One evening I was watching this amazing movie "Wild Hearts" on Animal Planet, about a French woman Catherine, and her journey to South Africa in search of the big cats. She not only found the cats, but also landed herself a husband, Daniel. These two have an amazing affinity with those lovely cats--they rescued leopard cubs, kept a cheetah and a lion as not pets, but family. In short, there aren't enough people around the world who could love their animals as much as they loved their fellow humans unconditionally.
After that I got really upset because there's been a situation around my neighbourhood that's gotten me really riled up. I didn't really want to write about this on a public platform such as Facebook or Multiply, but right now I don't really give a shit. So read this, and tell me what I should do.
My place is a small cul-de-sac of terrace houses and a few houses down from mine, a new neighbour had shifted in sometime last year. Generally, the area's not exactly too friendly; we only know one or two of our neighbours well, the rest mostly keep to themselves. But okay, no harm. So this new neighbour's not one of the approachable ones, but they stuck out distinctively from the beginning.
For the past couple of months, especially in the recent weeks, I've noticed that they've kept their two pets, both dogs, outdoors. The smaller dog's kept in a open-top cage, hardly larger than a decent size rabbit hutch. The other one, a growing golden retriever (might be a lab, not sure), still a baby, prolly not older than a year (judging from roxie's retriever, Pistol, i'm guessing), is always kept on a leash. The problem with that leash is that it barely allow the dog to move more than 1.5m around the area, so much so it doesn't even reach the gate. The leash is always kept taut and the poor fella has no freedom. There's a doggy bowl of water near him but that's always all I see. Even on rainy nights, it can't move towards the door.
Maybe I'm assuming too much, but over time, this observation at various hours of the day (morning, arvo, evening, night, godless hours 2,3am) is pretty much constant. Terald and I had gone up to the dog one evening, seeing that the house was all shut up with no cars around, and it had just looked at us and whimpered.
Obviously something wrong, right?
How can you keep your dogs on such a short leash/tiny cage day in day out? Sure, there are some times I don't see both of them on the porch but I guess that's their feeding/pooing time. But not once have I seen them being walked, played with. Neither of them makes a sound. God knows if the couple in the house have children even--if they do, they're prolly locked up somewhere.
Jesus. Don't keep pets if you're gonna treat them like prisoners. The retriever has perpetually sad eyes. I would too if I couldn't move more than a metre away from where I was tied up!!
I'm sure there's prolly some reason for all this. But whatever it is, it won't justify the inhumane way of treating their pets this way. I had thought about calling up SPCA anonymously and asking them to check out this house to see what they can do. But I'm not sure. Alot of the "what if i'm wrong" doubts come in. I wanted to speak to the neighbour but mom had told me not to interfere "You don't want to deal with this kinda people", reminding me that they had previously called up the cops on us just because we had a family gathering and one of our cars was parked outside their house, obstructing their own parking space. Geez, we're all neighbours, just come TELL us. You don't have to resort to dialing triple 9.
Well. I can't not do anything. It's been too long. How?
Here's three that i like from their recent campaign –– Healthy Mind, Happy Life This one's my favourite: Healthy Mind – Positive Thinking http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j09XJviEJk&feature=channel_page  Healthy Mind – Lucky got Kaki http://media.hpb.gov.sg/HOP3/Videos/TV_Ads/monkey.mpg  Healthy Mind – Good Friends http://media.hpb.gov.sg/HOP3/Videos/TV_Ads/fish.mpg  More of the ads from HPB here: http://internet-stg.hpb.gov.sg/digitools/channelvitem.aspx?id=5648
Peggy Wong's apartment in NYC. designsponge.com is my daily dose of inspiration and I love everything that it features. but this one really hit home because it embodied everything that I love about an apartment––lots of bright light, whites and neutral hues, surrounded by beautiful bits of art. lovely. http://www.designspongeonline.com/2009/07/sneak-peek-peggy-wong.html
according to philly, what heaven should be like:
(a boliao msn conversation at work)–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Utopian Heaven for the Chocoholic written by a Non-chocoholic Ex AlcoholicPhil - do the backslash says: (4:33:59 PM) ah yes..in heaven there will be mountains of chocolatesit will snow chocolate dust toothe self cleaning houses we live in will collect only chocolate dustand seasonally nutmeg ones that drift into our eggnogthere is a chocolate mountain covered in a fine layer of bitter cocoa dust which angels grate roasted cocoa beans over a huge shiny grater as a part of their gym routine.BUTthe chocolate mountain is a considerable distance from the city of God and chocolate pilgrims make a trip there on foot once a year.Of course, the clouds trodden paths ensure no impact on your metatarses or whatever stringy ligaments we have that are prone to snapping....which is really an illusion, just like everything else, since you are dead anywaytest titles:- utopian heaven of the macintosh devotee written by the PC (gasp!) amateur software testing scum of the earth
- utopian heaven of the slightly fuddy duddy advertising person tv + food addict written by the loving sleepy non fan of a job partner
As msn-ed by: Philadel Yeo–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– there we go. i love this girl and her imagination. she keeps me awake at work.
  
hi all,
I just received my bag (16.6.09) and I'm selling the Balenciaga First bag in Charcoal Grey, because it was the wrong size that I got from Paris so please help me spread the word and direct whoever is interested to me.
It comes with the dustbag, mirror and cards with details such as the serial number. It is SGD1,800, negotiable. It is retailing in Balenciaga Singapore for SGD2,199, and I doubt you can even get this colour here. Fits a book, wallet, phone, all your little barang barangs.
The details of the bag are:
- Soft vintage crafted lambskin
- aged brass hardware
- top zip closure
- hand stitched handles 4" drop
- removable shoulder strap 7.5" drop
- front zip pocket
- leather strings on zips
- leather framed hand mirror
- fine textile lining
- interior zip pocket with Balenciaga engraved plaque
- 13" x 2" x 6"
- made in Italy
*** More photos will be provided when requested for.
Please email me at wan.michelleandrea@gmail.com for more queries, thanks!
i ordered in the lemon detox kit from aussie a couple of weeks ago, cost me bout S$112 in total, including shipping and started it on monday 18 may. check it out on lemondetox.com.au (heard about it first on aussie radio fox fm). so many people were skeptical bout it...i initially was too, not a fan of these crazy diets but i read the part bout cleaning out ur intestines and i was convinced. i've been having stomach problems for the past few.. years man.. and it comes on and off. i'm so sick of it so i decided to do this in hopes of clearing my body of that problem.
so this is day three.
the first day was hard. my stomach was suffering from terrible hunger pangs, the noisy sort.. and towards the evening i got really fatigued. thank god no headaches whatsoever, i just went straight home after work and fell asleep at 920pm (record timing man...the usual is 11ish, 12 for a worknight). 2nd day.. the worst part about this detox is the sea salt flush. brings back many many memories of salt-water-parade during our judo camps where you had to down a litre of disgusting salty water... i almost puked. i managed bout 500ml and stopped. and had a senna tea instead. bleugh. was tired thru the day, but that's one of the symptoms. plus yeah, no 'real' food either. slept real early too. oh but by day two, no more hunger pangs. not the noisy ones anyways.
today, woke up feeling fainty and light headed...and alarm bells were going off. walking upstairs was a feat for me. didn't do sea salt flush, instead i substituted for more senna tea. came in to work and made a litre of the drink and had a cup. felt better. day three is generally the turning point, where ur body rids enough toxins for you to regain energy, and feel normal. i'm gonna keep at this til friday, and reevaluate if i can do it another 2 days to make it to a week. oh on a different note...the loo has become my best friend. the stuff that come out from you are amazing. you realise how much crap you've been harbouring in your body and how indulgent our lifestyles are.
gaaahhh colleagues cooked pasta for lunch. i'm not hungry, but still tempted.
good luck to me.
Hey people,
Two friends of mine recently opened Folk Food, located at level 4 of the new Iluma at Bugis Village, and they serve up some mean dishes, specialising in gourmet fast food.
Just wanna spread the word and I'd appreciate it if you could do that in any way you can.
go to www.folkfood.sg to check out what else they have!
awesome revolving retro signage –– you can't miss it!
the 5-spice chicken pide, with roasted veggies and perfectly charbroiled chicken. 
brat & beans: charbroiled bratwurst served with old-style beans *YUM* show some love people! go go go :)
 I know some people who are like that. And they scare me.
But I'd rather be the unsuspecting wolf, than the rabbit. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– "Oh, you're not paying attention, my friend. She doesn't accuse. She merely needs to insinuate, insinuate anything, don't you see? Didn't you notice today? She'll call a man to the door of the Nurses' Station and stand there and ask him about a Kleenex found under his bed. No more, just ask. And he'll feel like he's lying to her, whatever answer he gives. If he says he was cleaning a pen with it, she'll say, 'I see, a pen,' or if he says he has a cold in his nose, she'll say, 'I see, a cold,' and she'll nod her neat little grey coiffure and smile her neat little smile and turn and go back into the Nurses' Station, leave him standing there wondering just what did he use that Kleenex for." He starts to tremble again, and his shoulders fold back around him. "No. She doesn't need to accuse. She has a genius for insinuation. Did you ever hear her, in the course of our discussion today, ever once hear her accuse me of anything? Yet it seems I have been accused of a multitude of things, of jealousy and paranoia, of not being man enough to satisfy my wife, of having relations with male friends of mine, of holding my cigarette in an affected manner, even––it seems to me––accused of having nothing between my legs but a patch of hair––and soft and downy and blond hair at that! Ball-cutter? Oh, you underestimate her!" Harding hushes all of a sudden and leans forward to take McMurphy's hand in both of his. His face is titled oddly, edged, jagged, purple and grey, a busted wine bottle. "This world...belongs to the strong, my friend! The ritual of our existence is based on the strong getting stronger by devouring the weak. We must face up to this. No more than right that it should be this way. We must learn to accept it as the law of the natural world. The rabbits accept their role in the ritual and recognize the wolf as the strong. In defense, the rabbit becomes sly and frightened and elusive and he digs holes and hides when the wolf is about. And he endures, he goes on. He knows his place. He most certainly doesn't challenge the wolf to combat. Now, would the be wise? Would it?" Ken Kesey, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest
 One beautiful April morning, on a narrow side street in Tokyo's fashionable Harujuku neighborhood, I walked past the 100% perfect girl.
Tell you the truth, she's not that good-looking. She doesn't stand out in any way. Her clothes are nothing special. The back of her hair is still bent out of shape from sleep. She isn't young, either - must be near thirty, not even close to a "girl," properly speaking. But still, I know from fifty yards away: She's the 100% perfect girl for me. The moment I see her, there's a rumbling in my chest, and my mouth is as dry as a desert.
Maybe you have your own particular favorite type of girl - one with slim ankles, say, or big eyes, or graceful fingers, or you're drawn for no good reason to girls who take their time with every meal. I have my own preferences, of course. Sometimes in a restaurant I'll catch myself staring at the girl at the next table to mine because I like the shape of her nose.
But no one can insist that his 100% perfect girl correspond to some preconceived type. Much as I like noses, I can't recall the shape of hers - or even if she had one. All I can remember for sure is that she was no great beauty. It's weird.
"Yesterday on the street I passed the 100% girl," I tell someone.
"Yeah?" he says. "Good-looking?"
"Not really."
"Your favorite type, then?"
"I don't know. I can't seem to remember anything about her - the shape of her eyes or the size of her breasts."
"Strange."
"Yeah. Strange."
"So anyhow," he says, already bored, "what did you do? Talk to her? Follow her?"
"Nah. Just passed her on the street."
She's walking east to west, and I west to east. It's a really nice April morning.
Wish I could talk to her. Half an hour would be plenty: just ask her about herself, tell her about myself, and - what I'd really like to do - explain to her the complexities of fate that have led to our passing each other on a side street in Harajuku on a beautiful April morning in 1981. This was something sure to be crammed full of warm secrets, like an antique clock build when peace filled the world.
After talking, we'd have lunch somewhere, maybe see a Woody Allen movie, stop by a hotel bar for cocktails. With any kind of luck, we might end up in bed.
Potentiality knocks on the door of my heart.
Now the distance between us has narrowed to fifteen yards.
How can I approach her? What should I say?
"Good morning, miss. Do you think you could spare half an hour for a little conversation?"
Ridiculous. I'd sound like an insurance salesman.
"Pardon me, but would you happen to know if there is an all-night cleaners in the neighborhood?"
No, this is just as ridiculous. I'm not carrying any laundry, for one thing. Who's going to buy a line like that?
Maybe the simple truth would do. "Good morning. You are the 100% perfect girl for me."
No, she wouldn't believe it. Or even if she did, she might not want to talk to me. Sorry, she could say, I might be the 100% perfect girl for you, but you're not the 100% boy for me. It could happen. And if I found myself in that situation, I'd probably go to pieces. I'd never recover from the shock. I'm thirty-two, and that's what growing older is all about.
We pass in front of a flower shop. A small, warm air mass touches my skin. The asphalt is damp, and I catch the scent of roses. I can't bring myself to speak to her. She wears a white sweater, and in her right hand she holds a crisp white envelope lacking only a stamp. So: She's written somebody a letter, maybe spent the whole night writing, to judge from the sleepy look in her eyes. The envelope could contain every secret she's ever had.
I take a few more strides and turn: She's lost in the crowd.
Now, of course, I know exactly what I should have said to her. It would have been a long speech, though, far too long for me to have delivered it properly. The ideas I come up with are never very practical.
Oh, well. It would have started "Once upon a time" and ended "A sad story, don't you think?"
Once upon a time, there lived a boy and a girl. The boy was eighteen and the girl sixteen. He was not unusually handsome, and she was not especially beautiful. They were just an ordinary lonely boy and an ordinary lonely girl, like all the others. But they believed with their whole hearts that somewhere in the world there lived the 100% perfect boy and the 100% perfect girl for them. Yes, they believed in a miracle. And that miracle actually happened.
One day the two came upon each other on the corner of a street.
"This is amazing," he said. "I've been looking for you all my life. You may not believe this, but you're the 100% perfect girl for me."
"And you," she said to him, "are the 100% perfect boy for me, exactly as I'd pictured you in every detail. It's like a dream."
They sat on a park bench, held hands, and told each other their stories hour after hour. They were not lonely anymore. They had found and been found by their 100% perfect other. What a wonderful thing it is to find and be found by your 100% perfect other. It's a miracle, a cosmic miracle.
As they sat and talked, however, a tiny, tiny sliver of doubt took root in their hearts: Was it really all right for one's dreams to come true so easily?
And so, when there came a momentary lull in their conversation, the boy said to the girl, "Let's test ourselves - just once. If we really are each other's 100% perfect lovers, then sometime, somewhere, we will meet again without fail. And when that happens, and we know that we are the 100% perfect ones, we'll marry then and there. What do you think?"
"Yes," she said, "that is exactly what we should do."
And so they parted, she to the east, and he to the west.
The test they had agreed upon, however, was utterly unnecessary. They should never have undertaken it, because they really and truly were each other's 100% perfect lovers, and it was a miracle that they had ever met. But it was impossible for them to know this, young as they were. The cold, indifferent waves of fate proceeded to toss them unmercifully.
One winter, both the boy and the girl came down with the season's terrible inluenza, and after drifting for weeks between life and death they lost all memory of their earlier years. When they awoke, their heads were as empty as the young D. H. Lawrence's piggy bank.
They were two bright, determined young people, however, and through their unremitting efforts they were able to acquire once again the knowledge and feeling that qualified them to return as full-fledged members of society. Heaven be praised, they became truly upstanding citizens who knew how to transfer from one subway line to another, who were fully capable of sending a special-delivery letter at the post office. Indeed, they even experienced love again, sometimes as much as 75% or even 85% love.
Time passed with shocking swiftness, and soon the boy was thirty-two, the girl thirty.
One beautiful April morning, in search of a cup of coffee to start the day, the boy was walking from west to east, while the girl, intending to send a special-delivery letter, was walking from east to west, but along the same narrow street in the Harajuku neighborhood of Tokyo. They passed each other in the very center of the street. The faintest gleam of their lost memories glimmered for the briefest moment in their hearts. Each felt a rumbling in their chest. And they knew:
She is the 100% perfect girl for me.
He is the 100% perfect boy for me.
But the glow of their memories was far too weak, and their thoughts no longer had the clarity of fouteen years earlier. Without a word, they passed each other, disappearing into the crowd. Forever.
A sad story, don't you think?
Yes, that's it, that is what I should have said to her.
---- Haruki Murakami
The Elephant Vanishes
 | O8AMA | Jan 20, '09 11:31 PM
for everyone |
 YAY OBAMA!
his glorious speech:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/obama_inauguration/7840646.stm
his beautiful first dance with michelle obama:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/20/the-obamas-first-inaugura_n_159522.html
 Coma
My coma was nothing like those I've read about since: I've heard of people who fell into a coma in the middle of telling a joke and forty-two years later woke up and told the punchline. For them, those decades of oblivion were an instant of nothingness, as if they had passed through one of Sagan's wormholes, time had curled around on itself, and they had flown through it in a sixteenth of a second.
Describing the thoughts, visions and sensations I had inside that coma is near impossible. It wasn't the nothingness, because there was quite a bit of somethingness (when you're in a coma, even anyness is good), but I was too young to make sense of the experience. I can say, though, that I had as many dreams and visions as if I'd consumed a canonful of peyote. . . . . . . . . . .
I saw all the dawns come up too early and all the middays reminding you you'd better get a hurry on and all the dusks whisper 'I don't think you're going to make it' and all the shrugging midnights say 'Better luck tomorrow'. I saw all the hands that ever waved to a stranger thinking it was a friend. I saw all the eyes that ever winked to let someone know their insult was only a joke. I saw all the men wipe down toilet seats before urinating but never after. I saw all the lonely men stare at department store mannequins and think 'I'm attracted to a mannequin. This is getting sad.' I saw all the love triangles and a few love rectangles and one crazy love hexagon in the back room of a sweaty Parisian café. I saw all the condoms put on the wrong way. I saw all the ambulance drivers on their off hours caught in traffic wishing there was a dying man in the back seat. I saw all the charity-givers wink at heaven. I saw all the Buddhists bitten by spiders they wouldn't kill. I saw all the flies bang uselessly into the screen doors and all the fleas laughing as they rode in on pets. I saw all the broken dishes in all the Greek restaurants and all the Greeks thinking 'Culture is one thing, but this is getting expensive.' I saw all the lonely people scared by their own cats. I saw all the prams, and anyone who says all babies are cute didn't see the babies I saw. I saw all the funerals and all the acquaintances of the dead enjoying their afternoon off work. I saw all the astrology columns predicting that one-twelfth of the population of earth will be visited by a relative who wants to borrow money. I saw the forgeries of great paintings but no forgeries of great books. I saw all the signs forbidding entrance and exit but none forbidding arson or murder. I saw all carpets with cigarette burns and all the kneecaps with carpet burns. I saw all the worms dissected by curious children and eminent scientists. I saw all the polar bears and the grizzly bears and the koala bears used to describe the fat people you just want to cuddle. I saw all the ugly men hitting on all the happy women who made the mistake of smiling at them. I saw inside all the mouths and it's really disgusting in there. I saw all the bird's-eye views of all the birds who think humanity looks pretty active for a bunch of toilet heads...
What was I supposed to make of all this? I know that most people would have taken it as a divine vision. They might even have found God in there, jumping out at them like a holy jack-in-the-box. Not me. all I saw was man and all his insignificant sound and fury.
A Fraction of the Whole, Steve Toltz
 i love this excerpt from The Carrot Cake Conversations. Ever since I saw the trailer before some movie i was watching with Terald, I've been looking forward to its opening. And Terald had the privilege of meeting its director, Michael Wang, who I suspect to be my sister's friend, Michaela's brother...they look uncannily alike...plus he spoke of a sister in New York, who could very well be my infamous IJ senior, Michelle Wang. But anyhoos, can't wait, it is Adrian Pang after all, I can't miss it - he's my Singapore answer to Robert Downey Jr. Support local film, people: www.carrotcakeconversations.com It was really sad when we went to catch Eric Khoo's My Magic, there were only 7 people in the theatre, and for the fact that it was only showing in 2 theatres out of the many in Singapore, shows that the Singapore audience is still not mature enough to see talent in all its budding directors even tho this movie got a 15 minute standing ovation at the Cannes Films Fest.. sigh. Why must only people like Jack Neo get nationwide showings? They don't even promote proper english for pete's sake. Even Royston Tan doesn't get that much publicity. This is from the movie blog, from one of the protagonists, Daniel's, perspective:
The phone rings, and I know it is her.
As much as I never want to speak to her again, this is the call that I have been waiting for. I let the phone ring a little longer than usual, and answer with a silence. 'Daniel?' She calls me by my name. I manage a 'Hi'. 'Listen, I just called to say that, for what it's worth, I'm really sorry…' And my mind drifts off. Talk is cheap, especially when they come from the lips of a slut. But I can't blame her. I saw the train coming from a mile away and I sat on the tracks and had a sandwich. '… I really hope that one day you be able to forgive me.' Her voice is slightly coarser than usual.
'Daniel?'
The betrayal. You build your life around someone, some ideal, only to realize a beach wedding with twenty tables has its foundation in sand. 'In all honesty, you are forgiven. But I don't want to see you, I don't want to talk to you, I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore.' A heart is not meant to love and hate someone at the same time. She says nothing, and my heart pounds. 'I really think you need to leave your job?' And she cries. And I cry. We talk for another twenty minutes, and it is just like nothing ever happened. But there is no anesthetic for this hurt, and as I hang up, I realize how difficult a concept forgiveness is. Saying it is one thing, but truly forgiving someone, is something else altogether. I know the time will come when I have to deal with all of this, but I think I have grieved enough for the night. I shut my eyes.
I see her face, her smile. God. I smile at the irony.
| lucky. | Oct 15, '08 12:30 AM
for everyone |
:)
Do you hear me?
I'm talking to you
Across the water
Across the deep blue ocean
Under the open sky
Oh my and baby I'm trying
Boy I hear you in my dreams
I feel your whisper across the sea
I keep you with me in my heart
You make it easier when life gets hard
Lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
They don't know how long it takes
Waiting for a love like this
Every time we say goodbye
I wish we had one more kiss
I wait for you, I promise you I will
Lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Lucky we're in love in every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday
And so I'm sailing through the sea
To an island where we'll meet
You'll hear the music fill the air
I'll put a flower in your hair
Though the breezes through the trees
Move so pretty, you're all I see
As the world keeps spinning round
You hold me right here right now
Lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Lucky we're in love in every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday
Jason Mraz & Colby Caillat "Lucky"
| hmm. | Apr 15, '08 3:54 AM
for everyone |
it's been almost 2 full months since i stepped back onto this tiny island with the terribly erratic weather. i had forgotten how humid it could get in one minute and how fucking cold (well, as cold as tropical temperatures allows it to) it'd be the next. no wonder i fell sick.
i also forgot that this island is the land of food. but no, i'm not very happy about that because it's mostly crap that i've been putting into my body. pratas, pastries, lots of kopis, snacks, fried, fried, fried food, suppers, and the list goes on. i thought i had a problem in melbourne trying to keep my weight down, til i came home and everyone started stuffing me. oh boy. but alright, i admit, i haven't been exercising great willpower in saying no to food that i shouldn't eat. in fact, i would say i have been indulging myself a little too much.
the first month went by like this: alot of crap / food + no gym-time = fat chelle, then 2nd month came and i started to panick, so hit the gym i did and started to climb a lot more. thank god for friends who climb with you.
the job hunt went pretty well. i was kept busy with freelance work all the way so essentially i don't think i ever really stopped since school finished. but still, after a month plus, i was ready to start work, to the horror of some of my friends. apparently i am supposed to bum for a long while more before i work..but nah. i hate being idle. so after a few failed attempts at some interviews i got shortlisted in 2 companies.. both of which replied positively but i decided to go with the design studio :) i'm pretty pleased with that, seeing that it's an established designhouse where i foresee myself learning lots..and which will be a great stepping stone to whatever i might want to do in the future.
i start work real soon. and i'm panicking about it.
other than that.. it's been great back here. terald & i are doing amazingly well, despite the 1 year plus apart.. i think we're great when we're together, still strong but a little iffy when we're apart.. but yeah anyway now it's all good. about 2 weeks ago i bought those contenderasia finals tickets from sistic on impulse..but it was all worth it - he was terribly happy :) so was i, i was so proud of watching our singaporean fighters win...great matches.
anyway, lots have happened really. it's a real pity how we've lost the habit of writing - i wish i wrote more on my blog because i don't write in my diary anymore, and at least if i still use my multiply, i'd have an online account of what's been happening. well, in a way i still do that, but only with my photos.
the last bit: i still miss melbourne, and i think of it on a daily basis, but not as badly as i did when i first returned. nowadays, it's just little things like "oh how i wish i could be sitting at my favourite cafe having a skinnysoylatte with my favourite book" or "i wanna lounge in the sun in front of the library on the grass" stuff like that. the little things that i love. oh, last thursday when I was at the red dot museum having a coffee, just to dodge the scorching sun outdoors, this lady sitting at the next table spoke to me, asking for directions to basheer, and we started to talk. she's from sydney and one of the things i mentioned was that it was really great to be able to speak to a total stranger, something that's quite taboo here in sg, but totally normal there. but yeah, another friend made. 45 mins of chatting later, we exchanged emails and god knows if we'd be in contact but oh well.
anyhoos.
char kway teow with terable tonight. (see. more crap in my body)
Holly translated my question, " What's the secret to a long and happy life?"
She directed her answer to Holly. "Moments."
- Globetrotter Dogma
how true.
 as i was lugging back 4 new cartons from budget, about 3 streets away, my mind started to wander about the time here in melbourne. two years have really passed me by in a blink, and i'm not quite ready to leave this place and head back to reality, but i gotta do what i gotta do. 2007 was the best year of my life. i know some of my friends might feel what the hell chelle, how could that be possible, you weren't surrounded by close friends, family, boyfriend etc etc but i think it was precisely because of that, that i gained independence and insight into who i was. talk about finding myself...i think i found a huge part of me here this year. 2006 was shitty because it was my transition year, getting used to melbourne, hanging on to my singaporean buddies as much as i could because they were my life buoys. but this year. i let go of my safety net, kept one (desmond...i thank god for him everyday), and explored the infinite possibilities. i have to say, in getting close to my international classmates have given me a whole world of design networks, new schools of thought, intellectual challenges and so much more. it was precisely because i didn't have anyone from my past or present here to judge me as they knew me, that i allowed change to happen. but don't get me wrong, i appreciate every single moment for the support system i have back home, for if i didn't have that i knew i wouldn't be able to get through the time in melbourne. and oh, sure i've done some terrible things this year, things that have put me in the morally grey box, but hey, no regrets whatsoever. what i've experienced this year is something i'd never give up and would go back and do again in a flash if i could. but i think i grew up quite a bit. my mindset has been altered. my goals have changed. what i want in life has changed. i'm alot more daring now. my adaptability threshold has increased. i think i can survive if you put me in a foreign country to work. a year ago i doubt i'd have said the same thing. but melbourne gives me the impression i can do anything...and i did accomplish a lot here. my design skills were honed and improved by the communication design course, but mostly because of my peers. i've learnt so much from them, and for that, i'm eternally grateful because my confidence level has increased. a far cry from the lack of belief in myself back in 2006. i'm going to miss this place for the opportunities it presented me. but i'm not going to say goodbye because i know there's a possibility of returning (holiday - definitely, i need my shopping fix.) for work. but for now, i've another journey to embark on. the thought of seeing my friends, family, terald excites me. it scares me too - a year away from singapore - questions of adjustment to the smallest things - weather, language, mannerisms (yes liz...it is a problem..i feel ya babe. a friend just reminded me bout what someone commented (a pm or whoever) "singapore's a first world economy with a third world culture", how true.), and to the bigger problems of getting a job, whether i'm good enough in this competitive field, whether anyone will hire me and so on. but i'll cross that bridge when i come to it. it's amazing how much things can accumulate over two years, and i'm not just talking about the tangible stuff. emotional, physical, mental baggage, all packed away and ready to be shipped back to singapore. it's hard. there are laneways where i will always remember a certain coffee spot that i frequent. or a restaurant which holds good memories for me. the school computer lab where tears have been shed, laughter shared, madness ensued. trips taken around melbourne, around australia. beautiful places, mountains, beaches, cafes, food, people, so many things. good times. :)
 feels like months since i last wrote (actually i think it might be), so just thought i should do a quick update about what i've been up to.. it's been quite the rollercoaster ride ever since school ended...felt like i haven't stopped working even though we handed in our final folio on 22.10 - i've been freelancing since july and ive ranted and been a real kvetch but now, since things have quietened down, i'm really grateful for all that opportunity.. after bout 5,6 projects, i've earned enough to buy myself a much-needed macbook pro (my powerbook is dying very badly - already it's blacked out on me 16 times this morning alone...it's impossible to do work on this - a motherboard problem that'd cost me a hefty aud1.2k to fix if i want to, so i thought, yeah might as well upgrade to a new mac). so yeah. pretty proud of that cos we're talking about a little over sgd4k here... nelle's brother is coming back in a few days so he's gonna bring up my laptop for me, i can't wait...
lots have happened...took a well-deserved trip to brisbane and goldcoast over a long weekend. was meant to be 3 of us, but one dropped out because of last minute TR application stuff ups.. but turned out to be fine, was a really good trip - i think both of us needed it because we were so wound up from work and more work that the four days of relaxation really did us some good. felt a little strange the first day because i wasn't used to not doing any work...but the holiday mood soon sunk in.
we spent a day in brisbane, and loved the southbank, where the museums are. was a pity because we were going to miss out on the andy warhol exhibition which would've started a week later. but oh well.. the city's relatively small, so i think we covered almost everything in bout 5 hours.. lots of drama on the first day, from not being able to rent the car cos neither of us had credit cards, to missing the bus to gold coast in the evening.. but eventually we got there..the beaches are absolutely gorgeous on the gold coast..it was breathtaking, sitting on the white sand just enjoying the sights. i remember on the last day, i got up early at 6am (don't ask..i thought it was 8) and strolled down to the beach with my slr and just sat there for an hour with my ipod and my thoughts. walked up and down the stretch for another hour.. it was some me-time which i quite missed in the midst of all my projects and what nots..
luckily we didn't collide too much with schoolies (huge graduation festival for high sch/college grad students - mostly chaos and hell), tho on friday night we ventured out into the tiny city area...and it was such a strange experience because it was like stepping into an entirely different social paradigm where there were zero adults/old people and the streets were just running wild with crazy teenagers. was eye-opening though.
anyway, we came back refreshed and unfortunately back to work immediately. speaking of which, the magazine which i was working on has been published and distributed (5000 copies!) in melb city..pretty pleased about how it turned out, just not so happy bout the number of pages - 24 is too little and too fast to get through, so the next issue should be a little heftier..but yeah. it means a lot to me to see a little booklet with my name in it. :) check out mcity.com.au, that's the co. i've been working for. issue 2 is in order.
i've also graduated on wednesday evening.. was extremely boring to sit through but when i finally got that piece of paper i just felt such a sense of accomplishment.. it took me a really long time to take that step towards this direction and i have to say, i do not regret a single moment of it. i'm really glad i left that comfort zone in singapore and moved to a place where it perpetually feels like i can do anything, that i always have opportunities abound. this is one of the reasons why i'm a little sad to leave, knowing that i could grow so much more as a person, a designer here. but singapore's home, and i will be back in due time - there are people, places, jobs waiting for me and a part of me can't wait for all that either.
going to take another lil trip this coming weekend - desmond nelle and daniel, we're gonna take a 10 hour drive up to sydney, should be pretty fun. it's gonna be all about eating, so this week i better starve myself. the first thing on our eating agenda - yum cha! we're leaving fri night 12am, so..yeah. 4 drivers over 10 hours, that's manageable.. road trip - can't wait! sydney's meant to be a real gastronomical experience for the curious palate - there's yum cha, hurricane ribs, plenty of savouries, sweets, chocolate martinis, and of course, the fish market - fresh barra or red emperors or basas cooked to perfection on the spot. mmm.
christmas is coming so soon.. seems like time is really flying by, esp when you're enjoying yourself. to the elites - i'm really sorry i won't be home this time around to host the annual elites party..but i'm sure someone else would be able to arrange something! will miss you guys.. next year i'll be sure to continue the tradition.. heck it, when i return, i'll host another just to get together to see u guys. :)
on a separate note, philly's coming up to spend nye with me i can't wait! hehe
for now, i should get some sleep - gonna climb tomorrow with the boys, time to conquer that new grey route...gaaah.
with kevlar. love at first sight.
AND with adesso. i love love love this typeface. someone please buy me the two whole sets. please.  speaking of typography, do this quiz: http://www.iliveonyourvisits.com/helvetica/# typophiles, can y'all tell the difference? they should make this a requirement when applying for design courses or somethin..haha. ok no.
• poppytalk.blogspot.com (can't get enough) • chic-cityrats.typepad.com (some lovely packaging, furniture design here) • boygirlparty.com (beautiful illustrations) • lepetiteatelierdeparis.com (i wish i could buy everything here)
• debivanzyl.blogspot.com
• iliveonyoursites.com/helvetica/# (a quiz: arial or helvetica? this is bloody interesting for us typophiles. also, read the article attached.)
• sfgirlbybay.blogspot.com
• antigirl.com
• designtaxi.com (yeah popular site that goes on forever and ever...)
• decor8.blogspot.com
• typographica.org (more drugs for the typophiles.)
• www.designspongeonline.com • www.waldopancake.com • www.flickr.com/photos/waldopancake/sets/72157594409406379/ • www.thecraftydevils.com/blog • www.designtoinspire.com • www.farm.sg • www.designobserver.com and so much more.
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