what's in a name?

All my brothers' names, including mine, start with the letter "A". Antonio, Ariel (me), Armond, and Achilles. I don't know if the letter had any significance to my parents – it never occurred to me to ask them.

What I was told, however, was that my grandmother (who was into names and numerology) made sure we had lucky names. According to her, the letters in people's names corresponded to numbers. And these numbers all fell under four different fates: Buenas (lucky), Penosa (painful), Peligrosa (dangerous), and Muerte (death). Now, don't ask me if this is a fair segregation – apart from one, all the others seem to suck.

Do I believe in this kind of thing? I don't know. But I sure got fascinated by what people said about the name of Manny Pacquiao, the Filipino boxer who is currently the world's best. They say his name is very lucky indeed: "Manny" sounds like "money", while "Pacquiao" sounds like "pakyaw" (which means "to get everything" in the Filipino language).

Interesting analysis, for Pacquiao now ranks 6th in Forbes.com's list of the world richest athletes. :-)

So parents, how about naming your baby "Euro", "Dollar", or "Gazillionaire"? LOL

(Top) The Fujio Akatsuka Bearbrick with the letter "A" on its chest was created by the Beams retail chain in Japan to promote Mangart Beams T, the new line of Manga-inspired Tees at their concept shop in Daikanyama, Tokyo.

The bear is a representation of Fujio Akatsuka (1935-2008), a famous Japanese manga artist who created many famous cartoon characters such as Daddy Bakabon (see t-shirt below). You can check out his official website here.

a gem of a be@rbrick

Do you know that in the the "Pink Panther" film series, the panther isn't really an animal but a large and valuable diamond?

In the original 1963 version directed by award-winning American director Blake Edwards (Breakfast at Tiffany's, Days of Wine and Roses), a jewel thief known as "the Phantom", played by David Niven, plotted to steal the Pink Panther from its owner, Princess Dala (Claudia Cardinale). A French detective named Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) played his klutzy adversary.

According to the story, the pink panther diamond had a flaw that formed the shape of a leaping panther, and this image could only be seen if the stone was held up to the light in a certain way.

It's interesting to note how an imperfection can make one all the more extraordinary. Remember supermodel Cindy Crawford's signature mole? Before her arrival in the modeling world in the 80s, such beauty marks were often airbrushed out of fashion magazine covers. But it became Cindy's million dollar trademark.

Speaking of gems, the Floyd Ring Cup (below) is as irresistible as a real diamond ring. It's so clever!

I bought several cups at the Franc Franc store in Hong Kong and gave some to couple of friends who just celebrated their anniversary.

The gem in the Floyd cup ring isn't a real diamond, but it's a genuine Swarovski crystal. I guess that's bling enough to impress, don't you?

This gem-of-a-cup is still sold at mollaspace.com, at a price that's a steal.

(Top, left) The Pink Panther Bearbrick is a collaboration between Medicom Toys and Universal Studios Japan.

Info from Wikipedia / Bearbrick pic by yours truly / Floyd cup pic from thisnext.com

let us count the ways

We always count the days to a long vacation or the minutes before an exciting show. We also count the things we want to buy with our Christmas bonus, and the gifts we receive on our birthday. And every time we join raffles, we tend to "count our chickens before they're hatched".

However, there are a few things that we sometimes lose track of. Here are some useful tips on what to count in life:

1. Count your money before you leave the cashier. It sucks to be shortchanged.

2. Count your calories. It's costs more to lose weight than to gain it.

3. Count your luggage when you travel. Remember, once you leave a city, there's no turning back.

4. Count to ten when you are upset at someone. It will stop you from saying things you don't mean.

5. Count your time online. Don't forget to spend quality time with the people you actually live with.

6. Last but not least, count your blessings – your family, your friends, your job. There is always someone else who has so much less. :-)

(Top pic) The 'tally marks' logo on the Bearbrick's chest belongs to the Japanese streetwear brand Undefeated. This bear is a collaboration with two other fashion brands, Stussy and Real Mad Hectic, to promote the the New Balance MT 580 Running Shoes (below).

Bearbrick pic by yours truly / Shoe pic & info from highsnobiety.com

a visual haiku

fleeting images
framed by the earth and the sky
frozen with a click

Poetic pictures of Japan, Spring 2009. As captured by my Canon IXUS 970 IS camera.

(Above) The BWWT 6 Bearbrick designed by Japanese contemporary poet Sandaimeuotakehamadashigeo. You can get CDs/DVDs of his poetry readings from his website.

1. Looking out into the garden of Nijo Castle, Kyoto.

2. Ducks at Ueno Park, Tokyo.

3. Short pine trees at the edge of the Castle Park, Osaka.

4. Wooden prayer boards called 'ema' are hung outside the Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo.

5. Trendy Japanese teenagers at a Tokyo JR Station.

6. Nothing compares to dining under cherry trees in bloom, behind the Yasaka-jinja Shrine in the old Gion district of Kyoto.

7. Red Japanese parasol at the Nijo Castle Garden, Kyoto.

8. The majestic Osaka Castle before dusk.

9. An arch of paper lanterns outside the Senso-ji Temple, Tokyo.

10. The sand garden at the Ginkakuji Temple (or Silver Pavilion) in Kyoto.

11. Wooden Japanese architecture at Ueno Park, Tokyo.

12. The bridge across the moat at the Osaka Castle.

13. If you lie down on a picnic blanket at Ueno Park, Tokyo, this is what you will see.

14. Huge lanterns outside the Senso-ji Temple at Asakusa, Tokyo.

15. The landmark Prada Building, designed by Herzog and De Meuron, at the chic Aoyama shopping district in Tokyo.

16. The most beautiful restroom sign I've seen. Lumine, Shinjuku Station, Tokyo.

All pics by by yours truly. Copyright: Bearbrick Lover 2009 :-)

cutting-edge coifs

In the United States and Europe, it would be quite ordinary to see Vin Diesel-type 'skinheads' walking down the street.

In Japan, however, it would be very rare – a lot of the guys there have long, anime-style hair!

Check out the young Japanese guy with blue hair (above right) who we saw just outside of Osaka Castle Park. He actually reminded me of my Series 13 Evangelion 'SF' Bearbrick (above left), which was based on the character of Rei Ayanami, the first pilot in the anime and manga series.

My companion J, fascinated with the hip Japanese hairstyles, paid a huge sum for a cut at a Harajuku salon. While waiting for him, I leafed through a male hair catalogue and took some pics (below). Which do you like best?


In downtown Kyoto, I took a pic of this guy (right) who has perfected the look from head to toe. When I told him I would post his pic on my blog, he immediately struck a pose!

I love the hair – I just wonder how long it takes him every morning to get that 'coiffed'. :-D

the secret of the tangerine tunnel

Months before I traveled to Japan, I spoke with a TV commercial director who told me many interesting stories about his vacation there with his family.

"When we were in Kyoto," he said, "we took the train to the Fushimi Inari Shrine. Man, do you remember the scene in 'Memoirs of a Geisha' where the young Sayuri was running inside a tunnel of orange posts? That was the place. It was awesome!"

Then his eyes widened. "But you must hear the rest of my story. You remember my daughter? Remember I told you she has a third eye? While we were walking through the endless row of toriis, she suddenly freaked out! She couldn't breath... was crying like anything! We had to rush her out of there and give her lots of water to drink.'

'When she was well enough to talk, she revealed to us that she saw countless spirits of dead people roaming the place, and that a lot of them scrambled to get to her, pleading for help like lost souls. They must have sensed that my daughter could see them... it freaked me out, too!"

Last April 9, when I finally visited the Fushimi Inari Shrine with J, it was late afternoon and only as handful of tourists were present. The minute we were inside the torii tunnel, I stood very, very still. No, I didn't sense any spirit breathing in my ear. Even my companion J, who claims to be 'sensitive', didn't get any ghostly vibe. Whew!

But it was an eerie, beautiful place alright.

The place is open 24 hours but you won't see me around after sunset. I'll run out of that tunnel faster than the young Zhang Ziyi did in the movie. :-0

(Top pic) The Bearbrick in the pink Japanese kimono with crests is the 'secret' bearbrick of the 'Toys R Us' - Set A Series, released in 2001!

All pics by yours truly, taken at the Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto

Translation: Torii = Gate

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lost (and found) in translation

The minute I stepped inside the Tokyo subway, I knew I needed help. There was no way I could navigate the city just by studying the maps and charts plastered on the walls. Hardly anything was in English!

Luckily, the Japanese are the most helpful people in the world.

On our way to Project 1/6 (see pic below), Medicom Toys' flagship store in the crowded Shibuya district, my friend J and I got lost. (Our map was in English, the road signs were in Japanese!)

So we showed the map to a nice Japanese couple on the street. After an exchange of hand signals and one-word sentences, the guy quickly consulted the navigator on his mobile phone. Then he and his girlfriend eagerly walked us to the toy shop (which turned out to be more than a hundred meters away, in the opposite direction of where they were initially headed.)

On our way to our Kyoto hotel for the first time, a young graduate student got off his bike and decided to walk with us when he realized that he couldn't give us clear directions. It was a loooong walk but the guy didn't seem to mind at all!

And what are the chances of finding a lost jacket on a metro train in Osaka?

100%! In our case, it was through the kind assistance of a very distinguished-looking Station Captain (I'm not sure if that is what he is called) who went out of his way to figure out which train we left the jacket on, orchestrate its recovery, and even walk us to a distant office to claim it. That's him in the pic above.

It's easy to get lost in Japan, but it's not hard to find a Japanese who is willing to help. I am reminded of the classic quote from the movie 'A Streetcar Named Desire' – the line that lead star Vivien Leigh spoke to an unknown man who helped her get up from a fall:

"I've always depended on the kindness of strangers."

To all of them: Arigato gozaimashita! :-)

(Top) The Bearbrick+Kubrick set based on the TV series 'LOST' was among four boxed sets that I found at Medicom's Project 1/6 Store. The Kubrick with the gun is supposed to be lead star Matthew Fox (pic below), who plays one of the plane crash survivors who were stranded on a mysterious island.

Matthew Fox pic from handson.provocateuse.com /

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dissecting kaws

Who is Kaws?

Kaws is Brian Donnelly, a New York-based graffiti artist and toy designer.

What is his claim to fame?

In the late 90s, Kaws started to alter bus stop and phone booth posters. Armed with a 'master key', he would open the glass casings, steal the posters, paint on them, and put them back. Watch a video docu here.

Soon, New York commuters became familar with his work. Posters for fashion brands such as Guess, Bebe, YSL, Calvin Klein, etc. suddenly had images of skulls with 'x'-ed out eyes painted over the models' faces. Sometimes, this skull head was part of a sperm-like figure that wrapped itself around the models. Click here to see one. (Note: this is the reason why the bus stop is a recurring theme in his toy designs.)

How did he get into toy designing and street fashion?

After winning an artist grant from Pernod Liquor, he quit his Disney job and traveled to Tokyo where he collaborated with street fashion brands such as Undercover, Hectic and A Bathing Ape, as well as toy brands such as Medicom. Soon after, he opened his own clothing store called Original Fake at the fashionable Aoyama district in Tokyo. His retailer neighbors include Prada, Comme De Garcons, D&G, Hysteric Glamour, Issey Miyake, BAPE, etc.

How successful is he as an artist?

Kaws's fame as an artist is not credited to a string of art galleries exhibitions. It is a product of his various collaborations with cult fashion brands and the designer toy world – with the help of the Internet. Recently though, his exposure via art galleries has started to progress, with shows at the Gering & Lopez Gallery in New York, Gallerie Emmnuel Perrotin in Miami, and Honore Fraser Gallery in L.A. (According to the LA Times, Kaw's Honore Fraser show last February 2009 was mobbed!)

Who collects his art?

Rapper/Producer/Songwriter Pharell Williams, BAPE owner Nigo, and Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, among others.

Where can one find his work on the Internet?

Originalfake.com, Kawsone.com, and Gering & Lopez Gallery. But you'll find the most number of pics at this Kibrobot Discussion link.

What are his latest collaborations?

He just designed a pair of shoes for Marc Jacobs's new line. And the artworks for Kanye West's new album.

How important is this Kaws 'Dissected' Bearbrick to collectors?

Well, important enough for people to line up overnight for (below) – some Hong Kong collectors even flew to Taipei! Crazy isn't it? Read about the launch day here. :-)

In my collection, there are three different Kaws Bearbricks – two of which are based on Kaws's 'Original Companion' toy figure.

But this one (top, right) based on the 'Dissected Companion' is my favorite. For the first time, I actually enjoyed looking at entrails – lung, liver, intestine, pancreas, heart, aorta and all. :-D

Info from i-D (The stepping Stone Issue), The New York Times Magazine, Los Angeles Times / Kaws pic from www.spreadartculture.com / Launch day pic from freshnessmag.com

journey to japan

Woooooooooooooo
hooooooooooooooo!

Just got a Japanese visa.
I leave with J on April 3.
Harajuku in Tokyo.
Hanami in Kyoto.
Can't wait –

Bearbrick country,
here I come!

(Left) Japan 'We Love Football' Bearbrick. Kentucky Fried Chicken in Hong Kong celebrated the 2006 World Cup with a series of 12 Be@rbricks, which include Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Mexico, USA, Korea, France, Argentina, Brazil, England, and Japan.

the season for headbands

A headband is a very practical accessory. It is used by women to keep hair away from the face. Lewis Caroll's 'Alice in Wonderland' wore one, remember? Back in the 80s, Australian singer Olivia Newton-John popularized a variation called the sweatband in her 'Let's Get Physical' video. Today, headbands have become even more fashionable, thanks to trendy girls like Blair Waldorf of Gossip Girl, and guys (!) like athlete David Beckham and pop idol Joe of the Jonas Brothers.

The Series 14 'Cute' Bearbrick (above, right) also wears a headband. It is a representation of 'Oden-Kun', a character from a 'picture-book-turned-anime-series' created by Lily Franky (a.k.a. Masaya Nakagawa, a Japanese illustrator, writer, actor, musician, and photographer).

Take note, however, that Oden-Kun's headband isn't really a fashion statement. It's supposed to be a strip of edible gourd, because Oden Kun is actually a 'Mochi-Iri-Kinchaku' (fried tofu skin stuffed with rice paste). In the anime series, Oden-Kun and his friends are different types of 'oden' (hotpot ingredients, above left) living in a village at the bottom of a bowl. They spend their days waiting for people to eat them. Sometimes life gets more exciting as they fight cancer cells inside human bellies. :-)

Meanwhile, in the world of fashion, Miuccia Prada created modern day warriors wearing studded leather headbands for Fall 2009 (left and below).

The theme? "Survival," she said. "And to survive, you have to be strong."

Because of the global economic crisis, life will be one tough fight for survival. Especially for luxury brands like Prada.

So everybody should gear up. I, myself, am already liking this fabulous warrior headband – oops! – how much do you think it will cost? LOL

'Oden' pic from myspace.com / Miuccia Prada quote and runway pics from menstyle.com

the unkissable frog

Will you dare kiss a frog?

Probably not.

But let's say, you are a contestant in Fear Factor and 10 million dollars are at stake. Will that change your mind? :-)

Indeed, money is a very good motivator – it's right up there with fame, love, sex, and power.

To be successful, it's important that we keep ourselves motivated. But to be truly happy – here's a wonderful tip (a forwarded text message from a friend):

"What really matters is
Not what we bought but what we built;
Not what we got but what we shared;
Not our competence but our character;
And not our success but our significance."

Happy New Year to all! :-)

(Top) This Bearbrick (inspired by the fairy tale "The Frog Prince") was created by Isetan Japan to promote the edgy fashion brand, Libertine. Beautifully illustrated and unblemished by logos, it's one 'frog' that's easy to love.

Water lily background pic by Ian Britton from www.freefoto.com / Bearbrick pic and digital imaging by yours truly :-)

an unsolved mystery

Two weeks ago, I received an unexpected call from S, my business partner.

"My driver is missing!" she blurted out. "Around 5pm, I asked him to drop me off at Santi's Deli in Rockwell. He was supposed to park the car at the nearby mall and buy me meds for my headache. But when I called and texted him – countless times – to ask him to pick me up, he never answered. To think that I told him I wouldn't take long! After waiting for two hours, I decided to take a cab home. Should I call the police?"

My mind raced. Was her driver's phone on silent mode? Why didn't he check it for messages? Did he fall asleep in the drivers' lounge? Did he meet an accident? Or was the car hijacked in the basement parking area of the mall? (The car was a high-end SUV, a vehicle on the police's list of cars-most-likely-to-be-carnapped. )

"We must be very sure before we report the matter to the police," I replied, "I think they issue shoot-to-kill orders on drivers of stolen vehicles."

"Then I should go back to the mall and find out if the car is still parked there," she said, sounding worried.

"That may be dangerous. You want my driver to come with you? He can be your bodyguard."

"I'll go alone."

At 7:30pm, I called her on her mobile phone.

After three rings, the call pushed through but no one said 'Hello'. There was a sound of rustling like someone was fumbling for the phone. Then I heard a very loud and shrill scream! What the hell was going on?!

She finally spoke, "Hi, I'm on my way to the mall."

"Are you okay? I heard a scream–" I asked.

"Those were my brakes screeching." Then she put the phone down.


At 8:30pm, she called and said, "The security guards found my car in Basement Parking Level One but my driver's nowhere to be found. They've paged him already."

"Ask the guards to check inside the car – maybe kidnappers tied him up in there, and are waiting for you," I spoke slowly, horrified at the thought.

At 9:30pm, my phone rang. "Found him. Said his phone got busted. He didn't hear any ring or any text message beep."

"But he got the messages?" I was so perplexed.

"Yup, they were in his phone inbox," was her exasperated reply.

"What an excuse!" I exclaimed to S. Then I thought to myself, "What a lie!"

Consider the facts: (1.) He knew that S would only take a short while at Santis Deli. (2.) Four and a half hours had passed since he dropped her off. (3.) All the text messages telling him to fetch her were in his phone.

Was he lying or not? What do you think really happened?

For me, the mystery was far from over.

(Top) This rare 'secret' bear with a big '?' on its forehead is the Series 3 Artist Be@rbrick by famous Japanese DJ-turned-streetwear designer Hiroshi Fujiwara. The "HTM" logo on its chest is from his spring 2002 streetwear line for Nike.

Click here to check out his blog / artworks.

the rare ramenz be@rbrick

If there is one bearbrick I own that I should keep inside a safe because it is so damn expensive, this is it – the Ramenz Bearbrick (named after the Japanese comedy duo). Unique and unpredictable, the design is well worth the money for me. According to Toysdorado, only 300 pieces were produced and distributed in Japan. And as afar as I know, only five of them surfaced on eBay.

It was created in collaboration with Ramenz's Katagiri Jin (left), the funny guy who co-starred with his silly sidekick Kobayashi Kentaro (right) in the now-famous youtube vids about Japanese traditions (sushi, green tea, chopsticks, origami, apology, and onigiri.). These two also appeared in the Japanese version of the Mac and PC television commercials.

I like creative types like Katagiri Jin – commercialism is always last on their minds. The Ramenz bear has no trademark, no signature, and no 'Made in Japan' in all caps. The only thing imprinted on it is Katagiri's wild imagination.

Truly a rare bear. :-)

Ramenz pic from www.twinkle-co.co.jp / Info from Wikipedia, www.metafilter.com, www.fourxthree.com, www.japannewbie.com

redefining the cute culture

Nice and naughty. Cute and creepy. That's Tokidoki.

See the Tokidoki Soccer Bearbrick (with fangs, and a pirate symbol on its chest). Spot the gentle-looking Japanese girl (with red horns and funky tattoos).

At the center, a cute-ified grim reaper offers a skull lollipop to the skull girl in pink. By the side, a devil boy cooks a hotdog in an open fire. (While devil girl listens to an iPod.)

What else? Flying candy bats. Bullet buddies. And red-hot chili peppers from hell.

Plus cute but thorny (ouch!) vinyl toys named Sandy, Bastardino (little bastard) and Sabochan. (Not for little kids, that for sure!)

Toy: Moofia's Mozarella, a machine gun-toting cow-girl.
Tote: A skull head vinyl charm decorates a colorful Le Sportsac bag.

It seems that with Tokidoki, cute has become more cutting edge. Simone Legno, the creative mind behind the extremely successful brand (above, left, at the Le Sportsac Store in Hawaii), says that "Tokidoki is a happy world. It is a cute, playful – pure yet provocative – and sophisticated world that I imagine, live in, and dream of."

From what I see, it's a place where the good, the bad, the feared, and the friendly live in harmony. Sounds like heaven to me. :-)

Catch Simone Legno at the Gaphika Manila 08, an International Multimedia Design Conference on September 20, 2008. Venue: SM Mall of Asia, Manila, Philippines

Info from Josh Spear, Star Bulletin, Wikipedia / Tokidoki art and product pics from Tokidoki, Nicknite, Strangeco

delicious by design

One of the best-designed bears I've seen is the Watermelon Bearbrick (above), a collaboration between Levi's Jeans and Clot, Inc., the hip clothing company owned by the controversial Hong Kong celebrity Edison Chen (who supposedly loves watermelons).

The design is quite tasteful. A hard-sell logo is dispensed with in favor of witty graphics. (The seeds form the eyes!)

Speaking of cleverness, aren't square watermelons ingenious? These manually engineered fruits won't roll off a farm truck or slide off the picnic table. Best of all, they'll save space inside refrigerators, just like Tupperware.

According to reports, an 84-year old Japanese farmer started to grow them inside boxes about 30 years ago (!) and now holds a patent for the containers.

Only in Japan... :-D

Square watermelon pics from www.picdit.com / Info from www.oneinpunch.net, www.hypebeast.com

the man behind the menace

In Star Wars Episode 1: the Phantom Menace, there existed a ruthless assassin by the name of Darth Maul (above, left). Mentored by the evil Darth Sidious and powered by the dark side, Maul, for me, was the most malevolent force – and face – in the Star Wars universe.

So who would think that the guy who played him – Ray Park – actually looks like this (below)?

He may appear charming and friendly, but mind you, he and Darth Maul have a lot in common.

Like the deadly Maul, Ray started combat training at a very young age. When he was only seven years old, Glasgow-born Parks trained in Northern Shaolin Kung-Fu. At sixteen, he was the United Kingdom's Martial Arts National Champion. In the 1993 World Wushu Games in Malaysia, he competed as a member of the British Wushu Team.

Like Darth Maul, Ray was trained to kill.

But unlike his sinister Star Wars character, Ray will play the 'good guy' very soon – as the mysterious hero Snake Eyes in the forthcoming movie, G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra.

Yup, I have two of the same bearbrick and I'm giving one away for free! Just leave your nickname (or pseudonym) and city of residence in the comments section. After a week, I will write down each of the names in small pieces of paper, put them in a box from which a winner will be drawn. Don't worry, I will ask a friend to pick the winner! :-)

I will announce the raffle winner in my next blog entry. The winner should email me his/her postal address so I can send the Darth Maul bearbrick to him/her by registered airmail – absolutely FREE! Simple, isn't it?

Ray Park pics from www.raypark.com / Darth Maul head shot from www.cinematicwallpaper.com / Info from wikipedia and www.imdb.com