Life In Kuala Lumpur... and other places...

An Evening With Stepan Sarpaneva

2008-07-09T10:41:00.001+08:00

Share in my experience with the watchmaker from Finland!

Click on the photo to read about it...

Copyright (c) Kelvin Tan

Melaka, Malacca Makes It to UNESCO

2008-07-08T13:07:00.002+08:00

News link here.

Congratulations to my beloved hometown... once known as Sleepy Hollow!

"Melaka and George Town, historic cities of the Straits of Malacca (Malaysia) have developed over 500 years of trading and cultural exchanges between East and West in the Straits of Malacca. The influences of Asia and Europe have endowed the towns with a specific multicultural heritage that is both tangible and intangible. With its government buildings, churches, squares and fortifications, Melaka demonstrates the early stages of this history originating in the 15th-century Malay sultanate and the Portuguese and Dutch periods beginning in the early 16th century. Featuring residential and commercial buildings, George Town represents the British era from the end of the 18th century. The two towns constitute a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia."

The Subtlety Of Manglish

2008-07-04T10:10:00.001+08:00

"He's one of a kind!"

is so different in meaning when compared to...

"He's very one kind lah!"

Hinoki Is Gorgeous

2008-07-02T10:35:00.002+08:00

Whoever thought that table tennis blades can be items worth investing in. This blade made with kiso hinoki (japanese cypress) - wood that's at least 300 years old. Such wood, when harvested, is kept to air and dry over a year before being refined further into the shape of the blade you see below (with a luxurious thickness of at least 10mm). Hinoki used for such blades need to be of a certain age in order to achieve the uniform tight grain you see in the pictures below. The Butterfly Kim Taek Soo gets its name from a famous Korean table tennis player and is perhaps the most famous high end single ply japanese penholder (jpen) grip blade from Butterfly using the aforementioned precious wood. Butterfly also produces 2 other high end hinoki single ply jpen blades namely, Cypress Max and the super rare Cypress Special (which can only be obtained from Butterfly via special order). More on the Butterfly Kim Taek Soo here.

In any case, look at the very cute keyholder from Xiom. It looks to also be made from hinoki (though most certainly of lower hinoki quality). The back has Ryu Seung Min's signature - the current Olympic champion and Xiom's ambassador.

Copyright (c) Kelvin Tan

Ooh lookie - Omega and IWC!

2008-06-30T01:05:00.002+08:00

Take a peek!

Copyright (c) Kelvin Tan

Changing My Lifestyle?

2008-06-23T11:43:00.002+08:00

Tagged by Lynn.

Hmm what have I done to change my lifestyle for the better?

1) Eat healthier - I try to have an early breakfast nowadays. It's so much better for the liver than just a late brunch/lunch and definitely healthier than skipping breakfast and eating 2 meals a day. Contrary to the belief of some, eating breakfast can actually help your metabolic rate and keep your health levels in check.
2) Consolidate finances - well I've more or less stopped several vices (including buying watches, pens, sneakers, etc) but that doesn't mean I've stopped appreciating these fine things.
3) Play more PS3 - heheh... a fine evening can be obtained from a good game at home :)
4) Cook more at home - I've been trying to do more of this so I simply invite friends over to taste my cooking.
5) Do more side jobs - like writing more magazine articles to make extra cash.

One of the things that I must do - sleep more. It's kinda hard for me since I find sleeping in the afternoons a waste of time when there are so many other things I need to do. In any case, ensuring that you have enough sleep helps in increasing metabolic rate and peace of mind as well.

Anyway, extra cash is good... gives me the ability to afford that Hermès belt I've always wanted hahaha...

Also check out the Omega Olympics exhibition!

Copyright (c) Kelvin Tan

Stepan Sarpaneva

2008-06-11T16:38:00.002+08:00

Haute5 features Stepan Sarpaneva's Korona K2. Have a look by clicking on the photo below!

Copyright (c) Kelvin Tan

20th Anniversary Of Ping Pong

2008-06-10T10:01:00.005+08:00

This year marks exactly 2 decades of my experience with ping pong/table tennis. Easily the most popular sport in China (and that makes it among the most popular sports in the world), my first memories of the game involve my observance of my classmates in secondary school going at it at the then newly bought ping pong tables at the back of the school main hall. I remember refusing to join them, already claiming defeat at how difficult the game looks. I had started off playing badminton several years back with wood/steel racquets and was getting nowhere with my game. So slowly, I began to creep into ping pong. It took me about 2 months to get up to the level of my already playing classmates back then. I vaguely remember my first successful smash. It was indeed a rush.

So began my journey into ping pong. We used to play every day from 2pm to 6pm after school. We played till the cheapo MDF tables began to disintegrate. We played till our white prefect pants got stained with the green of the tables. We played till we got into fights when the opposite table keep whacking balls onto our side forcing us to pick them up.

Being a penholder grip player, I had bought my first ping pong bat from Butterfly. I didn't really find anything I liked about it except that it was good for driving and smashing. I still have it - the rubber has already died and maybe someday, I'll get it working again. My 2nd bat is still in service today after 2 decades (also another premade Butterfly bat).

I remember my first experience with bona fide chinese school players (they were at least 5 years younger than us). As expected, their fundamentals were superb. In the end, once we got past their solid style of play, we managed to defeat them using 'unconventional' tactics and guile.

Then I said goodbye to my secondary school and went to Singapore for a couple of years of education. Desperate for playing partners, a couple of friends and I scoured the community centers and void decks of apartment blocks looking for playing kakis. This was when I learned about the 'king' rules where a winning player stays at the table to take on the next challenger. It was fun as I learnt a lot from the old folks playing at these community centers. I tried for the college ping pong team and I remember my nervousness at the trial conducted by the team coach. He ok-ed me to attend the training sessions but insulted my best buddy when he told him, "Is this all you got?" I felt bad so I promised not to join the training sessions if he was not eligible.

It was a couple of years later when I was studying at a local college when I got heavily into ping pong again. This time, I found a consistent set of players to practise regularly with. It was a good time. I even managed to play with the Selangor No 3 at that time (and was of course soundly defeated - only managing to steal a handful of points from him). A subsequent college I went to also found me a few more players with which to play ping pong with. And I learnt more about the game of ping pong.

As I left college and moved into my working years, I found it impossible to find ping pong players (except for the occasional game or two at a friend's house). Finally, after working for a few years, the company decided to book us some tables at the Bangsar Sport Center and we started training again. I had a couple of decent sparring partners. It was the company games back then and a company director insisted to join our team for the games. I remember him turning up for just one training session - inundiated with alcohol. I was so scared that he would collapse during that session. During the games itself, he simply didn't show up. Wtf...

During this time and in preparation for the games, I bought my first 'expensive' bat... a Butterfly Senkoh Z armed with a Sriver rubber. It was my first single ply cypress/hinoki bat.

You can see the grain of the precious wood below...

It was a few years after before the company prepared for us more tables to play at... this time at the company premises itself. We managed to get only a few sessions in before the playing area was closed for renovations.

Fast forward 5 years to the future. I managed to find a couple of new playing partners in KY and Dree. We're trying to push in more games into our hectic schedule (which also includes some badminton and futsal) and hopefully we'll get somewhere. KY and Dree are relative beginners but I have high hopes for them (especially after they just got new bats to play with). To commemorate this, I ordered a Kokutaku Super Cho Tokusen No 1 D-100 from Japan, one of the most famous high end Japanese penholder table tennis blades around. I heard it uses cypress/kiso hinoki wood that is at least 3 centuries old to obtain the beautiful grain and characteristic needed for the right 'feel'.

I will be installing Butterfly's new Tenergy 05 onto this bat. And we'll see how it performs...

Copyright (c) Kelvin Tan

More of IWC

2008-06-03T18:17:00.003+08:00

This time it's the watches. This is from the steel collection of the 140th anniversary Vintage collection of IWC which is launched this year and is getting a lot of orders. Click on the photo to view the gallery.

Copyright (c) Kelvin Tan

140 Years Of IWC

2008-05-30T09:55:00.004+08:00

I was priviledged enough to be invited by Valiramgroup and IWC to an exclusive dinner at 3rd Floor Restaurant, JW Marriott a couple of days back to celebrate the Schaffhausen's 140th anniversary. In the spirit of the jubilee, we were told to come in our suits and, at the venue, given steamer hats, scarves and walking sticks to complete the 'vintage' 19th century look.

The place was packed full of enthusiastic collectors but IWC and Valiram did a smashing job of setting up the venue and ensuring everyone had a good time.

Of course, the stars of the evening were the Vintage 1868 collection of IWC watches (both in steel and platinum). I will be shooting and presenting photos of those watches laster this week. Anyway, for the full report of the event

Copyright (c) Kelvin Tan

If you can't view the report, it means that you will need a Purists login (just register for one) or you can simply look at the pics here.

Blast From My Past Pt12 - Of Bookshops And Rubber Seeds

2008-05-27T09:45:00.003+08:00

I was thumbing my way through yesterday's Malay Mail while munching on some teriyaki salmon lunch when I came across an article/obituary on one of the most famous personalities of Malacca, Mr Lim Koh Sin. He was the owner of Lim Brothers Bookstore (at Riverside) which sadly closed in 2001 after 66 years of business. Seeing the bookshop mentioned after so long brought me a flood of memories and nostalgia. I used to crouch and squat for hours in their corridors, overlooked by stacks and stacks of books...

See the website Mr Lim's son did in honour of his father and the bookshop HERE. You can see the shelves I'm talking about.

Anyway, I used to spend precious pocket money on fantasy books (such as Choose Your Own Adventure, Lone Wolf, Way Of The Tiger and Fighting Fantasy) and Smash Hits mags as well as comics like Topper, Beano and Dandy. It was an annual affair to buy the annuals released by these comics publications. It was also an annual pilgrimage to purchase school text books and stationery here to complement our crispy new uniforms. And when I was lacking in funds, I would just read story books there - coming back time and again to finish off the books. When I was lucky, I would get books from here as a reward (from my parents and relatives) for doing well in my studies.

So it is with some sadness and fond memories when I saw the article and subsequently, the website... Lim Brothers will always be a recognized and honoured name among the current batch of working (and retired adults) born and bred in Malacca.

On another note, today on Mix FM, the DJs were talking about childhood pastimes (thank god, something worth listening to instead of the garbage they normally spew every morning). Got me to think about what we used to do with seeds from the rubber tree... in primary school, we used to gather these seeds. When you take a seed and rub it really hard and fast against a rough hard surface like tarmac or cement, the seed will get really hot. So we would have immeasurable fun taking these hot seeds and quickly finding some poor victim to touch with these seeds. As you can tell, we didn't need to have a lot to have pure clean fun!

Indy Jones And The Crystal Skull? Maybe spoilers...

2008-05-23T10:04:00.005+08:00

It's been a long time coming... 19 years since last Lucas and Spielberg got together. I still remember having the hotdog from outside Rex Cinema in KL back in 1982 before the start of Raiders Of The Lost Ark.

And over this time, Harrison Ford got really old. In any case, is the magic still there? The theme doesn't fail to make me stifle my tears. The sound of the whip and the Bollywood-style sound effects of the punches are still there. The plane flying across the map with a trailing red line is still there. Heck, we even get a glimpse of the Ark. And Cate Blanchett is oh-so hot!

Well, I must say that I DID enjoyed the movie. Shia LaBeouf wasn't as annoying as I thought he would be. Some set pieces and scenes are amazingly spectacular (and some too fantastical to be believable - I'm not talking about the ending) but others made the movie not as chee-keck as I wanted it to be. But the green screen scenes and CGI do detract a little especially. There were homages to Sean Connery and Denholm Elliot which I thought were appropriate and brought back fond memories.

So what do you make of it?

A thing of beauty

2008-05-21T14:49:00.003+08:00

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

2008-05-20T13:55:00.002+08:00

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

2008-05-07T11:17:00.002+08:00

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

2008-05-05T16:46:00.003+08:00

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...

2008-05-04T17:53:00.001+08:00

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

Unexpected

2008-05-02T18:11:00.003+08:00

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!

2008-04-29T11:47:00.003+08:00

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

2008-04-25T09:14:00.002+08:00

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

2008-04-16T16:32:00.003+08:00

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

2008-04-16T11:24:00.003+08:00

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

2008-04-03T14:46:00.005+08:00

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???!!!???

2008-04-03T00:30:00.001+08:00

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

2008-03-31T12:08:00.002+08:00

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