kirby placing the stencil on

I made an appointment with Kirby, of Utopia Studio, after witnessing his intricate strokes against my wife’s skin. My wife was at the tattoo parlor, retouching what was unfortunately a bad ink job of her Motion Star (note to all: white ink requires extremely experienced tattoo artists with a perfectionist streak). I don’t think I’ve seen anyone so passionate about his craft before. I figured at that point that he was to be the one to wake my Dragon up.

the sorry looking dragon and pat's love handles

The Dragon was the first tattoo I’ve got, at the age of 16. Once intimidating, irresponsible neglect has caused the Dragon to fade to a bad tint of dirty green. To awake the Dragon, Kirby drew clouds, in an oriental manner that coil around it like a new coat for a king. I requested as well, the narcissistic bugger that I am, for my surname, Liu in Chinese, to be included “somehow”. He delivered my request wittedly, in that of a Chinese imperial seal.

The inking experience was traumatic in progress, euphoric when ended. 6 tattoos later, I don’t think I’ve quite experience pain of this degree. Because of the intensive shading required, my poor skin endured strokes after strokes of 7 needles dragging at the same time, over what was the longest 2 hours of my life. It doesn’t help having a perfectionist for a tattoo artist. I should’ve gotten the hint from the name of his tattoo parlor.

the dragon awakes

do you notice the missing stroke?

The result of his mastery is amazing. This is undoubtedly the best work of art on my body. It is a shame that there is a typo error to my surname. Yes, a typo error to my surname. I was in complete shock when I realized from the pictures that there is a missing stroke in my surname. Oh my god! How can this happen to me? My surname has been changed by a tattoo artist! Oh my fucking god!

Stuff like that can only happen to me. You don’t even want to hear about that time when Tibetan monks paid my home a surprise visit whilst I was in the midst of, well, entertainment. The good thing is I’m returning to Kirby for a touch up when my tattoo is fully healed. I’ll be making sure to proof read my tattoo this time. Meanwhile, I’ll try to deal with a missing stroke.

If you’re keen on getting inked by Kirby (in spite of his error, he still has the best hands I’ve seen thus far), here’s the details.

Utopia Studio
50 East Coast Road
#02-95 Roxy Square 2 Shopping Centre (opposite Parkway Parade)
T: 6346 1541
W: www.angkongtiam.com (don’t ask… and after a while, I think I kinda like the unassuming tone of it)

Note: Special thanks to my dearest wife, who not only played photographer cum camera(wo)man, but also, allowing me to clutch on to her hands whilst I grimaced in agony.

That is, however, not to say that Cowboy Caleb is one without tact, like Franco Louis and his butt implants obsession. I know this because approving abortions disturb him, racist remarks angers him and well, he respected my privacy enough to remove that particular picture of me going down on a giant female toilet sign upon my request.

There is truth in what Cowboy Caleb has said about local blogs decomposing from bad to awful. While I don’t agree to everything he has said, I do agree that to a certain degree, bloggers’ escalating obsession with fame and fortune, often caused by mercenary blog advertising companies, has resulted in the decline in quality of local blogs. Which is quite a pity considering that we haven’t had any local blog morph into an international name just yet.

While the old bird has a list on how you can be an irritating Singaporean blogger, please allow me to share with you what I think this country needs.

1. Think tanks

got brain? | image courtesy of asymptotia.com

I don’t want to hear about how you went for a bloody manicure as much as I want to hear about why you think women are obsessed with nails.

I don’t want to hear about your latest date with some KGB-looking Russian intern in your office as much as I do want to hear about why you think Putin’s a great fuck leader.

I don’t want to hear about you attending some blogger outreach (literally “oh, so I met so and so and so and so and so and so” – do you think I give a flying fuck?) as much as I want to hear about why you think blogger outreach programmes are important for the infancy stage we are at within the local Social Media realm. Or maybe, if you have the balls, why bloggers are seemingly ugly.

I want to see local bloggers write better, and that does not mean the implementation of Queen’s English whilst abandoning the colloquial beauty of Singlish (seriously, how do you fake an American accent and pronounce Sydney, “Sit-knee”?). I want to see better flow of thoughts, I want to see beautifully crafted words worthy of a scribble in my notebook, and I want to see local bloggers blog with a higher purpose. A higher purpose? Is that possible? I’m hoping so. Cowboy Caleb, Popagandhi, Mr. Brown and Mr. Miyagi, please don’t quit on me.

2. Blog Audit

Through the page sources of some blogs (well done, Claudia and nadnut), I’ve noticed the implementation of the free web tracking application Google Analytics. Good. Keep it going if you have already implemented it. Start if you have not.

Before I show you the money, you show me your numbers. I’ll keep this bit short for now. Something’s brewing at the back of my mind, and I cannot wait to pimp it out.

3. Balls

balls | image courtesy of closer to fine

I find some corporate and government blogs amusing. What the fuck is the point of blogging if clearly, you’re just making an announcement (I’m being kind by not calling it a self-whoring promotion) and not an opinion? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of blogging in the first place? Isn’t blogging about sharing of thought, and as Cowboy Caleb mentioned, connecting with the audience? Mate, go back to your godawful corporate newsletter that nobody reads.

4. Niche blogs

I’m guilty as charged for this. Perhaps we are too young and unsophisticated a market, but we don’t have enough niche blogs as much as we do with mass-centric ones. I write about social media as much as I do about art, architecture, fashion, homosexuality, photography and whatnot. I don’t stick to a common category because I blog what I am.

If writers of magazines apply the same devil-may-care attitude, what do you think will happen? Everyone starts looking like I-S magazine. It takes a lot of conviction I guess, for a blogger to stick to a common topic. Well, hopefully that’d come soon.

5. A slap across the face

Wake up. You’re a blogger, you’re not Mother Theresa. You don’t have the charm of Gore Vidal. You certainly don’t look like Angelina Jolie. Perhaps, without your blog, you won’t even have friends. Wake up and get real, aight?

How about you guys? What do you think this little red dot needs in the blogosphere?

the idea book

My wife bought this book on Monday at BooksActually, and I was tempted to do the same, if not for the obscene amount of Moleskines and Rhodias I bought for an upcoming change in my life (one to keep track of my schedule, one for minutes of meetings, one for beautiful words I find whilst reading on the train, etc).

The Idea Book by Fredrik Härén works on the premise that good ideas do not appear naturally like breasts to a woman (most, anyway). They need to be enticed out, by means of inspiration and motivation. This book promises you just that: the inspiration and motivation you need to come up with ideas.

A whole lot of fluff, you think? Well, creativity flows best in that of an open mind, and that preconceived judgement of yours chokes the river, doesn’t it?

For the open mind, there are 150 pages about ideas, and another 150 for your own ideas. Get yours today at BooksActually (5 Ann Siang Road) for about 50 quid. If you’re a narcissistic insurance agent, you can also order special editions personalised with your own logo printed inside to give away to customers who’re already sick of your annual desktop calendars here.

Stay tuned for updates. I hear from the booksellers that Fredrik will be in town some time this month.

front

back

Via: NOTCOUTURE

Schedule as follows.

adidas Originals Concept Stores @
- Raffles City Shopping Centre, #01-44
- Pacific Plaza, 9 Scotts Road, 01-09

September 6 2008 (Saturday)
- Raffles City (3pm-7pm): Sheryo
- Pacific Plaza (4pm-8pm): eeshaun (my fave!)

September 7 2008 (Sunday)
- Raffles City (11am-3pm): Sheryo
- Pacific Plaza (3pm-7pm): eeshaun

September 13 2008 (Saturday)
- Raffles City (3pm-7pm): The Killer Gerbil
- Pacific Plaza (4pm-8pm): ZERO

September 14 2008 (Sunday)
- Raffles City (11am-3pm): The Killer Gerbil
- Pacific Plaza (3pm-7pm): ZERO

September 20 2008 (Saturday)
- Raffles City (3pm-7pm): PHU!
- Pacific Plaza (4pm-8pm): ANTZ

September 21 2008 (Sunday)
- Raffles City (11am-3pm): PHU!
- Pacific Plaza (3pm-7pm): ANTZ

September 27 2008 (Saturday)
- Raffles City (3pm-7pm): LAZY
- Pacific Plaza (4pm-8pm): HYPERTHETIC

September 28 2008 (Sunday)
- Raffles City (11am-3pm): LAZY
- Pacific Plaza (3pm-7pm): HYPERTHETIC

Hail to thee Trefoil!

Via: TOYSREVIL. Thanks for the update, Andy!

P.S. Yes, I know he’s not a Singaporean, but like Yongfook, Cowboy Caleb probably has more Singaporean readers on his blog than The Straits Times. Same same.

Via: Hip.Young.Thing.

Via: Sex and Blogs

I’ve spent the last 20 minutes choked in my own laughter reading their comic strips of stories which they tell of all things caused by their daily encounters at work. A must-view for anyone from the Advertising/ Marketing/ PR industry. Check them out today.

in retrospect, i'm glad the clients didn't pick that one too!

your client takes the cake, babes

I really love these. Gonna send them to my colleagues and clients come Tuesday when I return to work.

how to be a good boss

how to be a good client