SMASH Drama

SMASH is the new Glee? I wasn't too sure till I checked out the trailer for the musical drama:

After I watched it, OMG, love! It's like the movie Center Stage meets fun times we had at KLPAC for Kaki Blue the Musical :

What I loved most about Kaki BLue ( besides Joe Hasham screaming at us with luv, Rex our choreographer's warm ups, feeding the ducks we named "Olga" and "?" at the KLPAC pond, late night suppers at Caltex Mamak, and our "pink" papaer) was the electrifying energy we felt each time we all gave it our EVERYTHING.

 Night after night of KFC and coke for the insane calories and sugar rush we NEEDED for the show, now looking back, I really miss those crazy times! It was around that time that Jack ( during one of his after rehearsal parties at his house) introduced GLEE to us lot!

Back to SMASH, I've always been a fan of Catherine McPhee since her days in Idol.

This was when I first caught a glimpse of her:

I think she looks pretty thin now though (as in the SMASH trailer). If it's just for her role in SMASH to fit the character, then I guess that would explain it. Perhaps they needed a contrast between the 2 wanna-be Marilyn Monroe's?


The thing I like most about SMASH is that the singing sounds less chipmunk-ish as compared to GLEE. Heh... if you get my drift.

It's all in the sound production. In the movie Catherine sounds fine. But if you compare her Idol audition againts one of my past favourites, Jacob Lusk singing the same song, sound can be tweaked to some extent:




I'm definitely looking forward to catching more episodes. Desperate Housewives, Gossip Girl, Drop Dead Diva got me hooked at some point; wonder how far this would go.

 BTW, MixFm is giving out exclusive SMASH merchandise. I've always loved hardcover notebooks with good quality paper. What about you? A mug? *wink*

Image thnx to google images

Kina Grannis

It's kinda bad I think, but I first took notice of her only when she visited Malaysia. ( That's why artiste TOUR!) I always love a chick with a story. Her latest album "Stairwells" was named that coz she was so shy to sing in front of people as a teen, she sang at stairwells!

•  Kina Grannis
• Youtube sensation
• 95 million views
• Latest album "Stairwells"
• 1/7th Japanese, English, Irish, French, Scottish, Dutch and German
• Born 4th August 1985
• Instruments played: Guitar, Vocal, Ukulele, Glockspiel, Piano

 Here's one of my favourite songs by her Message From Your Heart:

It's the "formal" version but I prefer watching her here:

Things I love about her:

• Tone of her voice (rich, crispy, yet light)
• Way she expresses herself through her music ( sincere, soulful, honest)
• Her music speaks (it's not just another tale of woe, but comes from a point of view)
• Interesting melodies

I Wonder if she would ever get as BIG as Justin Bieber and Greyson Chance?

Picture thanks to google images

Publika Earth Hour

I emceed with the Hitz and Mix Announcers for 
Publika's Earth Hour Celebration.
 All the noble good spirited stuff aside,
check this out:
Miranda Kerr the Earth Hour Global Ambassador!

Here's why she looks so good:
 Breakfast:
Fresh Fruit Salad
Yogurt
Muesli
or



2 slices rye toast Avocado
boiled Eggs
Water with lemon and ginger

FYI

Rye bread

- bread made with various percentages of flour from rye grain

- typically denser than bread made from wheat flour

- higher in fiber than white bread

- stronger in flavor

- has notable health benefits when compared to white bread

Morning Snack:
 Pecans or almonds with green tea

Lunch:

Fresh tuna salad
Spelt crispbreads
Water with lemon or dandelion

Tea Snack:

 Fresh fruit or nuts
Dinner:

Salmon steak
or other fish
or Lamb Loin chop
or a piece of steak
and
Vegetables

Doesn't eat alot of potato
EAts tons of greens and sweet potato and pumpkin
Also
Green tea with ginger

In Malaysia, eating like this would probably cost way more than maggie goreng in the mamak,

 or nasi lemak panas, ayam goreng berempah, AND teh tarik...

 Her diet sounds pretty bland, but for a killer bod, healthy and fresh, VANITY would be a great motivation don't you think?
 Work it Miranda!

All Pix Thanx to Google Images

Introducing Charlene!

We are ,for the most part, just ordinary people

Glamorous. Perhaps Fergie Ferg's G.L.A.M.O.R.Ous would have been a befitting song for the night. I LOVED my wardrobe from Parkson that I myself chose. I say this only because the other beautiful girls I stood with did not get that same opportunity of choice. I was grateful nevertheless. Beautiful green dress with wire structure underneath, falling just before the knee. I was tempted to shorten it,
BUT no no, Thou shalt not covet thy sponsor's wardrobe, especially since I had to return it...

Amidst the sea of cameras and well dressed ladies and men, my attention was turned to catching up with the girls.

Yes we were in a pageant together, and yes we were competing with each other, but I wanted to really catch up, and see what they were up to four months after those weeks of mental stress and physical torture. Not that I minded it at that time. I refused to allow miss "Tina the talking tummy" to blab to the world about my ultimate love for rich smooth chocolate cake, and cold milky bubble tea, which i had religiously almost everyday of my happy life.

But, no. I bid farewell to my dear calories of happiness and made the treadmill my new best friend.

Four months later, after life resumed, it was absolutely lovely to catch up, the little that we could. But who could complain about not having enough talk time when champagne and wine flowed like the river Nile and white spoons cupped the walnut size servings of food. Bliss.

I must say, some ladies looked stylishly dressed, while others could have needed a little more this or a little less that.

Sadly, while Nadine the reigning queen whose experiences thus far this was for, was giving her speech, it was not heeded by the guests who were perhaps forgetting that they were far away from an actual market place. Nevertheless, the national director and her fellow former pageant-ees cheered her on.

One thing that I noticed among my friends was a glow. A glow that told me that they were content, happy, and satisfied to be living their own lives, dictated and lived out by themselves. They returned to their jobs, their families, and true friends and were happy to be away from those who criticized them with just a look... or worst still, insulted them by not caring to even see them as they looked.

We live in one world but people are often worlds apart; our wants, desires, priorities, and values vary accordingly. What ever happened to Perennialism? People whose desires are written in stone turn Existentialist. We do what we want, act how we want so long as we want what we want. Yet, while fully conscious of this, we strive to be accepted by this world we choose to be part of. Yes, we choose to be part of.

The night ended in higher spirits than was anticipated.

Surface relations rekindled while others deepened. Snap shots were taken to commemorate the night of "smile and look happy when the camera is on you".










But I was glad I saw the girls again, and to be reminded that we are, for the most part,

just ordinary people.

All photography by AndyKho. Visit andykho.com for more!

Hypocrites are We Not?

Advertisers should be given more credit than is given. Magazines, TV commercials, even the newspaper propagate what the ideals of life should be.

The happy family consisting of a mixed looking dad, a young mother with perfect hair, and two children who appear to be obedient angels.

How about the sweet beauty with smooth skin and shiny soft hair, showing off her pearly whites while looking at you, the viewer.

Or perhaps the sexy Caucasian models with the perfect bodies, fleshy in all the right places, and ripped tone where it should be. Really, these are the standards that the average folk should imitate.

Why are stereotypical images in a fantasized world so important to us?

Perhaps it was meant to paint us a fantasy that is precisely that. Many don’t realise that while for a brief moment magic is captured in front of the lens, there is the scrutinizing selection of the wardrobe, conceptualizing the image fantasy to be portrayed, the technicalities of lighting, lens, mood, and of course the model.

Yes the model. Who knows how many days she deprived herself of a proper wholesome meal, who knows if she spent gruesome hours in the gym although fatigued by the lack of food in her body, who knows about the tireless hours she spends staring at the magazines, wishing it was her on the front pages and not her best friend.

And yet, we see a beautiful girl with the perfect lips, perfect eyes, perfect physique, perfect smile, perfect teeth, perfect hair, while we forget the countless hours, perhaps days and months and weeks that was spent envisioning the capturing of that one magical moment.

Does staring at those pages make you happy? Does it please your eyes as you gaze at those visions of perfection while your makeup-less face and toweled dry hair is the vision you see in front of your mirror? This juxtaposition of the image is what feeds your thoughts. The subconscious works overtime in sponging up all that is smeared in the mind until you tell yourself straight is better than crooked, silky is better than coarse, white is better than black, but pink is the new black.

It’s sad to hear people ogle over a dress, a garment, a work of art. “we can always get another girl, but we cannot get another work of art”. Is art more precious than a life a person? Is not art created to showcase the wonders of life and creation? Still we condemn what was made by the hands of the Omnipotent, telling His creation that what she has is not good enough. Is it vindication in calling this hostility part of the industry that is created by man?

Hypocrites are we not?

WHO are you wearing? DKNY 2010

Streams of cars clogging up the traffic tunnels of KL. A typical scene when rushing to an event in Lot10 KL. Love the place, hate the traffic. Roots however was an almost serene scene in comparison to the chaos on the streets.

M: "Who are you wearing?"
C:"Erm... I don't know" was my reply.

Funny. You would think someone who watches E News, and reads fashion magazines all the time would have thought about it.

But, the thing is, forget about Hollywood, when it comes down to events in our very own Malaysia ( photography, media, people), do the young 'up and comings' think about WHO they would wear? Typical scenario is, you don't have alot of money but you have to come up with something classy that reflects you. So how does one do it?

While I do some research on that one, what I did manage to catch is some well dressed folks in front of my camera!

Ben Ibrahim- dressed in a crisp white shirt and silver tie ( and no, I did not ask him WHO he was wearing). Simple yet classy-ly standing out amongst the sea of dark clothing.

Malaysia's sweetheart Joannabelle is one lady who always stays true to her style that is authentically unique. While most would stick to clean lines and cuts at events where scrutinizing eyes look you up and down, this beauty always stays feminine, sweet, and romantic with a hint of sexyness. Think about it, how many people CAN pull off wearing a ruffled top, a short pant, and a little top hat without it looking like 'the dress wore you' kind of thing? Her ensemble was from her very own shop! More to come about this one.

Snap shots

Charlene & Nadine---Cassandra---Steve & Charlene