When Routine Isn't Exactly Normal

Printed July 2008


"When routine isn't exactly normal." This is the byline of the blog belonging to a one Mr. Kenny Sia. Kenny, easily one of Malaysia (and arguably South East Asia's) most popular bloggers, is surprisingly affable and friendly. Considering the gargantuan amount of attention his blog has gained, Kenny is a true example of everything a good blogger should be ; interestingly funny while giving readers some insightful food for thought.
With some 20,000 unique hits a day, Kenny's blogging formula has proven to be a success. With posts ranging from humorous pokes at Malaysian life to meeting personalities of note, it is no wonder that Kenny's blog has pretty much set the standard.


SS: Kenny it goes without saying that you are a super-popular blogger. How did you get started?

KS: I started about 3 years ago in January 2005. Back then I was going through a very difficult period in my life - I was living in Australia for almost 8 years and I had to move back to Malaysia on short notice because my father has fallen critically ill. It was a turning point in my life because I had to leave everything behind: my friends, my job and my girlfriend at the time.

Back then blogging had only just become popular. I found that it was a great way to document my life and keep my friends from all corners of the globe in touch with what I was doing. Along the way, I wrote some entertaining and humorous entries, people passed the word around quickly, and the rest, like they say, is history.

SS: You receive a large number of unique hits to your blog on a daily basis. Was there a particular post you wrote that helped you gain more visitors?

KS: Several blog entries of mine stood out above the rest. Those are the big hit ones that I categorized as "Favourite Entries" on my blog.

The first hit was way back on April 1st 2005 when I parodied some of the more popular bloggers at the time. Since then, I was known for poking fun at Kuching's insanely long road names, my spoof on the OSIM uZap advertisements, and my prank on a lucky draw scammer from Hong Kong.



SS: What was your first real acknowledgment from the media that you and your blog had 'arrived'?

KS: It was an interview with The Star Metro back in June 2008 that first propelled me into the mainstream limelight. The real acknowledgment was when my blog entry on Kuching's long road names was re-published in The Star Two and I got paid for it.



SS: Did you ever imagine that your blog would take you to where it has now?

KS: Absolutely not! The internet obviously knows no boundaries and I am very lucky to have the support of my readers to bring me where I am today.



SS: Has being a blogceleb manifested itself in everyday life? Do people stop you on the street because they recognize you?

KS: Yes, it has. It is really weird for me because I'm still this very normal and regular person just like everyone else. Once, I was in McDonald's in my shorts and slippers, digging my nose with one hand, holding a sloppy burger on the other when a bunch of schoolgirls came and asked for a photo. It was very embarrassing. 


6) Has your blogging fame affected your personal and family life in any way?

Unfortunately it has, and not for the better. My family has warned me repeatedly not to compromise their privacy online, and I have very heated arguments with my mother sometimes over the content I post on my blog. Friends nowadays always add a cautionary "Don't put this on your blog har!" when I take photos with them.



SS: What are the downsides?

KS:  You have to keep up with people's expectations, and with that comes a lot of restrictions on what you can and cannot do.

If I did not include any jokes in my entries, people would hurl hurtful insults towards me and call me boring. Then there are those who always enjoy repeating to me "With great power comes great responsibilities" whenever I write something mildly controversial.

In a way, my blog is not personal anymore but the property of the 20,000 people reading it daily who demanded to be entertained. Putting up with people's expectations and insults is very draining to the emotions.

SS: You were a judge on a beauty show recently :

KS: It was a show called Malaysian Dreamgirl and it was broadcasted exclusively on www.malaysiandreamgirl.tv

It's obvious I have no experience in judging beauties, but the producers roped me in on the project purely for the publicity I would have been able to generate as an internet figure. I was excited to be part of it because I was and still am very attracted to the prospects of having a locally-produced online reality series. Sure enough, the show garnered a huge cult following and became a smashing success.

We all learned an immense amount from doing the show. And it'll be coming back again by the start of next year.


SS: What are your blogging plans for the future?

KS: I plan to bring the lifestyle blogging genre more into the mainstream and hopefully attract people who do not normally read blogs to start reading them.

At the same time, I'm also promoting other bloggers

Visit Kenny at www.kenysia.com. Alternatively, Sabahan readers may be interested to note that Kenny will be in Kota Kinabalu to participate in the Borneo International Marathon scheduled for October 12th 2008.

Smoke & Wine

Published March 2008

Cigars have long evoked a sense of history and etiquette amongst the well heeled. More refined than a cigarette and less ostentatious than a pipe, cigars are enjoyed the world over by connoisseurs and dilettantes alike and are regarded by those in the know as a finessed smoke to be savoured unhurriedly.


On Friday the 20th of June at Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa, cigar aficionados in Sabah were given the opportunity to indulge in a rare treat; Cuban offerings prepared by master cigar roller 'Torcedor' Yoel Diaz. Considered to be one of the best in his field, Diaz was on hand to showcase his techniques in this particular art form. A 'teacher of quality' at the internationally renowned Partagas cigar company Diaz has 12 years of experience under his belt and has reached the 9th grade of cigar rolling, the highest level of skill attainable.
As the earliest known cigars were reportedly smoked in Cuba as far back as the 16th century, it should go without saying that Cuban cigars are truly some of the best in the world. Cigars come in all shapes and sizes and from what I've been made to understand, it all boils down to personal preference.

A petit corona for example is not a tiny Mexican beer but rather a cigar that is slightly smaller than average which would take around 25 minutes to smoke. Its size however should not be an indication of any lack of flavour as petit coronas are considered to be full bodied.
Joyita, or "little jewel" in Spanish, is known for having a balanced, palate pleasing taste and what is described as a bold aroma.
Robustos, or "robust" in English are of a shorter and thicker diameter and this variety is amped up on every trait of a good cigar; strong body, aroma and taste. A cigar for an experienced smoker.


Pre dinner cocktails gave off a decidedly Cuban introduction with a selection of Caipirinhas and Mojitos and the wines for the evening were smooth and cultivated. To imbibe in a wine from the popular Antinori fold is to be assured of quality.
Prior to the dinner service, guests were also encouraged to try their hand at rolling their own mini cigarillos with loose tobacco and paper offered for an early smoke.

A deliciously unpretentious starter of red bean soup reflected the requirements a menu must have when paired with an evening of cigars. This was followed by a well sized portion of lamb, the meat of which had been appropriately spiced and was fall-off-the-bone tender. Dessert was no let-down in the chocolate department either - a popular dish that went down a treat as après dinner cocktails were being served. Daniel Michalski, the hotel's Director of Food and Beverage explained that when dining while smoking cigars, food should usually be strong and flavourful as this would help to enhance the overall quality and taste of premium tobacco.


Cigars :
* Romeo y Julieta Petit Corona
* Montecristo Joyita
* Nat Sherman Hobart Robusto

Apéritif:

* Caipirinhas
* Mojito
* Pineapple fizz


Wines :
Antinori Campogrande Orvieto Clasico DOC
Antinori Santa Cristina Toscana IGT


Menu:
* Red bean soup with home made smoked beef & chicken sausages with porcini mushrooms & rosemary infusion
* Spiced lamb shank with olives of Spanish garlic confit, onion, parmesan cheese polenta & oven roasted tomatoes.
* Chocolate walnut delight with pineapple and crispy waffles


Après dinner :
Jamaican coffee
Mocha mint
Kingston cocktail

For more information regarding the cigars and wines listed :

Trinidad Cigar Company
G306, Ground Floor
1 Borneo
Jalan Sulaman
Kota Kinabalu
88400 Sabah
T : +6-088-447796

The Wine Shop
BG77, Ground Floor, Phase 2
Wisma Merdeka
Jalan Tun Razak
Kota Kinabalu
T : +6-088-268111

Road Trippin'

Published February 2008


The humble road trip. It's not just another vernacular expression but is truly an experience. Wikipedia defines the term as "a journey via automobile, sometimes unplanned or impromptu". 

I doubt that your daily errand-running or grocery shopping excursions qualify. However given the amount of time drivers spend stuck in traffic these days, one may as well have driven out of the city to do a little sightseeing. 

My interpretation of a road trip concurs heavily with the Wikipedia definition. Road trips that are planned on the day itself usually turn out to be the most memorable. And this is exactly what happened to me very recently. I woke up with an appetite for a little travel. A good drive was the order of the day and I was more than happy to give in to it. 
By the time I had packed a bag full of basic essentials and had secured a co-pilot for the last minute journey, what had begun as a general hankering for a day away from the city had festered into a gentle frenzy. It was time to say goodbye to Kota Kinabalu for a few hours.

I fetched the travel buddy from his place of residence, adjusted the iPod playlists accordingly, hooked the Hilux up with a full tank of gas, and we were on our way up to the Sabah highlands. Taking into account that Kinabalu Park is a World Heritage Site (as designated by UNESCO, making it Malaysia's first) and is less than a two hour drive from the capital city, it is no wonder that around 20,000 visitors make their way up there every month.

Located approximately 88 kilometers from Kota Kinabalu, we reached Kundasang roughly one and a half hours later. This is a town synonymous with anything pertaining to Mount Kinabalu as it is quite possibly the closest community area to the mountain itself, Kinabalu Park notwithstanding.
If you're in vicinity and passing through (say, en route to or from the Poring Hot Springs, Ranau or even Sandakan) you'd be hard pressed to miss the small "tamu" or roadside stalls which offer fresh local vegetable produce, honey, plants, souvenirs and the like. 

The reason why you'd be made aware of these stalls is due to the large number of tour buses parked alongside them waiting for tourists to make their purchases. A good thing for the local economy, but a little vexing for drivers navigating the traffic, especially along particularly tight  stretches of road. 

What made this trip truly unique for us was the unusually adverse wind conditions we encountered as soon as we reached the town. Granted Kundasang is around 1,500 meters above sea level but this was something new even for the locals, who by the looks of things appeared to be having a little difficulty acclimatizing to the gusts themselves.

We turned off at the Kundasang stalls and drove for another ten minutes until we reached the Mesilau Nature Resort for lunch. Mesilau is an ecofriendly vacation stay complete with chalets, an abundance of greenery and for those seeking an alternative approach to summiting Mount Kinabalu, the Mesilau Trail for climbers. 

Located at around 2,000 meters above sea level this is quite possibly the highest resort in and around the Kundasang valley and the surrounding range. Taking that into account, the winds became slightly more volatile, slamming into us from different directions and disappearing as quickly as they had appeared. I suppose that given the current weather conditions around South East Asia at the moment this should have been expected.

The best thing about these winds is that they made the eastern ridge of Mount Kinabalu visible, something I had never seen up close. The mountain itself was heavily shrouded but just being able to view these rocky, rugged side peaks made this road trip all that much more rewarding.

After lunch and a long, lazy caffeine induced verbal acclamation of the very welcome drop in temperature - we guesstimated around 18 degrees Celsius given the wind chill factor - we drove back to Kundasang town and spent a good half an hour taking note of ubiquitous motels, lodges and chalets in the vicinity, all with something different to offer. 
The Kinabalu Pine Resort for example, has been a consistent industry leader for its category with numerous awards under its belt. We also noticed that there were a few up-and-coming developments currently under construction. 
There were sadly a couple that were bordering on dilapidation. A disappointing fact given the amazing vistas that are everywhere you look.

Our journey back down was pleasant enough and uneventful except for the antics of a driver of a large bus who was firmly in an F-1 state of mind. His lane-cutting tactics around blind corners had me nervous as I expected the inevitable oncoming accident from the opposite lane. Thankfully nothing of the sort happened and after overtaking a succession of cars the bus sped off, no doubt to terrify the occupants of other vehicles further along. 

We got back to the city after dark and drove straight into a heavy rainstorm which gravitated us towards a lovely steamboat dinner, to warm the bones. 
A perfect way to end a truly memorable day. Road trips are definitely the way to go. We're planning our next one already.

No Reservations

Published February 2008


A bit of advance warning. This week's article is heavily peppered (pun fully intended) with a large amount of personal bias. First off, let me just say that I love Anthony Bourdain. Not heard of him? Fine it's understandable that you may not have had the chance to pick up one of his books but if you have cable TV at home and are not living under a giant rock, there is a high likelihood that you have come across some of his shows as he travels around the world in "A Cook's Tour", looking for "kicks, thrills, epiphanies" and the "perfect meal". While filming he has had the opportunity to sample some of the most unusual ingredients in the world - whole cobra in Vietnam, seal eyeball in Alaska, warthog rectum in Namibia and fermented shark in Iceland. And he didn't shirk away from any of them. He does however admit to his intolerance towards most vegetables. As well as his refusal to allow Billy Joel's music to be played in his kitchens.

Saddled with the moniker "bad boy of cuisine", Tony is very clearly a man who is a chef's chef. Someone who smokes and drinks with the same amount of gusto he reserves for a beautiful cut of meat, combined with a tiny level of sexual innuendo and a strong hint of mischief as well as a pure and open passion for anything food related.

Born and raised in New York, Bourdain's introduction to food began as a child when he tasted his first oyster and described it as life altering : "I took it in my hand, tilted the shell back into my mouth as instructed by the now beaming Monsieur Saint-Jour and with one bite and a slurp, wolfed it down. It tasted of seawater...of brine and flesh...and somehow...of the future."

A humble beginning as a dishwasher in a small Provincetown fish restaurant led to classes at the Culinary Institute of America. After working in some of the most prominent restaurants in New York Bourdain became Executive Chef at Les Halles Brasserie and still holds fort there even as he trots the globe in search of a new food experience. His thorough and consistent writing in exposing the true lifestyle of chefs in kitchens everywhere is largely based on his own personal experience.

The author of nine books including the phenomenal "Kitchen Confidential : Adventures In The Culinary Underbelly" Bourdain's writing and wit has been enormously popular around the world. Gritty enough for the uninitiated while still being fittingly appropriate for most self-proclaimed gourmands, Bourdain offers up the most honest chronicles I have ever come across. A brutally straightforward and hilarious memoir of a very complex chef with a rock star mentality, Bourdain shares pearls of kitchen wisdom with the masses :

* Diners are encouraged not to order fish on Mondays as it would have been sitting in the freezer over the weekend and therefore wouldn't be as fresh as you'd like.

* Always check out the bathrooms of a restaurant. It'll give you a good indication of the cleanliness of the kitchen too.

* The breadbaskets offered at your table would have probably been recycled from the table of other diners.

* In most kitchens, the 'three second rule' applies. If food is dropped on the floor and rescued within three seconds then it is still considered edible.

My introduction to Bourdain began in the early days of 2002. I was at an overseas airport traveling back home and had hours to kill. With nothing to do except skulk around the duty free areas and book shops, I came across "Kitchen Confidential". How cool, I thought to myself. And after reading the brief synopsis on the jacket I decided that this was the book for me. To say that I sunk my teeth into it and devoured it thoroughly over the next few hours is a laughable understatement. This was quickly followed up with my zest to find as many of his books as I could. I was elated when I managed to track down "A Cook's Tour" and was quietly in awe and fully aware of the great recipes I was about to absorb when I lovingly unwrapped and began to read "Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook"

When asked in a recent interview about what makes the worst type of customer, Bourdain replied, 'The worst? Easy. The man who comes in and as soon as you see or hear him you know he's saying, "I am determined, no matter what happens, to have a miserable time tonight. Whether the food is great or not, and no matter what the wine and service are like, I will show off in front of my companions and make life hell for the waiter, because my life is all about power and I am a seriously unhappy jerk." There are plenty of them. Everywhere. Them and the psycho food nerds. They take notes while eating. They're not the very worst but they're worrisome, demanding for the chef. Chefs and regular restaurant-goers are the best, and leave the best tips. I love other chefs.'

In his book 'Nasty Bits' Bourdain makes his opinions blatantly and side-splittingly clear in stating that "the terrible sameness of some of-the-momentPacific Rim, Pan-Asian and Nuevo Latino menus, in which chefs misuse Asian or South American ingredients with the single-minded enthusiasm of golden retrievers in heat, attempting coitus with one's leg blindly and unproductively."

Having dabbled in professional kitchens myself many years ago, I have a strong affinity for those who don the kitchen whites. And no other celebrity chef understands the bond between cooks and what it is that makes the lifestyle more than tolerable than Anthony Bourdain himself. 

The Book Laureate

Published February 2008


The supercool Urban Dictionary that I visit online regularly to update my colloquialisms, states that the term Bibliobibuli is a mixture of Greek ("biblio" - meaning books) and Latin ("bibulous" from "bibere" - meaning to drink), and can be loosely translated as being drunk on books.

Interestingly enough, Bibliobibuli is also the name of a blog by prominent literati figure Sharon Bakar . A self-confessed book fan who's tag line on her blog reads "Woman battles serious book dependency problem". A British citizen who has been living in Kuala Lumpur for the last 23 years with her husband, Sharon's ability to accurately profile books and her adoration for literature is a perfect reminder for people like myself on what made us want to write in the first place. She is clearly a lady who loves her books and all things pertaining to the written word, and I personally consider her to be an authority on this subject.

Apart from teaching and writing Sharon is also an active organizer for "Readings". States Sharon, "Readings" is a monthly gathering of writers which was started in 2005 by Bernice Chauly.  The aim is to encourage writers by giving them a platform for them to read their work and socialize.  Each session features 6 writers – and there is always a mixture of the established and newbie, published and not yet published, in Malay and in English.  Each reader gets 10-15 minutes (no longer!) no matter what their writerly status.

Readers may read in either English or Malay and the texts should be fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction or dramatic scripts.  You are welcome to read from works in progress. And if you have self-published books to sell, bring them along too. (If you feel terminally shy about reading your work yourself, you could ask a more confident friend to read for you)."

A monthly event that has clearly picked up momentum as it gives writers a valuable outlet to discuss their work, and as Sharon wrote in an email a couple of weeks ago, "you don't need qualifications to write well, or courses - just access to books and determination. But writers do get lonely without other writers to talk to."

A literary luminary whom I use as a reminder of why, after a very long dry spell in which I avoided reading like the plague, I fell back in love with books again :

*COULD YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF?
 I'm British. I grew up in the English Midlands near Birmingham and Coventry. I came to Malaysia to teach english in 1984, fell in love with the country and stayed.


* WHAT WAS YOUR EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND LIKE?
 I went to Catholic primary schools and then to a girls grammar school which was really quite posh.  I planned to be a librarian but at the last moment decided on teaching instead and did a B.Ed with Birmingham University.  Later I did an M.Ed course and a post-graduate diploma, also in teaching English.


* DID YOU ALWAYS HAVE A STRONG LOVE FOR BOOKS OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT DEVELOPED AT A LATER AGE?
My dad always used to read to me and encouraged me to read so the love of books grew from there. The trip to the library was part of our weekly routine, and the schools I went to also encouraged the reading habit. I think all of these things were very important in shaping me as a reader.


* HOW DID THE IDEA COME UP FOR THE NOW-FAMOUS "READINGS" SESSIONS?
Bernice Chauly started "Readings" three years ago, and I kept it going when her mum became terminally ill, and then she handed the event over to me while she set up another event at no Black Tie, in Jalan Mesui, KL.


* ANY MEMORABLE PERFORMANCES?
 All of them have been memorable, but none probably more so than Night of the Living Text  event held at Central Market last February in conjunction with The British Council. We had authors and poets from the UK, The Philippines and Taiwan, and our Malaysian authors (Tan Twan Eng, Dina Zaman and Kam Raslan) put on a really good show too.  I was amazed at how many people turned up to support us.


* PERSONAL FAVORITE AUTHORS AND / OR POETS?
Ian McEwan, Annie Proulx, Margaret Atwood, Barry Unsworth, Peter Carey, Rohinto Mistry and Vikram Seth are some of my favourites.


* YOU HAVE A PENCHANT FOR CREATIVE WRITING. COULD YOU SHARE SOME TIPS FOR NOVICES OR THOSE WHO ARE THINKING OF WANTING TO WRITE?
 The most important thing is to read, read, read to absorb the way good writing works.  The second most important thing is to put in the hours at your desk!


* AS A WRITER, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OBSTACLES THAT YOU HAD TO FACE AND HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM?
My own laziness and disorganisation is the probably I face all the time.  Apart from that I think I've received nothing but encouragment for my writing.


* ARE YOU WORKING ON ANY FICTION AT THE MOMENT?
 I'm working on non-fiction stuff at the moment - mostly articles and essays, but someone just asked me to write a short story for them so am having a little panic right now.


* WOULD YOU EVER CONSIDER ORGANIZING A WRITERS FESTIVAL OVER HERE IN SABAH?
 That would be really nice, actually!  I hadn't thought about it until you mentioned it, but there's no reason why something couldn't be done.  And even if we couldn't put together a whole festival I'm sure we could collaborate on some projects.


In a post on her blog entitled "You Are What You Read", Sharon explains that it really is that simple :

"You say that you want to write? Good, I'm glad to hear it. Welcome to the club.

But before you start to send out work thinking it is the best in the world and going to sell a zillion copies and going to net you a fortune as big as that Rowling woman, there's one thing you must do.

You must read.

You must read.

Not just the occasional book, but as many books and as hungrily as you can.

Good books. Bad books.

Books in any genre. But most especially books in the genre you want to write.

"Go away and read a thousand books," Raman tells wanna-be writer who wander into his shop to seek advice.

And I'd say, yes, more or less, that's exactly it.

Because if you don't read, how will you enrich your store of words?

Because if you don't read, how will you know what's possible?

Because if you don't read, how do you develop that inner critical voice that tells you whether your work is any good or not?

The answer is, quite simply, that you won't.

And I don't think you will will be able to write anything that will interest me.

If your time-impoverished-pragmatic-self baulks at the idea of carving out some reading time in a busy day, and you feel guilty because you see reading as an indulgence, remember: reading time is really writing time, and it is the most effective, least painful way to improve your craft."

H.L. Mencken once wrote, 'There are people who read too much: the bibliobibuli. I know some who are constantly drunk on books, as other men are drunk on whiskey or religion. They wander through this most diverting and stimulating of worlds in a haze, seeing nothing and hearing nothing.' 

For more information on the 'Reading' sessions or if you'd just like to have a peek at a superior blog which features information on books, authors and writing, visit Sharon at www.thebookaholic.blogspot.com

The Birth of Cool

The Birth of Cool - Published February 2008


It's been three months since I began this column and it finally occurred to me that I have yet to write anything relating to music, my other serious passion. Someone once told me that we are still unable to explain why humans gravitate towards music. Music has been around for thousands of years and can be termed as an ancient form of art and expression, on par with speech and the written word. Is there a  primeval part of the brain that requires it? A drive for music perhaps?

I am aware that music can slow down or quicken heart rates depending on the genre of course. It is said to lessen the effects caused by depression and has sedative properties. All in all, music generally is good for you. Not like I needed scientists to inform me of that fact, but it's handy to know nevertheless.

Music. The one thing that is guaranteed to move me. Moods can change when a very familiar and much loved track comes on the air. The thumb panel on my iPod has been worn down to a nub as I use it constantly. Music is clearly something I could not imagine being without and this is going to sound extremely judgmental (and I apologize in advance) but I've often scowled in confusion at people who don't enjoy music. Yes there are a few out there. I've met them. From the humble lullaby one is sung to as a child, to the superpower of a live concert by an international artist, music transcends so many barriers such as race, culture, language and age that I still can't get my head around it.

Most of my childhood memories are represented by songs. For example if I were to hear "Zoom" by Fat Larry's Band, I know I would be immediately transported back twenty five years. I can't seem to remember dates and years all that well. But sit me down with a drink in my hand and I could tell you the story behind each important song in my life.

To say that music featured prominently in my early days would be an understatement of gigantic proportions. There are photographs of me trying to fiddle with the dials of our modest family stereo system back in the day. This was obviously cause for some distress to my parents as I was known to destroy pretty much anything I got my chubby little hands on and furniture was conveniently arranged to discourage me from reaching my objective. But somehow I stealthily managed to circumnavigate around the well placed blockades, not stopping until I reached my target. Yes I was a pain.

One of my earliest introductions to music was by way of my father and his guitar. The hippie era was coming to an end and my father was readjusting to life without bell bottomed pants and long hair. I can recall him singing Ralph McTell's "Streets Of London" to me as often as he could while I watched him play and wondered how he got his fingers to make his guitar sound like that. I remember pouring over the covers of all his records and song & lyric books, wondering why the members of that band Kiss dressed up in demonic looking clothes and make-up. Except for the guy with the painted-on whiskers. He just looked weird.
Names of bands like Deep Purple, whom my father clearly adored and my mother disliked, fascinated me. How were they deep? And they didn't look purple at all. Most perplexing. And then of course, there were The Beatles. No funny anecdotes required there.

I can still recall the day that my mother walked in with a brand new record by The Police that she had just bought. "Every Breath You Take" was a massive hit single worldwide but I had no idea about that. What I do know is that we had moved into our new house. There was a nicer, upgraded stereo system - much posher than the first one - and neither my brother or I were allowed to touch it. Strictly for the grown-ups, we were told. My mother was very pleased with her purchase (my father being the usual contributor to the music played in our home) and was so happy that she put it on for us before dinnertime. TV watching and music listening was usually reserved for after dinner hours so I was pretty excited with the break in routine. And so we sat down together in the family room and listened to a song that was destined to go down in music history. That was in 1984 and I was seven years old.

It was also around that time that my older brother went away to boarding school. I used to look forward to the school holidays as he would come home armed with new records of bands and singers that I had never heard of. Laura Branigan was massive, Frankie Goes To Hollywood's track "Relax" was stirring up some controversy or another. Madonna had basically taken over the planet. I listened to A-Ha and Nik Kershaw endlessly and decided, with all the fanfare little me could muster, that I was going to love Depeche Mode for the rest of my life.

What was an initial interest exploded into a full-blown jonesing for 80s music. Groups like Bananarama and Duran Duran confused me as no one seemed to be able to tell me what their band names meant (I fancied myself a precocious child in this department) and I was more than a little bummed out when it was pointed out to me in an interview in Smash Hits magazine that the Pet Shop Boys never owned or worked in an actual pet shop. I becoming more aware of an up and coming group that were starting to make serious waves internationally. The name of this band was U2.

Apart from records my brother started bringing home prized videotapes with music videos. I was drawn to MTV and watched the videos repeatedly. The Simple Mind's "Alive And Kicking" was immensely popular and I observed the changing face of anything and everything related to pop music - from haircuts to shoulderpads, buckles in weird places and ripped jeans.

It was also around this period that my parents decided it was time for me to take a more serious interest in music. So off I was packed to piano classes. That lasted for about 3 months until the piano teacher, a very nice lady named Ivy, told my parents that I was not actually learning to read music at all but that I was listening and playing the piano by ear, in effect, copying. I had been fooling everyone by playing my introductory piano pieces totally from memory. I remember my mother being a little upset with me for not making the effort to at least try to learn to read the music notes, but to me it just made more sense to listen and follow. And that set the precedent for my approach to playing musical instruments from then on in.

My father had noticed that I was constantly tapping on things whenever I listened to music and decided that I was perhaps more geared towards an interest in percussion. As luck would have it, an old family friend, Peter Lau, was a drum tutor. I began weekly classes with him and this was the start of my 10 year foray into playing the drums.

High school was where I really felt that I was given a free hand to explore as many different areas of music as I liked. We were encouraged to listen to anything and everything. I have fond memories of the first proper piece of classical music I ever really took a serious liking to : "Danse Macabre" by Camille Saint-Saëns. It still gives me the chills.

During my 5 years at United World College, I played drums and percussion with the school orchestra as well as the popular Jazz Band. And that is where I was properly introduced to the world of Miles, Coltrane, Byrd, Cannonball and the ladies of cool, Nina and Billie. Even when warming up for our jazz sessions, the legendary track "Take 5" was the order of the day to ease into things gently, and even now it is difficult for me to go 24 hours without listening to a little bit of jazz. Even if it is by modern-contemporary artists like grammy award winning Diana Krall.

I remember being encouraged by my music teacher Mr. Lowe, to attend a concert by legendary blues legend B.B. King. And then I was instructed to prepare an essay on the performance which I was more than happy to do as I waxed lyrical on the abilities of the man himself and his longtime stage companion - his black Gibson guitar named Lucille.

Throughout all my performances and exams for music, I never learned to read music. I played everything entirely by ear. For my GCSE exam piece that I had to compose and perform for marking, an allowance was made for me by the examining board in which I was allowed to present a write-up and thorough explanation on my composition. I am very proud to say that I was awarded an A for my efforts.

My university days were filled with balancing electronica and house with some trip-hop and garage. It is also around this time that I started paying a lot of attention to a genre I had previously overlooked, R & B. I have my flatmates to thank for that as they, being from mainly Fiji and Samoa, had a strong interest in anything related to neo-soul and hip hop. I could generalize and peg it as a cultural preference but that would simplify it too much. But if anything, their influences rubbed off on me greatly and I can safely say that I genuinely enjoy a lot more R & B now than I did ever before. Yes, I 'll admit to bopping along to radiofriendly Ne-Yo while regretting the demise of once popular Lucy Pearl.

Nowadays I alternate my playlists thoroughly and on any given day you will find some Bryan Ferry, a little Fleetwood Mac, a selection of Hed Kandi tracks, a sprinkling of Cafe Del Mar offerings, the humor of Fall Out Boy and more than a fair bit of Jamiroquai. But I have realized one thing in all my years of paying attention to artists and music. Stick to your own preferences and never let anyone tell you that you have bad taste in music. After all, you don't owe anyone any explanations to what it is that moves you.
But you'll have to excuse me now as I sign off. American Idol is on.