Clubbing a Paris

Following the previous post, I got a chance to attend the Soulwaxmas at La Loco in Paris - Soulwax, 2many DJs, the Crookers, Birdy Nam Nam, etc. Well packed and well loco as it should be. Yep. Here's a clip from the gig with 2many DJS.

Dirty Dancing

As dirty, quirky, stupid, or awkward as you'd like...just get it out and enjoy it! Dance before your kids (if you don't plan to have, then please ignore it.) or your knees or hips won't allow you to. Doesn't matter in the shower or on the bed. Or attend a salsa or whatever dancing class they have to offer. Or out clubbing with your friends. It's all good.

Recommendations
At home:
www.lastfm.com
www.di.fm

Out about town:
Tapas (house) | Silom soi 4
808 (electro, house, drum 'n' bass | RCA
Flix (electro, hip hop) | RCA
Club Soma (indie) | RCA
Bed Supper club (depends) | Sukhumvit soi 11
Q Bar (depends)| Sukhumvit 11
Narcissus (techno)| Sukhumvit 23

Sir Ken Robinson on "Schools Kill Creativity."

Interesting.

Kanchanaburi

Here is a glimpse of Kanchanaburi and part of the ongoing River Kwai Bridge Festival. Another lovely place that still remains very Thai in its town and in the mind of the people.

Sitting in the Silence

It might be a little difficult within today's chaos of the world to easily find a peace of mind and some quiet time to yourself. Besides less oxygen in the air, we have to inevitably face the visual pollution of the billboard ads and buildings as well as the noise pollution from traffic and, well, gossips.

It'd rather special for city people like us to find some quality quiet time to think through some thoughts or ponder on some questions and answers. To find that pleasant settings and make it our comfort zone, even if it's for just 5-10 mins is something to cherish.

Here are some ideas for that pleasant settings:
1. on the beach (ones of the closest beaches to Bangkok ie. Koh Samed, Koh Lan, Koh Chang...)
2. on the roof or rooftop
3. in the bathtub (with some bossa nova or jazz music on)
4. at the balcony
5. lying in the grass (a good idea for this time of the year at the parks or up the mountain since the weather is not so hot.)
6. on a train (be it skytrain or a train out of town)
7. over a morning coffee (the smell of coffee is considered an aroma.)
8. in bed (have the air-con on and stuff yourself in the duvet.)
9. in a coffee shop (Starbucks on Thonglor is not a bad idea or a Dutch coffee shop;)
10.over business meetings or lectures

Photo source: Jason Nocito

Sretsis

Sretsis, one of the Thai brands that has stepped up into an international level with stockists in Bangkok, Hong Kong, New York and L.A., is a creation of Pim Sukhahuta, a graduate from Parsons School of Design. Launched in 2002, the brand now has become much more sophisticated in its concept and designs, like a woman stepping into her mid 20's with better sense of herself and style.

Sretsis is known for the girlish designs with a slight quirkiness. The inspirations are drawn from wildly different sources. The Thai tradition for the S/S'08 collection (picture) - using a color of each day of the week as the main concept ie. yellow for Monday, pink for Tuesday, etc. While the theme of the A/W'08 collection is drawn from the ideas of the dreamlike landscape and wild animals. The details are presented through the choices of fabrics, prints, and designs as well as the accessories.

It's always good to see a local brand, doesn't matter in what kind of business sector, to be able to develop in a more international stand.

13 Most Underrated Pleasures

One of my friends recommended me a book called The Hedonism Handbook: Mastering the Lost Arts of Leisure and Pleasure by Michael Flocker. It was one of those books that you wanted to finish in one read and you did. Or in this case, I did.

Many parts of this book give the interesting thoughts and tips to ponder on and follow by... like these following 13 suggestions of activities that some may do it occasionally while the others might take them for granted.

1 Floating in the ocean
2 Afternoon cocktails
3 Sleeping in
4 The foot massage
5 Making out in the rain
6 Dirty dancing
7 Reading in a hammock
8 Candlelit baths for two
9 Sitting in silence
10 Uncontrollable laughter
11 Three-martini lunch
12 A nice long nap (15-45 mins)
13 Sunbathing

Right, I'm going to talk about a few of them in my future posts. For now, please excuse me to get on with the pleasure #12. Haha

The Society's Obssession: Youth and Beauty

It's been long established in our society for the obssession with youth and beauty. Being reinforced by all these celebrities undergone a plastic surgery striving to be "flawless". The society that is scared of the truth of imperfection.

"Oh, she is so beautiful. I like her!"

Is that all it takes to be admired? Would you be fully happy and not, in a way, insulted? Who could we blame this on? Or should we even bothered thinking about it at all?

The glossy magazines that give only make-up tips or focus on the weight-lost tips. The supermarkets that choose to sell only perfectly red and round apples or the flawless cabbages that even an insect doesn't dare to have a bite.

Thanks to the constantly developing technology that continously releases new products in attempt to save us all from aging and "ugliness".

This is one of the ideas presented in the new exhibition called "Perishable Beauty" which, in fact, is divided into 8 sections:
1. Anicca - illustrating the nature of decay and ending of things, which apply to all without exception, even the universe. The lifetime of human beings is a blink of an eye, compared to the life span of the universe, and thus we are indefinitely perishable.

2. Death - displaying the death of human beings through rot and decay evident in the food we consume.

3. Fear - the history and evolution of the struggle to avoid death are told in generations, ranging from mummification, cloning, to the making of bone-ash ornaments, etc.

4. Beauty - reflecting people’s delight of keeping themselves in pleasing appearance for as long as possible. The values have opened up the door to global opportunities in business, such as in cosmetics, skincare products, fitness centers, cosmetic surgery, as well as numerous efforts through the media to define beauty in ways that serve certain businesses. The section ends by raising a question of what really is “genuine beauty” – the quality that has never find a permanent description.

5. Season - showing how the short period of each season creates economic value to natural creations, only if we perceive this and take it as a business opportunity.

6. Environment - showing that scenic beauty of nature and surroundings is a result of visionary investment and sensible administration.

7. Freshness Management - presented through the flower industry of the Dutch, who manage to send flowers from their farms to overseas customers with optimized time-efficiency.

8. Last Drop - symbolizing the business opportunity that Thai people should maximize benefits upon, and in the soonest manner.


When: 28 November 2008 - 22 February 2009 | 10:30-21:00
Where: Gallery 2, TCDC

The Pale Blue Dot

"Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds.

Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe:, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves..." - Carl Sagan

Shady Business

A must-have accessory to add before you step out the door today can't seem to be anything else but a pair of cool shades. Doesn't matter day or night, people are sporting one. Preppy-style models are the item of now in the optical world, but in the sunglasses market seems to be conquered by the Ray Ban wayfarers. I suppose they could thank Justice, a French electronic music duo, among others for starting such a trend - apparently not just in Europe but in Bangkok too!

However, I'm not going to rave much about the wayfarers but will be talking about two of my favorite brands of late. One is the up and coming Berlin-based eyewear MYKITA. Born 5 years ago but officially arrived in Bangkok early this year. With a few guarantees from IF Design Awards, Silmo d'Or Awards, and Red Dot Awards, seems like a good way to reassure that the products can live up to the prices. That's right. The prices are not for amateurs specially during this time of recession. But for anyone who like sophisticated style and the light-weight materials, with more than a little bit of cash to spend that is, MYKITA should be considered as the way to go.

For the other one, we're going to catch a plane and go straight to Hollywood because this brand is so well-known among the celebrities. It has just landed in Bangkok also this year...I'm sure you've heard of Oliver Peoples. If you're a fan of those gossip magazines or the glossy ones, you will surely come across quite a few celebs sporting this brand here and there. But that's not why it's become my favorite. Oh, of course not. Anyway, their designs are stylishly vintage, a little bit oversized for some and fit well with Asian faces! I specially like the new models of Resort/Spring'09 - sort of preppily cool.

A Small Hub of Creative Spirits

If you're one that's always looking for a creative inspiration or the fact that your room or house is decorated with design pieces here and there... Make sure to check out the TCDC shop for the local designs and international finds.

French designed vegetable peelers and salt-n-pepper sets (those seen in the Pompidou Center, Paris), Japanese notebooks, Rococo rings, MAO pillows, LOMO cameras or even Voodoo dolls! These are just a few examples among other special pieces that you might automatically convince yourself once there that quite a few things, well, should become yours.

TCDC Shop, 6th floor

The Emporium Shopping Mall
BTS Station: Phrom Phong

Smells Like Feminine Spirits

Can't deny that many girls and women have become more and more frenzied over a bottle of perfume. Which scent, which brand, which design of bottle...oh so many, even too many, to choose from! I remember when I was studying in Paris, whenever I went to Sephora on the infamous Champs Elysees, it was madness! Hundreds of scents to test and try. I at least spent an hour there almost every one of my visits.

Yes, I'm rather obssessed with scents and smells. Some scents or smells can strike you back into the past, making you feel nostalgic. Or sometimes, your favorite scents can surprisingly boost a confidence. And now that perfumes have become not just a good scent but more of a fashion statement, seems like more and more people, both men and women, will use more than just their noses to decide which brand they would like to spend the money on.

Anyway, here are my top 5 perfumes.

1. Sonia Rykiel by Sonia Rykiel

A perfume for an independent, sophisticated spirit with seductive and sensual side. A blend of passion fruit, mandarin and pineapple in combination with light, sweet flowers, and low, warm notes of vanilla.

2. Classique by Jean Paul Gaultier

Sensual and sophisticated. Warm and profound, its charm lies in its floral, voluptuous, and deliciously entrancing notes.

3. Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel

A modern oriental fragrance, fresh, sensual and abstract. The clear, simple, structured spirit of Chanel

4. Baby Doll by YSL

Baby Doll speaks to the woman who is naturally young at heart. She is sophisticated, yet clings to the lightheartedness of youth. A precocious beauty with a sweet, sensitive side, she's the center of attention and life of the party.

5. Amour by Kenzo

Sensual, soft and feminine. Kenzo introduces a soft, sensual, serene fragrance with a woody, musky scent. Olfactory evocations of travelling through Asia, with memories of India, Indonesia, Japan, Burma, and Thailand.

#1

Despite the heat of the political and economical crisis that Thailand is facing right now, the cool breeze of "winter" has officially arrived. A rumour says that it might snow in Bangkok next year. Personally, I won't put any hope in such a rumour. Let's say if this weather lasts for more than a month, I will be happy enough.

Since the past weeks, more and more fashionistas have been putting on scarves, boots, cardigans, or even a leather jacket just to welcome the long awaited "winter" season...that doesn't visit us so often.





Photo source: Cheeze Magazine