The Backstage

NZ MUSSELS & JAPANESE SALAD FOR SUPPER ANYONE?

2010-09-27T00:44:00.003+08:00

TV is extremely influential. It draws you in and sometimes cause you to salivate DEPENDING what channel you're watching. Well it wasn't Jessica Alba on HBO or Eva Longoria on StarWorld that almost got me drooling. Instead, I was watching Discovery Travel & Living yesterday and this dude was harvesting fresh mussels from the ocean and baked it immediately under dried burning hay. Within minutes, everyone congregated and had such a warm fellowship under the stars eating baked juicy mussels. I couldn't resist and knew I must have juicy mussels ASAP!

Discovered Ichiban Boshi at Sunway Giza today and thought it'll be nice to try the PJ outlet cause I love their Suki Yaki set. I'm not sure if there are other outlets in M'sia but I last dined in Ichiban Boshi at The Esplanade, Singapore while waiting for Fried Rice Paradise to begin. Anywayz, after dinner we went to Village Grocer's and I saw this nicely-packed box of New Zealand mussels ready to be consumed by a seafood lover. Mom was ready for a hearty supper so we got our groceries and immediately went home.

Believe it or not, I whipped up this juicy dish in less than 10 minutes. Just enough of olive oil, dried basils and lemon juice was all it took to give those mussels some flavour, simmering under 220 degrees of heat. Of course, I wish I had dry hay to set on fire but a conventional oven does the work too. While waiting, tossed a packet of salad around with Japanese dressing and next thing I know, we were dipping the mussels in Thai green chili sauce watching Journey to The Centre Of The Earth. Mmm...mmm!

AMAZING RACE: THE MAKAN EDITION

2010-09-12T22:45:00.009+08:00

Just 1 day before Raya, I had one of those 'spur-of-the-moment' episodes and decided to drive whoever that was a glutton in nature up to Penang for a makan session. Mom was of course stunned but immediately went with the frenzy idea as long she's not the one driving. I figure rather than lazing at home like a python and get all lethargic, might as well do something fun for the family.

Dad had plans while Aunty Mona from Japan who was suppose to tag along had a horrible case of tummy cramps so could not go. Ended up it was just me and mom who felt that, if we made it through this trip alive, we may join Amazing Race Asia: Season 5 next year, hahaha!

We left about 11ish in the morning and throughout the journey we were planning our makan stops while listening to Beyonce, PCD and Nelly Furtado doing their thang! Around 3 we finally crossed the Penang Bridge and was all excited to hit Gurney Street for lunch. Low and behold, while waiting for the traffic light at Burma Street, a MyVi knocked into my BGM2007's ass! Ouch! Had to go to the left and find out what's with that dude. Found out he was also the victim cause the Vios behind him banged into his ass at tremendous velocity. Poor MyVi was a victim of a sandwich and although the sound was pretty loud, BGM2007 suffered only

some scratches while the other two cars had pretty bad dents. One thing for sure, non of us did any emergency break and gathered the Vios whacked the MyVi because he was kei por-ing a car breakdown a couple of metres away and did not realize the cars in front were all stopping for the red light! ISHHHH...

With a tummy without lunch, we all had to go to the police station to make reports. Well I wanted to settle it there and then but the MyVi's mom wouldn't wanna pay if she could not claim from the insurance so we all went to the nearest police station. Okay, the system to make a report was extremely silly! I dunno what izit like in KL cause I never knock people in my life, honest, so this was a new thing.

First, they don't let us park in the station compound although there were like a lot of space inside!!! Nevermind! Went in there and was handed a form to fill from the counter. Okay, the format to report was pasted on the wall so we just had to copy it by hand and fill up the details. I thought they could have just printed the format on the form itself and we fill up the details but NEVERMIND! Once I was done filling the form, I handed it to the officer and was given a number then. Duh, he could have given me the number while I was filling up the form right? NEVERMIND! When it was my turn, I gave the officer my form and guess what??? The officer RETYPE everything I wrote into the computer system. Hello? Do I really have to fill up the form by hand in the first place? NEVERMIND! After all that, the officer got everything into the system, saved it and asked me

to see Inspector whatever his name was in the ot

her room. He said wait and for 10 minutes, he said nothing except clicking the mouse non-stop. To show how greatly connected their systems are, the Inspector had my details in his computer. Finally, he spoke, asked me morbid questions and updated the details. Photocopied my IC and driver's license, and said to come back on Monday after Raya to collect my report! I left the station at 5ish!

I told myself this silly encounter was not going to ruin my plans so immediately headed to Gurney Drive and had our lunner (lunch + dinner); BBQ sotong, ikan bakar, patsumbor, lok-lok and hokkien mee!

Checked into Gurney Hotel and the room was luxurious with sea view! Took 3 hours of nap to re-charge and went out for supper at Carnovan Street; kuey teow th'ng, lor bak, chee cheong fun, char kuey! Next day breakfast at Little India; mee goreng. Went back hotel for body massage spa and then checked out. Lunch at Air Itam; assam laksa, cendol, curry mee and rojak!

Penang, I love you!

MY VERY OWN FRIED RICE PARADISE!

2010-09-12T21:58:00.009+08:00

I remember when I was schooling, I dread eating fried rice. Unless it has an extra ZING to it, like fried with tom yam or tomato paste, I would rather eat maggi mee! Sounds like a spoil brat blogging I know but seriously, every other day eating dry fried rice with egg and diced veggies can be very uninspiring okay.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I had a meeting at Ivy's and did not have anything to eat before that. Ivy then offered me a bowl of what she called Ceylonese fried rice. It was yellow in color and looked like some ordinary briyani rice. The moment I had the spoon of fried rice in my mouth, all the spices and taste just burst and I quickly asked her with my mouth full, "Oh my gosh, this is so tasty! What did you put inside the fried rice? I need the recipe! (ngom ngom ngom)"

That whole yummlicious experience turned into something educational. But before that, allow me to explain that the term Ceylonese were popularly used by the Sri Lankan Tamils to differentiate themselves from the larger Malaysian Indian population who were predominantly of Tamil origin. Thank you wikipedia!

Ivy giggled and said the next round would definitely be different. See, in Ceylonese culture, women do not like to waste food. So whatever leftovers they had, they would eventually dump everything into the wok and fry into a new dish. The one I had the pleasure of tasting had dill, spicy long beans, curry tofu and tandoori chicken fried with gee rice. The burst of flavors finally made sense to me but of course I was disappointed I won't get to taste it again unless one of us purposely buy the same leftovers she had for dinner!

Just last week, we celebrated Mark Teh's farewell party at Ivy's and she catered the most amazing Indian dishes. Of course like any other party, there were leftovers! I was quickly reminded of the tasty fried rice experience and packed these 4 ingredients; fried chicken and onion fritters with spice, spicy brinjal, thick curry fish and fried tofu in spice. Just by itself, these dishes are good on its own.

The next day, never in history I was so excited to cook lunch for the entire family. And this was my salivating version of Ceylonese Fried Rice fried with sesame oil! Who knows what the next fried rice gonna taste like! Now don't you agree this is so much more inspiring? ;D

A PARADIGM SHIFT

2010-08-31T02:51:00.004+08:00

I choose not to be synical this time around and sincerely wish Malaysia a Happy Merdeka! I find it unhealthy for my wellbeing, focusing and hating her flaws only because... I guess I do love her dearly. After all, the absence of love is not hate, is indifference and no, I wouldn't be typing this entry if I was indifferent about Malaysia.

We know how hard and harsh we can be ESPECIALLY towards our loved ones. We accept people for who they are; the good, the bad and the ugly! Is not like I myself totally embrace people trying to change me with open arms. No, changing her would be evil and unnatural because thats not how we really function out there rite?

I can continue bitching about her or leave her for another country for that matter but that would not change anything except hurting her even more. That in return makes me look like a monster in her wet eyes.

I realize, although this ain't a new lesson, that I need to change myself if I truly love her. And that begins from here, I'm sorry...for talking behind your back. I'm sorry...for my absence. I'm sorry for thinking only bout me.... I wanna set myself free from all the hurts and discouragements and ask if you would forgive me in return? Are you willing to let go and forgive me?

You don't have to answer me now. Take your time, no rush...we all need our space and time to think. But, before I go, please at least let me wish you a Happy Merdeka, Malaysia... I'll leave you alone now. Goodbye...

HAPPY 60TH BIRTHDAY CLUBMED!

2010-08-29T21:43:00.022+08:00

ClubMed has an extra edge compared to other resorts I've visited in the past. See, my parents went to ClubMed for their honeymoon and a treasure hunt event back in those days where Adrian, ME, was not in the picture yet. So I finally get to visit ClubMed and managed to be part of their 60th Anniversary Celebration around the WORLD!

What makes ClubMed UNIQUE? Never-ending supply of food and beverages from day till nite @ no charges!!! I'm talking bout fruit juices, mock-tails, cocktails, wines, INTERNATIONAL BUFFET (Korean, Italian, Japanese, Indian, Chinese, Taiwanese, French, American) anytime @ no cost!

No matter how far and secluded you are from civilization (that's the concept), you'll never ever get bored because there are constant scheduled activities and games and wacky performances from time to time.

That edge; The Guest Officers (G.O) constantly spend time with you at the buffet table, on stage, off-stage, by the bar, along the corridor... they'll personally ensure your wellfare is taken care and make you part of the ClubMed family!

These G.Os from different ClubMeds around the globe (Canada, Japan, China, Korea, Australia, France, Africa) are amazing creatures. They are multi-lingual and does anything and everything. Of course each of them are in charge of their respective departments such as HR, reception, F&B, recreation but the whole village gotong-royong culture is very apparent thru their

work ethics. That same G.O can be in-charge of the archery site and at the same time perform as a magician at the theatre, getting you drinks while you're playing scrabble, assisting his buddies to transform the Club into an arabic dessert or dancing with you on the dancefloor! Reminds me a lot of our theatre life really!

Me and my family had plenty of opportunity to network with different people around the world. Played crazee ping-pong with people from Hong Kong against a family from South Africa, had booze with G.O Kana from Japan or lunch with G.O Dinesh from Mauritius describing what ClubMed is like in their own country and where they'll be heading next year. G.O Brendan from Australia sang a duet with me during a public karaoke session! It is madness! And who would imagine Village Chief Dominic (General Manager of ClubMed Cherating) from France would be doing stand-up and mc-ing at the various functions?

ClubMed is definitely like no other! Next stop, ClubMed Mauritius 2011...

Journey This Far...

2010-08-26T13:54:00.013+08:00

Just recently I was reminded why I got involved in theatre at British Council's Pecha Kucha event @ Leonardo's. It was truly a heart-warming event where directors, designers, producers, performers and artists all came together and shared their journeys for 6minutes in 20 slides. I figured out it is time for me to have my very own Pecha Kucha moment here for I've been leaving this blog dormant for 6 solid months! Time to reflect (Feb - Jul) and chart my route forward!

FEBRUARY 2010
Su-Feh & The Body Workshop @ FAC
Had the pleasure of working with Lee Su-Feh, one of Marion's long time dancer buddy who's managing BatteryOpera in Canada. Working with Su-Feh was such a pleasurable experience! They had a week long solid training which led to a sexy performance at FAC Studio itself. Audiences were treated to mandarin oranges and atoms made out of wires scattered all over the space. So why I call it sexy? Well, imagine the female body exploring and moving with curves and away from curves all over in Tai-Chi like motion. Beautiful...absolutely beautiful!

CNY Family Trip to Beijing
At first I was skeptical cause I'm not really a cultural and aesthetic appreciator kinda traveler. At least that's what I thought China was all about. Plus, I was nominated to be the official photographer. If it wasn't for the Great Wall, I honestly would have skipped the trip. Low and behold, China took my breathe away not because it was -7 degrees Celsius but because the place was monumental. Everything was epic in size; the lakes, the structures, the history... We had a private tour experience and that made the trip extra interactive and educational! I tried to be Hero and told myself I would conquer the 5 points of Great Wall, dropped it down to 3 and I only managed to conquer 2... It was just too cold and I wasn't equipped to climb the steep steps. We visited other important highlights as well such as The National Theatre, The Forbidden Palace, Summer Palace, Houtong Street, TianMen Square, The Bird's Nest Stadium, everywhere was an architecture wonder. Finally, things were dirt cheap there so as long as you bargain well. I had my parents to bargain for me...haha! Traveling with relatives can be quite insightful. Din't realize everyone can be so whacky although there are time they can be really annoying, nevertheless, I love all of them dearly.

MARCH 2010

I Have A Date With Spring @ His Majesty's Theatre, Perth.
Talk about growing up! My first job away from my country for 10 days! Perth will forever be part of me as I had my first major on-the-job injury of my life. Well it wasn't that dramatic where I almost died or anything but I had my first stitching, almost got myself fired cause deemed incapable of working and anesthetic jab directly into my wound all in 2 hours. On top of that, major forms which Melissa had to fill on my behalf cause my right thumb was bleeding like mad. Of course, apart from all that jazz, Perth was another great learning experience cause we saw how efficient and effective Perth crew was and life in Perth was so healthy. Can you imagine having fruit salad with Ah Hung for supper at 12am watching football? I drank milk and juices everyday on my way to the theatre. And on top of that, we were housed in the lavish Medina serviced apartment.

HSBC In The Arts @ Actors Studio Lot 10
Maybe is just me but I have this extremely curious nature to find out what every theatre backstage look like and with HSBC in The Arts event, I was given the opportunity to recce the area as production manager of FAC. Glad to have met up with other PMs of other companies that evening. Hands Percussion, Instant Cafe Theatre, Young Coral Academy, Dama Orchestra were all given a slot to perform some of their best numbers over the years. Definitely an honor to be in the same room with these established companies.

Asian Producer's Conference @ The Annexe
It's funny how I thought to myself, 'wouldn't it be great to be able to work with different organizations/people and learn from their methods of working' and BAM, June from
FAC put together this conference and we had people from Singapore, Malaysia and Japan all under one roof sharing about their environment and working methods in their artsphere. Very enlightening! Each country have their own set of challenges and also their set of advantages.

APRIL 2010
Gostan Forward & Cuckoo Birds in Esplanade Theatre, Singapore
My 2nd job away from my country for 2 weeks. Cake Theatrical Productions really took good care of us. We were living in Somerset Cairnhill Service Apartment which was just next to Orchard! Took the MRT back and forth to the rehearsal space every single day and had day offs which allowed me to explore places and food! It was a double jeopardy for me cause we get to rehearse at DramaCentre @ National Library and perform at The Studio in Esplanade. Get to observe how Natalie and Tze Chien work as directors. This was a fun project, Hui Chew and I had to crawl under the stage every nite to reset costumes and props, and of course, the infamous Dow feathers which we had to vacuum after each performance. No complaints cause we really had a good time together working with our SM, Joanna and Taufiq our sound operator. We were the fantastic 4 of Cuckoo Birds!

Boh Cameronian Awards @ Mandarin Oriental
Immediately after our team returned from Singapore, that very same evening, we were prepping ourselves for the final Kakiseni Boh Cameronian Awards held at Mandarin Oriental. That was to be my first and last award ceremony and I had a blast just to be in the same room with almost ALL the theatre practitioners in the industry. Glad I was exposed to the hidden Sultan Lounge which indeed fit for any Sultans around. Oh, Cuckoo Birds garnered 3 awards; Best Lighting Design, Best set Design and Best Director!

MAY 2010

So You Think You Can Mamak @ PJLA Laugh Fest
Joanna Bessey was directing this piece and I was given the opportunity to stage manage her comedy. Met really young and interesting comedians along the way and muahaha, get to check out PJLA backstage! I think its a sickness already checking out backstages! Joanna was another pleasurable director to work with. Actually come to think of it, all the directors I worked with this year are super-duper warm and cool people! I also realize, Malaysians must have their comedies!

Singapore Tourism Booklet
Me trying to be a hero, I felt doing a coverage on Kuala Lumpur City, covering 56 locations would be fun, exciting and able expand my writing capacity. To be fair, it was indeed loads of fun meeting people and visiting places I thought I would never go. However, at the same time carrying Munchkin's heavy tripod, running under heavy rain and walk along the fuming streets of KL was no glam! It may look like a holiday but oh trust me, it was all work and no play. Even eating food was work so Munchkin can get a good editorial shot. Ok lah, no more writing gig for the time being!

JUNE 2010

Kita: The Musical @ Istana Budaya
It's been a year long since I worked on a production in Istana Budaya. As I walked thru da building, memories of the previous production started running thru my mind. Da horror of HUGE set pieces quickly flashed by but I told myself, Adrian BOLEH! Now thinking bout Kita: The Musical again, I laugh remembering the things we had to push. From a bus, port ramp,
kampung house, to a stadium, to the big 1 sign...fooyoh!

JULY 2010

Nomad Fringe 2010 @ Ang Mo Kio Secondary School My 3rd job away from my country for 3 weeks! Concerned family & friends were beginning to ask me if I was gonna leave Malaysia for Singapore! I said no cause i feel is not my time. I describe working in this project as positively traumatic! How something traumatic could possibly be positive rite? This project really took me out of my comfort zone big time and we all know that if we really wanna grow, we gotta lift our butts up and get dirrty! Well Nomad presented that opportunity for me to grow in so many ways. Site specific projects away from the usual theatre environment does challenge anyone, designers, actors, mgmt team alike. I'm not particularly technical savvy and to be given the opportunity to be assistant tech manager to Joanna, fooyoh my technical know-how increased along with the trial and errors, haha! I won't say I know everything but I definitely learnt a great deal in this one. Getting dirrty...yes, mud in my shoes, enamel paint on my skin and sweating like a pig under the hot sun made me feel like a MAN! And to think working with one or two diva is painful...imagining working with a school of young divas called teenagers altogether? Oh my goodness...I never murdered in my life and to have thoughts of it then, Father Lord, FORGIVE ME! A little emo moment for a while, darn, those kids really grow on ya and when I finally stopped my agitation, open up to their potential and see them living it...oh my goodness, that is the greatest gift I received. Worked with another awesome team, Li Ting, Xiang Bin, Jean, Nizam and wife! Sharon exposed me to other institutions as well such as FairField Methodist and St. Andrew's Secondary School. My heart for young people grew even more!

STOP LITTERING!

2010-01-27T16:54:00.003+08:00

This is really getting to my nerves and I'm seriously thinking people have gone out of whacked! Whatever happened to manners? KESOPANAN & KESUSILAAN!

Mama din't teach these people not to throw stuff in public spaces izit?

Pig's head in mosques, petrol chemicals in churches and in the past, cow's head outside of temple... These troublemakers are either possessed or have gone NUTS! But having said that, they still have their consciousness not to be caught/seen.

It's 2010 for goodness sake! Please lar advance mentally. PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

I REMEMBER YOU...

2010-01-12T02:00:00.008+08:00

Do you still reMember me?
We grew up not knowing what we'll be.
The innocense was a bliss,
So simple, yet so free!

Do you still remember me?
I was Afraid what the future might bring,
You assured light and hope,
We smiled and never spoke.

I woke up and the future is here,
We're standing face to face,
You seem different, yet paLe,
Why do you ask for my name?

Don't you remember me?
We grew up together,
Look At me!
What is going on here?

I see fire in your eYes,
There's chaos everywhere!
What have you done?
Let me out of here!

You preSsed-on and spread like a decease,
Everything around me began to die,
I see a black hole, I see your lies,
Are you planning to bury me alive?

The deeper you try to bury me,
The weaker you become,
Remember the songs we used to sIng,
This isn't how you were suppose to be!

Are you happy?
Are you free?
Talk to me...
My country!

HELLO 2010: WELCOME DINNER

2010-01-01T22:30:00.003+08:00

I decided that we should welcome the fabulous year of 2010 with a hearty tummy so I baked a tray of salmon with lemon and basil and served it with herring salad. Those two Norwagien swimmers were bought from IKEA food deli. Added chopped chilli padi to titter mom's tastebuds and give it a dash of Asian flavour.

We had a delightful dinner as a family watching Treasure Hunters starring Jay Chou which was quite sucky but nevertheless, had a good laugh reading the Google translated subtitles. Had Australian cheeries for dessert.

PREPARED CHRISTMAS DINNER!

2009-12-28T23:01:00.005+08:00

Boy, I'm all porked-up at the moment. It was just another working Monday until something possessed me and I felt like cooking a lavish Christmas dinner for my family. I was on my way to Plaza Damas to drop some travel document and I remembered there was this deli nearby which sold real fresh gourmet pork called the Blue Cow Cafe. Don't ask me why the cow is blue, I'm curious myself.

So anywayz, Ah Hung was there to drop his travel documents as well and was so sweet to accompany me grocery shopping. To be really honest, I had no idea what to do with the pork or how I wanted it to taste like. I mean there are like 10,001 wayz to prepare the pork rite? It was the most improvised and fastest grocery shopping I ever did. I took what I thought was the most basic in gourmet-cooking as presented by AFC & Discovery Food & Living.

Went home and wallah, Chef Adrian cooked up 2 gourmet dishes in an hour:

1) pan-fried mediterannean pork chop with garlic-infused mushrooms and bread

2) BBQ roast ribs with white wine, baked potatoes and mushrooms.

We had seedless greengrapes for dessert. (burp)

MY PRAYER FOR 2009: And I Thank You Lord...

2009-12-22T18:32:00.007+08:00

Dear Father in heaven,

And I thank you Lord, for the trials that come my way,
In that way I can grow each day, as I let You lead.
And thank You Lord, for the patience those trials bring,
In that process of growing, I can learn to care.

But it goes against the way I am, to put my human nature down,
And let the Spirit take control of all I do.
For when those trials come, my human nature shouts the things to do; And God's soft prompting can be easily ignored.

I thank You Lord, with each trial I feel inside,
That You're there to help lead and guide, me away from wrong.
'Cause You promised Lord, that with every testing,
That Your way of escaping, is easier to bear.

But it goes against the way I am to put my human nature down,
And let the Spirit take control of all I do.
For when those trials come, my human nature shouts the thing to do;
And God's soft prompting can be easily ignored.

I thank You Lord, for the victory that growing brings,
In surrender of everything, life is so worthwhile.
And I thank You Lord that when everything's put in place,
Out in front I can see Your face, and it's there You belong.`

2009 EVENTS: REWIND...RECAP...REFLECT...

2009-12-22T13:07:00.008+08:00

It's that time of the year where I take a step back, press the rewind button and reflect on the happenings that took place in 2009 before it passes-by.

DECEMBER
Diaries of Adam & Eve marks my very first attempt in production design (set & lighting) since college. I remembered sketching the set on a A4 sized paper and never saw it again after my set builder's 5 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER mistakenly conteng it as rough paper. Now seeing the actual set on stage just overwhelms me to da max and I'm still digesting every bit of it as we prepare for the opening night on Dec 24. It was EXSTACY shopping for the set dressings with Yvette at SSF. We were like kids @ Toys R' Us! Note to self: Need to divert from realistic sets and move into something minimalistic and abstract.

Saw Beauty & The Beast: A Pantomime by Wild Rice Theatre at Drama Centre, Singapore. It was the best stress-reliever for me. Had fun and felt like a kid again. The less than 24 hours trip was enough to roll my blues away. Note: Aeroline Bus Shuttle from BU is convinient and affordable way to Singapore.

Project Wayang: Wayang Fajar @ The Annexe was the final league of projects for Five Arts Centre (FAC). Joey was a blessing and a great help to me during bump-in. So nice to have a production assistant. Note to self: Don't try to be a hero and do everything solo, get an assistant!

Vocal lessons @ Young Coral Academy (YCA) definitely helped me find the inner-voice I never knew I had. It all began on a cloudy day, I felt I was lacking some skills and feeling dry about myself. It came down to learning vocals OR learning a musical instrument. After much deliberation and pooling in Facebook, I drove to YCA and enrolled myself in. So much fun and loads of abdominal pain working with Tracy Wong, just to get the techniques right. My very first classical song is by Gershwin, 'A Foggy Day'! Thank you for being so patient with me Tracy. Note to self: Practice...Practice...Practice, there are loads to be done!

NOVEMBER
High Adventure Club (HAC) Children's Camp: Love Saga @ F.G.A Sungai Buloh changed me for better and for worst. I've finally come to terms that I'm UNCLE Adrian. However, if a kid dares to push my button for the 2nd time, I will chew the kid apart like a hungry hyena. Boy, I have much higher respect for children teachers. YVELYN, you go gal! Note to self: Never ever let a kid walk all over you no matter how much tears are shed or how much threatening sounds IT makes! Grrr...:p

Conference Of The Birds: An Electronic Opera was staged in the DELICIOUS island of PENANG and I was summoned up north by FAC to provide production assistance. Talk about being a big boy: Drove up north solo, stayed by myself for a week @ Nerell's nostalgic boutique hotel, managed a production on unfamiliar territory and living away from home for 2 weeks. I'm still amazed how it worked out smoothly till the end. Of course, mom was worried sick, kept on calling for updates daily. Was operating the lights as well, manually, nerve-wrecking but fun. Also, I must give a loud shout-out to the BIRDS, the beloved performers of the opera. It was such a pleasure and a pleasant journey working with these jovial and down-to-earth characters. To do: Next stop, down south, SINGAPORE ISLAND!

Five Arts Centre 25th Anniversary Bash on Nov 14 was truly a spectacular event! production! I mean event! no production! Oh whatever... It took us weeks to put the...the 'thing' together and it was gone in less than a day. That's the down-side of managing events, before you know it, it's all over. I'm definitely sticking to production management. Thank you Kung Yu for showing me how to throw a party with an attitude! Ahahaha :p One thing I learn: Wanna do, then do it with a BANG! After all, it is our company's 25th Anniversary. The rain did play a part as well.

OCTOBER
I Have A Date With Spring: The Musical by Dama Orchestra was a HIT and also a change of scene for me to work on another musical. It gave me opportunity to experience technical theatre on a different level. Being a backstage crew has turned me into a NIGHT-CRAWLER (wolf howls)! I see and work better in the dark, haha! Joke aside, more importantly, being a stage crew for a musical offered me another chance to improve my brain and brawn capability to be an effective and efficient theatre practitioner (although Melissa still do not trust me with heavy stuff, haih). Note to self: (In Aunty Joyce's voice) You must love your set!

Like FAC and TV3, I turned 25 this year and whoa, it's thought provoking to be a QUARTER OF A CENTURY OLD. Still making necessary adjustments and far from settling down as to who Adrian Teh Eu-Weng is. My prayer: Continue to shape me into Your likeness my Lord. Amen

SEPTEMBER
Officially became part of the employment pool with EPF registered and running. Wah, actual salary is lesser. Must freelance more. My prayer: Jehovah Jireh, my provider! To do: need to properly sit down and learn all bout TAX now! ADELINE CHEW...HELP!

AUGUST
Zan Yamashita from Kyoto, Japan did a residency program with FAC and it was a pleasure to assist Fahmi in overseeing his stay in M'sia for a month. Unfortunately the first week for Zan wasn't smooth sailing as he was burned by spicy M'sian food and bitten by bed ticks. Showing him around did put my International PR skills (which was non-existent) to the test. Thankfully, I had a back-up plan, improvise along da way, haha :p

The Krishen Jit Astro Fund 2009 was like a bundle of joy for me and Marion. We were both working closely together close to 2 months sending out and compiling applications in preparation for the paneling in October. Had to keep close tabs on mails and emails daily to ensure no one is left out. Boy, when the 'text-book' was collected from the printers, we sat back and smiled at the bundle of joy :p

JULY
I did a checklist of some of my resolutions for 2009 and realized I was neglecting my health for the first half of the year. Made a drastic decision to pump myself with health supplements beginning July 1st onwards and bought hundreds worth of Shaklee health supplements from a friend. Cut story short, the swallowing of gigantic pills was tremendously torturous (Marion & Mark Teh are my witnesses) and I lasted for 3 months only. Ever since that, the products have been starring at me from the shelves. But to be frank, I did feel a boost of stamina and no sickness within that 3 months duration.

HAC visited Pastor Samuel Phun's church in Singapore to observe how they conduct their children service on a regular Saturday. I'm fortunate to have that opportunity as I have no training in dealing with massive number of children at a go. The team really had a spirit of excellence and order when running the activity and better yet, managed to pick up some strategies and formulas that will maintain the children attention towards you and only you. Note to self: Never ever take a train-ride down to Singapore!

JUNE
Cuckoo Birds @ The Annexe, was a collaboration between FAC and Singapore's Cake Theatrical Productions. It was my very first production management after graduation. The production kicked-off with workshops and rehearsals in April. No mentor, no lecturer, just you against the rest of the world! Ok ok, not that dramatic but as I roamed aimlessly along the busy streets of K.L hunting for production stuff, it suddenly struck me that I was indeed on my own from then on, no more an assistant, therefore I had to BUCK-UP and take charge like a MAN!

MAY
Prince Siddhartha: The Musical by Musical On Stage became ginormous when we bumped-into Istana Budaya. As an assistant, I learned a lot from Mel by observing and watching how she plan and handles things at a larger scale. Tech-week was nerve-wrecking as my sensory awareness to up down left right and everything around me was inactive, every corner literally spelled D.A.N.G.E.R. If I had to name 3 things that never left my mind since the production ended, it would be vegetarian, sweeping the stage, colourful belly dancers, dry ice, prison wall, kok boon, charging walky-talky, anime devil daughters, intercom... Wow, the show is still fresh in my memory!

Gostan Forward: A Lecture-Demo by Marion D'Cruz gave me the opportunity to know my boss' history, story and better yet, get a glimpse of her performing. The show toured various colleges and local universities in KL as well as Penang. It was indeed an experience as the show go mobile although I have been loathing that heavy TV set which sat in my car wherever the show goes!

APRIL
Watched CATS at The Esplanade Theatre, Singapore. Was lost and clueless in Act 1 but then awed by the genius and exposition in Act 2!

Into The Wilderness was an original musical I wrote, inspired by God. For the first time in a very long time, we had a cast ranging from children, youths and adults all sharing the same stage. It was a race against time to direct non-performers in a duration of a less than 2 months (once or twice a week). The show was performed during Easter Sunday and also at the home for the elderly in Sungai Buloh Village. It was a blessing in return to see the children bring smiles to the elderly at the care centre.

JANUARY - MARCH
Began attending rehearsals for Prince Siddhartha: The Musical in March. It was challenging to take notes during rehearsals as mandarin isn't my forte but thankfully, the cast members were willing to translate whenever my face turn blank :p

Went to Krabi with mom and dad during Chinese New Year holidays and that was the last time we ever bonded for 2009 -_-"

Started my stint with FAC on Jan 15 and worked closely with Ummi in revamping the space to a cleaner and organized working environment.

IN THE NICK OF TIME!

2009-09-08T17:53:00.002+08:00

Today was like any other ordinary Tuesday. Then Roger started noticing the 'signs' (jeng jeng jeng).

I went into office during lunchtime and was ready to strike off my to do list one by one for the day. It was one of those days where I have to be on the road the whole day. Decided to bring the interns along for a jalan-jalan session and also introduce them to some important places. Told myself we should be back by 5pm.

The signs! After spending some time on the road, Roger couldn't help but notice that every traffic light I drove pass was constantly, and he meant literally constantly switching at yellow and I happen to beat it all.

Then we had to drop something off at Asia Jaya and I thought I should at least call the person to see if she is there. Ironically, the person picked up the phone and was rather surprised at my timing as she had just returned from an extended lunch appointment.

Got that sorted out and decided to head str8 to Jalan Gasing to settle some EPF stuff. As we walk into the main entrance, this short security fellow pointed a toy gun looking thingymegic at my forehead to scan my body temperature. Of course it felt weird but I just went with the flow. Took my number, walked into the waiting room and before I could even look for a seat, my number was on the board and we had to run all the way to counter 22. And if that wasn't enough of a shocker, the sweet lady told us that they close at 4.45pm and when I look at the clock that was behind er, it was 4.43pm! We were like...NO WAYYYYY...

Fooyoh, all in the nick of time and yeap, we managed to be back in the office by 5pm! Freaky if you ask me...

SHOPPING MUSE OR DEVIL?

2009-08-18T18:20:00.011+08:00

Rule number 1, never wait for a friend at a shopping complex! It happened 3 months ago and recently. This is how the story goes...

See, a few months ago, I had an appointment with a good friend of mine Cedric, who comes from BANDAR Teluk Intan. We've been buddies for almost 6 years and so happen he was in town that time. We said we would meet at 1Utama at 7pm. Being the time freak that I am, I arrived at 6.45pm and thought I would walk around.

7pm, got a call from Cedric and he said he would arrive in less than half an hour. Knowing how fast I walk, I covered almost every floor at the new wing waiting for him and I had no choice but to enter the forbidden streets a.k.a High Street!

It was a cold and quiet street where lifeless mannequins pose seductively behind glass walls luring you into their lair. I resisted every temptation by looking down on the marble floor as I walk the streets, but occasionally taking a quick peep to see if...if Cedric has arrived.

Then suddenly, a bloody red sign caught my eyes and immediately, I was in a trance. It was so huge and bright and so beautiful that anybody with a right mind would go to it like moths to flames, it showed 70% That lair had an ancient symbol on it as well '?' which renders anyone who enters, clueless!

Cedric was still no where to be found. I thought to myself, this place isn't so bad compared to the other lairs with unruly names such as FCUK and EXChange. I went in, grabbed a couple of garments and locked myself in the changing room. In that room, lies an enchanted mirror that never lies. It shows the beautiful side of you. I was alarmed when someone knocked on my door. I opened it and discovered it was the keeper of the lair. It looked refine and told me in it's sweet charming voice that the garment on me made me looked great. I can't help but agree.

The lair keeper led me to the counter. It was weird but I knew I had to take out my wallet and somehow on that fateful day, I had cash with me. I paid for the gorgeous white shirt, got a really nice bag that came with it and just when I was about to put the receipt into the bag...

CEDRIC came and the spell was broken! Urgh...

Wat a coincidence. Just last week, Cedric was in town and we went to KLCC for the 2009 FHM Culinary Exhibition! Yes, loads of free food to savour :p

We ended the day at 6.15pm and had to wait for Sharon before we leave for KLPAC. She was suppose to meet us there and while waiting, Cedric the SHOPPING MUSE / DEVIL pointed out that GUESS was just a floor down and situated behind from where we were sitting. I thought it wasn't a good idea but after 30 minutes of diliberation I remembered I needed a belt.

We walked in and to my horror, the belt was just crazily overpriced but before I could march myself out of the boutique, this long-sleeved round-neck caught my attention. Cut story short, I had cash with me, bought the shirt and then Sharon arrived 5 minutes later...

I have two Guess shirts hanging in my closet now and both with Cedric in the story!

TAKING HEALTH SUPPLEMENT IS NO JOKE!

2009-07-01T16:07:00.003+08:00

So July 1st is here and I remember making a clear resolution to have a healthier lifestyle in 2009. Well I finally made it happen. After realizing that my job demands a lot from me mentally and physically and occasionally emotionally (which I'm learning to set aside), I felt it is time that I pay more attention to my health. Also, the 2nd leg of the year is usually the most exciting and challenging time for all of us so it's good to end it well lar. Alwayz a firm believer that it doesn't matter how you begin but how you end it!

Anywayz, I opened-up my supplements one at a time and gosh to my horror, the tablets and capsuls are humongus! Those who know me personally would know I'm a medicine biter. Yes, I bite my pills and I even open up the powdery ones and drink it in with water. I was never able to swallow my pills when I was a kid till now. Can, I can swallow but it would take minutes and countless gulps of water. All in all, my supplement regime requires me to swalow a total of not 6...not 7..not 8 BUT 10 biji! 10 I tell you is crazy!

Supplement breakdown:
- 3 BIJI Omega-3 untuk kolestrol
- 2 BIJI Vita-C
- 1 BIJI Vita-E Complex
- 1 BIJI Vita-LEA Iron Formula
- 3 BIJI Lecithin

And this is already a compromise as I have 1 garlic pill and 1 Carotomax to take which I'm setting aside for whenever. Well, NEVER!

I'm giving this a 2 months trial and see where it leads me but ironically, 15 minutes later after my last biji, I actually felt alive, awake! I told myself, neh...neh, probably some phycological reaction je. Marion and Mark had a good laugh watching me pumping myself with pills. So yea, will blog about it 2 weeks later. I'm keeping watch on my weight as well.

NEED FOR SPEED!,?.

2009-06-26T14:09:00.009+08:00

Gone were the days we spend less than 10 minutes checking our emails. Remember the good old days when we have to wait for 30 seconds for dial-up, listening to the sweet serenity of the connecting sound? Well no more, this day and age, everything is about speed, speed, speed! So fast my friends and colleagues are complaining I walk in 6th gear and I drive like speedy Gonzales... (dang!). So fast, my mom don't understand why my fingers is like an octopus when it comes to sms and msn. So fast, that I'm typing in short forms now, Y2K? H1N1? (dang!). So fast, we have multiple bi-elections one after another in less than a year (dang!).

Because technology is advancing so rapidly, it is also causing us to live rapidly although my grandma thinks that RapidKl is not living up to it's name, but that's another story. July is coming but most people still have fresh memories of Chinese New Year and Valentine's Dinner. For me, I still remember organizing storage space for Dama Orchestra in November 08' during my internship. It was just like it happened yesterday.

Speeding up, Facebook is really taking the world by storm. You know how brushing teeth, driving, watching TV, eating, bathing is like our way of life, a lifetstyle? Well logging into facebook twice, trice or all day long has become our way of life. How not to? We need to feed our pet society daily. Our fingers gets itchy if we don't poke that good friend of ours. And let's not forget making sure we're on top of the Bejewelled charts! And yeap, you got that rite, to be on top you've gotta be? FAST! Phew..I'm panting just typing this entry.

Just something that came across my mind in the midst of exploding colourful gems. No wonder i'm not on the top of the charts (dang!)

FLY CUCKOO BIRD...FLY!

2009-06-24T15:58:00.007+08:00

I would like to personally thank those who came and supported Cuckoo Birds at The Annexe last week. The show was well received and we had a full house almost every day. Working with the Singaporean team from Cake Theatrical Productions was indeed a learning experience and I'm looking forward to more collaborations in future.

Incidentally,Cuckoo Birds would be my first management project after graduating from college. My role in previous productions was more of an assistant and I'm usually used to the idea of executing tasks rather than calling the shots. Production managing and stage managing differs with a very fine line, so fine you could almost miss it. I'm very used to stage managing and rather fresh to production managing but nevertheless somehow managed to pull through without experiencing a nervous breakdown or going cuckoo.... :p Body quite tired though -_-"

A special someone told me that the bird has finally left the nest and it is somewhat a strange feeling that I need to get used to. With great power comes great responsibility and I would like to add, with great responsibility comes great reliability (scary)! Imagine the whole wide world is relying just on you (arghhh...home alone style). Most of the time, I'm on my toe nails ready to meet any challenges that crops-up in between production and unlike college or internship programs, there is no room for mistakes! In the words of Glory played by Anne James "WE MUST NOT WAVER!". Cuckoo Birds was indeed a very tight production as the team had less than a month of production time frame to work with.

This show has been a valuable experience and I understand so clearly why my lecturers were hard on us during our training. They were preparing us for challenges to come when we leave the nest! Once you fly away, you're on your own feathery creature.

JUNE 1ST, A DAY TO CELEBRATE!

2009-06-01T23:22:00.005+08:00

"Celebrate good times cammon..."

Truly it is a day of celebration and goodness gracious, we are smacked right in the middle of the year already (aiks)!

June 1 marks as a memorable day for celebration because...

1) ADRIAN SURVIVED PRINCE SIDDHARTHA: THE MUSICAL...WOOHOO
2) ADRIAN GETS CONFIRMED IN FIVE ARTS CENTRE...WOOHOO
3) UMMI WRAPS UP HER STINT IN KUALA LUMPUR...BIDS FAREWELL
4) SAM WRAPS UP HIS STINT AT DRAMALAB...CHEERS

We went to Shogun for a hearty Japanese buffet and semua orang tak boleh gerak sekarang. Terlalu kenyang.

IT WAS AN HONEST MISTAKE!

2009-05-25T16:49:00.002+08:00

It was an honest mistake... (sigh). This is how the story goes...

I've been working with the backstage crew for a week now for Prince Siddhartha: The Musical and we've been like a family to each other. Yes, we have our differences and believe it or not, in this very short duration of time, we have gotten onto each other's nerves more often than not. But the beauty of it all is that, we somehow manage to separate between work and personal and come what may, we still eat and laugh together-gether during our very short (and I mean very short) breaks in between schedules.

Welcome to room F4, situated at the ground floor backstage area of Istana Budaya. This is our very own cosy Production Room where we enter to start our day and end it as well. Here, we charge our walky-talkies, keep our bags and other production related stuff, I repeat, production related stuff.

So I needed a cup to get a drink from the water cooler and as I opened the door, a crew was bending over ruffling for some stuff on my right. I gave him a smack on his butt, walked directly to the table, and asked him in canto, ooi, what are you looking for lar... and there was this ackward silence in the room for a few seconds. The other two crew in front of me stood there blank and finally, she asked me, errrm, who do you think that was? I turned around and BAM! It was someone that I do not know, and I was like, errm, what are you doing in this room? Of course, my two trusty crew laughed like crazee...

And he innocently answered in canto, I was looking for some cds that the front of house people placed in your production room. And I took a look at him and he was dressed exactly the way we backstage crew dressed, dark blue jeans and black t-shirt but he wasn't a backstage crew member but a front-of-house usherer... aiyoh yoh...

How embarassing that was larrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr................................

Note to self, butts are never meant to be smacked! And Ummi totally, completely, 100% positively, disagree with this note.

THE MEANING OF HAPPINESS...

2009-04-30T02:58:00.005+08:00

It is the simplest things in life that makes us happy. More often than not, we take these little things for granted and instead, chase after big things that we think would bring us happiness more than anything else. I've personally come to realization that if I do not take five and start thinking about what really makes me happy, I'll end up chasing nothing but the wind and that would be simply meaningless?

As I was having my hair cut yesterday, I came across this article on FHM magazine regarding the Top 10 Feelings in Life. Well, I did some thorough reflection on my own and here's my personal 25 Blissful Feelings in Life (and no, it does not involve orgasm as mentioned in the magazine!). See if anything hits the spot for you (no, not that spot!)

25: Driving on a Sunday morning.

24: Being greeted by a cool gentle breeze at 7am.

23: Sweet, uninterrupted dream.

22: Going out and reaching home safely.

21: A warm shower after a long day at work.

20: Staring into the wonders of nature - sunrise, sunset, rainbow, rainy day, sunny day...

19: Leaving the saloon with a fresh new haircut

18: Coming out of the sauna / resting by the pool chair after a swim.

17: Winning a card game.

16: Receiving a compliment or an encouragement.

15: Walking the talk, fulfilling a promise!

14: Being on time...

13: Finally found a missing item - keys, pen, remote control...

12: Remembering the good old days by flipping the photo album.

11: Grandma's dinner

10: The first bite of a warm-chocolate cake oozing with hot chocolate sauce.

9: Discover a revelational truth or uncovering a new fact.

8: Meeting a primary/high-school friend after so many years.

7: Donating to a fund-raiser, charity or NGO.

6: To love and be loved by a special someone.

5: Banking in my paycheck at the end of every month.

4: Putting a smile on someone else's face.

3: Parents being proud of my work.

2: Wrapping-up a production after curtain call on the last day of performance.

1: Looking back from 25-2, knowing God has been watching over me all along.

CATS WAS MEMORABLE!

2009-04-20T15:46:00.003+08:00

Being a young theatre practitioner, I know there are some plays I must watch b4 I die. And I don't mean watching it on film or some recordings. I mean watching it live before my very eyes. These plays include Shakespeare's work (As you Like It, A Midsummer's Night Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, The Tempest, Romeo & Juliet), Andrew Llyod Webber's compositions (Sunset Boulevard, The Phantom Of The Opera, Evita), Stephen Sondheim's musicals (Westside Story, Into The Woods, Sweeney Todd) and my gosh the list goes on and on and on...argh...!

Last Friday, I was really fortunate to be able to catch Cats at The Esplanade Theatre in Singapore. Boy, that place was pulsing with life, situated in a posh shopping centre next to the marina...urgh!

The moment I stepped into the theatre, I was already captivated by the glowing set which is designed to look like a dumpster (piak). Then I realized they had red and yellow lightbulbs running from stage all the way to the stalls and balconies all over. I was ready for something spectacular and I was definitely ready to be bombed left, right, back, centre!

The show started exactly on time, 8pm (something you rarely experience here in K.L!) and we were lured onto the stage with the opening number (Jellicle Cats, Jellicle Ball). I felt it was weird to have this ufo lighting thingamagic descending on stage and then ascending back up during the prelude!

Once this particular cat appeared, the rest was history as we were bombarded by crazy-ass gymnastic dance routines that is uniquely catlike, powerful monologues/testimonies that are delivered through song numbers and cats appearing all over the auditorium. The entire theatre became the cat's playground.

To be honest, I didn't really get what was happening throughout Act 1 as I wasn't used to a musical without a clear narrative. I was certain Cats was not just about the dance, make-up and costume. I knew it was larger than that. So during intermission, I began to digest what I heard rather than what I saw and certain things begin to make some sense. But it was during Act 2 I finally got a revelation of the entire production and that really touched my heart. Even the set made loads of sense to me and bam...the song Memory wasn't just a melodic song to my ears, but a epilogue to the message of the musical. And yes, Cat's are very much just like you... and me.

It's a story about these various individuals (err, I mean cats) that once lived a very happy and splendid lives. They've lost that zest, that passion which is now gone and they are waiting to be reborn into a new life, where they can experience that glory once again. The cats that we see on stage are all broken by the adversities of life. Unfortunately, only ONE cat is granted that gift during the Jellicle Ball (when the moon is full). Start humming, Memory, all alone in the moonlight... So from Act 1-Act 2, we see these various cats appearing, singing the story of their lives to us under the full moon (slashed by sharp clouds).

Cats will definitely stay in my memory for the longest time. Is a heart-warming musical that reminds me of the happy times and that if we know the meaning of happiness, then a new day will arise!

Adrian out!

UNTITLED!

2009-03-24T23:52:00.005+08:00

I don't know why, but I've been feeling dull lately. It's like my world became black and white and the environment has gone silent. Quiet... You know that feeling walking in your neighbourhood at 3am in the morning? Bad example maybe!

I've been getting that empty feeling. I don't recall shutting the world and it's people out of my life. Nope, I don't remember making that call. Yeah, sometimes I like being by myself and other times I'm a social butterfly or even a cameleon, I blend into any kind of environment and miraculously make myself comfortable wherever it may be.

My kinda job surrounds me with people. I mean literally bunch of people but why do I get that feeling that I am the only one in this planet? I know, Will Smith in I Am Legend but if you think about it, it's not a funny feeling.

Hmmm...I'm sure I'm not making sense at this moment. Let me gather my thoughts.

Ok, it's like this. I feel like an empty shell. Something is missing and I don't know what it is and how it got lost/stolen for that matter. I mean, it is extremely alien and weird to me that this is even happening.

I've got a job. I keep the company running by day and in certain nites, I'm assistant stage managing a musical production. I love what I do and I intend to do this for a long time. I've just finish writing a musical for EASTER and I'm directing it as well during the weekend in church. I feel so blessed to be able to have such a creative outlet. The joy of watching a production grow from time to time brings fulfillment to me.

So with my hands full, why do I still feel empty. Have I been distant from God? Or is it because I've just recovered from cough and flu? Medicine effect? The gloomy weather? Hormonal changes??? (dang)

This evening, I went to visit Grandpa in Gleneagles with my parents. He'll be going for surgery tomorrow to remove his other leg. It was heartbreaking to see him have to suffer like this at this very old age but doctor says despite all the failures in his body, his heart is beating healthily and strong.

He was sleeping when we arrived but he looked like he had a busy or disturbing dream. I could see his eyes shifting underneath like he was busy searching for something and he was mumbling at the same time. I had that strong urge to say a prayer for him and I did. I said a few lines and before I know it, he woke up abruptly, saw my face and instantly smiled from cheek to cheek. That very moment, colours came back to my world and I could hear sounds again. It took my very sick grandpa to bring life back into me. But that lasted only for a few minutes. After kissing him goodbye on his bald head and exiting room 662, that empty feeling came back.

I need to do some soul-searching and have a good 1-1 with God. ADRIAN! WHERE ARE YOU?

GOODBYE ACTORS STUDIO BANGSAR!

2009-03-13T01:07:00.006+08:00

I remember my first time working in theatre back in 2006. It was with The Oral Stage when they staged Rojak! @ Pentas 2, KLPac, I was dissapointed I did not get a chance to visit the backstage area because I was doing publicity work outside. I told myself then, that from that day onwards, I would grab whatever opportunities I get to visit the backstage area of every theatre spaces in Kuala Lumpur. Indeed, by the time I graduated, I can officially say I've been to every backstage area of theatre spaces in Kuala Lumpur, KLPac, Istana Budaya and thankfully, The Actors Studio Bangsar (TAS) before it closed it's curtains for the last time.

Actors Studio Bangsar is quite unique and special from the other theatre spaces in KL. Well for one it has the only thrust stage in town but more importantly, it has a very intimate setting which is shared by the audiences and actors on stage. It's the ideal space for a lot of medium-scale performances. Ironically, it was with The Oral Stage that I got the chance to work in the theatre space as Deputy Stage Manager and Lightboard Operator for their 2008 production of "How I Learned To Drive". I remember setting my foot in the theatre during bump-in and the very first thing I did was, I ran up on stage and explored the entire backstage area. There was this sense of joy and fulfillment as I stepped into the control room and settled myself in there.

It was also at TAS that I operated a computerized lighting board for the first time. Boy it was an amazing experience eventhough I mess up a few lighting cues prior to the performance (chuckles). I know I won't see TAS again but I will forever cherish memories of that wonderful place and tell of great tales of spectacular and not-so-spectacular performances that once staged in The Actors Studio Bangsar. Cheers and I bid you farewell :p

THE CIRCUS IS NOT IN THIS TOWN

2009-03-05T19:35:00.003+08:00

The Circus Tour: Starring Britney Spears kicked-off in New Orleans yesterday and boy I read it was super-duper smashing. These were some of the critique's comments...

"...the radiant ringleader proved she's a "put on a show kind of girl" as she captivated thousands of screaming fans in the Big Easy." - Entertainment Tonight

"It's truly a sight to behold ... the biggest show under one roof." - MTV News

"Britney Spears put another notch in her comeback belt by powering through the nearly two-hour opening date of her Circus Starring Britney Spears tour last night (March 3rd) in New Orleans." - Rolling Stone

Visit www.britneyspears.com / www.britneyspy.com for more pictures of her smashing tour. Unfortunately for you and me, the there is no news of The Circus making it's way to the far east. Will just have to wait for the DVD! Dang...

I HAD A DREAM...

2009-02-18T00:44:00.007+08:00

...a song to sing.

Neh, not about to sing the karaoke version of the song but I do have a dream to blog rite now.

I dreamt of the year 1989, when I was only 5 years old. It took place at the kindergarden (Tadika Disney) where I used to study. I was the master of ceremony of some kind of talent show. My parents were sitting in the audience watching my 5 year old self on stage but they were oblivious that I (2009 Adrian) was sitting in the audience as well. I was watching my very short and fleshy self speaking on stage. The feeling was absolutely nostalgic and I was proud of that kid (1989 Adrian) wearing that white shirt and yellow shorts, standing under the follow-spot, taking charge of the stage.

I can't remember exactly what was the speech in that dream but I am certain fleshy Adrian was introducing an act for the night. What was strange about this dream was that as everyone was clapping thier hands right after the speech, 5 year old Adrian walked down the stage, sat right on my lap and watched the show with me. It felt as though he was sitting on his kor kor's lap. After patting him and allowing his head rest confortably on my chest, I woke up.

It was nice seeing my 5 year old self and felt what it was like to be a kiddo again (smiles), eventhough it felt kinda weird.

'QUICKSAND' BY BRITNEY SPEARS

2009-02-13T04:27:00.000+08:00

Found this song in YouTube that I felt very encouraging and meaningful. For those who feel like they are 'sinking" into a situation or circumstance, this song is for you :p

Quicksand (written by Lady GaGa) is actually a bonus track found in Britney's latest release, Circus and it is only limited to certain countries only. Enjoy :p

LYRICS

I can see your coat hanging on the door,
Never let anybody put one there before,
My pillow's got your head printed on it,
Baby you're all I've got,
You were my favorite,

Don't ask... me why,
I just can't say goodbye,
No, not... tonight,
No, I just can't say it,

CHORUS
Cause I'm gonna hold on,
Yeah, I'm gonna hold on,
Baby, we gotta keep holding on to what we have,
Cause I don't wanna move on,
No, I gotta hold on,
Baby, because you and me are sinking,
like quicksand (like, like) (3x)
Baby, because you and me are sinking,
like quicksand (like, like),
like quicksand (like, like),
baby, like quicksand (like, like),
Baby, cause you and me are sinking,
like quicksand,

You came along,
I didn't know of love,
But now I know that sometimes,
it's just not enough,
I hear your footsteps in my corridor,
But it is just my heart,
it's pounding like before,

Wish I... could try,
But I just can't say goodbye,
No, not... tonight,
No, I just can't say it,

(Chorus)

Cause the ground is breaking
I can feel it shaking
Wish it was that easy
But it's not that easy
Gotta hold my hands up
Gotta keep my head up
Gotta keep on breathing
Baby, even if we're sinking
even if we're sinking
Baby, even if we're sinking
even if we are sinking

Cause I just just gotta gotta

(Chorus)

TASTING KRABI!

2009-02-09T23:43:00.000+08:00

Can't believe it took me one week to write an update on my family trip to Krabi during Chinese New Year. It was a 4D/3N stint in the serene town of Krabi, where absolute cleanliness comes as a surprise and breath-taking views are simply everywhere.

DAY ONE: FOOD PARADISE

We touched down at Krabi International Airport exactly noon and were immediately greeted by cab drivers, very eager to send us to our resort. It was a comfortable 20 minutes ride to Maritime Resort & Spa in a Toyota Camry. I was extremely glad my trusty camcorder was with me when we passed by this amazing piece of art along the streets of Krabi town. How can we not have something artsy like these in the streets of Kuala Lumpur CITY!

The resort and town was rather quiet since it was the first day of CNY. Nevertheless, we had a very good agency at the hotel lobby to help us with our holiday planning. Got our 4 dayz stint planned out within minutes. We had to leave those heavy activities for the following day because all of it starts from morning till late afternoon.

Dad suggested we get our very own ride to explore the town and search for local food. Thats

when our adventure really begin (muahahaha). The map wasn't very updated so Dad had to go with his instincts which I must admit, was super accurate and way-admirable! Our very first finding was this hawker store by the road which sells pork ball noodles. It was super-duper excellent and shares similarity to Vietnamese beff ball noodle, with aromatic bailey leafs, crunchy bean-sprouts, fish sauce, paprika and lemon juice...mmm...mmm! Imagine the burst of flavours!

Being a glutton that I am, that pork ball noodle was just a starter. There was definitely plenty of room left to take in more local delicacies. Then there was recess for a local school and we found deep-fried quail's egg outside the gate. Now I know this sounds silly but I really wanted to know what it actually taste like despite it's resemblance to chicken egg. And to my utter surprise, it tasted exactly like our very own telur mata kerbau, only smaller (dang!).

Moving on, we stumbled upon yet another store by the road that sells sweet potatoes that looks like an adult baby finger or some phalllic looking thing. It was already so sweet by itself and it came with a packet of brown sugar. To balance out that very sweet afternoon, Mom saw a fruit stall by the road that sells Thailand's renowned crunchy young mangoes. One would immediately think that would be one sourish experience, but with spicy fish sauce poured over it, topped with chopped onions, cili padi and dried prawns, it's becomes an instant kerabu that we ate along the ride.

Still craving for more, we head down to Aonang Beach where we stumbled upon this breath-taking scenary and refreshing coconut shake which I would prepare for those who come and visit me at my place (winks). Purely blended with ice, coconut water, coconut flesh, evapourated milk and pandan sugar, this cool drink would quench any thirsty camels out there. Walking along the beach, our noses detected some burnt fragrance in the air. We followed the scent and it lead us to this stall that sells roasted honey cashew nuts on banana leaf.

It was then time for dinner and we settled into this seafood restraunt over-looking the Andaman Sea. Had barbequed squids, fresh oysters and steamed garoupa in lemon juice! Over the years, I've been meeting people who rave at my face about pork burger at Thailand's McDonalds outlet. I had to walk 5km along Aonang town which consists of 2 lengthy streets and a hill just so I can get a taste of pork burger. Almost passed-out while ordering my Samurai Pork Burger. My take on the McD's pork burger? ... I can only say...Yay, I ate it (roll eyes all over). Had an hour long shoulder massage at one of the parlours.

DAY 2: WATERLOO - HOT SPRING, EMERALD POOL & MANGROOVE TOUR
We drove east into the mainland to visit this much talked about hot springs that flows from the forest into a lake. I was quite excited about the trip cause apart from dipping myself in a hot tub/hot pool in hotels/spas, this would be my very time bathing with hot water inside a forest. Ok, lets not get to the boiling accident I experienced when I was one, that's not counted as a luxury, that was agony! The hot spring is particularly good for our skin as it contains elements of sulphur, nitrogen, fluoride, lead and copper which has healing properties. Well I din't feel much healing in the spring but I came out smelling fresh and odourless (chuckles)

The other pool which we found tug peacefully on a hill inside the jungle was aptly named Emerald Pool due to its greenish crystal reflection. The floor around the area is super slippery because there are these special layer of moss that grows around it's surrounding which are microscopic. Unfortunately, my dad caught me on the camcorder falling onto my butt (ouch). As a compensation from mother nature, I found 100Bath (RM10) resting underneath the pool bed (big smile). I still wonder, how did those small fishes unded up in a pool on top of a hill?

In the evening, we took a mangroove tour that lead us to an awesome fishing village. There we had barbequed crabs and met-up with this feller, everyone, please meet PUFF DIDDY. I had the opportunity to feed fishes fish, I repeat, feed fishes fish at the fishing village and boy, there is a piranha in every fish! Lastly, we visited a very cool limestone cave that once housed people in olden times.

DAY 3: ISLAND DELIGHT & DELIGHTFUL KAREENA KAPOR

Snorkelling is a must for me as I consider myself (other ppl as well) a creature of the ocean. The corals and fishes in the islands near Krabi is not as exotic and bountiful as the ones I've seen in Koh Samui. Still, the water is crystal clear and the fishes really bo chap your existence. They just swim pass you like you're invisible, though when a school of hundred yellow fish swam pass me, I immediately froze like an iceberg (grrr)!

There were 4 stops in our island adventure and the last stop was definitely a highlight for me. So our speed-boat was docking itself by the beach and we saw film cameras, reflectors, people hovering at one spot of the beach. Mom and I was stipulating they were shooting a Thai film or a Hollywood film. We were both wrong because it was actually a Bollywood film when we saw Kareena Kapor doing her thang by the beach. She was such a natural in front of the camera and boy was it an experience standing by the side, observing how a Bollywood film is made. Plus, I don't have to specially fly myself to India to experience that.

DAY 4: COCONUTED BEFORE LEAVING
We made reservations in advance at the resort spa. 3 of us took different packages. Mom took the green package which uses herbs and vegetables, dad ordered the fruity package while I took their signature package which is a blend of both herbs and fruits. They served us cooling coconut drink before our session. Then I went in for my coconut scrub that uses coconut flesh, coconut water and coconut milk. By the time my two-hour long session was over, I came out feeling like a rejuvenated and refined coconut! And just to complete it, I ordered a coconut shake on the way to the airport just for the road!

YEAR OF THE OX!

2009-01-26T01:10:00.000+08:00

The year of the Golden Mouse has finally ended and we usher in the year of the Ox! Happy Chinese New Year to all my beloved friends and families. May this year be filled with opportunities and blessings from above.

Will be back from Krabi real soon for a good time of fellowship and catching up ya'll. Zouk on the 31st and Poker on the 1st (chuckles).

In the mean time, have loads to eat and loads of ang pow to collect. HUGZZZ...

SWEETENED SALT & SALTED SUGAR?

2009-01-22T12:14:00.000+08:00

This could be the greatest discovery of a lifetime since the pepper! Seriously, activate your tastebuds and try to fathom the depths of these tastes; sweetened salt and salted sugar.

We know how salted egg tastes like, lots of saltyness but no eggy taste. Or sweetened prune for that matter, sourish with a dash of sweetness to it. How about garlic infused mushrooms? Ok, now that is too pro for gluttons like us.

And I was also wondering, how can one produce sweetened salt and salted sugar. Do we ferment salt in sugar water or sugar in salt water for 3 months? Use evaporation technique by boiling salt and sugar water (70:30 / 30:70) under controlled flames?

Think about it, cooking would never be the same again if Knors or Maggie made cubes out of it. Sure you can't use sweetened salt or salted sugar in your daily coffee and tea. Nevertheless, imagine dumping these cubes in your chinese watercrest soup, apple pie mixture, assam fish...

TOY STORY: SONY FULL HD CAMCORDER

2009-01-19T00:09:00.000+08:00

2009 is gonna be an eventful year and I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world. Now I can start documenting my life in High Definition! Muahahaha...

Fun fact: This is the latest series used by director Jerry Bruckheimer when capturing the Amazing Race Asia: Season 3. Henry & Bernie Chan won this camcorder each when they arrived first at a pit-stop!

Cool geeky fact: This camcorder has a 120GB harddisk built-into it! That means, I can capture 14 hours worth of footages in the highest quality with this capacity! That's if the batteries doesn't run-out in time.

Mission 1: Document family trip to Krabi with a touch of Discovery Travel & Living feel to it. Hopefully i'm passable for a travelling host like Samantha Brown or Andrew Zimmerman!

I guess with this new toy, cam-whoring is totally inevitable now huh??? (chuckles)

DARK WARRIOR: THE NEW AGE

2009-01-14T00:47:00.000+08:00

I'm a seasonal online game player. Every now and then, given a 6 months interval, I'll find an online multiplayer game for fun. Found this game called Dark Warrior: The New Age on a www2 web.

The objective of this game is pretty straight forward. Be the strongest warrior and build the strongest outpost. I find this game pretty neat and simple compared to some of the online games I played in the past.

As a newbie, you hunt animals to gain experiences which will increase your statistics. As you explore the world, you'll be automatically set on a mission which will guide and steer your character into being. This will ensure your character won't be roaming around aimlessly. As you complete missions and explore the world, you'll gain or find treasures as well as increase in experiences.

On the side note, your gold is super in demand. You either spend it on yourself to upgrade weapons, defence mechanisms and on-hand supplies or build your outpost which is a long-term-investment, which will be attacked by other players if it is not well maintained. So yeah, it is all about choices..choices...choices on how you spend your resources. Pretty neat!

Your character runs on energy which will depleat as you explore and fight. This energy will be replenished by itself every hour or instantly, if you buy a certain booster which will cost you. A day in this world runs for 12 hours real-time.

Interested in trying this game out, click on the link below.

http://www2.dark-warriors.net/register.php?ref=322538

GOOD DAY BUT WEIRD DESSERT CRAVING!

2009-01-09T16:38:00.000+08:00

Pretty sure I got up on the right side of the bed today. Was in a really good mood for no particular reason. Got up at 12pm and had a pack of nasi kandar that was really filling. In fact, the day felt so right, I made plans to go for a swim at my friend's condo @ Damansara Perdana. It rained!

Instead of feeling under the weather, I decided to stay in and chill over a pack of Kadir's infamous indian Rojak & cendol @ Taman Tun. Drove meself all the way to his famous spot and he was'nt there!

I'm not sure if my body was trying to tell me that it is low on sugar or that I was simply at the brink of going kookoo, but as I was driving, I looked up into the sky and this particular cloud caught my eye. It was reflecting the sun's ray so brightly that it stood out like whipped cream in the midst of those heavy grey clouds. Honestly, it looked and shaped like a whipped cream and for no apparent reason, I got a flashback of Alexis Bistro's fruity paviola right after that.

Anyhow, those kinda desserts are meant to be shared over a fruitful conversation so I decided to just head back home and have Baskin Robbins instead. What's my flavour? World Class Chocolate.

SPRING CLEANING IS OVER!

2009-01-06T03:38:00.000+08:00

And finally it came to past. I manage to find supernatural strength and by God's divine intervention, I cleaned my room in 3 hours. Started at 12am and ended the cleaning saga at 3.15am. Gosh, my room can finally breath now.

Pretty happy with myself and extremely glad I got all my documents and paper-work organized and neatly stored in the cabinet. Altogether 6 bags worth of sampah.

2008: THE YEAR THAT WAS

2009-01-05T13:12:00.000+08:00

This is something I do every year, taking some time off and reflect on the year that was, before moving on to greater heights. 2008 was definitely an eventful year for me and here are some of the highlights.

Went for an all-expense-paid-trip with my family to Penang just before the year ended. We stayed in Holiday Inn Beach Resort @ Batu Feringghi and it was all about MAKAN. Grandpa, Grandma, Aunty Diana and Eu-Ston was with us as well. Uncle Ivan, thankz for loaning us the Estima. It was condusive alrite.

This was my belated birthday gift from mommy. Went and watch the musical with Olivia, Melissa and her parents and boy did we all have a good time. The show was intelligently simple, yet spectacular. Had some of the songs stuck in my head for a week.

Send Your Rain, a musical I wrote was staged in front of a live audience. We had 2 successful runs with many people being touched by the story and songs. Thank you Lord for seeing us through.

Wrapped up my internship program and my stinct at the Department of Performance + Media in November with Dama Orchestra. It was such a memorable internship and boy did I learn a lot to be an efficient and effective crew. It was a pleasure to be able to work with Melissa, Mark and Eri as well.

In August, I received an unexpected call from Grand Brilliance to play a minor role in Ampang Medikal which became a supporting role for 2 episodes. Was pretty dissapointed to find out that the episodes that I'm featured in was meant for Season 2 and not for the first season.

Melissa took part in the Short + Sweet Festival held at KLPac in August and I assisted her with rehearsals. Low and behold, her piece entitled I Know Your Handbag Is Fake garnered 3 awards at the festival. Best Playwright Award (Dean Lundquist), Best Director Award and The Audience Choice Award!

Can't believe I'm admitting this but I'm so gonna miss you guyz. In July 2008, March 06' intake wrapped up their year end theatre project with All In The Timing, a collection of 3 short absurdist plays by David Ives.

The cast and crew of Equus which was staged in May @ Sunway University College, Roof top Theatre, directed by Melissa Teoh who looks like one of the students in this picture!

Celebrated Easter in church with two performances, Lazarus! Come Forth and R.I.O.T.

THE BACKSTAGE & HELLO 2009

2009-01-04T23:53:00.000+08:00

Welcome to THE BACKSTAGE. Now let me clarify that this is not some underground club or site that gives you VIP access to meet your favourite celebrities. Nope, THE BACKSTAGE is basically my blog, a place where I update some of the things I do when you don't see me in front. Also, since my passion and livelihood revolves around theatre, it is fit I use theatrical themes in my blog. So there you have it!

How is this different from my previous friendster blog you ask? THE BACKSTAGE is little more mature and it would feature more visuals/photographs (friendster has a limit).

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Truly 2009 will be a year of new beginnings.

First and foremost, I would like to say goodbye to my loyal FRIENDSTER BLOG which stood by me for 3 strong years. It's been a great time filler and I'll forever cherish the moments that were created in the blog (hugz).

Second of all, I am finally contributing to the EMPLOYMENT POOL of Malaysia (yay!) in the theatre industry. Freelancing as a stage manager and a full-time writer for a magazine. Keeping my options open for a day job though... Any referrals?

Thirdly, my resolution for this year is to cultivate a SPIRIT OF EXCELLENCE in myself. A form of reinvention in terms of attitude ler. Enough of physical makeovers, I'll look like this for quite some time so get used to it. This would come in handy with our church vision for 2009 also ler since we're focusing on discipleship and mentoring. Got to really GROW UP and set a good example for the young ones. Big Kor Kor liao... Jangan main-main!

Moving on, I realize age is catching up and to keep my stamina going, I really...really...really need to WORK OUT. 20 push ups and 50 abdominal training everyday (arghh...)

Lastly, people would find this totally impossible but yeah, Adrian is gonna SAVE MORE and STOP spending on branded goods BUT he welcomes anyone who is generous enough to splurge on him. Hint >>> Adrian likes Guess and Armani Xchange since forever...