How did Jay the Rabbit start?
I started writing captions and text bubbles on photographs of rabbits I’d get off the internet. But I couldn’t always find rabbits that really matched the mood I was trying to create so I tried to draw my own. First I used apps, but I didn’t like that so I switched to pen and paper—and it worked! Jay the Rabbit’s look was inspired by Fifi Lapin, a fashion blogger. It quickly became popular, then my friends encouraged me to start a page and here I am.
Do people at your office know about your identity?
Some of my friends know, but when the page launched, nobody wanted to know who was drawing Jay. People wanted to imagine the rabbit on its own—or make it their own. They connected with it. Seriously, only four people have ever asked who draws the comic.
Why do people connect with Jay the Rabbit so strongly?
Because every page these days is corporate, informative, but people work in an office, in a box, and they don’t have a window. This page is their window to look out of. People want something funny, something to express themselves in a positive way. Out of all the comments Jay gets, there is no bad words, no politics. The page didn’t grow gradually. It was an instant hit. It was a case of right place, right time.
What kind of comments do people leave?
They connect to Jay’s experiences. They get to talk about themselves. For example, there’s the “nan-ok” comic [based on the hit song with a dance routine where women push out their breasts] where the rabbit complains it has nothing to nan-ok so it has to put things in this old grandma bra. In the comments, the girls were shouting, “Oh you know my technique!” And the guys were saying, “Oh I get it now; that’s why my football socks disappeared!”
So guys comment, too? It looks like the themes are very feminine.
Look, every office is the same. The women will talk, gossip, find something to eat. And the men, they want to know what they’re talking about but they can’t be seen hanging out with them. They want to know the gossip, they want to know what was in the lakorn last night. So men come to Jay the Rabbit to know what women think. Actually, 40% of my readers are guys and it’s going up. It’ll be 50/50 soon.
You have over 145,000 fans. Do any of them stand out?
One woman, she is about 45 years old, she sells fresh meat in the market. She doesn’t have a lot of friends. She works very hard. She uses a mobile phone to read the comic and she comments every day. Once I did a charity post card for dogs and she bought some, decorated her shop with cards and she sent in a picture. Another one of my fans, her mother cannot move on one side, she’s half-paralyzed. She can hardly smile. But my friend shows her Jay on an iPad and she starts to smile. Sometimes, I’m so touched by messages from Jay’s fans, I want to cry.
Visit Jay the Rabbit at www.facebook.com/jaytherabbitofficial
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I get hooked on a certain food, a certain idea, a certain song. And I can eat it, think about it and listen to it, repeatedly, incessantly, until I suddenly get sick of it.
You know those brilliant Japanese or Taiwanese variety shows like Tonneruzu (Human Tetris is one part of the show) or the older episodes of Guess Guess Guess? I’m one of those who’d be in my airplane seat, watching them on my iPad, and trying very hard not to laugh out loud. but ending up looking totally ridiculous. And unglamourous.
I once got stuck in a protest in Cusco, Peru, with Min (who’s now the other Indiescapes co-founder). Backpacks on our back, we rode pillion on a motorbike to the airport. We had to make several u-turns and detours, sneak behind slogan-shouting crowds and dodge stone-throwing protestors.
When we got to the airport, we learnt that other travellers had camped overnight at the airport. It was only us who somehow didn’t get the memo.
Childhood was great, but I think I always grew up with a slight identity crisis, being a Malaysian growing up in Singapore.
I’ll speak Mandarin fine with my friends, but once I pick up my parents’ phone call, my friends say I speak funny.
In Primary 4 on Singapore’s National Day, my teacher called me a traitor (jokingly, I think), but that probably left a scar.
I hate being boxed and labeled now.
I wanted to be a doctor with Medecins Sans Frontieres growing up. I went from that to reading law then banking—a 180-degree turn to professions with the worst reputations.
I love reading all sorts of materials, but there’s just something about magazines. I keep almost every issue that I get my hands on.
I even purchase magazines in languages that I do not know.
Collector… hoarder... it’s a fine line.
I loved living in Melbourne. It was one of the best cities to aimlessly walk around.
When M83 played here at Laneway Festival last year I was truly happy. Dancing to the mesmerizing “Midnight City” in a moonlit park, surrounded by fellow festival goers equally lost in the music… the world and I were one.
I’m one of those you wouldn’t want to go on road trips with.
Anything which uses simple yet unconventional ideas to solve complicated problems or to make a difference inspire me. Especially when it’s done with a lot of heart.
People who are full of themselves, who think the world revolves around them and who think they are always right make me sick. Wake up already! The world is huge. All of us are but a tiny part.
The meaning of life? Coffee. Savouring a cup of sweet-smelling black coffee under the sun somewhere. Don’t ask me why.
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“When I came back home after school or from playing football, I’d head straight to the kitchen starving and would fry the moo kem (salted pork) my grandma had marinated for me. This was when I started to cook. I did that almost every day, and special days like birthdays simply weren’t complete without this dish. Moo kem is my family’s most homely dish—I wouldn’t swap it for anything. My dad loved it since he was a child, too. And when I went to study in the US for almost 10 years, I had to do it all myself. My friends used to come back to the dorm and fry it all up!”
Somerset Thonglor, Sukhumvit Soi 55, 02-381-6441-2. Open daily 11am-10:30pm
“Khao chae (rice in iced jasmine-scented water served with various side dishes) definitely takes me back to my childhood. I was lucky to grow up at a time when everyone ate khao chae when the weather got hot. My grandma loved to cook and she would use all the flowers she grew herself like jasmine, rose and ilang ilang. When I grew up, my grandma didn’t cook as much because she had grown old, so I decided to do it myself. The dish isn’t very easy to find these days. I use homegrown flowers and make a few changes to the recipe, but there’s still a real taste of my childhood in it.”
2/F, The Promenade, Ram Indra, 02-947-5691. Open daily 10am-10pm
“My grandmom always cooked parsley sauce (parsley, anchovy, tuna, vinegar and pepper) on Sunday for dipping with boiled beef or boiled chicken. I use it in red and yellow bell peppers filled with tuna and anchovies. That, a young salad and the parsley dip fill me with memories of when I was a child. It also reminds me of my grandfather who had them for breakfast with a glass of red wine.”
43 Naradhiwas Soi 7, 02-677-5756. www.lulivobkk.com. Open Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm, 5:30-10:30pm; Sat 5:30-10:30pm; Sun 11:30am-3pm
“Dishes that stand out in my memory are Thai curries. My mother had a street food cart that I would push around the neighborhood with a dozen different curries she would make every day. Now at Issaya Siamese Club, two of my specialty curries are massaman gae (boneless lamb shank simmered in massaman curry served with ajard [pickled cucumber]) and paneang nuea (grain-fed Australian veal cheek simmered in house-blended spices, coconut milk and kaffir lime leaves). They have their roots from those days even though I have changed the protein and presentation.”
4 Soi Sri Aksorn, Chuaphloeng Rd., 02-672-9040-1. Open daily 11:30am-3pm, 6pm-midnight
“During my childhood, I’d go to my grandma’s house in Sicily with my family. The house is in a small traditional village near Catania and was surrounded by a beautiful garden filled with lemon and olive trees. We had so many lemons we didn’t know what to do with them so my grandma taught me how to make preserved lemon according to her secret recipe that was based on a mix of salt, sugar and spices. That’s why today I’m applying this truely ancestral family recipe with chicken, vegetables and herbs which slowly cook in an oven.”
Thonglor Soi 15, 02-185-3093. Open daily 4pm-midnight
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How did this exhibition start?
For the past 10 years, I’ve been working for fashion magazines. It’s my job. This means I have to create work that satisfies customers, even if I don’t always agree with what’s considered hot. I have my own perspectives on fashion photography and always told myself that I should deliver what I believe in when the time was right. Now’s the right time as I believe I’ve seen enough and I am grown up enough to do it.
What’s the idea behind A Man’s Soul?
Apart from doing fashion shoots for magazines, I’ve always loved shooting street scenes like street kids and Thai boxing. I’ve done a lot of it, but never gathered these images into a proper exhibition. When the time came to do my first exhibition, I didn’t want to just show my own work, but rather create a fashion-related showcase that calls on the help of my friends such as fashion stylist Ananda Chalardcharoen. A Man’s Soul is centered on the Thai guy who takes a lot of influences from Western culture, not only his costume and styling but the stillness deep inside. I’ve loved cowboy fashion since I was very young, even if it’s not such a big trend now. The models are mature Thai men who look cool. It was so much fun developing this idea, which also fits in with the venue, Badmotel.
Why are all the models male?
I love to shoot both males and females, but in this exhibition the male models represent me. I like girls and doing fashion shoots when it comes to work, but it’s not my real life. When I set up a shoot for myself, I don’t want to think about how girls put on their make-up or how they get dressed up. Male fashion is my passion, so I can express it better. Four of the models—Surasak Wongthai, David Assavanond, Suchow Pongwilai and Petchy—are celebrities. Each of them has their own unique character: they’re Thais who have taken a lot of influences from Western culture. The others models are not professionals; I met them by chance and asked them to join.
What drives your fashion photography?
I started off as an assistant photographer and I’ve also been strongly influenced by Western culture. I love fashion sets from that part of the world but feel that Thai fashion has appropriated these influences in the wrong way. Thai fashion photography has a weak identity as it’s all about full make-up, fantasy costumes and 100% retouching. When we see designers’ collections, they always feature what’s on trend, like fantastic dresses and overcoats—but we can’t wear these, even in winter. When I try to make my fashion sets minimal, people complain that it’s too dull. That’s how it is in our fashion scene. I can’t do anything about it, as I’m in the minority. In Japan, they take the same influences but adapt them according to their own culture. Thai people know their own culture very well, but fashion turns them into something they’re not.
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I’m totally Thai even though I’m half-French. I was born in France but moved here when I was three years old after my parents got divorced.
You must fight to survive. I was so lonely and got bullied at school when I was sent to study in the UK at the age of 12. They insulted Thailand as a third-world country and mocked me by saying I had to travel around on a buffalo. Finally I punched a few of them and no one dared bother me again after that.
Humanity has always intrigued me, and studying psychology at university gave me lots of answers. I want to know the human mind.
I’ve dreamed of being an actor since I was 17, but my dad forbid it at the time. He was afraid that I wasn’t strong enough to resist all the temptations. I decided to put that dream on hold and explore life by opening an event marketing company, and working as a waiter in a hotel in Europe and a butcher in France.
Nothing is crystal-clear in the entertainment industry. When I had a chance to work in it 10 years later, everything was exactly as my father had feared. It’s the same even now. I just ignore that bullshit and concentrate on what I love to do most, acting.
Acting is one of the most fascinating arts. It transforms letters on paper into a real act. It’s fucking awesome. It’s like awakening something deep inside you and unleashing it.
When you are at your lowest point, you feel you have no right to make people listen to you. I was in that place in 2006 when I had no job and had just been dumped by my girlfriend of five years.
Don’t give a shit about people who don’t see your value. After getting drunk for weeks and even contemplating suicide, I woke up one morning and suddenly realized there was no point getting hung up on people who made me feel worthless.
I started doing new things as a way of reviving myself. I packed my bags to go study acting in New York where I did odd jobs working as a waiter, translator and actor. It led me to meeting Romchat Thanalarppipat, an acting coach, and Nattawut Poonpiriya, the director who made the short film Long Lai (the original version of Count Down). They enticed me back to Thailand again for the big screen adaptation.
There is no success without misery. Bas, Rom and I kept pinning our future dreams and hopes onto our little projects. It’s a road where you never know when it’s going to end. When I won the best actor award at the Thailand National Film Association Awards (Supannahong), it was fucking brilliant. Jerking off a million times couldn’t compare!
Everything happens for a reason. When bad things happen in your life, it’s teaching you something. It just depends on whether you are conscientious enough to learn from it or not.
Acting for stage plays is like stripping. It’s just us actors sending all our energy to the live audience. If you forget a line, you must think quick to save the situation. It’s hard but a lot of fun, too.
The magic of film is being devalued because of celebrities’ over-exposure. In the past, we called actors “stars” because they couldn’t be reached. Now, you can see them everywhere and there are too many of them.
Thailand is the holy land. It has everything from wonderful nature to unique culture. We could be the greatest country in the region, but corruption holds us back. We’ve been overtaken by Malaysia and soon Myanmar will follow suit.
It’s sad to see Thais still worshipping dead animals or scratching trees to find numbers to buy lottery tickets (legal and otherwise). This sort of thing belongs in the distant past!
The Thai lottery is definitely fixed. It should be impossible to have the same number twice. The chances are one in a billion! These things don’t happen randomly, that’s for sure.
Hardship forces Thais to cling to their lives through gambling. Our system doesn’t help people to stand on their own two feet adequately. Gambling is such a big part of modern Thai culture that it’s going to be hard to change.
I’m OK with bribing cops on the street. I used to feel disgusted by it. Now I simply understand the whole cycle. It’s their way of surviving.
Feed people properly before teaching them about ethics. We fail to rid ourselves of corruption because our people are still poor and hungry—including police officers. It’s impossible for policemen who earn less than B10,000 a month to take care of their wife, kids, cars and groceries. They need that extra money.
Home is where the heart is and Ratchaburi is where mine is right now. I live with my girlfriend in Ratchaburi. Life in the countryside is awesome. Fewer cars, fewer people, lots of nature and great food!
Love is essential for life. It gives you hope, sorrow and happiness. I was hurt by love and became really self-protective, always ready to raise my fists and fight. But new love has brought back my softer side.
Living without goals is so boring. Give yourself some purpose and add real meaning to your life.
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How did you get this job?
Before we retired, we used to work with Pol. Lt. Col. Dr. Surasak Boonsriphirat. He knows that we have a lot of experience, so he invited us to do this job. We are in charge of criminal investigations at Chatuchak Market. We patrol every corner of the market from 5.30am to 10.30pm. Specifically, around noon, we go undercover as visitors to the market in order to protect the real visitors from crime.
How can you pick out the criminals?
General visitors and criminals are obviously different. Visitors come here to shop; they look at products and chat with store owners. The criminals always eye up the people around them, spy on people’s luggage and try to push their way into crowded places, but buy nothing.
What do you like most about working here?
It’s an opportunity to help our society, which I am very proud of. I get to take care of both Thai and foreign visitors because Chatuchak Market is the world’s largest weekend market. As so many foreigners flow into this market, so too do the criminals.
What is your most memorable case?
At Chatuchak, it’s mostly just small cases. The most memorable—and riskiest—case of my career happened while I was a policeman. I was working undercover for the Phayathai police station and my team and I were ordered to look after the pawnshops in Kingpetch Alley on Phetchaburi Road. At the time, thieves would often pawn their stolen goods there. In this one case, two thieves stole a radio and went into this pawnshop where I was hiding out. When confronted, they attacked me and I chased them out into the alleyway. When I drew my pistol, one of the thieves pointed his gun at me. At that moment, my life was hanging by a thread. We pulled the trigger at the same time, but in the end it was I that killed him. Thankfully, the criminal’s parents understood my action, that it was my duty and I had to protect myself. Their son had committed many crimes. At the time, he was on probation from juvenile court in Southern Thailand and had fled to Bangkok. I received B5,000 as a reward from my commander and I made the front page of many newspapers.
What do you think of people’s negative perception of the police?
I don’t feel anything. It’s normal. Police are humans, too. We are just like other people in society—there are good and bad people.
Do you have any advice for Chatuchak visitors?
You should be careful of your belongings like wallets, cameras, and mobile phones. You should carry your backpack on your front so you can easily look after it. Also, watch out for foreign criminals because they have more experience than Thais. Be careful!
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How long did it take you to master all the different voices required for all the characters in LOTR?
It didn’t take years to learn the impressions, though I had to spend a lot of time by myself, trying not to look totally insane (especially with the character of Gollum). In fact, I found the character of Gollum to be the greatest mental block, yet when I ‘unlocked’ the voice of Gollum, the impression gelled. I’d say, overall, I spent about a month thinking about and trying out the voices.
The show is so fast-paced. How did you build the stamina to see it through to the end?
Rehearsal is important to learn the geography of the show, some parts are uphill, other parts plateau, and hopefully nothing goes downhill. It’s like learning a dance or training to do a half marathon, once you’ve established the routine it’s merely a matter of following it. Except with a performance you have to prepare the unknowns that sometimes pop up and interrupt the flow of the show, i.e. Cell phones going off.
What do you personally find funny?
Many, many things. Everything from John Cleese to George Carlin, David Sidaris to Red Letter Media, Metalocalypse to Bill Bryson and Cute Overload to Fenslerfilms. Laughing is the best thing ever.
Which is your favourite character to imitate? Why?
I don’t have a single favourite character. I have favourite moments that will hopefully delight the audience. It is surprising how much fun the character of Denethor is to perform- you’ll see what I mean if you come to the show.
What do you think accounts of the worldwide appeal of your show?
They’re based upon two of the most successful franchises in movie history. The stories are both about the little guy rising up to a potential that he never knew he had, and striking a blow against oppressive powers. Who would want to do that?
You’ve also done Star Wars. In what ways are the two projects similar and how are they different?
Story-wise, LOTR is very similarly structured to Star Wars. Many of the characters too share aspects between the trilogies: Obiwan and Gandalf, Luke and Frodo, Gollum/Smeagol and Vader/Anakin, etc. My previous experience adapting Star Wars prepared me for LOTR. What might have felt like an impossible task suddenly seemed plausible. Plus, I loved the LOTR films, which meant my adaptation would come from the heart.
What’s your next project?
To be honest, I have looked and watched all the trilogies I can get my hands on. There are few that match up to Star Wars and LOTR. My hope is that either The Hobbit or Star Wars episodes 7, 8 and 9 will help me answer that question.
Charles Ross will be performing at DBS Arts Centre for One Man Lord of the Rings from Jun 18-23. Tickets from SISTIC at various timings.
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How did Limousine form and what sort of music do you usually play?
We were experimental jazz musicians based in Paris who decided to start a quiet project in 2005. Our initial goal was to make our audiences dream through minimalist soundscapes.
How did you first discover Thai luk tung and morlam? What do you find so appealing about these sounds?
Back in 2010, I went into a bar in Bangkok—I don’t remember which one—and discovered luk tung playing. After that I went straight out and bought compilations from Maft Sai’s ZudRangMa Records and Soundway Records.
People like ZudRangMa have worked hard to re-introduce mo lam to a bigger audience; do you think there is an international market for Thai roots music?
Definitely, yes!
Where did you first get the inspiration for the Siam Roads project?
When I came back to Paris after my first trip to Thailand, I was so sad. I was always listening to mor lam, so we just decided to make a sort of tribute to this kind of music with as Limousine.
Why did you decide to document your tour of the Isaan countryside in 2012?
Agnes is my partner of two and a half years. She was living in Bangkok for 12 years but has since come back to Paris. We decided to keep a visual souvenir of our trip to Ubon Ratchatani and we plan to release a photo book and vinyl in 2014.
How did you first come into contact with Yodh Warong?
By chance, David Aknin [Limousine drummer] knew of this kind of music, and he remembered this great molam musician he had seen in Thailand two years before. We were able to contact Yodh over the internet and met him in the summer of 2011 when we started planning the trip.
What can gig-goers expect from the show as part of La Fete on May 29?
A meeting between Isaan music and our sound, which is closer to jazz. In the end you willl dance!
Your press bio describes Limousine’s sound as “imaginary road movie music”; do you think music and travel are inexplicably linked?
Yes, with Limousine we also want people to travel in their head—they can attach their own stories because there are no words in the songs.
As your bio also points outs, Thailand evokes different things to different people; what does Thailand mean to you?
Firstly, I have the intimate souvenir of my real first holiday in Thailand. But Thailand is also Isaan for me now, too. I would say the sweetness and deep spirituality of the country stands out for me.
LIMOUSINE - La Gaviota from ekleroshock on Vimeo.
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Has it been emotionally difficult putting on this exhibition?
There have been a lot of struggles, particularly when discussing Tim with his parents and close friends. Other obstacles are technical, like getting the photo copyrights, contacting agencies and dealing with the press.
How did you guys know each other?
We met in Wales in 1999. He and I were both professional photographers. We both loved to travel and shared a common vision to show a sense of humanity that moves past stereotypes. We became close friends.
As a photographer yourself, how would you describe the impact of these photos?
It allows us to see the humanity that exists behind these soldiers, what happens in the daily lives of these 19 to 25-year-old young men who are asked to fight for their country.
Thankfully, most people never have to experience firsthand the ravages of war; how is the exhibition relatable to Thai audiences?
You don’t even have to be interested in war stories or politics to go see it. Every nation has soldiers but most don’t know what goes on in these men’s lives. It’s not all about a bunch of guys shooting bullets at people. Things can be quite unexpected—how their lives are just like any normal young men, how they become good friends and learn to live with each other. I think this can be applied to the Thai soldiers fighting in the South right now.
It’s been mentioned that the exhibition reveals humor in the warzone; can you elaborate on that?
During the time Hetherington spent with the platoon, his photographs capture the domestic lives of the soldiers. It’s similar to how you would hang out with your friends: they played Guitar Hero, wrestled, showed off their new tattoos, just had fun the way guys do, except that it was in the middle of a warzone.
What message do you want audiences to taken from it?
I want them to look at war in a fresh way; to think and interpret things differently. This is a universal goal that photographers all around the world want to accomplish.
What exactly can we expect from the exhibition?
The exhibition shows photographs published in the book Infidel, as well as two films. The photos were taken by Tim Hetherington in Afghanistan and mainly feature the lives of the soldiers in the valley, a slice of their personal lives and the inhumanity of war. The videos, called Diary and Sleeping Soldiers, are definitely worth seeing. The films give an insight into Hetherington’s personal experiences and work during his ten years of conflict reporting.
After the exhibition in Thailand, where will you be showcasing it next?
We’ve done the show in London and Washington DC, and Thailand is our first stop in Asia. We haven’t got concrete plans on where we will go next.
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I’m a two-faced, charming, flirtatious, quick-witted scoundrel.
I’ve lived in Singapore for five years, but I’ve been visiting since the late ‘70s. It was a long distance affair that ended up in us shacking up together.
There’s been more evolution than revolution. By and large, Singapore has changed for the better.
It’s a great shame that xenophobic tendencies have been inflamed by various interest groups because I don’t believe Singaporeans are racist at all. I think it’s a media beat up designed to distract people from real issues.
Singaporeans are among the most gracious and hospitable people I have lived and worked with.
Geylang is my favorite part of town, not for the red light action (which, as it happens, is very safe and tame by world standards) or the illegal back alley dice games (all stopped at about the same time the casinos opened), but for some of the best food in Singapore and incredibly hospitable locals.
I always bring visiting comedians to Geylang. We start with handmade noodles and rice wine, and then end up dancing in an open-air dangdut bar. It’s the closest you can get to the third world without crossing the causeway.
I’ve learnt that the business side of what I do does not define me. I get much more joy from simply performing comedy and even more by helping young Singaporean comics develop their skills.
The people here don’t appreciate shock value or dark comedy. They like their humor to be positive. I do a lot of jokes about life from the point of view of the foreigner who doesn’t know what’s going on. But in doing so, I am actually demonstrating that I do get it.
Singaporeans don’t like stereotyping but they do appreciate accurate parody, as long as it’s funny.
My girlfriend is French and thinks English speakers use “love” too liberally. We say stuff like “I love pizza” and “I love your new handbag”, which when said by a woman, actually means, “You b*tch, I was saving up for that!”
I think love is selfless and giving. It is an innate human emotion that we can survive—but never truly live—without. Being in love on the other hand, is a mental disorder where you’re subsumed by another individual, whose wellbeing you place above your own and whose every whim becomes your obligation. If you’re in love, please seek professional help.
I’m a Gemini. I don’t stick around long enough for a rut to happen. When it gets boring I leave.
You only know something when it’s your time to know it.
I get really anxious in small confined spaces. If an elevator stops, I feel like my heart will explode. Flying is a nightmare for me, particularly on those sardine can budget airlines.
I only ever live in a house, with a back door and my feet touching the earth. I couldn’t stand being cooped up in a box stacked on boxes adjoining yet more boxes, even if there is a gym and a pool.
My favorite spot for having fun is my bedroom and sometimes the dining table when my flatmate is out.
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