Tiny Cookies.

The proxy gave me a surprise by including a pack of small cookies in the package. Chloe readily consumed the almond cookies this evening.

Samurai Jeans S310XX - 19oz.

This model, in its 15oz incarnation, I think I mentioned before, was within my radar throughout 07 and 08 but sold out everywhere. Thus, surprisingly, whilst browsing through their newly opened online store, this model was announced and yet not seen on other Rakuten online shops. The helpful proxy informed me (at that time) it was not produced yet and Samurai was then taking pre-orders. I am not entirely sure whether this model, S310XX, is a repro. It certainly has a vintage cut, meaning loose and baggy but I am not sure which model it is based on as template. The off center back belt loop sort of paid homage to the mid 50s type and the arcuates are intertwined using two colors of stitching, brown and yellow. The Samurai "fonts" on the red tag are now in shiny silver instead of usual white (rare types include non-reverse "A" alphabet and a red font on white tag, which l think I saw on a collaboration between HK Take 5 x Samurai Jeans). The selvedge is silver, as with all Lot 12 (2009) models I suppose. There are the standard Sunrise buttons as in their Samurai series with a crotch rivet. The patch is in standard leather with "012" lot number stamped in three numerical instead of two, a rather fatter, more "muscular" Musashi and Kojiro as well as the Mount Fuji curiously looking much more higher. The denim is 19oz, might be Texas cotton. And incredibly slubby and coarse. I pray my skinny legs would be able to take the punishment.

Samurai Jeans x Izumi SMS II.

Never been into collaborative products between brands. It's too saturated and takes the "meaning" out of the entire context. Like sneakers/trainers market. There are hundreds of collaborative products right now. An exception would be if it captures what I am looking for, and in particular from brands which I have been a fan, then I would have a thinker about it. Samurai Jeans is famous for its collaboration with many Rakuten stores, either in the form of an anniversary or special occasion. Samurai Jeans recently collaborated with Izumi Jeans Shop for the second time. Previously, they had collaborated for Izumi's 35th Anniversary. I bought this pair because of certain details. The patch is made of cloth, stamped with "No. 2" to denotes their second collaboration. This reminds me of LVC Lot 201 jean, which has similar appearance. Incidentally, LVC Japan has recently released repro of Lot 201 and Lot 333 (with "No. 3" non-selvedge denim). The patch depicts Musashi and Kojiro in duel as usual, with background depicting two "Moai" monolithic statues located in Miyazaki Prefecture as well as the Kyushu mountain range (which is part of the Kirishima volcanic zone). The sea and coconut trees representing the coastline of the Pacific Ocean at the eastern border. There is also a bird like chicken flying pass by. The cloth patch is also the first for Samurai I believe. The arcuate and red tag are pretty much standard. My favourite pine buttons from the zero series are applied, in black powdered version (like S3000BK?) and with a crotch rivet. It has a cinch back buckle but sits lower than standard position, possibly allowing a belt to be used as well if "cinching" is uncomfortable. The two front, herringbone pocket bags are red in color, just like the S3000VX WWII model, which I really like. There is only one single back pocket with exposed rivets, like the S7000VX. The selvedge is silver this time around, instead of the usual red, and as per Samurai's standard, is "sprinkled" with silver lame, denoting the "sword's edge" with chain stitching. The denim itself is 15 oz, right twill. The cut is basically loose and baggy, much like S634XX. One thing which is weird is the "smell" of this jean. Usually a pair of raw jean smells kinda awful with slight tinge of ammonia/chemical. But this pair, it smells different, flowery fragrant or something like that. Domestic release only, limited to 100 pairs.

Dylan - New Haircut.

"Grr! Don't mess around with me!" Dylan got a new hair cut from a barber in Malacca when we went back last weekend. Nice slope!

Chloe - Spider Girl.

"Look Papa. I am on top of the world!" Chloe worries me by climbing the door grill occasionally...but then again, I used to climb it too when I was young. "Now, get down from there Chloe!"

Man On The Moon : 40 Years.

"That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind."

~ Neil Armstrong, 2:56 UTC July 21, 1969.

If you believed

they put a man on the moon,

man on the moon.

If you believe

there's nothing up my sleeve,

then nothing is cool.

~ R.E.M. "Man On The Moon"

From Wiki,

"The Apollo 11 mission was the first manned mission to land on the Moon. It was the fifth human spaceflight of Project Apollo and the third human voyage to the Moon. Launched on July 16, 1969, it carried Mission Commander Neil Alden Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michae Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin Eugene 'Buzz' Aldrin, Jr. On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin became the first humans to land on the Moon, while Collins orbited above."

Dinah Washington.

What a diff'rence a day made

Twenty-four little hours

Brought the sun and the flowers

Where there used to be rain

My yesterday was blue, dear

Today I'm part of you, dear

My lonely nights are through, dear

(Since you said you were mine)

What a diff'rence a day makes

There's a rainbow before me

Skies above can't be stormy

Since that moment of bliss, that thrilling kiss

(It's heaven when you find romance on your menu)

What a diff'rence a day made

And the difference is you

~ What A Diff'rence A Day Make.

WKW's Chungking Express (重慶森林-1994) introduced me to the late Dinah Washington (August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963). Also known as the "Queen of the Blues", Washington was famous for her rendition of "torch songs", i.e. songs about unrequited love. She died young at the age of 39, although by around that time, she had become one of the most influential singers of that period, and was credited to be one of the major influence on another queen, Aretha Franklin. "What a Difference a Day Made" was originally written in Spanish by Mexican composer María Méndez Grever in 1934, and originally known as Cuando Vuelva A Tu Lado. Stanley Adams wrote the English version and was made famous by Harry Roy & his Orchestra, in Bolero style. However, it was Washington's version which is the signature version and won her a Grammy in 1959 for Best R&B Performance, as well as her first Top Ten hit.

Fleetwood Mac.

I would have never imagined that I would fall in love with songs by the British American band, Fleetwood Mac. I remembered that I used to derisively said that these were songs meant for mid-age people suffering from mid-life crisis ala Adult Contemporary category. Until I bought their 1988 greatest hits collection back in mid 90s as well as watching their reunion concert called The Dance, that is. Maybe because I am getting old, and being old means mellower. So that beautiful, ethereal looking and perpetually clad in curtain like layers of dress, often in all black or sometimes in white is Stevie Nicks, I said to myself. What a distinctive contralto voice she's got. And that manic looking drummer is Mick Fleetwood, one of the original founding member. Rounding up the bands are Lindsay McVie (bassist), Christine McVie (vocals, keyboards) and finger plucking guitarist, vocalist Lindsey Buckingham. Nicks, Buckingham contributed majority of this period songwriting. Christine McVie also gave contribution and one of the highlights included "Little Lies", penned and sung by her. A little retrospective checking revealed the rich and often fascinating history of this band, which often enjoyed a variable degrees of success as well high turnover, personally turbulent lives of its band members. The band itself was founded in 1967. Fleetwood is the only constant member from the founding period. An interesting fact is "Black Magic Woman", the Santana hit, is originally by Fleetwood Mac from this period, as well as "Albatross". It was between 1975 to 1987 which Fleetwood Mac would gained mainstream success, and generated singles which were collected in the 1988 compilation. And it was also from this period that most of their songs were often overheard over some radios or occasional music videos. Some of their songs were covered by bands like The Corrs (Dreams) as well as a personal favourite of mine, "Edge Of Seventeen", a single by Stevie Nicks from her hit debut album, Bella Donna, which was heard playing in a scene from School Of Rocks as well as the distinctive guitar riff used as a sample in Bootylicious by Destiny's Child.