Gone were the rainy days and the sun is out brighter than ever. It was a public holiday the very next day, so what better way to spend a Sunday than to dress up in your Sunday’s best and to get yourself a sweet tooth with oodles and oodles of cupcakes.

When I first found out about The Cuppacakes Show, it reminded me so much of Frankie. The artistically cutesy things they would talk about, the weird and flowery fashion they would photograph, and any kind of ways to bring the arts and farts out in the next level. It was a piece of Australia that I enjoyed having but could not bring home with me to Malaysia. So, when I saw The Cuppacakes Show posters all about, I thought I would check it out. If not for nostalgia purposes, but just to have something to do on a Sunday.

I’m sorry. Starbucks? Coffee Bean? Pfft, that is so last season. Wondermilk Cafe is where all the hip Uptown boys and girls go to now. Like a rose on a pile of dung, it is a cosy little cafe erected in one of the shoplots lining the heart of Damansara Utama. The place is tastefully decorated with chalked drawings, personalised cardboard hangings, and orange lights filled the black ceiling like a metaphoric starlit sky that went well with the easygoing music along the lines of Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz and Belle & Sebastian.

Cute and artsy. How could I not love that place?

The place was already packed when I arrive at 2PM. Being a small cafe, it got a little hard to walk around inside. There was a line forming towards the counter and I was often mistaken to be queuing when I was just standing about listening to the acoustic performance. It felt weird too, standing in the middle and right in front of the performers. Like being on centre stage with a microphone in front of you and nothing to say. There were at least 10 people lugging around with their own DSLR cameras, finding the most artistic angles and snapping shots away. Some even came about with their own polaroid and lomo cameras. Definitely made me feel a little backward with the outdated camera I have in hand. But I guess if you just pretend to belong, you would actually blend in.

Nonetheless, The Cuppacakes Show was overflowing out of its small perimeter with goodies left, right and centre. Early birds got free cupcakes, and there was a Mingo Mingo ice cream van parked outside of the cafe, where everyone could go get their free soft ice creams of their choice. Each of us was given a lucky draw number too, and the lucky ones get to walk away with a box full of Wondermilk goodies. Unfortunately, Lady Luck has never been on my side. With four random numbers at hand, you would think I would at least get hit once. Heh.

 

Visitors could also get their own little cupcake tattoos plastered anywhere on them.

There was also a teeny weeny day market set up on the street, housing brand names like Tea & Sympathy, Suicide Pop, Shoplifters, Finders Keepers, Badgers and many more. There were outspoken T-shirts, stylish summer dresses, personalised light boxes, adorable postcards and other funky trinkets.

There were also a good lineup of acoustic performances that lasted until the night. But I only managed to check out Poet Stories as they were the first to perform that day. She reminded me of lazy afternoons and summer dresses fluttering with the breeze by the beach. Her originals were of soothing and relaxing ones. Simple, nothing extravagant. It suited well with the theme of the day.

Other bands that performed that day were State of Affairs, Lightcraft, Funky Doryz and Kokokaina. I cannot say anything about them because I did not stay back to listen to them. I was outside when State of Affairs was performing, but let’s just say I heard wrong, yeah? Let’s just assume that. And leave it at that.

And of course, what would The Cuppacakes Show be without cupcakes?

Just merely looking at them has already given me a toothache. Jeebus.

But I suppose the highlight of the day would be the cupcake designing competition.

 

The cupcakes were judged based on their creativity and design. And I have to say, some of them were really good. With all the trembling hands and honest mistakes, the cupcakes still came out top and - if I do say so myself - better than the ones available in Wondermilk Cafe. Heh.

 

There were four rounds with four competitors. And winners from each round proceed to the final round to compete against one another. In the end, VJ Marion Counter, who happened to be there with her 8TV crew, was the judge to determine the winner.

And the winner got a lomography camera. Awesome, eh?

Once upon a time I was sitting in Brisbane’s own cosy cafe Three Monkeys, questioning why Malaysia does not have something like this, and we are all resorted to commercialised cafes whenever we are looking for a nice place to chill with coffee. Little did I know while I was making comparisons, someone was already putting Wondermilk Cafe into action, building a hangout spot that speaks its own personality and characteristic.

It was a nice place to be in. I have a feeling it is a kind of event made by friends for friends, where everyone could get together, have a nice laugh and chill. There was a intimate bond there, and it felt nice to know that they could take it to better heights and share it with the public as well.

So, well done on The Cuppacakes Show, guys. Sorry I had to leave early. I was afraid I am going to go home with a sugar rush and a heck of a diabetes just by looking at all the pretty cupcakes.

@ Small Time Traveller