This new year of the Earth Boar, I am determined to take my 1-man fashion project Mosut to the next level. Inspired by martial arts legends namely Bruce Lee, Dan Inosanto and Ip Man....I am using all my skills to create modern Gis (adapted from the traditional Karate uniform Dogi). Following the footsteps of Bruce Lee and Stephen Chow, I aim to take this several thousand years of heritage to the centerstage and break into the contemporary fashion industry with gusto!Martial arts legacy + culture preservation + fashion + jobs creation + fitness + self-defense. Hope you can support me in this journey together!https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jaseminho/mosut-fashion-for-martial-artists

Last night, I was one of the many volunteers who joined forces in counting the number of homeless people (as best as we could anyways) in the City of Angels. Championed by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), the energetic clarion call was echoed by the Los Angeles Police Department, media outlets and policy makers alike. Having lived in Australia and now America, and spending my formative years in Asia a non-welfare region, the alarming increase of tent cities and its citizens' blatant disregard for civic mindedness and their fellow citizens is truly shocking. Who has failed them? Their families? Society? Government? Welfare system? Friends? Or even, their own selves? It really begs the question of what was the tipping point that has made them into willing, yes willing citizens of tent cities. https://www.lahsa.org/

I just read President Xi's latest mantra on China's ruling government and its focus on 'absolute leadership'.I applaud his vision and efforts in creating an undivided goal. It's always easier said than done, and the challenge is really to balance absoluteness with humanity. Humans have emotions, thoughts, desires, fears, weaknesses etc. Unless you are a robot void of all of the just mentioned.When I was entrusted with the role of a team leader with American Express, the first book I bought was John C Maxwell's book on Servant Leadership.The best leader is one that sees himself or herself as in a position to serve the people, not the other way round.A boss demands to be served whereas a leader aims to serve. Know the difference.One is a tyrant while the other is an enabler.

It was a very surreal feeling to me. A few months after I wrapped my student film Le Grand Central in New York, I came across John Wick 2 and realized the eerie similarity. Roman and Greek mythology, dark underworld, suspense, revenge, vigilante, honor, sacred vows and mysterious characters emerging from far flung exotic places.I swear, I did not know anything about John Wick or what its creators were attempting to do before LGC was produced. Was it a spiritual intervention.? Parallel worlds colliding in New York and Rome? Did mighty Zeus and Jupiter have a hand at orchestrating this supernatural coincidence? I have goosebumps as I write this. I am awed. Humbled. I can only be at my best and jump at the opportunities as soon as it presents itself.Watch this space.... Manifestation of Henna at Grand Central Terminal, New York.

Finally one of my biggest dreams is about to come true! After 39 years of watching Hollywood TV and films from my small hometown of Ipoh, Malaysia.......I am moving to Hollywood next week! Yippeeee :DMy family had one of the fondest memories of huddling together around our 1st TV when it came out in the 80s. I remember my dad bought it and invited our neighbours to come watch this magical thing called moving images on the screen. It was black and white then and yet we were all so thrilled and fascinated! And then, colored TV came and added pixel-ed rainbows in our dull lives! WOW!!!! How remarkable is technology that is able to bring remarkable talents from all over the world into our living rooms!! Have you ever wondered?My dad is a mechanical engineer by training and maybe I inherited that bit of talent from him. I started dabbling in filmmaking using my Samsung smartphone each time I published my novellas. I wanted to bring my characters to life and off I went gallivanting around regions and re-enacting certain climaxes from my 3 diversely genre-ed novellas. From dramatic, humor to fantasy......I loved portraying the characters and how lucky are we to be living in this smartphone generation? Be it a Xiaomi, Samsung, Apple or HTC......I truly believe there is a smartphone for anyone depending on his or her taste and preference. My favorite is mashing (American slang), or merging all the different technologies in making my films. Just like cooking, it tastes better with various layers and tapestry of cultures all over the world, isn't it?I am so excited to be moving to Hollywood and chasing my dreams. I can almost see the finishing line....the light at the end of the tunnel. I hope my journey has inspired some of you to chase yours. Anything is truly possible if you have courage, good planning, creative thinking, authenticity, a mutually beneficial thinking (win-win) and most importantly dare to fail! Failure is the mother of all success, my mother taught me that :)I wish all of your dreams will come true! My debut film in Grand Central Terminal, New York

Chan Sam Lock, Malaysia's biggest wedding studio and an Ipoh icon is planning to cease operations after 71 years in operations. The reasons mentioned include failure to find successors and intense pressure from new digital technologies.As a Master's holder in International Business, I know it takes a lifetime to build and sustain a good business reputation. It would be such a pity to see this symbol of Chinese perseverance, sacrifices and wisdom fade away from our memories, when in turn the Chan family have immortalized so many of the people's precious memories. Any interested parties please contact me, I will try to connect you with the Chan family in Ipoh. (I do not earn any commission nor am paid for this post. It is purely out of goodwill). http://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2017/07/13/wedding-studio-closing-down-after-71-years-in-operation/#SW79pQQsUEm3q7ku.01Chan Sam Lock picture by The Star Publications, Malaysia

After re-watching Kung Fu Hustle by the very talented Stephen Chow, I have a desire to learn how to play the Gu Zheng. I have a grade 7 piano certificate from the The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. Although quite different in the techniques, I'd like to think it emits the same peaceful and beautiful melody. Music has been my saviour through many challenging times in my life. I really am grateful for the creators, songwriters, artists and musicians for sharing their talents with us and promoting peace and harmony around the world. Thank you once again.

The annual G20 summit will be held in Hamburg, Germany this year. I am filled with excitement as to what will pan out this year, and whether there were any significant progress from last year's discussions touted in Beijing. I spoke vehemently about China's One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative and I still believe it can garner a strong position in the global transcontinental space. With US's new president Trump officially pulling the country out of the TPP pact, it is now on the hunt for a more lucrative and attractive equivalent.I am a lover and champion of ancient heritage, culture and philosophy. Isn't OBOR a Chinese philosophy akin to US's Constitution and Confucius's teachings? What is philosophy but our way of thinking which affects our subsequent actions and entailing consequences?Everything comes from our minds. We all are planting seeds inside our minds, be it of harmony, prosperity, evil, treachery, destruction, resurrection, unity or discord. So guard your minds, my family and friends. For what we think, becomes reality. Artist unknown - credit reserved

This is the title of my next creative project. Loosely based on certain people I have encountered.The wicked Rosa is a female in her late 30s. Ever since she was born, she had always felt inferior to her more talented, beautiful and popular cousin. An innate nerd, she struggles with her own real identity and have spent thousands of dollars trying to change her looks and physical shape. However, laziness is her main problem. All good results require hard work and sacrifices. The ever short-cut queen, she recklessly spends money as a desperate attempt to outshine her cousin whom she envies with a vengeance. A sort of admiration-hate relationship. As much as Rosa admires her cousin, each ounce of admiration equates to a gallon of seething envy on her side. Insecurity and blatant denial of her natural self is her eventual downfall as she pushes her doormat husband to slog so that he could earn money to pay for her pathetic attempts to be beautiful like those models in the glossy magazines. This petty shrew eventually drives her husband to an early death and with her own bare hands destroys their marriage and her life. The conniving Wins is an outsider to the family. An illegitimate child (or in colloquial terms a bastard child), he was born out of wedlock after his naive mom got duped by the small town Casanova. As an apple doesn't fall far from the tree, Wins grew up chasing tiny skirts at the tender age of 5 starting with the neighborhood girls. A destroyer at heart, probably due to the broken family and a deep sense of unworthiness, he loathes his friends with happy families and secretly casts evil curses on them hoping he can transfer his private agony to these innocent families. Masking his loneliness with pride and ego, he becomes a top-class salesman selling ice to Eskimos and sand to Arabs. His most evil doing was pushing one of his half-sister to near suicide after she tried to help him turn over a new leaf. There are certain darkness where even the most powerful light can't penetrate. Karma struck him hard one day when all the evil curses he orchestrated returned to him ten fold. Lesson here, what goes around comes around. You can't outwit the Creator.Will this make a compelling film script? What do you think? The Indochine director's revenge

I write this blog with a heavy heart. I was born a twin, and raised in a family where meritocracy and competency was championed. My parents are very Western-minded. Even though I may be a twin, they cherished individual efforts and resulting rewards. For is it fair, if let's say I being the more hardworking and gifted twin devote my energy, blood, sweat and tears in creating a successful project but my other twin DEMANDS the same recognition and reward? It's not fair, is it? It's outright bullying and oppression. I have come to accept the fact that there will always be a slight tension with my twin in regards to due recognition and sisterly love. Just because I honor our sisterhood doesn't mean I have to succumb to outright biasness and unfair treatment. I am an advocate of never mixing business with pleasure, family included. When it comes to business and work, it's all about efforts, contribution, value-add and competency. When it comes to family, then it's about offering emotional support but not at my own personal expense, health or wealth aspect. We are our own champions in life. We all need support and help once in a while but it is wrong to expect others to do the work for you and then claim the credit yourself. This is wrong thinking, expectation and human values. When I become a parent, I will inculcate the values of diligence, ethics, hard work, self-reliance, team player, abundance mindset and will to win. For each of us have our own dreams to chase, mountains to remove and raging seas to calm. We are all equipped to live a life of abundance.