Meet Tiger and Liu

7:03 am

I was called up to coordinate the shooting of Tiger Woods' tour in Beijing early that morning. I rushed to meet the crew within half an hour and we were waiting for Tiger Woods at the entrance of the hotel, along with 8 other vans with tinted windows, by 8am. The whole Nike golf team was there with their fancy hi-tech Nike-designed outfits. I recalled the email from our Exec Producer - PLEASE DO NOT WEAR ANY CLOTHING WITH A BRAND NAME ON IT, UNLESS IT IS NIKE. Of course, I'd love to flaunt my Nikes from head to toe to fit in with the team, but I don't think my Nike pants from the Silk Market can pull it off.

9:05 am

We moved on to the New Otani Hotel to film Tiger and Liu Xiang at the gym. The front door was already lined with burly men in black suits and earpieces. And they must be at least 1.9m tall. Very helpful fellas who can carry our huge cases of equipment with just one hand. Love it when they have events with such services.

1:31 pm

"We gotta go. Go, go, go..." Timing was spot on. I took my chopsticks out of the noodles that had just arrived before me and muttered a silent goodbye. The cameramen had finished filming at the gym and had to follow Tiger to the Olympic stadium.

We drove over to the Birds Nest where things got a bit more interesting. It's photo shoot time for Tiger and Liu Xiang. The video crew had to film a behind-the-scenes footage of the shoot. As the cameramen shot behind the scenes, I was doing a behind the behind-the-scenes for them.

"I'm going to shoot Tiger from there. Take a picture of me with him," whispered our cameraman. Okay, say cheese.

3:12 pm

Next destination, Peking University. We arrived at the university in a row of 10 unmarked vehicles with heavily tinted windows. As soon as the vans stopped, we were swarmed. Students had their faces plastered on the windows of the vans, poking and pointing at us on the inside. "Is that him? Who is this, is it him?!" Our cameraman smiled and waved from the inside. "They must think we're some celebrity too!"

Coincidentally, we had a Nike staff who bears an eerie resemblance to Prison Break star, Michael Schofield. It would cause a stampede if he went out of the car right there. We had to go around the campus a few times before getting dropped off somewhere where the mob was not in sight. We had no idea how Tiger and Liu got into the auditorium but it was already filled up like a big party when we got in. The forum lasted more than an hour with Tiger and Liu Xiang talking about their passion for sports.

Immediately after getting out of the university, I had to make sure our cameramen made it to the airport to catch the next flight out to Seoul. "Aren't you guys going on the private jet with Tiger? They're still eating at the restaurant," says the driver. I looked at our cameraman, "Are u?" "I wish."

Leona Lewis?

We were at the posh courtyard of Beijing's Legation Quarter, surrounded by fancy restaurants and dozens of Germans scurrying around with their walkie talkies. The Mercedes Luxury Night event was about to begin and there was word that some famous artist would be there to perform. We were all excited when the lights dimmed.

"So who is the artist performing tonight?"

"Leona Lewis."

"Leona who? Is she famous?"

"Not sure. I've been in China too long. I think she won some awards."

"Like an idol or something?"

"Heard she sang the Avatar theme song."

So that was the extent of our knowledge about Leona Lewis. But it was an entertaining evening indeed.

2010 Beijing Auto Show

I was working for BaderTV during the Beijing Auto Show recently and our coverage was for Mercedes' new concept shooting break. The massive exhibition centre in Shunyi had tonnes of vehicles on display, and its not just cars. Heavy duty trucks, family caravans, modern schoolbuses were all part of the show. It's one of those jobs that would make most guys happy--200,ooo sq meters of cars and girls. Of course the quality of the models also depends on the car company that hired them. You can spot the big difference between the Mercedes girls and the girls next to an obscure local brand.

Forbidden Snow

It was already starting to snow the night of 2nd Jan. By morning, a thick layer of snow had already formed on top of cars by the street, just like icing on a cake. Snow was still falling and there was no sign of it slowing down. Traffic was slow and the roads were slippery. But there was no stopping me from having some fun that day.

So off I went to the rear end of the Forbidden City. I figured I wouldn't survive walking through the entire complex from the south entrace to the northern exit, so I decided to get a few shots from the north gate and trudge up the tiny hill in the park overlooking the palace. Dozens of enthusiastic photographers and tourists were already snapping excitedly in the park and outside the palace gates.

Back in the old days, when I first came to Beijing, I would be starting a snowfight with my friends at the first sight of snow. But after some serious observation, I decided to best leave the snow where they are. If you look at the roads, it will look as if there's milk on the sidewalk and coffee on the tarmac. And where milk and coffee meets, umm...it doesn't really sound that inviting. One of my friends once screamed at me, "DON'T TOUCH THE SNOW!!! THERE'S SPIT IN IT!!" The urge to make a snowman quickly dissipated and white snow never looked the same again.

Real World Beijing

Beijing is a land of dualities. It’s the juxtaposition of the old and new, the avant garde and ordinary, the good and bad, that makes this city an exciting place to live in. On the surface, it’s a rapidly developing metropolis with modern skyscrapers and groundbreaking architectural projects. But at the core of it, the Forbidden City and the old Beijing laneways remain a testament of this city’s ancient past.

There are always 2 faces to this city. Depending on how you choose to live in this town, you will see what you would like to see. Whether it is dining at a Michelin 3-star French restaurant at Tiananmen Square, or buying a piece of contemporary Chinese art at the funky 798 Art District, or passing by the LV and Lamborghini display windows near Wangfujing, there is no shortage of playground for those with cash. However, it is also because of this upper end of the market that gives rise to another side of Beijing. And on this side of the world, you can get noodles for 4RMB, LV bags for 100RMB, latest DVDs at 5RMB and Picasso’s masterpiece reproduced for you at a reasonably cheap price.

Recently, I have stepped into new territory and discovered a place for pirated books. In the middle of the expat bar area in Sanlitun, there is a roadside stall that sells English books at a fraction of the recommended retail price. Very few places sell English books in Beijing, and just like everything else that is foreign imported, prices are steep. But as you can see, Beijing has a place for everyone. There’s the real world with real (fixed) prices and there’s the, I wouldn’t say fake, but alternative market for the ordinary folks who can’t afford 60RMB for a movie ticket or a few hundred bucks for a book. These are places where people go for that feel-good feeling. Expect the following:

Customer: “Is this bag real?”

Seller: “Yes, it’s a REAL BAG.”

Customer: “No, I mean is it a real Gucci bag?”

Seller: “Yes, yes, REAL BAG. No worry!”

And that’s not all. You can even get things custom made.

Customer: “Do you have this kind of roller bag but I want the Swiss Army brand.”

Seller: “Sure. No problem! Which bag you want, I’ll put in any logo for you.”

So, the next time you can’t find that Coach bag that you saw online, let me know. I’ll get it for you at the Silk Market. For real.

The Chinawoman

My mother calls me a Chinawoman. And it’s not just her.

“Not too much chili, please. This Chinawoman cannot tahan too spicy!” broadcasts my auntie.

“Like this also you call spicy, ah? Chinawoman lah you,” teases my friend.

To them, people from China have no tolerance for spicy food. To them, a Chinawoman goes to a curry mee stall and ends up ordering clear soup noodles. To them, a Chinawoman eats her popiah with no chili sauce. Therefore, Chinawoman and I… we’re comrades.

Four years ago, I left for Beijing with that impression in mind. Little did I know that the land of Peking duck turns out to have a fiery appetite for this thing called mala huoguo, a boiling cauldron of bright red broth with a layer of dried chilies floating on top. It literally means numb and spicy hotpot and is certainly something that “Chinawoman” should avoid. A sniff of the acrid fumes coming out of the bubbling lava is enough to send any Chinawoman coughing til her eyes water.

So for the first year I was in China, I stayed away from any of the mala stuff. However, all these spicy hotpot restaurants are as ubiquitous as kopitiams are back home, and they are always packed. Everyone seems to enjoy eating their sliced lamb and pig’s brain and cuttlefish balls out of the chili broth. And these are local Chinese people, who I thought had the same “Chinawoman genes” like me. So what happened to the Chinese-people-can’t-eat-spicy-food theory?

I began to observe this baffling phenomenon. Most Chinese, it seems, are eating even spicier stuff than Malaysians. Shui zhu yu or “fish cooked in water” is big bowl of oil with slices of fish in it and a sea of dried chili floating on top. La zi ji ding or “spicy diced chicken” consists of tiny pieces of fried chicken buried under a pile of fried chili peppers. Qing jiao niu wa or “bullfrog with green chili” is a huge bowl with bullfrog meat submerged in oil with green chilies and fresh green peppercorn. Sounds harmless but it’s enough to send the spice-o-meter up the roof.

As I quietly cook my meat on the clear soup side of the hotpot, my Chinese friends would tackle the fiery red broth on the other side. And as we eat, the usual comments would crop up.

“And you call yourself Malaysian? I thought you guys eat spicy stuff and curry all the time.”

Most Malaysians. Just not me.

“You are Malaysian! Come on, how can this be spicy?”

I find myself in an identity crisis. In Malaysia, my zero tolerance for spicy food categorized me as typical Chinawoman. In China, I get dismissed for being such a weakling amongst the chili oil-guzzling, Sichuan cuisine fans.

It’s about time I bust some myths on this issue. First of all, the “China” that our mothers and grandmothers refer to points to the southern provinces of Guangdong or Fujian where most of the Malaysian Chinese population emigrated from. The cuisine from this region has a blander and subtler taste than other parts of China, with chili playing a very small role in Cantonese cooking. Therefore, “Chinamen” and “Chinawomen” have a very low tolerance for chili. And as you move further north, preference for stronger tastes becomes the norm. In provinces such as Sichuan, Hunan and Shaanxi, tell the cook not to add chili in the cooking and you’ll end up eating plain rice.

Spicy food has become such an 'in' thing nowadays that it’s almost like wearing Gucci or LV – whether you are a millionaire tai-tai or a hawker stall auntie, you have to be seen having one. Indian restaurants in Hong Kong, Sichuan eateries in Beijing, and even curry noodle shops in Ipoh are tipping the scales in terms of popularity.

For Malaysians who can’t eat spicy food, you might as well wear a “loser” banner around your necks as you sit next to the cool crowd slurping curry laksa in the coffee shop. I, on the other hand, will be joining my comrades at the hotpot joint. Two dips in clear soup and one dip in mala soup. What can I say, we all need some extra spice in our life.

Eating wawa yu on National Geographic

Dangerous Encounters: Clash of the Giant Salamanders

I received an email from a friend a few days ago. Re: What are you doing eating wa wa yu on National Geographic??

Ah, must be that program last year where we were caught on camera with a Steve Irwin-type croc hunter. Yes, Brady Barr is the new croc hunter on Nat Geo and this time, the crew is in China to find 'wawa yu'. In order to find a salamander or 'wawa yu' and film it on a plate in a restaurant, they had to pack a take-away from one restaurant and bring the dish to another restaurant to film. I was lucky enough to get called over for a free lunch by the local field producers.

For 2 little salamander paws that cost 2000RMB, I was adventurous enough to check out what the fuss is all about. Tastes like pig trotters.

Xinjiang on a Regular Day

This is a visual diary of my trip to Xinjiang.

I saw some local folks making lamb dumplings in the market one day. It was an interesting process indeed. Right at that moment, the man handling the dumplings dropped a few pieces onto the ground. Lucky for him, a comrade who was chopping up firewood on the ground instantly picked them up, gave them a good cleaning by spitting on them, and then handed them back to the dumpling seller. Thanks, comrade! You just saved that guy the trouble of cleaning the dumplings.

Old City of Kashgar

Kashgar 2, originally uploaded by sookiyaki.

The old city of Kashgar looks like a set out of Alibaba and the 40 thieves. Old living quarters on mud terraces create a labyrinth within this old part of the city. High Terrace Folk Houses are a unique part of Uyghur ethnic history.

A View from Above

Adili and his students practice on a wire 25m above the ground inside this auditorium. It would require a certain level of fitness, not to mention small body size, to climb this ladder to the top of the wall. I managed to climb up with my backpack on, getting stuck a few times as the bag got caught on the sides. Camera equipment and tripod had to be hauled up with a pulley. Praying hard nothing drops on the way up.

Once on the top, Adili was full of ideas as to how we should film him. Already a media savvy celebrity, he suggested tying the DV camera to one end of his balancing pole for a side shot. Great suggestion. I crossed my fingers again and handed the DV cam over.

We had to make our poor guest perform a few times with the DV on one side of his pole because we realized after the first round, that the DV cam wasn't properly focused. Yea, its almost like capturing a great kodak moment and then realizing later that the camera wasn't even turned on. But in this case, it was ok because this veteran tightrope walker could do a few more flips on the high wire, no sweat.

But for me, the climb up and down the neverending ladder was enough to keep me off the stairmaster for a while.

You can watch the feature on Adili Wuxor on the Artsworld program here.

Meeting Man on the Wire

I was in Xinjiang for a week a few months back. So far, the only warning that I got from friends who knew I was there was - be careful of terrorist attacks. And that was just because of a few isolated cases of bombings that happened last year.

I was there to interview Adili Wuxor, celebrity tightrope walker and Guiness World Record Holder. He now has 5 world records under his belt, including walking on the highest altitude, longest distance, and longest amount of time on the tightrope. He has even survived 25 days on the tightrope, only eating and sleeping in a makeshift hut on one end of the rope and performing on the rope during the day.

We spent 3 days in the capital of Urumqi and another 2 days in the old city of Kashgar, following the life of Uyghur acrobat, Adili Wuxor.











This is a picture with Adili among the apricot blossoms in his hometown. Covered in yellow dirt from head to toe, we had a piece of Kashgar to take home with us in the form of sand.

I will blog about Xinjiang now

Right after the riots in Xinjiang this July, life got tougher for those of us who live and breathe in cyberspace. Facebook was blocked. Twitter too. And Blogspot.

Since the banning of Youtube, I've had to find a new way to upload my videos. My website still runs but half my content are redirected to Youtube and Blogspot and Flickr. So, with the current situation, most of my stuff are inaccessible inside China.

Since everything is now blocked from within China, I can just blog about anything at all. No need to worry about getting blocked, coz this can't be viewed in China.

So next post, I will be talking about Xinjiang. Yes, Xinjiang, the topic that they so very much want to avoid.

Olympics Day 14: Who is Kobe?

On most evenings, US athletes and gold medal winners were invited to our studio as guests on the Morning Show program. There have been countless instances where we would stare at each other and ask, “Who is that?” “Is it worth taking a picture with him?”

As close as we were to the action, the names and faces of athletes do not stick in our heads. I remember an intern asking me to get her Kobe Bryant’s autograph if I happen to see him at a press conference. But first, we had to print out a photo of Kobe for him to sign on. The real question is: What does Kobe look like? None of us could tell. Is this him or Michael Jordan? I laughed. I guess I can ask any black basketball player to sign it and she can’t tell the difference.

On day 14, I finally got to get up close with an Olympic gold medalist – Stephanie Brown Trafton, gold winner for women’s discus. Unlike high profile athletes like Michael Phelps or Kobe Bryant, it didn’t feel like I was interviewing a celebrity.

She was tall. At 6-foot-4, she towered over me as I tried to hold the mic up for her to speak. As discus ranks pretty low in the America’s games priority, a gold medal discus thrower does not exactly attract a lot of attention on the street. At the end of our interview, we took a picture together for memorabilia. At least I got to take a picture with a gold medalist.

Its probably the same kind of mentality for autograph hunters. As long as I get a signature of someone with a gold medal, its worth something. And it was also at that moment that an autograph hunter showed up. He got Stephanie’s autograph, then turned towards me and asked, “Who is she?”

Olympics Day 11: Circus and Sideshows

Day 11 of the games and the crowd outside the Olympic green remained strong, and varied. There are many reasons to take a walk outside the stadium. For one, you can definitely find dozens of scalpers displaying tickets for sale. Just hang around outside any venue and I am sure you can get yourself some tickets to watch the games. And just for the hell of it, entertain yourself with the sideshows that come along with the Olympics. Like any circus, the Olympic sideshow has its own clowns and freaks.

We met some interesting characters that day -- Bruce Lee, the emperor and his eunuch, and a strange guy that makes you stare at him while you count the number of reasons to justify your urge to laugh. All these people have come from different parts of China and they are here to display their artwork and handmade souvenirs in support of the Beijing Olympics.

The outer perimeters of the stadium is also a good place to source for innovative entrepreneurs and performers. These guys in the picture are advertising their own hands-free binoculars. Interested? You can buy one off them and watch the games from the furthest seat in the stadium. Hands-free.


But then again, not everyone gets their promotional strategies correct. This 'handicapped' lady obviously didn't pay much attention in her Acting 101 class. With her legs crossed and sitting on a wheelchair, can we not tell what is wrong...or right...with her? If you can cross your legs, lady, you can definitely do the moonwalk. Sympathy points out the window.

And irony no.2, she was waving her 2 tickets while sitting cross-legged on a wheelchair, next to a sign that says: Scalping of Olympic tickets is prohibited, and any breach should be punished accordingly to relevant laws and regulations.

Olympics Day 6: One Dream, One Shopping Paradise

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LV, Gucci, Prada…here we come.
It’s shopping spree day for our team today. Equipped with our little Flip camera, we set out to join the thousands of athletes and Olympic tourists at one of Beijing’s hottest destinations – the Silk Market.

The slogan for this Olympics season: “One Dream, One Shopping Paradise.” I definitely agree. Looking at the trolleys and bulging suitcases that smiling athletes are dragging out the front door, there is no doubt that this is a shopping paradise.

After winding through the rows and rows of ‘branded’ shoes, bags and clothings, we commenced to the stairwell for bargaining and further browsing via product catalogs. As a first-time visitor to the Silk Market, it took our correspondent a few tries before learning the tricks to bargaining. “Hey these people are quite fun! ”

Cursed, pandered and physically dragged into shops by feisty salesgirls, the dream suddenly turned into a never-ending nightmare. Manny spent half an hour haggling with the girl at the jeans shop, who started off by calling him Handsome and slowly progressed into Mr Stingy as prices dipped. I couldn’t stop laughing as I documented the whole process with our little Flip camera.

Before leaving, we decided to get a few shots with the big camera. The whole complex was filled with media people. So we followed them to the main reception to see what other news crews were filming. There, we were greeted by the Media Desk and were each presented with a little souvenir. We were even offered a media tour for filming in the market. Now that’s real hospitality. Can we get a shot of that ‘Prada’ bag, please?

Olympics Day 4

10pm – Chicago 2016 Presentation

We were invited to a presentation function at the USA House that evening – free drinks, canapés and a little SWAG (Stuff We All Get) bag. Our correspondent had to write his piece at the office so I was ushered to get a few quotes from the Mayor of Chicago. Our mission that night—get in, grab a drink, grab a few quotes, get out. Of course, I also grabbed myself some Team USA Kleenex tissues and a Team USA water bottle for my overtime.

There are 4 candidate cities contesting to host the 2016 Olympics and Chicago is one of them, running alongside Rio, Tokyo and Madrid. Each country has a House booked out during the entire Games season and the USA House took over Jasmine, a fancy restaurant inside the Workers Stadium. The Chicago 2016 reception was an opportunity to promote the 2016 bid to the media and push Chicago as the next Olympics destination. We were going to visit each of the country houses within the next week and everyone at the office seemed to be anticipating the big party at Brazil House. What can be more fun than being in a Rio carnival with Brazilian dancers and flowing alcohol?

Olympics Day 4

5pm – Cullen Jones Press Conference

Bank of America called a press conference for 4x100 Men’s relay swimmer Cullen Jones after the team’s Gold medal victory at the miraculous Water Cube, where 25 world records were broken. For press conferences like this, we decided to arrive earlier to secure a spot for the camera and avoid any unnecessary elbow fights for our cameraman.


Jones is the first African American to hold a world record in swimming. As records were smashed one after another at the Aquatic Centre this summer, media attention turned towards the many factors that made this Olympics a breakthrough for swimming.

First, there is the theory that the design of the water cube plays a role in increasing performance in the pool, making it the fastest pool in the world. It is 3 meters deep, a meter deeper than that of Athens, which allows swimmers to go faster with less drag.

Then, there is the Speedo LZR Racer suit, which was worn by all, except 2, of the record-breaking swimmers. Designed with NASA, the LZR Racer is said to be able to cut swimming time by up to 2%.

As Jones talked about his training days and dedication to swimming as a sport, he was quick to dismiss any thoughts about the suit being the main reason for his success. “What I can tell you is that, THE SUIT did not wake up at 5am in the morning for training. I did,” he reminded the crowd.

And he’s probably not the one to talk to for Speedo credits. After all, he wasn’t sponsored by the swimwear maker. Endorsements don’t go cheap at this Olympics.

Olympics Day 2: Murder in Beijing

Click on picture to view video











Beijing Olympics
Day 2


Probably the most exciting day for all news crews in Beijing.

Only one day into the Olympics, and 2 family members of the US team volleyball coach have been violently attacked at a tourist attraction in downtown Beijing. A man and woman have been stabbed by a Chinese man while sightseeing at the Drum Tower. Their attacker then took his own life by jumping off the second storey of the ancient building. One of the victims died while the other was severely injured.

We headed out to the Drum Tower after news hit the wires. Conspiracy theories and speculations shrouded the whole incident as information flowed in about the victims' connection with the US team's volleyball coach.

By the time we arrived, the whole area was surrounded by journalists. Live satellite equipment were sprawled out in front of the tower, correspondents from Hong Kong and Japanese stations were going live, camera crew got out of their trucks one after another, reporters were already grilling the shopkeepers nearby as cameramen stick their cameras between the iron grills of the Drum Tower gate. The entire vicinity was crawling with journalists. It was a circus.

And also a war between those of us with a mic and a camera. Overhearing a witness in his conversation with another journalist, I stopped on my tracks. I looked at Manny, our correspondent. We've got something here. Immediately, he took his mic out and stepped in. Our cameraman followed suit.

The Spanish journalist who was talking to the guy got feisty. "Hey, I talked to him first! He's my interviewee!" Manny assured him, "I'm only taking a second. Just one question." Relax. His cameraman wasn't even there to film his interview. We were already rolling and by that time, the others could already smell the blood. Dozens of cameras pounced on us as the guy began to talk. Within a few seconds, I was pushed out of the circle by the paparazzi crowd. Enjoy your one minute of fame, my friend.

After hanging around for more than an hour, we decided it's about time to go home. As Manny finished his stand-up in front of the camera, a policeman appeared with a black bag in hand. "Ask him something. Go. Ask anything," Manny told me. With a smile on my face, I followed the guy.

"Excuse me. Do you know what happened over here?" I asked in Chinese, a big grin on my face. I could tell there was a little smirk on his face as he stared at me for a split second before blatantly slamming the car door on my face. Manny and Bob burst out in laughter. Okay. At least I tried.

Watching the Nest for 25 Days

Just a stone's throw from the main Olympic stadium, the CBS workspace balcony offers a good backdrop for photos.

We order our box meals from the seafood restaurant across the street and the US crew lives in the apartments next door.

In addition to the entertainment and relaxation options around the area, there's a little massage parlour that puts creativity on the top of their list. With massages called "Give it to me one more time" and "Happy Landing", those who have been there can't help but return with a grin as they ask for their usual, "Give it to me one more time!"

8-8-08 The Magic Moment

Click on picture to view Opening Ceremony fireworks

The much awaited moment has finally arrived. 8-8-08.

Beijing is in its best behaviour. The streets are clean. Traffic is clear. It seems like everyone is holding their breath in order to maintain the current perfection. But one problem remains. It's only a few hours to the opening ceremony and I can't even see the countdown clock. A thick blanket of fog clings on to the city.

For the entire month of August, I will be watching the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube from our 20th floor workspace overlooking the Olympic Green. A week has passed. 16 more days to go. The excitement of working in such a strategic location has slowly waned off.

4 hours and counting to the auspicious hour of 8:08 pm. Helicopters hovered around the stadium vicintiy. All roads around the stadium have been sealed off but the subway will be running 24 hours that day. We were not allowed to leave the office building until the opening ceremony is over. The police have come up to warn us not to go out onto the balcony. Tell your reporters that there will be no live broadcasts from the balcony during this time. Do not open your windows. Anyone sticking their head out of a building that overlooks the stadium is a security threat. Who knows, one of you might be an al-qaeda sniper trying to assassinate Bush.

As fireworks filled the sky that evening, we hurried back and forth between the tv screen and the glass window facing the Bird's Nest. We witnessed history that night. The 2008 Olympics has officially begun. On my way home that night, I have never seen the streets of Beijing so deserted. Our driver laughed as we zoomed along the deserted streets, "The only time that Beijing has ever looked like this was during SARS."