How the Owls Found Their Voices by Rodney Painter (another reading for my grandson Idris

Secret Weapon

Hello Hello!  It's long overdue that I post some rambly type of thoughts and updates of sorts.  Where shall I start eh, ok well quickly run through the production side as everyone I know keeps asking me what I'm doing now, apart from making my condiments.

 I'm partnering up with my radio buddy and former COO of Capital FM, Kudsia Kahar,  to do a chat show!  Ding! ding! ding!, if anything the warning bells should begin as both of us are loud and proud! We'll be shooting a short pilot this week, sometime, for clients to better understand what the content of our show is about.  I don't usually shoot pilots for any of my productions, but we feel this time it requires one.  We're targeting next year to begin production and broadcasting and that's all I'm going to say for now on that show!!!

Then when we were newbies on radio

Now after all those years!

So leaving the production work aside, we all know that Christmas is around the corner! One of my besties from school, Annie does a countdown as early as possible, the groans begin in July or August when she does her "jingle jingle " post with the countdown! (as of today it's 32 days!)

This year my good pal Riz and I will be baking and selling Christmas cookies.  Hey, not just any ol Christmas cookie but special recipes from my step dad, who just happens to be a pastry chef extraordinaire and after years of being in HK, is now training up-and-coming chefs in the Philippines.

My step dad Peter with his students 

 I must say, that when I first started baking or cooking anything, my mother and step dad were really good about trying my errr  attempts (I will not tell you about the rolling of eyes and barf faces I got from my brothers!).  The first one being a simple butter cake when I was 11.  One day when they had gone out  for dinner, I decided that I'd surprise them with dessert when they got home.  Now little did I know when the recipe calls for colouring that means perhaps a few drops NOT a cap full!!! cut a long story short when they got home and I presented my cake (which was a bit brown.. ok ok slightly burnt on top... and bottom) , they gamely cut a few slices and kept a very straight face when they saw how red the inside was and only years later told me how they waited until I went to bed and fell about laughing.   I smile now at the thought because later on as I progressed through my F&B courses in school, it was my step dad who showed me all the little tricks and ways to make food taste and look so much better.

My stepdad just started testing his first batch, hope I can do the same!!!!!

Today I've just received his recipes for the cookies we used to eat as kids in Switzerland during the festive season and I can't wait to try them out.  I'll be posting the pic once they look perfect and will be taking orders in the next week or so.  If they are anywhere as good as Peter's, you will all be in for a real treat!

Christmas and New Year

It was a completely and utterly mad week prior to Christmas, we were shooting episode 2 and some other episodes as well, I was falling asleep half way through the printing of our storyboards in the middle of the night as we had such early starts.

I am absolutely amazed I managed my lines! But we did it! Oh yes we did it.

Then we had the preview party, which Kym kindly help organise with Jo Jo at his Wine Shop, HM Wines, in Bangsar for the first Episode.

I was so nervous, I was prowling around like a cat on a hot tin roof! I even bugged my brother to come and give me support! His version of support was "ok"

Me - So what do you think of the show?

Bro - "Ok"

Me - Would you watch this show?

Bro - "O..K."

Me - Do you think we look stylish and professional?

Bro - " Ok...hmm"

Me - Do you want a drink?

Bro - Ok

That folks is my brother giving his stamp of approval...

The Night went well, we had mostly very positive comments, and a few that were "hmmnn???", but overall the main sponsor loved it and so did the developers so that was that!

Then it was back to finishing off the final bits of editing for Episode 2, and as usual, me being me, I was not that psyched with the sound (my former music background..eh) so I was irritating my editor about the music beds and the overall sound of the show.. (he will most probably be nodding through gritted teeth here) and of course, I still can't get used to seeing myself on screen, it feels weird, and I am my own biggest critic.. I think he is so fed up of hearing "I LOOK SO FAT!", even my Film Director was looking at me quizzically..

We finally got everything transferred and sent out to the Broadcaster and in my deluded mind I thought I could concentrate on the holidays... but no, there were more interviews and meetings, so I cancelled our holiday to OZ. However , and there is always a however I managed to surprise my family with a trip to Phuket on Christmas day, so off we flew to have some fun in the sun.

It was wonderful to be away, but I just had a look at my phone bill, between my producer in Oz, Kl and my Film Director, Celcom must be raking it in!

Upon returning to KL, we were inundated with all sorts of last minute details, and finally on the 5th, my gal pals organised a night in to watch the show on one of their big screen TVs. It was a noisy, uproariously funny night, with much ribbing and shoulder bumping. When the show finally came on, they were all making their comments and finally one them yelled "SHUT UP I AM TRYING TO WATCH THE BLINKING SHOW !!!" Did they ? Nooo... ( I am still nursing a sore arm from all the smacking I got.. you know how girls are!)

So now we are nose to the grindstone again, I have to finish scripting the up coming shows and make sure I've storyboarded them properly, deal with my producers and finalise the shooting schedules...

Stay tuned for more, and don't forget to watch the show every wed at 8.30 on ntv7 or on our website www.artoflivingshow.com

Saluti!

Dx

New Year! Hello 2010!

Everyone was asking me , 'where are you goin to be celebrating NYE D?' I had initially promised James (e gads months ago actually!) and so when the invites came pouring in I kept wondering what I really wanted to do.

Well as we get older I guess we prefer to spend it with people that mean a lot to us, and I didn't want to be trapped with a bunch of strangers in any sort of party, be it at a house or club. I was also not really in the mood as it had been a pretty horrendous couple of months financially and emotionally draining, even though I was doing my best to press on. I mean, geezz even I was getting tired of all the gloom and doom of my mood and general life.

Feeling like a shrew, I just wanted to sit in my little "safety zone" and not have to bother about being nice to anyone.... one accidental slip of the tongue, and "ooo wazzup with D, she a total biatch these days" then again I was also getting fed up with my own company.

So on Christmas day, unlike most Christmases that I have with only family, I had my extended family who were ol school chums of mine from waaaaaaayyyyyy back when come over with their kids, can you imagine cooking for 17 people?!! Well I did, and it was brilliant, it was also going to by my last Christmas here. The table was groaning with turkeys (yes two, and both cooked differently!), stuffing, roasted spuds, baby potatoes, mixed green veg, Brussels sprouts, mushroom gravy sauce, cranberry sauce, mince pies, Christmas pudding and not forgetting the yummy Christmas log that my gal pal had brought along.. deeelishh oh and of course I made mulled wine (gluh wine) but of course only I drank it, people here aren't used to it.. so we carried on with some great Merlot.

Much later, much much later.. when everyone could heave their bodies around, we had a music flashback, "who knows this song!" "it's Prince!" "ok ok how about this one" ! "o my god, that's not rappers delight is it!!" yeahhhh. Heh Heh, its was the most tiring but one of the best Christmases I've had in a long time.

So when I went for my quiet round of drinks with James and his family for NYE, it was just right, I didn't feel I needed to be with tons of people, I enjoyed the convivial atmos of the restaurant and we most certainly did give the DJ heaps when he wasn't playing our music!!

And to top it all off, I went home early, fell asleep as I was waiting for the kettle to boil, woke up with a start at 6.30am , ran to the computer and flicked on my skype, and true to my word and hers, Ana and I celebrated her NYE countdown, it was the loveliest bottle of Prosecco I'd drunk in a long time! albeit the earliest ! he he he rock on!

I really feel this year is starting out so brilliantly, I've started my master cleanse detox diet that my lovely friend Chrissy gave to me. We went to school in Hong Kong together and she lives in Bali now, the invite is open to head over there , and I'm most certainly going to take it up! When she came over a couple of weeks ago to see me, (and I haven't seen her for 25 years!!) she looked bloody terrific! So I'm on my third day of the detox and I'm still hanging in there!



He He He... I'm thrilled with 2010 so far!
Dx