101.

So let me explain why I've been away for so long.
The last time I updated this blog was 2 years ago how crazy is that?

Sometime around May 2010 I lost the password to my Google account - which means I lost the password to my all of my other Google related accounts, such as Blogger.

Fast forward April 2012! Moved to LA, met some awesome people from Google and asked for their help, went through a couple of password recovery process and HERE I AM!

Going through my old posts I feel like you've missed out a huge portion of my adventures. I've moved to Downtown LA, won a couple of awards (and lost one of them), met a boy, met a few of celebrities, released a couple of albums, performed at a couple of cool venues...

I will try to blog more often from now on, as things are about to get more interesting.

Thank you everyone for your neverending love & support.

100. (i think?)

If Love was a person, how do you think he or she would be like? maybe, he(or she, whatever tickles your fancy) likes to eat Thai food. Or watch the E! news. Maybe he likes talking on the phone, or not, maybe he's a texting kinda guy, maybe he likes taking a walk at night. He could be good looking, this, really hot guy who looks like Ashton Kutcher, breaking hearts and faces, a total douche, really mean. Shows no mercy and only cares about himself, maybe he's a rockstar with drug problems. Or maybe he's the total opposite. He could be as cute and dorky as Micheal Cera. Maybe Love is a dork! and nothing more! Sweet. Always nice to you. Who tells you that everythings gonna be okay. Shows up randomly at your place with pepperoni pizza and and a really good DVD. Who holds your face and look into your your eyes like he will never leave you.

I've known Love since i was six. I went to school and I had my first encounter with a boy. He was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, I swear. And I remember for the first time, i could feel my heart beating so fast. Little that I know that for the next 20 years, I will get that from time to time. That heart-beating-out of the chest thing. We had to make a kite for art class that day, and I didnt have a glue with me, so I gathered all my confidence, and asked him if i could use his glue. and he said "ambik la." which simply means "take it". The very juicy glue-borrowing flirting went on for a few years.. We would walk pass each other, and I would pretend that I dont care. Everytime he does that my heart skips a beat. And out of the 5 years we were in school together, all i got from him was a smile. One smile. Really. Love can be cute as a button.

Fast forward. I turned 19. I met a guy and immediately fell in love with him because he liked rock music, my photography skills (I hope so. Maybe he was just being nice, but I'd like to think I had sick photography skills) and he smelled really nice. We were in love for about 2 months, and he decided that he can't get over his ex-girlfriend. I asked him if he loves me, and he said "No." But hey. At least it was fun while it lasted, right? Love, my friends, can be short-lived and sweet. Hes married now. But not to the girl he left me for.

Then, shortly after that,one lead me to believe that everything was beautiful at first. We held each other's hands when we felt insecure. Made me leave a perfectly happy relationship. I gave him the world. He injected my boring life with unnecessary drama and heartaches. And then dumped me. And then you learn something new. OMG THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT EVERYTHING YOU KNEW WAS JUST A LIE. You could be Truman of the Truman Show. Love can be a psycho,5 minute short film involving chainsaws with ok-looking actors with amateurish acting skills. Or this really disturbing human rights violation video you watched on Youtube showing kids getting shot in a war-zone. Short. But it will haunt you forever.

So how do you think Love would be like if he was just a guy. Maybe he enjoys smoking after meals. Or smokes weed occasionally. Maybe, he shoplifts for fun. Maybe he's a father of 3 kids. Maybe he has 3 wives. Maybe he's a Muslim who's in love with a Jewish girl. Maybe he's looking for a roommate to share his apartment with. Maybe he collects Star Wars toys. Maybe he's a straight fashion designer. Maybe he rides a fixed gear. Maybe he's dating a celebrity. Maybe he's a guy who digs older women. Maybe he's just young and confused and doesn't know what he wants. Maybe he doesn't want to get hurt being in love with someone. Maybe just like you, he wonders what would Love be like if she was just a girl?

Someone Out Of Town

deeper conversation

just a little preview on whats happening this Thursday, 8th April 2010 at the Hotel Cafe, Los Angeles. 7pm! See you when i see you!

midday music session

Meet my current obsession Theophilus London. I've always been a fan of Kanye, Justice, Daft Punk and Pharell... But this guy is just crazy good. Move over Kanye!

A video of us rehearsing at my house. I miss my boys. =(

ne me quitte pas.

Ne me quitte pas
Il faut oublier
Tout peut s'oublier
Qui s'enfuit déjà
Oublier le temps
Des malentendus
Et le temps perdu
A savoir comment
Oublier ces heures
Qui tuaient parfois
A coups de pourquoi
Le coeur du bonheur

Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas

Don't leave me.

SXSW.

Music: "Chasing Pavements" -Adele

Location : Austin, Texas.

Should I give up? Or should I just keep chasing pavements? =)

I havent been blogging in a whiiiile so Im sorry if this was written quite badly. =P

How was SXSW? Well my experience at the SXSW was amazing. It was nothing like how I expected it to be. You would think a music festival would have a giant field. Muddy. Stalls everywhere. And a lot of stages. SXSW was the whole town. Bars. Hotels. Theatres. Churches. Every building was a venue. Music everywhere. People busking everywhere. Thousands of music lovers from all over America/the world in one town. How crazy is that? My first day I went to register to get my passes. So we had the wristbands with us, which means we have access to all venues day and night, for free! I registered as a performer, so I got this really cool Jansport backpack with a SXSW performer patch. Menangis terharu ambik beg tu. =D We walked around the 6th street(which was PACKED with people) and bumped into The Pinholes from Singapore. Really nice people!!

Registering..

With The Pinholes.

Throughout the week I tried to catch all of my favourite bands/singers (Eisley, The Temper Trap, We Are Scientists, The XX, Uffie, Athlete etc) but a lot of their shows were a) happening at the same time b) reserved to those with badges only(i only had the wristband) c) too tired to go. But one thing that was a do-or-die for me was to catch The XX's show at the Mohawk Patio. No excuses. I have to go. So we did, we went to the venue to find that the queue was... neverending. It was my first time queuing up for a gig. Its also fun i gotta say. Waiting in the cold for your favourite band. Its the best feeling ever. And being told to leave the premise because the 'house was full and reserved for those with badges only', and still waited outside (there were 40 of us waiting, after an hour, there were just 7) and i was one of those hopefuls. Made friends along the way, I met Ian, a 27 year old producer living in LA, and these 2 guys(cant remember their names) but they were performers at the SXSW and the band was called Stella by Starlight. We were the few who stayed on. Then after an hour, we got in! I swear it was the best feeling in the world. we walked in and The XX was already performing their 3rd song. But it was all worth it. The wait. The cold. We got in.

The XX @ The Mohawk Patio

The next day was my performance. It was a refreshing experience for me I performed with my sessionists Colin my drummer and Urie, my keyboardist. First time without the boys(Paan, Efry and Adil)made me miss them a lot. Alhamdulillah. The show went well I think! Met up with the boys from The Pinholes, they're based in Singapore, and a few Malaysian students studying in Austin. Which was really nice. And a fan came all the way from Dallas(Thanks Victor!) it was a good night! I had a lot of fun. Thanks everyone for the support!

Lol Im really bad in writing blogs. I'll put up a video soon haha I'm better at that. I should just stick to singing and making videos huh.

Thank you everyone for following the blog. Im sorry I dont update as much. =( but I'm blessed to have you guys and people to share my experience with. Thats how things should be i think. If you see a shooting star in the sky, you dont just stand around and wait till its gone. You call over your friends and let them see it too.

Yuna. Out!

My mommy and I at SXSW.

videolog numero uno.vid

Music by Coconut Records - "West Coast"

For those who truly believe that dreams come true.

And that what you've always had at the back of your mind..

is now in front of you.

91.

"You know I was never anybody's dreamgirl."

"How does it feel to be one?"

"Feels pretty damn good."

90.

A song is like a cake. And I am the chef.

So we have this cake. This recipe that I came up with. With a certain amount of this and that, made with love. This is my cake. This is how it should taste like.

Then, I'll design the icing on the cake. No it won't have that flower thing on top. Yes, I will have some of those bright blue colouring. Hey. I'm the damn chef. This is all I do. I make cakes, man. This is what I'm going to do forever. It's my passion. So if people were to enjoy this cake. It will taste like how I want it to be, and it will look like how I imagined it to be.

Im very serious when it comes to what I've worked for. Because songs, as simple as it seems,people, they don't come easily. Be it good or bad. You can't order it on Ebay. You can't expect them to arrive at your doorstep 5 days after. It's almost like giving birth. It's a living thing. And I'm very serious when people come to me and ask for help and I write songs for them. Which is why I rarely do it -I fear disappointment. I fear feeling that I wasted my time and energy over something that I was really excited about in the first place.

Because the world is cruel.

People might not get to eat the cake that I made. With love.

taken from Liy, one of the two awesomest poets/musician/storyteller Dizzy&The, it was one of her favourite poems written in 1984.

Bitch

Now, when he and I meet, after all these years,
I say to the bitch inside me, don’t start growling.
He isn’t a trespasser anymore,
Just an old acquaintance tipping his hat.
My voice says, “Nice to see you,”
As the bitch starts to bark hysterically.
He isn’t an enemy now,
Where are your manners, I say, as I say,
“How are the children? They must be growing up.”
At a kind word from him, a look like the old days,
The bitch changes her tone; she begins to whimper.
She wants to snuggle up to him, to cringe.
Down, girl! Keep your distance
Or I’ll give you a taste of the choke-chain.
“Fine, I’m just fine,” I tell him.
She slobbers and grovels.
After all, I am her mistress. She is basically loyal.
It’s just that she remembers how she came running
Each evening, when she heard his step;
How she lay at his feet and looked up adoringly
Though he was absorbed in his paper;
Or, bored with her devotion, ordered her to the kitchen
Until he was ready to play.
But the small careless kindnesses
When he’d had a good day, or a couple of drinks,
Come back to her now, seem more important
Than the casual cruelties, the ultimate dismissal.
“It’s nice to know you are doing so well,” I say.
He couldn’t have taken you with him;
You were too demonstrative, too clumsy,
Not like the well-groomed pets of his new friends.
“Give my regards to your wife,” I say. You gag
As I drag you off by the scruff,
Saying, “Goodbye! Goodbye! Nice to have seen you again.”

- Carolyn Kizer, 1984

reminded me so much of someone i used to know. a feeling ive felt before. but then again, im pretty sure im not the only one.

88.

LOOKBOOK.nu: "the skirt i bought twice." by Yuna Zarai

Hey guys. I've stopped twittering.

But decided to document my daily outfit from now on. Just to keep track of what I have in my closet!

I am now on Lookbook.

Let me know if you have a profile too so I could check out your looks!

ah im so happy =D having soo much fun with it!

love you all. goodnight.

86.

I wrote a really long (and I promise you, it was the juiciest) entry last night, those who got the chance to read it, keep it safely in your head. My advisors (yes my conducts are no longer mine, mine) tell me that its best I hold back some of my brutally honest character. As I am now.. no longer Yuna the blogger who sometimes sing, I am now Yuna the singer who sometimes blog.

Like L.A. Ok yea lets talk about L.A.

Its true you know, I am going to the States. Its just that I haven't really announced it officially anywhere. I didn't want to make a big deal out of it. But I hate leaving my readers in the dark for too long. Bak kata mama "you don't tell them, they would still know, they're not stupid!" She's right. I wouldn't want people back home to think I'm abandoning them. It's an opportunity, guys. If you love music like I do, you would do the same thing. If your passion is history and you get offered a job looking for artifacts in Egypt, you would fly out the next morning.

What will I be doing there? I don't know exactly. I know I will be performing at the SXSW: South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas(Popshuvit will be performing too!) in March, then I will be staying on till... God knows when. I have no idea. So you could say that I'm just going to be there recording some tracks(maybe), meet a few people from various labels(maybe), and just kick it with my bosses Ben and Josh from my management label IndiePop(definitely!).

And it will be good for me, I guess. I have more time on my own. I get to go away be inspired again. Your Yuna has grown up. Cuts and bruises here and there, but Alhamdulillah. I've managed to come this far.

Plus! I get to work on my English tracks! If you love Greek Goddess and Rocket, then you should be happy for me! =D

I guess thats enough blogging for tonight. I hope I didn't offend anyone here. Just like you, I have a brain. And a heart. And a blogspot.

Goodnight. I love you, world.

85.

"Northern Downpour" by Panic! At The Disco

Starring Yuna, Paan, Adil, Efry, Wawa and the Yuna Room Records crew.

Thank you everyone for your support.