French eyewear designer Alain Mikli has come a long way. It began in 1978, when the now legendary designer first broke the rules of the traditional eyewear business in France by launching a series of edgy eyewear that ignored most of the standards then, in the process becoming known as the pioneer of modern and avant-garde frames. Fast forward 30 years, and Alain Mikli is still making waves. Apart from his highly successful self-named eyewear empire that includes diffusion lines such as Mikli (aimed at the younger set) and Starck eyes (a collaboration with equally innovative product designer Philippe Starck), Milki has also dabbled in many art projects. These include the recent Touch and See exhibition, a collaboration with photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand which was held along the walkways of Orchard Road, and even a venture into fashion, when he launched the Alain Mikli Clothing Collection in 1999. I-S talks to Mikli about his highly sought-after eyewear, and other art and fashion ventures.

Alain Mikli frames are some of the bestselling in the world, with sales figures reaching close to 600,000 pairs per year. What makes it so successful?
Well, that’s a very difficult question for me to answer. (Laughs) All that I can say is that we always strive to increase the pleasures of our customers, which is why we still have a strong following after all these years. It boils down to the technicalities involved in making the frames and their details. It’s not just about having a good design, as that’s just one side to making a good frame. When you buy Alain Mikli eyewear you’re always assured of the quality of our craftsmanship.

What sets the brand apart from others, such as L. A. Eyeworks, which has also made headways in creating cutting-edge eyewear?
Competition is always good. These brands can always try to recreate the shape of the most stylish eyewear out there, mine included, but in terms of replicating the structure and details of some of our works, I don’t think they can get it right. While design technology has improved over the years, especially when it comes to sunglasses, most of the other brands don’t concentrate on product innovation, which we do. They’re more interested in marketing. That said, it’s not my place to judge the works of my competitors because “taste” is personal, and whether I like their works or otherwise is subjective.

What are some of the so-called innovations that you have invested in?
We’ve made headway into the Asian market over the past few years, not just in terms of moving into the market, but also in creating frames that suit Asian faces, which are obviously different from European ones. These frames are lighter, as they are made for the Asian face structure, so to speak, and the way the frames fall onto the nose is different, and how the face of the frame is more flexible and auto-adjustable. Of course, there are other technicalities to the frames that I can speak off, but they are too technical.

You’ve done many collaborative works over the years, such as with famed fashion and product designers Donna Karan, Issey Miyake, Philippe Starck and Jil Sander. Which are your favorites?
Collaborations are always fun because one gets to learn and to have an open mind. These outside projects are always a challenge because I have to create something outside my own collection. If they’re done properly, they can be very good. One of my all-time favorites is with Philippe Starck. The thing is, the way we work is very similar, even if we’re in different fields. We are very positive people, and it makes working together so much easier and pleasurable. For me, the good thing about collaborations is that it brings people together to develop different artistic projects and show how ideas can converge.

So are we looking at more collaborations in the future?
Yes, but not too much. I can’t be like Louis Vuitton and support many big exhibitions and collaborate with too many people. It’ll be too obvious, do you know what I mean? I have to feel really comfortable and truly believe in a project to do it.

But we’ll be seeing more of your own fashion projects?
Yes. The line has taken some time to take off because most people don’t usually associate me with fashion, and the collection is actually very expensive—even more expensive than, say, Prada. But next year in June, we will be launching the Uomo Autumn/Winter Collection in Paris. The apparels are very conceptual, like my eyewear. I travel a lot, so I’m exposed to a lot of things, and I like my collection to be very different from what’s out there. I see it as a timeless collection—simple and practical. Sometimes the hardest things to create are those that are simplest.

Okay, first off, how did you get into music?
I studied piano for about 10 years, then got into keyboard and hip hop production. After making beats and rapping for several years, I started Linkin Park with a couple of my friends, one of them being Brad Delson, our guitarist.

Some people simply referred to you as “the guy from Linkin Park.” Do you try to break away from this label? If so, how?
I can’t change that, so I won’t fight it. But I hope that through the music I put out, people realize that I can’t be defined by labels. Fort Minor is a wholly unique project, and is different from Linkin Park. All it takes is for a person to give the music a chance—listen to some songs—and he’ll understand.

Are you going to break away from Linkin Park?
I know it would be great press for me to say “yes” because of the scandal, but unfortunately the answer is no! In fact, I’m writing new music for the next album in the bus while I’m on tour with Fort Minor. The new Linkin Park album will be out this year.

Describe the music of Fort Minor.
I like to call the music “organic.” A lot of hip hop right now is based on rigid keyboard parts, so I wanted to base the album on hand-played instruments. Lyrically, I tried to tackle themes that were a little less common than most hip hop out there, as an alternative to the topics revolving around guns, money, girls, and drugs.

What can you do with Fort Minor that you can’t with Linkin Park?
Fort Minor is more of an individualized personal thing. A song like “Kenji” in Fort Minor’s first album The Rising Tied, which is about my family being interned during WWII in the US, would have been inappropriate on a Linkin Park album, because the rest of the
band can’t stand behind it—it didn’t happen to their families.

Why did you choose to work with different guest artists for Fort Minor’s first album?
I worked only with people I already knew on this album. I thought that since it’s such a personal album and the concept is so specific, working with people who don’t know me might mess it up. So, from Common and Black Thought and Jay-Z to Styles Of Beyond and Holly Brook, I chose to work with the friends that I thought the song called for.

What is most enjoyable about collaborating with different people?
Everyone’s studio approach is a little different. The variety is great. Plus it’s good experience for me as a producer.

What can we look forward to in your coming concert? Any special guests?
There are 11 people on stage. It’s me, Ryu, Tak, and Cheapshot from Styles Of Beyond, a drummer, three string players, and three backup vocalists. It’s a big group, because I thought that’s the only way to bring the music to life on stage.

Who are in your CD or mp3 player right now?
U2, Apathy, old LL Cool J, Pat Benatar, Thrice, Styles Of Beyond, and System of A Down, among others.

What do you think of the hip hop and rock music industry now?
I am a big fan of both, and I buy CDs all the time. It’s really one of the best ways to truly understand a group—owning the CD, with the artwork and everything. I think a lot of good music is out there, and it’s up to us to find it.

Any words of wisdom for individuals who hope to make it in the music scene?
Treat your fans with respect, and never underestimate them.

Complete this sentence: Fame is my greatest enemy because…
I value my personal privacy, and sometimes it endangers that.

Like the classic romantic, he lights up the darkened skies and creates dreams transcending heavens and the horizons. Yann Kersale, who comes from the beautiful land of France, colored his visions and ideas all over the world on buildings and structures. His display of dazzling lights and shimmers is more than what meets the eye, and remains a wondrous sight.

You have been named the artist of illumination. Have you made any reference to any person or event in your achievements to date?
I have made cinematographic references to some movies such as Jean Cocteau’s La Belle et La Bête, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, and also Dürer and Jackson Pollock in the painting field.

Saisons is a design of illuminating effects on the outside of Liat Towers, while R-Flexion-S is an indoor installation of reflective facets. What is the message you wish to tell viewers through these two creations?
I do not have any message for viewers. I’m more concerned with adopting a sensitive approach to a public space than to convey any particular message. For Saisons, my wish was to link the activity of the location to a luxury shop and its delicate label. Re-Flexion-S plays with the light coming through the windows to conceptualize a city’s chaos.

So if some people do not take to your designs favorably, how does the criticism affect you and your future works?
One cannot please all. When one exposes one’s works, one also exposes oneself to criticism. Negative criticism is never pleasant. It is most important for me to communicate something beautiful and sensitive.

There are different kinds of artists, each with a different focus. Is there any particular reason for choosing to work mostly on or about buildings?
Yes. When I was younger, it was impossible for me to be in galleries or other artistic locations. You have to be a collector, a buyer or someone who visits museums and galleries to see art. I work on buildings to show more people, rather than fewer. I prefer my works to be perceived by everyone, out in the open.

When you talk about art and your own designs, what is its significance to you?
Art is not really work to me. I am lucky to live my passion, and truly, everything I do is linked to it.

By carving a name so significantly recognized all over the world today, with countless exhibitions of your own works and designing prominent architectures, what is the next thing you hope to attain or accomplish?
Light expeditions. By this, I mean fundamental research work on capturing existing lights such as recording the last ray of light reaching ground in a humid tropical rainforest, or travel deep into the sea where marine fauna generates its own light.

Some people see artists as being more prone to multiple or split personalities. Beneath the façade of physical appearances, what are the hidden sides of you that others do not know?
I do not have any hidden sides; I believe that I am quite transparent and perfectly readable.

OK, last question. Which artist do you idolize or look up to?
I despise the cult of personality; it is probably one of the things which stops the world from going round.

Why vegetarianism? What’s the basic concept?
Different people have different reasons—health, religion and compassion for animals are some of them. Besides that, meat eating is very wasteful. You’ve got to feed a cow 10kg of food to get 1kg of beef. So there are ecological reasons too. All this food for the animals means less food for people who are dying of starvation.

How long have you been a vegetarian and how did you get into it?
Twenty-five years. I had read this book called Diet For A Small Planet about the inefficiency of eating a non-vegetarian diet. But now my number one reason is compassion for animals.

Why do vegetarians need a society? Do they feel marginalized or something?
Yes, you could say that I guess. One of the primary reasons, besides supporting vegetarians, is to educate others.

How did you end up as the president of the Vegetarian Society?
No one else wanted to be.

Is one of your duties conversions? (Like to convert all meat eaters into vegetarians?)
Absolutely!

Do you have something like a de-addiction center for people who want to quit eating meat and eggs?
No, but that would be a good idea. We do have a VCD that sometimes turns people completely off meat. To others, we say, try it gradually if you can’t go cold turkey.

Can you list out the five most important benefits of going green?
Help the animals.
Help the environment.
Help people without enough food.
Strengthen your altruism muscle.
Eating too much meat is bad for your health.

Are there any drawbacks?
I’m not personally too worried about the whole protein deficiency debate. You get supplements and fortified food that does just the same thing.

How do you rate Singapore as a place for vegetarians?
I think it’s a great place. There’s a lot of variety and people go out of their way to accommodate you.

What’s the best vegetarian eatery in town?
Personally, I like my own kitchen.

Do your friends look at you as the habitual pain in the neck when going out to eat?
It’s different with different people. As long as I don’t get in their face about eating animals, they don’t get in mine.

You can’t miss his blonde hair and statuesque figure. While David Mercer is best known in the fashion and hair industry as Director of TONI&GUY Hairdressing, the man is also a hardcore party animal and socialite, and has been seen gracing numerous parties about town, as well as appearing in many editorial and fashion spreads, including one for agnes b. last year.

What is your current state of mind?
Focused.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I have always aspired to be a rock star!

What is your biggest achievement?
Building TONI&GUY, a company with incredibly talented individuals.

What inspires you?
Positive people. To succeed in life, it is important to be positive in one’s thinking, attitude and approach towards life.

What personal trait do you appreciate the most in others?
Passion, direction and a belief in oneself—regardless of the obstacles in life.

Do you have a cause or do you support one?
The awareness of AIDS, education and understanding of the HIV infection. At our recent 10th Anniversary event, the TONI&GUY team raised a staggering $20,000, and all proceeds from the night were donated to Action for AIDS (AFA). The objective of the charity event was to raise much needed funds, and reach out to a wider community with higher levels of public exposure.

Which living person do you admire most and would like to invite for dinner?
Definitely my mother. She has been my source of inspiration, support and strength in life.

What are you reading?
Nick Knight, Showstudio.com.

How do you spend your Sunday mornings?
Double shot macchiato, the gym and relaxing with my family and my mad dog.

What is your idea of hell?
Negative people.

What is your guilty pleasure?
Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey ice cream—an entire tub with my daughter, India Scarlett.

How do you recharge?
A good workout session at the gym.

What’s playing in your iPod/MP3/CD player?
Black Rebel Motorcycle Gang, Starsailor and Babyshambles.

What do you collect?
Memories.

Where would you like to live?
In a postmodern house overlooking the ocean somewhere in Southeast Asia.

What is your favorite item of clothing?
A black T-Shirt.

What accessory sets you apart?
My Harley.

What about you scares others?
Black clothes, blonde and six foot two.

If you had to play a character in a movie, which movie and which character?
Johnny Depp in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

What did you believe at 18 that you wish you still believed now?
Father Christmas and the tooth fairy.

There are millions of jobs out there, but some are hotter than others. What qualifies as a hot job? A hot job is one that usually pays well, has few occupational hazards and is often in an industry where there is a shortage of qualified people. A hot job is also, hopefully, fun and/or offers a lot of variety and/or a fair amount of independence. We spoke to Bangkok-based experts and came up with a sampling of five careers you might not have considered: life coach, language consultant, animator/graphic designer, human resource specialist and party planner. Sick of your seat? Read on for the new nine-to-five.

Human Resource Specialist

It hardly sounds exciting—sitting in an office dealing with tons of documents—but if you look closer, being a HR professional can be something with a forward-looking, attractive, challenging, and managerial feel to it. Now more than ever, human resources is a key driving force for any successful company—how well you screen your staff can determine your fate.

“HR managers are often like administrators, not strategic planners as should be the case. Times change and cultures change; now people don’t stay at one job for life. People are always looking for better careers. So apart from selecting the best person for a job, or identifying a true talent amid a sea of competition, HR specialists must learn and perfect the different ways of retaining great contributors in the company, which requires expert knowledge in compensation and training,” Vichien Shnatpaporn, founder and chief of Job Top Gun, explains.

Finding the right person for the job is easier said than done. That’s why big companies are willing to pay huge amounts of money to headhunters to find the perfect person.

It hasn’t happened yet, but if trends continue as expected, there is a high possibility that human resources will be the most desired position in an organization. Taking a look at Toyota’s or Esso’s extremely complex hiring procedures, you’ll understand why it’s such an arduous and time-consuming process. These companies really take care of their employees with incentives, hefty compensation and other great benefits. Companies with lower turnover tend to have better chances to grow, as they don’t have to waste time and money finding new people and training them all the time.

The current crop of HR personnel don’t possess enough real knowledge to find the right people, train them and retain them. To remedy this, universities like Sasin have created Human Resources courses. If you start now, you can soon become the kind of really skilled human resource officer that everyone wants and needs. It might not be the coolest job, but you will be in high demand, and that is pretty cool.

Gary Woollacott

Age: 42
Job: Headhunter at Opus Executive Search
He says: Five years ago, I’d have said financial marketing, human resources and sale marketing were the hottest jobs. For now, I think it’s human resource. Partly it comes from the fact that there’s not a big talent pool here in Thailand. The companies, big or small, fight over the same people with international quality who have English language skills and the attitude to take it forward, rather than go and just do their job. That’s what we do—help people and our clients to meet each other.

Money: 5/5
Fun: 4/5
Challenge: 5/5
Meeting new people: 5/5
Stress: 3/5
Progress: 5/5

Animator/Graphic Designer

Working in the animation industry is work that blends creativity with technology. In the past, very few people who studied animation in school continued on this track for their careers. Back then, the job didn’t pay very well, and you had to mainly work on your own.

“Before I left Bangkok in 1975 to study in the US, we tried to set up a computer graphic group, but there were only like 10 members. When I came back here seven years later, I was so surprised to find loads of people at the meeting,” Kompin Kemgumnird, the director of the animation flick Kan Kluay, recalls.

This industry is growing at a rapid pace here. Animation is everywhere: TV, advertisements, movies, the internet. The Channel 7 series Sudsakorn was a major breakthrough, becoming the most popular cartoon for kids. (The main character “Ja” even had his own solo concert with hundreds of kids in the audience.)

Being a graphic designer in publishing isn’t nearly as lucrative, as there is so much competition. But there are plenty of jobs for animators and program engineers. TV commercials and movies that use CG will push that demand.

“Now it’s just one-tenth or one-hundredth of what we can really achieve. We are now past the primary level, maybe now we’re waiting for the industry to peak. It may be the next five or 10 years, but it will happen,” Kompin, who also teaches at Katana Animation School, predicts.

Up until recently, big companies would go abroad if they wanted a quality animated advertisement. But now, those companies are using local animators—and even companies from abroad have come to take advantage of the domestic talent. Thai production houses are beginning to aim their sights at international targets and at bigger projects. It’s not the most fun job in the world, but it offers you a rare opportunity to challenge yourself with new things, new projects and new characters every day.

Chalermpol Chanthasartratsamee

Age: 29
Job: CG Supervisor at Blue Fairy
He says: I get to do things differently all the time. I enjoy making impossible things appear possible on screen or TV. I have good and bad working days, but I’m proud of the profession, as there’re very few people in this business. It’s a specialized career.

Money: 4/5
Fun: 4/5
Challenge: 5/5
Chances to Meet New People: 3/5
Stress: 4/5
Progress: 4/5

Life Coach

Business coaches have been around for years, but today some are morphing into “life coaches,” kind of a cross between a psychologist and a business consultant. Life coaches are very popular in the US, especially in the form of online or telephone services. In Thailand, it’s pretty new.

A life coach can help clients improve both their personal and professional lives, from age 8 to 88 (and beyond). Clients might be kids who suffer from short attention spans (ADD or ADHD), housewives who feel useless and unwanted, executive managers who want to be chief executives, smokers who want to quit or even broken-hearted souls who want to overcome their sadness.

In most cases, the ideal situation is a life coach who can meet you on any and every occasion. But many experts in the field say that over-the-phone coaching can yield the same successful results. Coaches help a client to set a goal—and then help the person accomplish it. Between sessions, clients are given “homework,” tasks that don’t require all that much time or effort but are designed to reinforce positive behavior and beliefs. Usually there aren’t any fixed courses with time limits; it all depends on the clients’ needs—it can be weeks, months or even years.

A professional life coach can earn up to B5,000 per hour. At present there aren’t any official certification or standards for life coaching, nor are there educational institutions here that offer courses, let alone degrees. It’s not even necessary to have a degree in psychology or any other discipline.

Some wannabes in Thailand attend workshops held by professionals or sign up to be their apprentices. The most important thing about being a coach is that you have to know how to ask questions—questions that can lead a client to what he wants. Now life coaches in Thailand work independently, but the life coach circle is still very small. Most of them are foreigners who target expats. So there’s plenty of room for Thai coaches.

Nisa Wichitsiri

Age: 45
Job: Life Coach
She says: This business is going to work for Thai people, because Thais are quite reserved and they don’t have to tell us anything personal or in detail. They just tell us about their goals, and we help them achieve them. And that makes things easier for me, too, as I don’t have to listen to their failures or unhappy lives. Now there are more foreign coaches, but I think the need of this service among Thais will grow—that’s why I jumped on this opportunity. Most of my clients are Thai, but I coach a few foreigners, too. I think that my job is very challenging as I never get the same tasks—all customers are different and so are their problems.

Money: 4/5
Fun: 4/5
Challenge: 5/5
Meeting new people: 5/5
Stress: 2/5
Progress: 3/5

Language Consultant

If a life coach is a mutation of a psychologist and personal development consultant, here’s another hybrid that combines a language (in this case, English) teacher and personal development consultant. Managing director of Keen English Consulting, Sranya Phaisawang has an MBA in Management Strategy, but her real job is to teach Thais how to better communicate with foreigners—through linguistics training but also cultural education.

Sranya breaks it down for her clients from a westerners’ cultural perspective. Encouraging different thought and communication processes, she helps clients gain confidence and raise standards to “level the playing field”—so the foreigners won’t necessarily have the upper hand. There’s personal and professional development for students, who include people preparing for graduate or post-graduate studies abroad or simply for people who simply have a strong passion for the English language.

For professionals, a language consultant helps develop leadership and networking skills, increase empowerment, promotes better and freer communication, effectiveness and efficiency across the board.

There are very few English consultants here, which means that qualified people like Sranya have an unlimited opportunity to work if they want it.

This job also offers you many chances to meet people in business circles, so you can widen your world or maybe even establish a new business. And money-wise, it’s great. You can get paid up to B7,000 an hour. To teach these complex skills, you have to understand both Thai and western cultures thoroughly—that marks the difference from other English teachers and institutions in the Thai educational industry. You also have to excel in both Thai and English languages, as one of the many “Thai” problems is that they are afraid to talk to non-Thai speakers, and many Thai teachers don’t understand western cultures. If your clients are going to include corporate types, you’ll also need extensive business knowledge.

Sranya Phaisawang

Age: 27
Job: Managing Director of Keen English Consulting Company
She says: We started Keen English as a cross-cultural and language consulting company. I can represent foreigners because I was born and raised in America. We don’t teach ABC English; we don’t really focus on the grammar or that boring stuff, because we believe in Thai people. They’ve studied English since they were born, and Thailand is top-three in grammar, behind Big Red and Taiwan. We teach people how to do business better, how to live better and how to think better using the English language.

Money: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Challenge: 5/5
Meeting new people: 5/5
Stress: 3/5
Progress: 5/5

Party Planner

In today’s busy world, there is an ever-increasing need for services to simplify people’s lives. One growing industry is party planning, which includes birthday parties, class reunions, family reunions, weddings, holiday parties, company parties or product launches. Different from an event organizer, a party planner’s work relates to a more social and entertaining world. A party planner’s main skill is organization. It’s about dealing with all the people—customers, technicians and specialists like florists and catering staff.

Party planning as an occupation is nothing new here, but is still popular and still can earn you a decent living—Thai people never stop celebrating. Every day there are restaurant grand openings, product launches, bar anniversaries, weddings, birthdays and on and on.

If you are a social animal, this is the job for you. You’ve got so many great chances to meet people. New things come into your life all the time, and there’s a lot of variety. Some projects are big, some small; some take days, others can take months.

Alisara Sirichoomsang

Age: 44
Job: Party Planner of Fanfare Company
She says: There are so many event organizers, so many that I feel alarmed. Everybody now thinks that organizing events is an easy, fun and awesomely great paying job, and it is. It’s the trend now, like when everybody wanted to be DJs and singers before. But our strong point is we’re niche and small, and we can be a one-stop service for small events.

Money: 5/5
Fun: 4/5
Challenge: 4/5
Meeting new people: 4/5
Stress: 3/5
Progress: 5/5

It’s the dream of many hotel chefs to run their own standalone restaurant, but very few actually have the ability and then the opportunity to make that move. For Marco Cammarata, it took 20 years of working for other people before he was finally able to see his name on a restaurant’s front door.

“This is the moment of truth!” exclaims the native of Torino, who at 35 still retains his boyish looks and seemingly boundless energy. For the last six years “Marco” was the face of Rossini’s, which became one of Bangkok’s best Italian restaurants under his watch. As word spread of his talents, he built up a large following and received offers to work elsewhere.

But he was waiting for the right opportunity. “I could have gone to another country, but it didn’t make sense. I stayed at Rossini for six years because I want to be here in Thailand. And I wanted to have my own place, but it had to be the right place.”

One of the factors that convinced him was the location, on the ground floor of the mammoth Siam Paragon complex. Being in the biggest shopping mall in Southeast Asia gives Chef Marco the chance to reach a much wider audience. “It suits my vision. I don’t just wanna cook. I’ve always had big dreams. For me this is about promoting Italian culture, trying to be at the top for Italian cuisine—in town, in the country, in Asia, in the world.”

Modern and minimalist with glass walls on three sides, a long open kitchen and a second-floor wine bar that overlooks the dining room, the atmosphere at Bel Guardo suits Chef Marco’s cuisine, which is undoubtedly Italian but modern Italian, especially when it comes to presentation.

“There is more than just spaghetti, you know. There are so many different ways of cooking. There are different varieties of cheese, and we want to promote them. We want to promote a greater variety of regional dishes. We want to promote a different way of presenting this food.”

The menu is modest in size but features gems such as a refreshing salad of watermelon, pink grapefruit, fennel and basil (B230), “simple” soups and pastas tarted up with luxury ingredients like green pea soup with seared foie gras and prawns (B600) or black truffle gnocchi with Castelmagno cream (B350) and superb seafood mains like grilled ocean trout with green asparagus and marsala-tomato fumet (B750).

After our luxurious lunch and an espresso, we chat with Chef Marco.

What does “Bel Guardo” mean?
It means good “look”—so a good view, a nice panorama. The walls are all windows, so you can see out and you can see in. The kitchen is open, so you can see the show of the cook and the cook can see the guests. And upstairs in the wine lounge you can really see things. It’s like you’re on top of a hill.

How does it feel to have your name on the window out front?
That is something I definitely wanted. Over the last 10 years I have met many people here. By putting my name there I want people to understand that this is my promise. It is like a “warranty.”

Compared to Rossini’s, this modern décor, music, location—is this closer to your true personality? Does it suit your food better?
The atmosphere over there was fantastic, but it was just different. Here the food looks so beautiful in this type of light. Over there maybe it was a little dark.

Does this environment inspire you to make your food differently?
Yeah, exactly. I think a bit more about what I put on the plate and the way I put it on the plate. It doesn’t have anything to do with the content of the food, but the design is a little bit different. Lately I’ve been liking more clean, more light, more minimalist.

Now we get to see you in action. How do you like working in an open kitchen?
I like it very much. In a kitchen like this it has to be very clean, very organized. It’s more of a challenge, but I like it much better.

You can tell us: Where do you go in the mall for a quick bite when you’re hungry?
Here!

Dining Details

Take a break from your shopping and enjoy the view at Bel Guardo. Open daily 10:30am-11pm, G/F Siam Paragon, 02-610-9380/-1. AMEX, DC, JCB, V

She’s all that and a bag of chips—a producer, a composer, a singer, a writer, a painter and a traveler. No matter where you look, Jeab Wattana has her hand in everything, and she never ceases to amaze us with her broad range of talents. Like a magician with a great vanishing act, Jeab has come and gone, appeared, disappeared and reappeared, delivered and launched an impressive series of songs, books, babies and albums. Her latest effort is a new album, Ticket to the Moon, which confirms her tough spirit and “survival of the fittest mentality.”

I began by composing music, then worked as a co-producer all the way up to producer, where I had to take charge of the entire album process. I did a lot of checking up on artists to see how they should look, sing, and perform.

I’ve met so many people in the music industry, especially in the early indie wave. At the time a lot of people who were working behind the scenes came out of the woodwork and started doing their own thing, recording their own albums and writing their own songs.

I love producing the most, especially for talented up-and-coming artists. I was a producer for Ya Ya Ying’s first album, and I was very happy with the way that turned out. Now, I want to produce for other people but it all depends on time, place—and budget also.

I’ve got to wear a couple different hats. As a producer, I can do what I want. I can sing, be creative and compose songs that will help communicate my thoughts and ideas.

People know me as Wattana and my music style is very distinctive. I like other music styles too, but I think it would be weird for me to sing younger kids’ songs—which I happen to enjoy. It's better that I save that for when I'm producing for other people.

Big or small, it doesn’t matter. The same still applies for both. With my own company, I deal with things like budgeting, mass media promotion strategies or managing artists in the same way as I did at Grammy.

Even today’s indie labels are doing really well, so it’s great to see that size doesn’t matter just as long as you’ve got the mind and spirit to make the best music that’s as true to your heart as possible.

I’m in good company. There are other people who have been doing exactly what I’ve been doing for the past 10 years like Modern Dog, Joey Boy or Nop Pornchamni.

I don’t always have to launch an album every year, so it gives me time to compose and get back to my roots as a songwriter.

Everything’s changing in our society today. People’s preferences are different than they were before; tastes in music are really changing. There’s always something new.

Fads come and go, but there are a bunch of artists who will last through this change. For example, Big Ass and Body Slam—‘cause they’re doing it all by themselves, they’ve got talent and one day they’ll probably produce in the industry, as well.

Motherhood has forever changed my life because I’m not the center of attention anymore. I’ve got other people that I have to love and take care of.

We try to teach our children to be good people and to respect all the beautiful things in life.

I’ll be around for a very long time. I love this industry, and I’ll always want to be a part of it. I can still produce and sing even as I get older, so I’m trying to do it like a pro.

If Madonna can do it, so can I.

We have only one world, so let’s live together in harmony. Religious strife and discrimination should be things we only talk about in the past tense. We’ve got to remind ourselves that we have to work together to make this a better place. That’s why I chose the song, “World,” as my first single—to inspire and bring people together.

Yarinda Bunnag serenaded us with her emotive voice years ago when she was with GMM Grammy. After gaining some fame, she left to get a degree in architecture. However, her passion for music never waned so she returned to the music industry, but this time joining much smaller label Smallroom. Though we miss her shocking-pink hair, we love her new look as a ser indie girl. Now donning two hats as a daytime architect and an afterhours music artist, she insists that both are important to her and wants to continue doing both things at the same time. See Yarinda perform at the Emporium Music Festival this month.

How is the Yarinda of yesterday different from today?
Obviously the hair—and I’ve also grown up. I have more chances to perform live now while in the past it was just writing and singing and other people would handle the arrangements. It’s more fun working now and the sound is much fresher as we play live when we record and keep playing till we are pleased. When I was in a big record company, everything was comfy, but it’s a bit different and more tiring now that I have to be in charge of everything myself.

How have people reacted to the new stuff so far?
It’s great; it’s beyond my expectations.

Working two professions at the same time, how do you manage your life?
Weekdays, I am a full-time architect and then I do music after working hours and on weekends. It’s fun, it’s like a retreat.

But how do you dedicate a hundred percent of your energy to both jobs and do everything well?
I don’t know, but I can, and the outcome for both jobs are great. I talked to my friend in the music industry who does only music and he said that he can’t meet his goals and deadlines as there isn’t any pressure. This pressure that I have, for timing, for instance, pushes me to meet my objectives rapidly.

Any exciting concerts taking place soon?
Not really, but the Emporium Music Festival is supposed to be fun, as I will perform with my friends from Smallroom and I can also watch other people perform as there’re so many bands and artists that I like. I’ve actually known about this festival since last year so I’ve had some time to warm up. I’ll perform many songs off my album but I can’t be specific as to what. You’ll just have to see at the show.

What’s your next project?
I am working on the next album. I plan to have about 10 songs and only five songs have passed the arrangement stage. It might be launched towards the end of this year, I think.

What’s up with your name “No Milk”? Did you have a bad milk experience when you were a child?
(Laugh.) Sure! I drank a lot of milk to be tall, but I got a stomachache and in fact it did not work on me. The real reason is milk is symbolic of the white color. But my music reflects more of a “black” soul, funk, jazz and techno music with a Japanese twist. Also, it doesn’t sound like any name, does it? Nobody can see my nationality from No Milk. You’ve got to listen to the music first!

Who is your musical inspiration?
With all due respect, there isn't one. It’s more about things I’ve seen and experienced. Sometimes I’m inspired from random everyday life or just a cool party. Everything has an inspirational impact on me be it small or big and I love to create something from it.

What’s your favorite album or song?
Alicia Keys' MTV Unplugged album never lets me down; her voice and the harmony of the backing chorus are beautiful. And the groovy style of the band is cool, too.

Which event have you enjoyed the most so far? What’s the crowd like?
It is hard to choose just one. But when I see a happy crowd, I feel I want to give them more! I believe in the synergy that DJs and the crowd possess. We can come together to turn it into a great event.

What’s in your CD player?
I listen to slow beats and easy listening songs at home. I need a balanced harmony of my private life and work.

What’s your Bangkok show going to be like?
I’m very excited about Bangkok’s reaction to my music. I expect to rock the house at maximum levels early on in the evening ‘cause clubbing here is a little too short. I’ve got to be like an Olympic sprinter! I guess there’s no warm-up this time.

Where are you heading for the after-party?
I’m going to get a Thai traditional massage. Definitely! It’s the best way to chill-out, isn’t it?

What helps make a perfect set?
A good mixer, sexy and cute dancers—of course! (Laugh.)

What are some of your favorite DJ perks, aside from the free booze and chicks?
All of the great opportunities like coming here to Bangkok for Chivas’ party. Moreover, I just love pleasing my crowd. Their happiness makes it all worthwhile!

A word to your Thai fans and those that don’t know you yet.
Let’s have a good time and party together. The most important thing is to be borderless. Good times and widening your horizons will make up easily for the differences.

Five words to describe your work?
Perseverance, funky, twist, free and continuation.