Showstoppers!

 

As usual, when the new MPO calendar comes out, I scan through for performances that I think my parents will like, and squeeze in performances when I go down to KL (alone or I’ll beg somebody to come along with me LOL!).

So among the list of performances I wanted to go for, this was one of it as they were gonna perform Broadway songs - and it was awesome!!

Stephen Rahman-Hughes is a good entertainer (and dancer!) and included the audience. Its always more fun when you get a response from the audience instead of the usual one-way communication..hehe..

Stephen currently performs with his vocal group Teatro (which is Italian for theater)

The show was really good, and Stephen was quite the entertainer. Occasionally cracking jokes and poking fun at himself…hehe.. The orchestra was brilliant, as usual! :D I especially enjoyed the selections for orchestra from My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music. :D I felt like I was floating! On cloud 9 perhaps ;)

 

Both Stephen and John had great chemistry, they were joking around and Stephen claimed that the glittery purple shoes he was wearing was John’s! John is so far my fave conductor, and the first MPO concert I went for was conducted by him. It was 2007’s annual New Year’s Concert (old post here) and it was fun because he always tried to include the audience, for example clapping along to the music. In this performance we were asked to sing ‘Luck Be a Lady’ at certain points of the song :)

I’m pretty sure all the ladies were swooning over him and wondered if the men felt insecure for a while :P But I think everyone wanted to be ‘Maria’ (from West Side story) for that night ;)

They made us work for it, but it was totally worth it as they did perform 2 songs for the encore; Can You Feel The Love Tonight and Luck Be A Lady (after more screaming and applause) . I heard from a friend that on the 1st show on Friday he performed 3 songs for the encore, singing Over The Rainbow. They were supposed to perform ‘Memories’ from Cats but someone forgot to send over the sheet music from London…hmm…

Pics taken during the autograph session:

  So cute! :P

He asked me if I was from KL, and I explained how that we’re from Ipoh and love MPO so much that we come down so often.. And then it hit me.. Did he ask me that because I look foreign? Or because I look Like I could be from KL but cannot be confirmed? Hahaha... Anyway we have something in common which is that we are often identified wrongly, as he has been cast as an Indian or Puerto Rican, and people think that I m Thai/Indonesian/Malay/ceylonese(!!!) LOL….that’s what you have to deal with when you’re of mixed parentage!

Article in the New Straits Times (they had a press conference!):   

Autographed program booklet and ticket :D

 

Someday I’ll watch a Broadway play live! West Side Story is coming to Malaysia but tickets are so expensive!! :S

Until then I’ll replay this performance in my head ;)

Just in case you don’t believe me, here’s evidence I was there :P

Books!!

Now I’m not a nerd, but I do love to read. I used to read a lot when I was younger (ahem ahem) and had lots of free time (ahem ahem). Sometimes when I find a really good book I can just sit for hours and finish off the whole book. One sitting! Nowadays my concentration has reduced thanks to countless hours of watching all those TV Series…hmmm…

Here’s a few of my latest reads:

 

Hugh Laurie’s The Gun Seller (You know, that ruggedly handsome lead actor from that TV Series House MD). Written in 1996. He actually wanted it to be published under a different name but his publisher said ‘Do you know how hard it is to sell a book as it is??’ Hehe…pretty good, its a spy thriller, very British, very descriptive (but not too much). Very witty and would make a great movie if done properly! :)

Stephen Clarke’s Merde Actually. I’ve read Merde Happens (which is a sequel to this book) and Talk to the Snail, essentially a survivor's guide to the French language and the French themselves. Read this book and you’ll be prepared to go to France.

What? They were on sale! Haha!

1. Nigella Lawson’s fifth, Feast Food That Celebrates Life has tons of mouth-watering recipes which I would love to try out when I have a decent kitchen!! Also so many nice pics of the food! And even organized by meal types! eg. Sunday lunch. Very English. Maybe I’ll start with the chocolate cakes first for now :D

2. Kickboxing because I need to work out & know self-defence, and also cause it was super cheap! :P Just started reading about the intro..don’t wanna get hurt by immediately kicking away! hehe.

3. Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom shouldn’t need any introduction, but is one of those books which inspire you. Have A Little Faith is another very good read which is his latest book.

4. Who’s That Girl? by Alexandra Potter because it sounds interesting (although there are quite a few novels out there about very successful women who are extremely busy and have odd experiences…hmmm…) and I read her previous book Me and Mr Darcy and liked it (because im a hopeless romantic). In case you didn’t know, Mr Darcy is the archetype of the aloof romantic hero, and a romantic interest of Elizabeth Bennet, the novel's main protagonist in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. If you’re too lazy to read the book (which has a widely quoted first line), watch the BBC adaptation of the novel starring Colin Firth. But it’s always better to read the book :P Anyway a nice read, but also some similarities with Sophie Kinsella’s Remember Me?.

Time to curl up in bed with a good book! :)

iPhoebe

I have a new phone!! Finally!! After months of using my sister’s old phone which cannot scroll down! Hehe…sad wei…but I’m glad that I didn’t give in and get a cheaper phone but stuck to what I wanted over 3 years ago when it first came out! :D Totally worth the money! Signed on the Maxis’ 2 year contract of RM50 per month with 500MB of Data. (For Facebook, Google Maps, Checking cinema times, web surfing, etc). It also has WiFi capabilities so I don’t have to lug my laptop to the free WiFi spots like I used to :D

 

 

Mine is the iPhone 3GS 32GB in Black

So I finally joined the many people who already own an iPhone, but they’re mostly located in KL, so in a small town like Sitiawan I’m still in the lead :P  Hahaha….I am so glad I got the iPhone…It’s so me! With all the applications it’s so convenient to get information or organize my data and most useful so far, the Google Maps application :D So easy to use and has been a huge help for me to find locations based on addresses. Like when going to JB and Singapore…Also since you can pinpoint your location and add it to a bookmark or a contact, you’ll never be lost again! hehe! And I can facebook, surf the net wherever I am and find my location! It even has a compass so I can find my way based on bearings! hehe…since I already learned how to do that in Outward Bound Malaysia :) Also I can check my email (even work email) anytime, everywhere and even view word, excel and pdf attachments!

It might be big, but it’s slim and quite light and fits nicely in my pocket :D I love the fact that it’s a whole touchscreen and not half screen-half keypad like the Blackberry (The blackberry is cool too but not as fun, unless I need a second phone :P)

Just found a website with 15 handy tips for iPhone. Cool! Didn’t know #4,5,6,7 & 15!

So far spent RM170 for a car kit (includes vent mount, windscreen mount, car charger and audio jack) and RM98 for a black cover with screen protective cover. Also downloaded a bunch of free applications and slowly exploring them :)

The only cons so far are the Bluetooth function which does not support phone-to-phone file transfer, only as a remote control for devices and also i have to create ringtones and not use music files directly. Another downside to the iPhone is I can’t upload videos unless I convert the files. But these are just small issues that can be overcome so the iPhone is still awesome :)

So happy!! :D

CNY 2010

This year CNY has been quite eventful, with 2 reunions. One reunion in Ipoh (with mom’s half-brother’s side) and one in Penang (mom’s dad’s side). Yes, my mom is from my paternal grandfather’s second wife. Pretty common in those days, but i think there was no ‘i am leaving you for another woman’ via SMS. Oops sidetracked pulak! haha!

As usual I was the only crazy one with a big DSLR in hand (dad’s camera) so I was the only one taking tons of pics (people and food)

Here are some pics from the Ipoh reunion (CNY eve lunch):

  Cousin with her husband and daughter. Braised Crab Meat Shark’s Fin Soup Kampung Chicken With Chinese Herbs Steamed Red Snapper in Soya Sauce

   Mixed Vege with CNY Style Nyonya Glutinous Rice    Nyonya Glutinous Rice unwrapped  Yu-Sheng Tossing the Yu-Sheng!   Dad asking for one sheet of Erica’s angpow money. She doesn’t look amused. hehe  All in the family

With Mom and Dad :D

Penang reunion (3rd day of CNY lunch):

          I whacked quite a few prawns. The chilli sauce is nice! Yummy!  Table 1   Table 2 Table 3 preparing for photoshoot Still preparing Group photo! :D Jam tarts! Mandarin Oranges!

Fried Sticky Cake (forgot how to say in chinese :P)

 

I took 3 days off so I had the whole CNY week off! :D So that was my CNY for 2010. It was fun to meet all my relatives..although I don’t know if we will see each other again because most of them are in KL, and this reunion is also after a really long time, possibly 20 years or more…

Oh and I am kinda dark in these photos because I just came back from Outward Bound 2 weeks before CNY..hehe

I ate quite a lot, because there was so many dishes and the senior members of the table don’t eat much (muahahaha!)

And last of all, the best part of not being married (only during CNY):

Angpow!!!! :D

Have a prosperous year ahead!

And now I'm back!

Hi everyone!

Don't worry, I haven't abandoned my blog, just haven't got the time to really sit down and write. Not so much writer's block as lazy to blog :P

Just got back from OBM today (2 weeks without phone and internet...believe it or not but i actually didn't miss the internet at all!! :D) and am darker + sunburnt + more muscular :P Will tell more later. It was awesome! hehe...felt like a kid again XD

Back to work tomoro...luckily I don't really have to do anything at work...can rest...hehe...

Gnite!

Blessed Christmas!

Have a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Christmas tree at home

 

Decor in Ipoh Parade:

 

Decor in Church:

Pink Martini is Coming to town!!!

Checked my email this morning and received Pink Martini’s email containing their concert tour list. Scrolled down and saw that they are coming to Malaysia!!! Hooray!! Been waiting for a long time for them to come! I WILL NOT MISS THIS!! Anyone wanna join me? Will probably take 2 days leave for this…muahahahaha! Ok gotta save money first…haha…will go for the Monday night show..and maybe Tuesday also…see how desperate I am first..haha :P

 

DFP SHOWCASE
Pink Martini
Mon 15 & Tue 16 March 2010, 8.30pm

With a wildly diverse repertoire and a cohesive body of beautiful songs, Pink Martini can take you from a samba parade in Rio de Janeiro at one moment, to a French music hall of the 30s or a palazzo in Napoli the next.  This unique ensemble, described by critics as “sophisticated and cosmopolitan”, will perform selected pieces from their various albums including their latest, Splendor in the Grass.

For more information about Pink Martini. Click here.

Ticket Price (RM): 180 | 150 | 110 | 60
Ticket Status: Available
Dress Code: Smart Casual

 

My few fave Pink Martini songs:

Pink Martini - Sympathique :: Official Music Video (Embedding disabled so go to YouTube to watch)

 

 

Can’t wait!! :D

Good or bad, hard to say...

Once upon a time, there was a king. The king liked one of his followers very much because he was very wise and always gave very useful advice. Therefore the king took him along wherever he went.

One day, the king was bitten by a dog, his finger was injured and the wound was getting worse. He asked the follower if that was a bad sign. The follower said, Good or bad, hard to say'. In the end, the finger of the king was too bad that had to be cut. The king asked the follower again if that was a bad sign. Again, the follower gave the same answer, 'Good or bad, hard to say'. The king became very angry and sent the follower to prison.

One day, the king went hunting in the jungle. He got excited when he was on the chase of a deer. Deeper and deeper he went inside the jungle. In the end he found himself lost in the jungle. To make thing worse, he got captured by the native people lived inside the jungle.

They wanted to sacrifice him to their god. But when they noticed that the king had one finger short, they released him immediately as he was not a perfect man anymore and not suitable for sacrifice. The king managed to get back to his palace after all. And he finally understood the follower's wise quote, 'Good or bad, hard to say'. If he hadn't lost one finger,he could have been killed by the native people.

He ordered to release the follower, and apologized to him. But to the king amaze, the follower was not mad at him at all. Instead, the follower said, 'It wasn't a bad thing that you locked me up.' Why? Because if the king hadn't locked the follower up, he would have brought the follower along to the jungle. If the native found that the king was not suitable, they would have sacrificed the wise man instead!. Again, the quote 'Good or bad, hard to say' stands.

The moral of the story:

Everything that happens in this world, there is no absolute good or bad. Sometimes good things turned out to be bad things eventually, while bad things become a gain.

Whatever good things that happen to you, appreciate and enjoy it, but do not cling on or become overwhelmed! Take it as a pleasant surprise in your life.Whatever bad things that happen to you, do not feel too miserable or sad, it may not be too bad after all!

If one can understand this, he or she will find life much easier.

Have a good day!


==============================================================
Got this in a forwarded email. It's so true. I get really angry when people only look at the negative side of things, when there is a clear bright side most of the time. People like that, get rid of them. I like people who have the 'can do' attitude, where they try to find solutions for problems before giving up or complaining. I also like people who think 'why not?' to anything, eg; ideas.

Anyway, have a great positive day!

MPO Happy Hour

Will be in KL 7-9 Dec...maybe I can squeeze in one MPO performance before coming back? :D
Wonder when they revamped their website...looks good!




MPO Happy Hour
Wed 9 December 2009, 6.30pm

LEADER: Miroslav Daniš Violin

Get ready for a finger-snapping, toe-tapping musical treat with Miroslav, his fellow MPO and local guest musicians! Featuring an assortment of swinging jazz tunes and vocals from the era that brought Benny Goodman and Count Basie to stardom. You’ll be bopping along in the aisles in no time!

Ticket Price (RM): 10 for all seats
Ticket Status: Available

Dress Code: Smart Casual