Another Tiger

Click on the photos for the large versions. This is my 2nd pair of Onitsuka Tiger from Asics. My first one here.

OTs are similar in design to the original OT/Asics shoes worn in the past by Japanese athletes. While they lack the technical innovations of their Asics counterparts (like the super Gel Kayano and Gel Kinsei), they are definitely comfortable. The padding is spartan but the quality is high (even though nowadays they are made in China). All OT designs are limited in number. I must say that OTs are addictive and I will be looking to add more to my collection! The model that I got today is the Fencing LA.

Anyway have a look!





































Copyright (c) Kelvin Tan

RSVP At Marketplace

Ok this month's KLue RSVP event was at Marketplace at Lrg Yap Kwan Seng. It was in the shadow of the tallest twins in Malaysia.

I was joined by two beautiful ladies, Pinkpau and Kimfluttersby.




We observed that the place had a very plain setup but looks much better when the lights are dimmed .










The free flowing Martell cocktails were welcome in the blistering residual heat of the day.




As with other RSVP events, the sexy Martell girls went around taking polaroids of guests. It was a cute way of letting us literally keep a piece of the evening.




Anyway we started off with an interesting appetizer... Amuse Bouche. It was a pleasant piece but I tasted neither goat cheese nor strawberries. Instead, apart from the watermelon, I thought the top was made with red bell peppers.



The next item on the menu, Mushroom Soup with Vanilla Cream.



We also asked for some balsamic vinegar and olive oil to go with our bread.





My main course was cod with wasabi mash. It was nicely done and I enjoyed the dish very much. However, I wish the wasabi flavour in the mash was more than just subtle. I like my wasabi to kick me in the nose.





Both Su Ann and Kim had the beef tenderloin. Quite a generous portion...



There were also salmon and pasta aglio olio as the remaining choices. We waited for dessert...



And it didn't take long. The cosmetics of the dessert could have been better but the chocolate mousse was delicious and I enjoyed the sourness of the passion fruit syrup which cut through the sweetness of the mousse.



Then a surprise entrance by a musician... I truly enjoyed the virtuoso performance of the saxophonist!



All in all, a fine evening with great company and good food.

Copyright (c) Kelvin Tan

Tag Heuer Grand Carrera

New from Tag Heuer! I found these designs and innovations to be attractive. Pictures are from Horomundi so credit to them for this launching news. Click on them to go direct to the press release at the Horomundi fora.

Calibre 6 - time only



Calibre 8 - GMT



Calibre 17 - chronograph

Ultimate Casio G-Shocks

Many often consider Casio G-Shock watches to be great value for money and I cannot disagree. However, some are not aware that certain G-Shock models are made in Japan. These are high end G-Shock models that are the flagships for Casio.

Possibly the most highly sought after models are of the MRG range (aka Mister G). These are the finest G-Shock watches Casio produce and damn, they look cool!

The top of the line is the MSRP 180000 YEN monster, the MRG-7500.




Then there's the gorgeous MRG-7100




The most affordable MRG, the MRG-2100, shipped at 65000 YEN




After the MRGs, we have the Mudman... an incredibly tough G-Shock model. Good for use in muddy, damp conditions.







The Mudman also have siblings in models such as the Raysman and the diving watch, the Frogman.

Finally, the recently released Gulfman...




Note that these watches support Waveceptor, i.e. they can scan the radio waves for transmission information of the time from an atomic clock source. Alas, this feature is not supported in Malaysia.

Photos courtesy of Seiya, Watch-Tanaka and Higuchi. Afaik, Seiya and Higuchi are popular choices if you want to purchase online. I've seen occasional Mudmans at Isetan KLCC though.

The official Japanese websites for...

MRG
Mudman
Gulfman

About Fountain Pens Part 2 - Starting Out

Sorry for the delay in Part 2. I forgot I started this series hehehe...

Click on the photos for the galleries.

Anyway, some of the people I know have consulted me when their interest for fountain pens surfaced. Among the popular questions are

1) What should I start with?

It depends on what your budget is. The price of a fountain pen can range from RM10 to RM100000. Among the cheapest that I know of is this cute Pilot Petit. You can find them nowadays at fine stationery shops like Kinokuniya.




They are a little small to hold for long periods of time though. The nib is a crudely made steel nib which serves its purpose. It writes consistently but feels very scratchy. The Petit comes in several colours and cartridge ink refills can be bought separately.

For a nicer but still affordable alternative, consider the well made Lamy Safaris. The Safaris are popular among collectors due to its low price and great performance. I know many people who swear by their Safari. The Safari comes in 3 different ranges... the Vista (seen below)




The normal Safaris. Below are examples of the annual limited edition for the Summer of 2007...




And finally, the Safari Al-Star which is like the normal Safari but comes with a matt aluminium finish.

The normal Safaris normally retail for around RM80+.

2) What are the good brands to go for?

I'm just going to give a small list of some well known brands and why they are popular...

a) Mont Blanc - easily the most well sought after brand today. They are famous for their branding and also prestige factor. The MB collectibles always sell out and their pens, while nice, are imho, overpriced. Also many users have complaint about the fragile barrel and leaky filling systems.

b) Pelikan - probably the most famous German brand (now Malaysian owned). Very consistent and high quality. But boring in most of its designs. Very very conservative. Normally the choice of people who want solid German engineering. The flasghip M800 and M1000 series have brass pistons which are a pleasure to use.

c) Namiki/Pilot - the largest of the Japanese brands. Super consistent in performance and the Namiki maki-e range is among the most expensive pens in the world with exquisite workmanship

d) Sailor - famous for possible the best nib performance in the world. Sailor specialty nibs are done by master nib makers and to use one is to understand its much vaunted nib performance. Its barrel work is still behind Namiki imho.

e) ST Dupont - solid solid performance from their pens. Super smooth nibs. But Dupont's claim to fame are their palladium chinese lacquer bodies which are scratch resistant and silk-like to the touch. Amazing feel.

f) Waterman - The famous French/American company who first introduced the modern fountain pen. Its flagship, the Exception, is an amazing piece. Consistent and smooth. Definitely high quality and a joy to use.

Still many others to talk about (e.g. Parker Sheaffer) but I'll leave that for another day...

Part 3 coming up next...

Copyright (c) Kelvin Tan

Jump! Korean Comic Martial Arts Performance

Being a HUGE fan of Nanta (which I have watched twice in Seoul and twice in Malaysia), I was excited that Genting brought in Jump!

Where Nanta is based on cooking, Jump's performance is martial arts based. The show showcases some very very cool martial arts sequences and the performers are super fit. I think many of the female audience were swooning over the buff Korean guys on stage. I must say it's not as good as Nanta because some of the slapstick comedy was a little too juvenile but all in all, I had a good time. I was particularly impressed by how athletic the performers were... some of the somersault work was amazing!

Though there was little fanfare about Jump's performance schedule in Malaysia, I was glad to be able to buy tickets at the last minute. The theatre was packed throughout the 4 shows they had on this run. Click on the photo below for their website.

Dataran Merdeka Vs Brickfields

Went with KY to jalan-jalan and take some photos...

We first went to Brickfields but there wasn't anything that caught our eyes much save for some interesting antennae. Light wasn't helping much... click on the photo below for what I saw in Brickfields.




So we went to Jalan Raja instead to shoot the Sultan Abdul Samad building. It was fulfilling as the light was exceptional. Click on the photo below for the full gallery at Dataran Merdeka.




Copyright (c) Kelvin Tan

An Evening With IWC

Last week, we had the IWC dinner at Marriott's 3rd Floor Restaurant.

Some shots of the sumptious food!

Scallop and foie gras appetizer...




Salmon and truffles...




Mushroom soup...




Black angus steak with truffle and cognac sauce...










Tasty dessert...




In any case, for the full report, click on the model's photo below...




Copyright (c) Kelvin Tan