Daicon 2009 - Cosplay Galore Part 2

Otaku news from Malaysia always seems to be on the bad light and especially from Sankaku Complex a site well known to highlight the seedier side of Japanese visual and animation culture and lovingly take pot shots of China which must be swelling his page views each time he does that. Funny bit is that Malaysia also generates preety much bad vibes from the site blogger. The latest news is about Daicon 2009 which the web mentions about an incident where a manic otaku fan actually went up to swipe Chihara Minori's Evian water and began to execute an 'indirect kiss' by sipping the very bottle she just had taken from. The writeup can be found HERE. Oh well I wasn't there the second day so the verity of what actually happened is lost to me but I'm sure in this age and time with so many people with digital cameras, videos and camera phones there must be something floating about on the net.

Anyway, continuing my blogging with more shots of the cosplayers during Daicon 2009. Again if you are the one depicted or know of that person please feel free to contact me and I'll send the high res photos to you as thanks for posing. Here goes:

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Daicon 2009 - Cosplay Galore Part 1

Cosplaying is an intriguing form of anime/ manga fandom with people making elaborate costumes in the likes of their facourite character. Made well coupled with talent from the cosplayer, the results can be fantastic. The showing at the Daicon 2009 at Multimedia University were a testemant to how cosplay has become part of Malaysian culture as well. The participants really went all out. To me the most impressive showing were the girls cosplaying as the girls from K!-on, particularly of Mio and Yui. Guess Ritsu and the others weren't as popular. Don't see much of other more popular anime recently such as Macross, Code Geass and others. On the other hand old favourites such as Haruhi Suzumiya, Bleach and Naruto still show popular strength as can be seen in the turnout. Maids in maid costumes were beautifully done but not much of other typical costumes such as nekomimi, miko or suzimizu can be found. Other notables noticed during this saturday were the Mario Brothers, oldies but still gold more due to the infectious cheerfulness of the guy playing Mario than anything. The two Dantes were good and costume well done but they have to put more in the act to define the carefree macho guy Dante is. Others not participating in the cosplay contest can be seen throughout the convention. Cute and moe characters do dominate with a profusion of goth-loli and lolita fashion, the Ouran Host Club was also popular. Not forgetting the dancing storm trooper Danny Choo which gave quite a showing with his MJ dance and antics to the applause of the audience. Tomorrow is another day of event so expect to see more cosplayers.

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Daicon 2009

It's been quite a long day but one that is refreshingly positive. I actually only heard about Daicon 2009 when it was posted on Animenews.com, guess the local promotion was slow or lacking else confined to a small circuit of groups. Anyway, I always wanted to head to a anime, manga, cosplay, otaku fest. Since this time it falls on 11 - 12 July 2009 of which I'm actually physically in KL and without anything to do I headed to Cyberjaya for the Multimedia University where the event was being held.

Here is a summary of what to expect:

"Daicon is a celebration of Japanese Modern Visual Culture held in Malaysia at the Multimedia University. Daicon 2009 features various visual arts activities inspired by Japan including cosplay contest, doujinshi booths, figure collection display from Gundam, Macross and other anime as well as the appearance and concert from Chihara Minori."

Highlights of the 11th and what to expect tomorrow:

(1) Cosplayers

Both days have scheduled cosplay events, the individual cosplayers on Saturday and group cosplay on Sunday. The quality of the costumes were good especially the seifuku and goth loli inspired K!-on groups. The cosplayers were a friendly bunch who didn't hessitate to pose when asked. Some characters were too fun, the two guys playing Mario and Luigi were just barrels of smiles, the Dantes from Devil May Cry were more macho and kept on crossing their swords and pistols. The most attention grabbers must surely be the girl playing Haruhi in her bunny suit and concert getup as well as the people who were K!-on crazy, very elaborate and great setup. The setup and management of the contest was a bit of a letdown as the sound system wasn't really top notch, music drowning the cosplayers speech and technical problems here and there. I think the cosplayers were more animated and active in the waiting areas with the photographers then they were on stage. The finals were also not as thrilling as I had hoped but never being in a cosplay contest before not really sure how others are handled.

(2) Sales Booths

Lots of booth setup throughout the hall. Some are selling artwork and doujinshi from local artists. The most popular must be the merchandizing booth where people had to lineup to view the stuff on sale. Not much of a selection and prices can go off the roof (a t-shirt at RM114), the items include character mugs, folios, writing pads, t-shirts, stickers, etc. Come early to ensure you get the best stuff and avoid a 30 minute waiting time.

(3) Figurine Display

Several booths on display throughout the hall. The most impressive must be the figurines from the various animes and games. The organisers were a bit strict to enforce photographers behind a predetermined lined, understandably since one of these figurines can run up to 4,000 yen. The models were top notch and must be worth the huge moolah forked out. Glimpse lovely bikini clad idolmasters, the entire haruhi and lucky star neroids, hatsune miku, hayate, Ah! My Goddess, Tears to Tiara, Chobits, you name it. The other booth of interest is the Malaysian Macross Fan stall with models of the various Macross crafts particularly those from the latest Macross Frontier. A Gundam building contest is one of the events going on as well.

(4) Karaoke Contest

Karaoke contest today. Opinions are mixed. On one hand I can safely say 80% (90% if I'm mean) can't sing to save their life. I either have to admire their bravery and guts to go up in front of a few hundred people and sing with broken high notes, out of pitch, or totally messed up the beautiful songs that anime can provide. There were a few shining moments, those that can sing can realllyyy sing. But overall it was just an ear splitting experience, doesn't help that the hall is not sound proof and the din from the booths mixed in with the singing, and again the bad sound system all contributed to quite a fracas.

(5) Board Games and Maid Cafe

A slew of board games challenges (Zooloretto, Settlers of Catan, Jungle Speed) were ongoing throughout the day. A Go competition was running at the same time. A maid cafe was also being run at one corner of the hall. Didn't go in to take a look but judging from some of the wandering maids they don't look half bad. This was unlike the creepy feeling of realising that 2D cutesy girls in maid costume works better as they are than their 3D counterparts when I was at Singapore.

(6) Chihari Minori Q&A and Concert

Guest star for the event is of course the much touted seiyu Chihari Minori who played various animes most famous of course being Nagato Yuki in Haruhi Suzumiya. She was holding a Q&A session today with a concert tomorrow. Both events are pay events though so be ready to fork out a minimum of RM50 for seats and RM250 for exclusive access to the voice actress including posing Q&A and getting her autograph.

for those that missed the events today you all still have a chance tomorrow. Further information can be obtained at the website HERE.

For additional photos of todays events check out my FLICKR Page. Oh if anyone featured in the photos wishes for a high res photo please contact me. Also thanks to those that allowed themselves to be photographed and apologies if sometimes I was caught impromptu photographing.

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Laveenia Sivalingam's Arangantrem

Congratulations to Laveenia and thank you for allowing us to share in this day of yours where you took to the stage and dance your heart and soul for the audience and for the Gods. I have so much to say about your three hour performance but I was left breathless at anticipating each new twist, each turn of your form and the multitude of expressions you presented that left everyone in awe. If I had words to say I would comment that you showed great confidence on stage and there was never a moment that you looked in doubt of your own ability, which was honed in the countless hours of grueling practice and choreography. You also looked full of joy and pleasure at dancing, each step bringing about smiles and pleasure as if truly you are in communion with the deities. So I hope that you will be able to continue gracing the stage and let the audience enjoy the wonder that is Indian classical dance.

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Thank You for Visiting the Exhibition

Thanks everyone for visiting the exhibition.

Thank you to those that gave their limited time to come all the way to KLPAC for the joint exhibition by Visithra and I. The turnout from people I know were mixed but there were so many out there that gave their support by just attending and viewing the exhibits. To these people (you all know who you are) I am truly grateful to know that our friendship over the years means so much to the lot of you. First off would be from T'san and Mira for being the first to attend early on Saturday and the lovely bouquet of flowers presented to us. Then there was Kwang Meng and brother and Lay Cheng,I'm really touched that you all actually made it all the way from Ipoh to attend and walking the long distance from the KTM distance to KLPAC. Then to Kuok Sum for bringing (dragging hehe) his two lovely ladies from Toastmasters to come and visit especially since they just had to attend a meeting themselves. Jeremy Tok and his German counterparts for making an appearance. The old Master's gang, May Yen, Cheng Yi, Pei Ni and family for taking time off their ever so busy schedule and its was great catching up with everybody. My cousin Gary (Wai Ken) and his lovely girlfriend, sorry for not being able to entertain you all as I should since I was watching the Mak Yong performance. Joe and Faridah for giving us the support and space for our exhibition and for becoming our first patron.s Ripi and Ali for coming over to see us and everyone else that may not have been mentioned.

It has been quite an experience for those three weeks. It is my first exhibition and those few weekends sitting there and watching the crowd is an experience that I truly enjoyed. It touched us that so many took time before, in between or after performances to linger and comment on the photos, some even reading the articles (wordy as they were) line by line, it really shows that the effort putting those up were not wasted. I especially am intrigued that my photo of the Indian temple corridor was the one garnering so much attention, even to a point that a man walking on the opposite side of the hall made a 90 degree turn and headed straight for that one photo. Some took time to go one by one to view all 20 photos, others were more interested in particular pieces.

We wanted the exhibition to be fun yet informative. We had some people asking about the photo on Agathian Home and inquiring how they can get in touch with them. Others were interested in the shots of Pekeliling Flats, we had a few people mentioning they used to stay there and it was nostalgic. So once the three weeks were up it was a decision that was not wasted, even if we didn't turn a profit, the experience left us more the richer for it and I fell in love with KLPAC. If not for the exhibition I would not have known what joy it was to enjoy the arts. I went for my first theatre performance which cost me only RM15 and loved the Mak Yong which featured a stellar cast ensemble. I went to watch a Shakespearean play by the Young People's Theater and loved it. I was invited to attend an alternative dance to celebrate the solstice and got dragged as part of their show, led in arm (against my will) to be the centerpiece, Viz must have been laughing all the way seeing me dragged as such. I finally got to attend Urbanscapes 2009 and had a blast. I plan to continue this love of the arts and if there is a chance for another exhibition the decision will be clear. It was a lot of work and I really have to thank my partner for the hard work she put in, especially for the posters, without her this might not have pulled off. We still have photos for sale so if you are interested please contact us for the price. We are also releasing limited prints so if interested do call or get in touch. Again thanks everyone.

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Exhibition 01 - Childish Innocense

Location : Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (2008)
Camera : Canon EOS 400 D
Photographer : Chong Sim Chung

Many people know about the immigrant issue in Sabah, yet we seek to shroud our eyes from the fact that the majority of the locals here in Kota Kinabalu and similar towns are in fact foreigners. With its historically fluid borders with Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines, many arrive to seek a better life on Sabah’s shore. Walk by the stretch of coast along the modern Wawasan Square and Le Meridian Hotel and you will see the rows of wooden sheds and makeshift stalls at the local Kota Kinabalu Market. During market day, early in the morning or at the night market, one sight you cannot miss would be the large number of children, from as young as five to teenagers loitering the area.

These children are the street children of Sabah, the legacy of unfettered immigration, both legal and illegal to the State. Most of these children are without citizenship and thus are not entitled to education, healthcare and social benefits we enjoy. They will not be in schools or experience the normal childhood Malaysian children often take for granted. They live day-by-day in limbo, surviving the harsh reality bequeathed onto them, losing their innocence early in life.

Most follow their parents who are traders here or act individually to serve as bag carriers to the myriad people shopping for groceries, exchanging services for a few cents of coins which will likely be used to supplement their parent's meager earnings to ensure that they survive the day with food and shelter if any are to be had.

Yet if you meet them they are just like any other children with the innocence and joviality that only children can show. They smile, they play with whatever they can find, they laugh, they cry and they dream as any of us would. They show a spirit un-broken, not even by the difficult life they lead. They find simple pleasures in their surrounding and show a bond with each other that surprises you. These photos tell their stories so they we never turn a blind eye again.

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in/Visible - Joint Photo Exhibition (Kervin/ Visithra)

It's been a long cherished wish of mine to be able to share my photos and this is one step in the long path. I will be having my first exhibition in a joint venture with Visithra to be held at KLPAC from 1 - 14 June 2009. Entrance is free so I hope that you will be able to join us on our photographic journey.

Why did we call the exhibition in/Visible you may ask. We both have been shooting around Malaysia, in places both remote and familiar. In KL alone, walking by the city we often find ourselves in familiar sights, the large malls, the busy streets, the gardens, commercial areas, food stalls and tourisy attractions. In our haste to get from one place to the other, we often miss so much of our surroundings, and you'd be amazed to find that in the most improbable places, there is beauty. The theme also fits with both our passion in the living soul of KL and not just its infrastructure and places. It's the people that makes KL a living breathing place that throbs with life, without its people, the city is dead. Our Country is rapidly developing and in that haste we often forget or choose not to see the less privelaged in our society, the folks living in shanty towns and remnant villages amidst the sea of concrete jungle, the kids and orphans that is trying their best to live on while facing whatever challenges they face, the disabled and infirmed and the foreigners and drifters that we depend so much for our development, all these are invisible to us. That's what we want to show people, that we have to open our eyes, take a step back and appreciate what makes our Country as it is today, what makes us Malaysian.

The general synopsis of our exhibition is as follow:

We often breeze through life seeing things without connecting to our surroundings. The duality of our surroundings is revealed, only when we stop, for a moment, and view through unclouded eyes.

Shot in various places across Malaysia, using Canon point and shoot; and DSLR cameras, the exhibition aims to capture the spirit of the photographers, Visithra and Kervin who have found a convergence in photography through a shared passion in life.

We hope that you would take time off to drop by the gallery, KLPAC is an astonishing venue and you'll love the gardens, art space and old buildings found in its grounds.

Visit our Facebook event page to sign on or to find out on updates. See you there and thank you.

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The Sun Sets

Sometimes you wonder if the sun is setting in your life ending in darkness or its just a respite for an even more glorious dawning.

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Faces of the Times

A handshake speaks volumes of these people, even when we had no means of communication.

In the small town of Dengkil, you can meet a microcosm of what Malaysia truly is. Walking by the local mosque during Aildil Adha after the morning sermons were finished, the group of people streaming out would be familiar to any Malaysian at present. All were Bangladeshis who form part of the 2 million or so immigrants and foreigners that call Malaysia home for economic reasons. As they exit the mosque, these people who are often more misunderstood most of the time show a side that we don't often acknowledge, that they are just as human as any resident here in the country. Seeing their compartiots, they openly welcome each other by giving hugs and embraces, surprisingly a gesture that many locals would not even deign to show citing impropriety of public indecency.

In a land which they don't speak the lingua franca (I tried but was replied by a mix of body language and facial expressions), often working in the lowest paying jobs that Malaysians scoff at, they often only have themselves to rely on. Looking back at our nation's history this is a glimpse of what our forefathers endured, living in ramshackled conditions, far away from home anf often exploited and at worse endured suffering and death. The camaraderie and friendship shown by these people only serve to define what Malaysians are and what we can expect the demographs to be in future, some foreign nationals already surpasses the legal numbers of certain races in the country, so how do we define ourselves as a nation? Do we still go by race, religion and political affiliations? Or do we look beyond and treat a citizen as anyone who contributes to the nation, a nation of melting pot that is not one or the other but of the whole.

Another quark we seen in this town is a reflection that Malaysia is very much a multicultural and tolerant nation, even if this was truer in the past then present. A stone throw away from the main road of Dengkil we can see the mosque that the Bangladeshis stream out from, is also a Chinese temple set up in the early 30s and further down is a small roadside shrine and temple manned by Hindu Priests. If the proximity of structures of various religion is not enough, we bumped into a Chinese uncle seating on the five foot walkway who greeted my Indian friend with so fluent Tamil that she was amazed that he spoke even better than most Indians, and this was his only language. Times are changing and multiculturalism is giving way to racism and narrow minded politics. We should take a leaf from the little town of Dengkil, located near to the ultra modern administrative capital of Putrajaya (of which is nearly all Malays), that we as a nation are more than the sum of our race, religion and beliefs and we share this land with each other, for better or for worse.

Talking on the phone to home.

All smiles and as charming in wit, he must be the most fluent and eloquant Tamil speaker that Visithra had met.

Bangladeshis waiting off the rain after morning sermons at the mosque.

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Rise the Chauvanistic Generation

You take one step and you think that Malaysia is finally shaking off its racial polarization after being haunted for so long by it and the next thing we find is that instead of making progress it feels like we make a back slide to the bottom and we have to start again. I believe that many Malaysians are moderate, pragmatic and progressive that wishes to be left in peace to make a living for themselves and their family but there are groups out there that revel, enjoy even being in the limelight and would not be shy to use what ever means to achieve their 5 minutes of fame.

Race relations have been a thorny issue for too long especially since many quarters have been shooting their mouth out, questioning the origin of the people of Malaysia, harping on imposing religious laws onto others and now we have a group of so called 'Malay Chauvinists' that decided that they would wake up and so Datuk Chua Soil Lek for RM 2 million for comments made that he would support Malay rights but not Malay supremacy.

It's quite a tragic comedy, one which I know not to laugh or cry. In the age when Obama made history in breaking into mainstream America as the first black president we have people like Mohd Apis who heads the Young Malay Graduates Movement. It sends a thingling feeling in me to image that these are the leaders of tomorrow, people who have been weaned on tax payers money, paid to be sent to study overseas, landing cosy and comfy government positions and contracts and getting fat at the expense of other people that are more derserving than them. It is surely a farce to see tax payers money bringing up bigots, racists and race chauvanists into our society.

A look at their web page and other of their ilks show that they are neither intellectuals, contributors of society or even decent human beings. The entire page could even be called seditious and a danger to security, moreso than Raja Petra's blog or even the entire Hindraf movement and maybe a sprinkle of Ayah Pin Combined. Rather then rant and rave I'll let readers decide for themselves on what is written and decide are these proxy of UMNO and running lapdogs worth even our time to lambest or should they be pitied that in a world where diversity should be encouraged they chose to be narrow minded and retrograde.

GGMM Webpage
Perak Bangkit
Keris Pusaka Melayu
YEOPerak
Pemuda Enggang
Empayar Malaya
Panglima Perang Cyber

If they are so keen to sue Dr Chua, let them look back in history as well as brush up on their kenegaraan where the constitution safeguards the rights of all races, religion and rights. Then the orang asli should pay Mr Apis a visit with a petition to collect on payment rendered for:

(a) invading and displacing the kaum pribumi/ orang asli from their ancestral land
(b) infringing and trampling on the rights, culture and lifestyle of the orang asli
(c) disregard the orang asli as bumiputera whereby they have as much right and even more to be here than immigrants from tanah melayu
(d) pay back interests for the years that malay imigrants have been residing and inhabiting this land which belongs to them

I think RM2 million is too little don't you think?

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