I went to dbl O (nice website with horrible graphics btw) for the first time today. It was alright, I didn’t like the music..it was retro night with a bit of RNB which I don’t dig.

Well good place to laugh at drunk people/get drunk since the drinks are cheap. There was a girl wailing and puking at the toilet over a boy..as in she was crying about a boy.

I saw Oliver Jeffers featured on It’s Nice That the other day and went to check his website out. He’s is a really talented illustrator and painter. He is famous for his children picture books. I saw them on his website and immediately fell in love with them. I have to get them.

They were quite expensive to get online so I decided to try Borders or Kino. Surprisingly (ok actually not surprisingly cos Kino does carry a lot of books), Kino has majority of his book. And I decided to get this one:

It’s about a penguin that turns up at a little boy’s door one so he decided to bring the penguin home.

It’s such a heartwarming story and uber cute! I finish reading the book in minutes but it’s all worth it, beautiful paintings and such innocence in the way he writes. I am definitely going to get another of his book.

I like what I like. And what I mean is, if you know me well enough, I like to collect toys miniature things and things with a lot of details. So, I like what I like if it makes sense because it makes me feel like a kid forever. It kind of suits me as well, me being small physically you know…

I decided a couple of months ago I would invest on a design/art book monthly. I started off with a layout book, this is the second one. I almost forgot how it feels when i get a new book..the smell, the texture, colours, woohoo! Gives me the high…

I used to get kind of annoyed/useless when everyone around me surfs art/design sites and wowing at all the great pieces when I was in school. Annoyed because why is every conversation centered around some great designer or photographer. Useless because I have no idea what or who they are talking and that makes me feel that I am not as passionate into design as them or I am not as good.

Now that I am working as a graphic designer, it seem it doesn’t matter anymore. Obviously, doesn’t matter one, because it has passed and two, no matter how many sites you go to, if you suck..yes you suck.

It is only now, that I am done with school, in a job and desperately need to learn more and get inspiration, I start surfing all these sites. They are great nevertheless and just damn inspirational (with many chunks of jealousy).

Right up till I am in my current job (which is in advertising), I never look much into advertising. I never took the module in school, never thought much about a career in advertising. Not because I am not interested but just…I always think I am just not witty enough for it..which I think I still am not. But I realised everything is kind of like advertising, we sell something some sort or the other so there’s no escaping.

So that pushes me to be much more observant to all sorts of advertisements..study them and be truly amused. So this is one of the series of ads I saw today that I think is just brilliant beyond amazing.

So yes, I can say I feel more arty/art-knowledged nowadays with all the arts and design sites everyday.

The post wasn’t meant to be so long, just wanted to say “amazing ad, take a look” and that’s it. I just need to rant/make noise on your screen, to let off all the talking I can’t do at work.

Via

This is truely the most heartbreaking photo I have ever seen. Quoting the photo caption directly:

“In this Nov. 6, 2008 file photo, young Protegee carries her niece, Response, as she looks for her parents in the village Kiwanja, 90 kms north of Goma, eastern Congo. When photographed on Nov. 6, Protegee was in a crowd of thousands in the town of Kiwanja, having walked for three days by herself after being separated from her mother as they fled on foot from her town about 12 miles (20 kilometers) away. Protegee finally found her mother, Esperance Nirakagori, in Kiwanja at a makeshift refugee camp six days after they were separated.”

It brings me to think about many things that are beyond our imagination or knowledge. Another side of the world that’s so dark and lonely we refuse to think about it.

On the lighter side of life, a cute little photo essay of a cotton tail bunny:

I am quite addicted to Issuu nowadays. It’s a site where users published their magazine/publication online. Alot of really great stuff there.

I wanted to blog about death the other day, but got too tired when I got home. Yes, I suddenly thought about death over lunch the other day while I was eating alone. It was quite an eleborate ‘chat’ with myself..even had tears welled up my eyes as I thought about the things I want to do before I die and regrets.

The week was alright, passed sooner and easier than I thought. I went for the wedding dinner of my new colleague on Friday. Then it was Starbucks work on Saturday morning. Been working two Saturdays mornings straight, which means my weekends got shorter.

I watched ‘The Nanny Diaries’ just now, starring Scarlett Johansson. I really liked it actually. I don’t consider it as a flick..it’s a really heartwarming film, I actually cried after watching it.

It’s back to work tomorrow. It’s raining heavily now. The make-do scoccer/cricket field downstairs is almost a swimming pool already. I have been thinking about this for a while..what happens to all the insects like ants when the field floods? I am pretty sure they don’t die.

I cut my hair, it’s too cutesy looking for my liking. Most of my friends liked it..but I look 10 years younger. I already look 15, don’t need that extra youth.

I was watching ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ and they mentioned the state fish of Hawaii. I thought it was a joke..but no, there’s really a state fish, the Reef Triggerfish called:

Humuhumunuku-nukuapua ‘a (in Hawaiian)
pronounced as: hoomoo-hoomoo-nookoo-nookoo-a-poo-a-a

A huge blister grew literally over an hour at my ankle area. Ok what’s that area, above the ball of your feet and ankle called? …I don’t feel very smart right now. Especially after reading Carissa’s blog. She has such great command in English, every blog entry is like reading a storybook.

Anyway, I joined Daytum. It’s super cute. Basically it’s just a site where you post whatever stats you wanna post. Go to the link and see for yourself. And it is beautifully designed too.

I just finished a book called ‘God is Dead’ by Ron Currie Jr. It’s one of the best books I ever read (yes, not that I read a whole lot of books). It’s a book about ideology and humans. The book is kind of made up of little stories that kind of connects. The ending of every story is just awe-inspiring, kind of leaves you hanging there. And what’s more, the cover has nice illustrations and the book has very nice layouts.

It’s only Tuesday.

My table is moist from the dew/mist. The weather is damp this few days which is perfect for sleep, not meant for waking up for work.

I have built quite a collection of links on my work computer. I serve arts and design sites when I am free, just like today. I feel more jealous than inspired more often than not. Jealous these people are so damn talented.

Anyway, this is one of my favourites: juststuffifind.com. Very inspirational.

*

I had something I wanna blog about for days yet I haven’t done so because…it was just a quick, unbidden thought that was rather insignificant yet it has been on my mind for days.

As I am always working late, my mother bought me Vitasoy to bring to my office when I am hungry. I bring one a day and put it in my drawer below my desk. There are more food and drinks than papers and documents in my drawer.

The other day, I was hungry so I pulled out my drawer for the Vitasoy. That was when the unbidden thought happened. I was suddenly reminded of my grandmother who passed away not too long ago.

My grandmother lived in an old folks home even before I was born. It was an old folks home near my old house in Hong Kong. She had a stroke that left her mute. She was mute even before I was born. My uncles and mother would bring her packets or Vitasoy or biscuits to put in her drawer. She had tons of food in that drawer, always taking them out to give us when we visit her. That’s about all the belongings she has.

Having all those food and drinks in my drawer reminded me of her. I never really knew my grandmother..that fact that I live in another country, although I really wish I did. I didn’t really feel anything much when that ‘thought’ happened, not regret or guilt or whatever. That’s why I couldn’t really find a reason to blog about it…which now I do in the end.

Maybe it just reminds me of my own mother, how it’s always a tearful departure for her from the old folks home before she heads back to Singapore.

New header for the blog, getting quite tired of the muffin. Nothing special, doesn’t matter, it looks cute.

It’s the perfect weather to sleep in, it’s drizzling quite heavily, the sky is all gray and the day can’t get any lazier. I went to the bathroom just now and thank God I am not on the way to the bathroom to brush my teeth and go to work.

The thing about work, I really have no comments. I do dread it most of the time but somehow excited like a little girl all at the same time. Excited not really about the work load but mostly because I get my own station, I am at another period of my life and I am doing work for real. It’s kind of a funny thing to be excited about but it hasn’t faded, it’s already a month since I started.

Therefore, I hated being asked ‘how’s work?’, because I really don’t know. While I don’t exactly enjoy it, I can’t really find a valid/justifiable reason to hate it. It’s the state of somewhere between contented and unsatisfied. Yes.

And there’s something about work (sorta) I need to blog about! I have been making sure I remember this which is really, a damn stupid and ridiculous thing to remember:

I go to the toilet at work very often, I walk about the office more than anyone else. I drink lots of water to keep me awake. Sometimes I even think my GM is counting how many times I leave the office. Anyway, the toilet only has one toilet paper dispenser (?). And most of the time it runs out of toilet paper which is a damn annoying.

There’s once a lady went in and yanked a metre of toilet paper out. The first thing in my head is “damn you, that’s why toilet paper always run out”. I can try to understand if you are cleaning the toilet seat but nooo, she went to the squatting toilet. I wonder how many asses she has to wipe. I swear it was at least a metre long of toilet paper.

And she already annoyed me before with her glares at me and the way she walks like there’s something poking her ass.

Little things annoys me to the max. Just like how this lady wearing a medium-tight purple dress annoys because her ass wobbles too much - it’s the walk or stop wearing such a tight dress. Blame the morning rush hour, blame city life, blame work…it’s a quite amazing I am bothered by everything around me. I don’t think I should live in a city.

I bought two new goldfishes just now. They have these bubble cheeks, like really..they can burst if I poke it with a needle.

And throughout work this week, I have been plugging in the Jack’s Mannequin new album ‘The Glass Passenger‘. He’s one of my all time favourite artist so of cos I love the album. This album is pretty different from the last. The mellow songs get more sentimental. The lighter songs gets more guitar and drums heavy. I think my favourite song is ‘Swim’. You can’t resist Jack’s Mannequin with his heartfelt lyrics and piano rock.

I don’t like this new blonde hair, I prefer him with the black bald no hair look.

It’s Deevapali holday today, my first long weekend since I started working and yes indeed, it is awesome.

My blog was down for a couple of days because I didn’t pay my hosting fees. My host kept sending me email and the way they put it (I refuse to admit I am stupid or ignorant), it seem like they already automatically deducted it from my debit card.

Work on Friday at Starbucks was truely, truely exhausting. I never ever felt so tired with a constant migrate. I was mostly at the POS, and mostly feel like I am flowing in the air. I can barely keep my eyes open. But, it was still great working again..nothing beats working there.

I spent the last two days at home, I am sick..figured out I should stay at home and rest. I don’t think I want to fall asleep on my table tomorrow.

And I finally packed my room today. I don’t actually enjoy packing as much as everyone thinks but the feeling of a clean dust-free room gets me dancing inside. So unless I have a personal maid, I have to do the packing myself. Doesn’t everyone gets happier coming home to a neat room and sleeping on clean sheets?

I finally watch ‘Once‘ today, Wei lent the DVD to me. It was such a beautiful movie. It’s love story but yet not the typical lovey dovey romance movie. Like what it states, it’s a modern day musical. The story is so simple yet so genuine. The way it is filmed is so raw, nothing of that beautiful actors or people’s life nicely edited to portray a life you could never have? I don’t know if you get what I mean but you know how in film even if the characters are damn poor or struggling, movies are always in such a way it’s still more glamourous than you life you have? Well this film don’t. One of those film after you watch it, it feel real. Maybe because it’s shot in a documentary kind of style. And…such a perfect ending of the movie.

And of cos the soundtrack, the actors actually wrote those songs themselves. The songs reminds me of very Damien Rice and coincidentally, the story is based in Dublin, where Damien Rice is from.

I want to watch ‘Cashback’ next.

I have a whole list of things I want to get when I get my first paycheck. Maybe a good ol’ movie is a good start.