Crocodile fail

I'm a crocodile. Top of the food chain. I'm bulletproof yo! Falalalala...

OMG who peed in the pool?

OH SHHHIIEITT! OWWW! I'm sorry!

Denim crazy. Part educational part insane rambling.

I have a confession to make.

I am a jeanophile. A denimhead. A denim snob. Looking for the holy grail of indigo pants. Most people are happy with mall bought jeans that fit but I am rather obsessed with quality.

Warning. This is more of a guy thing so female readers might roll their eyes into their sockets. Women care more about whether it makes their ass look good. Ugly truth. shhh.

It all began a few years back, when I got a pair of Levi's Jeans. They were the local ones sold in local Levi's Stores(Levi's are different in each country). They fit me really good and for two years, I wore them almost everyday and subjected them to the daily grind of life. Every ripped seam, every tear in the denim told a story. They became in essence, an extension of me. Sadly, they became quite loose and sloppy looking. I needed a replacement.

I started looking towards designer labels. Calvin Klein, Paper Denim etc. I figured that they would be better than my old humble Levi's. But I was wrong. Sure, they were relatively well made and looked good. But they lacked the character and toughness of my rough and ready Levi's. Plus, they were overfinished and seemed contrived. Kinda like the gayer metrosexual cousins. Personally not into embellishments and all that. So my search continues..

Exhibit A: True Religion Jeans. Kinda gay/metrosexual IMHO

I soon found out that the Japanese have had an obsession with high quality denim for decades. Famous "connoisseur" japanese brands include Evisu, Samurai, Sugarcane and Denime to name a few. They yearn for jeans from simpler times, when jeans were made of tougher materials and were crafted to withstand hours upon hours of manual labour without falling apart. They continue to maintain old fashioned shuttle looms to produce quality selvage denim. They obsess over seemingly minor details such as the copper rivets and thread used for stitching. They also popularized raw denim, which is denim that is not treated in any way (eg. sanding, washing, enzyme wash etc.). But alas, most of their fits are rather old fashioned as a homage to vintage redline Levi's 501s from decades ago. The "Made in Japan" Levi's I wore were really well made, but rather baggy and high waisted so they weren't the most versatile pairs I had. The hunt continues...

Exhibit B: Samurais. Awesome fading on Jap jeans

Then I looked to the Swedes. Brands such as Nudie Jeans, Acne Jeans, Cheap Monday and Fillipa K have a cult following among people who appreciate premium denim. They boast of having quality denim cloth and modern fits. Nudie started the unhygienic trend of not washing your jeans for 6 months to get perfect fades! Acne Jeans(bad name!) is rather minimalist in their designs in contrast to flamboyant(gay) American designers such as True Religion etc. I prefer jeans that don't shout "Look at me! I am expensive and trying too hard!" Not bad for people who were once Vikings who pillaged and looted wherever they went a thousand years ago.

To sum it up, price does NOT equal quality. Flashy brands are expensive only because they spend more on marketing and celebrity endorsements. Be your own judge as to what defines quality in a product.

Here are my most often worn jeans:

Acne Moc Raw

Origin: Sweden

Cut: Straight Leg

Paper Denim & Cloth GTO

Origin: USA

Cut: Boot Cut

Attachment Jeans

Origin: Japan

Cut: Slim Straight

Nudie Thin Finn

Origin: Sweden

Cut: Skinny

Wonky Wednesday

It's been a while since I've written anything down here.

No shit, sherlock.

Exams are officially over and it's suddenly dawned upon me that I'm free. No more sleepless nights trying to cram in stuff from thick dusty textbooks. No more agonizing over the side effects of different drugs. Just pure ignorant bliss :)

All this free time... Apart from chilling with my buddies, there's little else I can do in JB. Soon, all my colleagues will be back in their hometowns, leaving me all alone in this godforsaken town. And the drunk will be back in Oz. Sob story. Nevertheless, friends are not hard to come by. And the best part is that you create bonds with people when you least expect it.

Perhaps I should get back to singing-songwriting. I know that it comes naturally to me and it would be a waste if I don't sharpen my abilities. I just have to pick up the guitar, strum a few chords and the rest is automatic. Sounds pretty gay, but you appreciate music best when you create it yourself.

I am really excited about going back to Melbourne at the beginning of next year. It would be hella awesome to reunite with friends I haven't seen in ages. Has the city changed much this past 4 years? I'm gonna find out. It would be summer in January so that means fun, sun, beaches, barbies and hot freshies ohh hell yeah. However, I'm starting with my aged care rotation so that means spending the best part of summer with old people. Oh well.

Which brings me to my future as a doctor. This sort of sounds depressing, but I have a notion that I would be leaving Malaysia for quite a while after I graduate. Career prospects and standard of living certainly seem greener on the other side that is Australia. If things do not change for the better in Malaysia soon, I would seriously consider getting an Australian PR and then a citizenship. It would be regrettable as I feel a deep connection with Malaysian culture, its people, food and just the nostalgia of growing up in a familiar setting. Plus, in the past few years I've been in Johor, many people I've met here have told me the same thing: "I'm hope you'll succeed in becoming a good doctor and serve the people well."

I shall, one day. I promise. To return, to lead, to make a difference.

It certainly is quite mind-blowing knowing that I'll be fully independent financially in a year. Sure, I've managed to survive on my own this past 5 years away from my family. The prospect of earning my own money, buying a car and a home, meeting new people never ceases to excite me. And finally earning the title DR after years of hard work. That would be priceless.

And the best part of it all? It's just the beginning. Life is fascinating just because it is unscripted. And full of possibilities.