Shopaholic in Bangkok #2: Cheap & Chic

I have promised to write about this blog some time back, but never got to it. I was into this topic so much that I went to Suan Lum Night Bazaar and took pictures to post on the blog. So let’s get to it, shall we?

Before getting into the what and the where, I want to start with the how. Here are some tips for shopping cheap and chic in Bangkok. You should dress appropriately. Let’s say you make a promise to have a girls-day-out shopping at Suan Lum Night Bazaar or Platinum Mall or Jatujak, you’d better get into the right kind of gear. Wear a fitting tank top and a skirt, so that you can try clothes on easily. A skirt is convenient for you to try on shorts, or jeans, or other skirts. Shoes? Up to you. If you’re the kind that gets tired easily, then wear something comfortable. But my reco is to wear something you usually wear, a bit of heels don’t hurt. Coz you want to know how you look exactly when you try on clothes. Remember that in these places, dressing room is hard to find. At most they might have a long cloth for you to change, but nothing more than that.

What else? Tie up your hair. Don’t forget how humid it gets at Jatujak. You don’t want to sweat like a pig. Also, bring a nice cloth bag to put the stuff you buy. The world is getting warmer and we, shopaholic chic, shouldn’t take so many plastic bags that we will throw away once we get home. For those who are extra cautious, you might want to put only the necessities into the bag, you know, so that you don’t necessarily carry too much stuff. They can weigh you down and make your shopping less fun. Don’t bring your wallet. Just bring cash and an ATM card. Many pick-pocketters are out there trying to take your wallets. Bring a small bottle of mineral water spray to refresh yourself, a pack of cleansing wipe which becomes handy when your hands get dirty, and you are ready to go!

Now let’s do the where and what. Let’s start with Suan Lum Night Bazaar. What’s good there? Suan Lum is the mix of everything. You’ll find clothes some up-and-coming designers who don’t have other outlets but here. You’ll find some few shops with designer clothes that flew from China or Vietnam. You’ll find some few shops with clothes taken from other wholesale markets like Bobae or Pratunum. You’ll find some accessories shops, ranging from hand-made, taken from wholesale markets, second-handed, etc. You’ll also find many other things like home furniture, souvenirs, CDs, DVDs, etc, getting in your way of shopping fashionistically. So be patient. My reco is to stick with only 2 zones, no need to go everywhere. Just stick to Lopburi and Ayuthaya. My picks are:-

1) Lopburi soi 1, 2, 3: you’ll find interesting stuff all the way. You’ll find original design of tops, shorts, pants, and dresses.













2) Do stop at the corner shop of Lopburi Soi 1 (D401). They have a nice rack of eclectic tops and dresses. If you get something from this shop, you’re pretty sure you won’t bump into someone wearing the same thing. The price is nice too. Tops are under 700B, and dresses under 1,400B.













3) Another stop is D397, same soi. The owner has taste. Great choice of designer clothes ranging from Chloe, Jill Sander, and the likes. Dresses, tops and some accessories.











4) At another end opposite Ayuthaya is my friend’s shop: Head-to-toe. Here, you’ll find exotic clothes from India, Korea, and wherever she gets a chance to fly to. Again, one-of-a-kind dress. But you should have a nice body coz not all pieces are body-tucking.















5) My new favorite, D457, the Palette. This little shop is full of goodies! I talked to the owner and she told me that she orders clothes from online, mostly from Korea. So you won’t find them anywhere else. The materials are great, and the cutting is absolutely wonderful. You find great colors and style too. Check this vintage-look yellow dress number (that I almost got). And check this all-over embroider emperor-waist dress I got. It’s a made-from-Soda-look (without actually copying from Soda) at less than 1000 B.










6) Stop at two great earring shops, which I can’t tell you where exactly. They are in soi 3-5 of Lopburi, closer to Ayuthaya end. You’ll know when you are there. The earrings are priced around 50 – 100 B/pair and looking absolutely fabulous. At P’ Golf’s, things are a bit dressier. His stuffs also are available at Paragon at double price. So just buy as many pairs as you want. They’re worth the money.

7) Once you are done with Lopburi, cross the street to Ayuthaya, and go directly to Ayuthaya Soi 5. You’ll find P’ Top’s shop. P’ Top’s shop is full of clothes she daily collects from all over the places. Here you have to use your skill to really dig to find the right pieces. Coz they are so many! You’ll find everything here, the tops, bottoms, dresses, and accessories at the prices so cheap you can’t believe it. But of course, you won’t expect chiffon or silk material, will you? Aside from the clothes, check the CD shop next door. They’ve got nice little collection of cool jazz, bossa, soul, funky, and rock CDs that you’ll probably spend more than at P’ Top’s.

That’s my picks of Suan Lum Night Bazaar. Hmm, actually it’s much more fun writing with pictures. OK, next stop, I’ll do a thorough search of Thai Airways Market and the complicated Jatujak and write about it. For sure it will be much longer since there are so many great shops there. Oh, about the time you should slot for your shopping? At Suan Lum, slot about 2.30 hrs post dinner. Start around 7.30 to 10 would be my reco.

Chic Mommy Episode# 1

Dear all mom-to-bes & mom-wannabes,

Don’t let pregnancy and babies stop you for being chic. These days, there are chic products and brand names to prep you to an ultimate chic mom status. It ain’t cheap thou.

I’d like to start off with the stroller. Think about the wellbeing of your baby. You don’t want your baby to forever stay at home, but you don’t your baby to go out & about and experience the outside world with you, may it be the upscale department store, the authentic, cozy, Italian restaurant, the white-powder-sand beach, or the mountain high with forest and fall. Think about how much time you and your baby will spend on this stroller. This brand is my absolute favorite, Bugaboo. Here’s a short summary of Bugaboo story from its website.

Bugaboo is the brainchild of Dutch Designer, Max Barenburg, and his physician brother-in-law, Eduard Zanen. Together they wanted to invent a stroller that was both functional and fashionable, could be used in the city and the country and that was appealing to fathers as well as mothers.

Their answer was the Bugaboo Frog. Introduced in Holland in 1999, and named for it's 'frog like' suspension wheels that 'jumps' over obstacles in its path, the Frog became the 'it' stroller of celebrities and parents who wanted this elite stroller for their babies.

Now they have got 3 major product lines: Frog, Gecko & Cameleon, with price range of $750 - $900. The chic elements of Bugaboo are the crossover of functionality and design. Look at how much you can do with this stroller. I posted the full-option Cameleon for example. You can choose up to 32 color combinations of canvas and fleece fabrics as well as customize embroidery of your baby’s name, nickname, or whatever you wish. You can even get embroidery of your company logo!

The Bugaboo Cameleon. Adaptable and Adorable.
The Bugaboo Cameleon Stroller is engineered to include more features and options than any other stroller on the market today. The Cameleon features high-tech and convenient features such as adjustable suspension for optimal shock absorption, different wheel positions for different terrain, a height adjustable handlebar, an Aerosleep mattress, reversible handle bar and seat, bassinet that can be used separately, mosquito net and rain cover, a huge capacity under the seat storage basket and much more. Take a look below to see all of the innovative features that are included with every Cameleon.

Chassis with wheels: Sturdy, lightweight, aluminum base, with two 6-inch adjustable suspension swivel wheels for optimal maneuverability and two l2-inch inflatable rugged wheels for stability.
Reversible handlebar converts forward facing wheels to small swivel wheels for city strolling or larger rugged inflatable tires for rougher terrain. Parking brake on handlebar for added safety.

Seat/Bassinet frame & material: Simply use the included material to convert the seat to a Bassinet. The Bassinet can be detached and used separately.
Tailored fleece fabric (sun canopy, apron, and inlay) Soft, light, hypo-allergenic, water resistant, non static, color fast and comfortable in warm and cool weather.

Carry handle: Can be used as a bumper bar for baby to hold onto or as a carry handle when using the Bassinet separately.

Aerosleep mattress: This comfy mattress is specially constructed to prevent sweating and stay dry. The mattress is also hypoallergenic, protecting your baby from dust and pollen.
Sun canopy: Protects your baby's highly sensitive from harmful sun rays..

Mosquito net: Protects your little one from annoying flying and biting insects.

Reversible and adjustable handlebar for converting forward facing wheels to small swivel wheels for city strolling or larger rugged inflatable tires for rougher terrain. A parking break is attached for added safety. Handlebar is also adjustable up to six inches for taller parents.

Seat: A three position reclining seat and luxurious deep padded seat supplies extra comfort for baby. Seat is also reversible for baby to face you or away from you to enjoy the view. A five-point safety harness is built into the seat.

Under seat bag: Convenient storage that hold up to eight pounds.

Rain cover: Helps protect your child from rain and wind. An air vent offers fresh air ventilation. Cover works with both the seat and bassinet options.

Compact fold: Easily folds up to carry with you and store in your trunk or garage.

Sorry, I got carried away. See how a good design can do to you? I simply want to have a baby so that I can stride him/her in this lovely stroller. And now it comes with Bugaboo by Kosters, a limited edition stroller (only 1000 strollers in the world!) designed y Dutch fashion icon. In its website, it’s nicely starting with “Your baby is unique and beautiful. So why demand any less out of your Bugaboo stroller?” So, the price shoots up to $2000! But look! It’s soooo cute. It also just came out with the new denim line, which priced $150 above the base price.

Next blog, we will explore more on diaper bags, maternity clothes, and baby clothes. The more I searched about this, the more I’m amazed at how huge this market has become!

The Barbaric Invasion

I’m on the plane back from Frankfurt to Bangkok, with reality starting to bite me that what has happened in the last 8 days is about to be left behind. My first trip to Italy is officially over! I wanted to capture my thoughts and feelings while they are still fresh, so there it is.

I gave the title “The Barbaric Invasion” because that was what I felt us girls really did to this country. No matter how “Italia blissima”, I couldn’t help but feeling out of place, that I wasn’t really belong there. The way the waitress in risterante in Firenze wouldn’t let us move the table simply because the bill was already set up, we just really wanted to enjoy the moment. How dare she was! The way the salesperson in the shop had to fix everything I touched immediately after I lifted off my finger, as if I would infect their bags through my fingerprints. The way the male street salesmen looked at me as if they could have passed on me any time. And the examples went on… I would say that was the only thing that reduced the greatness of this trip.

In spite of that, this trip still tops my chart, so does this country. I’m so proud of Thailand, but I really have to give it to the Italian. So many highlights. So many wows I lost count. So many overwhelming feelings it was so difficult to suck everything in one go. So I’ll just talk about the high points without any chronological order because it wouldn’t be so Italian if I become so orderly, would it?

Beautiful men: I just have to talk about them. How could I not? You can’t help but thinking it is so unfair that the population of handsome men is really concentrated in such a small area of this world. No matter where you go, you’ll find them. They could be the taxi driver, bell boy, hotel staff, waiter, Murano seller, or scientist, you name the occupation. They’re so good looking that I feel like they are the sex objects, rather than real people. We’ve seen so many of them that we had to develop our ‘code’ of ‘lor alert’. At one point in the boat in Venizia, the ‘lor alert’ alarmed us so much so that the alarm exploded. And they know they’re good looking so they always charm their way around us. They are the best eye candies you could really ask for. But nothing beyond that thou (so far).

The country side of Italy: I’ve never seen such beautiful highway before. Green grass, field filled with tiny yellow flowers, small little hills with a house that looks more like a mini castle on top of the hill surrounded by vineyard, and those beautifully-shaped Mediterranean pines that look like someone diligently climbs up and trims them into those particular shapes. This was the sight I saw on the way from Rome to my outlet shopping in Florence, something close to the area called Tuscany, where I promised to myself I will definitely come back to.

The fashion: The fact that I got that gorgeous white leather Prada bag under 330 euro made so many people jealous of me. But I don’t care, hahaha, in fact, it made me even more proud of that bag. But, really, it’s just not about the Prada stuffs I got, not even just about the Chloe bag I also got. But it’s about the fashion. Everybody there dresses so well, both the guys and the girls. The entire textile shops there, branded or unbranded, feature the best clothes. Guys love to dress up. The bell boys, the waiters, etc, everyone wears really nice suits, and wears them well. It’s really eye-pleasing. And you can’t really tell who’s gay, straight or just metro, coz they’re all well-dressed.

• The transit rush: I will never forget the transit rush. And it taught me to stay in a few places and reduce the transits. For some reason, we always ended up rushing to catch the plane / trains / boat, etc. And the more we stayed, the more stuff we bought. So I ended up being not-so-Khun Nai like I used to.

Roma at night and the tears of joy: It was the first night I arrived in Rome. Right after I got out of Rome Airport, I was kidding with my friend, asking her where the ruins and columns are. She told me to relax. As Unilever car drove us into the heart of the city, my friend said, “See? It started to get more cultured.” And then I saw, the remains of the ancient glorious days started to appear. Then, our driver, as if he knew what these two barbaric Asian really wanted the first night they arrived in Rome, he stopped the car by one place. We didn’t know where we were. So he pointed us to look to the right of the window. And there we saw…The Mouth of Truth…that horrendous face with his mouth wide-open that Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck teasing each other in Roman Holidays was just three feet away from me. And there we screamed, shamelessly. Then, the tear came down my cheek. He then drove us passing the Forum. I kept crying, feeling so overwhelmed with seeing one of the most significant human civilizations with my naked eyes. Then he stopped the car by Colosseum and let us take some pictures. Then, we stopped at Trevi Fountain before arriving to the hotel. So within a good thirty minutes from the Airport, we had a real nice night tour of Roma Bllissima. I actually took another walk at night around Rome, talking to Colosseum, the prime minister’s house, the Forum, and some other places. To me, during the day, Rome seems to be too touristy. At night, it’s more quiet, more calm, less chaotic, and all of the sudden, it’s as if we’re really in Rome, not just seeing Rome.

Venizia: a giant movie set that looks so real. Venice is so adorable. Everyone I know who’s been to Venice love it coz it’s so unique. We all felt like we were in a giant movie set (something like a market where Harry Potter shops his stationary). I can’t believe that place has no access for cars. It looks like the entire city was trapped in an ancient time, refusing to evolve through time. On top of that, it’s got the hand-crafted mask shops, the Murano glass, the gondola, etc. The houses look really old, like centuries-old. We wondered whether real people live in those houses. And San Marco was beautiful. Someone said that you can easily get lost in Venice, and happy to do so. That was so true for us who took 3.5 hours for a 45-minute walk from San Roma to San Marco.

David: We got to see David in the Accademia in Florence. It was stunning. I’ve never seen such a man so physically perfect, and we’re talking about a sculpture here. David represents the word “perfection” in every sense, the face, the hair, the poise, the muscles, the hands, the arms, the legs, even the veins. There’s not an ounce of fat. I suppose Michaelangelo envisioned a Roman warrior when creating David. And I had no wonder Italy is the land of beautiful men, starting from David himself. I mean, if you are descended from such a beautiful creature, how can you not be? We took a long look at him in the front and back. We actually sat down, starring at his back for a good 15 minutes, admiring everything we could. What a man.

The Birth of Venus: I am a big fan of Botticelli. He and Raffael are my favorite Renaissance artists. I went into Uffizi, not expecting so much coz I didn’t have time to study which pieces are in there (how barbaric, right?). Anyway, I got in the morning of the second day. And we three split up, each had our own audio guide, and roaming through 13th – 18th century of Italian (and some western Europe) art history. One room was dedicated to Botticelli. And I was drawn towards the biggest picture in the middle of the wall which the audio guide mentioned “this time we don’t have to tell you where the picture is”. Of course, it’s the very picture I’ve been seeing a hundred of times, the magnificent “Birth of Venus”. My small drop of tear came down my cheek again, for no reason. It was one of those moments you can’t describe your own feeling. I was touched by…I don’t know…its beauty, its significance, its grandeur, or probably most by the fact that I was standing in that very room.

My Klimpt “The Kiss” in Murano glass: Honestly, I want to admit that I was not familiar with Murano glass before. Nor I ever received Murano glass from anyone. So I didn’t intend to buy ANY Murano. Then, all of the sudden, I browsed into one Murano glass shop, and saw Gustuv Klimpt’s works in Murano glass, including my all-time most favorite painting, the Kiss. I didn’t buy it right away, of course. But then I thought, if I want some Murano, it has to be something meaningful to me. And its value will increase through times. So don’t ask how much it cost me.

Real Café, no Americano, No and the wine: Italy is heaven for coffee and wine. I don’t drink so much so I couldn’t appreciate wine as much as some people probably would. But I know every glass I had when I was there was really good. Coffee, though, I can comment. It’s the best coffee I’ve had. And it’s good everywhere. And it taught me how to drink coffee appropriately. Like what my Italian colleague said, “Starbuck doesn’t exist, and it shall never do.” You cannot compare Italian coffee with Starbuck coffee coz they have different definitions. They compete in different leagues. It’s like you can’t compare apples to oranges. (But I’d like to compare them. Starbuck coffee is so lousy to me now.) Here, there’s certain way to drink. You have to drink a cappuccino in the morning. After noon, you should drink an espresso. You can add some milk, but just a tiny drop of it, and then it becomes a macchiato. You drink in a small shot, and finish it right then, and there. If you want to add hot water, and carry out a big cup, then you want an Americano, which is an absolute barbaric behavior you could have done there.

The food: The food was divine. I was not a big fan of Italian food before this trip. I realized now why. Coz I’ve never tasted authentic one. Italian food in Italy was great. Oh boy. The cheese was so great, especially that buffalo Mozzarella cheese pizza. The ham, can’t really describe it, even the restaurant by the highway has got great hams. The pasta, so good, every pasta type, every sauce, with meet or without. The seafood, the lamp, the soup, the veggie, and the list goes on. I love the way they cherish food, cooking and meal times. It’s so refreshing to see people taking time to wine & dine and enjoying themselves, rather than rushing through the meals and gauging whatever they can find. Oh, but our barbaric selves emerged here by asking the waiter to serve the second dish when we hadn’t finished the first dish. Hey, in Thailand, we serve everything at once!

In short, I love the place because it is real. It’s not pretentious. People there are cultured, because they’ve been living that way for many centuries. The cute houses in Venice with flowered balcony, the old buildings with similar ancient windows in Florence, the remains of the glorified Forum in the middle of the city, the many centuries-old houses with the fading paint that was washed away by rain and time, the small house surrounded by vineyard and Mediterranean Pines, the street-side café with beautiful people dressing in beautiful clothes engaging into their conversation, the tradition of fine dining rituals, and I can keep going forever. They never have to try too hard, like us barbaric do. And that what makes Italy so special coz we can never replicate thousand years of culture, no matter how hard we try. So I gladly acknowledge myself as a barbaric Asian invading this amazingly cultured wonder, and look forward to invade again very soon.

My Obsession with the Oscar

Yep, for some strange reason, I have to admit that I have had an obsession with that small little guy everyone calls Oscar. I’ve been watching the Academy Awards live for … who knows how many years, maybe as long as I’ve had cable TV. This could be dated back 14 years ago, probably since Forest Gump or Brave Heart. Earlier, the Oscar was usually held in late March when I would be during my summer vacation. So watching it live was no problem for me when I was in school. But since I’ve started working, I have this tradition of taking one day off from work to stay home and watch the Oscar. I like to see everything, the pre-show, the red carpet, the host’s jokes, the performances, the speeches of the winners. I don’t know why I’ve been so hooked to this. It’s like I am an insider of this film industry or something.

This year is no exception. I took time off work, stayed home and enjoyed the first half of the day watching as the ceremony unfolded. I like Ellen very much. I think she’s got many bold jokes. I like when she took picture with Clint Eastwood, asking Spielberg to be the photographer, when she handed the script of “Good Mama” (Think Goodfellas meet Big Mama House) to Marty for his consideration, when she said hi to Leo just becoz she thinks girls might wanna see him for a sec, etc. I like that they celebrated the nominees this year. I like Dreamgirls singing show very much (even though they didn’t win). I like Jack Black & Will Ferrell singing about being funny won’t get you Oscar. I like very much the montage of best foreign language films put together by Giuseppe Tornatore (Directed Cinema Paradiso) (no wonder why there are many Italian ones in there), much more than the montage of films that define America (put together by Michael Mann).

I was moved by the speeches of many this year; specially Forest Whitaker, talking about his childhood dream and how actor connects to the film. If I’m not mistaken, I’ve seen a couple of people in the audience shed the tears. I like Jennifer Hudson’s (so earnest), the guy who won short film (inspirational), and of course, the standing ovation for Marty.

I’ve watch 3 out of 5 best pictures this year. Not too bad, aren’t I. So I cannot do my Top 10 list yet. But so far (counting according to Oscar, not when I’ve seen the movies), I really like Little Miss Sunshine, The Departed, Little Children, Blood Diamond, The Devil Wears Prada & An Inconvenient Truth. I think The Queen is a great movie, but it’s not my favorite. Dreamgirls is good fun, great songs, great voices, and some great performances, but not good enough. I haven’t seen, and really wanna see Babel, Letter from Iwo Jiwa, Flag of our Fathers, The Last King of Scotland, Pan’s Labyrinth & Children of Men. I also wanna see The Pursuit of Happiness, Notes on a Scandal, Volver, The Prestige, The Good Shepard & The Good German. I’ve already got DVD of United 93 & Marie Antoinette, so I’ll get to see those.

Of course, I’m disappointed Leo didn’t win anything in the year he played two awesome roles. Oh well, at least now people really really have no doubt about his talent. I also think (among the nominees this year), Kate Winslet is such a great actress who deserves one already. Hey, Reese Winterspoon got one last year. And I’ve seen Little Children, it’s one of those movies that dig deep into your dark self, into your id & ego & what have you. It strips off the ugly side of human being that we don’t want to admit we do have. It talks about grownups who cannot subside their desire so they’d just do it even though their consciousness tell them otherwise, just like little children. Well, what I wanna say is that it takes nuts & bolts to play these characters, and Kate did it so well. I haven’t read the review yet, but I wonder why it didn’t receive higher praise than currently.

Also I just watched Little Miss Sunshine, and what a gem! I love dysfunctional family plot, but this one is truly my top of the list. I mean, aren’t all families dysfunctional? We all can emphasize with the characters in this movie. They all appear to be so different, but deep inside, want the same thing – to be accepted, to be approved, to be judged that they’re winners. The underlying thought of this movie is so beautiful, so human, and it’s so appropriate in the world of ‘one beauty pageant after another’. Typically, you fall in love with one or two of the entire ensemble. For Ms Sunshine, I fell for every one of them.

I promise I’ll try to write about something else but movies. iPhones for one for sure. Marketing Goes Green. And How much does it cost to be a chic mom.

Another side of the coin...the impact of 'Blood Diamond' to famous jewelers

Thanks to Tong for giving me other sources to read about conflict diamonds. Fortune has just published several articles about the remains of conflict diamonds in Africa and how jewelry companies like De Beer and Tiffany were really scared of their sales in holiday season being greatly impacted by the negative perception of the audience who watch this movie.

So read on, before the links are gone, forever.

Diamonds Aren't Forever [courtesy of CNN Money.com -- Fortune Magazine Dec 11, 06]
Diamond Mines Are Forever [courtesy of CNN Money.com -- Fortune Magazine Oct 2, 06]
Jewelers Sweat a 'Blood Diamond' holiday [[courtesy of CNN Money.com -- Fortune Magazine Sep 11, 06]

Also check out the website created by the diamond producers (aka World Diamond Council). They said, "More than 99% of diamonds are now from conflict-free zone sources..."
http://www.diamondfacts.org/

And last but not least, check out De Beer website. Read on how this group has created so many positive things in the continent of Africa.
http://www.debeersgroup.com/debeersweb
There's a footnote on the homepage saying:

We donated approximately US$13.5 million to social investment projects. Almost 90% of this (US$12.2 million) was disbursed in Africa and nearly US$2 million allocated to education. Report to Stakeholders 2005/6, p82

Wow...how generous, right?

Well, I just want us to have both sides of the stories. You don't even have to choose who's right or wrong. At least, just be aware. You might stop for a few seconds before you buy your next diamond.

Blood Diamond -- so disturbing you should see it

Diamonds are forever.
Diamonds are a girl’s best friends.

We’ve heard of these two sentences way too often that we think they’re true. Well, the way we all behave these days assure us that we do. Who wouldn’t want to have the biggest, brightest rock on her ring finger at her wedding day? Who wouldn’t want to have her boyfriend/ husband buy her a nice Tiffany diamond necklace? Who wouldn’t want to have a Rolex with numerous diamonds encrusted to look at the time?

I just watched “Blood Diamond” today, and now I’m choked. It’s not that I don’t know about this so-called “Conflicted Diamonds”. I learned “De Beer” case in my Strategy Class in my first quarter at Kellogg. And again, in my second year in Marketing Strategy class. I remembered my amazement of how De Beer made (“deceive” would be a better word) all of us think that diamonds are rare, and thus precious & priceless. I remembered my professor talked briefly about “conflicted diamonds” and how it created a big mess in Africa. It led to civil war and many people were killed. I remembered my professor mentioned that because of the conflicted diamond scandal, De Beer promised to the world that they wouldn’t trade these diamonds. And now their market share (of diamonds) are no longer 100%, but down to… (I don’t remember the exact), maybe 80%? But this is not just because of conflicted diamonds, but also because there are other diamond mines nowadays, e.g. Canada or Russia. I remembered that I thought De Beer was such a marketing genius. They used “product placement” tactic in the days when color TV was not even available. Remember Marilyn Monroe singing “Diamonds are a girl’s best friends”, with guys all over her, she strides down the stairs overloaded with her “Bling Bling”. That was when American girls were educated that diamonds are the most precious thing in which the most precious girl like herself deserves. Then De Beer launched several other clever campaigns. They learned that their users were not their buyers. The purchase decision was in the groom-to-be’s hand. So they launched an education campaign of how to calculate how much a wedding ring should worth – 3-month salary. Then, they increased purchase frequency by launching a campaign to promote buying diamonds for anniversaries – this time it must be bigger / more expensive than the wedding ones. Then, they took another half of target group, the females. They launched “Raise Your Right Hand” campaign to promote women to buy diamond rings for themselves to wear on their right hands. Left hand is for love; right hand is for yourself, something like that. I think now they’re going into partnership. Latest campaign I’ve seen from them was an attempt to partner with Louis Vitton to have diamonds encrusted on clothes and accessories.

I still think they’re smart marketers. I’ll probably write later about how they have deceived the world that diamonds are rare. But I want to talk more about how I felt after seeing Blood Diamond. Reading De Beer case and listening to the professor is one thing. Seeing it happening in front of your eyes is totally another thing. This movie is so violent. It’s like someone slaps your face and shakes you to wake up, to realize that money can make people do inhuman things. We, as end consumers, could care less how the raw material is made. What if you know it is made of blood, of innocent people being tortured, being killed, families being torn apart, young boys being taught to hold guns and shoot people in their own country? And the most disturbed thing to me was the thought that everything is so cruel that even decent people can no longer remain good. They eventually turn to evils.

This movie is so upsetting, so disturbing, yet so awakening. I know it might be a bit misleading and doesn’t give a justice to another side of the story. It’s very one-sided, therefore could be considered bias. It’s got many cliché of how the Africans are treated, the sentimental story of two White people falling for each other (one being a smuggler and another being a reckless reporter). The setup is a bit unrealistic, per se. But the heart of the story holds high % of what really happened. But the point I want to make is that I’m glad this kind of movie is made, and I’m so glad I’ve seen it. Because it might not be the best picture of the year this year, but it’s the kind of movie that creates a bigger purpose than just joy and entertainment. It makes us aware that something so cruel like this exists, and we’re a part of that chain of cruelty. I’m not a diamond addict to begin with. After seeing this movie, I will never purchase or ask anyone to give me any diamond, ever. Not really because of the crime behind conflicted diamonds, but more because I’ve realized that why wasting money on some rocks – there are so many things more worthwhile spending. For those who have such excessive money that they don’t know where to spend, how about feeding the hungers in Africa, those who suffer from the violence led by greed of very few people and fueled by probably some of the diamonds they own.

The formulations behind "The Holiday"

I went to see "The Holiday" with my so-called "Flower Power" girl gang last week and I wept like a baby. I'm sure loads and loads of single (or even married) girls would adore this movie and make it one of their most favorite movies in Romantic Comedy Genre. So today, I’d like to appoint myself as a VH1 pop culture critique/ Brand Age columnist and talk about the formulations for success behind this movie. (If you haven’t seen the movie, you should see it before reading this blog. If you have to choose, choose the movie, it sure is worthier than reading this blog.)

• “cannot-get-over-that-prick” insight: The fact that Iris cannot get over her ex-boyfriend who is such a ----ing bastard is such a sad-but-true insight of many women who fell for the “bad guys” who happen to be so charismatic and sweet and unpredictable that one day he just happens to fall in love with such an ordinary girl like you and then another day happens to fall out of it and mercilessly break your heart. These bastards only come back to us when they need help or a boost-up for their self-esteem (that there’s someone who is stupid enough to always falls for him). This insight rings the bell of pretty much all women – with ordinary looking, which is probably 80% of the women who go to see this movie.
• “high-flying career women who chase men away” insight: well, this sounds familiar… I guess the other 20% of the women who go to see this movie falls into this segment. Somehow, men these days are scared the s--t out of smart, hard-working women, so much so that they blame the women to be self-centered, inconsiderate, unemotional, cold, bossy, etc. (Hey, I’m just critiquing a film, not trying to defend myself or anything.) These two insights about two kinds of women (which can exist in one person) make girls love this movie coz it liberates them from the guilt they’ve been long suffering.
• “Even I’m the woman as described above, there’s a chance to find great guys.” Seriously, you think how many “Miles” and “Graham” exist in the real world. But hey, if it happens in the movie, we won’t get punished to keep on hoping that it could happen to us, right?
• “Meeting certain someone during the holiday season”: this is a basic formulation but works every time. I don’t know, maybe it’s the snow, the Christmas songs, the new year’s eve, the celebrating atmosphere and the fact that we get days and weeks out of work so all we think about is our love life.
• “Meeting someone outside of your country”: Also basic, works most of the time. You don’t know anyone there, so you’re supposed to be miserable and lonely and, ta-da, he’s your savior.
• “Meeting the right guy and knowing you have to leave soon”: And so you try not to expect too much from this relationship, maybe it’s just a fling, oh but he’s so right, oh but I have to leave, oh now I actually really like the guy, what to do, what to do. Used probably too often, but works for this time.
• “The old, but very nice guy you happen to meet and enjoy the company”: this one works either the elderly or the small kid. The key is that the relationship somehow gives back confidence and self-esteem to the woman that after all, she’s a great woman who’s got someone who cares about her.
• “Mr. Napkin”: I mean the widower who takes care of his daughters so well. The moment this fact of Graham’s character was revealed, and we saw him playing with his two daughters with such love and tender, I heard women sobbing. I mean, how cuter a guy could be, if not post the death of his wife, he still raises his daughters with so much love.
• “The guy with music talent”: well, especially piano. I’m not sure any girl falls for this, but I do. The moment when Miles says to Iris that if she were a melody, she would be…and he plays that melody, I just whispered to my friend, “oh you could just kill me now. How much more romantic life could ever be.”
• The script is actually funny & touching: a good Romantic Comedy needs both elements at the right amount: not too much, not too little. The key is to make you look at love with optimistic eyes again, feel that, oh yeah, falling in love in so romantic, so fun, and it’s worth all the risks. (Special applause to the “trailer joke”)
• The cast: great choice! Bravo to casting team. Kate Winslet is brilliant, as always. She brings depth to her character and makes the plot believable. Although that guy who dumped a girl looking like Kate should seriously consider checking up at a mental hospital. I really like Jack Black in this one. Usually he’s too funny. But he happens to have just about right sense of humor and warmth, and there’s certain seriousness in him that I find attractive. Cameron Diaz is, I think, as I would expect from her. She’s cute & funny, but nothing else much. I mean, she doesn’t have that same charisma of Renee Zellweger in Jerry Mcguire, Kate Hudson in Almost Famous, or Meg Ryan in Sleepless in Seattle. But who would expect that from Cameron anyway?
• Jude Law: well, I just have to separate him from the rest of the cast. He’s… beyond description. I mean, to fully write about him in this movie would take days, otherwise it doesn’t do the justice. So in short, he keeps the hotness he always has, or maybe, increases it. Coz this time, he’s tanner! Also, he’s a widower, with two daughters, and he plays Mr. Napkin with them (see point above). And he’s sensitive, he cries so easily. And he tells the woman he falls in love with her first. And the way he looks at her when he says it – the warmth in the eyes. And he’s got perfectly posh British accent. And they feature him topless for several minutes. And he happens to be a great guy with a face & body of Jude Law. So Jude, don’t worry, your position in my Top 5 remains unwavering.

The new Bond

I just watched James Bond 007, Casino Royale, yesterday, so wanna talk about it a bit. It's quite good fun. The action sequences are neatly done. Locations chosen -- somewhere in South Africa, Monte Negro, etc, having Bond playing poker, etc, and having Bond girl being smart, not just beautiful -- all these make it a lot more sophisticated than the earlier Bond series. The script itself should be credited for -- bringing us to when Bond just started being 00's, back to the days he was rough, reckless, unrefined, and vulnerable. It creates more depths into this overly talked-about character. It makes us understand him, and emphasizes with him more. It makes the flirting scenes much more bearable.


Also, Bond himself, I think he's so fine... Well well well, I think he's not handsome the way Pierce Brosnan is, but he's got something... His eyes got depth...looking at him is like looking into the ocean...so deep you have no idea what's hidden in there. His lips a bit perched...I can't really explain, but I like them :) He looks really fit -- the way he runs, at the same time, the way he strides -- full with poise and grace. His recklessness is believable. The only thing I don't really buy him is the love scene...the way he says he loves her... It just feels a bit fake to me.

I like the cinematography in this movie, particularly the early scenes on the crane, beautifully shot. I noticed less branded content in this movie, noticeably only Sony Ericksson and Ford.

All in all, it exceeded my expectation as a Bond movie. Although a bit long, it keeps me interested all the way through...

Shopaholic in Bangkok

After stop posting for some time, today I was motivated to revive my blog. So I might as well start it off with my favorite topic: shopping. I don't think I can write everything in 1 post. Have to chop the content into many small ones. So today I'll start off with just an overview.

Bangkok is heaven for shoppaholics. There are so many layers of quality, prices, services & atmosphere. One day when you feel like being a hi-so chic, you can stop by mega shopping malls like Siam Paragon & Central World Plaza. Another day when you feel like being a smart shopper chic and get the good-looking clothes at the unbelievable price, you can go to Pratu Num. The choice is endless. You just have to know where & when to shop which stuff. Then, you can mix & match the cheap & the pricey and people around you could never really guess where so many clothes of yours come from.

I love wearing nice-looking clothes....so much... So I love it here. My favorite shopping places are (not ranking in any order) Jatujak Market, Central Ladphrao, Siam Paragon, Imax, Pratunum, Suan Lum Night Bazaar, Thai Airways Market (and sometimes Sum Peng)..Central World? Just been there once, and sometimes Emporium & Siam too. Quite a long list, isn't it? Well, that's the condition of shopaholism. You know... I used to tell myself to stop or at least to reduce the frequency or quantity of things I buy. I told myself that I'm a marketeer, I shouldn't be a slave of commercialism. But I gave up now. I think if a little bit (or a lot) of shopping gives me pleasure, then why not? I realize now that the process really fulfills me. Plus being a marketeer means you should know what's 'in', what's 'out'.

My style of shopping is to buy anything I like...regardless of price...I mean I just bought a 320-baht gorgeous medium sleeve, Japanese print tying dress at Pratu Num, while I also just bought a 1900-baht loveable bouncy knee-length green Soda skirt. So as long as it looks really good, it's worth the price-- that's my philosophy. That's why I enjoy Paragon as much as JJ.

The trick is to know where to shop what. My suggestion is as follows. Paragon is good for branded clothes (of course) and cosmetics -- that's no brainer. But Paragon is also great for stationary, super market stuff, & books. Central is also good for clothes & cosmetics. Well, I go there often coz it's close to my house & my office. Central's got Laura Mercier which Paragon doesn't (coz it belongs to CMG). Central World is a different animal altogether -- it's got many other stores that I haven't completely discovered, but still... branded ones.

I think I'll write in details of hilights of each place in other posts, otherwise I cannot end this post tonight. Have to keep energy for some shopping tomorrow & this weekend ;D

List of "Oh...My..." guys

OK...I probably have too much free time right now, together with reading a couple of chick flicks, I came up with list of "Oh...My..." guys. I'd like to divide them into two segments, 1-- Oh...My...someone-stop-me-sweat-like-hell guys and 2--Oh...My...you-can't-be-more-adoreable-than-this guys. OK, stick with me and you know what I'm talking about. (I'll limit to celebs so that it's clear to everyone.)

The first category is the guys I think they're sooooo damn hot, so hot that they can be no-brainers and I still wanna go out with them. Well, actually not really go out, more like umm... a doll to play with. You see them and tell yourself how lucky you are to be born on the same planet as them. First guy is Brad Pitt. He's been hot for 14 years. I remember the first time I met him...it was in my 9th grade. I was at Sa-Nguan English Language School and it played a movie called "A River Runs Through It". I was walking down the stairs and saw Brad's face on the screen, smiling, all lit up. And then, I discovered him being naughty and bad, and yet, I forgave him, in Thelma & Louise (He played Thelma before River, but I saw Thelma later). Then, so many more, I'll just name a couple. I think Brad in Legends of the Fall is simply irresistible...you know...tough and rough on the outside, yet so vulnerable and fragile inside. Then, in Fight Club, oh..my.. that body.. with that manly outsider kinda guy. Then, in Ocean 11 & 12, he showed that he can be funny (but still very sexy in his silky unbuttoned lavender shirt that only he can pull off).

The other guy in this category has to be Jude Law. Jude doesn't have a killing body. Well, it's very good (very yummy) but not as kick-ass as Brad's. But he has those eyes, the ones that look into you and eat you up alive. Remember the way he looks at Nicole Kidman in Cold Mountain, or Rachel Weiss in Enemy at the Gate? He's the guy who no matter how dirty he tries to get into the role, he still shines, with the way he holds himself together, and with that posh Brit accent of his. Tell me one movie that he doesn't look handsome, maybe Road to Pedition, when he went so fas as to have his teeth pulled, or something, to look ugly. But the rest, he's the lady killer, truly. Remember him being childlish, yet so magnetic in The Talented Mr. Ripley? Even Matt Damon fell for him. Spielberg saw him as the future male prostitute robot in AI.

The other one is Jared Leto. He's not as famous as Brad or Jude, but he's as much pretty. Well, maybe it has to do a bit with teenage crush. I discovered him first in the short-lived series "My So-Called Life" where he played a hard-spoken, can't-read-books, playing-guitar-in-his-band, breaking-Claire-Dane's-heart, high school guy. The fact that it's one of the best, if not the best, series I've seen in my life, and that I identified with the series because I was a high schooler myself at the time, really got Jared into the chart. But it's not just that, I mean, he's got everything going, he's complicated, he's hard to understand, he doesn't really care about you, or anything. So when he does, it means a lot. And again, the eyes, I think they're green. Not sure, but they're sure very pretty. The lips too. Delicate and all. His face just kills me, geez.

Ok, then the Asian guy. Yep, one Asian guy slipped into the chart. Takeshi Kaneshiro. Oh boy. He's exactly my type, I mean, in terms of physical appearances. Tall, beautiful eyes, not so buffed up, yet, got some muscles, just about right. His smiles, the way he laughs. And I discovered him really late, just 4-5 years ago, when I rented a movie called "Tempting Heart" that he played a shy, playing-guitar-in-his-band, complicated teenager. He loved a girl but they were too young so they were separated. He then got married with her best friend, hoping she could replace her. Well, I just really like the details of the movie. Like the scene where he played with the girl's fingers at the noodle stool. Watch the movie, and you know what I mean.

There are others one-off guys, like Adam Garcia in Coyote Ugly, and Ryan Gosling in The Notebook. But they need time to prove themselves. I guess you see the pattern, right? The guys in this group, aside from the obvious god-send physical appearances, they're tough-outside, vulnerable-inside, hard-spoken, so when they speak, they mean it. They make your heart race. When they look into your eyes, you faint.

Ok, to the next category, the combination of humor, warmth, and being romantic. They make you feel good being around them. The first guy is John Cusaak. He is so funny, and so romantic, and very cute too. He's one of the best in romantic comedies. I mean, he has rescued so many mediocre ones, like American Sweethearts, or even Serendipity. But I like him best in High Fidelity and Say Anything. He makes us feel that he's the real person, a guy you can bump into on the street. He's real. And when he loves a girl, he means it. In High Fedelity, he even took it to the next level. See the movie and one of the best "Would you marry me?" scenes.

The next guy is Hugh Grant. Oh he's so funny, and British funny...you know cynical, satire, and all. He's been with us so long that we tend to forget how great he is in what he does. He's so fit with the characters, so adoreable too. I like him the most in Four Weddings. I like how he plays to be a guy hopelessly like a girl where he's not. He just put himself into the situation because he's a commitment freak. And the "I think I love you" scene in his shorts... gives me a smile every time I think of it. He's really good in all of them -- About A Boy, Notting Hill, Love Actually, Bridget Jones...

Speaking of Bridget Jones, I have to add Colin Firth into this list. He's the against type a bit, I mean, he's not out-right funny like John or Hugh. But he's funny, in his hard-spoken, shy-yet-so-cute way. His Darcy in Bridget Jones was dead-on spot. He knew how girls fall for the guy like this -- seemingly incapable of smoothing conversations but when he's seriously in love with you, he'll do anything. I watched him in a couple more movies, including Fever Pitch, and he was so brilliant in all. In Fever Pitch, Hollywood version, Jimmy Fallon made it into a hahaha comedy (for the lack of a better word), but in brit verson, Colin made it into a classy comedy. Go rent it.

The last guy to mention in this category is John Mayer. How could I leave him out? He's so romantic, he composed songs like Love Song for No One, Comfortable, and Your Body is a Wonderland (see the blog I wrote earlier). He cares about social issues, read the lyrics of Daughter. Yet he's got that boyish playfulness in him -- see his lates trio band works. And judging from his interviews, I think he's funny too. So there you go....

Well, since I'm not meeting any of them in person anytime soon. I guess, this list is just for fun for now.