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A map of London by Abi Daker

Sara Drake's awesome work, one of the 40 world maps featured at hongkiat.com

Cycling in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by Nik Neves, seen at They Draw and Travel

Classic Pinoy breakup songs, the English collection

These Filipino songs in English from the 90s and the early 2000s are classics. These are sad melodramatic tunes--nothing bitter, nothing to rock out to. I put together this playlist for my friend months back, when he couldn't get himself to listen to it. Since he's better now, I'm posting this in the hope that he will refer to it when he needs a good cry.

Ella Mae Saison "If the Feeling is Gone"
Ella Mae Saison "Now That You're Gone"
Ella Mae Saison "Til My Heartaches End"
Freestyle "Before I Let You Go"
Freestyle "Missing You"

Neocolours "Maybe"

Nina "Someday"

Side A "Let the Pain Remain"

Side A "Set You Free"
Side A "Tell Me"

South Border "Wherever You Are"

Love that last one. Don't want to end on a sad note, so here's a bonus uplifting track: South Border "Rainbow"

Kinetic Rain (2012)

ART+COM's brilliant work, on view at Changi Airport's Terminal 1

I haven't been as mesmerized by a work of art in a long time. If you're passing by Singapore, it's worth taking the SkyTrain to Terminal 1 to watch this in action.

 

Labrador Nature & Coastal Walk

Singapore never fails to surprise me. I've done five trips there since 2010 and I still see something new each time.

Labrador Nature & Coastal Walks connects Labrador Nature Reserve and the high-end enclave Keppel Bay. It makes for a wonderful walking and jogging path, as you can see on this morning shoot on my mobile phone.

For your consideration: Myanmar

So the first half of the month came and went without as much as a word from me. It's been a packed two weeks, and when it did become more relaxed, the internet connection was down. And just before I can catch up, I'm setting off again for another country.

Girls who travel love stripes! On the Irrawaddy River

 Bagan, Myanmar

Let's make this easy. Here's my latest article on the Travel 3Sixty website: Next to Nirvana. Go ahead and click. You might just like it. Thanks in advance for sharing!

"It's a Sunday night, a night never to be trusted for emotions..."

Regardless of what you think of John Mayer, his music has a way of speaking directly to this generation. This song has been on my mind for a week now after I saw it on a friend's wall. It's not new, but the song and especially the intro sound as if this has actually happened to everyone.

Talentime (2009)

Tried to not be affected by the late Yasmin Ahmad's last film. Failed.

Another trailer here. They don't look like they're from the same film, no?

Tapau Secret Show

There's something wonderful about exclusive last-minute gigs. They're stressful because you have to quickly decide whether or not to go, but not knowing what to expect is also good--you're bound to be surprised.

Just hours before the show, word about TAPAUtv's Secret Show spread. All you had to do was show up...assuming you can drive over to Puchong, which is outside of Kuala Lumpur. (To Chatime Galleria's credit, it's a lovely place, very cozy and intimate.)

The show started with the lovely harmonies of The Impatient Sisters plus a cellist. Their voices blend  so well.

Narmi was, in a word, cute. Such a radio-friendly voice. My only problem is that the whole acoustic setting reminds me of the scene in Manila ten years ago, though admittedly Narmi is more polished.

Oh Chentaku played some covers and originals and got the audience to sing along. I can't help but compare the vocalist to Journey's Arnel Pineda.

Last but not the least, an unannounced performer: Yuna, whose international album was produced by Pharrell Williams. One word: ukelele.

The turnout and reception of the secret show were both fantastic. Congratulations to Ikan Paos Kolektif, the group behind Tapau. Hope there will be more secret shows soon.

Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery

Think of putting the Metropolitan Museum of Manila and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in a new glass-and-steel building. That's what Bank Negara Muzium dan Galeri Seni is, for me at least. There are six galleries, of which two were open during our visit: Art Gallery and Numismatics Gallery. There may be no gold collection to gawk at, but it's well worth a visit.The building is an artwork in itself.

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BNM feels like it's in the middle of nowhere even if it's very close to Dataran Merdeka. There are good views of the forested hills from the Art Gallery.

The current exhibition at the Art Gallery, Then and Now: 50th Anniversary of the Bank Negara Malaysia Collection, is on view until September 19. There is no catalogue, but the bookmark at reception has colored symbols showing the chronology of the artworks.

But the most interesting pieces for me were not the paintings but the collection of money from the Japanese occupation. I don't recall seeing World War II-era money before, so bills from one centavo to 1,000 pesos fascinated me despite the horrors of that time. 

The Numismatics Gallery also has a display of money from all over the world (woefully missing the Philippine Peso) and a display of coins, which has the most number of projectors I've seen used for a single museum display (at least 20).

There is also a reasonably priced cafe at the ground floor with a wide selection of food and drinks. The museum shop is nowhere as good as the Islamic Art Museum, though. 

It's next to impossible to commute here but drop by on a weekend for a pleasantly peaceful hour or two in the heart of the city.

Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery, Sasana Kijang

2 Jln Dato Onn, 50480 Kuala Lumpur

Open daily 10am-6pm

Admission is free

Selamat Hari Merdeka, Malaysia

Last week, I was at the neighborhood vegetarian eatery, thinking about the 1Malaysia concept. The idea of Malays, Chinese and Indians uniting for the good of the country has plenty of flaws because of the way Malaysia is run. I was thinking about how superficially created the three-races-together image is, a marketing ploy for tourists to the land that bills itself "Truly Asia".

When I approached the counter to pay for my dinner, the Indian server spoke to me in Chinese. Then I thought, hey, maybe 1Malaysia isn't too far-fetched after all.

Happy Independence Day, Malaysia. You've done well in these past 50-odd years.

Salon thoughts

"Haircut," I said to the tiny girl manning the cashier.

"Shampoo?" she asked.

"Yes," I said. I sat down on the chair when another woman started dripping water on my hair using a container similar to the kind that was being used for ketchup in eateries sometime ago. It took me a while to figure out that she was going to shampoo my hair in the chair, not at the sink, which is what I was used to. She expertly worked up a lather, very careful not to let any suds fall to the floor. Shaping my hair every which way, she demonstrated her skills in the longest shampoo session I have ever had in my life. My hair smelled terrific afterwards.

The stylists were all hip, as if ready to go on a night out. They had touchscreen phones and looked too cool for a salon beside a supermarket. I thought my stylist was going to be the young gay Chinese lookalike of Ely Buendia seated irritably in one corner. But no, it was the tiny girl manning the cashier. When she stepped toward me, I had a glimpse of her tattoo-covered calves.

She said that I have the unholy triumvirate of hair woes: too thick, frizzy and naturally wavy. Either I use chemicals (which I have had enough of) or I blow dry every day (which I do, but always in a hurry and most likely in the wrong way). She knew my hair better than I did in the three decades I have been on this earth.

Her cropped black jacket, though it looked plastic and not leather, made her look cool. Her short hair was perfectly coloured into an oddly natural-looking light brown. Her folded-up cut-offs, fanny pack and shiny scissors actually made her look like a manga character with a superhero alterego. I imagined myself writing about her exploits. Snip! Snip! Snip! Without a strand out of place.

There was no iced tea, no massage, no brush to dust off the stray hair that had entered my shirt. The stylist walked to the counter. She really was the cashier. The price was somewhere around what I expected, but it was still more than four times what I would pay for back home. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to tip so I lingered for a few seconds longer. She gave me her card. Now I have a heroine. Her name is Litz.

Ramadan 2012

My first Ramadan in a Muslim country was insightful. The Muslims would fast for sun-up until sundown, then break the fast with nightly feasts. For some, this meant adjusted working hours that allowed them to leave the office earlier to avoid the traffic jam. For me, it was about sensitivity towards those who were fasting (don't eat in front of them or be more discreet about drinking). Although I prefer the Catholic form of fasting that at least allowed crackers and water (eating a large meal at night doesn't sound that healthy), fasting is a habit that is good for the spirit.

Like Christmas, Raya means flashing lights and decor like ketupat (think puso from Cebu, rice wrapped in woven palm leaves) and greetings of "Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri".

There are Raya commercials, Raya songs, Raya deals in stores, and cultural presentations like these at Suria KLCC for the whole month.

One thing that struck me is the fondness for the kampung, the humble village. All the LRT stations had simple dining spreads at the entrances. Would you think about displaying a rusty roof with a rubber tire in the middle of the mall? It's quite nostalgic.

I enjoyed going to two pasar ramadhans, markets that would sell special food from the afternoons till early evenings for people to take home and eat with their families. There's always more food than you can finish!

It was also nice to dress up in traditional Malay attire in the office without anybody scratching their heads. Wouldn't it be nice to wear Filipiniana in the office once a year?

Raya is also the time when many people take extended holidays. The only thing I missed is the open house where people invite you to break the fast with them at home. Hope I'll catch that next year.

Even though Ramadan is over, the mood isn't quite back to work yet--there's another long weekend coming up for Independence Day. Time to paint!

Makan 2

I didn't eat or drink most of these, but I wanted to share them with you anyway.

My tablemates' food, L'Elephant, Luang Prabang, Laos:

Beer and breakfast at midnight, Paradiso Lounge, Publika, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia:

Finally, what I actually ate. Golden Soft-shell Crab Pasta, Plan B, 1Utama, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia:

Claypot Chicken Rice from roadside stall, Jln Tun Sambanthan 4, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia:

Conveyor belt sushi, Sushi King, Berjaya Times Square, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia:

In which I discover that dory does not a good cod substitute make. Fish & Chips, Manhattan Fish Market, Ampang Park Shopping Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia:

National Textile Museum + KL City Gallery

Intrigued by its facade, I visited the National Textile Museum (Muzium Tekstil Negara) near Merdeka Square (Dataran Merdeka) hoping to have a better appreciation of Malaysian textiles. I came out of it wanting more. Maybe I'm asking for too much from a free museum with limited space, but there's something off when your favourite gallery in the textile museum is the one with the accessories.

The entrance hall made of glass is away from the road.

Nyonya kebaya

Baju

An intriguing buckle with numbers

The most unusual thing I saw in the museum. Can you guess what it is for?

Various types of traditional Malay clothing

Right across the road from the museum is the KL City Gallery. This thinly disguised ARCH souvenir store is aimed at tourists (think 10% KL history--which is short enough as it is, 90% gift shop). Don't get me wrong--I find ARCH wood veneer products beautiful (though quite expensive even though they are handmade).

A craftsman at work

A collection of framed ARCH souvenirs

Gift shop ceiling