Travelling with the Guitar

2011-06-22T16:52:00.000+08:00

..did I miss Father's Day?... did I? ... What about the Aussies' Father's Day? ... To Roger Wang, one helluva dad and husband. Sara and I are so blessed!

The Musician's Spouse

Some time ago, someone asked me, "What's it like being a musician's wife?" I'm not sure about musicians anywhere else but here in Sabah, most (and I stress this - MOST) musicians are decent, honest chaps, working to put food on the table. It's no Sex, Drugs and Rock N' Roll, let me tell you that! (My opinion of musicians before I started dating one)

The music industry is darn unique. I come from a family of straight-laced white collar workers so Roger opened my eyes (and that of my family's) to his world. I was so clueless about the industry and its workings, I didn't even know that a blackout affects them (blush), "Guitars run on electricity?!!"

But I'm writing this blog today to list just a few of the pros and cons of marrying/dating a musician. Let's start with the cons, OK? Then you can decide if you want to read on or stop and dump your musician partner.

CONS
1. He/she will probably not be around most weekends.
Corporate functions, parties, weddings, ...these usually happen on weekends. Don't forget restaurants and hotels! All weekends. These gigs (help for the un-musician like me, a gig is a performance by musician/s) mean money so saying 'no' means less money. It's like an architect rejecting a project or a doctor not working overtime or a politician supporting the opposition party...

So, he/she'll probably won't be free for Anne's weekend BBQ, or little Jack's children's party or even your dad's birthday (HORRORS!). It can get lonely because when everyone else has his/her partner, you'll be there by yourself. And people will be asking, "Where's what's his/her name?"

And oh, Valentine's Day...! Just celebrate it early.

2. Your family's going to be terribly suspicious of him/her
"What does he do? Musician, ah?!!! Aiyoh...how to feed his wife??? Can cari makan, meh?"

3. Straying eyes/hands - so much temptation, so many fans
Let's face it. If your partner tends to enjoy little treats outside the sanctity (whoa! I sound like my mom!)of your relationship, he/she will do it, regardless of occupation. Let's see, what's the job that requires least interaction? Lab technician? A mortician? They never cheat?

So it all depends on your partner. And I suppose you got to trust him/her. This one's hard but just give it time. Know your partner better. But then again, who am I to give marital advice, eh? We're just six years into our marriage.

4. Carrying bags
Huh? you wonder. Now, if you are married/dating a guitarist - a finger-style guitarist - you'll find out in due time that his/her nails are very important to him/her. Instead of using a guitar pick, they use their nails. So if they've got a gig coming up, chances are you'll probably be carrying all the grocery bags, the luggage, the shopping bags because he/she can't risk breaking his/her nails.

And it's not just carrying bags, I just simplified the heading. It is opening tin cans, it's closing an umbrella, it's many little things that we take for granted and don't notice until you start dating a finger-style guitarist.

PROS
1. You get to go to a lot of concerts - and you don't even have to beg him
He/she's going to want to go to a lot of concerts, plays, etc because he/she truly enjoys them. A lot of girlfriends I know beg and beg and beg their boyfriends to go to one of these but they'd rather be watching football on TV at home instead.

2. Live concert right at home
He/she's going to sing a lot, play (in my case, guitar)a lot at home so it's like being at a live concert most of the time. But then again, I married a guitarist, not a drummer. Maybe a drummer's partner won't be as thrilled with him/her performing at home.

3. Odd day off
He/she will have her day off from work on a weekday. Monday, Tuesday...it's Heaven going grocery shopping/window shopping on weekdays. No crowds, no energetic loud kids. No queues. You can take your time. And restaurants serve you fast because again, there's no crowd!

4. Sometimes, he/she writes a song just for you...

2010-12-08T03:01:00.013+08:00

November - December 2010

When it rains, it just pours!

Roger had so much on his plate the past two weeks, it's all thanks to God he survived without even a sniffle to show.

Day #1 - Nov 27, 2010: The American embassy brought the Johnny Rodgers band to Sabah and Roger organised the concerts. The band had been touring Asia for the past month and Sabah was the last lag of their tour. Tonight, they performed their first Sabah set at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah Recital Hall. What a show they gave! The audience were up on their feet and gave the band a standing ovation at the end. How rare is that, huh, Sabahans?

Day #2 - Nov 28, 2010: The band performed at the Centre Atrium at 1Borneo Shopping Mall this afternoon. Right after the show, they flew to Sandakan for their last show of the tour the next night.

Johnny Rodgers is a fun, energetic chap who could get the audience to sing along and dance along and well, have a great time at the shows. So, I think Roger caught of the essence of J.R. in this picture!

While the band flew to Sandakan that evening, Roger, Sara and I flew to Kuala Lumpur...and arrived close to midnight. My brother and his family picked us up and we stayed with them for the next few days. You're Number 1 Bro in my world!

Day #3 - Nov 29, 2010: 2V1G was going to perform for two nights at No Black Tie, Nov 30 and Dec 1, 2010. This morning, after breakfast with family, Roger went off for rehearsals with Winnie and Jeffery and didn't come home till 1AM!

Day #4 and #5: 2V1G concerts are held too late for us to bring Sara along so both Sara and her babysitter (ahem) have never been to a single one of their concerts. Amazing. And to think, they've got a second album out already. Their shows at NBT got rave reviews and packed the house. Rog returned home even later - 2AM!

Day #6 - Dec 2, 2010: We move to a hotel downtown KL, right next to Wisma MCA because the Tommy Emmanuel (scream!) concert was going to back held there the next night. Rog would be performing three songs with Tommy but first, he was one of the judges for the TE guitar competition this afternoon. While he was busy with work, Sara and I were busy exploring the hotel poooooool :)

Day #7 - Dec 3, 2010: If you are a Roger Wang fan - you must be, if you're reading this (otherwise, you're either my dad or my aunt Aeg Luan. Hi!) - you'd know that TE is Roger's inspiration. Watching Tommy perform for the first time in the year 2000 changed Roger's life. For one, Roger realised finger-style was the thing for him. Number two, that was when Roger first met me. (not-so-modest cough)

So performing with Tommy this second time round, after ten years, was a heady experience for him. He was excited and nervous all at once. I guess that's what happens when you meet your idol, huh?

This was the second time I've seen Tommy perform. The first time was at the Johor Arts Festival mid this year. The man is a legend. He commands the stage better than anyone I've ever seen. And at this particular show, the energy was just nuts! The audience was made up for like-minded fans who cheered so crazy loud when Tommy came out on stage. He reciprocated by giving them a helluva show! The vibes were bouncing off the audience and the performer alike, off the walls, the ceiling... Vaam, bam, boom, boom.

And watching him play the guitar... what can I say? If he ever comes to a town near you, drop everything, sell your house, get a ticket and watch him. He left me absolutely breathless. My eyes see him but my brains don't understand how one man can do all that with just one guitar. Mind boggling. Roger is right to look up to this man.

And that's not even the best thing about TE. The best thing about him is how grounded he is. No airs, no pomp. He's just a regular guy, very friendly, humble. Before I met Roger, I thought music and musicians were all about sex, drugs and rock & roll. Turns out, most musicians are just about sax, drums and a little rock & roll. Tommy Emmanuel, Farid Ali, Roger Wang - these musicians are so pure, so dedicated to the art, masters at what they do and they haven't got an arrogant bone on their body. Thoroughly admirable.

The picture above is taken in the Wisma MCA dressing room, just before the night's performance. Standing with Roger is Udo, AER (amplifiers) main man. Both Tommy and Roger endorse Maton guitars and AER amps. See Tommy warming up in the background. And oh, thanks so much for giving Roger the chance to perform with Tommy, Kuah of the Guitar Store.

Day #8 - Dec 4, 2010: We flew into Penang early that morning. Waaaay too early that morning. Checked into Bayview Resort for ...wait for it... the 7th Penang Jazz Fest! Woohoo!

I'm excited about it because - it's Penang! Glorious food. Plus, there's always something fun and festive about the PJF.

Roger's slot was for the next night, 6:30pm. When he got there, Peter Lau and Simon Lau were already there. They were performing with Jonathan Tse for three fringe events. Peter and Simon perform a lot with Rog. Pete plays drums and his younger brother, Simon, bass. Before the show, it was rehearsal time. (left to right: Peter, Jonathan, Simon and Roger)

Day #10 - Dec 5, 2010: Roger Wang Trio kicked off the second and last night of the Penang Jazz Fest main stage show at 6:30 - ish. Heavy dark clouds loomed above us, I swore I felt some drizzle, I was armed with hats, umbrella and raincoats but it never rained. Not that night.

The crowd tonight was bigger, the atmosphere electric. The trio did their 'thang', wowed the crowd, cameras flashed, big smiles all around, cheering, encore. That's the summary. You get the picture?

Day #11 - Dec 6, 2010: After all the performers have done their bit and have gone off to celebrate with an after-festival party, after the audience have gone home, concert organisers run the last lag of the race, working through the night to settle a lot of administrative stuff so that they can send artistes home with paychecks (from CD, book and DVD sales during festival). So my hats off to Capricorn Connection and all the festival volunteers who made this happen again - for making sure everything and everyone sound right, for airport transfers, for the food, for ensuring all events happened when they were supposed to. And hey, this time, I didn't leave my I/C in the hotel and make you drive like maniacs from one end of Penang island to the other so that I can board the plane, eh? Yay me!

This day marks the end of the travelling. We flew home in the evening. Only to face an unavoidable reality of travel - the aftermath: the unpacking, the nine-day laundry pile... shivers.

And oh, did I forget to mention this all-important bit of info? Sometime during these travels, Roger launched his new album, Milestones. It's a compilation of the previous six albums he's done and it's got three bonus tracks. You know what that means, don't you? FREE tracks!

2010-11-13T19:35:00.018+08:00

The Story of How Roger Got His Perfect Birthday Present

It was March 2010. Roger was in his studio, working, when he got a telephone call from David Chin. David introduced himself as a Sabah-born Australian, a retired engineer who has been pursuing his hobby of making guitars for several years now. In his research, David stumbled upon Roger's site on the Internet. David was back in Sabah for a holiday and decided to contact Roger for a chat.

The luthier and the guitarist met, spoke and exchanged notes. Two days later, David called Roger and asked if he could make him a guitar. For the record, Roger already has nine guitars: one harp, two Matons, one Fender Strat, one Yamaha arch top, one Admira classical guitar, two Yamaha acoustic guitars, one Yamaha silent guitar and a Kapok. Hahahaa...Just kidding. No, no Kapok.

David wanted to make Roger a steel-stringed guitar because he knew that is what Roger uses most now. But Roger said he is starting to experiment with new sounds and that he'd like a nylon-stringed one instead. Turns out that suited David just fine because nylon-strings were his specialty.

A slew of emails followed after David returned home to Melbourne. Roger sent him several specifications and told him some preferences he had for this new guitar. David made a prototype that he had several people test out. Armed with their feedback, he started work on two similar guitars: one with a cedar top and one with a spruce top.

In June, Roger got an email from David, "I just bought my ticket to Sabah and I'm bringing your guitar back with me!" (you readers realize that I'm dramatizing this part for the blog,right?)

Days passed. Weeks rolled on. Months went by.... and finally, one day in October, David came home. And he brought with him, a cedar top nylon-stringed guitar, which he prompted gave to Roger to test. That very night, Roger Wang came home with his new friend. And as usual, whether it's a new guitar or a new phone or gadget, it's a late night as they got acquainted.

On October 31, 2010, I finally meet this mystical luthier. Roger, Sara and I brought David, his 84-year-old mom, his sister, brother-in-law and niece out for dinner. After dinner, all of us drove up to Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort and Spa where Roger's friends from the band, Elixir (see picture), were performing at the lounge. Roger joined them and played (in public) for the first time ever, his brand new crossover guitar, watched by David and his family.

Made of eight different types of wood, this nylon-stringed guitar is a daring variation of the classical guitar. It's smaller. But it sounds big. It's based on a traditional classical design but has features of a steel string acoustic guitar. That's why it's called a crossover guitar. Roger thinks David may have stumbled over a (musical) goldmine here - starting with this guitar.

Roger absolutely loves how this crossover guitar sounds! It arrived a week before his birthday. So, between this guitar and our new 42"LCD TV (our old one went into a coma a few days before his birthday), Roger had one helluva 36th birthday.

Thanks, David (below), for making Roger so happy.

p.s. Late one night (late = after midnight) recently, Roger woke me up with Tommy Emmanuel's "Stay Close To Me", played with this new guitar. I was absolutely mesmerized! I've heard this song many times before but it'd never sounded so wonderful. It's like the guitar was made to ... sing this song. I told Roger and he said it's because this guitar has soul. Wow!

p.p.s. For a more in-depth coverage of The Making Of...The Crossover Guitar, read Joanna Funk's blog.

2010-08-08T22:01:00.011+08:00

July 2010

July 2010 was a crazy busy month for Roger. He was working every single weekend. OK, not so unusual but all were out-of-town work.

First weekend - Tip of Borneo
Roger and his friends had a gig, opening for the Jesselton Philharmonic Orchestra, at the concert on the tip of Borneo. It's three to four hours drive from where we live and a year or two ago, we agreed that I will be the driver for Roger's out-of-town, in-the-state concerts. That's because (1) Roger likes to sleep in the car, (2) I can't sleep in the car, (3) I get terrible motion sickness so I can't look at maps while the car is moving, (5) I enjoy driving and (5) Roger gets very tired from driving long distance.

We went up to the pioneer town of Kudat in a convoy of two cars: the other belonging to Roger's old friends: drummer Peter Lau and his brother, Simon, the bassist. Set off from Kota Kinabalu at 1pm and we arrived at the tip around 5:30pm, with a brief stop for lunch at Tuaran.

By the time we got to Tanjung Simpang Mengayau, the orchestra had already started their soundcheck so we just hung around and waited. And waited. And waited. And waited some more. That was a lotta waiting. We got back to the hotel after 9pm that night and had dinner just before 10pm. And yes, even Sara. She was eating a lot of biscuits, cheese slices, raisins during the soundcheck... She's a good traveller, that one.

The next day, Roger and his friends went to the site early for soundcheck. But when it's by the sea and it's afternoon, the heat can get pretty unbearable! (Good thing Sara and I stayed back and enjoyed the pool instead :) .... )

By the time Sara and I got there at 5pm, the setting sun was still nasty hot, staring right at us. Squint, squint, squint. Out came my portable, foldable umbrella (my handbag's got a lot of stuff in there). But the wind proved too strong for my foldable umbrella which - well, folded in the wind. So we had our sunnies on, we had our hats on, we had a cooler full of beer (and a can of Milo for Sara), we had chips, we were set!

And it was a truly wonderful experience. If you are in Sabah this time next year, do think about driving up to Kudat for the festival. Driving in pitch dark, miraculously finding our way back to the hotel from the tip of Borneo, the three-hour car ride, the heat - it was worth it. The view is magnificient and the experience, unique.

Second weekend - Beijing

Roger's exciting debut in China almost never happened. It started good. His flight from Kota Kinabalu to Hong Kong was uneventful. Read, good.

But that Hong Kong - Beijing flight! Wowzer. That was interesting. He sent me several "I think they are calling for my flight now" text messages but the 4pm flight kept getting delayed because weather in Beijing was bad, heavy rain. At 10pm, they made an announcement for all passengers to board the plane and this time, they did!

But two hours later, they were still on the runway. Finally, the plane made its way back to the airport and the passengers were told they would not be flying afterall. Way too tired to complain, they stumbled out of the plane, walked to the airport hotel, waited in line to check into their rooms. When he finally got into the room, poor Rog was so tired. And as if that's not enough, they had to wake up early the next morning to catch the 9am flight the next morning. THAT, thankfully, flew and landed safely in Beijing.

He got there just in time to judge a competition, to perform and later, to enjoy other master guitarists play. You know what? In true Roger Wang fashion, he never lost his cool throughout this "adventure". He got there, performed flawlessly, smiled, took pictures with fans, signed autographs... Brave, Roger, bravo!

Third weekend - Johor and Kuala Lumpur

What can I say about 2V1G... really, what? I've never seen them perform before and I'm writing this in November 2010! Craziest thing! But I think it might have to do with how late the gigs are, too late to bring a 3-year-old along, I suppose. Next gig in November, Roger said Sara and I can go to the rehearsals so at least, I can finally say I've seen 2V1G perform live.

This weekend, Rog brought me and Sara to Kuala Lumpur because this was going to be a week-long trip that included two performances by 2V1G at Johor and Bandar Utama.

Fourth weekend - Bangkok

Roger's never been to Bangkok either so this was another first for him. We've heard about the protests and street demonstrations so we were rather anxious about this trip but this turned out to be a lot less eventful than the Beijing trip because everything went smoothly. No delayed flights.

Roger was going to perform with Gina Panizales (from their album "Love's Tapestry") at the Audiophile Fair in Bangkok that weekend so Roger, being the techie that he is, was excited about going to Bangkok.

When he got back home, I asked him, "Was Bangkok nice? Were there protestors? Was it dangerous? Was the food nice?"

"Yes, no, no, and yes" was his reply.

I think a family holiday in the near future is in order here.

2010-05-07T17:21:00.007+08:00

New Hopes, New Dreams
Uuhhh...Happy New Year?... I should be crucified! Fast forward to present time. Happy Mother's Day, all moms and grannies. And great grandgrannies.

Last year was *beep*.... It was baaaaad. I just KNEW wearing red on New Year's day would screw things up. 2009 started bad, ended worse. Worst year in my life. Yet.

But 2010 is different. For one, we wore blue on New Year's Day. But this year seems packed with hope. And I'm actually looking forward to a wonderful year.

And wonderful, exciting year means new albums for Roger. Not that it was planned. Not that we sat down one day and decided, hey, let's have loads of new albums in 2010.

Private Corner
I'm listing this first because it's already released. January 29, 2010. "Private Corner", Hong Kong artiste Jacky Cheung's first album in years. What has Roger Wang got to do with it? you ask. Well, not much. Except he wrote one of the songs for that album!!!!! Woohoo!

It's true, it's true! It's like a dream come true. Jacky Cheung! I don't read nor write Chinese. I don't understand most of the conversations on Chinese TV channels but I was introduced to JC almost 20 years ago and he remains the one and only Chinese artiste I know and lurve. So when Roger came home with news that JC's doing one of his songs for his new album, I needed to be resuscitated.

Long story short, "Love Scale" is Song #4 in "Private Corner". And what's even more exciting about JC doing Roger's song is that Roger got to play too! Really, really, truly! Isn't that crazy?!! There's JC singing, there's Roger playing guitar. Someone dial 911 please.

Milestones
Roger ran out of stock of the older albums like Journey Home, Double Take, Platinum. So he's decided to release a compilation album that includes favourites from previous albums. He's calling this one "Milestones" because believe it or not, the old boy's been in the industry for ten years already! Imagine that. He released his first album, Double Take, a decade ago.

When the idea for "Milestones" hit him, Roger spoke to renowned international photographer Louis Pang and the latter said, hey, lemme take the pictures for that album. And Rog agreed immediately because when Louis took our family portrait in 2008, it turned out to be the most painless photographic experience we've ever had. Both of us are usually so uncomfortable in front of the camera. And Sara was too young to understand it all then.

So while most people were still enjoying extended Chinese New Year holidays this year, Roger, Louis, Jasmine (Louis' better half) and I trudged off to Tanjung Aru for the photo shoot for "Milestones". Rog told me about the concept, the plan for the day but all I heard was "...then we'll go to the beach..." Beach?! YAY!

We shot in two locations. While the professional was shooting pictures of Roger, I was shooting pictures of the professional. I've concluded that a photographer's job can get pretty dangerous.

So watch for this album, ya? It'll probably be release quite soon.

2V1G
Two voices, one guitar. As I am writing this, Roger is in KL for the recording of the last two songs for 2V1G's latest album and its photo shoot. I spoke with him this morning and Roger seems very excited about this one. He really likes it, he said, the quality, the songs.

Wait.... he just sent me a picture of himself, made up for the photo shoot........(smile).... (broader smile).....(can't hold it...much longer....) ...... MUUAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Yet unnamed album
Last time Roger released a solo album was in 2003. Since then, he's gotten married, became a daddy, become a better musician, become a more experienced entrepreneur, survived a room full of screaming toddlers at his daughter's playgroup...

With these experiences under his belt, Roger is ready to release another solo album. He's already written several songs for it, he's working on the concept. But when you're a musician, song writer, music producer, arranger, financial controller, layout artist, manager, daddy, husband, getting around to finishing your own creative work takes a little longer....

2009-10-17T19:11:00.004+08:00

Missed Double Take's Final 2009 concert
(excerpt from email to my friends) Just got back from KL. It was a horrific trip.

Rog had a concert at the Petronas Philharmonic Centre with Mia (Palencia). It was a sold-out concert, Rog was excited. I was excited. We flew to KL Sat night, Sara was feverish at the airport. So we gave her med. When we got to my brother's place that night, her fever shot up high! 39.1 degrees Celsius. Gave her more liquid med, sponged her down because she felt soooo feverish. Poor child was whimpering and was breathing very heavily. Then she started shaking.

I went nuts because I thought she was having a fit. But it turned out she was just shivering. Getting night chills. Her arms and legs, hands and feet were so cold but her forehead, her chest and her back were burning hot. /Sara and I didn't sleep the whole night...went to see the doctor the next morning. Doc said her tonsil infection.

...Come Monday, concert day. Rog got us a day-use room in a hotel nearby. We left the house at in the morning, headed straight to the centre where Rog and Mia had rehearsals, sound checks while Sara and I hung out at the dressing room. Sara was alright then, we continued the liquid med for her fever.... But when we went to the hotel at about 2pm, her fever shot up again. Very high.... Fever went down after the suppository...

In the evening, we went back to the centre. At 8pm, Rog stayed backstage while Sara and I went out for dinner. After that, we went up to the hall. We were walking into the concert hall to watch the show at about 9pm, warden tore our tickets when Sara started shivering again. Felt feverish. Tried to give her liquid med, she puked it all out. So I decided not go into hall, and to go backstage instead, to that dressing room we were in earlier that day.

But the security guards wouldn't let us in, even though I had the pass. They said once the show starts, noone can go in and out of the place. So I carried Sara around, finally found a place to sit at Burger King. Poor child crawled onto the couch and promptly fell asleep. At 10, she started burning up! Concert wouldn't end till 10:30pm but I realised I had to give Sara her supp immediately. So I rushed up back to the hall and asked the guards to let me in because "my daughter is very sick, please let me in to get the medicine".

You would think they'd do it without much bother but noooo. I had to BEG ... about ten people, repeat the whole, "my daughter is sick, i need to go in the room backstage where the bag with her medicine is in right now. Touch her forehead if you don't believe me, she was very sick. I HAVE to go in NOW. If you are worried about security, just send someone in with me, let me get her med and we'll come out right away" all ten times!

It's crazy. I was on the verge of tears because Sara was shivering and feverish all the same time and I was panicking.

Gawd.

In the end, after what seemed like a long, long time of negotiation, they finally agreed to let me in just to go get the med with a guard accompanying me. Made me promise to come out straight away.

We went in, I found the supp and I was trembling by then: partly because I was so upset that I had to beg for something like getting med for my sick kid, partly from being so worried about Sara and partly because I had to insert the supp into Sara for the first time in my life!

Sara got up just as I was going to put the supp in. Covered her butt and started to whine, "No, mommy, it's painful. Noooo."

I can't even describe how I felt right then, except that I was real close to tears. Then the guard came up to me and apologised, said he was just doing his job just now, told me not to worry, that I can stay there, take my time, but just make sure we are quiet because the management is strict about noise level, blah, blah, blah. He shut the door and left us alone. Managed to insert the supp into Sara, held her and rocked her while she whined some more.

Just then, Mia and R came bursting into the dressing room, all happy and exuberant because it was a great show. They saw sick Sara and froze. Ten minutes later, the kid is up and walking around, a little tired but looking so much better!

The supps are wonderful!...

(Update: Sara's fever is gone, she's tired a lot now but at least she's energetic. We missed a great concert.)

2009-08-27T18:39:00.003+08:00

Waiting for daddy
I've had to change the dynamics of this blog because let's face it, I can't go to all the concerts with Roger anymore. Not when some of them end past midnight. So I can't write about being his roadie anymore, I'm more like the 2-yr-old's roadie.

Traveling with a guitar is easier than with a kid. A lot less luggage. A few times, we had to bring along the slow cooker and make Sara's meals in hotel rooms. Now that she can eat out with us, we've got a little more freedom but then again, she's fussy about her food.

But traveling with a guitar and a kid is definitely do-able. Next trip, Singapore and KL in October. (picture: Sara sitting on the amp, waiting for daddy to come around with the car. After gig at a Junior Chamber's dinner)

2009-01-20T23:45:00.004+08:00

History In The Making

In less than an hour, an African American man will be sworn in as President of the United States of America. I didn't think I'd live to see this. Or at least I thought I'd be a lot older. Like when I'm in my 70s or so. It feels strange, unreal. No doubt, it's a wonderful thing though. This change.

I just wonder what is in store for my little girl. What kind of world will Sara grow up in? What about Malaysia? What kind of Malaysia will Sara grow up in?

Ah, the future. People always ask Roger, when are you going to teach her the guitar? He always answers, I'll let her learn in her own time. Wise man, that. With a father like that, Sara's probably going to make it alright.

(21-month-old Sara at home. See? She still looks a lot like daddy, right?)

2009-01-11T00:12:00.004+08:00

2009 - Starting Out On A Good Note

...until I saw this blog. Until I saw how my last post was in August 2008. Yikes.

Sara turned a year old in March 2008 and after that, both of us tagged along to Roger's out-of-town trips more often. Sometimes, we make "special appearances" at his concerts. OK, OK, so we only did that twice. Once at Equatorial Hotel's Summer Jazz Series. Sara and I popped in to peek at the concert, waved to Roger and hurried off. Sara's not a big fan of second hand smoke.

Later that year, we dropped in on another Double Take concert at Equatorial. The Beatles gig. This time, we went in before the concert began. Sara walked around Flo Lounge, looked darn interested in the stage, was making her way there when her daddy stopped her, "This is not your stage - yet."

Touring with a toddler is quite interesting. It's not as bad as I thought it would be. Of course, we have to pack more stuff. Like diapers, baby clothes, slow cooker (we try to cook her food as much as we can. Versus buying ready-made food), her toys, her blankie, her Barney and Hi-5 DVDs. We usually max out AirAsia's baggage allowance.

Luckily for us, Sara's a pretty good traveller so we usually end up enjoying all the time we get to spend with each other during the tour. Back home, we don't see Roger for half the day because he has to go work at the studio. Someone has to bring home the bacon, he says. And God knows I LURVE bacon.

Now that Sara's almost two years old and she's sleeping better at night (read "I'm sleeping more at night"), I feel I can move mountains again. Heck! Look at Roger's website. We got it updated with New Year message on the FIFTH day of the brand new year. Isn't that impressive?!! I'm so darn proud of myself! I think last year, we only managed to get a new year message up ... several weeks later.

That's why I said 2009 started on a good note. The kid's sleeping well at night, her daddy is getting his well-deserved rest too, her mommy's not that blur anymore. In fact, right now, I'm already preparing for Chinese New Year: updating our angpow list, trying to figure out how much loot we have to give away this year. Sent off festive cards. Aaaah... the old me is back and I feel wonderful! So looking forward to the new year.

(picture shows Sara watching Roger's full dress rehearsal with re:mix at Esplanade Singapore in December 2008. Children under six years old aren't allowed in the concert halls during performances but the organiser was so kind to arrange for us to watch the rehearsal. It's been soooooo long since I last sat through one of Roger's performances. I forget what a brilliant guitarist he is.)

2008-08-29T15:08:00.005+08:00

2V1G launched

So they've finally got around to launch this much-awaited album. Unlike the other albums that Roger has worked on before, this album was produced and mastered in KL and Hong Kong (away from Rog's recording studio in Kota Kinabalu) so we've not heard it since the recording.

A few days before the launch, Leslie (Loh, one of the two album's producers) sent a copy to Roger who was mighty pleased because he said this is a "virgin press" and is deemed to be most valuable because of its alleged superior sound quality. (I'm thinking, uh? Me no audiophiley)

Anyway, Roger's really happy with the album; he played it at home, in the car, in the office, at his in-law's...

When the album was launched on July 18, I thought they picked a very suitable location for it. Somewhere in Central Market, is where I'm told it was launched. Check out the backdrop at the press conference held to launch the album. Plus pwetty chandelier... Nice. See picture with everyone seated at table? From left to right: Leslie, Roger, Winnie, Regine & Chow Kam Leong.

This album shows Roger in a whole new light. Even to me. I mean, have you seen the promo shots they made for the album?! It's Roger dancing! I kid you not. Actually, it's all three artistes jumping around before the lens but the pictures are refreshing. To say the least.

And then, Roger sent out an email in June about 1 million words long - ok, so it was less than a million but it's longer than any of the past emails he's sent out to his mailing list! - announcing the album's release. For a man of a few words (Roger's not the chatty kind of person), that SHORE was a long, looooong email.

Definitely get a copy of this album if you're an audiophile. If you're a Roger Wang fan,... I say, how come you've not got a copy yet? Tell people about it.

2008-05-28T23:20:00.002+08:00

New album launch and Jazz Fest
You just got to laugh. I'm updating Roger's website (finally) and it still says "Merry Christmas". Shrug. What can I say? I'd kick myself but then, I'd have a pain bottom and that's just going to delay this website-updating project, isn't it?

Just so you know, our new place is all done up and we've settled down. I tell people the place is 99.5% finished because, really, homes are work in progress, aren't they?

Now that everything's in place, I got to get back to work and let people know what The Man's been up to.

1/ Jazz Fest 2008
Roger has been busy with his recording studio as usual but he's also got a Jazz Fest coming up that's taking up his time too. It'll be on June 21st this year and it'll be a part of the Kota Kinabalu Arts Festival 2008. He's in the festival's organising committee; SPArKs, the Society of Performing Arts, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. After the success of the inaugural KK Jazz Fest last year, SPArKS decided to hold an Arts Festival (starting June 6 till 29) this year, combining a couple of music concerts with a ballet recital and a street theatre. (www.kkjazzfest.com)

2/ New album launch
A couple of days before the Jazz Fest, on June 19, Roger's new album with singing duo, Regine Tai and Winnie Ho, entitled "2V1G" (2 Voices, 1 Guitar) will be launched. The Chinese album is Malaysia's first pop/audiophile creation and is the brainchild of Leslie Loh. A self-confessed audiophile and music lover, he's combined the talents of these three musicians with some serious high-end audio equipment, renowned music producer and mastering engineer to produce this simple yet enchanting aural masterpiece. (http://2v1g.blogspot.com)

2008-02-17T14:00:00.002+08:00

EXCUSES
Here's a real good excuse for (1) not updating my blog and (2) not updating Roger's website (I think it still has a 'Merry Christmas' greeting in it. Eeps) - We're in the midst of moving house. Yeah, yeah, we're finally moving away from the folks. Pros and cons, pros and cons. Life can't be perfect.

But we're super-excited about doing up our new place. It's in the midst of renovation now and we expect to move in by end of March. We certainly hope it'll be earlier.

So lots of time, energy and effort will be spent over the next few weeks on the new place and I don't expect to settle down until April.

Don't give up on us, OK? We're still here. Buried somewhere in between boxes and mess.

2007-12-30T00:31:00.000+08:00

Christmas 2006 and 2007
How quickly time flies. First picture was taken Christmas Day last year, and the second picture was taken just yesterday. Nine-month-old Sara with mommy

2007-12-11T23:49:00.000+08:00

No Pictures From 2007
Twenty more days to the end of the year.

I was checking out Roger's website. Noticed how there aren't any additions to the "Picture" page from 2007. (blush) We both laughed.

Our excuse - cameraman on super-extended maternity leave.

2007-12-11T22:21:00.001+08:00

1st Malaysia Guitar Festival

OK, OK, so I didn't go. Blaming it on the kid. :) Roger performed on Dec 3 and 6, came back to the hotel only past midnight. So I'm pretty glad Sara and I didn't go. But I really miss watching Roger perform on stage. I think the man is a wonderful musician.

So what can I say about the festival? Uh.... not much. I wasn't there at all. I didn't even peep in. But we did have time to catch up with some friends. And I did get to meet John Goldie. Pictured here are (left to right) Kuah from The Guitar Store, Goldie and Roger.

2007-12-03T00:06:00.000+08:00

Off again
So, Rog and I (plus Sara) will be going to KL again tomorrow. This time, we're going to the First Malaysia Guitar Festival (Dec 3-6). We have miraculously finished packing even before midnight! Yay us! Feeling uncharacteristically relaxed now, I'm online, the baby's sleeping and Rog is practising. It's been a long time since he could practise his guitar at home.

Hmm.... do you think we've forgotten something? Why the calm?....

Now, I'm worried. Let's see... We've got two large bags, one backpack, one diaper bag, one bagful of Rog's guitar accessories, one guitar case and one Christmas tree.

Don't ask.

I really hope I can come along to the festival this time. I've had to stay behind for the last few gigs and I really miss seeing Roger on stage. And I miss tagging along. But Sara's not old enough to stay up past 10pm, I suppose. Maybe we'll pop into a workshop or two... maybe. If the kid doesn't get cranky...

2007-11-04T21:59:00.000+08:00

No time for books. Shucks.
Haven't got time to read books anymore. I like to read my books without disruptions but with a baby around, that's quite impossible. I'm "reduced" to reading New Yorker online.

2007-10-09T22:56:00.000+08:00

Without Roger
So, Roger's gone travelling without me. And Sara. And he calls to tell me what he is doing most of the time. What really bugs me is when he tells me about all the good food he's having and I'm stuck here at home. Doing what? Filing out a form online to join MamyPokoClub. huh? A brand of diaper Sara uses. We call it her Night Time Diaper. I get to join contests and win stuff. SOMEBODY has to win, right? Why not me? Filing out forms isn't interesting, no. Not as interesting as working on a new album, eating wonderful food....

Oops. Did I say "working on a new album"?

Whoopsie.

2007-09-28T23:50:00.000+08:00

Sara on tour?
Sometimes. When Roger's gig requires him to stay more than two, three nights, Sara and I tag along. So far, we've been to KL for the Equatorial Hotel, KL, gig (Sara's first flight, she was not yet three months old then) and to Johor where we had our very first family holiday with the baby. Sara and I were not however at the performance venues because those could get smoky.

The first time Sara "saw" (not sure if she could see so far. Then again, she was too sleepy then) Roger perform was at the Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival in August. That was the first time I had seen him perform on stage since ... the Penang Island Jazz Fest last December. I think. I had forgotten how good the man is.

2007-09-28T23:20:00.000+08:00

I'm back!

The last six months has been pretty darn interesting. I can't even begin to describe the experience of childbirth and motherhood. Not in a blog anyway. Maybe in a book but I haven't the patience to write an entire book!

Roger and I have put aside several projects because we simply didn't anticipate the time one little baby would take up. Honestly. Suddenly, I'm eating super fast (mainly because I don't chew food anymore), suddenly I can't sleep ten hours straight anymore. Suddenly we can't go watch the latest releases in the cinema anymore. But it's not that bad, really, because when we look at Sara, everything seems alright.

Sara looks like Roger. From the top of her head to the tip of her toes. They have the same kind of toenails. Same hairline. Look right. See what I mean?

(Picture taken September 26, 2007, at about 7:30am, just before Roger left for the airport.)

2007-02-25T18:21:00.000+08:00

History
My almost 70-year-old auntie in Perth has finally arrived in cyberage. Kudos to her for even trying, really. I mean, here's a woman who's never really even mastered the cell phone.

Anyway, I bring her up because she "Google-d" "Roger Wang", she called me to say two days ago. Just three months after overcoming the frightening complexities of the computer. Can you believe it?! She "Google-d" Roger. I thought it was hilarious but was polite enough not to laugh over the phone.

"But his website (watta big word!) is all history, the news outdated," she complained.

I'm speechless. I'm embarassed. I'm mortified. She's almost 70 and she's telling us Roger's website is outdated. I told Roger immediately.

Roger drops everything he had on hand that very night to update his website.

By the way, I've just got to say this - the Australian government's got a wonderful system working for their senior citizens. My aunt is paying just AUS$15 for 10 private one-to-one computer lessons with the instructor. 15 bucks! It's subsidized, of course. And get this! The instructor's 80 years old. Isn't it simply marvelous? The seniors working to help each other, with government support. I'm so impressed. Roger, on the other hand, is still wiping tears from his eyes because he's so tickled with the idea of an 80-year-old computer instructor.

2006-12-12T13:24:00.000+08:00

Penang Island Jazz Festival 2006
December 2 & 3, 2006, Bayview Beach Resort

First, please allow me to allow for this really late entry. The PIJF ended a week ago and it's taken me that long to recover. Read three previous blog entries entitled Boo-Boos #1 - 3 for disasters that I personally created.

I can't remember if I've told you this but I love Penang. I love it for its old gigantic trees, for the old bungalows and shoplots, for its food. That it's an island with beaches all along its fringes makes this place all the better.

So for all those who missed the PIJF with lame excuses, SUCKERS! For those who had legit reasons like ... uh... grandma fell on me, boss s*rewed my leave (frankly, you probably should have just quit your job and came to Penang for the PIJF anyway), try harder next year.

Roger decided this time, we should stay in Penang a couple of hours longer so that we could enjoy a "holiday" here. His idea of a holiday is a few hours long. But the Festival was so packed with performances and workshops, we never did make it out of the Bayview Beach Resort. (And yes, I didn't get my Penang hawker fare fix this time although the resort's rojak salad sauce was soooo good)

He wanted to go to most workshops; the line-up of performances by international and local artistes at the Fringe were too good to miss, he said; he had sound check; he had rehearsals; he had to give a workshop; he had to perform at a concert. Roger was totally 100% intrigued with the Festival.

So while he's hopping from one event / appointment to another, I'm tagging along in between my naps. And I'm saying this once again, when there is a workshop given by people like Roger Wang, DON'T miss it. This time, he held a joint workshop with Farid Ali and Albert Sirimai, entitled "Guitar and Gambus".

Then, there's soundcheck for Farid and Roger on stage that Sunday afternoon. The organisers have set up this stage right by the seaside and while the guys were setting up, etc on stage, I've got my book, my shades, my hat and my sunblock and I'm sunning myself out in front of the stage, enjoying the tropical sea breezes. An ice-cold beer or a cocktail would have completed this state of euphoria but for now, I have to settle for mineral water. yay.

With what little spare time we have, Roger and I venture into the secretariat where the heart of the action is. This is one calm secretariat, lemme tell you. I used to work with an events organiser and I've been with Roger for a few events and most of them were hectic. Chaotic. Panicking. This one is calm. It's controlled. People in there are laughing. Then again, it MAY have something to do with all that alcohol they had in the room with them. Or that heavenly chocolate cake that one of the organiser's sister made for the team. Everything runs like clockwork here, by the way. Nothing and noone is late and for that, I'm eternally grateful. And it seems God is on their side too because it didn't rain for the two concert nights and audiences sitting on the grass in front of the stage really appreciated that.

And what a concert it was, that second night. First night was good too but it'll make this entry too long if I wrote about it... The second night concert kicks off with The Jimmy Boyle Youth Talent Jazz competition winners but we missed that because Roger is in the room, preparing for the night. We go down at 7pm and wait backstage. Security is tighter tonight because some unscrupulous people passed their security tags to relatives / friends who entered the Festival for free last night.

Seriously?! I mean, organisers spend months, hours and many sleepless nights to ensure an evening of fun and music and what do people do? Take advantage and sneak in like that?! Instead of paying ... what? RM40 for a day or RM75 for two nights? Then, they'd go out and spend RM3,000 on the latest cellphone and probably RM75 to download fancy ringtones? SERIOUSLY! I'd shoot them but I'm not allowed to carry a gun onboard the plane.

I feel so bad for the organisers. Such an insult to the hours they spent on the Festival.

Roger and I walk in as the James Boyle & The Ragged Tigers are performing. We go backstage and we find that Coffee Bean's got orange juice for us; that in a big bucket, there's mineral water and beer bottles floating amidst ice. There are pastries and sandwiches. I'm thinking, those won't last very long if I'm here... Farid walks in a few minutes later. I sit quietly because I know they need time and space to prepare themselves mentally and physically for the show. But the darn mosquitoes are biting...

Emcee Richard thanks the Tigers and calls Roger and Farid on stage. The crowd cheers. I'm standing on tiptoe because I want to see past the stage and look at the audience, just as Roger is. What a crowd! What wonderful weather! The spotlights are on and the two do their Thang.

I sit backstage for awhile and see Roger's shadow cast on the backdrop. I take a picture of what I think is pretty artsy-fartsy.

Then, I sit right by the side of the stage so that I can see more than just a shadow. Tricia, Farid's wife who had been working so hard as one of the event's volunteers (versus me who slept so much. Eek. I almost feel bad), abandons her post at the CD sales counter and joins me as we watch our husbands perform. She tells me a joke about Farid that I'm pretty certain I can't post in my blog. I laugh as I watch Farid's back. (He was standing, facing the other side)

Then Farid sings "Getaran Jiwa" (which in English translates "Stirring of My Soul"), a favourite by the late Tan Sri P. Ramlee, and I melt. I luurrrvvvve that song. In fact, it stays in my head the whole night. I'm humming that song even when other performers are playing other songs.

Roger and Farid call on their friends, Bada the Percussionist and Andy Peterson who plays the Bass, to join them on stage for the last few songs. All too soon, it's the end of their slot and they leave the stage but the audience scream for more. Farid must be a stickler for time management (aaah, man after my own heart!) because he politely tells the audience that the concert programme has to go, many acts are scheduled... Dude's as diplomatic as an ambassador.

Roger and Farid are then escorted by bouncers (I swear!) to a table by the CD sales counter where fans are waiting for them to sign their album. It's orderly, there are ropes to ensure an orderly line, there are organisers and bouncers to make sure the performers aren't smothered, that no stray underwear (or anything heavier and more dangerous) flies into their direction. Man, this is one well-organised event!

John Kaizan Neptune has taken over the stage by now and the haunting tunes from his Japanese bamboo flute fills the air and everyone's suddenly serene and zen-like. After the autograph session and a very late dinner (I was famished by then!), we find a spot in front of the stage and join audience for the last two sessions: Idang Rasjidi Quartet featuring Tompi from Indonesia and Denise Mininfield from America.

The show ends pretty late, the audience walk away, I stagger back to the room and to my bed, Roger stays back for post-festival chats with fellow performers and organisers. He won't be able to sleep that after a great gig, he's still on high. Everyone is happy.

I have but one complaint. There were stalls on the festival grounds, selling food. How come there's no ice-cream stall? I would have walked out of the resort, crossed the road and to the mini-mart to get my ice-cream but Roger's friend who was on his way to the Festival got me my ice-cream.

Try to make it next year, OK? Buy a ticket. Seriously.

2006-12-12T13:00:00.000+08:00

Boo-Boo #1: Lost paperbag
I'm usually a pretty meticulous traveler who doesn't make stupid mistakes like forget airtickets, misplace bag keys, etc but this time, when we went to Penang for the Penang Island Jazz Festival, I was a basket-case, a loser (literally), a stranger - even to myself. I hate to write about this but I think getting these issues off my chest will make me feel better. A result of my Catholic upbringing, I guess. You know, how a confession always makes you feel better? Only this time, we're not in a confessional, I'm not on my knees (yet) and you're not a priest. Are you?....

This entry is titled Boo-Boo #1 because there were THREE boo-boos. Sigh... here goes.... By the way, there will be no pictures in the next three blogs because noone was in the mood to take pictures.

December 1, 2006 - the day we flew to Penang. On our flights from Kota Kinabalu to Kuala Lumpur, from Kuala Lumpur to Penang, Roger struggles to manage the following:
1/ two suitcases,
2/ one guitar bag,
3/ one (carry on) backpack,
4/ one carry-on bag for his guitar equipment,
5/ one pouch for airtickets, etc

... while I am in charge of just one thing - a paper bag, containing Christmas pressies for my friend's kids.

By the way, did you know that when you fly on budget airliner, AirAsia, the bags don't check all the way through Penang. We have to take them out, then check 'em in again. Traveling's tiring, it doesn't help that our stopover in the LCCT KL (Kuala Lumpur Low Cost Carrier Terminal) was more than three hours long and we started the day at 5am that morning to catch the 7am flight.

So by the time we get to Penang and organiser Paul (Augustin of The Capricorn Connection) picks us up, we are tired. I'm ready to hit to sack. When we get to the hotel room, I suddenly remember my sole charge, the blasted paper bag. and we start searching the whole room for it. I swore I had it with me in the airport, that I had put it in the organiser's car with us when we loaded our stuff in his car, and that I had brought it down from the car. Roger begins to worry that I had placed it down somewhere in the lobby and someone might have stolen it by now. So he goes down to the secretariat and alerts the organisers and they all begin a hunt for the bag because Roger is probably freaking out about it.

Meanwhile, I am upstairs in the room - sleeping - because it had been a long day. The day started at 5am, we had an early morning flight to KL and later a connecting flight to Penang. By the time we got to the hotel room, it was 4:30pm. I wake from the blissful nap at 6:30pm, call Roger and ask him about the paper bag.

They did finally find it - in the car. I had forgotten to bring it down...

2006-12-12T12:58:00.001+08:00

Boo-Boo #2: Lost CDs
Our last morning in Penang. I go to the secretariat who is in charge of selling Roger's CDs, it is time to settle accounts with them. To collect cash for what's sold during the festival and get back unsold CDs because the festival's ended.

They give me a list of sold and unsold CDs, hands me corresponding cash. Wow, I think, that's bloody efficient! Every performer is checking out today and they've got everything ready for us already. I'm super impressed.

I check the CDs, check the cash and write them a receipt. I'm efficient too, I brought my receipt book. I even brought a bag to pack all unsold CDs into. Yay, me, I'm smug. I wheel the bag up to our room.

Last minute, some guy calls Rog and orders a few more CDs. Among his orders were two of Roger's Platinum album. Roger looks in the bag for them. No Platinum CDs in here, he says. I let out a huge sigh, I tell Roger, if I find them, you die. So I squat down in front of the bag and start looking for it. No luck. I'm sheepish.

Oh no! Roger panics. Did she leave them accidentally at the secretariat, he wonders? Will someone steal them? Or accidentally take them because a lot of people are at the secretariat that morning. But I'm adamant and I insist, I had all CDs in the box put in our bag, including the Platinum series.

After a few minutes of trying to figure out where the missing CDs are, Roger gives up and goes down to the lobby to meet the guy who ordered the CDs. The chap is waiting downstairs. Ten seconds after he leaves the room, I decide to check the list of CDs sold. I call him on his cell and whisper, "The CDs aren't missing. They were all sold during the festival."

Now, if Roger is thinking, "Boy, that freaked me out bad" then, little does he know, the worst is yet to come... Remember, folks, all good / bad things come in three.

2006-12-12T11:31:00.000+08:00

Boo-Boo #3: Lost Identity Card (I/C)
I'm not even sure I can post this info legally in a blog without dire consequences but a confession's a confession and this has GOT to be the worst of all three.

December 4, 2006
Countdown to KL - Penang flight departure: 2hr...
A van brings us from the resort to the airport that last day. Before we leave the hotel, the van driver reminds us, "Brought everything? Passport? Airticket?" I ignore him, just like I ignore safety briefing on planes before take-off.

Countdown to KL - Penang flight departure: 1hr...
It usually takes 30-45 minutes to get to the airport from the resort but we get caught in a jam in town, a nasty car accident involving four cars! We arrive at the airport, hurriedly thank the driver and have our bags scanned at security. Walking to the airline check-in counter, I search my wallet for my I/C because we have to check in using that. Not there. I look elsewhere. No luck. I tell Roger.

Color drains slowly from his face.

All I remember is this: On our first day in Penang, I had taken my I/C out from my wallet and had it put in a new little black pouch. I hung the pouch on my brand new AirAsia lanyard - which we bought onboard the budget airline plane on our way to Penang. I put it in the black pouch because I didn't want to leave my I/C in the hotel room just in case I needed it. But by the end of the day, my neck was sore from the heavy lanyard: both phone and pouch were hanging off it.

So the next morning, I put the pouch (with my I/C) in the room safe deposit box. Decided I really didn't need to have my I/C with me at all times anyway.

That's the last thing I remember.

Standing there in the middle of the airport, with the contents of our bags spewed all over, I look at Roger and manage to whimper a very pathetic, "How?..." That's exactly how I feel: very lost, very helpless, very pathetic, heart sinking very fast.... It's like when you were in school and your teacher announced, "Test today!" and you've completely forgotten about it. That second of realisation, that resignation, the defeat...

Roger makes a desperate call to the organisers to look for my I/C in the room.

Meanwhile, we ask the airlines if I can make it back to KK without my I/C. I can still board the Penang - KL flight, they say, because I have my driver's license with me and flights between states in Peninsula Malaysia are "domestic".

I can't, however, check-in for the KL - KK flight because KL - Sabah / Sarawak flights are not considered domestic flights. I have to have at least my I/C or my passport. And even if the airlines DOES let me go onboard this KL - KK flight, the KK immigration won't let me into the state without neither document.

Rog and I discuss our options if we didn't get the I/C in time:
(1) that he flies home first and I forfeit this KL - KK airticket. That I'll stay in the airport hotel in KL and wait for the organisers to drive back to KL the next day and hand me my I/C. Then I buy a new ticket and fly home OR
(2) I forfeit this KL - KK trip, get a new ticket from KL to Labuan (since Labuan is technically a Federal Territory and I don't need ID to get in and it's much closer to KK) instead, stay there with family and wait for Roger who'd go home first, get my passport from our safe deposit box in KK and fly to Labuan OR
(3) we beg and sob at both AirAsia and Immigration counters...

Countdown to KL - Penang flight: 45 mins
R gets The Call from the organisers. They found the pouch - in the safe deposit box and they're rushing over to the airport immediately. But it usually takes 45 minutes to drive from Batu Ferringhi to the airport. And we had just ... 45 minutes left before the plane takes off.

We sit at a restaurant, anxiously waiting. We hear the boarding call. I look at Roger, he looks me.

We decide I should board the plane first, carry his hand luggage (backpack and equipment bag) while he wait for the organisers who are on their way to the airport. Then, once he gets my I/C, he'll run all the way to the plane. We ask the organiser, where are you? Gurney Drive.

Countdown to KL - Penang flight: 30 mins
I struggle with his backpack and his equipment bag and make it to the departure gate. I explain to the airline people that my husband is outside waiting for something urgent and if they can hold the plane till he boards. They are diplomatic, they'll make the announcement first and after two minutes, he doesn't show, they'll close the gate. The bags are heavy, my heart's heavier still.
I settle in the plane, reserving a seat for Roger. The cabin crew ask us to switch off the phones, I put mine on silent mode and wait anxiously for Roger's call. What if he misses this flight? Then I'll just wait in the new low cost carrier terminal in KL for him. He'd have to buy a new Penang - KL ticket. What if we miss the connecting KL - KK flight? Then we'll have to buy new tickets. I can't bear the thought of leaving him alone in Penang. He couldn't bear to leave me alone in KL. This suck big-time.

Countdown to KL - Penang flight: 15 mins
No sign of Roger.... I begin to get really, REALLY worried.... Every passenger is onboard, the crew is counting heads, I hold my breath....

Countdown to KL - Penang flight: 10 mins
He walks in!!! But he's shaking his head. He says the organisers called, they are stuck in a jam downtown Penang and can't make it. Roger can't wait any longer. He sprints to the plane. The minute Roger walked into the plane, the crew shut the door.

He barely put his seatbelt on when the plane begins to taxi down the runway. AirAsia Flight AK6315 took off at exactly 14:55:00. A damn record, if you ask me.

KL
Throughout the flight, we run over all options again in our heads. What ifs. We land in KL airport and wait for our luggage.

Then, I have a brainwave. For the first time in five months.

I call an ex-colleague, the Front Office Director of the resort I used to work in, Mike T, on his cellphone. I'm diverted to his voicemail. I call his office's direct line. His secretary say he's in a briefing. I ask for his assistant. He's resigned, she say. ARGH! I send Mike a text-message, explaining what's happened and asked for his advice. I brace myself for more waiting.

Almost immediately, Mike answers my message, What other documents do you have with you now? I say, just my driver's license. He answers quickly, make a police report at the airport. Declare lost I/C. Fly home with the report and the driver's license.

Gratefully, I tell Roger Mike's suggestion. He's doubtful. Can it be that simple?

We collect our bags and head for the police room in the airport. We tell them about the "lost" I/C and they are so helpful. Mike calls me immediately after his briefing, consoling me, telling me it's OK, there's no problem at all.

Long story cut short, we get our report, check in at the airline counter, hold our breathes, waiting for rejection. None came. It is smooth-sailing all the way home.

YAY MIKE T!!!!!!

Roger calls me an illegal resident now. But we're just glad we're home together.

2006-11-22T15:07:00.000+08:00

PizzaRia's debut Showcase
When I woke up this morning, I was thinking, "Why didn't we put this on Roger's webpage? Why didn't we list it as one of his gigs?" Roger seldom performs a public concert here at home in Kota Kinabalu so I'm sure his fans would like to know when one comes along.

I've got a ton of excuses but I'm going to save them for some other times. Kicked myself in the a**, saved you the trouble.

Here's how this came about. PizzaRia is a local Italian restaurant. Amongst its many good features, it's also located just beneath Roger's studio here in Damai. Literally.

One day, PizzaRia boss, a music enthusiast, sits Roger down and talks about starting a showcase in his restaurant, featuring different artistes every fornight. Let's start off with weekday performances, boss say. Roger thinks, great idea. So he calls up his friends, ask if they are interested. Most say, hell yes! So begins the PizzaRia Showcase.

Last night was the debut showcase. Performing last night were Roger, Gina Panizales and Benson Tan. Starts at 8:30pm. Nice time because people here in Kota Kinabalu have their dinners from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. The show starts as they are enjoying a latte and a tiramisu.

First set: Gina and Roger. Gina is a dynamic singer, you may have heard her sing in Kuala Lumpur. She's the kind of singer that makes you stop whatever you're doing and listen to her. A lot of maturity, a lot of character in her singing. Together with Roger on acoustic guitar, the duo belt out classic favourites that had the crowd singing and clapping along to. At the end of the set, I'm thinking the next performer's going to have a tough time matching up.

Second set: Benson and iPod. Benson's a Sabahan who was Roger's secondary schoolmate. Then Benson moves to Brisbane, Australia where he's based in now. When they met each other for the first time after many years, Roger is pleasantly surprised to find that Benson has made singing his full-time career. One of our first few dates was spent watching Benson perform at a local singing contest which he won, doing a marvelous impersonation of Michael Jackson. Complete with all the moves. Roger got him to do vocals for an album he was producing then.

For the showcase, Benson does brilliant impersonations of Tom Jones, Prince (I lurvvvvvve Prince!) and Elvis with the iPod backing him up. The man's bouncing off walls, cracking the audience up with his jokes and his convincing one-man show. By the time Roger joins him at the end of his set, the Energizer Battery's finally slows down and they do some sentimental songs together.

Then Roger does the unthinkable. He sings! No, no, it's not like he's bad at it. As a matter of fact, Roger's got a great voice. But I've never heard him sing on stage before (except for funny tunes like Sushi Yucky, etc). Maybe it's just me but his voice makes me swoon..... He sings James Taylor's "You've Got a Friend". Benson backed him up.

Finale: Gina joins the boys onstage and they give a powerful end of the very nice evening. Everyone leaves with a big grin on their faces: audiences, performers, boss....

The next one's coming up next month ... on the .... uh.... I'll let you know.

2006-09-30T16:23:00.000+08:00

September 30, 2006
Roger's been staying home (in Sabah) lately because he's been very, truly, super busy with studio work. Plus, it'll be less than a month before they launch "No Strings Attached"!!!!! That's right, you heard it first, here on this blog. I've not even gotten around to adding this latest news on his website yet.

For the last two days, I've been waking up to Farid Ali singing in our living room. (Roger likes to test the sound and quality of the songs on every single CD player we own: in the house, in the car) So I have super-secret info on the album. And I'm bursting to spill the beans. But that would be so wrong.

All I can say is that ...
1. I've really enjoyed waking up to the songs and
2. (whisper) roger sings in this album.

I know, I know! It's really exciting and for me, even a little ticklish, to hear him sing. It's the first time he sings in his albums and though he's only Farid's backup singer, it makes me giggle quite furiously.

I've asked him to sing his "Yucky Sushi" or "So You Want To Be A Guitar Player" song and put it in this album but he gives me a firm but definite head shake. What does a person have to do to make him record that? Have his babies?! Sheesh.

2006-09-09T13:22:00.000+08:00

No Black Tie's Acoustic Series -August 24, 2006
Sometimes, when Roger travels out of town for a night, I can't tag along. Mainly because the price of my airfare equates to TWO "Me Nights". No less. So when he's out for a night, I stay home.

NBT Acoustic Series was one such time. Roger's gig with Farid at this event was for one night only. I wish I could tell you what they did, what songs they played but I can't. Not without Roger sitting right next to me.

So, while I can't tell you much about this gig, pictures can. So I'm going to let these pictures taken by Brian of alldatjazz.com take over....

Here they are in the beginning.....

Then, they really got into it. Check Roger's expression..

Suddenly, it's all over. Time flies when you're having fun...

See Roger and Farid happy with themselves after another good show.

(footnote: It's taken me a month to complete this entry. I'm going to start by blaming ... um... Streamyx for the slow uploads of pictures. Then Streamyx prints an apology in the papers about some faulty cables affecting their service in Sabah and Sarawak so all's forgiven. Then, ummm..... I procrastinated because ... I procrastinated. Sorry!)

2006-08-23T14:19:00.000+08:00

August 21, 2006 - Yamaha L-series workshop and promo

Last day!!! We're now in Johor, arrived late last night. This morning, I tell my boss, "Boss, ah, I don't want to push it. I just want to sleep in (and miss your 10:30am workshop)." Boss Roger says OK. So I sleep in while Roger is off to the last workshop of this tour. He's back in the room by 1:30pm and JSPA members ask us to join them for beef noodle lunch. Just in time too because I was hungry. Yum.

We meet Paul (Augustin), Farid (Ali) and his band after lunch and together with JSPA, we all drive to the Diamond Jubilee Hall again where Farid and band set up. I realise now how much more work setting up for a band of five is to say ... Double Take where there's just one vocalist and one guitarist. See picture?

By 4pm, though, it was time for us to head off to the airport - again. This time, destination - home. I've never felt this glad to go home. The trip was very productive, we made new friends, I had great food but for the first time since we travelled together, I'm glad to be heading home. This was an extraordinarily tiring trip. Plus, we didn't go any Hotspots so again, no updating of the blog till I get home.

2006-08-23T13:54:00.000+08:00

August 20, 2006 - Yamaha Guitar Camp and Festival 2006

Today, we head for the Yamaha Music Headquarters in Kelana Jaya where Roger conducts a one-hour workshop at 11:30pm. Lots of people at the workshop, covering most age, sex and job range. There are some kids, who upon Roger's prompting, leave their seats to sit on the floor closer to stage to have a better look.

One kid in particular, this kid in orange shirt, Ian, 9. He's the one bent over his guitar, in the middle of that front row, see? At first, he's sitting - oh, ten feet away. As minutes pass, he's inching forward. By the end of the workshop, he's kneeling forward, against the front of the stage and his arms are right up ON stage, his chin propped up. Cute!

Here at this guitar workshop, everyone comes equipped with their guitar. So when Roger makes a point, all of them pick up their guitar at the same time and start twanging. It sounds rather like military school, where everyone picks up his/her arms at the same time. Or at an examination hall where the invigilator says, OK, you can turn over the paper now. Swissssssh, same movement, everyone, same time.

By now, however, both of us are feeling a little under the weather, after the previous week of travelling up and down the peninsula. Roger, thankfully, felt a lot better after he popped in two cold Panadols and took a short nap in the conference room. Just in time to be one of the judges at the festival that started a little behind schedule.

Here we are, two weary old souls, ready to go home and catch up on zzzzzs. But we still had a competition to judge, a 10-minute gig to perform and a 9pm flight to catch!

We have to be out of Yamaha by 6:30pm, Roger told the organisers. And try as they may, it is impossible for the schedule to catch up. So Roger and I, with help from the friendly Yamaha chaps, end up rushing madly to pack the equipment into a waiting cab at 7:10pm. Just for the record, we made it to the airport in good time but it was waaaaaay to close for Roger's comfort. Just one more day, I told myself....one more day, Claude.... you can do it.....

2006-08-23T13:40:00.000+08:00

August 19, 2006 - Yamaha L-series workshop and promo
Today, Roger conducts a workshop at KL Plaza's Yamaha store. There was a father and two sons there. According to Yamaha staff, they've been there since 1:30pm. The 3pm workshop, unfortunately, started at 3:20pm so technically, they'd been waiting for almost two hours! Poor souls. But they got to take pictures and talk to Roger at the end of the day so I hope it was a worthy wait for them. See the picture below? They're the ones in the front row.

By 3:40pm, the store is packed with people and more are still strolling in. Rog notes that there's a larger variety of people attending the workshops nowadays. It used to attract just finger-style enthusiasts but now, he sees electric-guitar players too. Maybe they want to learn new techniques? Either way, he's always happy to share.

For dinner, Yamaha's Ravin and Jackie bring us to ... oh dear, what's the name of that Indian restaurant near KL Plaza? Spice something....? We had Northern Indian and once again, I was bursting at the seams after dinner. I lurvvvvvve garlic naan. Wasn't crazy about that candy bits they gave in the end, tasted like licorice.

2006-08-23T12:00:00.000+08:00

August 18, 2006 - Yamaha L-series promo and workshop

You're wondering - what's happened to the 17th? Did she forget? No, la. But I was too tired to tag along to the Melawati workshop and had opted to sleep in at the hotel instead.

Today, we're in Penang. I really like Penang. I like Penang for its food, for its old shoplots, for the giant trees and while locals bitch about how dirty Penang is, I'm afraid I don't see it. Maybe it's because I'm from Sabah (eeks!) but I'm told (by Penangnites) that Penang is dirtier than KK any day. OK, la, Penang win, la but no, I don't see the trash. I don't see rats. I see glorious food, I see the culture, I see the delightful trishaws that Roger refuses to get on. So touristy, he said. We tourist, mah! I'd protest.

Anyway, the workshop sees pretty good attendance. And five minutes into the workshop, it hits me. This is the first time I'm sitting in on a workshop my husband's conducted. How strange! We've known each other for three years now and I often hear about his workshops but I've never sat in. And I must say, Roger's a good trainer. His workshops are very informative and I'm not lying here just because we're married, but I learnt a lot from his workshops. And while I still am not musically-inclined, I can almost tell you how to work a guitar.
ANYONE remotely interested in playing the guitar; either acoustic, classic or electric, must not miss Roger's workshops if he's giving one in a town / city near you! Really. The chap's willing the share it with you and I say, if it's free, all the better!

Post-workshop, Penang's Yamaha dealers, our new friends, bring us out for dinner. And in Penang, it's never dinner at just one place nor it is never just one dish (typically, we'd order several dishes and everyone picks from various plates. I know some people who are squirmish about that. Your loss! I say). We eat seafood in one restaurant, Bali Hai, and proceed down to Gurney Drive's newly-renovated stalls for dessert. I was so full (from dinner), I wanted to cry. Food in Penang is THAT good! Just thinking about food in Penang makes me hungry now. See shells there on the right, from Bali Hai? I don't know what it's called but they were nice!

2006-08-23T11:49:00.000+08:00

August 16, 2006 - 3rd Annual Johor Arts Festival

The day starts with the free workshop for concert ticket holders. Conducted by Roger, the workshop's at 11am and Roger talks to the participants about finger-style techniques, tricks, etc. When JSPA President comes along later and asks Roger how many people attended the workshop at the Diamond Jubilee Hall, Roger replies, "A few guys and a cockroach."

Evidently, a guitar-playing cockroach. A finger-style guitar-roach. It had inadvertently crawled in from ... somewhere in the hall, to check out the workshop. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of roach but here's a picture of the workshop.

This year, Double Take's performing at the Fest and Mia arrives that afternoon. It's Double Take's first concert in Johor and I must say, the response is wonderful. Immediately after the concert, there's already talk about bringing them back to Johor.

I like Johor. Them JSPA (Johor Society for Performing Arts) members are true Asian hosts, they understand that a big part of hosting is about good food and I can so totally relate to that! Plus, it's always inspiring to mee them and see how far they've gone. Roger and I have been here three times already and each time, we see them make more progress with their unending and sometimes thankless task of promoting arts. Basically, arts promotion is hard work anywhere so seeing them progress is always very gratifying for us.

2006-08-23T10:29:00.000+08:00

August 13 - 15, 2006
The next seven days are going to be pretty rough. First, we have the 3rd Johor Arts Festival. Then, we'll leave Johor for KL where we start the first lag of the Yamaha workshops and promo tour. After KL, we'll head up north to Penang, then down to KL and finally, in Johor again.

We knew it would be pretty gruesome so we had a pre-tour holiday. We took the bus shuttle from Johor's Senai Airport (nice airport, by the way) and that brought us to the Kotaraya Bus Terminal where we caught a cab that brought us all the way to our hotel in Singapore. Cost us about S$35. See Roger looking out of the bus window?This trip to Singapore favoured Roger a lot. Since I was there just a month ago and I had eaten and seen most everything I had wanted then, we went to lots of music stores this time. And to Sim Lim Square. The best thing about this trip (besides meeting old friends) was the Yamaha Magic Stomp Acoustic.

It's not available for sale here in Malaysia yet and we actually had to hunt down this unit here in Singapore (going from shopping mall to shopping mall) because it was the last one left on the island. The last unit left in this entire Asean region. Kid you not! But long story short, we got it! And Roger's pretty darn happy with this latest toy. It's times like these that you can stick him in the room for hours on end because he'll be totally engrossed with his new toy.

2006-08-02T23:15:00.000+08:00

What I read during the Equatorial gig
Reading's nice. I especially like reading brand new books. Which is why I bought a new book the other day. Even with the seven new second-hand books I got from my mom-in-law's friend. I couldn't help it. I tried soooo hard to stop myself from buying more books but this one just called out to me.
1. Marley & Me (John Grogan) - check out the cover on amazon.com and you might understand why I bought this boo. Luckily, the writing was just as good.
2. Envy (Sandra Brown) - now that I've finished reading Marley & Me, I'm going to continue reading this.

You'll see a new link on this page. It's Ernie's blog and my friends told me about this last year. I get a huge kick whenever I read his entries and I thought I'd share it with you.

2006-08-01T11:47:00.000+08:00

Wrapping Up Equatorial Hotel's Summer Jazz Series II gig
The gig starts at about 9:45pm every evening from July 26 -29 and ends about 12:30am or 1:30am. And every single night, without fail, Donald Lim and Chris Moore (of Equatorial Hotel) are there with friends or family, watching the show. Even *I* didn't watch the show every night. What? Got headache, what.

Anyway, kudos to Equatorial for taking real good care of me and Roger. From airport pickup to laundry, from meals to WiFi access, they're all hugely appreciated. Always a pleasure.

For all those who came to the shows, I think you've made Roger really happy. He's a natural showman, he enjoys the stage and he enjoys performing for a good audience. Most of all, he really enjoys playing his guitar. Thanks for your support.

Gawd, isn't this starting to sound like an Oscar speech?! Sorry.

We met lots of our friends when we came back to KL this time. Always a pleasure. Among them were Ahmad Azrai (who's better known to us as 'Roy') who works at The Malay Mail and Brian Kwan from alldatjazz.com.

Now, before you see this picture, I've got to explain it to you. Roy (whom we've earlier established, works at The Malay Mail) recently wrote about spam. No, not of the non-halal edible variety. Email spam. He looked through all the spam subjects and wrote full page article about it. Accompanying the article was a full-page, full-colour picture of his face, superimposed on a computer monitor on top of a desk. He's holding up a sign that reads, "Big Sale" and he's holding his thumb up. Also in that picture is a woman sitting at the desk, with her face turned away from the monitor, in utter distaste. It's the kind of face I'd have if I had stepped on crap.

Roy shows us the newspaper clipping during lunch with me, Roger and Brian. I find his face in the picture really funny, I asked him to "do it again". He complies. I break into shrieks of laughter because it's so funny. Minutes later, I'm thinking, I really NEED to take a picture of that. It's worth a million (laughs), I tell you.

So I asked the boys to pose, right there, in front of the first floor escalators at KLCC. Brian's mortified, "We look like bloody tourists!" but Roy already posing - happily. I snapped this picture in less than a second.

Miraculously, Roy manages to look even "goofier" here than in the picture taken for the newspapers!

2006-08-01T11:28:00.000+08:00

Day Four (Last Day) - July 29
Today, we sleep in till 12 noon.

The early-to-bed-rise-early-for-exercise routine that we had established back home has gone bust. Well, it was good while it lasted - all seven days of it. Last night, Roger finally drifted off to sleep at about 3:30am. He was still highly-strung from the knock-you-off-the-floor gig last night. It is as hard for him to calm down after a good gig as it is for a kid who's been playing and laughing madly in the playground for an hour.

After a quick visit to Farid's, we meet Roger's friends from his old music college, Ocean, for dinner tonight. Nice bunch of people. They decide to stay for the show too.

.... dang. I hate it when this happens. When I have a "I wish I had taken a picture of them together" moment. Dang. That picture would go perfectly here, won't it?

After dinner, though, I told my boss / husband / partner, "I've got a headache, honey. I need to go to bed." It's true. One of them killer migraines. The kind that can render you officially dead. The kind that you got to nip in the bu*t early and crawl to bed before it blows your brain away. So I can't tell you much about the gig tonight.

Sorry.

2006-08-01T11:05:00.000+08:00

August 15, 2006 -
eve of 3rd Annual Johor Arts Festival

The night before the concert, core members of the Johor Society for Performing Arts, organisers of the festival, bring us out for dinner at this famous Johor restaurant, Hak Seng. While Hak Seng is famous for the Teochew dishes, it's the restaurant owner that takes the limelight. (see him in white tee-shirt, sitting next to Roger) He's got an article up on his wall, headlines screaming "Loud mouth Hak Seng".

Truly, this man's quite a character. He sits down at the table with you while he takes your order, like he's part of your group. He tells you - not recommends - what to order and when he sees that you've ordered enough, he'd tell you so. "Enough," he'd declare before getting up huffily. Dude shuffles off to place your order in the kitchen. I'm told he'd tick you off for not finishing your dinner (that got me quite nervous) and he's got no problems telling customers to bugger off if he feels they've had enough to drink.

To top it all off, the man walks around his restaurant barefoot.

2006-08-01T02:16:00.000+08:00

Day Three - July 28
When Roger jams with a guitarist he can particularly relate with, the effect is powerful. I've seen it happen a few times and this was one of them.

I don't play any musical instruments (you won't believe how many people have asked me that since I got married!) And no, I don't even sing. To be more precise, I won't sing - for the sanity of all those within earshot.

But when I see Roger hit it off with another guitarist, my heart soars and I feel exactly like how I imagine he's feeling.... totally lost in the music. When there's right chemistry between two guitarists onstage, the effect is simply electrifying! It gives me goosebumps.

Tonight was a night just like that. The energy both Roger and Jamie Wilson (whom he's never met prior to the show, by the way, not even for a practice run) produced that night with just their humble six-stringed instrument vibrated off the walls and got me right in the thumper. It was truly exciting.

The audience refused to let Jamie Wilson offstage that night. He was supposed to play three songs during the second set but the audience made sure he didn't leave the stage till the end of the night. The second set lasted a record hour and half (usually, it's 45 minutes). Roger's fingers hurt - hurt good - that night.

It was wild! It was insane. It was so goooooooooood.....

Equatorial Hotel, KL, General Manager Donald Lim dubs Roger, Mia and Jamie, "Triple Take".

You missed it? Ouch.

2006-08-01T01:54:00.000+08:00

Day Two - July 27
In the morning, we sleep in.

In the afternoon, Roger goes off to Farid's place where they work on their upcoming album. I step into KLCC for the first time this month. I stay there and wait for Roger to meet me here for dinner. I window-shop but my legs grow weary and window displays got boring.

I try to think of something to do that's (1) cheap, (2) lets my legs rest, (3) doesn't involve much brain-work. I buy a ticket and watch "The Lake House".

All by myself! RM8 well-spent, I say. I got the rest I needed, the seat was comfortable enough. As an added bonus, the movie ended just as Roger boarded the train bound for KLCC. Perfect timing. (The movie, by the way, was OK. Surreal but I guess that's why it's romantic. Keanu Reeves.....sigh........)

Tonight, Llew Marsh (are you absolutely sure this is how I spell his name, sayang?) joins Roger and Mia onstage. The man has fingers that dance across the ivories. Sweet. (Photo courtesy of alldatjazz.com, by the way. Thanks, Brian!)

I stand at the back of Flo, watching Roger. Oh, no. Watching the show, I mean. Watching the shooooow. The crowd makes him sing again. They made him sing last night and he obliged. Looks like he's going to do it again tonight. Sucker! But everyone loves "Would You Like to Play the Guitar or Would You Rather Get a Job" song.

I'd like to clarify once and for all: the song suggests that a guitar player's wife is either a saint or she's nuts. I'm the latter. In fact, I'm the Mother of all guitar players' crazy wives. I quit my job!

2006-08-01T01:13:00.000+08:00

I know I was supposed to write about Double Take's Equatorial Hotel gig day by day. In fact, in my head, I take pictures in the morning and/or evening and by night, write the account in this blog. In my head, everything is on time. In my head, I'm laughing at my own jokes as I write the posts.

It didn't happen.

Why? Can I blame it on Roger's new MacBook? "I don't know how to use a Mac". "Why did Steve Job go make them close window command on the left instead of the right?" "How do I right click, sayang?" MAY I blame it on the new notebook?

While Roger is delighted with Mac and all its possibilities (he's an enthusiastic Switcher), I'm frowning and pouting in front of this impossibly-white techno la-la. I'm too impatient with it so I move on. I read books instead. I read magazines. I paint my toenails. I don't update this blog till I get home.

Better luck next time, Steve! You won't make a convert out of me - yet.

2006-07-27T20:55:00.000+08:00

Day One - Double Take @ Equatorial Hotel's Summer Jazz Series 2006
5:30am: The guitarists alarm clocks wakes him up. He has a live interview @ NTV7studio during their Breakfast Show. He thinks of taking the trains but it's raining (explains why I had a wonderful sleep in!) so he hops on a cab that charges him RM45 to get from Equatorial Hotel @ Jalan Sultan Ismail to Holiday Villa, Glenmarie (to meet Mia Palencia there). Ouch!

9am: They are finally put in front of cameras for the live shoot. I'm just stirring from bed. I have a 10:45am appointment.

11am: Roger comes back to hotel, wife has left (the hotel) for an appointment with her friends.

2pm: Roger has sound check with Mia at Flo so I'm thinking, heck, the man's still busy. So I pop by Mid Valley on my way home and contribute to the Malaysian economy. Store vendors smile when I leave their premise. I smile too. Everyone's happy during the Mega Sale!

6pm: Double Take has a live radio interview with RedFM, meet their old friend, Tim. Tim asks Roger to sing, Roger says noooo thanks. Tim says sing lah*, Roger says "no" some more. (*Not direct quotes) Tim retaliates (power of the press).

Tim asks radio listeners, yo people *, sms to RED if you want to hear Roger sing. Within a couple of minutes, RED receives 100 sms-es, asking Roger to sing. Roger's a nice guy so he complies. He sings. He sings "Would You Like to Play the Guitar or Would You Rather Get a Job" and manages to dis both agent and wife in less than two minutes! He survives though.

See picture of RedFM's monitor (right), receiving sms-es from listeners, asking Roger to sing. I've covered the phone numbers, names and IC numbers because I don't feel like going to court anytime soon. Ya, that's what DJs see when you send in sms-es during their shows. Interesting, eh?

7:30m: I see Roger for the first time today. Been too long, sayang.

9:48pm: Double Take performs. New songs with some old ones thrown in for good measure. People like. This year, a different guest musician joins Double Take every night during the four-day Flo gig. Tonight, it's Kevin Soo on Sax. Soo on Sax. Soo on Sax.

Roger enjoys jamming tonight. He's high from good vibes.

12:55am The gig's ended 20 minutes ago but Roger is still high. He had a wonderful time.

2006-07-23T15:16:00.000+08:00

Big yawn...
Yesterday was one of those days that was just right for veg-ing out. You know what I mean? I just felt like doing nothing except sit in front of the idiot box and ... drool. Do nothing. Think about nothing. Just stare.

Things are back on track today though. I've finished packing, I've done my part to pump some new life into Roger's website. I've cleaned the house. Now, I'm bringing this blog up to date. Yeah! I'm BACK!

You see, Roger and I are leaving for Kuala Lumpur again tomorrow. He's planned to spend the first couple of days recording a few more songs with Farid for their new album. Then, he's going to team up with Mia (Palencia) for Double Take's gig at Equatorial Hotel, KL. Four nights of Double Take playing at Flo's, then we're off home again.

This should be a relaxing trip because Equatorial has been so kind as to host our entire stay in KL so we won't be changing hotels - like we did for every night in Taiwan. Makes it so much easier to pack. Plus, the housekeeping ladies @ Equatorial are really nice. During one of our Equatorial visits, Roger's pants button dropped off and disappeared and the ladies mended it for him real quick. (They've got the spare part mah. The spare button. The one from Roger's pants rolled off the corner of the Earth) God bless 'em!

Several things to do before we leave the house:
1/get rid of all perishables; including eggs, ham, bread, flowers, vegetables...

will do that tomorrow. We're leaving at noon. Going to KL with my brother who's going for a business trip. Yeah. Haven't travelled in the same plane with my older brother since ... we were very little. Yeah, yeah! Travelling with my koko again. Yeah!

2/ buy me some books to read onboard the plane, in the airports, in the hotel, while waiting.

My mother-in-law gave me some books she got from her friend's daughter. The books made a detour from the garbage bin and landed on my shelves. I don't mind at all. And what perfect timing, my MIL gave them to me just the other day, God bless her! So, check that off my list...

3/Buy travel essentials, like wet tissues, etc. (Check)

4/ Pay parking tickets. Here in Kota Kinabalu, you pay for parking based on tickets left under your car's blades by these parking attendants. The attendants monitor the amount of time you're parked and punch off corresponding holes in the ticket. Hard work. Esp on a hot day. They have to walk from car to car in the entire area, checking the time, the price... They give you two weeks to pay up, I think. We probably have about three or four of those now.

5/ Send car off to the mechanic. No problems this time, just servicing.

2006-07-22T17:49:00.000+08:00

"Mr. X" is now officially "Roger". I figured a pseudonym's quite mysterious, exciting but I can't quite find the Right One, you know? We came up with "The Man", "The Finger" (eeks) ... and several others that I can't put in this blog but nothing was right.

So until we find The Right pseudonym, Roger's going to be "Roger".

2006-07-15T10:26:00.000+08:00

Wrapping Up Taiwan
We flew home from Taipei on May 2nd. This tour has been wonderful. For several reasons:

1/ Huang (right, with his family) did a marvelous job organising things. Everything was well planned. He had everything so well planned out, he even had time to bring us sight-seeing! Always on time for appointments, the man not only had to drive us up and down the country throughout the day, he even had to perform during the gigs. With all these organising and driving and worrying about ticket sales, he remained cool and collected. Plus, he knew where all the good food was. Kudos!

2/ Food was brilliant! Between mouthfuls, we took many pictures of the food. I don't think I fit all of them in this blog. But here's an example of hawker fare. I must admit though. I don't know what those are..

3/ The audience here in Taiwan is very, very respectful of artistes. This is quite new to me because I've sat through some of Mr. X's concerts and 99.9% of the time, audience at clubs / concert halls walk right past the stage in the middle of a performance to
(1) pee,
(2) get to the bar,
(3) walk off a leg cramp - I really don't know why they have to walk around in the middle of a 45-minute session and I'm not even refering to the waiters neither,
(4) talk to the person next to them,
(5) talk to the people around them and
(6) talk on the phone some more. Why the obsessive need to talk while listening to a performance, I don't get either.

In Taiwan, they stop talking, they stop smoking (stubbed out the ciggy! right before the gig started. Saw it with my own eyes! Amazing) and everything in their body language suggests that they are listening to the artiste on stage. Full attention. Noone gets up to pee, noone talks, noone whispers, noone needs the help of a cigarette to breathe. They're totally into the music. That was a very refreshing experience for me and just for that, I got to stand up right now and applaud the Taiwanese!

4/ 7-Eleven.
Did you know that Taiwan has the third largest number of 7-Eleven outlets in the world?! Next to U.S.A. and Japan? More than 4,000 outlets.

But if you take into consideration the population of Taiwan, this little island (394 kilometres / 245 miles long, about 6 hours drive from north to south) has the highest "per 7-Eleven" per person in the world! Huang said there's a 7-Eleven at every street corner and he was right.

I've never appreciated the convenience of this 24-hour store until Taiwan. But here in Taiwan, 7-Eleven sells almost everything. And when I say 'everything', I' m talking about food. From (microwave) fresh pastas to curries, from potatoes to sushi. And most of Taiwanese cuisine! And who makes most of the fresh food for 7-Eleven? CHIMEI!

Marvelous, simply marvelous.

2006-07-14T18:17:00.000+08:00

April 30, 2006 - Day Eight
Today, they were performing at Chi Mei Corporation in Tainan.

This corporation is ... massive. In point form (to stop me from gushing!), Tainan Corporation:
* is the world's largest maker of ABS resin, stuff used to make everything from golf club heads to Lego, from automotive body parts to kitchen utensils!
* world's biggest producer of large screen LCD TV screens,
* founder Wen Long Shi is listed as the 342nd richest man in the world,
* company owns a museum that showcases many things and owns not one nor measly two original pieces of artwork but ... so many, many, many, (The owner is an art enthusiast)
* I may be wrong but I think Wen also owns a Stradivarious violin because he's a mean violinist too.

Anyway, the corporation hired the boys to perform for their staff only that afternoon. The management were kind enough to give us a guided tour of the museum. I was so awe-struck, I must admit, I couldn't remember much of the details the chap was giving us. So overwhelming!

See the boys backstage (right). This place has very nice concert facilities too.

2006-07-14T17:55:00.000+08:00

April 29, 2006 - Day Seven
Today, we were going to go back south to Taichung but before setting off, we had time to squeeze in a too-short visit to the famous Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall in Taipei. It's also the site of the National Theatre and National Concert Hall but we didn't have time to see them. Pity. If we ever head back to Taipei, I would like more time in this hall. So much to see, so little time. Though I DID have time to buy souvenirs. Typical Malaysian tourist.

The boys were performing in Taichung Community Hall today and it was their last public concert. Right after the concert, we drove all the way back south to Tainan for the night.

Enroute, we stopped at the popular Ching Sheui Service Area / Rest Area. This started as a rest stop for tired drivers and passengers, offering coffee-and-toilet break. But the Taiwanese are so intrigued by this beautiful seaside spot, they've turned it into a holiday destination, where families and courting couples come for a quick getaway from the city. We hear the sunset's gorgeous from this spot. All this area offers is food, toilets and a small arcade area. And so many people flock into this place. I mean, it's so popular, it's hard to find a parking space! And this place has a LOT of parking spaces. LOTS. We had to wait for a parking spot. Huang said it's worst on weekends.

Amazing.

I was especially tickled by a signage in the ladies' restroom. So tickled, I ran out and got the camera from Mr. X, ran back in, took a very quick shot of the signage and ran back out real fast. In case people thought I was up to something quite sick.

The sign reads: The service area is free to provide a toilet paper. Please economize dosage.

2006-07-14T16:57:00.000+08:00

April 28, 2006 - Day Six
Sixth day already? Time flew. So far, Huang's been an excellent host. He's been religiously on time for all appointments (THANK YOU, GOD!), everything's well-organised. He kept finding all these wonderful eating places. Everything's been flawless.

Then, I had to go twist my ankle.

Coming down to the Riverside Music Cafe, an underground club. Literally. Down in the basement of some building. I was carrying two guitar cases (sometimes, besides reading a book and finding the toilet, I had to do some manual work) down the stairs. Turn the corner and the club's right there in front of you, with a sheer curtain hung delicately over the doorway. "Nice, cozy place," I thought, putting one foot in front of the other, trying to get past the curtain.

Sharp, sharp pain.

Right ankle.

In my head, I'm only saying one word over and over and over again and I can't say it in this blog (nor out loud then) because I don't (and didn't) want to be rude. But it starts with an "F" and sounds and looks like 'tuck'.

I had missed a step. Who the heck puts a curtain right before a step down to a darkened room?

Tuck, tuck, tuck!

I'd post a picture of that ankle but I don't have the prettiest ankles, even without the sprain! Enough about me though.

Good thing both Jacques and Mr. X had a wonderful time jamming during the gig that night (above).

Just so you know, I didn't send the two guitars flying in the air when I tripped and sprained my ankle. I was committed enough to know NEVER under any circumstance let the guitar go in case in emergencies. Hang on to them. So says my boss. Mr. X.

Tuck.

2006-07-13T20:04:00.000+08:00

Our First .. - April 28, 2006
I was in bed, watching TV, in our eighth floor hotel room. Mr. X was at the dresser, gleefully making full use of the free WiFi in this Taipei hotel. We had arrived Taipei earlier that afternoon from Nantou and had time to rest before sound check and the gig in the evening at Taipei's Riverside Music Cafe.

The bed began to move. Not too much but enough to feel a little dizzy, you know what I mean?

Mrs. X: Do you feel that?
Mr. X: (turns around slowly, watches me and stands up)

..we stare at each other, speechless.....

Mrs. X: So, er, did you feel that? The shaking?
Mr. X (cautiously): Yes...
Mrs. X: So, er, what do we do now?
Mr. X: ....

We flipped TV channels, just to check if anyone else felt that. Boy, Taiwan has many, many TV channels! Finally, on one of the 100 channels, we spotted a map of Taiwan. On the map, there was a circled area, somewhere northeast of the island. And there were some Chinese characters and the number 6.4. A split second later, a woman reading the news, talking about something totally unrelated.

Now, here's the thing. Neither Mr. X nor I can read Chinese.... But we deduced from that news flash that an earthquake had probably just happened. But the shaking's stopped, and when we looked out of our window, noone was running frantically, traffic was still flowing, no phone call from the operator (do you really think they'd stay back and call every room if a major quake was happening?).

We decided, after 10 minutes of unease, that we could probably stay in the room.

When he picked us up later, Huang confirmed that there had been an earthquake, a "small one". "Run out of the room if you're tossed up and down. Don't need to panic if the quake just shakes you from side to side. That one not dangerous."

Awwwww......Our first earthquake as Mr. and Mrs. X.

Sweet.

p.s. Here I am, waiting for Huang. Very early in the morning. Very, VERY early in the morning

2006-07-13T19:49:00.000+08:00

April 27, 2006 - Day Five
We left Tainan at 8am and headed north, towards the famous Taroko National Park with the renowned mountains and fresh air. But the weather wasn't kind, it rained and rained harder still. The chaps decided to abort the excursion because "we won't see anything up there with this weather." Shucks, as Mr. X would say.

We arrived in the cool mountainous region of Nantou (on our way, we saw the stone that marked the geographical centre of Taiwan. THAT was interesting). Tonight, they performed at Nantou University. We stayed in a hotel downtown. View of the hotel.

Taiwan's interesting too because as Huang explained, five years ago, there was a super powerful earthquake that shook the whole island, particularly the little towns around this area we were in. The earthquake was so powerful, it changed the landscape of the mountains. The peaks became more pronounced and left them poor mountains, prematuredly 'bald'. The mountain peaks lost all their vegetation.

Then, it hit me. Earthquake? What earthquake?!

2006-07-13T19:35:00.000+08:00

April 26, 2006 - Day Four
I was quite disappointed. We tried the famous smelly tofu. My first. It wasn't smelly. As a matter of fact, it smelt like garlic (accompanying sauce) and I lurve garlic. Mr. X, though, thought it lived up to its name and stopped after the initial tiny bite.

Jacques and Gaby finally relented and tried the smelly tofu, after Huang's tireless 5-year persuasion. After the apprehensive first bite (right), they decided it's not so bad after all. They had more than Mr. X. Huang and I enjoyed every last bite.

Today, they performed at Tainan University. Nice place. Best turnout so far. You got to love the kid in orange shorts!

2006-07-13T18:55:00.003+08:00

April 25, 2006 - Day Three
Immediately after Changhua University's gig at 9:30pm yesterday, we drove to Tainan, arriving in Huang's hometown at 11:30pm.

Early this morning, we drove about an hour and twenty minutes down to Kaoshiung. There, Huang, Mr. X and Jacques performed at Kaohsiung Music Center. Very nice place. Sssssswan-ky!

I love this picture of Mr. X, taken during sound check (right). It's my baby ... against the elements. Alone. Apprehensive.

Huang drives up and down the island of Taiwan a lot - mostly for work but also for holidays with his wife and two young sons. He knows most of the best places for food. En route to Kaohsiung, he stopped at this roadside stall and bought two packs of chicken innards. Exactly which part of the chicken, I've yet to ascertain. But it was bloody marvelous! (below)

Jacques and Gaby, who have been to Taiwan four times prior to this visit, knew of this cuisine and had flatly refused to eat it. Their loss, my ultimate gain!

2006-07-13T18:28:00.000+08:00

April 24, 2006 - Day Two
A quick stopover at Huang's store first before we bagan the three-and-a-half-hour drive from Taipei down to Changhua.

There were five of us in the van: me, Mr. X, Huang, Jacques Stotzem (Belgian guitarist) and his wife, Gaby.

Now, it wasn't as bad as this picture (left) depicts. All five passengers in the van were seated comfortably. I can't say the same about the luggage though.

There were, in the back of the van: two speakers, two speaker stands, one mixer, cables, mike stands, boxes of CDs, DVDs and posters, my two big luggage (the girl - and her husband - needs stuff for a comfortable ten-day trip, OK?), Gaby's two much smaller bags and Huang's tiny bag. I almost felt bad. But really didn't.

Venue: Changhua University
Once at the university, set-up in the hall was quick and efficient because everyone knew what they were supposed to do. My job was to sit and read a book. And find out where the toilet was.

Spacious hall. Taiwan has very good educational facilities, we found out later.

2006-07-13T18:12:00.000+08:00

April 23, 2006 - Day 1
So, we finally arrived at Taipei's Chiang Kai-Shek airport. It's 10:45pm. Short flight, took just three hours and twenty minutes by air from home, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Direct flight. Nice. Food on board, could be nicer.

We meet the organiser, Huang Chia Wei, and the rest of the team, who were having dinner. Then, off to the hotel. Our first night in Taiwan.

My sharp eye lets no detail off, say to Mr. X: Not that cold in Taiwan, huh? Maybe we shouldn't have brought our winter wear, huh?

End of day.

2006-07-13T18:09:00.000+08:00

Mr. X had this Taiwan tour lined up for April 23 to 30, 2006. He said, come along, Mrs. X. I said, hell, ya!

So, here's an account of his Taiwan tour and my Taiwan holiday. Starting April 23rd. We allocated two extra days for sightseeing. It was our first time in this thriving island nation.

2006-07-13T18:03:00.000+08:00

In my own defence, it's not taken me 72 WHOLE days after the Taiwan tour to finally start writing about it. I DID start it. On May 12th. But then, I got as far as Day Two and I procrastinated.

So, here I am, trying to start it off again. Deleting the entire blog and starting afresh with a new look and all.

Let's hope this blog makes it to the end of the seven-day tour. Sheesh.