorite picture of Ian & I

September 2011.

September is a new chapter in so many ways. I need growth but I want to stay true to myself. I know I can get to where I want to be if I want them bad enough. I just need to stay passionate and have the discipline I need without making it feels like a chore.

There again, my love-hate relationship with systems and discipline.

Anyway, this entry is probably my way of putting things behind where they are supposed to be and move on.

From here. :)

Valentine's day & Shoes.

Yuya bought me a pair of pretty running shoes last Valentine's Day because we thought it's gonna encourage me to go for runs together in the evening more often. I don't own many pairs of shoes because I have small feet and it's hard to find the ideal pair of shoes I wanted with all the stupid anal criteria I have for one.

Often, I like the design of men's shoes and they are never in my size. Sometimes, it's not comfortable enough and I seriously love walking too much to wear something that sacrifices my indulgence in long strolls.

I search for the right shoes like as if I am searching for Mr Right and when I find the perfect pair of shoes in my eyes, I will wear it to death. I will wear it for years until it badly needs to retire from its shoes job or if someone threaten to disown me as a friend if I'm seen on the street with the dilapidated shoes on.

The Chinese believes that one should never buy shoes for their partners because it will lead to your partner running away from you in the future and in order to break this curse, you need to return a schilling or 2 to your partner so there's some sort of transaction going on in between and maybe some kind of shoe devil will consider it as a purchase instead.

I gave Yuya some schilling again just last Christmas because he bought me a pair of beautiful native Peru shoes for Christmas when we were traveling in Japan. I love it a lot but I think I'm gonna wear it to death again and make its duty in this universe worthwhile. :)

This Valentine's, we came to a decision that I will be buying him shoes again because he never really has a pair of proper running shoes all along as he says he has everything he needs already. There's so much shoes transaction going on between us and if there's any "running away curse" going on, we would have enough to run away a few times and run right back to! :)

My own Valentine's gift will be very Etsy involved this year and just imagine my pleasant surprise when the idea came entirely from him instead because that means he has been thinking really hard into getting me something that I did not even realise I wanted a lot until he told me his idea.

A-hum • Djembe • Kurama

I bought A-hum on 21st December 2010 in Kyoto, Japan. I named this new african djembe of mine the very next day on the mountain in Kurama Temple right in front of the main Kurama temple. Yuya was telling me about the 2 mythical guardians on the two sides of the main hall facing the mountains and the meaning behind their names - A and Hum (in Sanskirt). "A" , like the sound of opening your mouth and "hum", like the sound of closing it. "A", the beginning of the universe. "hum", the end where everything goes back to its root.

I thought it'll make a beautiful and simple name for my new drum and I love the meaning behind it.

A-hum is small like me. Somewhat unpolished still but I hope I will have a great connection with A-hum, synchonising in thoughts and rhythms, knowing what we both are thinking someday, like the two shrine koma inu.

The spot in the centre in front of Kurama facing the mountains. Our favorite spot.

A on the right, hum on the left facing temple.

Lovely walk through the forest for a few hours. Bumped into no one except for a single old man jogging.

Had the whole forest to ourselves that cool, fine day.

Ahum still in Kenji's Djembe workshop, tuning

Hang Drum - That "musical alien ship" that sat in our home for a few months.

Our friend, Gotty was kind enough to let us bring this giant "musical alien ship" home with us and have fun, make music with it when we chilled at their place months ago .

Now this ship is back in their motherland, making beautiful, celestial music to their newborn, Benjamin. I find this a great instrument for the baby's ear. Most of the sound put together that comes out from a hang drum sounds like music but if you are great enough, you can play like this:

AKI-RA sunrise: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hajtPFhTeck

Rest in peace

7th. This particular december morning, I went back to this neighbourhood I used to be so familiar with when I was 19. It was surreal, it being a morning of more than 10 years later, me being in that area for the wake of this father of a very dear person in my life. I like his father a lot, so much it even surprises me. So much, it surprised me how much it affected me when I got the news of his passing.

He was this tall, quiet father who almost always finishes his conversation with me with an adorable clumsy laugh or a grin. I always told his son he's gonna grow up like his father, always smiling, always grinning while scratching his head, not really knowing how to respond except "Please eat", "Please drink" with kindness. This tall, gentle giant.

I remembered him coming home with bean curd almost every night after his shift work for his children (and me) if I'm around. I know this was his way of showing his love for his children, him being a single father trying to hold a family up. I'm this outsider who happened to be around to witness during that period of my life, seeing all those tiny little things he does for his children quietly then and it warmed me inside to see this big man's routine.

I cried so hard at his wake that morning I don't know why. Perhaps, I thought he just wasn't meant to pass on so early in his life or perhaps, I thought he was meant to enjoy the fruit of his labour more, have more time to enjoy life. Or perhaps, it's the pain I know his children will feel from his passing. I know his son loves his father a lot but he's never really talked about it and it's gonna break his heart so much. At least I know his children were there for him during the last few months of his life. I know I can't be there for his final walk with his family but I was there in spirit. I hope he has a good life. I know he has. He has wonderful children who grew up to be good unique individuals.

May he rest in peace.

Movie Review: Eat, Pray, Love...more like Eat, Whine, Travel

Watched the movie version of Eat, Pray Love last night and I really did not like it. In fact, I am near hating it. Yuya thought it was an ultra girly movie with whining and women yakking and he fell asleep. I agreed and thought all the whining escalated when the movie reaches it's India part. In my head, I can list out so many things I do not like about the movie...

1.

Most of the things I've liked about the book were excluded from the movie. In fact, the movie consists of everything I hate about the book put together...the whining, the complaining and the narcissism of the character to the MAX.

2.

The entire movie is like an extremely superficial skeleton of the book's essence and what it had wanted to tell. Totally devoid of the emotional and spiritual aspect, the storyline is so shallow. I do not feel any bit of pity for Julia Robert's self-absorbed character at all. I find the ex-husband and the ex-boyfriend so much more sincere.

3.

I do not feel there is any growth in Liz's character AT ALL . I felt her character is so full of bad and negative energy throughout the entire movie. She just felt so pessimistic and selfish up until the end of the whole movie. The only thing that helps fan off a bit of her negativity is Julia Robert's bright wide smile planted randomly throughout the movie. Most of the time, she was just a miserable, whiny person.

4.

It does not AT ALL feels like a journey of discovery, it feels like she was just another typical tourist having another holiday trip where she meets a bunch of random people. Nothing of a journey of any sort of discovery.

5.

There was absolutely no chemistry or any special bonds she was supposed to has with some of the characters. The ex-boyfriend, the medicine man, the Balinese healer, Felipe etc... Felipe felt more like a one night stand in contrast to the book.

6.

The medicine man is way too young. He speaks English too well. He was supposed to be older with a more Gandhi-like physique to be able to pass off as 60 something or 100 and something years old.

7.

I super hate the whole Bali part of the whole movie especially. Even the medicine man looks commercialised.

There are more but there is just too many things I do not like about the movie.

What I like:

1. Nice scenery

2. I like most of the main casts. It's nice to see who's cast as the character I read in the book.

3. The beginning of the movie when it's narrated by Julia Robert.

4. The Italy part is ok...funny at certain parts. not as bad. and the food.

5. Jame Franco's smile. He smiles with his eyes.

6. Some of Julia Robert's outfits although it seems like she brought a wardrobe full of clothes to India.

7. Julia Robert's smile

Well, at least I get to play my game of reading the book, imagining the character and then watch the movie. :)

Weekend Beaded Hemp Anklet

Weaved this anklet last night at 2am with Yuya guiding me through the steps coz we were trying to find something to do and he suggested bringing out the hemps and make something new. Did the remaining finishing this morning. Super super love it!

I'm gonna name this love. :)

My Beaded Hemp Anklet :

Name: Ra

Date of Birth: 23 October 2010, 10 am

Star sign: Libra

Materials: Hemp String, Colorful Wooden Beads, Joy