A thing of beauty

Isn't foie gras just a thing of beauty? Damn sinful when done right...




Foie gras with apple slices starter at Flams.

Copyright (c) Kelvin Tan

Wesak Reflections

The past weekend has been tiring due to illness (cough, fever, etc) and a ton of work that required me back at the office (even though it's a holiday weekend).

I strive each year to at least drop by a Buddhist temple during Wesak and managed to sneak in some time to offer prayers at Wat Chetawan last evening. It's the least I can do to take a step back, breath and reflect on my recent life, my current situation and my future - at least that's what I try to do when I toll the bells and drop coins into the alms bowls at the temple.

There were a couple of things that irked me though - inconsiderate temple-goers that parked haphazardly in front of nearby residents' houses and even blocking a church gate (the temple staff had to PA several announcements to politely tell these jokers to move). Not that there was any lack of parking! Walk a bit more lah cibai!

Then, when I was waiting in line to slot in the coins at the line of Buddha statues, a few kids were pushing donors aside in some sort of stupid race. Only after I yelled, "WAIT! What the hell?!" that their parents chastised them.

*Shakes head* why must something like this happen on such a holy day? Sigh...

Forgetting The Simplest Of Pleasures

Last night I was walking towards the car park at the old wing of 1 Utama when I saw 2 kids running past me with their parents in tow. The kids were racing to be the first at a coin ride (one of those rides where you slot in some coins and the children can sit on a train/car thingamajig for a few minutes of fun). Unfortunately for the twosome, another child arrived at the ride first and hopped on while her mom slotted in a coin for her. Undaunted, the initial siblings ran to another ride on the opposite side and jumped excitedly while looking at their parents longingly for some coins.

This got me thinking back to the times when I enjoyed such rides. 20 sen could give a child such a smile that would not go away for a while. One could even ride on Ultraman's back in some places. I remember in Yaohan Singapore (can't recall which branch) there was also a ride where I could press some buttons and the car would horn or light up. Such control over the machine was unheard of back then so we were of course fascinated!

Then again, thinking not so far back, I know some jokers who would have continued playing with those rides if it were not for the age limit. Knn...

Chopard's Turn

Was privy to view and experience the new offerings from Chopard for 2008. We were first presented with a nice overview of the boutique at Pavilion and then a short but informative presentation by Chopard. Dinner was at Kampachi (lovely and much better than my first experience of Kampachi Pavilion) and no attention to detail was spared i.e. even the disposable chopsticks were embossed with the Chopard name.

After most of the guests left, we were privy to a special viewing of the 2008 Basel releases. I was deeply impressed with the new Tourbillon with WAS (Winding Assistance System) which has been improved since last I saw it. The crank now has an ingenious locking system so that it will not slip off the crown during winding action. And then there's the lovely Strike One. But mostly, I could not take my eyes (and hands) off the Chrono One. What an impressive piece with great presence! Check them out by clicking on the photo below.




Copyright (c) Kelvin Tan

Evolution...

Atari 2600
Commodore 64
Super Nintendo
Sega Saturn
Playstation 1
Sega Dreamcast
Playstation 2
Playstation 3??? ^_^

Unexpected

I was talking to some friends over dinner last week and one of them told me that one of his office colleagues has heard of me through my blog. Seems like this reader could repeat my interests from the stuff that I publish on this blog.

Well what a pleasant surprise... and here I thought not many bothers with what I write. So for you mystery reader(s) out there, do drop me a line and let me know that you take the time to drop by this humble blog ya? Thank you for your kind attention! *Sends out virtual waves and kisses* ^_^

Six Million Dollar Dree! Mesti Tonton!

Presenting the debut of Six Million Dollar Dree. If you look carefully at his face - he looks like he just won RM6,000,000 from Mega 6/52.





And in the world of high speed cameras, reality takes on a whole new meaning. Time dilation is fun!




Copyright (c) Kelvin Tan

Jaeger Le-Coultre Gives A Glimpse

Jaeger Le-Coultre gives JLC LeClub members a glimpse of what is coming in 2008. It was a quiet evening at the JLC boutique at Starhill where a small crowd of LeClub members were priviledged to be invited to peek at the new offerings. Here we have a few new stunning Squadras for the ladies and a reincarnation of the famed Polaris. Read my full report by clicking on the photo below...




And on another totally unrelated note, check out these cool socks that can only be found in selected Nike (and Nike Culture) boutiques. The soles have rubberized patterns so you won't slip when you wear them indoors. I believe they are only for the Asian market and comes in various colourways. MSRP? RM22.90. Get them all!




Copyright (c) Kelvin Tan

Time In History

A must read article by Jack Forster at Horomundi. Click on the photo for the full story.




Probably the most amazing watch ever made in history. For Marie Antoinette but never completed until after her death. Took 44 years to create. Stolen in 1983 and resurfaced last year. And now... a replica made of 823 parts. Read it!

Seiko SARB031

Some quick shots of the very very affordable (around USD300+) and stunning handwindable and hackable Seiko SARB031. Very reminiscent of an old style Grand Seiko (and perfect if you don't wanna plunk cash down for a GS), this piece is really gorgeous and will suit you well if you pair it with a nice french cuffed white shirt. Has the solid 6R15 movement inside and a solid signed crown for easy grip during winding. There's also a black dialed version in the SARB029 which is also nice. Click on the thumbs for the larger pics.










Finish is excellent at this price point though I am not fond of the visible holes on the outer side of the lugs. It has a hardlex crystal that is curved and this gives it a really vintage look.

Copyright (c) Kelvin Tan

Kayano Is King

I'm fitter than I used to be. Well, not much, but my stamina has definitely improved a lot from 3 times a week of badminton and a weekly dose of futsal. All this after a decade plus of inactivity due to laziness coupled with my double slipped discs. While my enthusiasm in sports is at an all time high, my body simply cannot take the pounding. I find a lot of injuries cropping up at my knees and ankles so I don't stinge on proper support for my feet i.e. shoes.

Click on the photos for the larger versions...










I use a well recommended Asics Gel Tactics for badminton and I've heard much about the legendary Asics Kayano (now in its 14th iteration). While Asics' running shoe cosmetics have a love/hate relationship with the populace, their performance have left many avid runners asking for more. Consistently on "Editor's Choice" lists or running shoe awards (e.g. see the respected running website, Runnersworld), the Kayano has gained much applause for its performance. The 13th version had a big reputation to follow up to in light of the stunning 12th edition but now, the 14th version has about 25% more gel installed and, though just released in Dec07/Jan08, has already garnered a lot of praise from runners around the globe.










In any case, I don't really have enough time to run/jog around that much nowadays but I try to slip in a little of it during weekends. I admit, I use the shoes mainly for walking about. The Kayano is very much a support type running shoe which means that you won't find it the softest or plushest running shoe around (you can try the Nike Pegasus+ or the Asics Nimbus 9 for that). It's meant for neutral footing position (as opposed to supinated/pronated footing) and you can compare the support/padding it gives to the solid shock absorbers found in teutonic cars (like BMW or Mercedes). While I am aware that there are more expensive Asics running shoes around (like the new Kinsei 2 and the Kinetic) and also other firm favourites from brands like Saucony and Brooks (not to mention the popular choices from Adidas/Puma/Nike etc), I have grown to love the Kayano and will not hesitate to get another pair.

Now I just have to convince my super fit Ironman buddy to get a pair hahaha... Oh btw, if any of you running shoe marketing folks are out there reading this, he's the man to sponsor a pair of shoes for review/test run.

Copyright (c) Kelvin Tan

WTF??? Not another Onitsuka Tiger???!!!???

Ah... a thing of beauty. I cannot resist... (click on the photo for more views)




Copyright (c) Kelvin Tan

A ton of Bell & Ross announcements

In recent times, there have been many announcements by Bell & Ross in their quest to expand their extremely hot and popular Instrument series.

First off, read an official report on the new BR01 Red and Yellow and also the BR03 Blue and Phantom. Click on the photo for the full report.




I also attended an exclusive and fun event for Bell & Ross fans at Eest, Westin to see first hand some of the new pieces. Click on the photo for the full report.




Next there is the news release on some new BR02 colours as well as the new BR02 Chronograph. Click on the photo for the full report.




And perhaps the biggest announcement from Bell & Ross for 2008 are the new Grand Minuteur and the Minuteur Tourbillon. Check out the amazing new designs! Click on the photos for the full report.







Copyright (c) Kelvin Tan

Kena Mega 6/52!!!

Oo... what did I win? 4th prize... KNN "RM3 per RM1 bet" which means I won a measly RM3.00. Ok lah... enough to buy some random 4D number Big/Small...

M.A.C done by Fafi

Last Wednesday saw me attending the M.A.C event which features artwork by French artist, Fafi. Fafi's cute designs which features Fafinettes are splayed on all the new range of cosmetics products and definitely boosts the eye-catching packaging of M.A.C.

In any case, it was a very cool event with vibrant colours hitting every corner of the eye. The area was a little cramped for the hordes of attendees but the finger food was interesting (mini burgers on toothpicks) and champagne flowed incessantly.

Click on the thumbs to see the large picture.

The setup...

























Make-up artists busy helping out the guests to try out the new range.
















The organizers also setup a very appropriate central display that had popular music video games, Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero for guests to play.

Of course it gave us undescribable sights...




Some guests were jumping with delight. I can tell you from experience, Guitar Hero is orgasmic fun!










Then we were introduced to the cute Fafinettes!










I'm sure you're now curious as to how they look like from the front... well here they are enjoying a round of Guitar Hero!










I'd like to thank Chery Wong, M.A.C's marketing manager, for the invite :)




Copyright (c) Kelvin Tan

V3 Return Kick!

Well it's about time I starting blogging again...

Kamen Raida Bui Suri! Henshin!

Masked Rider V3 is revamped in the new movie, Masked Rider : The Next...




Copyright (c) Kelvin Tan

It's hard to be positive...

I know I've been away from my blog for more than a moon but it has been a time of introspection. CNY2008 has come and we're almost through with the celebrations but 2008 and the year of the Rat has not been kind so far.

I lost my Ah Ma about 3 months back. Every CNY, we would visit her on the 1st day. It's been like that for as long as I can remember but now things change. It will never be the CNY I know anymore. Heartbreaking as it is, I lost my beloved Uncle Louis about a month ago. I still cannot understand why he was taken from us so suddenly. I saw him last Christmas and he was so happy to see all of us at his house to exchange gifts. I miss you Uncle Louis.

At least I thank the heavens that my father got better from a very taxing illness just before CNY. I myself got sick on the first day of CNY and even as I write this, I am just getting better (after falling ill again over the weekend).

I pray things get better for my family.