At Work: Photo shoot

A few days ago, a photo shoot brought me to the Royal Selangor Yacht Club
it was my first time there....and a shocking one too
I've been to so many yacht clubts from neighbouring countries like Thailand to Singapore
from Hong Kong to Australia
Monaco to Cannes to Greece
even those in Langkawi and Kota Kinabalu were pretty decent


when I arrived, I stood at the dock staring at 5 pathetic small yachts 
5?????
all tied to one floating barge
one barge???
u gotta be kidding me?

anyway this posting should not be complaining bout the state of the yacht club
it's all about a day in my "working" shoes
:))))))


photo shoots are something I alwiz look fwd to
yeah did I hear someone just said "are u kidding me?"
:P
some ppl just dread it for it's long hours and working at extreme condition
could be sun or at dangerous places etc
when u are at a photo shoot, ur work in ur desk is piling up at the same time


well if not for this photo shoot I wouldn't have come to this yacht club and witnessed at its condition that's this terrible!!! 
I meet really great and amazing ppl at shoots too
from photographers, stylists, makeup artists, art directors etc
it's also a learning process for me too to be in their shoes

our model for the day was Bryan, born in Sydney but currently based in New York
he was really professional and easy to work with, for he understands the needs of the styling and shoots
most of all he speaks and understands English.
He has got this positive bubbly attitude despite being drenched in the afternoon HEAT and SUN wearing that knitted Ferragamo sweater


we have had bad experiences hiring non-english-speaking models
they can't take directions nor understand what u want
sometimes we get really moody models who have issues on their own
really not professional to bring personal problems to work...
doesn't matter if u are a model or an accountant. It's just not professional!!!
I don't care if u had a fight with your boyfriend, but u are paid to do the damn job.

on top of the knitted sweater, there's another long coat for him
and yet he needed to exude the coziness of wearing this cashmere jacket
I was already wiping my forehead and neck with thick tissues
gosh it has to be 35 degrees out here


judging from the background of this pic, u can really imagine wat's next to this yacht club
jabatan perikanan malaysia
-_-
the yacht club didn't face the open sea, instead another island blocked its view
with wooden houses built on stilts just like Pulau Ketam
T_T


Monkey to the photographer: "Errrr looks like u need to photoshop the sky to clear blue, the greyish green water to blue...and the ugly surrounding as well...."
Photographer paused for a while...:"I think I'll use only the yacht..."

the thing about working outdoor is the weather
as we were shooting under the humid weather with afternoon sun glaring at us, we saw that the storm is coming on the horizon


oh yea that's the view of Jetty to Pulau Ketam
so u get a feel of the yacht club now?
I felt like I'm in a warehouse or dockyard with the occasional custom police boat passing by


so we were working in such dash and speed
tried to beat the storm and shoot as fast as we could
before we were drenched in the storm


the floating barge was wobbling on the choppy sea and I was so dizzy
"OMG!!! I think I'm gonna vomit anytime now....."


but we went home with a satisfied smile for we know it was a great job well done...

another shoot done this week was indoor inside a studio
so minus the wind, rain and sun
in the comfort of an air-conditioned studio

a unit to power up the flash lights around the studio
I dunno wat do u call and was too stressed to ask the photographers
coz he was really stressed too.....
stressing out his 2 assistants


so u see, stress is really contagious
and I don't like to work with too much of stress around
so the rest of us were blasting some cool moves and songs in the studio
while the ladies being ladies were chitters chatters 
in the end all of the above didn't really help at all...coz he was even more tense
-_- wat do u want lar???

in the end.....I spent 6 hours here just to shoot 2 watches
T_T
it's either the lights are not right
the props are not coherent
or sthere's alwiz reflections on the watch
well who said shooting timepieces was easy?


nevertheless I had the great company of fellow stylists, editors, writers, and biz partners to giggled with
hihihihihihihihihi
I alwiz giggle hihihihihi which irritates the photographer even more
:)))))) sowwy...I'm just a gal inside a huge bubble
:)))))

I will give some time to do posting about my work in the near future
:)))))

so now u've seen my part of my working life

how's yours like?

I am finally home after all these~~~~

*pic stolen from event organiser*

Fireworks at the closing dinner and awards presentation 2 nites ago
I would like to start this posting with a "booming" pic
which was also stolen elsewhere
coz I didn't bring my camera, and the only gadget I've got there was my phone and iPad

and last nite Monkey touched down safely in KLIA fr the Mystical island at freaking 8.45pm
looking red, fatique and hungry~~~~~
trust me, the food in Langkawi could be better but it just didn't.....

*pic stolen from event organiser*

Buoys being prepared by the men every single morning
these were set out in the sea as "markers" for the race
they have their very own special speed boat that fetched them out to the sea
and floated at special designated position

well I guess they uses GPS to place them
coz the sea is so vast and it seemed so "lost" out in the open
everyday there's different races at different location around the island

*finally my own pic fr my iPhone hiak hiak hiak*

everyday the weather is looking like this....overcast early in the morning
followed by very very hot sun in the afternoon and ended up with RAIN
GAHHHHH
but this year the Regatta enjoyed very very very good wind
well in sailing u need wind dont' cha?

something I really need to post up about the hospitality on this island
everyone is so so so warm and welcoming
the Locals here are a true living example of 1Malaysia
there isn't segregation of colors, races, religion but everyone is a Malaysian here

Locals here worked as a team, together to achieve their goals
there isn't the lazy bums nor the calculative one
they worked overtime for the event with dedication
but most of all they worked so happily and joyfully with each other

Life isn't hectic
they can find time in between work and lunch hour to fetch their kids to fro school
home to work is 10 minutes away
everywhere is just so near away
and not to mention the island is also duty free

hot steamed rice, deep fried fish cooked in spicy sambal sauce with baby starfruits, stir fried cabbage with vermicelli and chili onion omelette

the above was actually "staff food"
meaning food cooked for working team members to be eaten
and definitely not for Monkey bcoz I am not considered their working member

after 3 days suffering from the "customised event" menu....I think I had enuff
*u know the usual ang moh food like chicken chop, burgers, steaks, fries, sandwiches etc*
guess my face showed so much....they actually asked me if I dun mind eating their "staff food"
and I had to ask wat's the food like for "staff food"
*hey Monkey be thankful and just eat...dun b choosy*

"Staff food" are usually served on the catering stainless steel trays to be picked up buffet style
whenever the staffs have got time to eat
and not to mentioned, served inside their hot wet kitchen

the team was SO SO SO SO SO SO DARN NICE & SWEET
they actually served it like the above to me!!!!!!!!
on a nicely roundly cut banana leaf the size of a plate
with extras like cut tomato and cucumber, topped with fried shallots and 2 pieces of papadam
I mean it's not like something gourmet but their kind thought of serving it this way

oooOoooooo trust me the "staff food" was so much more delicious than the usual chunky burgers with thick fries!!!!!
plus they didn't charge me for it -_-"

"it's staff food...it's free!!!!"
Monkey: "but I'm not even staff & took your portion plus u have got nothing to eat!!!"
"Nvm I had fried rice today :))))"
Monkey: "but u still need to charge me coz I ORDERED it"
"It's OK I'll serve the same for u tomorrow.....think it's chicken tmrw"

:)))))))))))))))))))))))))))

*pic stolen from the event organiser*

everyday all the international teams took onto the water with new determination
amid the ferocious winds, some team suffered broken sail, disappointments and lost hope
they had a great time
bcoz everyone is just so so friendly here
it's almost like there isn't a competition at all!!!!!

and finally newcomer Hooligan won the Regatta
leading the points everyday, they really deserved this

*pic stolen from Event Organiser*

and on the Final Night, it was the prize presentation
with Guest of Honor - Tun Dr. Mahathir and his beloved wife Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah
among the Royalties, all the Panglima panglima and more Tuns and Tunkus, Tan Sri Datin Sri
the list was loooOOoooong

we had a good weather that evening, watched the sunset over the horizon together
with laughter heard over the deck
yep the dinner was held under the starry starry nite at the deck with a swimming pool by the harbour

*pic stolen from Event Organiser*

and the final prize presentation to Team Hooligan
can u spot Tun Dr Mahathir next to the owner of the boat Mr. Blackmore
Mr. Blackmore is also the skipper for his team

*pic stolen from Event Organiser*

after all the formal speeches and prize presentation
it was time to let ur hair down and partay!!!!!!

well at this Duty Free island the alcos never run dry!!!!
the tap kept on flowing golden liquid be it champagne or beer
drink all u want till u can't drink no more

*pic stolen fr Event Organiser*

I've alwiz like fire blower though I've already know their tricks
hahahahaha
he actually let everyone try on it

and before I know it, the pool was full
hahahaha they were actually dancing inside the pool
arms were waving, hands were splashing, heads were swinging
guess they had too much to drink
and if u r not too careful and stand too near...
u might as well got urself pushed/pulled down
the above pic was taken METRES away with zoom hahahahaha, hence the quality

didn't matter where u came from Australia, NZ, America, Europe, or Asia
everyone had a great time and made so many new friends

Westin Resort & Spa

the next day......everyone was trying to be sober
the skippers and their team were busy washing and tying their boats
to prepare for its sail back to their home country/ next destination
Yacht Club staffs were busy unpacking and washing
and us....busy dismantling our showcases as well
ready to be shipped back to Switzerland

we managed to finish early and steal some time to chill out at Westin
of coz we didn't stay at Westin
hahahahhahahaha
at this peak period, it's just too expensive
prollie another time or at least for the final nite we'll stay here

yummy looking San Har Hor Fun at Westin
it looks yummy huh?

the hor fun was excellent with "breathe of fire"
but the huge ass prawn wasn't fresh and as usual a "heavy" complained was lodged
the waiting staff actually push the head chef out to explain to us
poor chef, he looks like he couldn't handle us so we weren't too hard on him

well another year another regatta
till we meet again folks!!!!

Excerpt from Event Organiser on a story with all the BOAT/Team name innit!!!
very creative!!!!

Once Upon a Time……

At long last all the racing in at the Royal Langkawi International Regatta had come to a close for 2012. The FREEWIND sent all the boats happily to shore where it was time to head to the CABARET in PHOENIX. The noise from the HI FI there could easily cause a TANTRUM for the whole ROYAL QUEENSLAND YACHT SQUADRON! SMYSTERY to me how NINA and EVELINE could happily dance the JING JING with a drink of BAIANA in each hand!

At the bar NIJINSKY was in BEAUX ESPRITS to be sitting next to MATA HARI and KAMALA. Then in walked that RASCAL SKANDIA, which we all suspected was only a NOM DE PLUME for WARISAN DUYONG. Nevertheless, he complained in FORTISSIMO voice how HAFFIMAN had gone out and lost MY TOY.

We knew that SMU didn't MIND THE GAP at SEA LEVEL so when he tucked the SKYBIRD into his KATSU it was inevitable that VIRGO and UTARID would come running out to meet him.

Meanwhile, that HOOLIGAN JELIK said goodbye to TEAM LANGKAWI and took a rocket out to URANUS to use the ATM for some money to get chicken at MYA/KFC at the megamall FANTASIA.

:))))))))))))))))
well I know it doesn't make sense but it was still good
:)))))))))))))))))

Flisvos Marina, Glyfada

This place is so huge I almost fainted
we took a tram fr city centre and alighted at Trocadero station
Trocadero is a lil area in the district of Glyfada
Glyfada is the southern suburb area of Athens
but it has got to be the richest suburb I've ever seen!!!!
They called it Knightsbridge on Sea
home to ministers, celebrities, millionaires and more milliionares

well judging fr the number of yachts parked there..
it has to be a millionaires town.
they were sooooooo many yachts
and Athens has soooo many marinas...so u go and do the calculation.

we felt so small here among the white giants and hid behind the xmas tree
JS was too busy choosing his dream boat
this one caught his eyes
its name....T-2
bet the owner looks like Arnold
this T-2 compartment opens up with a jet ski inside
with stainless steel finishing
automatic steps at a press of a button

I know why he lurves this boat
coz it's stainless steel just like his kitchen...
-_-
Why would u want a boat that looks like a kitchen???

JS & Dinos the Great both love stainless steel boats
-_-
it's a men thing which I won't understand.
I like cozy yachts like this....3 floors!!!!!
woooohooooo
or maybe something like this one!!!!

Dinos the Great: "This isn't a boat Monkey!!!! It's a SHIP!!!!!"

see lar...these Greeks are so rich
their yachts = the size of a small ship
:P
as we walked furhter there were more bigger boats as big as titanic
-_-
Do they need such big ones as hobby???

by the way, all the ships/yachts/boats belonged to someone
they are not for RENT
and to maintain one cost a whole big CREW
we were walking on a floating barge like this
it's safe, even cars were on it.
see wat I meant!!!
the end of the barge
as usual, someone got over adventurous and climbed to the lower barge

*Grithing my teeth*
"GET BACK UP HERE!!!! I DON'T WANT TO BE ARRESTED!!!"
just as I thought it was the end of the barge, there were more yachts over the other side
it's never ending
I wondered how many of them are here?
we then walked over to the sailing boat area
*yea this place is tat BIG*

sail boat uses only the wind to sail
it is very small with a bedroom and a kitchen inside
with a registration number
the ropes made me so confused
then we were lucky to watch 2 men setting up the sail in 1 minute!!!
1 minute!!!!!
once the sail is up there, the boat moves
so FAST!!!!

Notti Monkey stood there waving like mad woman
"BYEEEE BYEEEE BYEEEEEEE!!!!"

no reply
.........................
........................
.........................

"How come they were so unfriendly"
Both JS and Dinos the Great walked away pretended not to know me
nor the intention to be associated with me
-_-

Hai don't blame me...
I'm a Horkatis = peasant = orang kampung = heong hah lou
it was then that Dinos the Great & JS planned a sailing trip for all of us
this COMING SEPTEMBER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOOOOOO I WANT!!!!!!!!!
I WANT THE 3 TIERED BOAT!!!!!!!!!!!

Dinos the Great: "U must work on board ok.....coz we need manpower."
Monkey did the "so-sweet-u-will-melt" smile to escape WORK

Dinos the Great: "NO NO NO. This doesn't work for me. U must work on board. Washing, cleaning the boat, cooking, and of coz learn how to sail."

SOB
9 days out at the sea
island hopping, swimmings, sailing
I hope I can take the sea
SOB....my dream boat u wait for me yea...
9 more months..
9 MORE MONTHS~~~~~~
Dinos the Great, our future captain
hey make sure u also know how to sail...
dun sail us over the Aegan Sea to Turkey
aaaAAAAAaaa
I LOVE GREECE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!