With the ban on models who are considered too thin at the Madrid Fashion Show after the death of a Uruguayan model while participating in a fashion show during Fashion Week in Montevideo (Uruguay), Papa Karl Lagerfeld was invited to give his view during the news telecast on channel France 3. Wearing his signature aviator glasses with 80's Madonna-esce finger-less gloves, he told the newscaster/journalist that it's all about what the designer and the line is looking for. According to him, it's all absurd...absurdly absurd to have a certain minimum weight limit as the morphology of the young girls differs from one to another.
-"What is a perfect body is very subjective... as for example, Claudia Schiffer, Linda Avengelista etc whom enrolled in agencies looking for monsters and the likes roles in films, when they thought they were too thin, but in the end became some of the biggest super models in the world. What I have to say is that this is absurd".-

I know eating disorder is serious matter and is nothing to laugh about. Call me crass but what he said next really cracked me up. with pursed lips and knitted brows, he expressed "Elles travaillent... elles n'ont pas de temps de penser à mourir de faim. C'est absurdement absurde"... translated as 'they (the models) have a lot of work,they are so busy that that they don't have time to think about dying of hunger.' CLASSIC!

I am so excited that I can't sleep. I really need to go to bed. Wall climbing early morning tomorrow. and then, prepare a quick early dinner and will rush off to Bercy. David Guetta will be opening the show. I was at Bain Douche, which was his extremely 'select' and exclusive club whereby it is graced by celebs and jet setting socialites. Of course, with yours sincerely being able to get in without the most dreaded 'you are not on the list' thrown at my face... that simply means that it has pass its glorious years and lost most of its lustre.

Update: Just came back from Amsterdam. It was great even with the incessant rain. Pictures coming soon.

One of the many things that I love about this city is that you are always being surrounded by art and culture. Heck, no matter how cliché it sounds, one really drinks and breaths art here. And the great thing about it is that people here don't place profit as priority in organizing these great events or making art in general. That's another good thing about being in a Socialist country. Oh well, finally, I am back, exams are over.... no more pondering over the illicit meanings swimming between the lines of Beckett's play, interpreting Verlaine's poetries and also his violent homosexual affair with Rimbauld or debating over existentialism theories of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir's feminism. I could really use a break now.

Thus, I was at the Inauguration:Opening Ceremony of Onze Bouge (in English, 11 Moves), an annual 11 day festival organized by the City Council of the 11th Ward/District featuring FREE Dance, Music, Theater and Cinema programmes. There were mostly artsy fartsy people, none of those 16th District snobbish bourgeois and freeflow of champagne and hors d'oeuvre... quite like a scene from Marie Antoinette with lots of cake minus the plomb and big hair, the irony I felt at that instance was that the Bastille prison (a prison for royalty) which was situated in this very district was burnt to the ground in 1789 on the basis of Antoinette's infamous misquotation, "If they have no bread, then let them eat cake!" ("Qu'ils mangent de la brioche."). Floating in the midst of the wisps of cigarette smoke (yes, smoking is very becoming and is allowed in functions like this in France), there is the charm of controlled boisterous decadence where people were juggling discussions about politics, the Clearstream scandal, art and fashion with sips of bubbly golden fermented juice. Faboulous, isn't it? After that, there were the inevitable opening speeches. Amongst all the thank you's and gratitudes, the thing that caught mu attention was what Christophe Girard, the 11th District's Administrator of Culture Affair (who is openly gay) said: since our neighbeourhood is lacking in cultural landmarks nor museums, the Onze Bouge Festival is the outlet where people in this district will be submerged into the depth of arts, music and entertainment. The French will always find reasons to celebrate and have fun.

After that, we were entertained by the folksy sounds of Moldavian (eastern Romania) band. Everyone was enjoying themselves, young, old, hetero, homo, clapping gaily and joining in, dancing. What a night, and that was only the beginning... the festival will last until the 11th of June.

Yet on another cultural related entry...Yesterday, having nothing much to do on my own I decided to finally go watch X Men 3. As the movie time was much later, I was wondering around the busy plaza of Bourbourg where the Forum les Halles is situated. It was a beautiful day and Christophe and I decided to much the brownies that he bought at the open space in front of the Modern Art Museum/ Centre Pompidou, a happening place where one can soak up the sun while being entertained by the sights of the people congregating around that area. It is in fact the place to spot experimental performance artists and indie musicians doing their things.

There was one who totally got me under his spell. I was thinking: What the hell was he doing here? He ought to be signed up by a recording company. Standing there with a mike connected to a lousy amp, this amazon looking man in a wife-beater with rich chocolate colored strong bare arms carrassing his guitar generated quite a storm. People were singing and clapping along with him, and he kept on asking "vous êtes toujours là?" (you guys still here with me?) and each time, the response got louder and rowdier. The intense support encouraged him more and he made the crowd repeat the chorus with him while flashing an infectious smile. After one of his songs, he introduced himself and he hoped that the people enjoy his music and for those who like his songs, they can find out more on his site or at leave a few words of encouragement on an autograph book that one of his clique was passing around. I was particularly enthralled by one of his songs entitled Le Bohémien. Before he began he dedicated the song to all dreamers and there is this line in the corus:'n'abandonne pas'(don't abandon it)that goes on and on. It made the hair on my arm stand in a very good way, his powerful voice beautifully resonating even with just a lousy amp, as I have stated earlier. You guys should check out this singer called Guito B's site.... click on mutimedia to hear some of the samples.

http://guitob-story.site.voila.fr/audio.html

Last Wednesday,I was lucky enough to be able to get cheap last minute tickets for Teshigawara / Lagraa / Kylián, contemporary ballet pieces by Les Étoiles dancers staged in the famous Opéra Garnier de Paris, which the story of the Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux and the world famous musical of the same name by Andrew Lloyd Webber is based on. The experience was extraordinary, very bourgeois, very cultured snob. The pieces, as I said, contemporary, thus were fresh, powerful and seductive. Especially in the third part of the show (Bella Figura), where the dancers were topless, (both male and female) in cascading crimson skirts, was ravishing and received an extended standing ovation. I loved it, but RV, being the square geeky old school guy, liked the ambience, but not the show. Here are some ( pictures )

For those whom have their heart broken, this is a song dedicated to you. Call me Peter Pan or Pollyana, but as how Ewan McGregor sings in le Moulin Rouge, "All we need is love".

Aimer jusqu'a l'impossible by Tina Arena
Here is the file and my loose translation of the lyrics. Trust me it's way much better than those from babelfish.

Je n'ai connu qu'une histoire d'amour Au fil de ma vie Cet homme m'a promis les toujours Et puis s'est enfui C’est la couleur de l’enfer Quand les mensonges salissent tout J’aurai pu sombrer sous la colère Comme un cheval fou Mais, ce qui m’a sauvée C’est de pouvoir aimer Aimer jusqu’à l’impossible Aimer Se dire que c’est possible D’aimer D’un amour invincible Aimer jusqu’à l’impossible C’est possible J’ai vu mes châteaux en Espagne Ce que j’ai bâti Disparaître sous les flammes De la jalousie C’est une douleur sans égal Quand sa vie part en étincelles J’aurai pu vendre mon âme au Diable Comme un criminel Mais, ce qui m’a sauvée C’est de pouvoir aimer Aimer jusqu’à l’impossible Aimer Se dire que c’est possible D’aimer D’un amour invincible Aimer jusqu’à l’impossible C’est possible Aimer Et jurer sur la Bible D’aimer Malgré l’inadmissible Aimer jusqu’à l’impossible C’est possible Aimer jusqu’à l’imprévisible Aimer jusqu’à l’impossible C’est possible

I only knew a love story In my entire life That man promised me this and that all the time And then fled away from my life It's the colour of hell When the filthy lies soil it all I could have sunk so deep being driven by anger Like a crazy horse But, I was saved Saved by being able to love To love until it's impossible To love Which is to say it's possible To love From a love that's invincible To love until it's impossible It's possible I saw my castle in Spain Which I have built Dissapears under the flames Of jealousy It's an uncomparable sore When its life vanishes in sparks I could have sold my soul to the devil Like a criminal But, I was saved Saved by being able to love To love until it's impossible To love Which is to say it's possible To love From a love that's invincible To love until it's impossible It's possible To love and swear by the bible To love Even if it's unallowable To love until it's impossible It's possible To love until the end that's unpredictable To love until it's impossible It's possible

In the year 2006 I resolve to: Take over the world. Get your resolution here

at least the fashion world

Christmas ain't that bad after all as I am getting a BIG Xmas present... and of all people, never expected to get one from them!

Check this out!!!



ESPECIALLY HIM!!!



I wonder the people at Warners are involved in the winner selection process. En tout cas, j'suis très content et je vais pas plaindre. All in all, I am not going to complaint. :D

Now that I am gonna get ICON (Madonna official fan club) membership for one year, and it's quite confirmed that she is gonna go for a tour next year, I am very happy to know that I am going to get good seats. MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! HO HO HO!!!

Dear boys and the few girls who actually do men....

1) How big is the biggest you have encountered (ballpark) and how big is big and how big is too big? (Answer this question, even if you are a pure 'top' who completelly does not want to bottom or give heads)

2) What do you think about guys who are pure top who doesn't like giving heads, but who lets you 'top' him?

3) Should I continue to sleep around or should I get into a relationship?

You see dogs everywhere... big ones, small ones, upturned-nose ones (not unlike those of their owners) but you never ever see stray ones. You see punks with their big handsome dogs. You see hot handsome young men in their designer clothes with their adorably ugly bullmastiffs and bull terrier. You see small older ladies with their silky terrier or their miniature poodles. You even see them off leash, obediently walking next to their owners. Don't think that will ever happen in Malaysia. You see strays everywhere, even those who have puppy eyes will grow into trash rummaging rugrats and when they grow up, they just want to run out of the compound when given the chance (even when given lots of tender loving care) or run off to the bitch in heat if they are off-leashed. It's so difficult to train malaysian dogs. Sigh... should we blame the masters or should we blame the dogs?

I believe none of you have been with a guy you can't totally communicate with....here's a surprise. Communication ain't everything in a relationship. Being with Dominique for these few days made me feel very much like Nicole Kidman in Birthday Girl, where she was a mail order bride who spoke not a word of English. Although I can get by with my poor french, it's still very difficult to hold a decent conversation with someone who speaks no english at all and slurrrs his french. But still, he's really sweet and caring, totally trusting a total stranger really touched me. Where can you find someone who will leave a key to his/ her house to a total stranger in Malaysia?

Anyway, more about new discovery.... After the entire day of walking, we went back to chez Dom (Dom's place) and while he take a nap, I went and did a very Malaysian thing. I took a shower. For the French, they typically take a shower in the moning, and.... err...basically that's it. They only bathe once, no wonder they are the pioneer in the perfumarie business. After that, we proceeded to buy du pain, du vin and un gâteau (bread, wine and a cake) enroute to chez Ricky, a friend from Kota Bahru who has been in France for a long time and at the moment, planning on opening a restaurant with his hubby. We had a petite soirée there together with Imran, a Singaporean who did Political Sc. in Paris a couple of years ago and who was back here to do his master after his obligotory service back in Singapore. After that, Imran suggested that we go out, and we went to café Cargo at rue de Lombards, which was taken up by the Long Yang Association, Paris Chapter. On arrival, we pay the cover charge and also a fee for the coatroom, I've always wanted to do that... checking in the coat on arrival in a club. After that, we went down and down to where, as how Emmette Honeycut puts it, the gay thumpa-thumpa is. Finally I am in a club with a backroom (I didn't make a visit into it by the way, just not my scene and people there are papi/ grannies. The atmosphere is great but the music and the crowd kinda suck. Very different from Club Raid (Tell you guys more about that the next time around)...anyway, ( here are the pics. )