will i am's delayed diary

Once in a while, my paktor sessions with KH will drift to something arty. In January 2024 ( don't groan ), we explored five floors of Asian art at UR-MU @ Bukit Bintang ( short for Urban Museum ). Each floor had a theme, but I won't bore you with all that. Just enjoy the curated pieces that I handpicked for you.  Dinner was with SK and CK at ZK Restaurant , an old school Chinese stir-fried joint with some uncommon dishes like mixed seafood in pumpkin. Also had tong sui after that at Restoran Ruby , another blast from the past. The owner takes the time to create tong sui art very much like latte art. I really don't care for it. I want my tong sui hot, not lukewarm. Did we go home after that? No. Last stop for the night was Desa Park City to look at the year end light show that has somehow become a new year light show. The whole landscape was transformed with lights running through the fields, and plenty of Christmas trees. Loud and cheery Christmas carols accompanied the...

Finally, it's 2024 at Will.I.Am! On the first day of 2024, Sam ( KH's art lecturer friend ) invited us to participate in the Alfa University College New Year Art Jam event. For 14 years running Alfa University College had invited people from all walks of life to create folk art revolving around the Chinese zodiac. In the afternoon, we went up to Alfa University College at SS15. A bunch of people were already there huddled in the only room with air-conditioning switched on. Before we officially started, Sam gave a briefing on the project, and what we should do. The project is actually a composite mural made up of many A3 sheets. The idea is to get many different individuals to complete each sheet with their own style and creativity. Congruency is not required at all. Mum, Big Monster, KH and I worked on our sheets with various degrees of speed. Art supplies were provided, and in addition to the usual paints and inks, we also worked with mixed media like red packets and bits of q...

Once in a while, we will venture to KL city centre for our Saturdates. Normally would need a pretty darn good reason to brave the traffic. Guess we were both stoked enough to check out Bon Odori at Lalaport. Encountered a good crowd on that day ( Lalaport is usually dead-ish ) because there was also a 3x3 basketball tournament going on at WoW Plaza which attracted Lala ( Lala boys at Lalaport, go figure ) boys from all over.   Made one round on the rooftop. A bunch of food stalls and carnival games. No points for guessing that we just concentrated on the non-halal beer section. There was a 'central' raised platform but the layout wasn't actually suitable for a crowd of people to dance around it. But anyway, Malaysian's are a shy lot, and won't usually take part with much gusto. Also bumped into VC who was on a Saturdate there as well.  Later that evening, we had a double date with T&P. Watched "Sakti" at PJPAC, a night for the arts. It's Hands Perc...

During the Raya holidays, Tater balik kampung  to visit family and friends in Kuala Lumpur. Kampung Westin to be exact. KH and I met up with him at the hotel, and even had a morning swim. One of those rare times that I actually put my sexy swim trunks to good use. The highlight of the day was actually the gay matinee show at KLPAC. We had invited Tater to watch "Happy Fest" , a typical production from William Yap. As expected, Tater was the only potato in the village. Quite unexpected to see ang mohs at these Chinese productions although subtitles are provided. Can't say that I remember much of the details, but Jason Yau was in the cast to provide the much needed 'skin factor' ( I didn't bother to take photos although it was allowed ). Some topics 'covered' in the play was drug use, throuples, mental health x suicide (?), a Daddy's interaction with his mother-in-law. Douglas Wong's ( not too sure why he's wheelchair-bound ) portrayal as 塔塔罗...

Looking back through my old posts, the last time mum and I watched a Dama Orchestra production was in 2010. Fast forward thirteen years later, we bought matinee tickets to "All That Glitz & Glamour", the 'sequel' to "Glitz & Glamour" which was where we left off. It was mum's first time at PJPAC, and it was a bit challenging for her to navigate the narrow aisles at the Circle. Overall, it was enjoyable, but I find myself giving the same comment about how obscure some of the songs were. Can't really connect. Spotted Dr Ben Gee  in the cast as a dancer. Always wondered why he has so much time to produce content for social media. At the end, Datuk Ho Kay Tat of the Edge Communications Group was celebrated for providing the necessary financial support to Dama Orchestra to weather the pandemic. Upon getting out, we were surprised to find that there was a makan-makan going on. Free food and wine! 

Ever been to a play that's 7-hours long? Should such a play be allowed to exist? No, it should not. But through some glitch in the matrix, such an abomination happened, and I had the 'privilege' of sitting through it. Definitely would like to reclaim that 7-hours of my life. It all started with a pair of free tickets to The Symphony Theater's  "The Butterfly Lovers"  matinee show from my church member. When she told me that the duration, I thought she was joking. After church, we headed over to GTT Main Hall, which is actually short for Glenmarie Table Tennis. Hmmmm. Surprised to find such a place in a light industrial area. Upon walking in, there was a reception area or perhaps I should say box office. On one corner, the wall was full of past and present posters of plays. There was one recurring theme-- Jessie Chung, Malaysia's most famous transexual businesswoman. I suspect that Symphony Theatre is her personal platform to excel in the performing arts. A...

Some months back, we bought some early bird tickets to Van Gogh Alive at Pavilion Bukit Jalil. After Chap Goh Meh, we just tried our luck to walk-in, and luckily we managed to get in. The exhibition is basically a multimedia art installation of the life and works of Vincent Van Gogh. Through the use of high tech projectors, we were able to see how his art evolved over the years together with his mental state. There were also some physical exhibitions, like a mock up of his "Bedroom in Arles", and also a field of sunflowers which he was so fascinated with. Although it happened more than a year ago, but I still remember that I showed my black face to KH for being a lacklustre Instagram hubby. Hmmph! 

For several years now, I have been lucky enough to catch Dua Space 's contemporary dance performance's at The Gardens Mall. Not only are they talented, but cute as well. Kenny Leow  is lithe and graceful, which makes him shine.  Another regular dancer is Chee Kar Hung , who is young and boyish. Gotta love his arms. Defintely brings much CNY cheer! 

KH invited me to join a mid-autumn festival gathering organized by his sharing group. In case you're wondering, the sharing group is a group of gay guys who have monthly gatherings to discuss on different topics. Every month, a sharer will choose a topic to talk about, and they will have a discussion about it. It was my first time joining them for any activity. The party was hosted at a part of Sentul that both of us had never ventured to. The host operates art classes out of his house, so its a patchwork many artistic works ( male nudes in the master bedroom ). When I first arrived, I was greeted by many new faces. Most of them sat cross-legged on the living room floor with a long line of low tables arranged across the middle. I got myself a drink, found myself a seat, and smiled awkwardly while making some introductions and small talk. After waiting a short while for the late comers, the emcee made a speech, and we had a small ice-breaker. As it was a potluck, everyone brought a ...

Through mum's connections, she managed to secure two free VIP tickets to Matilda Tao's first concert in Malaysia. Those tickets to “The Golden Age of Matilda Tao Live in Malaysia 2019” cost MYR488. Matilda Tao or better known as Tao Ching-ying is a famous variety show host in Taiwan. The concert marked her twentieth year as a recording artist. The venue was at Stadium Melawati, Shah Alam. My first time there. Horrible place~~ pot-holed parking, and dark, and dirty toilets. The  evening rain turned the place into a mini water park. People had jump across puddles to navigate the mini night market outside the stadium. There was a halal and non-halal section, selling all sorts of artery-blocking fried foods ( we had a lohmaigai earlier ), and concert accessories like light sticks, and glow in the dark hoops. Getting to our seats was a smooth process, once we knew where our entrance was. Supposedly couldn't bring in water bottles, but their half-hearted bag searches worked...

On the third Saturday on December 2018, the Young KL Singers put on a performance entitled "Sing Noel!", a mixture of seasonal jingles and carols in several languages. Mum and I, with the Monsters in tow attended the event at the Wicked Pancake Parlour after sunset mass. KH was there ahead of us to collect tickets and pre-order dinner at Ben's General Food Store . After shoveling down the food ( no problem since the kids really like the Meat Lover's pizza there ), we rushed to the venue to grab some seats. Truly a good mix of vocals, but the content selection was pretty uncommon, so its not easy to relate. Not your usual caroling. Not sure if the Monsters knew how to appreciate it, but at least they sat still and paid attention. Good job Janvier and SimonSays! When the performance was over, we headed down to Yellow Brick Road for a supper of pancakes. Little Monster adored the Chocoholic's Anonymous~ two chocolate pancakes were layered with Nutella sauce,...

For some reason, I had stayed away from Mutiara Damansara for many a year. eCurve, Ikano Power Center, and IKEA didn't excite mum and I anymore. A recent sponsored post on Facebook alerted me about beautiful balloon art at IPC ( Ikano rebranded ) in conjunction with the mid-autumn festival, so I decided to go take a look. I was shocked to find that IPC was a complete transformation. The place underwent an IKEA-fication. There was a big food court at the lower ground, but it was a little claustrophobic due to the close quarters and low ceiling. But that's my only complain. The rest of the space was great. We ate lunch at Hana Japanese Dining , a fusion Japanese restaurant from Taiwan. I love the menu for the simple fact that it's unusual. Many new things to try. From their hors d'oeuvres menu, I chose a sampling trio. What tickled my taste buds the most was the Hawaiian Maki, a rice-less roll using salmon belly. And the it has a nice crunch from all the fish roe. T...

Mum and I went to Taman Naga Emas for the crystal pan mee, but we couldn't resist ordering the roti canai too! So crispy! On our way out, I was shocked to see Salak South's landmark, the '12-floor' flats sporting a fresh coat of paint. So karerful yuols ! Really brightens up the whole neighbourhood. By the way, does it remind you of the television no-signal pattern? Rained a bit in the evening, but that didn't stop us from going to Taman Bukit Jalil for some exercise. Felt like we had the whole park to ourselves. The regulars stayed away. Mum whipped up dinner, combining whatever was in the refrigerator. Another colourful ensemble for the day.

With mum's special dietary requirements in force, there aren't many simple breakfast choices that I can choose from. For some reason, the trip to the morning market was shelved, so it was a leisurely breakfast that day. Went to SetiaWalk in search of a cafe that opened early. Only one choice was available-- TiPsy Brew O'Coffee . Looked quite promising actually. The interior was not the cincai type, they did have some work done with patterned raw brick walls, murals and such. I got the All Star Breakfast, while mum went for the Cheesy Baked Eggs. Both came with a choice of OJ or black coffee. Not bad at all. Got to love the jumbo sausage and scrambled eggs. When we left, some flea market stalls had begun operating, but truth be told, it wasn't comfortable to browse in such oppressive heat. KH had bought tickets to MACC's "Now That's I Call Jokes Vol. 8". Well we all know that most of MACC's investigations are jokes, but I'm not talking ...