i shall not stop writing.

I'm at the computer trying to do some work while my babies are still fast asleep but my arms are so tense from carrying little jj for about an hour at Ana Raffali's Ketika Aku Kecil album launch yesterday... and I thought I ought to write about the event before I forgot all about it.

Well, you know how it is with my little jj... she totally hates a new environment especially since the launch was held at a small hall filled with a packed crowd. It didn't help that it was also her nap time and all she wanted to do was cling on to me for comfort, and cling on she did. I mean, what else can I do, right, unless I wanted the entire room to focus on me with a screaming baby ;D

The event started a little late because some members of the press were a little bit late. I was glad I took my own sweet time before coming over because I had already expected the delay. When I arrived I thought I was already late but they didn't start until another 20 minutes or so. Thus, you can imagine a nervous baby in my arms, not knowing why she wasn't able to move about and didn't know what she was waiting for.

As soon as Ana appeared, little jj became totally silent and she listened intently to Ketika Aku Kecil, which has been sorta like a lullaby to her already. And because of that, she fell asleep half way through... since I wanted to make sure she was totally asleep before I put her back into the stroller, I had to keep carrying her.

i was sweating at the back of the room because it was hot! and lugging a toddler on me made it even warmer.

This must be my first experience in an album launch. It was modest but tasteful and I was happy to see how much support Ana Raffali was getting from the media. Since this would really be the start of a totally different phase of her life, I do hope they are all good press rather than bad. I mean, I saw some really stupid points one media was trying to put through just so they have some 'juice' in their weekly weekend programme *sigh* orang baru nak start in the industry pun kena jatuhkan, is it? Menyampah pun ada tengok.

As a support to her journey in this industry, the one had already bought her Ketika Aku Kecil album although we could all get a free copy.... and since we have heard all the songs before, I felt that 6 songs in a CD were just too little to be satisfied about...

I think recently, there have been a lot of new local talents in the market and I think they are all very very talented. Ana Raffali is definitely one of them, with a distinctive positive pull of her own. You may think I am biased in my opinion since she's my SIL, but you know how honest I've been in my opinions when I write, I'd mince my words but not my honesty.

To be frank, I love her when she sings with just her guitar... nothing else but the guitar. She has such a sweet melodic voice and she makes you want to hear her soul when she sings and strums her guitar. So, when I first heard her Hujan Bunga Di Kuala Lumpur single, I felt that the accompaniment of other musical instruments did not do justice to her already beautiful voice. But, since you all have not heard her with just the guitar, I guess her songs will somehow hit you because they are all very beautifully written and I especially like her lyrics because she writes from the heart, just as how I would (of course, her writing sounds more poetic la...).

Renowned composer, Aidit Alfian, even said in his speech and during Q&A of the raw talent that she has compared to the rest and the rare gift she has of writing from the heart, not for a market. And since she didn't take any formal music training, her pieces are not limited to any specific rules nor references. One who only learnt to play the guitar all on her own from a 'How To Play The Guitar' guide before she started writing her own songs, definitely deserves a huge credit, don't you think?

It wasn't an easy ride for her as it took her years to get this album out. 2 years, I think. I almost thought it wouldn't happen for her. I never knew it would take so long to get an album out and Aidit didn't quite answer the question when a reporter asked why he only put in 6 songs in this first album. I know Ana has so many other good materials which she played to little jj because those songs could make her stop crying :) but I believe it is a marketing strategy and in this unstable and unpredictable local music scene, it was to be a safe investment. I think. I still think that they could do away with a hard copy because I know a lot of us wouldn't mind buying just the songs online and that would be an even safer bet but then again, Aidit, being an experienced personality would know the industry and market better.

I think Ana has got what it takes to be good in the industry if she can keep it up... let's hope that she could remain focused and not get too disturbed by the attention that she'd be pulling because it was really a different zone she's charting when I saw her yesterday. Even my little munchkin who always said he wanted to be famous like his auntie Ana suddenly told me he didn't want to be famous because it looked all too tiring and troublesome. Only those who are strong can survive, I guess. In any case, this striking beauty graduated with a first class degree in TESL... I do think that if things do not work out, she would always have her paper qualification to fall back on.

So, with that, I wish her all the best of luck in this journey.

p/s: you can find out about her here, here, here and here, if you like.

snippets of her opening performance taken with an unstable hand as the other one was holding little jj ;P

Through a publisher, I got invited to my first ever media preview of a Malay film, entitled, Kapoww!! Atoi the Ajaib Boy.

Now, my first impression of it when I got snippets of what the movie was all about, wasn't something favourable. But I gave it some benefit of the doubt after I saw its cast - it was a list of powerful actors who I believed wouldn't have given it much thought unless the storyline was strong. Well, the stuff that I was asked to do kinda require me to watch the movie anyway and there I was... my first ever experience in such an event.

Someone else from the publisher's side was supposed to attend as well but I guess she didn't want to work after hours and decided at the last minute to ditch the event. So, I was all alone, and felt so out of place. I mean mannn... I was used to seeing famous corporate figures when I was working in the corporate communications line back then and would know how to carry myself in front of them Tan Sri's, Puan Sri's, Datuk's and Datin's but last night, I felt totally L-O-S-T in front of those popular actors! Seriously...

We all gathered in a restaurant at the top floor of KLCC and I found a secluded table to sit, all alone haha... to avoid looking too awkward, I hid behind the press kits and read through the press release s-l-o-w-l-y. After less than 10 minutes, I heard a voice asking me if the seats on my table were taken and I couldn't have been more than happy. Seriously, I thought they would pull the stint on me like back then with my Malay coursemates in uni who used to avoid sitting next to me in the lecture hall as if I was a leper hehe. But I guess positive people attract positive character and I was glad that they came over to where I was seated.

So yes, I made 2 new friends, Safina and Nani, who came to review the movie. Both of them were so friendly and when they knew that it was my first time in such an event, they gave me some very helpful tips and didn't mind me tagging along from the start til the end. In fact, they even treated me like an old friend... seriously, with the experience I have in corporate, I quite like such an experience for a change. I mean, they didn't need to be nice to me since I have nothing to offer them anyway. So, I felt grateful to have met them at the event ;)

this photo i stole from Bernama TV's newscaster, Hilmy Ashley Buddy's FB page. seen here is moi menyelit at the back with him, Safina and Nani :)

We had a nice dinner and we all then walked out of the restaurant to do some random interview with the cast. I am glad that I was there only to watch the movie to understand its storyline more than doing a coverage for the preview. But I still felt a little intimidated looking at how much the entertainment journalists knew their stuff and how huge their cameras were... they knew everyone at the tip of their fingers and some bits of info that was not stated in the press release. The way they talked about a certain actor/producer/director were things that I would tell the one of a corporate personality or their spouse or their wives' favourite bags/shoes ;) I felt really small and so afraid to stand out when that was what's required in an event like this. Gosh... it was so new to me.

I digress. But then again, this is not really a movie review from me, but simply to share what I felt while attending this event.

The one had told me earlier to get Lisa Surihani's autograph while my little munchkin told me to ask for Awie's. Seriously, I had plenty of opportunities to come up to them but I was either glued to the chair or if I was standing up, my feet just froze. I seriously cannot imagine myself coming up to them to tell them so and so love them because that's so expected out of an ordinary person like me... it's like I will be feeding them more points for them to feel more superior. They are, after all, superstars. I just felt I didn't need to inject more fat to their egos ;P

So, no, I didn't say hi to any of them although I did smile to Lisa Surihani because she was just so friendly to everyone. The way she waved her 'hi' to me was as if it was a long time since she saw me. Hmmm... entah... rasa tak boleh masuk langsung in this pretentious arena. But then again, it could also be due to the fact that this was my first experience. I just have to learn it up, I guess.

Kapoww!! Atoi the Ajaib Boy is not like any other Malay movies I've seen. I would like to refrain from saying too many positive points about the movie because everyone's taste is different and I seriously do not want someone coming up to me to say that they watched the movie because of my review and was totally disappointed at what they saw.

But, I can't say anything negative about it either because I truly enjoyed it and not just because it was a free preview. I was in awe of the special effects in the film where it binds together the elements of a movie and comics. More importantly, the film was damn hillarious! I can get awfully put off by jokes that use words with double meaning especially those that connote 'dirty' meaning but in this movie, the jokes were clever, making fun of things around us.

Of course in a Malay movie, you would have some touchy scenes. However, unlike Cicak Man (I use this example because it was a superhero movie just like this one) where I was so put off by the romantic scenes in what's supposed to be a comedy, this one scores well because the touchy scenes didn't come from anything romantic. In fact, it was more of a scene quite like 'Si Tenggang' where the son disowns his own mother.

But, after a long-winded touchy-feely act, we were all brought back to laughing hard, and I totally applaud the smart efforts of the Director, Azizi 'Chunk' Adnan. You hardly find another Malay movie quite like this one and I felt that it just might become the best film of the year, as what was whispered here and there before the preview began. It is so different than the rest I've seen.

Azizi 'Chunk' not only wrote and directed this movie quite brilliantly, he had also injected several messages that I find absolutely scarce in many of our local movies and dramas. Although it took me awhile to get used to having well-thought messages and life's lesson in the movie (and felt that it may not augur well with the audience due to it being a little draggy), I nevertheless salute his efforts in including these elements. It's as if it is a 'community service' from him where these things totally lack in the industry, since entertainment, romance, subject of wealth and power seem to dominate an entire story.

Best of all, I was totally surprised at how well Zizan Raja Lawak acted, this being his first act as the main cast. As he had said during the interview, it is not only his first time acting as a hero of a movie but it is an even bigger role - a superhero named, Atoi, an ordinary kampung boy turned superhero after he was struck by lightning. He pulled off the character so well and having Awie, Afdlin, Lisa Surihani, Khir Rahman and many other famous cast by his side, made the movie an even more enjoyable experience.

I dunno... I may be biased because of the fact that I was totally taken in by the [almost] flawless special effects in a totally local production. But if that made someone like me, who never paid much attention to local movies except those of the late Yasmin, and who'd usually brush off any local movie that's said to be funny, since their jokes are usually distasteful, I guess Kapoww!! Atoi the Ajaib Boy probably contains the right formula to be successful.

In the mean time, I have plenty of things to figure out regarding this movie and wish me luck in my latest assignment, ok?

Anyway, as a follow-up to this entry that I did, I managed to get an invitation to the Nuffnang FRISO family day out in Kizsports 1 Utama last Saturday. At first, we were a little worried since little jj fell ill earlier that week and was vomitting away by Wednesday. Thank God, she recovered on time, though not fully, as she just got back some of her appetite, while her body tires easily.

Her usual Saturday morning class at Kizsports were cancelled due to this event and their receptionists were surprised when they saw us with little jj hehe...

There were so many fun-filled activities and Kizsports also promoted their classes for babies by giving a sneak 20-minute preview to all parents with toddlers. Little jj made herself at home from the start by targeting the swing first, then the ball-pool and after that, her favourite section in the playland, just like she would each Saturday.

All these while I eagerly await the announcement of the winning entry. Though I wasn't the least bit hopeful in the beginning, I did get a little excited when I was informed that I had been shortlisted for the final selection of entries during registration early in the morning. Of course, I already could guess that Kak Ros of MomBloggersPlanet would definitely win since her entry was seriously creative and original... and am so proud to be associated with her site.

Since it was my first real bloggers' meet, I wasn't sure how to carry myself and a little shy when I heard the mention of so many of them recognisable bloggers... but I did get to know Amira and Zuhaini, met Kak Ros for the first time, while I said hi to several other people whom I can't truly remember their URLs. Even saw Red Mummy in person for the first time and I was so impressed by the aura that she exude that day - a true 'Celebrity-blogger' persona. I must add how happy I was for that opportunity to shake hands with her ;)

The event was pretty organised; Marcus, the emcee, did a great job in getting everyone's attention; the crowd was AMAZING; and everything in the programme line-up was truly interesting for everyone. Too bad little jj slept half way through the event but it was good that she totally enjoyed herself to the max.

So... I'm hoping to blog more frequent now that the entire madness of rushing for the usual annual report/fund report deadlines from my regular clients is pretty much over... and hopefully be able to make it to many more family gatherings like this.

So... I was at Starbucks 11th Anniversary bash at Tropicana City Mall tonight with my SIL, Jannah. Their dresscode in the invitation was stated as Masquerade but I think most of them who went weren't really dressed to the theme. Lucky thing as I didn't have anything glamourous and I easily chose whatever I have that I could fit into... and that wasn't very difficult since though I am getting back into my pre-pregnancy figure, there are still many of my nicer clothes which I can't fit ;)

Anyways, when we arrived at the venue, registration just took place as many have only arrived due to the heavy rain and bad bad traffic. Salleh, the Marketing Manager gave us a warm welcome, asked us to register and checked if we wanted to take pictures with some really gorgeous models, dressed to the theme.

We did all that and even wrote our wish on a card. Apparently, someone was going to get lucky and his wish will be granted. Though Jannah asked for a new lens for her Sony Alpha A700 which just checked-in at the service centre earlier during the day, I on the other hand, asked for something more reasonable - to have unlimited cappuccino FOC from Starbucks for the next 365 days. Well, though I had a good vibe that my card was going to get picked tonight, I didn't manage to stay on til the end since it was getting late. So, there went my chance on coffee overdose ;P

We were greeted with two large screens where they displayed their facebook page that was going to be launched later during the event and their twitter page, which got many of us twittering away, all excited to see our tweet appearing with photos and all. Hmmm... technology... at an event where you're supposed to network and mingle, many were all at their mobile haha... but it was good since we got to see those celebrity bloggers there at the partay. Ohkay...

The big boss came up with a welcome speech, informing us that they had just launched a drive-thru Starbucks in JB and whatnot, which they plan to also have it in KL. He also thanked all of us for the support.

Plenty of other programmes were in store for us who were present at the event and I thought they have made it really lively, fun and happening. There were dances by some show'girls', team activity (which was truly fun and we almost won, if not for the bangle that we didn't manage to find), and my friend, Nazrul, got me up on stage for one activity which truly caught us by surprise... we didn't know that they wanted us to dance a difficult routine and almost ran off from the stage before it was over. Oh, and I must mention about David the Mentalist - a cute and witty guy, who was at the event as an illusionist... he did a card trick on Jannah and I, and we were awed at the neat trick....

So, Starbucks is already 11 years old in Malaysia... which means that I am one of their first few customers, then. Please, do not calculate my age. Oh wait... you know how old I am since I just declared that some time last week ;)

I remembered after graduating from uni and hanging out with friends who love to hang out at places like Starbucks. I think at one point, we were at Starbucks @Telawi Bangsar almost every evening after work before heading out to mamak for dinner. During the weekends, we would either head there after a good time clubbing or just simply to chill and relax for a 'quieter' evening. It was great, those days when I was younger, without much worry especially since I was still staying with my parents... it felt so good to have good friends around and we always have so many things to do together... now when I think of it, I never really realised that Starbucks was quite a big influence in my social life then.

It was a good experience learning how to order their coffee... and I started out with their frappuccinos which I found a tad too mild for a coffee lover. I had always asked for an extra shot of espresso in all the fraps that I ordered. After some time, I guess I managed to try out many of their other drinks. My favourite would be their Cappuccino and Raspberry Tea.

Ahhh... such a nice feeling reminiscing the past. Wait, come to think of it, my first date with the one was at KLCC's Starbucks in 2005. Hmmm... there was magic there, definitely... with us drinking that one big mug of coffee, chatting away for three hours without even realising the time. And the day before, I was also at KLCC's Starbucks when I finally caught a glimpse of him, my 'favourite' blogger, having a discussion with his colleagues after office hours without him even realising that I was to be his favourite 'stalker' ;P

*warm feeling all over*

So, thank you, Starbucks... and congratulations on the achievements.

Ok... now back to work. I have tonnes of stuff waiting for me on my desk and it was a lovely outing. I would so like to thank my supportive other half for allowing me to party while he stays home to take care of the potty. Haha.

went home with these goodies... oh, i absolutely love the espresso shot glass.