clean and green singapore

ever wondered why the streets and pavements are always so clean?

today was truly one of those days.
where people thought i was speaking french.
fyi, i don't speak french.
where customer service officers are out for lunch during lunch hour.
Mm... its a bank.
where you are caught for throwing your cigarette butt on the floor.
ya.

and so i explained to the plain clothe officers that i was actually on my phone,
engrossed in a super heated conversation
with the people from the bank who
only understood french,
i did not realize what i had done.
i confessed that i was not making up excuses for my action
but in fact picked up the butt and dropped in the bin.

and they were nice enough to let me off.
AMEN!

so now i know why its always clean and green in singapore.
its just damn too expensive to litter!

& i thank GOD for it, seriously.

say my name say my name

mohanavelu s/o sathasivam
that's my name.
named by my dad when i was born.
it means beautiful spear in tamil.
i am indian, you know.
my dad is indian and my mom's half indian & half vietnamese.
that kinds of explain why i look like how i look.
exotic. eurasian. tall, dark, handsome. suave.
HEY! don't be rude!
its what people call me.
of course there are others who would describe me as...
malay mix. short, too dark for chinese, so-so looking.
and recently, phinoy. yah.
these names i don't like.
i am indian.

so where did marcus come from?
well, my dad's father was catholic.
so he named all his 11 children with catholic/english names.
there was thomas, joseph, mark etc.
and i was named mark, after my uncle mark.
so far so good.
then, my uncle mark died.
drowning accident.
i was 4 or 5, i think.
and i really traumatized by it.
imagine, you are named after a relative, then he dies.
i seriously thought i was next!
i can still remember when i was growing up,
my parents were super protective whenever we went to the beach.
i wasn't allowed to go any deeper than knee level into the water.
all this was way too much for a growing kid.
i didn't want to be mark.
i wanted to be called anything but mark!

so when i finally got to secondary school,
i changed my name.
its not in my ID or anything but still it meant something to me.
i called myself marcus.
and its more me. its actually very me.
Marcus.

then my brother decided to be creative.
you see, like my dad's siblings, we all got catholic/ english names too.
david. margret and victoria.
and mark.
my brother now wanted to go by David Peter Charles, the 1st.
peter charles is my dad's catholic name.
i know. its long and corny. so trying.
& i definitely didn't want to be out done by my brother, know what i mean?
but marcus charles wasn't... how do you say it... Mm... BOOMZ enough.
i needed a middle name but not peter, don't get me wrong!
i love my dad but if peter was my middle name, then i would also be... the 2nd.
so i created my middle name.
it has no meaning whatsoever!
its just a middle name.
and i love how it sounds.
just a made up middle name.
Ardensis.

Marcus Ardensis Charles.
that's my name. it's not my catholic name, since i'm not catholic.
its my english name.
since then it has been Marcos Charles, Marcus A. Charles, Marcus Act Cute,
Marcus Air-Con Charles, M.A.C. ,Marcus Dentist Chow, Marcus A.C. etc
stupid people who can't pronounce or speak english to save their lives.

BTW, its now official.
i have registered my english name in my ID, finally!
so please get it right.

MARCUS ARDENSIS CHARLES
alias MOHANAVELU S/O SATHASIVAM

and i am christian. not catholic.
indian. not malay mix. not phinoy. thank you.

peace and rest and smile

a friend's father crashed his car.

a cute couple i know just called it off.
i didn't ask for details.
all i know is that it wasn't easy and they need to move on.

a friend has been sick for 4 days.
flu.
kinda sucks since he's actually on leave the entire time.

another is trying to figure out iTunes.

and i am free.
just checking my emails,
chatting on Facebook and blogging.

and yet with all that's happening around me,
with my friends and all,
there's peace.
peace in our lives.
and with peace comes rest.

i know the couple will eventually get over the breakup.
its gonna be really tough and hard at first but it will happen.
they will smile and be happy.

for the time being my friend's father will get some exercise but
the car has insurance so that will sort itself out.

my sick friend will gain his strength & be stronger when he's all well.
i know he will.

and iTunes is really not rocket science!

so... smile ppl.

annoying people

its funny how my life has changed in the recent months.
never did i imagine that i would become tech savy,
and i hate to admit it but i have.

the latest addition to my tech life is my new phone.
the iPhone 3Gs.
a gadget with almost everything you would need and maybe some more to help improve your life.

at first i was really against getting one.
everyone has one.
it was kinda annoying.
everywhere you turned or looked, someone was using it.
be it for music, games, weather updates, workout routines, stock-market reports, movie reviews, tweeting, facebook entries, emails or for just making calls.
its everywhere!
so i said why not?
maybe i'll have fun with it too.
and i did! and i do!

its amazing!
i got myself a 32Gig.
took me like 2 weeks before i started downloading applications. games mainly.
then the fun really started.
i discovered iTunes!
O.M.G.!!!
the amount of music you can download to your iTunes is unbelievable!
in 3 days i have 128 tracks in my iTunes!
and its all now on my iPhone!
& i listen to it all the time.
sometimes with the headphones and at other times without.
now, i have become one of the annoying people i see with their iPhones!
and i don't care!

Mm... what should i get next?

give thanks be thankful

i was invited to a dinner party over the weekend and
was kinda hesitant to go.
as you know, i am not the sociable type.
but since i was free, i went.

to my surprise it was really a very small dinner party.
with only about 9 guests attending,
i didn't think i'd be out of place and boy was i wrong!

you see, my hosts were both lawyers.
and they, of course, invited their lawyer friends.
but thankfully not all lawyers.
there was 1 university lecturer.
ya.
and me.

then i met Rudy.
successful. established. celebrity. lawyer. loud and funny.
this guy knew everybody.
and if he didn't, well he made a point to.
frankly, he was the life of the party.
sharing his antics and hilarious stories,
Rudy definitely knew how to entertain.
or maybe he was just drunk.
well, whatever it was, he spoke his mind.
no mincing of words or sentences, Rudy said it has it is.
and what i first impression he made.

people tend to want to leave an impressive impression when they meet others.
when what they should leave is what others can take from them.

when i left that night, i took with me the knowledge that we all can make a difference.
be it lawyers, a university lecturer or me.
that we must be thankful and give thanks in life for our lives.

Questions.

i have a question.

actually, i have a few questions.
and if anybody has the answers, pls share them with me.

1) where do kids get the money to buy a $300 pair of NUDIE Jeans?

2) is the iPhone fat finger friendly?

3) what's the deal with wearing black rimmed specs without the lenses?

4) why do guys stuff all their pockets when they wear skinny jeans?

5) why is Made in China so expensive?

6) how do you stop shoulder pads and harem pants from taking over?

7) when do you tell someone they should never leave their house looking like...?
Mm... before or after you throw up on them?

... a sexier man

it was time for my monthly manicure and pedicure.
yes... don't look so surprised.
i DO get my nails done.
especially when i use my hands for work and
since i always wear slippers.
this from someone would spent his entire life biting them.

anyway, i discovered that they do waxing there.
yes. waxing. leg waxing that is.

well, if you have seen my legs you must have noticed
that i don't have the hairy indian legs, even though i am 3/4 indian.
but then again neither does my dad, and he's 100% indian.
i used to be teased by my cousins when i was younger,
due to the lack of hair on my legs.
nowadays when i see them, i just stare at their beer belly.

but seriously... what's the big deal with hairy legs?!
how does hairy legs make any men more manly or sexier?
i have seen legs that are so hairy that they grow upwards,
covering the backside and end on the back of the person.
last i checked, hair on your back is not sexy nor does it make you look butch.

so with what little strands left on my legs,
i decided to have them waxed.
in a mere 3 minutes all that was there was now gone!
was it painful?
Mm... ok lah.
was it worth it?
Oh yeah!
my legs are now as smooth as a baby's bottom.
and i think it kinda looks sexy. kinda.

FYI, all swimmers, body builders, triathletics & supermodels wax.
and it takes a real man to sit through all that waxing.
so don't judge me!
try it if you dare.
who knows, it might even make a sexier man out of you.

i miss tokyo.

tokyo is very much like singapore.
let me explain...

the people there queue everywhere.
its them taking initiative.
be it to buy food, to enter the train, to a shop's opening...
for anything and everything, they queue.
here people will join any queue they see, without a clue.

shibuya crossing is the busiest crossing in the world.
the area itself is alive with people, shops, malls and traffic!
but somehow with all that chaos, its vibrant and real.
orchard road on the weekend is just plain chaos.

the tokyo tower is about 9 metres taller than the eiffel tower.
built in 1958, i'm guessing the japanese wanted to show
that they were just as good, or maybe even better than the westerns.
Mm... singapore just wants to be better than the world, full stop.

there are many hidden treasures in tokyo
that i enjoyed and loved as a tourist.
like the inokashira park that led to the miyazaki anime museum.
the wolfgang puck express cafe in harajuku.
japanese & international designers'
fashion collaboration available only in tokyo.
and 'live' anime characters.
here we hide many things from the tourists.
the merlion is not real.
our taxis are expensive.
we don't really wear orchid prints as fashion pieces.

so, tokyo and singapore is very much alike...
i miss tokyo.

a chair in harajuku

so for the first few days i did very traditional touristy stuff in tokyo.
going to the tokyo tower, visit the palace, eat udon, take pictures etc.
don't get me wrong!
its my 1st time, so i definitely enjoyed acting the tourist.
but what i really wanted to do was... SHOP SHOP SHOP!
and i did.
from ginza to otome sando, shinjuku to shibuya, and my favourite
HARJUKU!

harajuku embodies the spirit and vibe of what fashion,
and personally, what style is in japan.
the shops and boutiques are very different from what
you'd find in the other shopping districts.
people are weird, interesting and inspiring, all rolled into one.
even in the winter cold, trend and style takes president in their appearence.
its never a fashion competition there.
i know i sound like some guy from the 70s, high and all,
but trust me when i say this,
its the 1 place where people, fashion and culture meet on a daily basis.
you can just sit in a corner by yourself & never feel alone.

the next time i'm there, i'm bringing a chair.
and some extra cash.

happy birthday akihito!

did you know that christmas is not a holiday in japan
but the emperor's birthday is?

december 23rd is emperor akihito's birthday.

tradition has it that the emperor has an open house at his palace
to greet his well wishers and deliver his birthday message
3 times in the morning of his birthday.
so, like the 83 zillion people in japan, i decided to pay a visit to
his highness before hitting the shopping malls.
in the midst of all the crowd, screaming supporters and media,
i managed to have a glimpse of the emperor and the royal family
standing and waving behind the 2 metres thick bulletproof glass.
moments later he spoke and the people cheered and clapped.
someone in the crowded even rallied on and on and on.
the older ones were really screaming praises and
the younger ones weren't too far behind either.

but with all that was going on, all i noticed was how sharply dressed
the 2 women standing by his side were.
very proper. very poised. very miss world.

i wonder who were they wearing?

tokyo 10, the begining...

10 nites in tokyo.
that's how i started my new year.

you see, at the end of 2009 when work was all done
i decided to take a break. a holiday.
everyone was asking if it was a well deserved year end break?
and my honest answer was it's a treat to myself and
a great way to start the new year rather than
looking at it as an end to 2009.
and tokyo was it!

first time to the land of the rising sun.
its winter. love sashimi. and i get to play dress-up!

''you are gonna love tokyo!''
''fashion is gonna be soooo fun!''
''ah! the weather's fantastic!''
''mt. fuji!''
''japanese food is the BEST!''
''people are so nice!''
''must try the hot spring!''

...so i heard.
tokyo was all that and more. so much more.

when i first arrived there i couldn't believe that i was there.
always wanted to go but never went.
i finally did.
felt like a little girl, giggling at every sight, every corner, every stop.
and this was only the airport.

two hours later,
(i was traveling with a an almost regular to tokyo,
so i knew i was in good hands)
we stepped into our room.
the aircon was also the heater!
there were these square thingy built into the wall that
when you push them, they pop out and act as air vent to cool the room!
the toilet seat was heated!
a small pail and stool to sit on in the bath tub to use,
just like how the japanese would shower!
a remote controlled water nozzle to clean your @ss when you're done!
seriously! what more could you ask for!
it was a super cool self contained studio!

by the time i was done orientating the room and unpacking,
it was dinner time.
so we went down the street where we were staying,
oh. did i mention that we were staying in ROPPONGI?
yes. the famous ROPPONGI.
now, don't ask me why its famous cos i don't know.
everyone goes WOW! whenever they hear ROPPONGI.
could be a japanese thing.
so we went where our nose led us.
and it took us to an eatery that serves fatty pork
cooked on a crystal marble plate, ala hotplate style.
best chunks of fatty pork i have ever tasted,
but only to discover that its actually a more korean style eatery.
that explains the kimchi they were serving.
Mm...

2OH 1OH

get it?
2OH 1OH ?
its 2010 la!

its a brand new year and already so slow?
ok, fine.
its lame but i couldn't help it.

i've been away from here for so long i think i'm the one who's getting slow...
anyway, i have so much to share
that its gonna take forever!
so... i'm gonna do what i do best.

i'll come back another day and tell u all about it!
*wink wink

the 2009 discovery list

is it bye bye 2009?
everyone i know is wondering where the year went.

HELLO!!!
its been here for the last 12 months
& technically, its still around!
and so much as happened.

so here's my 'not in any particular order' 2009 discovery list:

* TOGETHER is not a sequel to The Little Nyonya

* Fiona Xie has a life

* DESIGNIRE sucks

* Balenciaga is the new LV

* FAT is IN on TV

* Guys should be shot for wearing scarfs in Singapore

* TWITTER is old skool

* Lady GAGA is Queen

* BOOMZ is a word

* Singapore Idol is not a talent show

what did you discover in 2009?

i am sorry i wrote this

so... is there a purpose in posting an entry?

i think so.
why am i asking?
because there has been comments about them.
why am i writing about fat people?
how and where do i get my information from?
what's my issue with fashion?
is there a hidden message in any of the entries?
and etc.
seriously people.
its a blog.
my blog. a page where i share personal views.
and its not meant to be a funny blog.
its a 'read and go' blog.
good if you like it, great if it entertains.
but its definitely not a 'i am sorry i wrote this' blog.

if you are looking for purpose, reasons & explanations
then stick to reading the papers.

yah.

random observation

what do you call a person rushing home so
that the bag he's carrying doesn't get wet...

people who fall asleep once they get a seat in the train...

there are really bad people on tv...

when someone's definition of exercise is
just signing up with a gym...

heard a father telling his 9 year old that he thinks its
not a good idea to spend too much on a milkshake...

how cocky can you get when the camera's on...

assumption is always 5o% right...

talent and passion is the key combination to success...

every time you get a raise,
do you realize you have to fix something...

have you met the ones who honestly know everything?

fat... is fat

they call themselves many names.
larger than life.
plus size.
sexy.
etc.

well, i'm not good in describing people,
so, to me, fat... is fat.
plain and simple.

but there are different genres of fat people.

the ones who are funny
cos that's the only way anyone would listen to them.
the ones who are bitchy
cos that's the only way anyone would talk back to them.
the ones who are mean
cos that's the only way they feel better about themselves.
the ones who are loud
cos that's the only way anyone will look at them.
the ones who are rich
cos they think they are better than everyone else.

of course there are those who are nothing like the ones i mentioned!
have u met my family and friends?

38''

what happens when you are not the right size?

i had a challenge thrown to me recently,
to dress a Host for a new show.
seriously how tough can it be, right?

TOUGH!
when the Host is waist 38'' and wears XL.

did you know that many brands & boutiques are not
interested in sponsoring fat tv people
or dressing tv people that will make the outfits look fat.

you see, the TV does add pounds on you.
so to start with,
you have to be kinda skinny or slim if you wanna be on TV.

Mm... look at...
Patricia Mok, not Fann Wong,
Jeanette Aw, not Irene Ang,
Denise Keller, not Moses Lim.
they are all stick skinny!
and if you are really fat, then you can only do comedy.
everything that comes out of your mouth would sound funny!
don't believe me, try this.
ask almost any fat person to read the dictionary,
you'd think they're reading the BRIDGET JONES DIARY!

so think before you start piling on the pounds if you're going to be on TV...

moral of this story is,
i don't do size 38''.

wow wow world

is the wow wow world of fashion all like that?

i caught The Devil wears PRADA on tv recently.
if you asked me, its an almost Bollywood movie!
it has the boy & girl bits,
the over the top drama,
girls running everywhere,
and of course, the villain.

but seriously, is the fashion industry really like that we see on the small or big screen?
Mm. lets see...

if you don't have style or think you do, then you are out.
when it comes to fashion, you don't think. you KNOW.

never say no to a stylist,
they can end your career.

you really have to crawl your way up.
sleeping around is not an option.

mingling is good.
pretentious PR is bad.

wearing black is always fashionable.
wearing black everyday looks uniformed.

stop doing favors.
they don't pay your bills.

remember everyone you meet.
they are the ones who will lead the way for you.

fashion is not free,
but you can always get Media Discounts!

stop kissing ass.
your lips are not big enough.

decide if you are the villain or the hero
and stick to it!

and it helps to be good looking.
cos it helps you get a job elsewhere if all else fails.

that's all.

the ones...

what's with people nowadays?

the ones who rush into the trains before letting anyone out.

the ones who buy expensive key-chains & keep them in ziplock bags.

the ones who spend more time in the changing room compared to working out.

the ones who must sample every flavor of ice-creams before buying.

the ones who dump their work load on their colleagues cos its 5:51pm.

the ones who always ask for discounts at branded boutiques.

the ones who buy new luggage & cleans the wheels with wet wipes after every use.

the ones who are really bad in faking good PR.

the ones who drink bourbon with diet coke.

the ones who look busy when the bill comes.

the ones who are from china.

etc.

seriously.

what's with people nowadays?

... do more.

so how do you know that everything is falling in place?
well, when they actually fall in place!

i just got my final project for this year, HP Space!
yes!! its the project that i wanted to be part of.
the new creativity based reality show on Channel V.
filming starts next week and airs almost immediately.
what am i doing on the show?
i will be styling and doing makeup for the 2 hosts so its gonna be fun!

and SuperModel Me airs on the AXN channel on 7th Nov!

so far i have worked on SCORE Season 1 & 2 for OKTO Channel,
styled season 2 of BEAUTY DESIRES for Channel 8,
did various projects with Channel V Asia and Australia,
traveled to Malaysia for Disney's High School Musical 3 Promo,
worked with Li TV, a brand new regional Channel,
was involved on SuperModel Me
and now HP Space.

Mm... i wanna do more.
can!