Kanye West in concert - 16th April 2008

(c) MTV.com & Kevin Winter / Getty Images

So that's Kanye of course, and as one might guess, I didn't take that picture.



This was the only picture I got to take. After a 35 minute bus ride where the Asian dude standing behind me was too cool to talk to me (and I tried, but he was insistent on ignoring me and talking to the white girls he came with) while a couple of ang mo girls sitting down were nice enough to talk with me in dribs and drabs (as the momentary lulls in the insane screaming on 74 allowed), I got off the bus, and took this picture of the Key Arena.

After walking 100 m to the entrance, it was evident I had made a grave error in my calculation.

"Please open your bag, sir."

"No problem!" (and I thought, well, no problems, until...)

"Sir, you're going to have to put your camera back in your car, we don't allow cameras inside."

(in a fit of irritated spite) "I don't have a car."

"Well, how did you come?"

"By busssssssssssss."

(American brain working, so one could hear the cogs grinding) "Ok, hand me your batteries."

"Ok, there you go."

I get into the arena. I sit down. 25 minutes later when the arena is 70% full...

-flash-

-Tris turns around, to see a group of bimbos posing-

-flash from other side-

-Tris turns around, to see a mixed group of jocks and bimbos posing.-

And then the flashes all attacked the Tris, revealing that Tris was either 1) stupid, 2) biased against (I wouldn't say racism since the dude confiscated the batteries of the folks before me) or 3) both of the above for not hiding the camera better.

Thank God for phone cameras I say.


The Key Arena before the concert began.


The concert proper opened with Lupe Fiasco and a 45 minute set - something I did not realised until he got to his last song 'Superstar', which sad to say, is the only Lupe song I know. Nevertheless, it was a good start to the concert since Lupe is not the in-your-f**king-face kind of performer, but rather a slow jams-Imma enjoy myself kind of rapper. Crowd was a bit dead (perhaps the lack of familiarity) but as the songs got more recognisable, the energy went way up.

It was also around the same time as 'Superstar' as the two folks who were sitting next to me decided to take their places. And immediately I felt a pang of regret and anguish - I had the seat next to the get-a-room couple. The guy looked like Peter Crouch (a bit less gangly but same buck teeth) and the girl was your average American girl (i.e. kinda slutty), but once they got their seats they were AT IT LIKE PANDAS WHO WERE ON CRACK. Or rabbits - whichever animal you think needs the most lovin'.

I am thankful for the group behind me who refused to let them make out in peace, with the (rather cute, prob the Yalan type) Latino guy whipping out his phone and PROCEEEDED TO FILM THEM. Gotta love the Yanks at times. And the Asian girls he was with (with Chinese faces but waists the size of the continent) repeatedly heckled the couple, proclaming "That's gross! Get a room! EWWWWWWWW!!!!" Fantastic friends, wahahaha. :)


At 815 pm, N.E.R.D. took the stage - they brought on a live band, had nothing synthesised or pre-recorded and basically just tore it up with a live set. Pharrell was insane, he kept moving and rapping and singing; while his partner (sorry, his name escapes me) was just rapping and slamming - these two guys were insane and their band was insane, and this was probably the highest energy performance of the night. Pharrell lost his voice at the end of the set, but 40 minutes of N.E.R.D really got the crowd pumped.

Couple at this time had disappeared to make out somewhere else or something, while the dudes next to me smoked weed.


After 40 minutes of stage-shifting (which got me irritated because the last bus was leaving at 1030), Rihanna took the stage at 920 with the insane stage set that you see here. A bit too flashy for me, but at least I knew all the songs, from S.O.S. to Rehab to Chloe's fav song Unfaithful to Umbrella (eh eh eh) to Break It Off. A lot of dancing, a lot of grooving, a lot of loud pumping music and fluorescent colours with Rihanna's singing (mostly live) making for a pretty intense 45 minute set.

I was considering leaving to catch the last bus but one does not pay 66 dollars for a Kanye concert to not see Kanye - though I did not like the extreme length of changeover. I understand the love for complex sets but the transition made a lot of folks restless (45 minutes in between is far too long).





But as the above pictures attest, Mr. West really knows how to put on a show.

Kanye incorporated an interesting storyline into the concert, and the songs were pretty well worked into the routine. The story ran that Kanye was a space traveller plowing the universe for inspiration when he crashes on a desert planet, with only his spaceship console 'Jane' for company. I can't remember the exact order of songs now, but I know he started with 'Good Morning'; when he kaopeh'd about the crash Jane reminded him "This is not your first crash, Mr. West" where he broke into 'Through The Wire'; he then said a prayer to God and promised not to ruin any more award shows (self-jack! hahaha) and sang 'Jesus Walks'; his complaint about being lonely on a desert planet had Jane offering to be of help, after which "SHE TAKE MY MONEEEYYYYY" blared; and of course with his huge ego he was to be the savior of the world and that he alone could bring them home, where the opening strains of 'Stronger' began.

As I said, Mr. West really knows how to put on a fantastic show. I left after 'Stronger' for fear of not catching a cab, but I got home happy, satisfied and convinced that I'd spent my money extremely well. A bit of a shame that I had no one to watch it with, but you know, if it's there, go for it and regret the details later. :)

Amsterdam - 30th March to 2nd April

First up, please let me apologise for the tardiness re the blogging. Been a bit unmotivated to blog plus the enjoyment of life this quarter has made me chao lazy. But more on that in subsequent posts.

Suffice to say, the thing that I will remember most about Amsterdam will be the company and the high-jinks aforementioned company can get into. Without going into too much detail, we found one more reason why brownies may not be good for you. :p Can ask Khel more.

But BBC Europe was well worth paying as much as I did (and to my surprise, probably less than I anticipated) and the company is different. As Mau said, even doing the same thing in Singapore is different - that's a certain surrealism with eating Duck-Siew Yok-Chicken rice and dim sum in Europe, playing Texas Hold'em till late in a bar, exchanging 2 Euro coins while smoking and drinking; waking up at 12 the next day, getting traumatised by SMS's, navigating the red light district and basically looking for kicks and finding that the best kick was the company.

And on that slightly whimsical note, my Europe trip ended as I tried to sleep on a KLM 747 (I now know that I shall never travel for more than 10 hours again if I can't afford business class) and resumed school. Which thankfully has been worth returning in time for. :) But again, more on that later.

So, the final few photos (do pardon for the lack of photos - the company was compelling and at times I was too high to be snappin'):


The main Square (the name of which escapes me) in Amsterdam


We didn't enter this museum, but as Ying pointed out, the Netherlands has many many museums.


RijksMuseum - as aforementioned. Believe this holds Rembrandt's works.


Heineken Brewery, where we found that...


It was closed. The bastards. (Thanks Mau for pic)


And quintessential BBC shot, taken on first night in bar over Cherry Beer. Thanks bros. :) (thanks Kyle)

Addendum: I just realised we all look damn weird in this pic. Wei Chiat looks the most normal, Mau looks... Well, his eyes look bigger than normal (and freakily conniving / humsup), Khel looks cheenesh, and Tris... Ok la, drunk as usual, but just bizarre. Oh well.

Nice & Monte Carlo- 27th to 29th March 2008

I still miss...

The awesome beaches, with the smoothest pebbles with nary a grain of sand, with the bluest (and oh, how amazingly blue it was) sea with nary a drop of pollution, with the calmest of winds and nary a bwith the most amazing of God's creation with nothing to spoil the image.

The pure oldness of the city, that would seem like an anachronism but for the fact that it just seemed so right where it was; everything combining together to make the town feel natural in its own skin without trying to be anything else. (bar the Ligne d'Azur, the very strangely modern train)

Hotel Helvetique, with the friendliest receptionist (Jean-Sebastian), the funniest shows (Jackass and Tila Tequila among others) and strange late-night knocking on doors that led to hours of good company.

The Nose. NOT. (I'm sure Ying disagrees though. :p)

Friendship, in its initially awkward phases and its evolution to laughing and teasing and joy that only unadulterated companionship lends itself to. The trip would not have been what it was without whom I travelled with.

Oh, and thanks Mr. German dude for the 10 euros. ;)


Tired jetsetters about to commence a not-so-romantic trip in what turned out to be a very romantic place.


Mr. Massena. Not entirely sure who he is but the main plaza in Nice is named after him.


The aforementioned out-of-place Ligne d'Azur, the funkified Tram that went everywhere.


The old streets of Nice, very full of character and personality. AND, amazing food, kebab, quiche lorraine, apple tarts. The unexpected culinary heaven. :)


The main street in the Old Town, touristy spot (like Boat Quay) but not bad food, we ended up eating at one of the restaurants here.


THE FRICKING AWESOME PEBBLE BEACH. Oh, to be here is truly to know what it is to be alive. It was so amazing, gorgeous, breathtaking... You name it.


More beach. Rollin' waves. CAN YOU SAY AWESOME?


Khel's action shot! Skipping pebbles on the beach as the sea tried to attack us a couple times.


The Tour Ballena (?), right next to the Beach, the vantage point for the ruins which sit atop Nice.


The view from the aforementioned Tour Ba-something. No tall buildings to get in the way. Awesomeness.


Khel's Sea Bream. As the street vendor said, "Mm yum yum."

As it turned out though, Nice's proximity to the Mediterranean meant that the local specialty was pizza and fish. Kinda surprising and conflicts with one's mental image of France but just goes to show one can never learn too much. We did end up eating Pizza, but in Monaco.


Friday Morning Marketplace! Bustling with life, all sorts of fresh produce, dried goods, flowers and pottery. Pretty amazing.


You tell me this isn't awe-inspiring. I'll believe you after 2 beers I think.


Another view of Nice.


Port Infernet.


The other side of Nice - we think we saw a fire but we're not entirely sure if the black smoke was intentional or not. And a cannon go off at 12 noon.


The Palais de Justice.


Galeries Lafayette, with strange statues of dudes sitting atop pedestals. Didn't really get it but you know, Viva la France.


A cathedral in the middle of the Old Town...


And the inside of it. On the sides there were 1 Euro or 5 Euro candles which you could light for the Saint of your choice.

----------------------------------------

Monte Carlo! This be the famed Casino of Monaco.


Another view of the French Rivera, and one cannot but gush at the sea.

At this point Khel and I wondered what we would do if someone we knew pushed someone else we knew (Ying being the hypothetical) over the railings into the crashing waves. Ying looked distraught while Khel and I found it morbidly amusing.


I quote Ying, "Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous". We had crepes and pizza (the local delight) while watching the world go by. Disgustingly idyllic lifestyle eh.


As one might guess, not many photos in Monaco (there was a SHIT load of walking) but this be the friendly lobster who waves bye bye and was about to eat before we ate it.

Not. This was at the Oceanography Museum. :)


I'm kinda shocked I don't have a picture with Ying but well, the abangs will have to do. :p

Kobehavn - 26th March 2008

I shall miss...

The way modernity and classicity (the word doesn't exist but no word I know quite does it justice) fall together in a comfortable mesh, both barely treading on each other and being comfortable side by side.

The beautiful palaces and buildings which oldness meant they were beautiful, and not in spite of it.

The strange existence of one self-declared country despite all signs to the contrary, and the tension that ensued forth.

The magnificence which took one's breath away and which brought me to my knees a couple of times as I revelled in His splendour and glory, feeling ashamed that I was not quite what He asked for.

The brotherhood and company, shared over Japanese Curry and coke on a cold winter's night, which above all was the most reassuring.


Of all the places to see windmills, it was in Denmark. Love the irony.


Statue of a Queen - name of which unfortunately escapes me.


Statue of an angel, very awe-inpsiring and pretty, in contrast to...


I quote my Learned Brother Khel's words, "f**king overrated and amazingly underwhelming" - The Little Mermaid.


Castellet, old castle, current Mil. Intelligence barracks.


Statue commemorating the Fallen soldiers from WWI.

The University Library - the way a real library should look like, though it was a little squeezy.


Khel outside one of the Uni buildings, which...


Looked like an amazing Roman temple inside. BTC looks sadly spartan in comparison.


The University Cathedral - pure white and very very awesome, 6 saints on each side (believe they were the apostles) and a 'moving' Jesus at the altar.


The Spiral Tower Cathedral, a little more gold and brown themed as you can tell. :)


The view atop Spiral Tower, seeing Kobenhavn. Awesome sight.


The interesting church spire outside Christania - fascinating spiral scheme.


The entrance to Christania - fascinating story and very different, but I will agree with Khel that at worst one feels odd, not threatened.


Think this is the Palace. Or the Parliament House, but I think the tower means it's the Palace.


The Marble Church, combined the 'best' of the above 2 churches and was pretty awesome. Funny statues outside though.


Ah this is the Palace. With a strange car outside machiam like car advertisement. But yeah, slacking guards outside.


The abangs on the Spiral Tower. Thanks for the hospitality bro, even in your cramped room and the mountains of cat hair. :)