When Khunnai upgrades to be iKhunnai

In the age of iTune, iPod, iPad, iPhone, and many other i, Khunnai like yourself probably wants to be techie & cool & known as iKhunnai. Well, now you can. Thanks to the geekiness that lies within this very Khunnai who is writing this blog.

I’ve been using iPhone for over 3 months now. And I have to say, now it’s gonna sound a bit like someone falling in love, that I don’t know how I had lived without my iPhone. So now I’m gonna list the programs that I love, love, love. I think they are so chic, chic, chic. Plus most of them are free, free, free.

QuadCamera

4 out of 5 iPhone female users use iPhone to take pix. 5 out of 5 iPhone female users who have QuadCamera love QuadCamera. Of course this is just my own makeup stats, but trust me, it’s very much so. What can I say? It’s fun, it’s cute, it’s creative. And most of the time, you look great (since you are divided into 4 or 8, so you won’t see so much of you -- that must make you look better!). It’s like the photo sticker machine we had 10 years ago, only that now you can take as many as you want for free, whoopee!

Wikipanion

Don’t ask. iKhunnai is a little geeky sometimes. She needs to be knowledgeable of the world around her. And how else is yet a better style than reading the world’s largest, cheapest (coz it’s free!) online encyclopedia like wikipedia, on the go! The snap here shown Henry VIII which was my last subject of study coz I just finished watching The Other Boleyn girl, yet another subject I just Wikied before going to bed last night (I wanted to know how real was the substance in the movie compared to the real history). No I don’t have that much of free time, but British royalty is of interest for everyone, especially an iKhunnai!

Toptable

One of the happiest things to do in life is to eat well. Every Khunnai knows that. Every iKhunnai knows that you can eat well anywhere, any time thanks to Toptable that allows you to find great resto nearby across Europe and allows you to "book" by a simple click away. The super duper cool thing about Toptable is that you can find the resto based on where you are -- so you can do that on the go, or based on where you want to search -- so you can plan up yr trip. What's more? You can 'see' the 'look' of the resto -- every Khunnai wants to know what the resto looks like before she enters. There are sample menu for you to peek. It also gives you the opening dates & hours, address, phone no. It has a built-in map. You can book by a simple click, and there is discount in some resto!!

Vogue Stylist

The minute I knew Vogue has an app on iPhone, I thanked someone up above. I don't know about you, but I'm one of those girls who buy fashion magazines to look at the ads. They keep me updated with the latest offers from everyone. And now all of them are on this app! Plus more! There are latest trends and looks that you can choose to see bags, dresses, perfumes, and makeups that accompany with that particular trend. I don't care if people say that it is advert in disguise. Of course it is. Duh! Who cares. Every fashion mag is just like that. You think us girls buy a fashion mag to read book reviews? There are links to fashion shows, other items in that collections, or to directly buy the items. Heaven, isn't it?

Time Mobile

Who says us Khunnais don't need to know about news? It's just that it's such a hassle to buy a newspaper, go through the long article just to realize that the gist of it is just 3 lines long. News magazine is expensive, so we'd rather buy a fashion mag. It's much thicker, talking about value for money! Time app is free. And it already digests news for us. It's news analysis on the go. It's shorter. It's prettier too, which is a good plus. I can skim thru all the happenings in 10 seconds. And it's got videos & clips. So now you news agencies out there, if you want to get me, you'd better be free, concise, and pretty.

Slidz

This app requires someone who is geeky enough to put together the pix, the songs, the app; who is also quirky enough to have so many pix and so many songs. Or I could just say.. it was made for me? I'd the pix from my facebook albums and take the songs from my iPhone playlists. And boom... I got a slideshow. And who is the audience? Of course, I am the biggest fan of my own pix and my own songs! Well, it's a cool app to show off to yr friends too!

Palringo/Meebo

There are many apps that combine all communicator apps together, meaning that you are online all the time. You can log into facebook, gchat, msn, yahoo, aol, tweeter, and you-name-it all in 1 go. And which Khunnai wouldn't want to stay forever connected? It's not about invasion of privacy. Coz I didn't say that you have to always answer. But knowing that someone sends you a message gives you power to reply... or simply not. But you will always get the message, get it? Palringo is cool coz you get to send voice mssg and pix mssg to anyone. Meebo is more stable, and keeps chat history for you. So install both, they're both free anyway.

Guess I can't finish the list of iKhunnai apps in one blog. So till we meet next time, keep iPhoning. Bye for now, iKhunnai!

Outlet shopping with Khunnai

Dear Khunnais,

I miss fellow khunnais so much, and apologize for having disappeared for quite some time! You know, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do! I've been busy going to parties after parties, going to numerous eating trips, sight seeing trips. Then after Christmas been busy going back to Thailand .. shopping, massage, eating, partying, more shopping. Really... I mean... busy buying presents for myself! What a difficult life!

So now I'm back. It's freezing & snowing outside. What would be better than writing to all my fans...yes, all fellow khunnais out there. Plus there is no American Idol or Grey's Anatomy tonight (and Kru Kook is already over). So I figured, to come back, I have to come back big. What's bigger in life than shopping?

No... that doesn't sound right! OK, let's try again. What's bigger in life than shopping fabulous designer handbags at discount? Now we're talking!

But I know that I'm not talking to a typical person but I'm talking to a shopping guru like you, Khunnai. So a shopping guru like yourself would know that 90% of the time you cannot find decent things at the outlets. Most stuffs are outdated, oversized, just plain leftovers that nobody but those who fall prey to "discounted prices". But a super guru like yourself would know too that there are a handful ones that is worth our time & effort. Today Khunnai will take you to two of them. They are close to each other so you can manage to visit them both in one trip.

The first one is simply called "The Mall" [Via Europa 8, 50060 Leccio Reggello, Florence, Italy]. It sits on the beautiful hills of Tuscany. So if you go in spring or summer, you will really enjoy the scenery. What I love about this place is that there are not that many shops, around 20 shops in total. So you can easily manage to see every single one of them if you'd like. Because every single one of them is absolutely worth checking. The quality of shop lineup is incomparable. Just incomparable to any place else.

Shopping with tuscany scenery as a backdrop

OK, here is the lineup: Bottega Veneta, Burberry, Fendi, Armani, Pucci, Ferragamo, Tod's, Hogan, Sergio Rossi, Marni, Ermenegildo Zegna, Valentino, Yves Saint, La Perla, Loro Piana, Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, and of course Gucci.

I can guarantee you that each shop has enough space to carry numerous items that will make your wallet lighter. But it's not just space, the assortment is great. You would find stuff that were sold in the actual store in the previous seasons there, and there are great stuffs to buy, unlike typical outlets where they are just stuffs nobody wants. If you are a fan of Italian brands, this is absolutely a must.

I'm not a big Gucci fan, but this tote is too me to not have it.

But if you a big fan of Prada (and Miu Miu to some extent), then listen, listen very carefully. SPACE is where you want to be [Levanella Spacceo, Strada Statale 69, Montevarchi, Italy]. SPACE is the name of the outlets for all Prada and its other brands sell stuffs from previous seasons. I don't know how many outlets Prada have in the world. I've been to four of them. And this one in Florence is the best of them all. Don't ask me how many times I've been to SPACE. Don't ask me how many things I got from there. These questions are irrelevant! I'm here to spread the goodness, so no judgment needed, oki?

SPACE is the size of a football field. Or bigger even. Just know that it's so big your eyes will pop, your feet will turn cold, and your hands won't stop trembling. It has a-b-s-o-l-u-t-e-l-y e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g! Leather bags of calf skin, or the famous wonderfully soft & light deer skin, or exotic & rare snake or crocodile skin. Cloth bags. Cloth bags + Leather deco. All these in all styles: Tote, Shoulder, Hobo, Satchel (messenger), clutch. Or wallet, cosmetic bag, traveling bag, card holder, etc etc etc.

The first of many to follow. Once you start, it's kinda addictive you know!

Have I mentioned shoes? You know... the likes of ballerinas, pumps, flat heels, high heels, very high heels, boots, in colors you don't even imagine available. Oh sunglasses. Dresses. Tops. Skirts. Coats. Down jackets. Ties. Belts. Suits. Evening gowns. Perfume. Face cream. Key chains. Scarfs. I'm tired just typing.

A messenger bag that fits with everything & anything. My all-time trip companion.

So yes. If you are the devil that enjoys a bit of discount, it's the dream comes true. If you are not, it's the perfect place to start. Just bring lots of credit cards (with available credit), and passport for tax refund opportunity (>154 Euro, you can get 12% back).

Viper. The last one to add to the family. Ultimate bargain really!

But again, we are talking about outlet not a paradise. Of course you won't be lucky every time and find everything you want. The trick is to go there now & again, just to check what's available. Just know that it usually stores the stuffs of the same season but from 1 year before for clothes, but for bags, usually 1 or 2 seasons before. And know that during the mega sales period, the stuffs at outlet would have discount on top of outlet prices.

Enjoy shopping. At the end of the day, "those who loves themselves can truly love others."

NB: All bags featured are from the mentioned outlets. The behavior is individualistic. Please carefully think through before taking any major decision.

When Khunnai goes romantic Part 2

Khunnais,

It's OK if you CHOSE to spend Halloween night alone. After all, it's just a marketing trick to urge people to spend more on unnecessary costumes, candies, and any orange-and-black things that could relate back to the loosely-based tradition of spirit originated by some smart Americans just in some recent years.

Really, all you need is just a good internet connection & a genius thing called youtube if you don't have a date or (more likely) if you don't want to. And now, without further delay, let's dive deep into the world of romance with these amazing scenes that either cause you teary eyes or make your mind drift off to the land not exists on this planet.

When Harry Met Sally
Can two friends sleep together and still love each other in the morning?

I watched this one after other Meg's series coz when it first came out, I was still too innocent to the plot that a man and a woman cannot be friends if one finds another attractive.. because the sex part always gets in the way. It's so amazing how this assumption is still being discussed even till these days, talking about the power of pop culture. Anywu, we all admit that Harry is pretty ugly, and Sally is really beautiful. This again proves the point that women go beyond the look as long as the men are funny. Watch this scene when Harry ponders around NY city on new year's eve after not knowing what to do (so he did nothing) after spending the night with Sally and waking up beside her. He walked around and suddenly the song "It Had to Be You" just came up in the middle of nowhere. Then, he said something I (and the rest of the women who watched this movie) would never forget.



Romeo + Juliet

My only love sprung from my only hate.

"O Romeo.. Wherefore art thou Romeo?" Remember when you suddenly had a profound interest in Old English and Shakespeare? I remember. I also remember how exciting I was seeing Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet for the first time. The paradox of the setting, Shakespeare's English and pop music. That's why Romeo & Juliet was the only Shakespeare I could recite till these days. And who'd forget that very first moment when Romeo's and Juliet's eyes met, thru the glass of that giant fish tank. Leonardo was flirtatious, stubborn, sweet, daring. Claire Danes was pure, innocent, awkward, genuine, sweet. They were perfect. And then they died. And that's why it was so romantic.


(Watch this link for a better quality)

Love Actually
Love actually is all around.

Cameron Crowe was the first to come up with a romantic comedy with more than 1 couple in Singles (1992). But it was Love Actually that actually made this kind of movie a sub-genre within romantic comedies. There were 8 couples with 8 different love stories. Working Title, the genius behind practically every Brit RomCom, was hoping that everyone must identify with at least one out of eight. My most favorite was of course the unfulfilled one between the new bride and the groom's best friend. Watch when he came to tell her he loves her pretending to be Christmas Carrol (click to the link). Have plenty of time? Watch the whole story of Juliet & Mark.


The Notebook
Behind every great love is a great story.

We all know Nicholas Sparks writes sentimental love stories, which some tactless people call cheesy. Us emotional Khunnais call romantic. The extra special element about the Notebook, another best selling story of Sparks, was that it was crafted into a beautiful film. Somehow, the director brought the story to life with such a strong contention that we, too, believe that it was true love. And the swans. And the white house. And the dance on the street. And Ryan Gosling. What more can I say?

Watch when Noel asked Allison to dance to his "I will Remember You".


Watch the magic of the swans.


Watch when Noel asked Allison what she's gonna do now that she has to decide between him and her finance. Watch what he thinks about them.


Almost Famous
Experience it. Enjoy it. Just don't fall for it.

Is it possible that we talk about romantic movies and not having any of Crowe's masterpieces. We mentioned Singles and Say Anything a little bit. But Crowe deserves a whole full movie. And I pick Almost Famous because it is the most intimate, the most tender one of all. It has that child-like quality none of the rest of his movies have. And it has that tie to rock music that reminds all of us how silly we were when we were young. How we fell for teenage heartthrob. How we thought music & rock bands were more important than food & education. How we thought real love was the only love there is. Penny Lane has suffered for us. And she deserves the whole paragraph to tribute to her innocence. Watch this scene when she realizes she was not worth more than 50 bucks and a case of beer.



That should keep you busy for some time. Until the next episode of this, if you have some time, go out and experience the real thing. Maybe your story could be even more romantic than the ones in the movies. Who knows.

When Khunnai goes romantic

Khunnais,

From time to time, you might find yourself falling trap into the ambiguous thing called love or something felt weirdly similar. And then after a while, you find yourself unconsciously (and unwillingly) falling out of it. Don't get panic. The concept of love and romance can be recreated even when you are alone. It's the year 2000, anything can be done, honey.

You might have heard of this movie genre called "romantic comedy". But since we are khunnais, we don't just watch this formulaic film of this genre, but also watch other melodrama romance films. And when khunnai goes romantic, khunnai does it in style. The following are the scenes where khunnai is struck, speechless, wants to either laugh or cry (or both at the same time). They are not in any particular order, but they are all romantic.

The Age of Innocence
In a world of tradition. In an age of innocence. They dared to break the rules.

Archer and countess Olenska and their forbidden love in the high manner society of New York in 19th century. Aside from sumptuous costumes and settings, you would be attracted by the desire to express love and longing but unable to, so great that it's gonna burst. The entire movie was based on all these desires that they have to subside. Watch the scene where Archer simply taking off the button of countess Olenska's glove and gently kissed her hand. It's almost unbearable to watch.

Watch this video @ 2:20


Four Weddings and a Funeral
He's quite engaging. She's otherwise engaged.

Back in time when Hugh Grant didn't have so many crow's feet on his face. We were introduce to him in this movie and, boy, how much we have adored him ever since. In Four Weddings, he was awkwardly charming, he was the epitome of Peter Pan syndrome. We knew the type, yet we still fall for them anyway. Watch the scene when Charles was fumblingly telling Carrie he loves her, trying to compare to David Cassidy (his hit song was "I think I love you".) Finally he kinda knew what he felt, thou slightly too late since he was just done seeing her trying her wedding dress & all. It was adorable and therefore effortlessly romantic.

Watch this video @6:25


Sleepless in Seattle
What if someone you never met, someone you never saw, someone you never knew was the only someone for you?

Before Kate Hudson, Katherine Heigl, Anne Hathaway, there was Meg Ryan, a queen of romantic comedy (before she decided to pursue drama and failed miserably and injected too much botox into her lips). In this movie, it was the second time she paired up with Tom Hank. We love the pair, thou, quite magically they barely were in the scenes together. And that's why we think it is so romantic. The plot plays with cheesiness so much so that it became so not cheesy and just plain romantic. Watch the scene when Sam was talking about his deceased wife. I mean... I was dump-folded. And I was 15.

Watch this clip.


Before Sunset
What if you had a second chance with the one that got away?

I love them both, Sunrise & Sunset. But Sunset is more bitter, thus more romantic :) There are tons of phrases that knock you down like getting punched in a face. There are lines like:

'Memories are wonderful things, if you don't have to deal with the past.'
'I guess when you're young, you just believe there'll be many people with whom you'll connect with. Later in life, you realize it only happens a few times.'
'You can never replace anyone,because everyone is made of such beautiful specific details.'

Again, I love the entire movie, but romantically? OK, let's see 2 clips.

Watch @ 4:10 and watch the clip below to fully get what it feels like to be Celine



High Fidelity
A comedy about fear of commitment, hating your job, falling in love and other pop favorites.

He's done it in Say Anything, he did it again in High Fidelity. John Cusack, The ultimate guy next door. The movie, which based on the book of the same name written by Nick Hornby (who is a wonderful author), is a must for every music lover. If you the type that creates mixed tape (or mixed CD or iPod playlists, depending on the generation), if you the type that is pop culture junkie, you watch too many movies, listen to too many songs, read too many novels, then you'll probably love this movie. The movie opens with this:

'What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?'

Watch this scene when Rob proposes to Laura, but of course in Rob's way. I happen to think it's one of the most romantic proposal I've ever witnessed on big screens.


And those are only 5 movies. I still have many more in the list. Let's have episode 2 on this, khunnais. Till then, if love doesn't come knocking on your door, go rent (or download) these 5 movies and watch them over & over & over...

The One Hundred: A guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own

Almost one year later I visited bookshop at Triennale, Milan's design museum, and found another book from Nina (doesn't that sound like we're friends, eh?). This time it's:

The One Hundred: A guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own by Nina Garcia
This time a silver book, thicker in width, and deeper in content. The little black book was like an introduction to style, so this book is the perfect sequence to getting into the 'details'.

Khunnais, how often do you admire your closet? Be honest. And have you ever wondered whether you've got everything necessary? Maybe it's good to check up with this "One Hundred". It was so rewarding when you come across the ones in the list that you, too, regard of important things a girl must own and you yourself own in large quantity (in my case, A-Line Dress, Ballet Flat, Belts, Bikini, Black Opague Tights, Boyfriend cardigan, Cashmere sweater..let me stop at C). It was also enjoying to see the ones that is out of your style boundary (if you are the type of person that's already established your style). It triggers you to think that maybe you can also add that to your already large list of things to buy.

I would never thought of buying Animal Print, Aviator sunglasses, Converse, Charm bracelet, Man's white shirt, for example.

She also gives you the "how" to wear each piece, and some tips of how the craze of that piece started. So, khunnais, you will also get to learn some history of fashion, or in the bigger picture, pop culture.

Let me tell you which piece of the One Hundred triggered me to buy it. It was the piece # 40. Investment Bag. She says,

This is the bag that you can spend a few weeks' salary on and not feel guilty (or you shouldn't, anyway). It is going to last you a lifetime, will never go out of style, and will only get better with age. I always say that there are only a handful that are worth your money.

1. The Chanel 2.55
2. LV speedy
3. The Jackie O
4. The Birkin

These four bags are the staple items in every khunnai-to-be wish list. I've been dreaming of the Chanel 2.55 for about two years now, and still couldn't pull together buying a bag worth almost 2k. But I know I will buy it some day. I'm just waiting for the moment. I will have to blog about this one on its own.
The book again comes with pretty illustrations by Ruben Toledo, so it's the book you enjoy reading & looking. It also comes with links to related websites and so on. All in all a good book to refer to fashion-wise.

Oh did I tell you how delighted I was that I discovered Castaner on my own (with a little help from P' Fah, the Bangkokian style icon I know and love) and it happened to be also the chosen brand espadrilles (the ultimate summer shoe to wear with sundress) on this book. I bought 2 pairs this summer at my favorite shoe shop Luca on Via corso Vercelli.



To end the blog, I'll quote the piece # 68: Polo Shirt, which I found hilarious.

...It found its way into the urban jungle when the fashionistas began embracing all things prep and geek. Of course, to give it a fashion look, the prepster/geek uniform should not be copied too literally: it should be stepped up into an entirely new fashion level. (Note: No uniform should never be copied to literally -- everything has to be stepped up and made unique. Everything.)

I happen to have 6 classic polo shirts and unaccountable adaptations of those classics. That's all...

The Little Black Book of Style

Khunnais,

Who says khunnais do not read books? We do. Once in a while when we are free of socializing events, fashion weeks, day-long shopping adventure, weekend getaway to 10-course eating trips, etc etc. That's when we have time to sit down and read something.

And when we read, we read something worthy.

Something written by a role model of our time like Nina Garcia, a former fashion editor of Elle Magazine, and the poshest commentator from the fabulous show Project Runway.
I read two of her books so far. One is:
The Little Black Book of Style by Nina Garcia
A book, small one, dressed in black, full of principles of how to dress in style and why that matters. This book talks about dressing up at a conceptual level. She's not saying that you have to follow every season of fashion. She's saying that how you dress defines who you are, and gives you some guidance if you want to really dress in style.

I like her writing, because it is not forceful. She is not trying to reprimand you. She just uses her experience to give you some tips, if you allow her so. And so that's exactly how you shld take this book, not as a bible, but as an easy read to reassure your sense of style. Within the book, she would quote something smart like:

What you wear is how you presents yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language.

MIUCCIA PRADA

Then she adds something like..

A style icon knows
- How to edit.
- To invest in "the bones" (the classic trench, the little black dress, cashmere cardigans or turtleneck..).
- To buy with drama. If she falls in love, she takes it home.
- The utmost importance of shoes. Lots of shoes.
- The power of accessories.
- A good tailor.
- How not to be the fashion victim.
- It is not about the money.
- How to mix it up.
- How to be imperfect.

And who could argue her with that?

I stood at the book shop browsing thru it for 5 mins and I knew that this lady knows what she's talking about. Btw, the illustrations are very style-appropriate. So the book itself is also stylish, and very fun to read in toilets, in airplane, or during bad dates. I will write about her other book in the next blog. And will end with her lasting words from this book:

...you will find that style comes from adoring yourself enough to dress up for you and you alone. Because, in the end you are the only judge that really matters. Style is a matter of finding out who you are are and who you want to be in the world. I hope you choose to be fabulous, daring, fun, inspired, and yourself.

...and a quote.

If a girl looks swell when she meets you, who gives a damn if she's late? Nobody.

THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

If you think you are a bad luck charm to the trip, think again

Sure there could be a series of unfortunate events that might point into the same direction that something (badly) unexpected always happen, when you, khunnai, are part of that activity.

It might seem like you are some kind of a bad luck charm to whatever trip or event you want to go. When you happened to buy MJ last concert tour in London and booked the flight to go to London for the weekend, MJ just happened to die two weeks before the concert. So you ended up going to London anyway seeing just O2 stadium without even the shadow of MJ. (Not to mention that you missed stupid Ryan Air flight and the lovely weekend seemed not so lovely afterward -- more on Ryan Air cautions later)

When you happened to buy a ticket to Rock concert festival just because you want to see Oasis which was supposed to be the last band performing, Noel Gallagher decided to quit Oasis 2 days before the concert. And since it was a concert festival, the other bands were still playing, and so you wouldn't get the money back. So you went anyway to see small little bands you never heard any of their music and Deep Purple (who came to replace Oasis) trying to survive playing rock concert in their 60's. And you wondered how Deep Purple and Oasis are so much in similarity.

When you bought the plane tickets, booked the hotel, booked the car, planned all the agenda (or when someone else in the trip was kind enough to do all that for you) for the weekend in Palermo, Sicily, the ever diverse part of Italy, there happened to be pouring rain that caused flood & mudslide into the region. And you had to cancel at the last minute everything you planned (or someone else in the trip was kind enough to cancel everything for you). And you walked home with the luggage you stayed up thoughtfully prepared each wardrobe one by one the night before. And you ended up blogging about the entire story.

If there are more than 3 similar stories happening to you, you think you probably have something to do with it. Oh gosh... isn't that terrible? First, MJ died. Then Oasis split up. Then there was a flood in Sicily. Were they all because of you? Shld you keep all this to yourself or tell your friends coz if they knew, they wouldn't go to any trip with you anymore.

May I say, khunnais, regardless of how likely the situation is shaped to be, it's not because of you, dear. No matter how much you would like the world to circle around you, if you're not as "hot" as the sun, the world would not do so. And I know you're gonna argue on the level of hotness you possess. You can't win over the sun. So MJ died because he had a heart condition thing. Oasis split up because of Liam and Noel (and not you!). There was flood in Sicily because there was a lot of rain.

It might be fun to use this to test the real friendship with your friends -- to see which ones still wanna go with you even though you are a bad luck charm to the trip. Thou I doubt that anyone would not want to travel with such an over-dramatic, self-absorbed, yet ever more entertaining khunnai like you!

P.S. The intention for this article was meant to lighten up, so my apology if it offends anyone. Please note that it is not done on purpose at all. And I really hope the situation in Sicily gets better very soon.