Saturday, February 20, 2016

Ipoh Art Mural

 
Hello there....whatcha doin?
trying to reach for the caged birds? wanna set them free?

I can't reach either!!! 
I'm just petite and tiny like you too, gal.



Now lemme help you...this is the least that I could do. Don't think the stool can carry my weight. Wahahahaha.

so over the CNY, Monkey JS hobbits were in the Land of Chicken Hor Fun, silky soft Tau fufah, intense curry mee, fat juicy bean sprouts and not forgetting all the beautiful porcelain skinned ladies.

and as visitors we must do wat other visitors do. :)))) So we ventured to the Ipoh old town and hunt down the street art wall mural works. Specifically works of Ernest Zacharevic but there were oso other pieces by local artist.


such as this one by a local artist. 
Uncle!!! i wanna buy bananas since it's the year of the Monkey.

Notice the difference in terms of brush strokes, colors, styles, perspective. There were only 7 art murals done by Zacharevic namely the Girl, Paperplane, Old Uncle with Coffee Cup, Hummingbird, Kopi O, Evolution and Trishaw. You can visit all by foot as it's pretty near except that the weather was a killer on that day, so we were hop in and out of the car.


At a kopitiam. Done by another local artist at Concubine Lane 3. So what were they serving at this Coffee House?

Hold ur chopsticks and enjoy your Curry Noodle!!!
From a different angle, it looked different so do make sure u get a nice frontal shot. Wall murals are painted to be viewed from the front I guess.

"Hey I-Ching, do u know that your hometown has the best Curry Noodle ever? Ever!!!!"
I-Ching: "It's more than just Curry Noodle my dear :)))"


Concubine Lane 3 is really a lane.
Now why would they name their lanes concubine? oh well long long ago, when Ipoh was famed for its tin mining, all the lanes around this area from Concubine Lane 1 to Yi Lai Hong (Concubine Lane 2) and Concubine lane 3 were a thriving den of prostitution, opium and gambling. Soon the men began keeping mistresses around this area for their pleasure. 

Today is a magnet for all the shutter bugs like me hahahaha for the town council has spent quite a bit beautifying this area with an Ipoh Heritage Trail.

Another artwork by Ernest Zacharevic - Old Uncle with Coffee Cup
situated just opposite the Ipoh Tourism office and on the side wall of Old Town Coffee. It's a huge mural covering the entire side wall.

It takes a lot of patience if u wanna fit the entire wall onto your frame. Reason being, mainly are the never ending distractions. You will have 2 choice....either u wait and have that lucky window of moment to click ur shutter at the right time....or.......just tell all those ppl anad cars and motorbikes, bicycles to move aside just for u.....

Uncle....can move aside boh??? u won't be able to get the entire thing if u stand so near....
after a few minutes...already told u...u gotta stand nearer to snap it....
then there were a few visitors who stood there to shield themselves from the scorching afternoon heat.

-_-"


Once the crowd dispersed, a hero car rolled in and park itself there...
Champion....

big sigh...told ourselves ohmmmmm it's Chinese New Year...let's learn to control our emotion amid the hot sticky afternoon.


JS cropped the pic and say this will do.....
okie lar......can lar....


Paperplane by Ernest Zacharevic.
He painted this with a crane...I wondered how does artist paint it from their point of view as the perspective and size differs from where we stood and from right smack in front of the wall.



Kopi O by Ernest Zacharevic
Such a hot day and we totally deserve really really iced cold Ipoh coffee :))))) *slurped*

Titled "Evolution" also by the same artist

The tin mining machine and the limestone hills on the background. Again not easy to shoot bcoz just so many distractions like the 2 cones there.

or distraction from other visitors or traffics or inconsiderate ppl parking right in front of this mural to view it. Sigh......this is manners. To enjoy art pieces, one needs to be considerate. Just like letting ppl out from the lifts before you enter...manners ppl!! Manners!!!!


Still best viewed from the front.
There were other murals done around this street by local artist too.

Hummingbird by Zacharevic
the tree has gone.....what a shame!!!! the bird was supposed to be facing a tree!!!



Tree is gone and cars are everywhere. Mostly non-Ipoh car plates.


My favourite works of all would be this - Trishaw
Ernest Zacharevic has made a huge name for himself after his works in Penang has gone viral globally. A Lithunian based in Penang, well done!!!


Uncle!!! How much more to load? Where is the recycle centre???


Uncle no reply me oh!!!

Looks like it's gonna be long.....I'm burning here~~~~JS u mind helping?


It's taller than me, he said!!!!



Yaaay!!!! Now we can move!!!! Let's go let's go!!!



But JS decided he wanna collect more old newspaper first...

Old Newspaper~~~~
Paper lama paper lama
Sau kaoo bou ji!!!

Oh well, if u grew up in Msia u will understand the above. 
He sure looked determined and very much on the ball when it comes to performing his duties.

Shhhhhhh Quiet......
this was done by local art teacher along Hugh Low Street


Tickle!!!!


Follow me instead :))))


For more information and its location, visit the Ipoh Tourism website below:
http://www.ipoh-city.com/attraction/art_of_oldtown/
http://www.ipoh-city.com/attraction/Ipoh_Wall_Art_Mural/

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

New class - aerial hoop

as though my life isn't busy enuff, Monkey enrolled herself into Aerial Hoop class. Another step further after pole fitness. Yeah prollie she's gonna enrol herself into a circus!!!! Monkeys, elephants, circus...oh well u get the gist. They all go hand-in-hand. While we are on the topic of circus....it has been a long long long long time since I went to one.

So seen above, Monkey was attempting her first semi-split gazelle and she's only 50% there....GAH!!! it requires so much of core body muscle, stability, strength but most of all FEARLESS of heights which again I've failed. Any tricks that require me to move my body upside down aka inverted...it's just too scary to perform for the only form of security was the mat on the floor. It still didn't convince me but so far I have yet to fall but last year I fell really badly from the pole that left such a traumatic experience.


so again and again and again, Monkey hoisted herself up to the hoop using her arms *which now left her arms sore for the last 36 hours*. Positioned and balanced her ass before straightening her body...and then all u gotta do is let it gooooooo LET IT GOOOOOOO and bend as low as possible.

 "I can't anymore!! I'm scared!!!"
Classmates: "AGAIN!!!! You can do it!!!!"


 GAH!!! this is the lowest I can go!!!!
Classmates: "No!!! lower!!!!"

 "Gals!!! seriously my waist is in pain, my arms are gonna break....I wanna come down!!!"
Classmate: "Don't give up yet. TRY AGAIN!!!!!"

 Please~~~~~ Lemme come down!!! I'm scared!!!! I'm not flexible enuff to to a full gazelle yet!!! I dare not even open my eyes!!!
T_T

my classmates are all perfectionists. I don't even need my instructor to whip me, they have done the job for her. I'm the whiner and the lazy one in the class, bcoz of them I've learnt not to give up so easily. So now I need to dedicate time to ensure that I don't skip/miss class...but looks like it's not possible for this weekend, I don't have time to attend classes again. ~_~


Goal for this year....to execute all of the above...
:))))))

If you are interested please log onto my dance school's FB page for more details:
https://www.facebook.com/viva.vertical.malaysia


Monday, January 04, 2016

Shanghai Tang for Moleskin

My beloved Minnie Mouse notebook had served me well, she has travelled far and wide, accompanied me through my wonderful journey and kept me reminded of all my to-do list. That's her job, to document everything that I've needed :))))

So thank you and you will be remembered and kept alongside with all my years of accumulated Moleskins :))))


Shopping for a moleskin isn't easy for Monkey coz it needs to reflect on her for that particular year. I can't be carrying a cute Doraemon Moleskin to meetings right? Minnie Mouse was an exceptional coz she looks pretty discreet....but not Doraemon nor Line Friends or Simpsons....and I definitely don't want a star wars for this year. *Though I like Star Wars* Then there's so many other limited edition such as Snoopy and Friends, Le Petit Prince and some other adorable ones.
then he caught my eyes!!! you even naughtier Monkey!!!!
See NO Evil 
Hear No Evil 
Speak no Evil!!!!

designed by Shanghai Tang and inspired by the year of Monkey!!! It has got so much of resonance with me, just gotta have it!!!

and so this morning as I was sipping my morning coffee on my desk.....looking at him brings such joy. Don't know why, could be I'm just really excited about 2016 to come for there's more exciting adventures and destinations for Notti Monkey, JS and hobbits....and also some new hobbits in tow *hihihihihihihi*

When I flipped it open on its first page ready to pen my day, sweet JS already left a message on the very first page :))))))))))


If you have yet to get your notebook/planner for 2016, do log on to Moleskin's official site for some inspiration. Else hop over to Kinokuniya bookstore or any other authorised bookstores that sells Moleskin.

http://www.moleskine.com/en/
https://malaysia.kinokuniya.com/

Happy eppy eppy New Year 2016!!!!