So Near Yet So Far

Woot woot! Guess who just got invited to the MTV Exit concert in Angkor Wat, Cambodia??

Me!

Too bad the folks are not paying for our travel expenses! Or else, i would have loved to get a taste of the country, cover the show, and drool over Click Five! Boo hoo...

Sucker For Ballads

Recently, i stumbled upon songs by one Olivia Lufkin and she is a singer you MUST listen to. I am so surprised she's not famous yet because this bilingual singer is fantastic!

Sweet Memories tops my list as the best of the best. Though i don't understand most of the lyrics (it's mostly Japanese), the melody and her mellow voice is enough to make my heart melt. So beautiful!



Is she awesome or is she awesome?

Champagne After Work

Earlier this month, Skybar re-opened its doors to the public after a minor renovation. The result? Except for the roof and a few fans, i was not impressed.



Previously, i was told that the new Skybar would have air-conditioning (to make up for the stuffiness), a new menu and blinds that when opened, would reveal the beautiful view of the Twin Towers. But that night, except for a few additions to their tapas menu, my expectations were not met.

Those seated by the windows facing the Towers, i'm sure, were comfy cos that's where the ceiling fans are installed but those standing on the other side were left to sweat and make-do with very-out-of-place wall fans.



Compared to their closing-for-renovation party months ago, this one was a tad boring. No performance (or did i miss it because i was 30 minutes late?) and very limited choice of food. Karen was looking forward to their chicken satay but sadly, that didn't make a comeback in this reopening party. So we ended up dining on the usual open-faced wagyu burger, soft shell crab maki and a few others. And i found the yellow bell pepper oyster shooter ohmigoshsogross! But a must try for bell pepper fanatics...



Biggest bummer of the night would have to be the cocktails. I was getting ready to down myself silly with their Selangor Sling (one of the best cocktails EVER!) but it was not served! And when Sidney arrived around 10-ish, the only drinks available were beer. Boo hoo! How could they run out of champagne and cocktails before the official end of the event?

Because i was still hungry after the thingamajig, we dropped by the Asian Heritage Row for some good ol' char koey teow. And that, plus the great company, made the whole night worthwhile...

Minority Over Majority

It is official. The time for change has come. Obama is America's 44th President. And for the icing on the cake, he will also be the first black US president ever!

Picture courtesy of flickr

It has been such a long ride. First it was the neck to neck battle with Clinton. Then came the Obama vs McCain thingamajig and now, everything is over and boy, what a sweet victory! I am probably the last person you should ever talk to about politics but i have been waiting for this day when i first found out that he's running for presidency.

I live in a country where as much as some would like to think is very harmonious, we are far from it. Try being a minority here and you will know what it feels like. So i am very happy to see that Obama has triumphed and i have to give credit to the Americans for finally stepping out of their comfy zone to make a change.

I believe that this man will give America better days. I believe that this man truly understands his people. I believe that this man will not cast the minorities aside but give them all the benefits as are given to the majorities.

But as much as i (and most of America) heart him, i guess it's now time to see if he can walk the talk...

I Saw The Invisible Man

When i was still in high school, he told me that the hardest thing he ever had to do was to look me in the eyes and tell me that he doesn't love me. Of course, he told millions of other girls the same thing too.

And now after SO MANY years, i finally got my chance to meet him when an sms from Quattro told me that Jeff Timmons - my fave member from now-defunk 98 Degrees - will be in town for a show.

After all the hoohah i read and heard about Quattro, i was pretty excited to experience the vibe. And together with Karen, off we went to get a taste of the four seasons. But except for the interior design, appropriate cover charge, the ice room in the winter section and their VERY good music (R&B on Fridays, pop on Saturdays), i don't really see what the big deal is about.



There is NO dance floor and that is a humongous pooper for me! Where am i supposed to get jiggy with the beat? And where would all the hanky panky flirtatious moves happen?

Well, at least they have Jeff to make up for that flaw. The night kicked off pretty excitingly. While being blur and asking waitresses which section of the club Jeff's show will be, i noticed that the man himself was standing in front of my eyes, right behind Karen! We got so star-struck that we just looked at each other and let him walked off without even managing to say hi. Damn, i need better reflexes...



The show itself was okay but whoever who organised Jeff's performance definitely has more homework to do. I don't know why they even thought of alternating his performance with the usual club hits. So we basically saw him coming on stage for one song, then leaving for 15 minutes or so before returning for another song and leaving again. I think that basically eliminated the chances for him to really connect with the audience and build the mood that he wanted to set.



The sound system was not really good either. The music overpowered his voice leaving us with an almost lip-sync-ish performance. Sadly, the crowd was also not working in Jeff's favour. Most of them barely even knew who he was and many simply didn't care. It is such a pity because he's got an amazing voice and an even more amazing falsetto that can be put to good use. If only they would listen...



He really tried to work the crowd but not to much avail. This was the night when i realised that to be a celebrity ain't an easy job as well. He has the looks, the voice but unfortunately, not the luck. And when Lady Luck is not on your side, get ready for a bumpy ride.

What I ended up seeing after the show, was a rather pissed off (and i'm guessing disappointed) Jeff but all that was graciously put aside when we met. What a sweetheart...

Well, whatever it is, he's still got the voice and don't even get me started on his body! Who would have thought that after 10 years, i finally got to meet the man who once adorned my bedroom wall?