mainestage

Couple & Pet Photography: Siok Oon + Desmond + Rollie

2012-01-30T10:30:00.000+08:00

Yay! Another great photography session with two lovers-Siok Oon and Desmond and their beloved Toy Poodle named Rollie :)

I absolutely love this photo! Reminds me of Simba being presented to the animal kingdom, lol.

"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." by Immanuel Kant

With Siok Oon and Desmond as his owners, Rollie is one proud pup :)

I love photography sessions of such. You don't need to dress up too much; put on too much makeup; spend time changing different styles of clothes (Rollie is an exception!)... All you need is each other and the laughter you bring upon each other :)

More photos here: www.facebook.com/jasemainegan

Choose To Be Happy!

2012-01-27T18:56:00.003+08:00

Aww man... it's approaching the end of Friday already! This Chinese New Year is pretty special in its own ways... I enjoyed every moment of it :) I'm hoping that I'll get the chance to watch a Lion Dance performance and 'lou sang' soon!

I've been thinking of something lately, it's not something that we like to hear; true words are harder to swallow but it is essential for us to embrace truth.

So this is what I've been thinking: We're all counting down to the day we leave Earth; the day where we go back to our Creator or Nirvana or the place or state that you believe in. Whatever it is, one day we have to go.

When the time comes, who do you want most at your side? The people that you love and those who loves you back, of course. Nothing else matters anymore. Not your Apple computer, Rolex, Porsche, Gucci etc. Material things will not take care of you when you're sick and they certainly don't provide you with moral support when times are down. The most they do is make you look good (or rich) and feel good.

I said it too many times, that I treasure human relationship more than anything else. My family, my life partner, his family, my friends, and the people that come and go in my life.

I sometimes wonder why people do not cherish their loved ones as much as they need to. We often get caught up in the moment; become obsessed over a material item; always look at what people have but never come to realize what you have that others don't have, etc etc etc. I admit I use to be a victim of these bad emotions; allowing them to eat me alive; allowing them to dictate me.

Not anymore, and life has been great since. Sure, there'll be the down days where nothing feels right, but like what they say, 'just suck it up, grit your teeth and keep pushing it through'. You'll eventually come through.

So today, let me remind you to look at the good things in life. Time is short so don't waste your energy focusing on negativity. Be happy. Every step that you take; every decision that you make, it's your choice. You decide. Don't let your emotions control you. You control them. Show them who's the boss.

Because ultimately, when you're happy, you influence everyone around you to be happy. Isn't' that a great thing to do? :D

Quickie Update

2012-01-17T22:03:00.000+08:00

I've been down with a very bad flu (I think the virus is spreading around) and just recovered from it. Apart from that, I've been super busy with both Very Imaginative People and Target Marketing. Between the busy, busy time, I try to slot in a few photoshoots and personal projects. Unfortunately, no time for songwriting :( Something which I'm trying so damn hard these days, to write a song. Heck, I don't even have proper time to update this blog!

So here's an attempt for a quick blog update :)

哥哥 is in Finland right now. Aww man just imagining being pulled by a herd of Huskies on snow is just awesome. I wish I was there!!!! But obviously I can't because I'm still very broke from my trip to UK :\ I wonder where I can travel to this year...

This picture was sent by him via Whatsapp. Look at the amount of snow! Looks like creamy vanilla ice cream... mmm...

Good friends Sh'n and Pou got engaged recently. I must say it's an incredible feeling to watch two complete strangers meet, be friends, fall in love, and get married! It was also my first time being witness to a real live proposal. When Pou walked in the restaurant and Sh'n burst out crying, I was really holding back my tears because my mission was to capture the proposal on video. The one regret I had was that it didn't occur to me that I should have brought a video light. I forgotten the restaurant's lighting is dim... but I guess the best and most meaningful 'footage' will be both Sh'n and Jie's personal memory of the night :)

Next!

Came across a very meaningful pin the other day. Thought I'd share it with you :)

This quote reminds me fondly of Sandy from Sandy's Villa-Santorini, Greece. Sandy, the super warm and friendly owner has a slogan of her own. She always says 'Make the best!', which in her words meant 'make the best out of everything!' Simple words, yet it means so much.

Chinese New Year is just a few days away! I can't wait! I feel so excited :) I don't have anything planned but I just feel happy thinking about Chinese New Year. I also feel bad that I didn't help Mom with the cleaning... *guilty laughs*

Till the next blog entry!

Couple Photography: Heppy + Mindy

2012-01-07T12:12:00.000+08:00

Remember this couple?

The minute the photoshoot started, they were just doing their thing-emitting love and affection for each other. It's as though I wasn't there! I rarely come across clients who completely ignores the camera and photographer, lol!

Heppy and Mindy, they make the perfect couple.

I love shoes/foot shots :)

I love the way Heppy is beaming here. He looks like the proudest and luckiest guy on Earth! Which he is of course :)

Love is also about taking it easy, and being goofy at times.

Love is about, being the perfect gentleman to your girl.

Every couple is different. The way they kiss, they way they touch and hold each other... it's just wonderful to be able to witness the different type of chemistry between couples.

Heppy and Mindy, thank you so much for being so crazy in love and allowing me to document this phase of your lives together!

Bye 2011, Hello 2012

2011-12-31T21:36:00.000+08:00

Wow, the final day of 2011 has arrived. Time passes by so, so fast.

2011 started off with sending my beloved grandfather to Heaven. It was my first year without both my Ah Gong and Mama. I love this photo of them... happily laughing together... I'm glad I captured this moment. I can't ask for a better grandparents :)

2011 is also the year that I start taking baby steps back into songwriting.

I participated in Julie's Biscuit movement called "Share the Love". It was my first time back to the recording studios after a long, long time. I miss the feeling of the recording booth, the crisp clean smell of the recording studio, and looking at cool equipments.

2011 was also the year I finally realized a little dream of mine to teach/lecture, officially. I remember the day when I walked in the class and got mistaken as a student, lol. It was a great experience. Such a great feeling to meet and mingle with young people. Some has even become a friend. I miss them! :)

Performed at Live@The Actors Studio. It's been ages since I last performed at a singer songwriters gig :) I shared the stage with these talented songwriters!

Handled the renovation of the office cum training space. Turning this...

Into this!

I love this place very much. I remember clearly how each and every item in this office is selected, purchased, assembled etc etc etc... The amount of work poured into this 500sqft+ office is overwhelming... I can't imagine setting up my future home o_O Teamwork and patience is key.

One of the most impromptu and greatest things that happen this year, was the travel (which reminds me... I've yet updated about the travel log)! I flew to Manchester to meet my brother. It was like a, "Hey why don't you come over?" to which I replied, "OK!" and got to the flight bookings... The timing was nice so everything went smooth, except the glitch on the day of flight! Gege brought me around Manchester, then we traveled to London, Santorini-Greece, Scotland then back to Manchester before heading back to KL. Four incredible place in two short weeks. One AWESOME experience.

2011 was also the year the girls and I FINALLY went on a road trip. It was a very simple yet memorable getaway with the girls. Check out the video I made to commemorate this special outing, lol.

Other highlights of my 2011:

- I achieve an impossible. Looking back at my folders, I shot a total of 58 shoots this year! Which includes, wedding, couple, family, pets and events. The past few months was HECTIC, but it was a great challenge. Photos will be shared via this blog and my Facebook Page, so do keep a look out :)

- My role model, Steve Jobs passed away.

- Handled VIP's biggest event since we introduced advertising and creative solutions in our service offerings in July 2011. Together with power PR lady Erin and intern Man Man, we rocked our role in We R Malaysia-There is Hope, the Musical. Mind you, we did it all in two weeks. TWO weeks! What an insane thing to do, but we did it :)

2011 is the year I rediscovered myself. With the help of my loved ones, I realized that it is essential for me to prioritize. In the beginning of the year, I was really lost; I didn't know what to do; what I was good at; what I should do... So I ended up doing a little bit of everything. As a result, I was even more lost... To add to that, I wasted precious time.

Since then, I've learnt to let go of things and focus on what matters. Slowly but surely, the path ahead is clearer than ever.

I'm thankful for all the good and bad events that happened in 2011. It helped me filter off what I should let go, and what to hang on to :)

So here's wishing everyone a healthy and happy 2012!

First Year Without You

2011-12-30T09:30:00.002+08:00

Ah Gong,

How's everything? Things have not been the same since you left one year ago. I remember the moment I saw you resting in peace, I couldn't control my emotions. Relieved to know you're finally free, painful to know that I will not be seeing you anytime soon.

When I visited gege in UK this June, during a train ride back to Manchester from London, gege and I had the same thought that you and mama were with us on the train. I imagined the both of you, sitting on top of the train, watching the world go by...

I'll always remember the way you dress. Always smartly dressed. A crocodile collared shirt, black slacks, belt and with a key chain hung to your belt. Not forgetting the part where you'll always pick your teeth with a toothpick. You know what? I remember the time when we were in the van, on a journey to let your ashes off to the sea, suddenly I noticed there is a toothpick stuck on the headrest on the seat in front of me. I paused for while. That moment froze for a while. Well, I don't know if its put there by someone else, but I just had a feeling it was you.

Did you know? I shot a total of 58-photoshoots this year! It's really exhausting... but every time I photograph, I remember you and immediately, my energy and game face will be back on track. Photography is my way of honoring you.

I can never thank you and mama enough for being the greatest grandparents. I thank God for the both of you.

Have fun traveling around the world and universe with mama!

Love,

Maine

"Jingu Bell, Jingu Bell, Jingu All The Way..."

2011-12-25T09:50:00.003+08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

I woke up at 6:45 this morning to wash and clean the car, filled it up with petrol and filled the tyre with air, because Papa and mommy will be traveling back to Kulim later to attend my cousin's wedding dinner.

To be honest, I'm not really feeling the Christmasy mood yet; super neutral now. Maybe life has been too busy, or maybe I've grown out of it (NooOooo!!!).

Anyway, here's a Christmas song I wrote a couple of years back ago. Performed with Yise, Anna, Ah Be, Max, Shan Pei, Kenny... They're all talented singer songwriters, I feel honored to have them singing this song with me. Music arrangement is by Karen, and produced by Abraham Tee.

Here's wishing you a great Christmas!

Christina Perri - A Thousand Years

2011-12-23T02:30:00.000+08:00

Papa loves to watch YouTube videos, especially during Sundays, he loves to blast his iMac's speakers while he works. The songs that he listens to, the music video he watches, I tell you, makes me feel so embarrassed. Why? Because I don't know half of the songs he listens to! I feel like our age has been switched somehow.

Looking at the YouTube videos he shares on his Facebook: Alexandra Stan - Mr. Saxo Beat, LMFAO - Sexy and You Know It, T-Pain - 5 O'clock ft. Wiz Khalifa and Lily Allen (who the hell is T-Pain?!), Flo Rida - Good Feeling etc etc... o_O

The other day, I overheard a song that he was watching on YouTube, and I casually asked him:

Me: "What song is that?"

Papa: "Christina Perri"

Me: "Song title?"

Papa: "A Thousand Years"

Me: "OK"

The song has been looping non-stop in my head. What a beautiful song, and my dad is cool :)

All I Want for Christmas Is...

2011-12-22T12:36:00.000+08:00

OK... Xmas is just around the corner and I've yet started on my Christmas shopping :(

Since I still don't have an idea on what to buy for others, why not list down the things that I want at the meantime? I know it's impossible to get these things anytime soon but... it's nice to think about it lah, lol :)

So, these are the babies on my drool-list:

Canon 50mm F1.2 Lens

Canon 85mm F1.2 Lens

Any type of Shoulder Mount for my Canon 5DMKII-for video recording purpose

Lavalier Microphone for Canon 5DMKII video recording

In fact, any HDSLR solution will be fine :D

Or another 580EXII Flash. I'm into off-camera flash photography recently.

OK, since we're already on the list, let's make this the ultimate wishlist!

BMW 6-Series *pants* Just look at this beauty...

I think, that's it for now. Will update this wishlist from time to time. Kind of a nice way to remind myself to WORK HARDER in order to achieve these materialistic, evil things... lol lol...

Celebrating X'mas VIP Style

2011-12-21T14:04:00.001+08:00

Organized a mini Xmas lunch celebration at Joseph's Kitchen the other day. I wanted to take the opportunity to thank Erin, Man Man, Ooi and Parry properly for the help and support they've given VIP in the past project.

It's been ages since I last exchanged Xmas gift! It was such a nice, sweet feeling to give a gift, and receive one in return :) Food at Joseph's Kitchen was great, as usual. I personally had a simple yet excellent time with them, just eating and talking and laughing...

It was also during the lunch that we got to know Parry is a B-boy! I'm kinda into hip hop dance + freestyle + B-boy stuff etc these days (er, I like watching people dance, not that I dance ya. I wish I could though), no thanks to Astro's Battleground and 8TV's Showdown. Man Man said Parry will gladly perform for us, to which Parry promptly obliged and even changed into his dancing gear right after lunch! It was definitely a first time for Erin and I... that someone is willing to dance live for us! We chose one of the overhead bridge at Publika... and Parry did his thing. Awesome... *beams*

Thanks once again to Erin, Man Man, Ooi and Parry!

Family Photography: Diong + Ari + Aidan + Kayla

2011-12-08T14:24:00.000+08:00

Within the first five minutes of meeting Diong, she said to me, "You look like you really enjoy what you're doing". I was quite surprised by her comment. I never expected anyone to say that to me, what more a stranger... I felt touched, because it seems that my passion has radiated through my personality. It's a humbling experience.

Diong is the type of client where I feel I've known her for a long time. She was so easy to talk to. She was opened to suggestions and most importantly, she trusted me. Like their mom, Ari, Aidan and Kayla were full of life. I really enjoyed photographing them. Hopefully 10 years down the road, when the three musketeers has all grown up, they will look back at these images and reminisce the day when they had a great time with mom at a park (with a weird jie jie following and photographing them). It was a pity though, that Diong's hubby couldn't make it for the shoot as he was caught up in work. Hopefully there'll be an opportunity for me to photograph them in the near future :)

Diong also left me a very sweet testimonial, which I'd like to share with you:

"She takes beautiful professional shots and with her warm friendly nature, my kids took to her pretty quickly and like i told her.. she really looked like she was enjoying herself...

... Her easy-going nature and patience made us feel at ease unlike some who you feel just wanna 'get the session over with' - none of that with Jasemaine...

... Definitely wanna use her again!! Overall experience with Jasemaine was 10/10."

Thanks so much, Diong, Ari, Aidan and sweet little Kayla, for allowing me to photograph one of the moments of your life together.

My 27th Birthday

2011-12-06T15:26:00.001+08:00

All photos are taken with my iPhone 4 (apart from the first two images).

My 27th birthday came and went by in a flash. It was simple yet memorable. On 12 November, my Uni gang and I had buffet at Sheraton Imperial Hotel. We bought the deal from one of the group buying site... and I must say it is a good deal. The spread was really good. And unlike normal hotel food, the food was genuinely delicious :)

The girls even made me a special "cake", out of some dessert... Isn't this cool?

On my birthday eve, I walked into my first few hours of being 27th in Signature Gardens with Boonyee. Damn nice lah, the cinema. Love the space and comfort... it's icing on the cake to have Jacob the hunky werewolf celebrate my 27th, heee heee.

On my actual birthday, I went to work. The night before, Erin said she wants to see me to discuss about some new business prospects. I reached the office at 9:30am. First thought? "How come the doors are closed? Isn't Man Man here yet?" After I opened the doors, my second thought, "WALAO the air-cond is not switched off???!" so I turned my head towards the air-condition switch, and that's when I heard sounds from my right side. In a flash, I saw two shadows and one candle light, they were both singing and I could hear myself scream "OH MY GODDDDD!" I swear my heart stopped beating for a while! So there they were, both Erin and Man Man holding a mooncake with a candle singing me the birthday song. Yes, you read that right, a mooncake. How Erin manage to get a mooncake in this season itself is intriguing. After the fright of my life, the two girls took me for breakfast at Joseph's Kitchen (great food by the way). They were so sweet to make me a hand made card and flower bouquet too! That really made my morning :)

After that, I had a great lunch with papa and mommy. Actually the food wasn't nice (our first time at Bangsar Seafood Restaurant) and it certainly is overpriced... but I really felt happy to have lunch with them. My birthday is not only a celebration for me, it's a celebration for my parents too :)

After work, Boonyee picked me up and we drove around. Without any plan in hand, we eventually found ourselves at Victoria's Station. It was my first time there. First impression? There were more staffs than diner there... I felt a lil' intimidated, lol. Anyway, we I really liked the starter, which was caviar!! Cheh wah so glamorous... another first time for me, tasting caviar. It goes really well with raw onion, eggs and crunchy toast :)

For my present, I specifically requested for three things from him: a hand-written card, Jay Chou's latest album in a box or hand-wrapped. I was really, really happy when I got the present, especially the message he wrote in the card. Very touched... see, simple things like these makes my day :)

Last but not least, Boonyee's family got me a super nice cake! And that, was the perfect beginning to my 27th year on Earth :)

让我回味的米粉糕

2011-11-29T13:55:00.001+08:00

I've not had home-made mee hoon kueh for the longest time. The only person that has cooked mee hoon kueh for me is Mama.

Yesterday, when Boonyee's mom informed the family (via Whatsapp!) that she'll be cooking mee hoon kueh for dinner, I felt really excited inside. Not too sure why then, but I was looking forward to dinner.

It was really, really good. It deserves a 'gourmet mee hoon kueh' status!

I'm still thinking about it today. Partly because it's really delicious; another part is because it reminds me of Mama. It's a heartwarming feeling...

I kinda regret not learning how to cook her signature dishes when she was still around though. But I think, as long as I keep her in my heart, I'll be able to cook up something good too :)

PS: Thanks Aunty for always cooking great meals!

Twenty Seven!

2011-11-25T02:46:00.001+08:00

Another year older and hopefully wiser.

I'm happy that I'm still alive today; happy to know that I've been blessed with another year. At the same time, a lil afraid as time seems to pass by so quickly.

Strangely, this is my first time feeling nonchalant on my birthday eve. Perhaps it's because of the work load? Deep down inside, I still wished I could celebrate my birthday like I'm three years old; with loads of people, balloons, cake, presents, noise, music and without any worries or thoughts lingering at the back of my mind. I've always loved celebrating birthdays because it's the day you commemorate your arrival to the world; the beginning of a journey. And because it's the one day you feel extra special...

My 26th year on Earth was quite a tough and challenging one:

I've lost both my beloved grandpa and grandma in the beginning of the year.

Got lost in terms of career, but found my way back onto the right path eventually.

Started to let go of some things and dreams in order to make way for new opportunities. It's difficult to let go, but it's something I have to do, and presently feel it's the right thing to do.

Discovered new things about myself... and changed perspectives along the way.

On my 27th year on Earth, I will continue to pray for good health and happiness, for you and me :)

You... Korean or Japanese? No, I'm Malaysian.

2011-11-24T10:42:00.001+08:00

I get that some times. People would ask if I'm Korean or Japanese.

Anyway, that's not what I want to blog about.

Those who knows me well, knows I always blog or facebook comment things about Malaysia. At home, topics revolve around Malaysia as well. I am one very concerned Malaysia. Like any other true Malaysians, we love Malaysia because she is beautiful and safe to live in, but we're frustrated about how it is being managed and taken advantage of.

Some choose to leave Malaysia behind, and start afresh in a new country, because they're tired of fighting and waiting. Some choose to stay behind, because they believe things will change.

That's the reason why I'm involved in a musical now. A musical? What's being a Malaysian gotta do with a musical you may ask.

This musical is unique because it addresses a current situation in Malaysia, which is talents leaving Malaysia for good.

There must be a reason why you left Malaysia. There must be a reason why you stayed in Malaysia.

Whatever reasons they are, don't lose hope yet. Malaysia is too good to be given up, don't you think so?

No admission fee. If you'd like to attend, please give me your name and I'll reserve the tickets for you. Collect it before the musical. As easy as that.

The musical is organized by a Non Profit and Non Government Organization called Persatuan Perintis Bina Negara (PPBN).

More updates and photos here: facebook.com/wrmmusical2011

Naturally In Love...

2011-11-17T11:59:00.001+08:00

I'm still in the midst of sorting out Heppy and Mindy's images... but I can't help to post up a teaser image. Simply because they're super natural in front of the camera. It's as though I'm invisible... They were unbashful about showing their love for each other, which I think is super cool and very rare these days.

Thanks Heppy and Mindy, for reminding me to love without holding back.... to love without giving a damn about the world... because at the end of the day... it's about you and your better half; not anyone else.

Cheers!

More to come here: facebook.com/jasemainegan

My First Year Without You

2011-11-13T11:09:00.001+08:00

Mama,

已经一年了。我一年没见到你了。一年没听到你的声音了。一年就这样过了。

自从你走了，我没有一天是不想你的。

有时候想起你，我会哭得很惨。。。崩溃。心是痛到无法形容。想念一个人，却不能见到那个人，是很痛苦得一件事。

比较理智的时候，或在外的时候，当我想起你，心会沉一下。其它的事物其实都不重要了，都不困难了。因为没有什么比想念你却不能见到你更困难。。。真的。

当遇到不愉快的事情。。。我多么的希望能够到你的家去。。。because you make me ok.

Thank you, Mama and Ah Gong, for letting me experience a different kind of love. Grandparents' love... Because of you, I want my future children to be able to experience love from their grandparents too. Thank you for watching me grow up and showering me with love. I'm sure you're having a great time traveling around the world, the universe and Heaven.

I love you. I love you. I love you. I miss you...

From,

Maine-Maine

Doing What I Love

2011-11-09T12:16:00.001+08:00

Today, just five minutes into meeting each other for the first time, my client said to me, "You look like you really enjoy what you're doing".

That was sweet :)

Photography isn't my full-time job (I wished though), but in everything I do, be it songwriting, work, family, love and all, when I do it, I always want to do it full heartedly; I'd always want to do it with the right heart and mind.

I'm glad my passion for photography was noticed today. I'm glad it shined through my personality.

I have setup a Facebook Page to share more images and (hopefully) songwriting works. Nothing fancy, just a simple page with pictures of the nice people that I meet, lovely families, adorable pets and couples in love. I hope you'll continue to enjoy this blog and my new sharing place at Facebook.

Cheers!

[Sneak Preview] Pet Photography: Tata

2011-11-07T22:37:00.000+08:00

Tata: "What chiu looking at?? Hmm??? Never seen a dog in a bee outfit and shoes before?"

Meet Buddy!

2011-11-01T13:19:00.000+08:00

Buddy is a Goldie pup, and true to its breed, Buddy is full of life and full of smiles... it's very apparent that he brings tremendous joy to his parents Gerald and Pui Yan :)

If he could talk, he'll be saying "Hey!!!! Hey you!! Wanna play??"

Mommy Pui Yan adores her lil pup...

Approaching the end of the session, Buddy lay quietly next to his pops and mama.

A close up of Buddy's puppy paw.

Look at Gerald and Pui Yan beaming with pride when Buddy completed the obstacle course!

For more images, drop by my Facebook page @ facebook.com/jasemainegan

Travel Log: Santorini Day One Part One

2011-10-19T15:20:00.000+08:00

Finally! My travel log about Santorini begins!

After a good night rest, I woke up with such excitement! I remember rushing to the door, opening it and went OH.MY.GOD. I was staring at the hugest mountain I've ever seen right in front of me. I was in awe!!!!! My heart literally skipped a thousand beats :)

The sun was very very strong though, but who cares! I just pop on my sunnies and enjoy a glass of vitamin C gege made for me outdoors. Ahhh, this is life :)

This is the unit we were staying in. I super love the architecture.

While walking towards the main entrance. Land, land and more land...

This is the view from the main entrance:

We decided to have our first breakfast at Sandy's Cafe:

I tell you, her bacon omelets is to die for. OHHHH I MISS IT SO MUCH!!! I also love her toast/bread... super light and fluffy on the inside, and crunchy on the outer layer. Topped it up with a generous amount of Lurpak butter, ooooh, heaven :) I'm not joking.

After a hearty breakfast, we decided to roam the streets. This is the mountain right outside of Sandy's Villa. The wind at Santorini is super strong... Now if you notice the mountain, there's a portion that it's caved in?

There's a small white chapel smack right in the mountain! The following is the zoomed-in image. I really wonder how they built it. So very interesting.

Before our trip to Santorini, Gege booked a car via email. The booking system was super simplified. Just a few emails saying "I want to book a car from when to when", and the person-in-charged replied, "OK we'll be there on when and what time". When we were waiting at Sandy's Villa, Gege did said he was worried that the car rental company wouldn't show up. But after a while, a handsome, neatly dressed chap appeared prepared with documents and credit card terminal thinggy. Signed the relevant documents and he took us to the car parked right outside of Sandy's Villa. I can't remember how much was the rental, but it was definitely way cheaper than what Olympics Travel were offering. There's also alot of car rental companies around Sandy's Villa area so you can always rent a car when you arrive. No worries at all.

So the first place we went to with the car? Perissa Beach. Only 5-minutes away from Sandy's Villa. You can also opt to walk to Perissa Beach.

Now one thing I'd like to point out about beaches in Santorini, is that these beaches are not meant for sunbathing at all. Why? Because they are volcanic rocks.

Pebbles, rocks, you name it. Unless you're hulk or the Thing from Fantastic Four, you wouldn't enjoy lying on these beaches.

But the ocean, man... now I know why they call it the deep blue sea. It's amazingly blue!

Snack by Perissa beach:

The food here is uber awesome by the way! Been pigging away for the entire trip!

Next up: Sunset Cruise :)

The Passing of a Genius

2011-10-09T08:04:00.000+08:00

I still can't fathom why a product, a supposedly hard cold, lifeless, commercial, meant-to-only-suck-your-blood item can make such an impact to billions of people. I still can't understand how Steve Jobs did it. The magnitude of his influence is ginormous. This phenomenon is so rare and great to witness...

When I woke up and saw my friend's Facebook status, I quickly navigated to apple.com and there he was, his black and white portrait with his sharp and piercing eye staring back at me. My heart dropped. It's real. "Steve Jobs. 1955-2011".

When I was 18 years old, fresh out of high school, I started to take an interest in songwriting. This little innocent discovery soon turned into an obsession, I just wanted to write and write and get my songs heard. That's when I started to look around for a recording software. During then, home recording was still a very, very new concept. I remember trying one or two supposedly great recording softwares, but I also remember that upon launching the software, I stared at it for a while, and it stared back coldly at me, as though challenging and mocking me, "so you think you can handle me, little girl??!". I clicked one or two buttons, and I quit the software. Too complicated. Too intimidating.

I considered enrolling myself for courses, but since the fees were quite expensive, I skipped the thought.

One day, papa and I were in Midvalley and we were surveying around for recording softwares and systems. No luck, until we passed by a shop called 'Gallant' or something, something that pulled us into the shop. The sales person, I still remember his name till now, Ben, asked what we were looking for and we told him that we're looking for a system that'll allow me to make music. I think all in all, in less than 15-minutes of so, we walked out of the shop with an iBook G4 and Garageband software (it was sold separately at that time). That was my first step into the Apple kingdom. It's true, once you go Mac, you won't go back.

Two days before Steve Jobs passing, I was having a drink with papa and his industry friend at a mamak near factory. Papa was going on and on and on about how Apple is incredible and how wonderful the iPad is. He kept encouraging his friend to buy one. Sitting next to him 'pitching' Apple to his clueless friend, suddenly I felt so touched and proud. It's just the feeling of someone believing in what you believe in... and wanting to share that 'discovery' with another person (wow, Apple is a cult!).

The very reason why I started VIP in the first place... wanting to continue sharing the goodness of Mac and how it makes your life easier.

Many people commented how he was a tyrant and all. But c'mon people, if he wasn't like that, do you think Apple would have become what it is today? Definitely not :)

Tough Times, Good Times

2011-10-04T00:57:00.000+08:00

I have to admit. These few weeks been a tough for me in terms of my career. Everything just wasn't right. Everything just wasn't working out. At times, I feel lost. Other times, I felt jaded.

After some time, naturally the dark clouds get blown away and the sun the rainbow the birds the deers the rabbits and basically everything Disney-like prances back into the picture, and everything is well again.

Throughout this time, I was reminded of a few things: Focus on the people and matters that are truly important and meaningful. Set priorities and do things one at a time. Talk things out, even though it hurts at first-just like how Boonyee told me I can't dance. That comment stung at first, but who am I kidding? I'm a log! I do the robot dance the best! Laugh things off. Smile more. Say good things.

Just a while ago, I saw this on Facebook and honestly, I felt like the proudest person alive. Happiness is simple... like this for instance, it's when you know your ex-students still thinks of you :)

Personal Project: AM in the City

2011-09-27T09:00:00.000+08:00

I've been wanting to do this concept for the longest time, but never had the time and right person to work with. Thanks to my ex-student Tania, she was able to rope in her room mate MuiDiang as the talent. I couldn't ask for a more suitable model :)

I also used the opportunity to mentor Tania. A budding photographer, she definitely took great shots that day.

The concept of this shoot is 'a random morning of a strong, independent lady living in the city'. I wanted to feature the subject's feminine side, youthfulness, and kawaii-factor with a tinge of sexiness.

All photos are Straight-Out-Of-Camera (SOOC), except for the second image where I turned it into black & white. The three of us really had fun that morning... it was such a relaxing shoot. I'm super pleased with the outcome as it's more than what I had in mind!

Thanks Tania and MuiDiang, I couldn't have done this without you.

BFF Portraiture: Priscilla & Adeline

2011-09-15T12:08:00.000+08:00

It was my first time photographing friends portrait. Normally, it's couple, family and pets. It was also my first time riding in a zebra pattern pick up truck, going through an airport custom without stopping, and photographing at a hangar. I felt very cool that day. All I needed was an aviator sunglasses :)

Anyway, Priscilla and Adeline are best of friends. I'm very honored to be able to photograph their friendship. Hopefully 20 years down the road, they'll look through this set of photographs with their children with the same loud laughters and vibrant characters.

Travel Log: From London To Santorini

2011-09-09T10:04:00.000+08:00

Images are from both Canon 5DMKII and iPhone 4.

Back in KL, when I was still planning the trip with gege over the phone, he asked me whether I wanted to visit the lavender farm in France or Santorini, Greece. Though I've long to see a lavender farm, but my reasoning were, he has already visited France so many times, and I wanted us all to go to a place where we've never been before. So Santorini it was :)

What Plane/Airport to Go To:

At London Victoria Station, we took the Gatwick Express to Gatwick Airport, London. If you're traveling in group, please buy the group ticket for Gatwick express train to the airport terminal.

London Victoria Station, London

London Victoria Station is pet-friendly. You'll see dogs (with leash) everywhere. And people make themselves comfortable just about anywhere. In Malaysia, if you sit in the middle of the station, people will either think you're a beggar or plain crazy.

At the Gatwick Airport, London, we headed for Tor Air check-in counter. I've never heard of the airline before, so I was a tad bit worried.

Quick Review of Tor Air Charter Plane:

It was the smallest plane I've ever flown in. Feels so much smaller than Fireflyz. Three seats on the left, narrow walk way and another three seats on the right. The cockpit was super short. There were only two cabin crew. One is young, and the senior was, well, really senior. She's probably around 50 years old? She was super though, it was as if she's the captain of the ship :) The cabin crew was very courteous. It was a smooth flight from take-off to landing. No air turbulence or anything.

The plane was so small that the cabin crew had to keep their stuff in the passenger's overhead compartment LOL

Tor Air Flight Experience:

To be honest, I was completely ok with the plane. The leg space was sufficient and the seats can be reclined. However, there's this huge family... we call them the family-from-hell. In the short three hours flight, they could yap non-stop from take-off till landing. Imagine a mom talking loudly to her babies NON STOP, babies whining and playing NON STOP, toddlers playing and kicking seats NO STOP... truly un-bearable. I cannot understand why some people are so inconsiderate :( Apparently that huge family was gonna attend a wedding in Santorini. We were praying that we won't be staying in the same hotel later...

Minus off the family-from-hell, the flight with Tor Air was smooth and comfortable

Flight Duration:

It was a three hour+ flight from London to Santorini.

At Santorini Airport

Upon landing in Santorini, it was close to midnight local time. It was dark so visibility was very low. The 'airport' was super basic. But but BUT! The custom officer, or rather a police officer was SUPER HOT. He's a young man, great hair, wearing a white t-shirt with 'Police' word across it. He had some chains and gun holder thinggy around his waist. The three of us were the last to get the stamp on our passport so once he's done, he walked out the booth and oh my god, Carmen and I were like, 'WAH THE POLICEMAN HERE SO HOT ONE!'

After behaving like teenagers meeting their idols (me and Carmen only. Gege was just rolling his eyes), we were greeted by reps from Olympic Holidays travel agency. We were then asked to get on a bus. Before going up the bus, saw a girl patting a huge white dog. Never seen this breed before but it was soooo nice. It kept rubbing his head towards the girl, so sweet :) I'd love to have that dog as mine.

The bus ride journey from the airport to our hotel was probably around 10-15 minutes. Everything was pitch black outside so I couldn't see anything at all.

Sandy's Villa-Our Home in Santorini

Finally, when we arrived at Sandy's Villa, we were brought to our respective rooms. Again, everything apart from Sandy's Villa was pitch black. I saw two dots of red light in a distance though... but couldn't make anything out of it. I'll reveal what's this in the next post. Suspense, suspense :)

After putting down our bags in the room, we went to the pool side and had a snack. Sandy and her super adorable son-Vengelis was there to serve us. She was very very kind to us throughout the entire trip.

Anyway, that's all for this post. The following posts on Santorini is not to be missed. I had the time of my life there and would like to share info and images with you. Stay tuned!

Roadtrip to Cherating [HD Trailer]

2011-09-05T22:30:00.000+08:00

So the girls and I went on our very first all-girls only roadtrip. We've been talking about returning to Cherating for ages. The last time 'round, we were still innocent 19 year olds... :p Close to a decade later, we've finally fulfilled this little goal together.

To commerate this special outing, I've put together a small video of highlights during the trip.

Enjoy!

Old Timer

2011-09-05T00:00:00.000+08:00

I think the last time I had a Slurpee, it was way back in primary school, around the age of 8 or 9,

I forgot how fun it was to dispense the Slurpee into the cup :)

To keep the nostalgic moments rolling, the both of us hand-made our very own five stones. Ladies and gentlemen, it was my first time sewing. Yes, yes... at the age of 27, I've sewn something for the first time *bows*

Anyway, my first attempt was disastrous, but the second stone I made was perfect! Heeeheee...

We spent close to two hours sewing the stones and we finished the game in like, what, 10 minutes? Then we spent the next few minutes throwing the stone at each other and placing it on Bibi's head and body. The look on Bibi's face was classic.

Fun moments :)

Building a Nail Spa Empire

2011-09-02T21:30:00.000+08:00

Sereen, my high school friend, is the owner of HRH Nail Studio and Posh! Nail Spa.

Building a business is never easy, but she has managed to pull through, and now moving towards building a nail spa empire. What inspired her to venture into this business? How does she market and brand her business?

She's definitely an inspiration to all budding entrepreneur out there.

Pet Portraiture: Ai Vee + Henry + Maxxi + Toby

2011-09-01T10:25:00.005+08:00

Recently, the weather's rather gloomy and most of the time, it is overcast. I used to dread this type of weather condition, but as time goes by, I'm starting to love shooting in overcast weather! Love love love :)

I had the opportunity to photograph Ai Vee and Henry with their super adorable and well behaved pups-a Schnauzer name Maxxi and Toy Poodle name Toby. I've photographed a number of Toy Poodle and it was my first time shooting a Schnauzer. Schnauzer breed is definitely in my top list if I ever have the chance to own a dog :) So imagine how excited I was to photograph one (and play with it).

Apart from the four of them, I photographed Ai Vee's friend and their pup together as well. It was like a double-date-photography-outing kind of session. I'll blog them separately. Photographing three dogs and four adults is not easy feat... but what's life without a challenge right? :)

Here are some of my personal favorites from the shoot, enjoy!

Empire Soho, Subang

2011-08-25T14:35:00.008+08:00

Finally, Boonyee has received the keys to his Empire Soho! It was my first time visiting the place in person and I personally love the high ceiling and large window. I've always like the concept of soho... seems very cool and modern living. If this unit were mine, the first thing I'd change is the stairway's sides, into glass! Wooo! Not forgetting the hanging lights from the high ceiling... as though star lights... hmm...

Before I get carried away, the unit is available for rent! Only RM 2,000 per month (others are renting out for RM 2,400). Very suitable for small businesses e.g. creative or advertising agencies, music studio, photography studio, boutique shop, lawyer firm, accounting firm, dentist, consultancy firm etc, basically any service industry is welcome.

Move-in condition and easy access to Empire Mall and all the food & entertainment in the world :)

To view the unit or to know more, call Quah @ +6012-314 6400.

Basic facts:

- Freehold,

- 797sqft,

- Facing Wisma Consplant,

- 2-bathrooms and 1-bedroom,

- Tiled floor,

- Laminated wood flooring on upper floor and stairways.

Being a Kid Again

2011-08-24T16:39:00.001+08:00

Remember when you were young and you were drawing, painting, or making a doh castle? Remember that sense of calmness and peace in you? Like nothing else in the world matters...

Now that we're adults, why can't we still draw and paint and make doh castles? Art should be for everyone and anyone!

It doesn't matter if you're 20, 50 or 80 years old. Anyone can pick up a pencil and doodle. Unleash the 'child' in you. Let your imagination run free. It's such a great way to unwind and feel calm.

PS: Watch it in full HD1080p!

Remembering This

2011-08-18T18:20:00.006+08:00

We're gonna celebrate our five and a half years anniversary in a few days time. Time flies.

Today, I am thankful for a boyfriend who:

Smiles warmly at me even after I left him waiting for more than 2-hours alone.

Always play the movies I want to watch, and watch it with me. Always so willing and accommodating.

Fixes the things that I need it fixed.

Never fails to call me right after getting off work, and always keeping me informed of his whereabouts.

Natalie & Andrew

2011-08-16T10:47:00.000+08:00

Veronica, the bride's sister, booked me one year ago. Since day one, communication was done entirely through email and Facebook.

Fast forward to a year later, I finally met my client in person :)

Natalie and Andrew's beach wedding was really one of its kind; it was a display of rich culture, strong family ties, warm smiles and so much more. Words really can't describe this amazing wedding... I hope you'll enjoy these images as much as I do.

Random Sunday Note

2011-08-14T23:22:00.007+08:00

The past week has been simple yet memorable in every way.

Just so I don't forget about these simple pleasures in life, I'm gonna archive the events here, in no particular order:

Quick beach getaway with my favorite girls. It was our first road trip together. We had a very in-depth girls-talk/gossip session over chips and the best wine I've ever tasted-Brown Brothers Moscasto dessert wine! Played ping pong for the first time; flew a kite for the first time; lazed by the beach from 11am-5pm, got a tan that I didn't want, dipped my feet in the ocean and stoned, cycled on a quiet and scenic road, ventured into Terengganu for dinner...

Spent Saturday night with mom. Had a nice dinner with her. Just the two of us. Lazed at the couch and watch noisy Taiwanese TV programs with her. Gosh, I love my mom so much...

Feel blessed to have a papa that is so incredibly patient. He doesn't get crossed or annoyed or whatsoever even after I called him straight for more than 5 times in a row. He made sure that the car was checked and fixed up before the outstation drive.

Spent quality time with my man. Checked out surveillance camera for my office; spent some time at Ace Hardware shop; looked at bicycles; watched the BWF Championship and almost got a heart attack but got a heart ache instead (Datuk Lee, you fought well though, kudos!); felt sad for him that one of his best friend is leaving for Australia for good; impromptu car wash session; "I feel happy to hear that you had a good time with your friends"; "I feel so proud and lucky to have you"...

Little moments like these passes by easily... but I hope I'll never forget.

A Relationship Starts to Break Apart...

2011-08-05T12:08:00.001+08:00

1. When one person stops trying.

2. When both stops trying.

3. When there is no balance in giving and receiving love.

4. When one starts to question his/her self worth in the relationship.

5. When one feels there is no need to impress anymore.

6. When they forget that love is about making it work. Not just falling in love and la la la everything is beautiful. When someone hands you a seed, you've gotta water it and give it adequate sunshine and space in order for it to grow into a healthy tree. You've gotta work to keep that love burning. Not expect it to burn on its own.

7. When you start expecting him/her to do something for you. No one is supposed to do anything for anyone.

8. When you overlook the small details (which normally is super duper important) that matter.

9. When you harp on the other person's mistakes and make him/her feel terrible, when you should've given him/her all the support in the world. In short, don't kick shit or laugh into a friend's face when he/she is already in a shit hole. Pull him/her out from the crap hole. Help him/her clean off the mess. Help him/her back on their feet. AND PLEASE, don't say "I TOLD YOU SO". If you do that to me, "I. KILL. YOU!" (with Achmed the Dead Terrorist's voice)

10. When one is no longer trustworthy.

I remember watching an Entertainment News some time ago, and Donnie Yen was being interviewed on his secrets to a blissful marriage.

His answer was simple: "唔好计较咯" which means don't be calculative.

It's true. The only thing that you're supposed to count, is your blessings :)

Share the Love Mini Concert

2011-08-03T10:49:00.004+08:00

The Share the Love mini concert at Julie's HQ was quite an experience.

First of all, I've always wanted to perform with an acoustic band. I finally achieved this lil' dream here. A big shout out to my brother's childhood friend-CY, who played percussions, and Jesmond, who played the guitar. We only started practicing 2-days before the concert, by the way! If only the sound engineering of the gig was up to par, the performance would have been perfect. Nonetheless, what made it up was the crowd.

Now, the crowd... what can I say, they were just incredible. They were cheering, they were dancing, they were singing along. The energy throughout the gig was just mind-blowing.

When it was my turn to perform (last performance), it was around my favorite time of the day-sunset/dusk. Since my songs were a lil' more slow, I felt it was the perfect way to close the gig... filling the air with some feel-good vibe and romance :D

I even invited da boss-Mr Su and Mrs Su to dance while I perform Syurga di Bumi. They were so sporting! Bless them both. They're the most friendliest and down to earth people I've ever known.

Approaching the finale, the crowd even formed a human-train. And they were weaving in and out the crowd. So very cool.

The entire gig was just fun. I couldn't have smiled more that day :)

For more images of the concert, head over to Share the Love's FB page, there's loads over there!

The Most Fun Couple: Frances & Jason

2011-07-29T16:52:00.002+08:00

© Jasemaine Gan. Please do not distribute or re-publish contents of mainestage.blogspot.com without written permission.

Frances and Jason are by far the most fun couple I've ever shot. So full of life and laughter...

Deborah & Nicholas

2011-07-25T11:25:00.000+08:00

Note: This blog entry's images were taken with Sony A200.

Deborah and Nicholas's wedding reception in Malaysia was a wedding that displayed a tight-knit family bond. Relatives lend their helping hands throughout the big event and I think this made the wedding more personal and memorable for the couple.

Cheers, Deborah and Nicholas!

Travel Log: Machester to London

2011-07-13T16:00:00.005+08:00

When I first stepped out of Manchester Airport, my first reaction was, 'WHY IS IT SO COLD? ISN'T IT SUMMER?!' Thankfully Carmen had a jacket for me. That was a life saver!

So after a hearty dim sum lunch at a Chinese restaurant (I miss the porridge, so fragrant!), gege took me to the town.

He took me to a telecommunication shop to get a prepaid sim card. While I was waiting around, a lady came up to me and pointed at my camera. She asked if she could have a look at the lens. I held it up and she looked back at her colleague gleefully. She beckoned him to come over. The male colleague was interested in my camera so we strike up a very brief conversation. Gege even took a picture for us. My first encounter with the locals. One word, friendly! Throughout the trip, my camera actually sparked off alot of random conversation with strangers/fellow tourist :)

After settling down in Manchester for a day, gege and I took a train to London, via Virgin Train.

The journey took close to 2-hours. According to gege, train journeys on weekends are longer as they move slower. To conserve energy? Perhaps. We were on the first-class coach, hehe. Apparently it was only an extra 1-quid (pounds).

Ta-da! First stop-London China Town! It's bigger than I thought. Gege took me to his favorite duck rice restaurant. True to his words, it was the best duck I've ever tasted. Mmmm...

We then roamed around London by walking and underground tube.

This is just one part of the famous Hyde Park. I love Hyde Park! It's huuugggeeeee and beaaauuuutiful! If only we had something like this in Malaysia. This is a must-go spot if you ever come to London.

The Royal Albert Hall. Something about foreign land's sunlight that makes the subject look more pretty. Ahem.

Covent Garden. If you're into arts and theater stuff, this is a must-go place! There are so many talented street performer there. Super entertaining. Really makes you doubt your local celebrities.

In the evening, gege took me to Belgo Central. When he knew I was visiting, he booked a table for us... says the lobster there is goood. Lobster? I wouldn't say no, would I? :D Indeed, it was very fresh.

Next, we went to see Big Ben. Standing there looking at this iconic building at my favorite time of the day-dusk, really made everything feel surreal.

I just stared at it... trying to soak in every detail and minute of it. This is the wonderful thing about traveling with just 1-2 close friend/family, there's no one to rush you; you can have all the time in the world to soak in the moment. Incredible, just incredible.

London Eye and Big Ben.

Note: My Travel Log blog posts may be a lil' brief than expected as I realize there's too many photos to sort! I'll upload the full/semi full album to my Facebook soon. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed a taste of what I experienced!

Malaysia Deserves Better

2011-07-10T19:55:00.005+08:00

I love my country, my home-Malaysia.

We are blessed with beautiful landscapes, rich culture & history, natural resources and most importantly, we do not need to be fearful of natural disasters.

However, the government we currently have is just a disappointment and disgrace beyond words.

All Bersih 2.0 supporters want is to express our desire for clean and fair election. We want the whole world to know that we're sick and tired of our selfish and corrupted government and system. Enough is enough. Rally participants merely wore yellow clothes and chanted... but the government had to portray them as chaos makers and dangerous people. Seriously, tear gas and water cannon? Is that even necessary? Ridiculous and nonsensical.

The government is fearful. They will try to say everything is fine and dandy. Seriously, I know you're stupid, but don't assume everyone else is stupid like you. Wait, you are stupid afterall, if you could think like that. I call this the Ostrich-mentality. Say all you want; go on and continue to be in denial. You can win one time, two times, but you can't sneak your way forever. One day, there will be an ending to all of this.

As quoted by Albus Dumbledore (even fictional character makes more sense than you):

"Don’t you see? Voldemort himself created his worst enemy, just as tyrants everywhere do! Have you any idea how much tyrants fear the people they oppress? All of them realize that, one day, amongst their many victims, there is sure to be one that rises against them and strikes back!"

Travel Log: Drama Before Flight

2011-07-08T15:38:00.005+08:00

Hi everyone!

I just arrived in KL on Tuesday night and I dived back to work the next day. Been clearing off emails and outstanding tasks since. Now, I finally can take a lil' breather and start planning to blog about my wonderful trip to Manchester, London, Santorini and Scotland. In total, I've used two 16GB CF card (one bought in Santorini!) and one 8GB CF card. Can you imagine the amount of photos and videos I've took?!

Through this series of travel log, I hope to share with you images and information of the places I went to; not forgetting the expenses and things to look out for.

So, let's begin.

Flight Detail:
On 24th May, I finally purchased my flight ticket via Emirates.com with my debit card. The return flight ticket costs RM 3,745.00, which is considered the cheaper option then. The other tickets were priced above RM 4,000.00 return.

During the days leading to the trip, my schedule was jam packed with different tasks. I hardly had the time to breathe or even think about the trip.

17th June 2011-One Day Before The Flight (or so I thought, read on):
My schedule for the day was to complete a ROM photography by 12pm, head to Midvalley to change currency, get some toiletries, then head home to rest and start packing. During the night, I would collect my gears from a fellow photographer then call it a night. My plans for the next day, 18th June would be do some last minute check on packing, attend a friend's wedding, have dinner with family and Boonyee, then head over to the airport.

That was the plan.

However, after completing the ROM photography, while in the car ready to exit the JPN. Gege pingchat me '

'Maine ah, have a good rest tonight ya'.

That message prompted many invisible question marks on my head. Why do I need to rest well tonight? The flight is not until tomorrow night anyway. So I brushed the thought aside and next thing I knew, I got an email from Emirates, reminding of my flight on 18th June at 0200. That email really got to me. Why did this reminder email made me feel so uneasy?

I read the email long and hard, and then it hit me. 0200 on 18th June is tonight itself! I focused too much on the date that I didn't realize the time.

My heart plunged into the pit of my stomach. No, I think it dropped to my feet.

Breathe-in.... Breathe-out...:
So I made a boo-boo on the flight schedule. I couldn't think straight after that. To the point that when I changed some currency and got some cash from the bank at Midvalley, I had to get myself a drink at Coffee Bean, stone and gather my thoughts for a moment at the couch.

That helped.

Papa also called to say that he and mommy will come to Midvalley and have lunch with me.

They came and we had lunch at Dragon-i. I was mentally back to normal by then.

So anyway, to cut the long story short, went home, speed packed, shower, Boonyee picked me up and headed to Cheras to collect my DSLR from a fellow photographer (thanks Sunny of Perfectmoment.com.my for managing a customer for me!), then drove straight to KLIA.

The flight to Manchester was generally pleasant. Perhaps due to the entire day's drama, I knocked out in the plane and during transit (6hr 50mins flight + 3-hour transit + 7hr 30mins flight).

Next up: Day 1-3 in Manchester & London!

Greetings from Manchester

2011-07-04T14:49:00.005+08:00

Its 7:51am in Manchester. I will be departing for KL tonight, at 9pm.

The past two weeks has been a crazy adventure. I'm super thankful for this experience... I'll definitely blog in detail when I'm home.

Right now, I'm feeling thankful and happy for a few things, which I feel it's important for me to pen it down:

I'm thankful towards my brother and his girlfriend Carmen. They have taken such good care of me throughout this trip. I know there is nothing I could do or say that could 'repay' their kindness. I just want them to know that their hospitality and love has deeply touched me. I'll never forget this trip.

I'm happy that both Boon Hui and Ling Yn have found a new, fantastic job. Nothing beats the feeling of being excited going to work; a career/company that you like and treats you right (and of course, pays you well!). Equally happy and proud of you both!

I'm thankful for being loved and being able to love back. I can't stress this enough-life is short, make the best out of it.

As much as I would love to continue exploring new sceneries, I can't wait to go back home to execute a few new ideas! I just can't sit still.

Life is super!!! :)

Memory Preserver

2011-06-15T19:40:00.004+08:00

This is the amount of photos I've taken in the last two weeks. I must be crazy, but yeah, I pulled it off. More to come, after I return from my trip. Though exhausted; though I got sun burnt and really frightening spots on my face... all the hard work becomes worthwhile, the moment my clients expressed their excitement and happiness when they see their images.

It's nice to know that I've helped them preserve a phase of their lives.

How Are You?

2011-06-14T22:54:00.003+08:00

Happy birthday to you. I still love you. I still think about you all the time. I worry for you. I wonder how you are. You watched me grow up. We were so close. We are so far apart now. I used to hang on to your every words, now I cringe when I think about the things that you did, do, said and say. I wish I could help you. I wish there's something I could do for you. I wish you would come to your senses. I wish someone could help you, and bring you back. I wish you would accept help, before everything's too late.

Exciting Times Ahead

2011-06-13T07:59:00.002+08:00

I'm feeling so excited right now, that I just need to share some news with you.

Office cum Training Room

It's 80% ready! I couldn't be happier about the progress and outcome. What's pending currently: Unifi, machines, and window blinds.

On the Jet Plane

I'll be flying off soon to visit my brother. These past few weeks has been mad crazy busy that the feeling of leaving Malaysia for two whole weeks hasn't even sunk in yet. This is by far the longest time I'll be away from home. On the itinerary: Santorini, Scotland, Manchester, and London. I'll be super home sick, yet at the same time, I think I'll enjoy this new experience.

Share The Love Movement

The video at STL's YouTube channel has hit 20,000 views *big eyes* I've never seen that sort of number on my videos before so that's a really cool and surreal feeling. Even have a hater on board too, lol.

Alrighty, that's all for now!

Interview at Oriental Daily News

2011-06-08T21:45:00.004+08:00

Photos are taken with an iPhone 4

As part of the Share The Love movement, each singer songwriter will be participating in various activities to share about the movement and their involvement in the project.

My first interview was with Oriental Daily News. Of all the interviews that I've been to (cheh wah, sound like big shot), this is my first time being picked up from home and being chauffeured to the interview location. Not only that, I had someone to carry my bag and also photograph behind-the-scenes images of the interview. And and and, it doesn't stop there! After the interview, we walked across the road and safe to say I had the best lunch in a long, long time. The table was full with plates of food... sinful food :) Big holla to Adrian and the power ladies from Jireh Consult, Jessica and Sheau Huey. Thanks for everything guys!

A big thanks to June the journalist. She was very friendly; I actually felt like I was talking to a friend throughout the interview. It was a very lively interview session, I thoroughly enjoyed it :)

Why, Hello!

2011-06-04T11:38:00.002+08:00

It seems that Angry Bird merchandises have flood every store I go to these days. Behind the scenes, Angry Birds must be Happy Birds because of the money they generate, lol. We're all suckers for adorable stuff...

Fuuyaah!

2011-06-02T22:19:00.003+08:00

It's official! I can finally talk about it in open!

This is one of the projects that I've been involved with, called Share The Love campaign by Julie's!

Instead of producing standard radio jingles, Julie's decided to take a risk and produce full fledge songs that are true and close to their motto "Baked with Love".

Not only that, they decided not to produce just one, but five different style of songs. All written by Malaysian songwriters, and produced by Yuri and Adrian. It's refreshing to see a meaningful ad campaign and movement for a change :)

Head on over to the official website and download the songs for free. Meanwhile, I'll munch on my all-time favorite Julie's peanut butter biscuit, nom nom.

MobiMusic 5th Year Anniversary

2011-05-31T12:08:00.003+08:00

MobiMusic has stepped into its 5th year.

Throughout this 5 years, I've experienced many things as a songwriter: I've stepped into a full fledged studio for the first time; I've sold a few songs; I've performed at various gigs; I've attended several interviews; I even stopped writing & performing completely for two good years... and now I am picking up from where I left off. Songwriting is something that I can never let go; it's in me, and I'm thankful for that. Even more thankful to be able to work with mentors and peers who are passionate and true.

Hee Hee Hee

2011-05-25T11:23:00.002+08:00

I am now a proud owner of an iPhone 4! Weeeeeee! Thanks to Boonyee! I don't know how to express this feeling in words, but dang, it's a SUPER-FABULOUS feeling!!!!!!!

PS: My hand looks wrinkly

One Step At A Time...

2011-05-24T09:23:00.004+08:00

The office is slowly coming together... When the ikea folks came by yesterday with my red cushy sofa, I was quietly screaming with joy. Plonked myself on the sofa and played with the ipad... It was a very nice feeling. I thoroughly enjoyed the quiet space all to myself.

Papa and I worked hard on this office, cleaning it and assembling stuff together. Yesterday, after placing the furnitures properly, he walked out of the office and looked inside, from the glass door, and there was this grin on his face. He must be very pleased with how things have come together :)

Sold-Out!

2011-05-20T15:20:00.002+08:00

This is something that I really didn't expect!

Thanks to Wawa and her colleague Joey, I am able to offer a special photography deal via Dealmates.com. I've never tried promoting at this scale before, so my expectations were very low. "Is this deal attractive enough?", "Will people be interested?" were just some of the questions that flooded my mind.

The first morning of the deal, when I saw 7 purchases, I smsed Wawa along the lines of, '7 deals! OMG!!!' I just can't believe that people are actually interested.

Fast forward to a week later, the deal is sold-out! Enquiries poured in like the heavy rain we've been getting for the past few days. Madness! But I love it!

I'm really excited about the upcoming photoshoots... a nice mixture of pet portraiture, couple, family and individual portraitures. I look forward to sharing with them with you soon.

If you're looking to advertise or promote your business, really, look no further. Get in touch with Dealmates.com, it'll really accelerate your business exposure :)

Nuyou Magazine May 2011

2011-05-11T00:24:00.003+08:00

It was the most amazing photoshoot I've ever experienced.

Apart from the professional make up and hairdo, there was a creative director present this time round. He was followed by an assistant. He was asking me to try different clothing. He gave directions to the makeup artist and hair stylist on how I should look. Pretty daunting for me... so I just sat there a quiet as a mouse, letting the professional do their stuff.

Then, the shoot took place. The photographer was using a Hasselblad. HASSEL-OMG-BLAD! I mentally wiped my saliva. The creative director directed me to pose. It's definitely not what I'm accustomed to; it was sensual and almost high fashion style, but I felt exceptionally brave that day, I don't know why. The energy was great, I felt comfortable with the team and I was enjoying the moment. I never knew I could pull off a pose like that but I did (I hope I did?).

A big shoutout to Andy from Nuyou. Thanks for inviting me to participate in this project :)

Starting Over

2011-05-04T09:53:00.005+08:00

Without realizing it, I'm back into songwriting. I've been idling for around two years... and during then, I always thought that I'm done with songwriting; I have pass through the phase; that I'll never be able to write again; I've lost it.

God does really work in his mysterious ways. Today, I'm glad that I could pick up from where I left off, and start writing again. Not only did I step into the music studio again, but I'll be also playing at gigs again. Currently, I'm involved with two major projects, and both of them require one same thing, "create a Facebook Music Page, so that your supporters can stay connected with you".

I'm afraid of that notion. How many 'likes' will I get? I'm just a small time songwriter... but, I just need to hit myself on the head and just do it. Take risks, live life, and just go with the flow, right? So that's what I'm gonna do.

If you've heard of my songs, and like it, please do visit my FB Music Page.

If you've not heard any of my songs, it's ok. But since you're reading my blog, it's safe for me to assume that you're my friend? So, my friend, please do visit my FB Music Page :D

Thank you for your support. I appreciate it greatly. I'm really, really excited about the various projects that I'll be participating in, and I hope you'll be a part of it too.

Recording @ The Factory Music Studio

2011-04-28T16:02:00.003+08:00

So the vocal recording session at The Factory Music Studio is officially completed! It's refreshing to work with a group of musicians whom I'm new to. The 'rituals' are different, the energy level is different, the style is different. Definitely an eye opener for me.

Yuri is a great producer. Very calm and composed; he made me feel very comfortable during the recording. Not forgetting sweet Collin (from Car Crash Hearts) who was always asking me, 'Are you OK?', 'Do you want something to drink?'. Such a caring person. The other day he even made me a perfect cup of hot honey drink! Last but not least, I wanna make a big shoutout to Adrian for inviting me to participate in this project in the first place. Thanks for everything :)

I can't really talk too much about the project just yet, so I'm gonna end this entry with a photo:

Left to right: Adrian, me, Yuri. Photo Credit: Collin

My Long Lost Love, Back In My Arms

2011-04-20T17:45:00.004+08:00

Wow, it's been close to three years since I last walked into a vocal booth...

I just came home from a pre-pro meeting at a recording studio cum production house, and I'm feeling quite dazed to be honest.

First of all, I'm just glad that I'm picking up from where I left off in terms of songwriting... The other day I caught "Ti Amo" on the radio, and I felt so mesmerized listening to my creation, my real love story on air. Ooo the goosebumps that I had was crazy... it certainly made me miss songwriting alot.

Second of all, I'm very blessed to be selected as one of the songwriters for an upcoming ad campaign. Really excited about it as this is my first time making music at this scale. I'll be posting up more details and photos along the way... stay tuned!!

Work-in-Progress: The New Office

2011-04-15T08:53:00.000+08:00

We've finally gotten the keys to the new office. Finally, after 6-months!

Without wasting any time, we called in the air-cond people, the glass works people, the flooring people etc to visit the office.

Currently, we are pouring over a few laminated flooring samples. It's funny to see three grown adults stare at the wood blocks for minutes in silent. It's so hard to decide! Without an Interior Designer, you basically need to imagine how the office will look like from the provided samples...

But thanks to technology, the selection process is much more easier. I asked the sales agent if he has any pictures of a real workspace that used his products, and he simply replied, 'go to our website'.

And so, at their website, just with a few clicks (and thank God for Unifi), we are able to see how the floor will look like.

We narrowed our selection to Natural Cherry, Regal Maple and Royal Beech.

Still can't decide which to go for though... any suggestions?

A Walk To Remember

2011-04-12T21:26:00.003+08:00

Little things latch on to my mind easily, like how you wrapped your hand around my waist during our new exercise regime, a 10-rounds-around-the-block-walk, and said, "I'm glad I found my soulmate... we've got many more years ahead to walk together".

Yes, together. We'll walk through this life together.

思念

2011-04-07T17:56:00.004+08:00

阿公, Mama,

我好想你。

清明节到了，可是Mama，你临走之前交代说你和阿公不需要坟墓，不需要灵位。你要求简单的火化仪式，然后，把骨灰撒在大海，就OK了。Mama, 你真的很潇洒。。。我们都知道你做出这个要求，是为了不要麻烦我们。你永远都为别人着想，从来不想给人麻烦。

驾车的时候，常常都想你们。Radio 播的音乐, becomes the background music of my memories of you.

睡觉的时候，常常都梦见你们。我是不是想念你，想过龙了？

一个人在房间里的时候，更自然地想起你们。最近，想念的感觉很 intense。Intense 到动不动流泪了。有些晚上，还痛哭起来。人，为什么要生，老，病，死？为什么不可以是生，老，then 开开心心地飞上天？

想告诉家人和男友 that 我想念你们，可是却说不出口。因为我知道我一讲，就会控制不住眼泪。。。

这个清明节，in fact, every 清明节 for the rest of my life, 阿公 Mama 没有灵位给我们打扫，敬拜。

But, it's ok. 因为你们存在我的心和脑海中，或许就是最好的灵位。

－思念你的 Maine Maine

My Ultimate Favorite Song

2011-03-22T18:11:00.003+08:00

Actually I've lots of favorites... but "Everything" by Lifehouse, is definitely in my Top 5 list.

Damn... Jason Wade, your voice makes me melt like an ice cream. Such a beautiful song.

My Students...

2011-03-21T11:47:00.002+08:00

"My students found me on Facebook, and now they want to add me..." I laughed at the idea as though it's a crazy thing, but secretly I was hoping for a direction.

"Add them lah!" Papa replied positively without hesitation.

Perhaps I think too much, because this is new to me. You see, I was afraid of adding my students on Facebook because of fear. Fear of saying the wrong things publicly; fear of exposing my life to them, etc. But then Papa's response made me realize that I shouldn't be afraid. What is there to be afraid of? I'm an advocator of technology in education and here I am, fretting whether or not I should add my students on Facebook.

I puzzle myself at times...

International Islamic University of Malaysia

2011-03-18T08:10:00.004+08:00

Conducted a Mac training at International Islamic University of Malaysia the other day. The journey to IIUM was a breeze with DUKE highway! Located beautifully around a mountain backdrop, IIUM is such a beautiful place to be at. Unlike most modern universities, there's nothing fancy about IIUM's interior and corridors; walking up the stairs transported me back to primary and high school days. However, walking through the corridor while looking at the surrounding building facade really gives you a feeling as though you're in another country. Maybe it's the morning mountain mist, I don't know, but there's an air of peace at this University.

The Dean and Lecturer I was providing training to spoke excellent English (it was only then I learn that IIUM uses English as main Language medium) and I really enjoyed the day. We even spent a few moments on iPad, something that was definitely not in the syllabus, lol! :D

This Is My Pensieve

2011-03-06T22:46:00.005+08:00

I'm pretty drained out right now but my mind is recollecting all the stuff that happened recently, especially today. I just feel that I need to unload these memories and archive it in this lil' blog of mine. If only I had something like Dumbledore's pensieve, a 'magical' basin where he store his memories from time to time, just in case he forgets, or just in case he needs to recall an event. If I had a pensieve, I wouldn't need to type blog entries anymore, lol.

Of Crossing Out Another Item On My Bucket List

First thing first, remember when I blogged about this? Just when I accepted my fate, I got a call after Chinese New Year that I got the part time Lecturer position. I'm truly blessed. God is really gracious to me. I lecture 3 times a week, and this arrangement is more than I can ever ask for. I'm still able to help dad with his business, and also spend time developing VIP. Some people wonder if I can cope with so many things... I wonder too, but I realized that I am more productive if I have different nature of tasks to accomplish. Maybe it's the Saggitarius in me, but I kinda get bored with doing one thing at a time. Multitasking is how I roll baby *wink*

Of Relationship

When people say you have to work to keep the love and spark alive, they're not kidding. BY and I have had many heated arguments of late. It always difficult and tricky to handle, but I think it's healthy to have arguments and disagreements in a relationship. Why do people get frustrated or angry at another person? I think it's just because you've yet reach an understanding. You don't hate the person, you just don't understand the person yet. The path to reach an understanding is challenging, but once you do, you move one step further in life; you get more wiser. I've learnt many things recently:

1. Being brutally honest with your feelings with your other half; like Simon-Cowell-honesty: if you're not honest with the person, if you can't accept the not-so-nice-to-hear comments and feedbacks, you can't improve and get on with life. The faster you realize that you don't have forever; the faster you realize that time doesn't wait; the faster you grow up and mature, then the less time you waste. I've gotta admit that I admire BY for always being sooooo honest with me. When it comes to personal matters, I never had the guts to voice it out. But nowadays, I have the courage to do so because of him (sometimes I wonder if he regrets encouraging me to voice out my disagreements cuz at times I do feel like a pain in his butt, lol)

2. Putting aside ego; taking a step back and say sorry when you're wrong. I find it difficult to say sorry ever since I'm young, but now, it's important for me that the other person know I'm sorry, and that I regret something that I said or did.

3. Always making effort to meet half way.

Of Achingly Missing My Gramps

It's been close to four months since my grandparents left. How time flies. There isn't a day where I don't think about them. I always spend a few moments to remember how my mama calls my name, how she looks at me, how she purse her lips to show her disagreement, how she laughs... I always think about how ah gong looks at me, the times when we are together. I recalled the day he brought me to open my very first savings account when I was 12 years old; I look through pictures on my phone, taken a few weeks before he passed on. I think about them when I'm driving, before I sleep, when I'm awake, up and about. Basically all the time. The feeling has finally sinked in-they are gone. I've dreamt of mama twice so far, but have yet dreamt of ah gong. I cry because I wished I could do more when they were alive. I wished I was 27 years old 6 years ago, so that I'm matured enough and wise enough to help them more. I can't cure cancer and I certainly can't magic my ah gong to walk but I just wished I was more adult, more wise. It's moments like these, that I wonder what is the meaning of life... going through painful episodes in life, falling ill, getting old and dying :(

Of Soaking In Every Moment In Life

After a long day of 'window shopping' the potential investments together, we ended the long day with a very nice dinner at the Daily Grind. Our table came with a very nice Bangsar street view. Looking at him soaking in the moment while puffing his cigarette, I felt at peace and I too, soaked in the moment.

My View On Marriage

2011-03-01T13:06:00.003+08:00

At the age of 27, almost 60% of the my conversation with friends revolve around the topic of marriage. It's inevitable.

So, after listening to friends' stories, perspectives and also reflecting on my life, this is what I think of marriage:

I don't mind settling down at the age of 27. In fact, I feel this is the best time to go through life as husband and wife. Just the two of us; building a home, stabilizing our careers and going on adventures together. Kids will be in the picture, eventually, but perhaps that'll happen in 2-4 years time after marriage.

I don't believe in getting married just because 'it's time', 'I'm getting old', 'I just have to because she wants to' or 'just because his/her family wants us to'. I'm a hopeless romantic person; I need to believe that a person wants to marry me because he wants to take over my parent's responsibilities of taking care of me, because he is ready to care and even love my parents like his own, because he wants to build a family with me, because he wants me for life and because he is ready to put his marriage before himself. I know I would.

There's this saying which goes something along this line: "You marry a person not because you can live with or tolerate him/her; you marry a person because you can't live without him/her". I believe in that.

Yeah, I know, hopeless romantic right?

Silence Is Really Golden

2011-02-28T09:08:00.000+08:00

When it comes to expressing personal feelings, I'm at lost. I keep quiet. Just because I do not know how to express it at all. The fear of saying the wrong things; the fear of sounding like I'm accusing; the fear of looking like a bad person. That's why I always keep my words, swallow my words, drown my thoughts. Recently, I tried to voice out more, because yes, you have a point, if we don't talk, we can't resolve anything. I try, and I try, and I try. But when I try, it backfires, I always sound like I'm accusing, I always seem to use the wrong words, I always look like a bad person, I'm always the one stirring matters, I'm always the problem maker. So this got me thinking, maybe I should just go back to how I was before, keep my words, swallow my words, drown my thoughts. Silence is really golden. Perhaps I should just stick to what I'm good at: keeping things to myself. At least I won't be wounding anyone else but myself.

Chris Medina-What Are Words

2011-02-27T00:05:00.000+08:00

I was disappointed when Chris Medina didn't make it into the Top 24, until I saw a video on YouTube.

It's comforting to know that his talent and big heart touched the people at 19 Recordings Inc (one of the best recording label in my opinion). I do hope he releases an album soon.

It's not easy taking care of someone who is ill, paralyzed, or dependent. Especially if that someone is your family member or life partner. It's a very painful process, but I do hope he'll find comfort through singing and touching the lives of others. He's certainly inspired me to love my loved ones harder...

"What are words if you don't really mean them. What are words, if they're only for good times. When it's love, yeah, you say them out loud. Those words, they never go away. They live on, even when we're gone"

Good Five

2011-02-24T09:17:00.006+08:00

Life is very short, I always try remind myself everyday.

5 years ago, shortly after knowing each other for just 4-months, we took a chance on each other. Looking back, it seemed pretty risky, but I guess it paid off when we followed our hearts that fateful night (cheh wah like writing story book like that).

We decided to spend our evening at the Sepang Goldcoast beach. The sun was glorious, the weather was perfect, and my heart leaped with excitement when Perahu Restaurant came in view. I've always wanted to dine right next to the sea.

I can't decide which is the best part of the night: watching the sun set, feeling the cool sea breeze, listening to the beautiful sound of the waves, having a cosy meal (I'd suggest to skip the food though; it'd have been very tasty if the seafood was fresh), having an ice cold beer, spacing out or just being with you. I guess it's everything. I felt so sulky that we had to leave... I wish for more moments like this; I wish we had all the time in the world... but above all, I wish we'll be able to celebrate our 50th year together in a beautiful place like this.

Happy 5 years anniversary.

Wanted: Graphic Designer and Programmer

2011-02-17T15:13:00.000+08:00

Goooooooood news everyone! (quote Professor Farnsworth from Futurama)

I'm looking at establishing an ad hoc team to develop an iPad game. This is one of the new direction of my company and personally, I'm EXCITED!

Apple products & services has always been the core of the business and I have to admit, at the beginning I was skeptical about the iPad. But once I got a unit, it's amazing to discover the potential that lies beneath this piece of technology. Brilliant, simply brilliant. Not forgetting the fact that they have loads of addictive games in store... hands itching for Plants vs Zombies all of the sudden.

So, for this project, I need at least one graphic designer (specializing in cartoon or animation drawing/characters), and at least one Objective C or Cocoa programmer. Best if you're based in Kuala Lumpur, or Selangor D.E. Malaysia.

It doesn't matter if you're a student, a freelancer, or a professional, if you're genuinely interested to explore the opportunities together, I'd like to invite you to join me in this project.

Please shoot me an email at jasemaine@vip.net.my if you're interested, or if you know anyone who will fit the bill.

Cheers!

Simple Getaway

2011-02-15T11:46:00.004+08:00

I've been wanting to go on the Putrajaya Cruise for the longest time, but never had the opportunity to do so.

One morning last week, while still on my Chinese New Year break, I decided to drive all the way to Putrajaya at the spur of the moment. It's now or never!!! I thought to myself.

According to the website, the afternoon cruise takes off at 12PM. I managed to reach Putrajaya at around 11:30AM, but ended up at the Botanical Garden, the wrong location. I had to make my way to the Putra Square, near the Putrajaya Mosque. Thankfully it's just around the corner, so I made it on time.

After buying the ticket, I was immediately escorted to the boat. This kind of service is rare in Malaysia, so I was pleasantly surprised by the efficiency!

I chose the Dondang Sayang Perahu, a wooden boat instead of the air-conditioned boat. The weather was FREAKIN hot but I really wanted to be as close to the water as possible. And guess what, I was the only passenger! Wheeee, screams with excitement :)

The staffs were very polite and kind. One of them even offered to take some pictures of me before the boat took off. I was pleased with his kind gesture, but honestly I was more worried that he might drop my baby into the water, eek.

This is my you-better-hold-on-to-my-camera-properly-or-I'll-kill-you smile.

So the boat took off and the breeze was just wonderful. The sound of the water was tranquilizing... And to be all alone on the boat, and in fact, on the entire lake was just an incredible feeling.

I do plan to go for the night cruise soon. If the day cruise is good, the sunset cruise will be even better-imagine the brightly lit buildings, cool breeze, moonlight and starry starry night...

Firecrackers

2011-02-10T10:48:00.006+08:00

Today is my second day back at work. Honestly, I'm not in the mood to work at all :( I crave for yummy meals, prawn crackers, being a couch potato and going out to random places, just for fun. The one thing I didn't do this Chinese New Year, but still hope for the chance to do so (well, still have 7-days left!), is to play with fireworks and firecrackers. Seriously, when was the last time I even held a sparkler?? Or threw Pop-Pops?? I still remember when I was small girl, dad will drag a super long firecracker upstairs, dangle it by the balcony, and lit it up. It was so Chinese New Year. Loved the loud crackling sound and feel of it.

Speaking bout dad, he's been sick since the first day of CNY. While spending some time with mom earlier, talking about dad's condition, I have to admit I was a lil' scared. Seeing your loved one sick, weak and dependent is difficult. I don't ever want my dad to leave us. What would I do without him? What will become of me without him? He's recovering though, so don't worry. He's having a cough now. A very stubborn and persistent cough though. All I wish for is that he gets sufficient sleep and rest.

Now, where can I find more prawn crackers and firecrackers...

Today Was A Simple Day

2011-01-30T00:09:00.007+08:00

If there was a way to capture my day into a piece of photograph, that will be perfect.

Anyway, those who knows me and Boonyee personally know we are very particular on punctuality. Our punctuality rate is like a constant 95%. Well, I think Boonyee's punctuality record is more like, a 100%? No kidding. So today, our plan was to arrive at 1 Utama Shopping Mall at 10am (we did, right on time), and complete my Chinese New Year shopping spree once and for all.

After spending a good few minute to decide which parking bay to park at (having too many options is not a good thing sometimes), we stopped by at McDonalds for breakfast, then headed off to Jusco. Now, for those who doesn't know, I'm a girl who shops like a guy-quick, focused and no BS. I know what I want to buy, I see, I try, it fits, I pay. Hooga-shaka, that's it. Yeah it sounds mechanical and boring, I agree, but what made today really fun and special was having Boonyee as my image consultant. For one, he knows my size better than I do; two, he happily picks out clothes for me and seems more excited than me; three, he gives advices and genuine feedbacks, like "Nope, I don't think you should get that, the cutting/design here will make you look fat" (yes, he is that honest with me), "You should change your style a bit, try this!" (then shoves a clothing to me)... something along those lines.

The shopping part was only the beginning, the rest of the day went on as smooth and fun, like, when we discovered the Blu-Ray disc player he'd been eyeing on recently was priced below his budget at Best Denki, so without hesitation he bought it; like, when we watched Resident Evil and fell asleep on the couch after installing his brand new disc player; like how the weather today was incredibly soothing; like the early reunion dinner I had with my extended family because gege will be leaving in less than 28 hours (sad that he's leaving though, we've been through so much together for the past 2 months+); like just a while ago, when my parents decided to 'stop by' my room and chit chat while I fill in my newly bought pocket slip photo album with freshly printed 4R pictures. I don't remember the last time I had a conversation with both my parents in my room, so I really loved that moment.

It was all good, today. Simple, but big and meaningful in its own way. I won't forget today.

Choose To Love

2011-01-28T10:32:00.003+08:00

Remember Danny Gokey? I love Danny Gokey's voice. And Elliot Yamin. And David Archuleta. Anyway, Danny Gokey was my absolute favorite in 2009's American Idol. This season, another American Idol hopeful touched my heart. Chris Medina, a guy with great voice and more importantly, a guy who showed unconditional love for his fiancee-Juliana. The audition clip really brought me to tears. Big fat tears.

After 8 years of being together, Chris Medina proposed to Juliana. They were then engaged for two years. Soon approaching their wedding, Juliana met an accident which caused trauma to her brain. Seeing her on the wheelchair broke my heart. For her, and for him. I thought these things only happen in TV drama.

Loving someone is a choice. Chris could have just walked away, with no strings attached. He could have chosen to live a new life elsewhere. But he didn't. He chose to be with her, and care for her. To be able to so, he must have a great deal of courage, grace and faith in him. God bless his kind soul. God bless his Juliana.

Life is incredibly unpredictable. One moment everything is fine and dandy, the next thing you know, everything comes crashing down. Really, appreciate your loved ones. Love them well and love them hard.

Chinese New Year

2011-01-26T16:41:00.002+08:00

My mom is so cool. She created a Chinese New Year Tree this year. So, during Christmas, we have a nice christmas pine tree, star-shaped tree topper, bells and christmasy ornaments right? For Chinese New Year, we have a cherry blossom tree, a red Chinese New Year greeting card as a "tree topper", red ornaments dangling around, gold ingot and gold pineapple ornaments sitting on the flower pot.

I wonder if I'll find a big fat angpao beneath the "tree" this Chinese New Year... Hmm...

Pet Portraiture Sessions Open for Booking!

2011-01-18T17:00:00.002+08:00

Hi everyone!

The 2011 Pet Portraiture Sessions are now open for bookings. RM200 per session. It's stated one-hour in the above flyer but usually, a session stretches more than an hour; until both pet and I drop dead of exhaustion, lol just a figure of speech yeah. There's no hidden fee, and you'll get the complete set of digital photos in .JPG file; all ready for print. I'd normally start off the photography session at the comfort of your home, then head out to you and your pet's favorite neighborhood hang out place or park. Sounds like great fun right?

Now, how to book a session? It's super simple. Just drop me an email at jasemaine@gmail.com and state your preferred date, then we'll discuss the arrangements from there :)

2011 Bookings for Wedding, Pre-Wedding/Engagement, Couple Portraiture, Family Portraiture are open as well.

PS: Head on over to jasemaine-gan.com for the updated photo gallery and services.

Model Credit: 小米

Sometimes We Forget

2011-01-17T17:15:00.003+08:00

...to focus on the little things in life.

...that someone is longing for you to talk, laugh, cry, share and re-connect with them at this very second.

...that someone is longing to look into your eyes; to watch you smile back; to hold you and to touch you.

...to live to the fullest.

Sometimes, all we need to do is take a deep breath, reflect, and make an effort to put down that phone, that iPad, that TV remote control, that game console, that newspaper or whatever that's blocking the real connection that you're supposed have.

I find this "Disconnect to Connect" TVC touching. A simple message for those who thinks they live a complicated life.

Today at 11:10AM

2011-01-10T11:10:00.003+08:00

It's been 10 days since we scattered Ah Gong's ashes at sea.

It's weird, but I feel like it's as though they're just away for a vacation. It's weird sitting in the house without their presence. Gege and I still call 'Ah Gong! Mama!' whenever we drop by, as though they're still there... but of course emptiness greets us now. We still drop by our grandparent's place from time to time, just to keep the memories of them alive.

I miss them, and I still pray for them.

Life now is well and peaceful. I am thankful. A few weeks ago, I was watching a re-run of Guiliana & Bill (yes, yes, I love reality shows...) on ASTRO. In that particular episode, Bill's friend gave him an advice which I thought was wonderful. He said something along these lines, "At the end of the day, if I know my wife and children are ok, that's all that matters. Cars, houses, cash and all are bonuses in life". So true. This shows that reality shows can be quite educational actually, lol.

Anyway, family matters aside, I'm happy to share with you that business is picking up. I'm very humbled by all the opportunities and help I've been receiving for the past 9-months. This year, we're gonna implement a few new projects. Pretty excited about the prospects.

And by the way, we're looking for iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App Developer to work with us on some projects, so if you are a company/freelance/independent/student App Developer, or if you know anyone who fits the criteria, please feel free to reach me at jasemaine@vip.net.my ok?

All right, that's all the updates I have for today. Remember to smile and have a good day ahead!

2010

2010-12-31T14:25:00.003+08:00

31 December 2010, 2:28PM: I've actually written a blog post, and scheduled it to publish at around 5PM today. However, an unexpected event happened yesterday night. At 10PM+, my dear grandpa, my ah gong has passed away at home. The moment I saw him lying on bed, lifeless, I cried... I cried because I miss him, I cried because I love him, I cried because he is free again. Ah gong has suffered as a stroke patient for more than 5 years. I know it has been very difficult for him-not being able to walk, not being to talk properly, not being to express himself freely... what more developing multiple cancer tumors approaching the end of his life. I am glad that he is reunited with grandma. I'm glad they are both now free from worldly worries and sadness. Words can't express how much I love them.

This was my scheduled blog post to end 2010....

2010 is the year of new experiences, loss and discovery.

Some notable events that happened within this 12-months:

Resigned from my full time job at Sapura. In my two-years of service there, I've learnt alot in terms of business & management. I also grew more confident and gain full financial independence.

Established Very Imaginative People Enterprise.

Travelled to China for the very first time. I went to Guangzhou with my parents for a business visit. Didn't like the weather, traffic and lifestyle... but I definitely enjoyed seeing new things with my parents.

Travelled to Indonesia for the very first time. What an experience it was! I had to arrange transportation, lodging and all in less than 8-hours. Went there to conduct workshops for Sinarmas World Academy and Jakarta World Academy teachers. The entire trip was physically and mentally draining. But once I pulled it through, I couldn't be happier with the entire experience.

Speaking gigs at various events such as Mac + iPod Discovery Week at Midvalley, Mac + iPod Discovery Week at 1Utama, Masterskill University etc...

My very first holiday with Boonyee (after 4-years). I still have very fond memories of the trip-the empty beach, great weather, soaking in the sea, cycling by the beach, long naps...

Traveled to Europe for the very first time and experienced 2 degree Celsius weather! This is definitely beyond my wildest dream... I never thought I could travel to Europe; I never though I would sit next to Boonyee in a plane, what more setting foot on a foreign land together. Unbelievable... I always revisit the memories in my head. It's such a precious memory.

Being in and out of the hospital regularly, and caring for my grandparents intensively.

Then, eventually losing my grandmother.

2010 passed by in a blink of an eye. It has been a great journey... May 2011 be greater and better!