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while ikea dominates the world as the most famous swedish export, their musicans are no less capable of winning the hearts of music lovers in different corners of the world. the most famous example, is of course the pretty damn hot nina persson and her gang of the cardigans.

another less famous swedish band called “club 8″, who so happen to have a pretty damn hot lead singer, was in town recently for a show to promote their latest album. not to be confused with candy popster s club 7, this swedish band plays signature dreamy blend of scandinavian folk music

the show in klpac was as good as tan kuai lan could expect. he was so mesmerised with lead singer karolina komsted’s deep hypnotising vocal that tan ah lian couldnt stop pinching him and pulling him back out to reality.

despite the constantly failing sound system, the show was one to be missed for a long time.

while it wouldn’t be entirely accurate to describe the week as filled with a barrage of activities, there isn’t a lack of things to do either.

first up reza salleh is offering himself (free of charge, i suppose) up for a full 80-minute set at groovejunction, hartamas (above karma) on thursday the 31st. and while we haven’t caught him yet, we’ve only been hearing good things.

for those missed it the first time round, palate palette is holding filmmakers anonymous 1 – a collection of shorts from a bunch of indie directors – from 9pm onwards.

vintage junkies or just plain shopaholics can preempt the cny loot and blow their cash at the threads zoo mini flea market at desa sri hartamas (same row as spicy’s mamak). old’s the new new, if you know what’s good for you. drop by on saturday or sunday, 10 to 10.

of course, there’s the obligatory artsy-fartsy readings where you hooligans (yes, i mean you advertising peons) can finally pick up a little culture. rm15 is a small price to pay for a night of “good old fashioned storytelling” (especially when you compare it to their drinks). sunday the 3rd, at no black tie from 9pm.

officially the weekend sorta ends on sunday (let’s not get into the sunday/monday first day arguement), but chow sing chi worshipers should head to the cult hwe recently started up.

and to sum up an already long post, here are listings in easy bite-sized pieces:

event: reza salleh live
date: thursday, 31 jan 2008
time: 2130 – 0000 hrs
venue: groovejunction, desa sri hartamas (above karma)
admission: free

event: anything goes, anything shows: filmmakers anonymous
date: thursday, 31 jan 2008
time: 2100 – 2300 hrs
venue: palate palette, 21, jalan mesui
admission: free

event: the threads zoo mini flea market
date: saturday & sunday, 03 – 04 feb 2008
time: 1000 – 2200 hrs
venue: 42, 1st floor, jalan 24/70A, desa sri hartamas (along spicy’s, opposite rhb)

event: kraftgrafik x lapsap re-mix junkyard sale
date: sunday, 03 february 2008
time: 1300 – 1900 hrs
venue: palate palette, 21, jalan mesui
admission: free

event: readings
date: sunday, 03 feb 2008
time: 2100 hrs
venue: noblacktie, 17, jalan mesui
admission: rm15

the second kraftgrafik/lapsap collab aka junkyard sale aka oh-no-how-to save-up aka oh-yeah-cny-shopping more or less speaks for itself.

date: sunday, 03 february 2008
time: 1300 – 1900 hrs
venue: palate palette
admission: free

boys, being boys, love their toys. and their 12″ iron cast figurines. and, of course, their first-person shooters. so come 4th february (a monday, for crying out loud), they’re bringing it on in a counter strike fight to the death (or bomb diffusal, whichever comes first). truth be told, i imagined cs had given way to the more popular (and infinitely more entertaining) strategy game, defense of the ancients. well to each their own but let it be said that amy favours the glorious magnificence of a critical strike buriza do kyanon over the desert eagle.

amy “not a free frag” flabours

so we love american tv series that peeps into the lives and stories of lawyers, cops, tattoo artists, heroes, house-wives and bla bla bla. has anyone here ever wondred why hasn’t been any shows about our lovely industry? don’t tvproducers realise that the life of an advertising dude is as interesting as the one of a forensic officer?

come Mad Men, a new tv series set in the new york city of the 1960s, a time in a city where advertising executives and creative directors were all so powerful and extremely flamboyant. personal and professional manipulations, power struggles and sex-ploitation are all it takes to seal a deal and get a product sold.

produced and written by the people behind “the sopranos”, this show just bagged the recent golden globe awards for best drama tv series. tough expecting starworld or 8tv to broadcast this show soon, so cop it on torrent or any dvd if you get the chance to.

tan “im not really that stubborn” kuai lan

in bates tradition, we take our hats off in recognition of the efforts and achievements of the year, for where would we be if it were not for the hard work from our fellow colleagues and/or minions. so without further ado, we present (in no particular order) the most outstanding individuals of 2007:

• early bird: zarim (surprise surprise)
• smoking chimney: nicola “nicotine” tiong
• drinks like a fish: roni “h20″ johann
• the killer: shafee “please believe me” ramli
• munch-a-lot: michele “is it lunchtime yet” wong
• just wanna have fun: kellie “podium” yong
• partners-in-crime: richard & helena
• my office, my home: ajay “here i stay” bakhshi
• hottest guy: shanon “i have no last name” shanon
• hottest chick: ng “pantene model” yentze

a new year, a new set of challenges ahead.. and all that jazz. but most importantly, while everyone else is hard at work after the spate of xmas parties, we’ve only just begun to pop open our bubbly. the batesasia 141, 2008 movie blockbuster party was a riot. it was great, almost clean fun. we say “almost” because this is the horrific sight that greeted mr. t as he stumbled bleary-eyed back to his car.

(p/s image after the jump is Not Safe For Eyes) Read the rest of this entry »