Gift for my Kor...

This Saturday marks the 100th day of my brother's departure. Though it still pains me to talk about it, I have to face reality and seek closure with his demise. I admired J. He was the first person I look up to, and emulated. We fought, we laughed, we got angry, but we always loved each other.

J was a connoisseur of life. Ate the best, dressed the best, had the best of everything. He had taste and an impeccable fashion sense; Which made buying gifts extremely difficult. I hated celebrations involving gifts, cos I could never buy anything right for him (don't forget J is also descendent of the 'I love stuff' gene pool). This is a regret I carry to date...

In accordance to Taoist traditions, we have burnt mock-ups of iPhone, iPad, luxury cars, properties as offerings to his soul (J was well loved by everyone. My cousins went crazy at the religious provision store, we almost bought everything!). Our initial thoughts were to provide him with the best, to afford him the same lifestyle he had while living. He was a photography enthusiast, so it was elementary to get him a SLR camera to continue capturing breath-taking images of the nether world. When the store keeper told us they no longer produce the paper SLR, we went into shock. He then rationalize with the introduction of iPhone, there won't be a need for an SLR because the phone comes with camera function. Talk to any photography enthusiast, a camera phone can never replace the SLR. We then imagine J spewing a string of  swear words without his 'toy', so we had to do something...

When W my sis in law broached the subject of making one for him, I was skeptical at first. She was ready to pay for the customized paper mâché at an exorbitant price (SGD$150!), I just had to stop her. Who better to make the camera but me. I didn't graduate top honors from design school for nothing. It's my chance to give my brother the best gift ever...

Nikon D800

If the camera had to be customized, it had to be done right. The camera in name is the Nikon D800; Top of the line in it's league. I jumped into research, sketching and calculating. I spent many hours thinking about materials and construction. And when I was at work, it felt like design school all over again. Perhaps it was fatigue, the process was hindered by frequent emotional outbursts and feelings of regret. As I clocked late nights making the camera, I had the radio tuned to my favorite frequency. Familiar songs brought memories of our childhood days to my mind. It was hard...but I managed.

How it looks originally

The Basic Shape

waiting for the right buttons

Viola! Final product

From a brown cardboard box, It turned into the camera that would finally please J. I filled it up with my anguish, fears and regret of losing him. It had tears, promises and lots of love. I am finally ready to move on.

J has left, but he gave me a wonderful sister W. He also rekindled the love for my parents and the bond of my aunts and cousins. I know now I will walk but not alone, because he will always be with me...cos he will always be my Kor.

淘宝网Great Buys - March 2013

Its gonna be a long lengthy opening, so here's a random picture of Spring around my compound.

Ahhh...you gotta love 淘宝网. I am proud to share the loot of my pillage from the website, but not without warning you about the amount of time you will spend on it. Too lazy to write this in my own words, so here's a definition from Wikipedia.

Founded by Alibaba Group in May 10, 2003, Taobao Marketplace facilitates consumer-to-consumer (C2C) retail by providing a platform for small businesses and individual entrepreneurs to open online retail stores that mainly cater to consumers in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.[2]

Because of its great accessibility, vendors of all sectors and size gather to sell you wares far beyond your imagination. I once heard a ridiculous story about a firearms syndicate being nabbed because they were stupid enough to post their wares on 淘宝网.

Mind you, when I was first introduced to 淘宝, I was whacked silly by dishonest vendors. After paying enough school fees, I am proud to say I have graduated with top honors. I can easily pick out genuine sellers and radar in on cheap and quality products. Don't ask me how it is done. It is a steep learning curve, and if you are serious about it...first, get yourself to China!

Here's a tip I can dispense that might help. Instead of the normal search description, narrow down your search with keywords such as 外贸 (export)，原单 (original)，正品 (genuine). If you are a worrying wort, and so afraid of getting conned; buy from 天猫 (Tmall). Ok gonna borrow form wiki again.

...spun off from Taobao, operated in the People's Republic of China by Alibaba Group. It is a platform for local Chinese and international businesses to sell quality, brand name goods to consumers in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

Difference is 天猫 has a gathering of legit and established brands. Thus the buys are usually more reliable than vendors from 淘宝.

Measures 32 x 32 cm. Huge rite?

Since I am such a savvy buyer of  淘宝, I have decided to share worthy buys on a monthly basis (hopefully...). Here are 2 of my proud acquire for March.
This chip and dip ceramic ware is a treasure in a mountain of junk. I didn't expect to find this in a shop that sells mainly sundries, but it just stood out amongst it's other wares (stockings, recycle bags and other stuff...). The picture on the site didn't do it justice but the seller was meticulous about the specs. Thus after much reading (I'm doing my Chinese 老师 proud!), I realise the plate is a sample commissioned by a US retail giant. At an irresistible price of CNY$24 (Under SGD$5!!!), I just have to buy it.

Product sticker still intact. Thank you Phyllis!

Cream and champagne. Comes in white and silver too.

The other winning buy is a simple 2.5l stainless steel thermos air port. Thought its produced for the Japanese market, it is neither a tiger nor an elephant. Therefore I didn't have to pay a lot for it. In fact it was obtained over a flash sale (秒杀) at a reasonable CNY$158 (under SGD$32). It looks simple and clean, exactly what I want for the kitchen.

Not all internet deals are made in heaven. So be extra wary when reading the descriptions (especially between the lines). Do your homework and ask a lot of questions before you make any purchase. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Also depending on the seller's attitude when answering queries, a cannot be bothered answer is usually a cannot be bothered product. Bottom line is always check out their return policy. 4 in 10 buys over the internet usually required return attention. Whatever it is, enjoy yourself and don't get conned...too much!