HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Wishing everybody a great time on their holidays.

This has been a great year. Hope you get to share it with your loved ones, wherever they are.

Voting Season is In!

Buddies,

I am going to ask you for a tiny tiny favor that would give me a huge smile.

The Jakarta Post Weekender is inviting everyone to vote for their favorite covers. They have been around for 2 years with 23 great covers.

I would need your help to vote for one specific cover, the one with my illustration!
It is for their February 2008 edition, "Fitting In"
The edition featured articles around the issue of Chinese-Indonesian in Indonesia.
You can take a look of the complete articles here: http://www.thejakartapost.com/weekender/1826

(And you can also look around the other covers, but show more love to me)

So how you do it is:
1. Copy this following text on your email

I vote for February 2008 edition
"Fitting In"

2. Scan your ID, attach it to the email
3. Provide your daytime phone number in the email
4. Send it to bruce@thejakartapost.com
5. Invite your family and friends to join the voting thru Facebook or email forwarding

You can get a chance to win a limited edition Weekender T Shirt from Bruce Emond of The Jakarta Post, but the real deal is, if I do get voted for the favorite one, one of you will get a print of my painting!

Start voting!!

Back.

Hey y'all...

I am back in China after 2 weeks back home in Jakarta to get a new visa for me to re-enter this land of too-many people.
As I have shared on previous entry, I did some projects while at home, which I am always glad to do. Like this mural for a production house down south at Antasari. Too bad Murkin could not join :( [Check out the other solo Murkin&Murkin project http://the-slyndicates.blogspot.com/2008/06/murkin-murkin-solo-project.html]

At the end, it took 4 days, 22 hours, with the help of my 'apprentice' N'doy, who was a big help attending my brushes and paint cans, catching every drip and drop. And also some help by Nataya and a rising star, Aura Kasih, with the outlines of all the tiny circles...


Enjoy!

Home

Today is officially the last day on my visa.
But worry not, because I am home in Jakarta!

And, making myself busy, I have spent 2 days making this mural for WinMark, a production house at Antasari, South Jakarta. If you are in the neighborhood, stop by and check it out. You might find me coloring it next week before I leave Jakarta for Shanghai

China Daily

The result is finally out!

I got the Excellent Award in the China Daily Cartoon Contest on Environmental Protection.

Thanks to everyone during the process of the voting and all :)

上有天， 下有杭州

Last weekend, 4 girls went out to visit Hangzhou.

There is a saying, that up above there is heaven, and below there is Hangzhou and Suzhou. Well... It is definitely true. Hangzhou is a beauuuutiful place. 2 days are not enough to explore the whole city. We took a 1.5 hour train ride from Shanghai South Station (A fabulous, very modern station, by the way... If only the people there are not pushing me around) arrived at Hangzhou by 9 am. The weather was not very good when we got there, but that didn't stop us. Luckily, the second day, the rain stopped and we can see the gorgeous view of the city. Here are some souvenirs...

7 am at Shanghai South Railway Station

6 Harmonies Pagoda

The view from the pagoda... Too bad it was raining, so all we could see was foggy city of Hangzhou

Taking a sip of Hangzhou's famous Longjing Tea. 650 RMB for a pound of that tea, better drink up until the last drop of it... By the way, we finished that tea and then the lady told us the price. Yeap... we didn't bring home any.


The tea plantation



Meirry taking her time at the Temple

The view of Xihu (West Lake)



Lunch at an old town

Coco Curry is currrrryy good...

Another good place to eat in Shanghai.

It's in the Nanjing Pedestrian Street area. We went for lunch and it was crowded. We were greeted by this wonderful waiter, he was cheerful and very helpful indeed to sit all 6 of us. Rarely found in China.

But anyway, Coco Curry have a very unique way of ordering your meal. They let you choose how much rice you would like to have, then your choice of curry: I had Vegetable (Eggplant and Spinach), but feel free to pick amongst the selection of Chicken, Pork, Beef, Seafood and many many more! Then, decide how spicy you want it to be, and any additional sides: Cheese, Egg, etc.

Then, they have this big jar of pickled ginger, you can have it as much as you want! Currrry good...

Our big Coco group on our long medieval-ish dining table


If you could make an origami boat, don't boast yourself. Andreas managed to make a SPEED boat out of a questionnaire sheet. Watch and learn indeed....

Wagas Round 2

I can't get enough of Wagas.

So, since Nina is here, I have to share with her the fabulous meal of Wagas.

This time, we got the salad. It's filled with glorious lettuce, tomatoes, olivessss, falafels, baba ganoush, Greek cheese and tabouleh, dressed with Hummus. It was gooood...

Above the Sea

Ever wonder how big Shanghai is?

Is a biiiiiiiig city from above, as we see it from the top of JinMao Tower.

Supposedly the 3rd tallest building in the world.

NikeID

The new Nike I.D. Store at People's Sq.

Looking goood...

Ferragamo is Fabulouso...

So after brunch, we took a walk down Nanjing Road until we reach People's Square.

Our destination is Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA) to visit Salvatore Ferragamo's 80th Anniversary Exhibition.

I have to tell you, this guy is pretty awesome!

Originally from Italy, moved up to Boston, then Santa Barbara in the 20's and started his career by making shoes for Hollywood movies... And if I have to mention one name for the word 'avant-garde', Ferragamo is the man!

Let me start the walkthru...

These are the shoes from his early movies, Hercules...
They're so beautiful, I would wear them in my sleep.



He got so famous that quite a lot wealthy and powerful people from around the world asked his talent to create a custom made shoes for them. Like Maharani. A collection for Maharani of Cooch Behar in 1938. This collection was recreated on 2003 for the opening of Ferragamo flagship store in Ginza.
Maharani herself sent a bunch of gems, diamonds, etc. to Ferragamo in order to be put on the collection. Aren't they pretty...


Next is for the famous Lady Di.
It's a set of classic black bag and shoes.


And then, of course, a whole collection of flat shoes for Audrey Hepburn in 1954


And Marilyn Monroe,


Katherine Hepburn...


not forgetting a wonderful pair of shoes for Andy Warhol...


And the gorgeous ones for Judy Garland in 1938.


All the models for his famous clients


His creations are timeless...





Handpainted boots



Well, since this exhibition is like a tribute to Ferragamo, there is one room of artworks inspired by his works.





And a huge chandelier made out of all the perfume bottles of Salvatore Ferragamo


Ferragamo lines include bags and clothing collection



Although his shoes, bags and jackets are beautiful, I don't have to like all of his clothing line. Some of them are just too... crowded with animals and shoeprints...
No, they are not good for wallpaper either...


Nevertheless, Salvatore Ferragamo is my new idol.