Kai's First Nikes

Uncles Brad and Sam Slicing Festive Goodness

Introducing Master Kai Gerard

　　

Ghetto Life

Saturday 12 September

After spending the morning doing some volunteer work at Telok Blangah, I caught a quick flight up to Kuala Lumpur in order to check out the local activation around music at the national stadium there. Without going into detail, the highlight was when the power died at the 15,000 strong event for about 40 minutes, and Kevin and I were able to do some imaginary Olympic action in the wildly huge and mainly empty stadium.

Had some quiets at the Social on Bukit Ceylon, Kevin was the self-professed 'loner' who knew everyone from the outside. Left the good quality crowd and location to a no-budget Irish bar on the other side of town, Claudia was there and we ended up going back and playing a totally nerdy card game until way too late. Watched two thirds of The Spirit, a hilarious and very good-looking film, before catching a few hours sleep.

Back to the Developing World

Sunday 6 September

Slept till around noon and spent the afternoon chillaxing with Luke in the hotel. Jeff gave us a ride to the airport and a huge bag of super fresh chillies - very kind. The evening flight home was spent studying the road code, discussing Kai's education, and watching the twisted Robot Chicken.

Overall I got a very good impression of Chengdu - friendly people, mild climate and relaxed vibe. It felt very well developed in comparison to somewhere like Vietnam or Thailand, and strangely enough, even the taxi ride home from Changi airport felt a bit bumpy and backwards in comparison, as if Singapore's a sleepy island nation while the juggernaut of China is pushing ahead at breakneck speed and with jillions of dollars.

Tiger Translate Chengdu

Saturday 5 September

After sleeping off some of the excess beers, I met Luke for a delicious lunch at a simple place near our hotel - going back for the shui zhu yu along with old favourites mapo dofu and yuxiang qiezi. Went for a walk around the area which yielded little in the way of local culture, but lots in the way of Air Jordan x Air Force One goodness!

Took a cab down to the centre of town, Tianfu Square, and soaked up the piped music, the fountains, the Mao statue, the non-sun. Strolled randomly and found ourselves at the People's Park - filled with music, singing, opera and life, I was really blown away. The people here were not clinging on to some ancient culture as the city around them modernized, they were simply living it 'cos it was Saturday afternoon and that's what they do!

Grabbed some beer and xiao chi and was led by Luke's Jedi sense to the retired singles section of the park, where I got hit on by a persistent but nice enough 81 year-old lady. It was soon time for official duties so I took a cab to Jin Li and had coffee together with Raymond, William and Bian Yi from the local office. We had hot pot for dinner in a beautiful old building before heading to the venue, Huli Club.

A hot new outlet with a good local crowd, indoor, outdoor and upstairs areas, the party was a big success with DJs, musicians and artists doing their thing in succession while Tiger Crystal was going down all around. Had a beer with Xiao Ping, my new hero and the Shanghai guy who looks after North-West China, before cruising with the team for some good clean karaoke to celebrate - Wang Fei was sung, Beat It was danced to - I made it home alive and unscathed.

What's Brocade?

Friday 4 September 2009

Invited by the China team to Chengdu to attend our latest and greatest event there, Luke tagged along with me on the 4.5 hour Silk Air flight up to China's fourth city one hazy Friday morning.

Arrived after lunch, spent some time in traffic but got to appreciate the warm, mild climate, checked out the venue and had a dinner with our North China team and a most hospitable official. Discovered "shui zhu yu" and the way it takes your tongue to a decidedly otherworldy place, before a rapid-fire outlet visit which ended up at Jiu Yan Qiao in the rain. Drank many beers and took the scenic route home, via one of the city's new areas of "ancient" lanes and buildings.

Luke called it; this country is Asia's first world.

Kai’s First Birthday!

Friday 28 August 2009

Taking a day off to celebrate our son’s major milestone, Jamie and I showed what loving, responsible parents we are by taking Kai to get two inoculations on his birthday morning – pneumococcal and chicken pox. That gave him a reason to cry for about 5 seconds but Dr Siva’s advice summed it up – “He’s now ready to eat everything, including curry”.

I didn’t need to be told twice, so bundled up the little creature and took him straight to Café Beviamo for his first babyccino – what yuppies we are. Of course he liked it, who could say no to foamy milk laced with cocoa? He slept while we had our adult lunch, before taking the train out to Pasir Ris Park and sifting around the mangrove swamp there – no mudskippers today but plenty of crabs, kingfishers, water monitors and poor dead fish.

Stopped for a Kilkenny at Gallop Stables, where Kai got to check out some ponies, before heading to the remarkably clean beach looking out to Pulau Ubin for some walking practice (he had stumbled his first two steps that morning into Jamie’s arms) and general sand action.

Later, at home, we had a good family swim (Kai didn’t take to his Danish floaties, but no big deal) then headed to dinner at the Portugese BBQ restaurant up the road. Aunty graciously looked after Kai while Jamie and I ate, then proceeded to feed him three sticks of strawberry Pocky – Kai celebrated his newfound license to eat junkfood with reckless abandon.

Long Live the Bugg!

Christiania Part II

Sunday 23 August

Fell asleep after a full course of lovey-dovey text messages to Jamie at 5am, and got some shut-eye till around noon when Anna called me up and summoned me to Christiania – perfect execution. Knocked back some orange juice, hopped on my bike and was back in the alternate universe within minutes. Sat down near some greenery while tourists walked by and waited for Steve to find me – it didn’t take long. Sat by the lake with a couple of beers then took a relaxing ride around the area. Our second resting spot was directly opposite “Probably the Most 24 Jam Location in the World”, the single-storey brown buildings that Kevin says are ex-submarine bases and house some of his video games clients – thankfully all I could make out on this sunny afternoon were bikini-clad international youth diving into the harbour. Boom.

Rode back with Anna through the village, listening to The Arcade Fire from my handlebars, and noticed that it wasn’t as happening as Thursday afternoon – perhaps it was too early. Made it back to the hotel so Anna & Steve could get their flight back to London and prep for the wedding they were to attend the next weekend in Detroit – decided to spend my extra time kicking back in the Tiger lounge with a bucket and wishing the remaining peeps farewell.

Did a super-efficient pack at five to five, checked out and took the flight via Frankfurt back with Crystella, Antz and Kenny. Feeling very human, balanced and realized, I dozed gently for the 12 hour flight back, without any need to resort to sleeping pills. Layer upon layer upon layer...

Tiger Translate Copenhagen

Saturday 22 August

Gave myself a bit of a sleep-in before meeting Steve & Anna for a traditional Northland breakfast – the weather forecast had been iffy but another glorious day was upon us! Rented a bike and rode up to the venue for a 1:30pm run-through with Christian and Mikkel – chose the artwork and locations for the best of the CHANGE collection – before zipping back to meet our artists and enlarged crew of guests in the hotel for a ‘relaxing’ afternoon barbie!

Across the main river and right on the waterfront, Theobrands hosted us at Kulturhust for a family-style barbecue on a lovely Saturday afternoon. I gave out my brand new, limited edition Tiger Translate Viewmasters to Jesper, Mads, Jan and the crew before changing into my swimmers with the only other game person, Kerstin from Cologne. We rocked into a designated swimming area on the river and dove into the cool, refreshing and ‘inordinately clean’ harbour – delicious! Built up some guts and took a few pin-dives off the 5 metre platform while Anna and Steve watched from the pavement.

After a hearty lunch, a few of us headed straight to the venue for the final run-through, check and preparations. The band, Company, did their sound check and I was once again pleasantly surprised to hear some Hendrix riffs. Back at the hotel, I met Anna Isaac from NZ who had just arrived, briefed her over a Tiger, and had a whole two and a half minutes of down-time before getting ready for the deciding moment.

Took a taxi to the venue with Antz and Song Yang and took a while to inspect the place and make some final tweaks to get some level of satisfaction. Had a good moment with Tjetjege, the front row baby from Mongolia (very honoured that he made it all this way) outside while the crowd milled around, scoffed down some noodles and dumplings for good measure, then hit the party proper.

Two live battles (one-on-one East vs West artists) took place, the warm-up DJ did his thing and the cool crowd came in to check out the action. I showed Song Yang the backstage artist area and bumped into the band who looked straight out of school and loving it. Their following showcase set was energetic and fun, and before you know it the party was in full swing with Rom showcasing his interactive piece in the main hall, HRVRK vs Ulzi going off in the atrium, and ice cold Tiger going down everywhere.

Hit the dance floor with Liv and Anna, took some time to make a personal Jandals artwork, got Song Yang and Antz up to do some live painting, took Anna & Steve backstage and kept the beers flowing. By 2am my job was done so I kicked back, documented the whole thing and made sure the Mongolians and Singaporeans made it back safely to the hotel, but not without one final (and X-rated) visit to the little mermaid. Deleted for all of eternity, but like Antz said, we had fun.

Vesterbro (feat. Antz & Song Yang)

Friday 21 August

Hit my last breakfast of the week and left the hotel at a gentlemanly hour for the final day of the workshop proper. Ran through the venue progress, did my first (of three!) Mongolian TV interviews, and checked out the fresh prints from Singapore – things were roughly under control. Shot back to the hotel around noon and met up with Anna and Steve who had just flown over from London for the weekend. Greeted them in the customary manner then had panini and olives in the sun next to the hotel – Anna’s first impression was how groovy everything was, and that everyone spoke perfect English! I guess we’re not in Kawakawa anymore, sister.

We took the stroll back up past the Little Mermaid to the venue for Friday’s final preparation – the agency was taking a JIT approach and I wasn’t particularly happy about it, so I did what I could then sent all the artists back to freshen up. By 7pm we had all made it on time to Le Le, a hot Vietnamese restaurant in Vesterbro, and no-one was disappointed. At the entrance bar we were met with custom-made Tiger-coffee liqueur cocktails (which worked for me as something different) before being shown into the main hall where our tables were reserved and a DJ had been put on especially!

A live trumpeter was playing while I did my rounds (people from all over Europe had joined our multinational crew by now) and enjoyed the super-fresh noodles, but when Fat Freddy’s was Dropped I couldn’t help but welcome Friday night with a nod to the venerable DJ and a good old-fashioned groove.

The bill was the most outrageous all week and Graham gracefully laid it on his card before we cruised west to Kung Fu bar where our Tiger pub crawl started in style. This Japanese sake bar saw us spill well out onto the street before we bounced to Lil’ Vega or Ideal Bar, where Jack White had recently performed – damn. Our rent-a-crowd was going strong but my dancing shoes were still feeling restrained as we stopped in at Bang & Jensen for a sneaky pint. Luckily, our final area was the meatpacking district and the penultimate bar, Jolene, with its packed earth floor and bright funky tunes got me, Song Yang, Miss Lotion and Sidsel tearing up the floor with big smiles on our faces.

Karrier was the last stop (we had to get in before 12:30) and we had an area reserved with plenty of beers – the music wasn’t so great but it was still early. We enjoyed the buzz there for a while amidst a big group but by now I felt like giving the Danes a taste of their own medicine, so headed back with Anna and Steve around 2am for some chillaxing action in the hotel. Saturday was the main night and I wanted to be ready.

Like Carey's Bay, sorta

Thursday 20 August

After a solid breakfast of cornflakes, fruit and yoghurt followed by cheese and crackers, I led our group from the hotel, through another glorious morning past the harbour, to the venue for collaboration day 2! Got some work done in the quiet atmosphere as the setup inched along, while the artists made steady progress on their respective works.

Had a very civilized lunch with Christian, Crystella, Kenny and Pat, sampling three types of herring and a local micro brew before witnessing a very old school Copenhagen writer team up with New York legend Ghost to do an impromptu throw-up as part of a wild card appearance. I was meant to leave at 2pm, but the Hendrix soundtrack and the shining sun would have otherwise, so I stayed for my best Tiger moment so far.

On my bike, I dropped my laptop off at the hotel and continued on across the main river to Christiania, the ex-hippie area that was established in the name of peace and love and continues along a similar vein (as far as is possible in 2009). Ducking off the busy street into a promising-looking park, I found myself on a single lane path with a gleaming lake on my left and lots of sweet little home-made houses on my right. It reminded me of Carey’s Bay, only more dinky, if that’s possible.

After following this line as far as I could, three smoke stacks loomed overhead and I found myself back on a normal road, so I looked over my shoulder and headed left across a bridge back towards the lake. My Jedi GPS must have been in full working order, as within a few minutes I was feeling a happy little village vibe, with an old long-haired dude playing Dylan on his acoustic guitar in front of the main store selling Christiania beer. How could I say no? On my left, a bunch of people were selling second-hand lego and books, on my right a couple of hungover guys smoked out of a chillum. I could have stayed there forever.

Moving on towards my date with reality, I continued less than a minute before encountering a fantastic two-man sound system from Mexico City! Pumping a reggae, hip-hop vibe into a smoke-filled crowd around 4:20pm, again I couldn’t help but stay a while and soak up the groove. They were saying something disparaging about the police, which I understood, but wasn’t quite feeling. Must be the corporate gig.

Now really needing to get back, I carried on and again was met with an amazing line-up of live Danish hip-hop – though awesome, the gods were on my side as they were just finishing so I rolled on, down Pusher Street and back to the normal side of the river. Damn, I thought, I’m going to have to come back here on Sunday.

Meeting everyone in the hotel lobby at 6:30pm was the plan, and we cruised up the street to Café Sommersko for dinner, where we were joined by Shannon, Mads and some of the local artists. After a decent lamb shank with veges and a few rounds of Tiger, we headed up the street to a traditional old Danish pub which was way too smoky for me, so I relaxed outside and took Mads’ pimped out Tiger bike for a spin. Hornsleth bar was our next (and final!) stop for the night, so after checking out the artwork and chatting with a few cats, I took my leave and walked home before midnight. Moderation in all things, no doubt, but I am beginning to doubt the jam-ness of this crew!

Samarbejde

Wednesday 19 August

Day 1 of the collaboration begins! Gathered everyone in the lobby and walked by the harbour, past the Little Mermaid, in the beautiful sunshine to the venue, Pakhus 11. Six Danish artists were waiting to meet our five artists from China, Mongolia, Thailand and Singapore, and with Kasper doing a great job moderating the whole thing, the briefing took place over coffee and everyone set to work.

I joined Christian on a trip to meet Jesper and his wife (who just got knocked up!) at their beautiful house in suburban Hellerup - had coffee on the balcony and picked delicious fresh plums from their garden! Jesper drove me to his sushi restaurant in the Latin Quarter where we checked out Fox Hotel and I cruised around the funky streets with cafes, second-hand record shops and streetwear stores. Lunch at The Living Room was a classic goats' cheese sandwich with soy latte (heaven!) and with full tummy I secured perfect gifts for Jamie & Kai.

After soaking up the street corner a little longer I cabbed back to the venue to check on the progress - some great work happening from Clean, Le Fix and Miss Lotion. Walked back to the hotel with Pat and met up with Christian for a lovely dinner at Jesper's Sushitreat, a beer at Dalle Valle (great soundtrack - U2, White Stripes, Jeff Buckley), through Hotel Sankt Petri to my highlight so far, Dive Bar. Chris the bartender was a Reno-esque Dane who was raised in Asia and treated his bottles and customers with respect. We talked shit, tried to check out Lindon Puffin's myspace, had a couple of drinks and got a tip to head to Mono Bar for some dub. Unfortunately it was packed to the brim so after checking it out from the street, Pat and I walked home and hit the sack by midnight. Respect continues!

Copenhagen Calling

Tuesday 18 August

After a lovely six week stint with Mum and Ken in Singapore, Bali and Melaka, I said goodbye and checked in for a 12 hour flight to Copenhagen, along with Singapore artist Antz, my team-mate Crystella and blogger Kenny Sia. Enjoyed dinner, a glass of wine, Flight of the Conchords and Star Trek before popping a sleeping pill and knocking out for a good six hours.

By 7.30am we were on the tarmac in the fully developed world! Met up with Pat and Thai artist Rom at the baggage reclaim and took a taxi van for the short and smooth trip into downtown Copenhagen and the Scandic Front Hotel.

After dropping our bags, Antz and I went for coffee along the touristy new harbour, beautiful fresh air and bright sun beating down as we got our super-pricey caffeine fix. Took a stroll around the hood before Crystella and Kenny joined us and we walked down the main pedestrian street to lunch at Cafe Europa. Enjoyed spawn of lumpsucker with bread, cheese, and a Tiger - tried not to have a heart attack at the bill, 60 Sing dollars per head for a simple lunch!

Took in the main shopping street and city hall before jumping on a canal cruise, punctuated by the obnoxious antics of white trash scando youth. Met up with Christian, Mikkel and the Theobrands crew to work on some details before a simple dinner and drinks in the hotel to welcome all artists and guests. Finished up with one final beer (the Czech Krosevic) at the new harbour before crashing around 11pm. Respect to the body!!

One Night in Bangkok (part seven)

21 January 2009

My first and only work trip during the first half of 2009, I popped up to Bangkok to meet Pat and the team at Brick Bar in Khao San Road - damn, I've never seen so many white people in one place outside of Sydney!

This gig was live, crowded, and aimed at the local crowd. Barnaby and I scooted out just before the midnight liquor ban hit 7-11 and I was able to enjoy a little bit of pre-CNY quiet time at his pad near Asok, meeting the beautiful Amelia as part of the bargain!

The Kingdom of the Bodge

17-19 December 2008

With the new baby somewhat under control and the festive season approaching, I found myself in Phnom Penh, Cambodia for two nights and three days to observe some research groups for work. Putting up in the Raffles Hotel Le Royale, I spent the days working in the beautifully refurbished hotel, and the nights getting a taste of the restaurants and bars.

A hot and dusty cowboy town, Phnom Penh had some charm and I was pleasantly surprised to find that Mandarin was useful even here, for example at a great Chinese restaurant where the team took me on the first night. We had a shuttle of Tiger at an outdoor BBQ place after that and ended up at Cathouse, a fun bar full of Santarinas and cans of Anchor.

Lunch by the pool was extremely relaxing after a non-stop year and I was able to put my thoughts aside for a few moments and just observe and take stock, which was well-needed. Mutton soup after the research session was tasty but left me feeling a little worse for wear the next day, though it could have been the few extra beers in the Elephant Bar before bed.

With Cambodia suffering from the economic crunch and our sales feeling the pinch, the picture isn't too rosy for 2009, so with a grateful heart and hope for the future I bid 2008 adieu.