of sunsets and overworked souls...

To me, sunsets create a surreal sense of calm and serenity. Watching the perfect sunset invokes a feeling of pure tranquility and composure, soothing the soul and massaging the emotional glands. Troubles mystically fade into the cool glow of the sun's rays and for that few minutes... life is just perfect, nothing else matters. Occasionally a cool warm purple and orange-ish hue emanates through the clouds during sunset, creating the ultimate postcard picture. The sun setting between two mountains coupled with the reflection off a watery surface, grassy meadow or wide open padi field accolades the most tranquil atmosphere... the perfect sunset. I wish i could bottle up the feelings garnered whilst watching the sunset and open the bottle for a whiff of tranquility as when needed. Or maybe mass produce it and drop it over a war zone ala crop dusting to stop all the killing... wishful thinking.

Anyway, yeah yeah... Three Sixty's event brigade is back on the road for the 2nd time. Touring entire Malaysia once again, from the South to the North of the Peninsula, and end to end of Borneo (Sabah & Sarawak). For the first time, the boys will be thinly spread out across all corners of Malaysia, doing what we always do... pulling off miracles.
By the time this post hits print, i'd probably be touring Malaysia for the 2nd time in 2-weeks, this time executing the event itself.

It was during my 4-day recce of Peninsula Malaysia (Ipoh - Butterworth - Penang - Sg.Petani - Alor Star - Kangar - JB - Batu Pahat - Muar - Melaka - Seremban - KL) that i discovered some amazing sunsets north of Malaysia.
Uluwatu-who? Try Alor Star and Kangar. I was impressed even after having experienced some amazing sunsets in Australia and Bali. So impressed was i that i'm hoping to influence enough of my mates to go on a road trip through the coastal and trunk roads of Peninsula Malaysia (again!), to check out sceneries and sights off the beaten path.

Here are some pictures taken during my long and arduous road trip across the peninsula.

Somewhere up north of the Peninsula
Empty CrossroadI love this "Reflection on Reflection" shot.Public cooked food market?I took a random pic of an old building, and this very eerie shot came out... grainy and green, took a 2nd pic and it was perfectly fine.
notice something in window? This is a real creepy picture. The lighting, old stuffs, and relfections in the old mirrors give it a real eerie feel. As if frozen in time.
Old skool barber shop still in operation... check out the barber chairs, mirrors, tools, and old school silver coloured cassette boom box in the reflection in the mirror!

Sole Seduction

A friend of mine cringed and cursed "F*#k i'm not paying 500bucks for a pair of sneakers!" and walked right out of the CAMPER store in The Gardens @ Mid Valley the other day. I calmly explained its not a pair of sneakers, its CAMPERS..its a casual shoe not a sneaker. Besides, nowadays even a pair of good jogging shoes costs close to RM500. That incident sparked a thought, not many men pay attention to their "Soles". So, I thought i'd share a little on the differences of men shoes and the recommended essential Soles a metropolitan man should have in his shoe cabinet. To hopefully help those of you who are still "sole searching". Ever heard the saying "The Shoes Maketh the Man" and "You can tell alot about a man from his shoes"?. So spare a little thought, some cash, and add that crowning glory to your wardrobe.

SNEAKERS - sporty looking, rubber sole with a fabric upper and sometimes with a mix of leather thrown in for good measure - generally used for sporting activities and informal casual wear. As you don't spend your entire life in the office, a good pair of sneakers for your weekend social activities is a good way to sporty-up and dress down your wardrobe.

THE CASUAL SHOE - This is a shoe that allows you to go from coffee at Starbucks straight to a dress-up dinner by just adding a jacket to your ensemble. The casual shoe is more fomal than the sneaker and is more suited for occasions where sneakers are deemed inappropriate. Generally a sleek non-bulky design equipped with an all leather upper in earthy colours or black with a thin rubber sole. Paired with a pair of dark colored slim or straight jeans, a shirt or simple t-shirt/jacket package and you're ready for a smart night out on the town. Ready to impress.


THE DRESS SHOE - Also known as the Oxford. For work and the super formal occasions, there are no exceptions. The classic all black laced dress shoe is a must. An all leather construction with a leather sole says "Formal" and "Classy" without a doubt. A must have for any man. Recent times have seen the birth of many new different designs and styles. If you're like most other people, you won't need more than a pair or two of dress shoes, and may face difficulty trying to choose one that suits you and your wardrobe best. Try and stick to the simple classic design and you won't have a problem matching it with your slacks or your suit.

Building a wardrobe can be a challenging task, stick to what suits your body and style best. When it comes to shoes you can't go wrong these three types of shoes as a start, sprucing up your look for any occasion. Of course there are other types of shoes you can purchase - boots, loafers, boat shoes, high-tops, etc. there are even a few types of dress shoes, classified by the way they're closed. But these are the three basic types of shoes i'd recommend every man should have before proceeding with the other variants. If you don't intend to purchase numerous pairs of shoes, stick to designs with simple lines and black/white or earthy colors. That way you won't have trouble matching your shoes to your wardrobe. Also consider spending a little more on top-dollar quality shoes, as they generally (well, in theory sometimes) last longer.

My Heart & Sole..
Shoes seem to flow in my blood, i blame my mum for it really. My mum used to idolize Imelda Marcos, and her sizable collection of shoes would be adequate to stock up a small women shoe store. Shoe fetish is proven to be hereditary - both my brother and i share a passion for shoes and fashion. We're lucky in a way, as we both wear almost the same sized shoes. Though my brother does occasionally buy shoes a half size smaller on purpose to curb me wearing them, and impose restrictions and guidelines for certain shoes. I on the other hand, have no qualms about sharing.
Between us, i think we have access to about 30-odd pairs of shoes, majority being sneakers. Unlike some shoe enthusiasts, we actually wear our shoes! including limited edition snake-skinned Nikes, rare Tiger's, Yasuhiro Mihara Pumas.. yeah, box fresh special editions fetch sky-high prices, but will you actually sell it when the time comes? i highly doubt it...
Always buy shoes that suit your wardrobe and you're comfortable with, ensuring that you'll always have an opportunity to wear them with a variety of clothes for a longer period of time. Here are pics of some of the shoes in the Heah stable...

Some of our shoes

Its wise to pay top dollar for shoes, this pair of classic BALLY loafers is 11 years old

Nike Force One Snake Skin

The Dress Shoe

Gold flaked and mid-top Tigers

"These shoes are made for running" -Shocks & Frees
Military themed Nikes
Always keep your shoes in a breathable cabinet:
Black 2-door 4-tier shoe cabinets, RM99 each from Cavenzi, 3-tier open shoes racks, RM19 each from IKEA.

May god bless your sole!

* Shoe Pics Courtesy of: Sneakerhead, Nike, Sepick, Puma, Ebay, Amazon, Jwan, and Jinn Heah.

Faltering...

Pertaining to a discussion amongst friends the other day, i thought it be a good time to share a little on the matter. Hopefully some of the words penned here today would help ignite some thought for some of you...

There are many reasons why someone enters into a relationship, and most (i hope!) expect it to last - maybe even forever. Nothing is perfect in this world though, and over time inevitable flaws will start to surface. From this point forth you may find yourself spending more time and effort conducting relationship repair work more than anything else. To the point you subconsciously structure your life to avoid conflicts with your partner, a behavioral pattern that is occasionally only visible to third parties. A pre-programmed behavior and line of thought engulfs you, constantly living a life not yours in fear of negative repercussions from your partner if you "didn't do this" or "didn't do that". Fact of life; at some point in time, you need to acknowledge and accept the fact that your current relationship no longer suits you. And it is always best to let go early then to struggle and try to salvage something beyond repair.

EVALUATION...

A good relationship begins with one-word; TRUST. Trust is not about disclosing all the details about your ex's and past life, nor about needing to know every little detail about your partner's past relationships. It is simply about BEING HONEST with each other. If you discover your partner being dishonest about her whereabouts OR worse yet, you start or have not been giving her your true honest opinion about anything, it's a bad sign. take note.

Now this part may seem shallow to some but lets face the facts, physical appearance is an important factor in a relationship. Simply because how attracted you are to your partner charts the course of your physical relationship, and truth be told, the physical part of your relationship has everything to do with every other aspect of your relationship. More so if you harbour hopes of a long term relationship. Her round eyes you once thought to be "oh soo cute" now makes her look like a toad, her oversized t-shirts you once thought made her look like a cute lil' kid now makes her look shabby - tell tale signs its going down the gutter. Unless you both live in a cyber world where you never have to meet, you need to take a good look at your partner and simply ask yourself "How hot is she?" Your answer will help you in your evaluation. Be honest to yourself.

Problem evaluation. You need to take the time to assess the frequency of conflict & flammability. Problem is, once you've been in a relationship for a period of time, it'll be difficult for you to be able to evaluate the situation properly. For example, it might be hard to gauge how much fighting is normal. Sporadic arguing and the occasional bouts of screaming fights, is common. But constant nagging and bickering, however, is a sign of serious relationship problems. If you can't get through the week without any exchange of negativity or any conflict, its best you both went your separate ways. Over frequent arguments or heated discussions could be caused by built up resentment towards each other's ceratin attributes or actions - subconciously holding a negative grudge towards each other. Another point to consider is how quickly you get angry, only takes a word or two from her mouth, and you're ready to go to war...

Friends & Family. Think about how your significant other gets along with your family, colleagues and most importantly your friends. Of course, you don't want to keep a girlfriend around just because your family and friends like her. Your friends and family have been with you through numerous relationships, partners have come and gone, but your friends and family have always been there throughout the years. How well your partner gets along with your friends is a crucial role in determining the lifespan of your relationship. It'll take a toll on you when you try to balance 2 lives, evolving around your friends and one with your partner. The world and your life doesn't and cannot be just about the two of you. Bear in mind that your friends and family are the pillars of your life.

Without a doubt every relationship has problems. Try to resolve the problem as soon as it arises, dragging it on or keeping mum to avoid conflict will only compound the hatred and resentment, leading to a potentially disastrous outburst at a later date. Every relationship deserves a thorough evaluation before you decide to bin it though, so take a step back, have a good look, talk to your friends, think, and then you'll have a clear picture if its to be "marital bliss" or straight into the abyss!

- By Jwan Heah, Inspired and guided by Andrew Moore, relationship extraordinaire.