We proudly present "The Love journey" by Axioo and Nefi for Valentine's Inspirations. For almost 6 months our window display have filled the wall of Plaza indonesia, changing from one concept to another. But this is the one that speaks dearly to my heart. Cause it reminds me of how important teamwork is. Thank you Nefi and the team for helping us, you have made it beautiful.

A little spark here today in our office...everyone prepared a little something for the birthday girl --> my lovely wife Fen. We woke up this morning thanking God for all the things He's done in our lives. Then a crazy idea pops up (this always happens), 'let's escape to Singapore for the day'...we let the idea sit for a while then decided not to do it. Instead we headed off to our office and found a pleasant little surprise :)

it seems like birthdays are a whole lot more fun when we were little. All the singing, food and gifts made it all the more special. Today, we reminisce a glimpse of it. Today is special, we give thanks for another fabulous year ahead.

This kiss wasn't just a kiss

This kiss was the demise of eternal bliss

This kiss wasn't just a second of meaningless feelings

This kiss was the end of priceless beginnings

This kiss wasn't just a thing you had to do

This kiss was the duration of me and you

Michael J. Burt

A while ago we posted a photoclip video of the Darjoto Family photo shoot in Bali. The photo shoot was part of the things they are doing to celebrate om Darjoto & tante Felissa's 25th wedding anniversary. A little background story, they actually wanted to just celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in a "normal" way in a restaurant, but Devina, their eldest daughter had other plans. She arranged for her parents an elaborate wedding celebration, complete with a full make-up, wedding dress, all the wedding vendors (including us) and even a pastor to bless their wedding anniversary. By the way, they had always wanted this pastor to bless them on their wedding day, but he was unavailable 25 years ago. Well, 25 years later, they got their wish come true.

But, Devina's surprise didn't stop there. She wanted to do an appreciation video from her and her sister Febiana. She told me about her plans, and because of our tight schedule, we had to secretly shoot the video at her place on the 30th of December 2009! Interviewing the two sisters that night was indeed a memorable moment for me. Listening to them telling the stories about their parents touched my heart deeply. I went home tired, but contented.

The result? See for yourself.

Devina Family Surprise from Axioo on Vimeo.

For Om Darjoto & Tante Felissa's 25th wedding anniversary, we came up with a fresh take on their family portraiture. 

It all started out weeks before the shoot, when we met to discuss ideas on how to shoot their family portraits. That night we went through more than twenty years of family photo albums, and got to know how it all began. Most families have some sort of formal portraits, the one with everyone posing in studio. We wanted something different, something a lot more fun and lively. Everyone was so excited with the idea of Bali getaway weekend. During the photo session in Bali, all of us had so much fun. At first we were counting on Devina & Febiana to spark the session, to our surprise Om Darjoto to came out from his shell and go all out goofy, he made a big difference. 

By the way, we will be posting their love story soon, you'll get to know how sweet and romantic they are (there's so much for us young couples to learn). For all of you planning your wedding, i know it's hard to picture yourself celebrating your twenty five years of marriage. So here's a little glimpse of a happily married couple to inspire all of us.

Darjoto & Felissa "Family Weekend Getaway" from David Soong on Vimeo.

We love Christmas!! All the thoughtful gifts, yummy dinners, and of course great friends. So for this Christmas we're posting not only the dinner we had in Axioo, but also the little dinner we shared with a few other couples. Aprilla & Yosi (the famous funny man from Project Pop) were fantastic hosts, they prepared everything from the dinner, games, caroling and surprise gifts...thank you :)

This is our couples cell group, better known as couples DATE Gandaria from JPCC. For the last few months, we've been sharing stories, encouraging & praying for one another. With our hectic schedules balancing work, family and kids...being in this DATE is a luxurious getaway for us young couples. It seems like we're not the only ones going through our challenges. Life is so much more meaningful when we share it ;)

Two weeks and three days left before the year of 2010. 

We hope you have achieved this year resolutions and has already started writing down your new year resolutions for a year ahead. This is the year of growth for axioo, we thank God and all axioo-ers,  our lovable clients, supportive family and faithful friends, who have helped in many ways to made it happened.

Aside from all the dreams and goals, It's quite refreshing to pause and give thanks for the things that we have and all the experiences that makes us who we are today.

So Here I am, at home, Sunday afternoon, listing down the things that I thank for ... all the little things that matters ..... 

Paulus and Natasha are getting all the love they can get this week! And that's hard to avoid for anyone who's a part of the Axioo family.

Here's a surprise clip we put together for their wedding day. Pure silliness. Just plain awesome! :D

Paulus and Natasha's Surprise Video from Axioo on Vimeo.

Last week we were in Barcelona for my 30th birthday ;) Well it's not what it sounds like, it wasn't even planned! We bought the tickets the day before the flight...for those who knows how spontaneous we are, this comes as no surprise. This is a sudden Sweet Escape trip for Linda & SayYong, who messaged us while they were Greece saying "David can you come & join us in Barcelona?" So big thanks to the happy couple, we hitched to my favorite city.

Having been to Barcelona a few times, we know the city well enough that we don't need a map to get around. It's a city full of life, live music in all corners of the city, and of course what makes it my favorite city is all the good food you'll find. Here's a little snap shots taken with our little Polaroid Land camera and expired films. I love it!!

Do you miss Polaroid? I remember how those instant results brings smile to us, and it still does it's magic!

So enjoy a little sneak peek of our random moments in Barcelona ;) 

What more can i say? We have the best and the craziest people in Axioo. I'm proud to be in the team :)

Take some time, guess who we are...I wish we can do this for our clients (tell me if you want it he he)

Wacky-ness let loose!

Our entire Axioo crew headed to Bali for our annual vacation. The fun just never stops! These pics'll tell a better story than most of my write-ups.

But watch this space, I'll be adding more commentaries and photos soon!

Once in a blue moon, we come across someone who inspires us, and change the way we think.

A few months back, we made some shots for Mario's home. Mario is a gifted artist from Milan. He moved to Bali, and opened his first shop, SKS (Simple Konsep Store) in Seminyak. It has everything fashionable for men and women ranging from, beach wear, gowns, jewelery, bags to clutch, furniture to books. All the products are chosen by Mario himself. You should definitely swing by his shop when you are in Bali.

The first thing he asked me when we met was, "you are creative, aren't you?"

I said, "maybe?!"

"Yes, you are!" he said smiling, almost shouting. "You have to say that you are creative to yourself and everyone. If you don't, who will?"

It reminded me of a quote, " When you create, create for yourself, by doing that you will surely have one guaranteed faithfull audience " Each one of us has a platform :) in many differents forms of art, some in music, visual, and many many more that we have to share to the world. Don't be afraid to be yourself, because YOU are a masterpiece :) That is what I learn from him. And I want to share that with you :)

Mario's house is one of kind. Every detail is well thought of. When you step into his house you see the elements his touch, his flavour and his unique treatments similar to his shop, SKS. He is not afraid to design for himself. His collection of paintings, lights fixtures and scruptures are reflections of him. The use of space and how he places elements of surprises in every corner. It's just awesome! My dream house.

Easter? Yeah. Took us a while to take a breather and post this on our blog. Most of you who have been with us for a while know that David has a hidden talent that only a select few of us get to enjoy. So we'll always find every available excuse to grant him the opportunity to exercise that gift. Seriously guys, his dishes never disappoint. Even the ones that he deemed experimental would occasionally leave us with at least "hmm.... *interesting*!"

So the last time we did this was on Easter weekend sometime last month. Scroll down and bask in all that fresh tasting goodness. I still drool over some of these pics. You'll also get the chance to see some new faces in our Axioo team.

The day starts with Cooking Master Boy getting his groove on. 

All these while our blogs shows so many happy moments of couples in love. That’s refreshing. But last weekend, we’ve just realized that life is more than that. Life is short. Life has its moments. Happy, sad, hopeful, despair, triumphs and lost all mixed together, without us knowing which sequence is next.

The sudden lost of our friend Andreas (Andy or AZ) last weekend was heart breaking. We knew him for a while, not only as our client, our supplier but also our friend. His cheerful jokes and kindness is contagious to those around him. Being with him for a while makes you feel special. Our condolences to Mirari and his family, may God’s grace and strength be with you always. Please scroll down and read "All about Andy" by Mirari, take your time to read this note and remember to love.

Below are some pics of Andreas & Mirari on their wedding day. It’s a wake up call for us to cherish our loved ones, shower them with love every single day, till death do us part. Coz we’ll never know when our time is up.

What a long trip...we're finally back home in Jakarta after being away for almost a month to Las Vegas, San Francisco & Bali. It's been a refreshing trip, shooting the coolest couples in unique locations, and this time Axel came along with us. If we keep travelling like this, we'll only be in Jakarta 3 days out of a month!!

Despite all the traffic, pouring rain and sudden electricity outtage, we still miss being in Jakarta. Here's the 10 things i miss in Jakarta:

1. Wuffy & Oreo - our cute Westie & Scottish terrier. Well Oreo has gain so much weight that he looks more like a black fur ball than a Scottish terrier, time for grooming. Wuffy came running to greet us, as if she's been waiting for our arrival.

2. Nespresso - I just realized it this morning as i was preparing breakfast and doing our morning routine. We love having our espresso done right, each time. This beats going into Starbucks and betting our luck on the barista. My favorite blend is the Roma, and Felicia is still loving her limited edition Special club blend.

3. Nothing beats our own bed. Is it the smell, the pillows, or just how it's arranged makes it so much more comfortable than the hotels we stayed during our trip. Fyi, i'm very particular when picking
hotels...much like Monica in "Friends". The hotels during this last trip are very recommended...we stayed in MGM Signature in Las Vegas, Clift Hotel in San Francisco, Oasis in Benoa (Bali), then Kamuela villa in Seminyak (Bali).

There's quite a buzz in Axioo house this Christmas season.

We can't remember if we've even celebrated Christmas as a company.
At first we were hard-pressed with project deadlines and other work. But it turns out we've managed to squeezed in a little time and effort to put our little event together.

Last Sunday, we had the best time with friends over thanksgiving dinner. So for 4 years in a row now, Jillianne has been the main chef. This time around, she prepared roast turkey, stuffings, potato gratin and desserts. It's amazing!! We almost finished the whole 7 kg turkey.

Here's some of our wacky friends, everyone had a go with the camera.

It's a rare weekend to just relax at home with our son Axel. The past few weeks has been very hectic, for out of town weddings. So it's time to take a deep breath and chill. What a perfect day, especially when my new lens arrived. I've been waiting to get my hands on Canon 50mm f1.2, so compact, sharp and beautiful. So for the rest of the days, we've kept snapping casual pics of our Saturday. Check this out :)

Love & Hate relationship. My father-in-law drew this picture and sent it to me yesterday. It's simple yet so true. We live in the world that these two strong words exist at the same time, and often times towards the same person. It's a strange irony, but that's what make our lives rich. It's the closest person that could make us the happiest and also hurt us the most.

I'm not a Birthday kind of guy, if you know what i mean. I don't highlight a day out of the year and make it more special than any other day. So i don't normally make plans and arrange parties, especially for my own. I didn't expect friends will remember either (thanks to Facebook, Friendster and a bunch of other birthday reminder programs...it seems like they all did), even if they don't i'm ok.

So for my 29th Birthday (yesterday), i really didn't expect anything. For the last few days, i felt that Fen was planning something, but not too sure what she was doing. So i brushed the idea of a surprise party, having been to one just the night before mine. As i came in the office, i noticed the shoes on our porch were unusually tidy (at first i thought it might have been the new maids), but then i also noticed a whole bunch of shoes hidden at another corner. He hey...before i has all figured out, "Surpise!!!", friends and family, along with 500 balloons, greeted me with a birthday song.
Thank you guys for making my day so special! I've never seen so many balloons, not even in kids birthday party. Now i know why Axel loves balloons, i love it too. It really makes you happy, i found myself smiling all day as they came down one by one, surrounding me with little cards.

For me, these little cards are by far the best birthday gift! So apparently my friends in Axioo (photographers, graphic designers, video editors, customer relations, and even driver) gets to write something about me.