Why I love the erhu...

It is said the erhu originated as far back as a thousand years ago and the chinese character of "er" which means 2, may come from the fact that it has only 2 strings. The unusual thing about the erhu is that the bow is in between the 2 strings rather than played on top of them like a Western violin.


There is also no definitive point where you must place the fingers to get certain notes because the fingers are pressing on a string in thin air (rather than on wood or frets) and both strings are together not separate so needless to say it's a highly challenging instrument. I fell in love with the sound of the erhu once I heard it. Almost like a human voice singing (once you get past sounding like a strangled chicken in the beginning ;) It's really soulful which is why this instrument is considered spiritual (it has been used for sound healing). It has such a unique oriental sound. I was listening to Buddha Bar in my house the other night and I suddenly heard a few haunting notes from an erhu fused with other modern instruments and I was telling my pugs "did you hear that?" but they kept on snoring. It's not something unusual for them to hear at home ;)

This is my ever growing notebook of songs beginning with Ba Ba Black Sheep which was painful enough to learn but worth every effort lol. I find playing the instrument so therapeutic and it forces you to be in the "now" coz it takes focus and patience. It makes me sit still, quiet (ok, I know that's rare ;) and meditative.

The songs look like strange numeric codes but these are actually my notes with 1 being do, re is 2 and so on but the difficult part is when you move into another chord, the rules change and everything is different aaargh! And you need to remember what SET you're playing with.


Believe it or not, these are the notes to "Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack go under limbo stick" haha you know the one? So, you see erhus can do fun and chirpy songs too, not just melancholic ones that make you cry coz they're so sad n yet beautiful. Limbo stick is a really cute one. The erhu can play anything a violin can but I find the oriental songs do it more justice.

Sometimes, while I wait for my lesson, I make a total nuisance of myself and start playing all the other ones in the school. The one below is a Yangqin which is played with 2 bamboo sticks. No idea how it works but I was banging away, quite fun!

I'm glad I decided NOT to learn the guzhen. Don't get me wrong, this plucking instrument is beautiful but you can't exactly swing it over your shoulder and carry it around with you. Oh, guess what happened on my previous Singapore trip?

I made friends with the erhu player in the underpass under Lucky Plaza in Singapore. He let me play his erhu for a few minutes (which drew a few stares). My friend stood there shaking his head saying, "yup, it's a recession, she used to be a model n everything but times are hard u know"...oh shut it Calvin, will ya?

Perhaps I will busk with him next time round for the fun of it and let him keep the proceeds ;) He's way too good for me right now (I may actually ruin his income in the underpass by turning people away haha) You know he refused to let me tip him? Ridiculous! and I was the one taking up time on HIS erhu. Such a sweet man and so patient with me considering I'm just a beginner. 

This is a pipa. Of course I have no idea what I'm doing but I produced a few interesting sounds!

This is my teacher. In a particularly tough lesson, I sometimes get stuck with my fingers not knowing where to go next and he says "relax la" but aaargh. Easier said than done. He's very strict with me and I need him to be so I don't pick up bad habits. U know how in chinese brush painting, the brush is held between the fingers in a very specific way? The erhu is something like that. Everything must be precise. Sometimes, he grabs the bow and just starts pulling it back and forth so I can FEEL the right angle coz when you're just a bit off, you could sound terrible!

But when you get it right, it's music to your ears. It's like you've hit the sweet spot, ahhh, that's the note! Have to search for it but there's no mistaking it when you get it! It's such a great feeling to hear a song forming on this ancient instrument. Patience is what it's teaching me and living in the present moment. I LOVE playing it. I'm sure my neighbours don't haha. Well, not yet anyway. Just you guys wait till I get better on this, don't mess! :)

Back on set

Welcome back to rude wake up calls and that persistent alarm clock! Aaargh and MUST look presentable when you're actually still half asleep! This is when you really appreciate or rather require the wonders of make up! ;)

Had to be up at 645am today. I forced myself to be in bed by 11pm last night. Such a record for me to sleep before midnight but I had to or I'll not make it through the day.

I've just started filming PROJECT ALPHA. It's about Malaysia's Top Bloggers (the real deal, where they live, who they are, how they tick)and I'll be hosting all 49 episodes, yup, you read that right (I'm gonna be flat out!) but each ep is fast paced, short n sweet (less than 5 mins) It won't be out till mid Sept.

It's a REALLY diverse bunch of bloggers we're featuring from a girl who lives out of her suitcase, I mean seriously, she's always in some country or rather, how cool right? (I want her job!) to a top Malay entertainment blogger (if you wanna know the latest gossip), to a daredevil, 2 shopaholics and fashionistas. This is gonna be fun and some of us are doing CRAZY things on this shoot.

I've always liked this boom (above shot) It looks like a furry Persian cat but it's an excellent wind breaker when ur shooting outdoors.

Ok, gotta get back to it. More later...

When I was 5....

I had a green stick fracture from roller skating down a steep hill. My brakes weren't working so I used the back of a car to stop myself but I was going too fast. The shock of it went up my arm and I couldn't really move it. I was in kindergarten at the time. My parents said I should've been a boy with all the trouble I got myself into. They were really concerned but I couldn't write for a whole month in kindergarten yay!! so no homework!

I even had a mini skateboard which I managed to jump down a couple of stairs with, yup, so don't be fooled by the skirt I'm wearing. Was such a tomboy. Even played football with the boys in the neighbourhood but aside from my speed which was beneficial to my team, they didn't want me to play with them coz "I was a girl" *eyes rolling* ;)

I don't know if it's just me but when I was a kid, everything seemed larger. For eg, I went back to my primary school as a teenager and I was really surprised. I stood at the edge of the school field which had so many memories for me from playing catching with my friends to competing in Sports Day. I remembered our field being HUGE but it wasn't at all! ;)

Age is another funny thing. If you were 10 and someone was 14, BIG difference. If you were 14 and someone was 20, even BIGGER difference coz you're the kid and the 20 year old is already grown up to you. Once you're in your twenties, the difference between 22 or 26 isn't a big deal, same when you're in your thirties or forties. Age becomes just a number.

If FEAR had a name...

Where there was light,

There was also darkness

hiding in the shadows

on every street corner

behind bedroom doors

tucked into the back of your mind

like Chinese whispers

some call it a conscience

a voice in your head

some see the darkness, some don’t

some don’t want to acknowledge it

it takes so many forms

but we all encounter it

F E A R

is like a living breathing thing

Let’s give it a name

S n a k e

Because it can creep up on you at any given moment

It’s not something you look for but when it finds you

and sinks its fangs into you,

it could poison your mind,

trap you in its embrace

making sure you don’t break free

S n a k e

shows up when you are afraid of change

holding you back from going forward

S n a k e

Is around when a relationship is dying

But doesn’t give you the guts to end it

S n a k e

Shows up when you’ve broken up with someone

Without giving you the courage to let go

And move on

S n a k e

Makes everything seem worse than it actually is

It looks at life like a glass half empty rather than half full

S n a k e

has two faces so what you see is NOT what you get

S n a k e

Sometimes wears high heel shoes and walks right next to you

Looking like a sexy supermodel

She follows you to work, gets into your lap top,

The roll of documents your printing

She is in the corner of every elevator you’re in

Sometimes checking her perfectly manicured nails

She is striking, you are plain

She is interesting but you are so boring that you wonder

how you managed to get anyone to marry you

S n a k e

sits beside you in the passenger seat growing more bold and even more beautiful by the moment

When your front door opens, you miss the smile on your husband’s face

You were too distracted by her standing right behind him

You are annoyed with your husband for no reason

You have no proof but you don’t need any

Because you keep seeing S n a k e everywhere

Even if she’s only in your mind

Do you know what F E A R stands for?

A famous psychologist once told me

it’s “false evidence appears real”

S n a k e

grows bolder with her outrageous outfits as you fade away

Becoming a shadow of your former self

Sometimes S n a k e

Is in every school telling you why you will not make it

It’s the bully who beat you up and rubbed your face into the dirt

making sure you never fight back

Sometimes S n a k e

Is in every home, every mother and father

Pushing their kids to do better

Making them feel they’re not good enough, not smart enough

S n a k e

Is in all of us

But where there is darkness, there is also light

So open the windows

of your mind

See the possibilities

Your limitless potential

Feel positively charged

Even in your darkest hour, the sun never disappears

It‘s always there even if you don’t see it

Light is everywhere dark hangs out

Waiting for you to fix the light bulb

A simple twist is all it takes

Looking at something different

Can transform a dark room into a bright and cheery one

So what are you waiting for?

Turn on the light switch!

What happened on my b day...

It was my b'day yesterday and I didn't wanna celebrate. Been too busy and didn't expect a b'day gift from my boyfriend either. In fact, I told him not to buy me anything this year. Of course, he didn't listen to me. He never does right? ;)


When I got home, my eyes widened in surprise. There were roses strewn all over my room and there was this one gift sitting on my bed. I was so touched he went through all this trouble and I knew he wrapped the gift himself coz it was wrapped so badly lol ;)

I thought it was a book but my goodness!! It was a lap top! Wow, the latest lenovo netbook is so incredibly small. How handy. It can easily fit into my handbag! Maybe he does listen to me after all *chuckle*. I used to complain about my shoulder hurting from lugging around my previous lap top. It was really heavy.

Imagine how small the netbook is (pink sleeve on left) compared to a regular lap top

Here's the crazy thing. My parents got me the MACbook Air. Wow!! and for the same reason my boyfriend got me the Lenovo. My Mum said my shoulders would be lopsided if I don't watch it hehe so after being stuck with the same clunky lap top for ages, I now have TWO brand new ones. I can't believe it! So lucky!


The MACbook Air is a work of art. The world's thinnest lap top. No idea how to use it but I'll learn. Never had a MAC before but I'm really looking forward to it and my new netbook is gonna be perrrrfect for travelling coz it's so small. Love them equally!! Yay!


I also got an artistic painting, a belly dancing skirt, some exotic teas and a great big purple candle (I really LOVE candles. They're all over my house) Oh, and my sister got me the Tao Oracle filled with ancient wisdom. I'm excited to learn how to do a reading. Perhaps I should get a crystal ball too and read your fortunes since I have these cards now? haha! ;)



I didn't know how all my friends seemed to know it was my bday coz they were smsing me from every corner of the world. They ALL couldn't possibly have such great memory isn't it (I did a bit of detective work n found out my boyfriend wrote to all them!) And guess what? I went to a friend's place for drinks last night but he invited all my really old friends. Huh? Yup, you guessed it. The thoughtful boyfriend again got them all together at my friend's place. I loved it. There were only 10 of us, great conversations and everyone re-connecting and just catching up. So unexpected and these were some of my oldest friends in KL.


I was swaying a bit toward the end of the night *chuckle* It was the champagne. It's deceptively easy to drink it la. I had so much fun. It was one of those special evenings you don't forget because it was so effortless, so warmly spontaneous and most importantly arranged with love. Thank you boyfriend, you know who you are! (sorry, no pic. He's camera shy! ;)

Liverpool in Singapore

I am the most unlikely person to spot at a football game but when a close friend of mine got grandstand balcony tickets for a bunch of us, I couldn't say no. I used to live with a football fanatic and he was trying to educate me on HOW LUCKY I was to get these tickets so fine, "I'm going, I'm going ok!"

We parked in town, took a train to the nearest MRT and walked on foot to the stadium. Smart move seriously coz the traffic was crazy!! Red shirts were singing in the streets. I was already having fun and I felt I really wasn't walking alone :)

Funnily enough, I got lost in the crowd at one point but my friends spotted me quite easily coz I wasn't in RED

Funny how I came from KL to watch this and I end up sitting behind Malaysian football commentator Zainal and his cute son! Malaysia boleh!

I saw 5 year old kids at the railing cheering away. Talk about starting young!

The atmosphere was incredible. I really got into it. The Liverpool team were passing the ball with such ease that it made it very difficult for the Singapore players to get any possession.

I pitied the Liverpool goalkeeper Reina. He really didn't have to do anything coz the ball was always on the other side *chuckle*

Liverpool got 5 goals and Singapore didn't get any but it's not like people were expecting them to win right? My friend James (below) felt compelled to cheer Singapore on (not sure if he was being sarcastic tho) coz they didn't stand a chance.

When Torres and Alonso walked on after the second half, the crowd was deafening. Everyone got so excited. Three mexican waves went round the Stadium. Felt like I was on a roller coaster with my hands up in the air. Electrifying....

I really didn't expect to enjoy myself this much but I have to admit it. I had an awesome weekend in Sing!

A football game on TV isn't the same as watching it LIVE. The atmosphere is amazing. Loved it!