Recording the Tonalita Album

G'day everyone!

Goodness me, i feel like i've been reborn. I'd love to say I'm starting a new chapter but really, the saga continues. Having stepped out of the studio 2 days ago, I'm still feeling mentally, physically and psychologically exhausted. 

The last 2 weeks was spent between my home studio, REC Studios (the old 301, now owned by Savage Garden), in my car and my bed. All i remember doing was looking at computer screens to finalise scores for  my 9 piece orchestra, practising piano, scoffing down the odd piece of gluten-free bread or hot chips ... or if I was lucky enough, whisked away by a friend here and there for a meal forced upon me (gladly so though, otherwise i would not eat because I was so immersed in the process of finalising tracks and for many days the diet would consist of only tea, coffee, lollies and the odd muesli bar). Quick massages also made a sporadic appearance to de-stress and take away a throbbing migraine with thanks to my barista/dear friends (who knew some of these friends had such hidden talents haha).

4 days in at REC studios, 10 tracks + one bonus track, 16 people involved. 

Thank you to Victor Caringal Photography for capturing these behind-the-scenes moments (these ones are from Day 2 with more to come):

I cannot wait to get back into the cutting room to mix and master. The CD launch concert is locked in for Sunday December 2 2012 @ The Utzon Room, Sydney Opera House so please do keep that day free.

You're all in for a show and i cannot WAIT to get more details out to you all.

with much excitement, love, blood, sweat and tears,

VANANH :)

And for what's now:
Fav food: longans.

Reading: no novel at the moment but eventually, i'm sure i'll have to read 50 Shades Of Grey.

Wishlist: anything Patricia Changy right now! her robot collection is SOOOO fricken cute!

Current city: Sydney

 

Listening to: old school RnB.

Fav clothing item: All Saints dress.

Next destination: Beijing

 

Missing: my girlfriends.

Recycled Fashion

Good morning!

Are You OK? Yes, it's National ARE U OK DAY! And to be honest, yesterday, i wasn't. Nothing seemed to be going right. In essence, the ARE U OK day is on a much more serious note and please get out there and ask someone you know, or even a stranger, ARE U OK? because, it's really ok not to be. 

I had a real downer of a day. I can't say it was writer's block but the sound i wanted for a particular song i was cleaning up wasn't quite right. I was struggling as my parents had just left for a one month holiday in Asia, my sister just left for a 9 month contract to teach English in the South of France via Rome (envy much?!) and I was suffering from the travel bug (not long now til Beijing and Tokyo but still!). Not just that alone, it was 28 degrees outside and I was in my studio crunching away at finding the right sounds. So, i decided a change of clothes would change my mood. And not by going shopping (which is the usual quick fix, i mean, they DO call it retail therapy right?). I've banned myself from shopping until after the CD launch concert is over. Insert RECYCLED FASHION.

Clothing is totally a reflection of you. How you feel. It can totally be a pick-me-up as well! Threw on a complete outfit change with not a spot of black and it totally changed my mindset and I was ready to go again (not to mention a snip by my amazing hairstylist Sandy Farac!).

Today, I woke up refreshed and decided on the same thing. It's Spring. Bright colours. The key rule: rummage through the wardrobe and pick something you haven't worn for ages and mix and match. There's no real reason to be 'on trend'. Just wear what makes you happy and what reflects YOU. On a side note, i found many pieces that I had totally forgotten about (and realising i don't fit other pieces because i'd put on weight = WINNING!) :) It's like shopping all over again, just in your own wardrobe :D

So, my outfit today consisted of:

Zara silk shirt, Maurie & Eve Blazer, Vintage knot necklace

The entire outfit with Maurie & Eve boyfriends blazer, Voila Watch, Zara silk shirt, vintage knot knecklace, Leonardo Salinas tailored pencil pants, Peep Toe Shoes heels, Gucci sunglasses, BLVD Collective silver handbag.

The amazing Voila 'V' Watch 

Today's look. 

Barbie-doll corporate chic.

And none of it was bought recently!

And for what's right now:

Fav food: pineapples and strawberries.

Reading: The 4 Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss (for the 2nd time)

Wishlist: oh there is SOO much! the Karla Spectic jumpsuit first and foremost, followed by Zimmermann Clique Twist Playsuit and a Unicorn onesie from animalsuit.com.au :D 

Current city: Sydney

Listening to: Hot Chip - How Do You Do (Todd Terje remix) (thanks to DJ Matt Cahill for the link! UNREAL!)

Fav clothing item: Jonak Ballet flats whilst writing music. mmmm soft leather.

Next destination: Beijing

Missing: shopping.

Happy ARE YOU OK DAY everyone :)
Love and grace,
Van-Anh

xxx

August in Adelaide

This post is much overdue but better late than never.

For some, Adelaide is a sleepy town.. the city of churches they say. It is also named the Festival State. Churches they do have a-many. I did not have a chance to check out any of the festivals/gigs however was down for a whirlwind trip to be part of a fashion show as well as visit Penfolds and wander good old Rundle St.

The Lyric Theatre show, Sydney (in the same dressing room that Stevie Wonder & Elton John was in!!!)

the night before we head to Adelaide ... late night snacking :)

right down the middle of Rundle Mall

street art off Rundle :)

don't mind if i do :)

sunset from Penfolds winery

being silly with the lovely Miss Shirley backstage :)

running into Kamahl at Sydney Airport on our way to Adelaide

It was a tiring but fabulous weekend.
And for RIGHT NOW:
Fav food: thai papaya salad and hazelnut gelato from Green Peppercorn (salivating as i write this)

Reading: Korg Triton Le Workstation Manual (so many buttons to press!!)

Wishlist: Aurelia Costarella gowns and anything form the Nicholas collection.

Current city: Sydney

Listening to: Frank Ocean ~ Thinking About You (can't get enough of this song)

Fav clothing item: Alexander Wang pants... sooo comfy!

Next destination: Melbourne

Missing: long chats with old friends.

Adios my friends xx til next time,

love and grace,

VANANH :-)

Shu.... Sizzling Chic Szechuan meets imaginative Industrial.

Start with some quirky multi-colored light installations, add Kartell Ghost chairs, throw in the key ingredients to Szechuan cuisine, insert deep dark sound waves, set into an old-converted pizzeria then have a fashionista-turned-chef erect all of that up and what do you get? Shu. 

industrial meets playful colorful = warm atmosphere to wine and dine in!

Upon approaching Shu, my eyes gaze upon a jigsaw tower of perspex chairs in the window display,  colored lights shining through. Typical Melbourne style, the entrance is not through the front but we are diverted down the side of a dark alley. Pushing against a door that i am unsure of that is a kitchen back door or store room, we indeed step into the restaurant that is Shu. Inside, contemporary heaven. My eyes diverted from left to right, up and down, back corner, kitchen, front window. The mix of contemporary furniture through to light installations with unique decor pieces such as old vices, vespas and vintage Gucci tables set in a very industrial 'stripped-bare' room creates an eclectic feel to this fusion Szechuan restaurant.

Beyond the amazing out-fittings of this restaurant (with particular note to the coat-hanger light feature and the spoons light feature of which Shu made himself - true art!), the food is divine. 

The back room which serves as an art gallery for up and coming artists needing a space to exhibit as well as Shu's own wall creations, made out of coat hangers (yes! now i know what to do with those annoying metal hangers that come from the drycleaners!!) :)

Shu offers a set menu of $45 pp where he will choose for you two starts, two appetizers/entrees and 2 mains. With my posse of diners, we decided to go with the daikon rolls, the egg dumplings for starters (beautiful presented particularly the daikon rolls - i felt like i was eating a mini pot-plant).

Egg dumplings and Daikon Rolls.

We then moved to our entrees of the broad beans in szechuan chillis and duck breast. Beautifully presented, the simplicity of the broad beans dish was still full of punch and flavour. The duck is marinated in a beautiful sticky sauce garnished with ginger.

scrumptious broad beans..cooked to perfection.

duck breast dish

Of course as we're eating, we've got a projector screened onto the white-washed walls of images and docos/movies which Shu has finely selected to accompany with the deep-dark music in the background, complimenting the atmosphere of the industrial room.

Our mains included the pork belly, the eye fillet and organic chicken (Shu's take on Kung Pao Chicken). All three dishes in my eyes are flavoursome but our posse all agreed on the fact that the organic chicken was by far the best dish of the night. 

To finish off, we tried Shu's dessert of poached pears in white wine and red wine sauce garnished with flowers... This will be available on Shu's new menu which he is going to change in the next month.

dessert - perfectly in half! white wine and red wine (the white wine is more potent ;) )

A left-field choice of wines are ready for selection to accompany the meal (ranging from wines of Spain, Australia, NZ, France, and Italy). We chose the Barossa Valley's Mother's Milk Shiraz for our night (purely on the basis of the crazy name and then the comical bottle label) - a fine red may i say though.

Dishes average between $25-$35 and mains are made to share.

Shu is open every day except Tuesdays. Address: 147 Johnston St, Collingwood.

the most fabulous outfittings - chic- modern meets industrial

Absolutely LOVE Shu's creativity - simply done by having a paper mache balloon and sticking all the plastic spoons together, then popping the balloon! GENIUS!

I loved eating at Shu. The simplicity of the food set in a contemporary industrial artistic setting with emphasis on lighting, finer details and unique decor makes the eating experience not only memorable but leaves you craving to come back again. It's like eating in a moving art gallery. Now, if only you opened one like this in Sydney Shu :)

with the lovely Shu himself :) Love your work Shu!!!

Green Peppercorn Pre-Launch

For those who know me, I have a HUGE spot and lots of time for good food. Even more time for food than fashion at times (most notably and recently the occasion where I was meant to make my way to a particular store on Carnaby St in London but got distracted by a sign which said “$5.95 burger and chips …. Yes, I never made it to the dress store).

The burger and chips in Kingly Court, off Carnaby St, London (totally worth the skip of the dress store eh? ;D)

Coming back to Sydney, I’ve arrived back in time for the opening of Green Peppercorn (1 Hamilton Rd, Fairfield, NSW). Manager Tona Inthavong comes from a family who own one of my favourite Thai/Laos joints, Holy Basil (122A Canley Vale Rd, Canley Heights and 127 Liverpool St, Sydney).  With a string of awards and reviews under their belt (Forkley Awards, spoonies, urbanspoon etc etc), Green Peppercorn hits at a younger, fresh and vibrant atmosphere.

Similar menus but with the added Sugacane Dessert Bar serving such delights such as Pandan Crème Brulee, Panna Cotta, Macarons and an assortment of ice creams in fabulous ice-cream bowls (hazelnut gelato and chocolate brownies to name a favourite), the presentation is gorgeous.

With a black and white theme interior, a tuk-tuk parked by the bar, lovely traditional golden statues and hangings on the walls and french provincial seating for the dessert/drinks area, Green Peppercorn brings trend to Fairfield.

What makes me appreciate this restaurant so much more is that in the making and process of all three restaurants, it was all a family affair. The entire Inthavong family - from Mum to Dad, brothers through to sisters and of course friends all put a helping hand in (you'll know when you try to chicken wings or marinated beef that comes with "Mum's sauce".... DELISH!).


My favourite dishes are still the Laos sausages, tom yum soup at super hot spicy level (served more milky than Holy Basil’s but more so the style you’d find in Thailand), the papaya salad and hazelnut gelato.

lychee daquiri ... simply YUM!

spicy tom yum soup (the king prawns and mussels are divine but the extra coconut milk to make this dish more milky makes it even BETTER!)

prawn stir-fry in oyster sauce (delish!!!!)

hazelnut gelato with whipped cream, nut crumble and brownies + vino rosso = winning!

A lovely selection of wines are on offer as well. 
With nicely spaced out tables and chairs, a large area which can seat up to 250 guests and a function room too, Green Peppercorn will be the place to hang in the West (especially when it's open til 2am on Saturdays).

I congratulate the Inthavong family on what is another wonderful restaurant and look forward to the 700+ guests to arrive at the launch! My deepest and heartiest warm wishes to them ALL for the launch tomorrow, Friday 20th July 2012.

I am a huge fan! That is all :-)

With love and grace,

Van-Anh

The beauties of Venezia

Venice. Ah Venice. I reckon I've pinched myself more in 2 weeks than my entire life put together. Europe is so special in its European ways. The natural beauties of the Austrian alps. The 800 years + of buildings and magnificent architecture of Venice. To think that these buildings were built on many many hundreds of islands then to have the water rise to create what is Venice today!
We took the overnight train from Salzburg to Venice, arriving nice and early to head to the Novotel.
Two days were spent walking and getting lost in the heart of Venice with dinners (as advised to eat out in Mestre for much more quality and authentic food) in restaurants in Mestre (with the help of Trip Advisor).
Of course being gluten intolerant, I was a bit weary of what I'd be able to eat but with the endless amounts of granite, gelato, olives, Italian cold cuts, risotto, cheeses, wines and then glutenfree pasta, I was fulfilled. What was most amazing was the seafood on offer in Venice.
The highlight was definitely Conte Sconta in Mestre on our final night. Not having any glutenfree pastas or pizzas, I opted for the grilled cuttlefish as well as Salad No.9 (rockets, Parmesan slabs, olives, mushrooms, cucumbers). When the cuttlefish came out, I almost had a food coma on the spot!

You could taste the freshness of the seafood, killer prawns and scallops complete with a flame!

The beauty of Venice itself is indescribable. Even without the water, it would be beautiful but the water just makes it that much more unique. Getting off the bus into Piazalle Roma from Mestre, I was greeted with souvenir shops/huts (of course) but walking past that, there was the water, the small canals, the gondoliers, water taxis and bridges from one side to the next, mottled colored buildings adorned with balconies and flowers on the window sills.
We decided to just walk and get lost (as lame as it sounds) but it was way better than a map.
We eventually jumped on a gondolier (how can you not!), also caught a public gondola, a normal public boat and soaked up what Venice had to offer.
San Marco Square is phenomenal. The Rialto Bridge was awesome to sail under. I felt like I was in the movie The Tourist!

A most enjoyable 2 days in Venice filled with vibrant colors, food, wine and just soaking up the culture.

I'm still loving Verona the most on this trip and that is the very reason I'm back on a train to get to Verona :-)

With love and grace from an excited 24 year old,
Van-Anh

From Verona to Vienna...

I love Verona. I love Vienna. I might love Verona a bit more right now, but no favoritism :-) the first day in Vienna has been perfect so far ... From eating at a traditional Viennese restaurant, listening to an argument between 2 germans who couldnt agree to agree to watching the eurocup in a biergarten drinking spritz with my old friend Chris (who I went to Macquarie University studying German with) and his friends of whom are from all parts of Europe, working and studying in Vienna.

I've just finished my rehearsal for tonight's concert here in Vienna and can't wait to play. The acoustics in these old 19th century halls are phenomenal. It gives me a good vibe to play in.
Backtracking to Verona, what can I say except it was like a dream.
From the very start, staying at Le Suite di Giulietta and having the most magnificent view of Juliet's balcony....
Then of course, the sheer beauty of the streets of Verona .. Every corner, every nook and cranny, i walked for hours around the centre, along the river... the astronomical Arena di Verona is truly magnificent. Then to think that I'm playing in the Palazza de la gran Guardia tops it off. Directly in front of the Arena, I had to keep pinching myself that it was reality that I, for one, was in Italy and secondly, performing!

the incredible Suite di Giulietta, Verona.

the view from my window - straight down onto Juliet's Balcony, Verona | Italy!

sight-seeing in Verona - the castle :-)

My favourite experience is still the first night, my organizers took me to a street where the local Verona people ate... The waiter sang to us to entice us in, sat us down, had prosecco, divine food with amazing olive oils and balsamic.. Whilst an accordionist, 2 guitarists and a violinist played gypsy music across the street for what seemed like a ceramic store opening. People spilling onto the streets laughing and drinking, dancing and parting for scooters to zoom past then continue dancing.. I truly felt I was in the heart of it all. I ran across the road to have a photo taken with the musicians (yes, what a tourist) and before I knew it, they were surrounding me playing into my ears. We jammed ... Me on the keys of the accordion and laughed to our hearts content.
What surprised me even more was that they came to my concert the next day! We hung out, ate and drank more divine food and wine, grappa and gelato, they even managed to find me gluten free fettuccine :-) the people, the culture, the architecture, the way people are dressed and hold themselves ... There's never been a European country that I've taken to so strongly.
I could have stayed in Verona for another week but alas, work must be done and the next stop is here ... VIENNA.
I feel incredibly lucky to have had all these experiences with such wonderful people in every city coming to catch up and meet me. It makes all of this solo traveling that much more delightful.

I must not forget that I did stop in Saigon and Frankfurt before all of this. Saigon was as wild as usual. Playing at the Ly Club for an invite only crowd was so special because I recognized all the faces in the crowd (98%), I could feel and hear people breathing and their reactions to my playing. It was warm, intimate and I know for many of my friends in Saigon, it was the first chance they got to see me do what I do.

performance at Ly Club, Saigon - June 10th 2012.

I also did 2 shoots with Elle Magazine which will be featured in the August issue :-) Of course, our partying ways never fail to create mischief and memories. Let's just say we passed out like a light on the flight to Frankfurt and even the 2 days in Frankfurt were a bit of a blur .... It was cold, it was bleak, it was not a nice welcome to the European summer. With nice company, We still made the most of it and walked forever and forever around all the streets of Frankfurt ... Can't say I like Frankfurt that much and the flight to Verona was something I really looked forward to.

I'm sitting at Wien Meidling station right now to wait for my friend Steve to arrive from Prague then we'll go to hang at the pool near a vineyard to chill out before my show tonight.
For now, tchüs!
Love and grace,
Van-Anh xx