normal's not normal, if you're not normal

Mausum & escape

2009-02-24T04:25:00.000-08:00

I know...I deserted my poor old blog for 2 entire months. I'm just so lazy! Anyway, I'm posting to share something today. It's this piece of music that I've put on repeat all day. It's so high on energy! I love 'new-age' Bollywood, with all its reggae and pop influences. Composed by A.R. Rahman from the movie Slumdog Millionaire.

it's more fun when you raise your arms up like this, ah ha ha ha

2008-11-17T06:05:00.000-08:00

I love King Julien. He's the flamboyant love-to-hate/hate-to-love lemur from Madagascar. He's terribly funny. I swear I laughed freaking loud in the cinema. Madagascar 2 was nice! The first one was my favourite cartoon ever, anyways. I hate Finding Nemo. I mean, sometimes you just wanna go to the movies to watch something that's plain 'ol silly, you know. And I don't talk to my dad (well, most of the time) like Nemo talks to his dad so I was more like, whatever. Anyway, I was glad they gave him a fair amount of screentime in the second movie. Sacha Baron Cohen rocks. And Mort, the small brown happy screechy lemur, is way too cute. He is sooooo retarded.

revival

2008-11-17T05:38:00.000-08:00

Shit. I wanna go to Thailand. Just so I can buy this cool shirt(s). It's so awesome. I want it really bad. I wonder if anyone I know is going to holiday in Thailand. The nearest store is in Thailand anyways.

Last paper on Wednesday and I'm not revising well. No surprise there! I just want to watch Naruto all day and night. It's LOL. The author killed one of my favourite characters though. I think he's on some killing spree. Kakashi sensei is the only good-looking guy left. Sasuke is a stupid pimp. Seriously. I punched the laptop screen when he went 'we will bring down Konoha'. Actually I didn't. STILL. Like WTFHUH??? Dude is messed up.

Can I wear jeans and a T-shirt to prom? And sneakers? At least it's not tickety-tack.

Shopping in Singapore is Boring. Epic Bore. Everytime I go out, I weep tears of Boredom.

Fernando FTW

2008-10-11T23:43:00.000-07:00

Fernando came in FIRST! (Again!)

I am so happy right now I could cry buckets of tears of pure, indescribable joy. I'm telling you, that is possible. Congratulations Fernando! Enhorabuena!

I was so nervous watching the Japan GP and I almost couldn't believe it (in spite of myself-I know) when Fernando moved into the lead. I think only resumed breathing when he took the chequered flag. That was an amazing moment. It always is! No one expected him to win again, understandably, but there's always a chance :D

Do people pray for these kinds of occasions? I did! Fernando winning the Singapore GP was the best surprise for me all year. Honestly. I really nearly cried my eyes out. I mean, he won right here, in Singapore! It was his first victory and first podium of the whole season. He looks so happy in the picture. And he was so upset when he took 15th position in qualifying! I remember him saying how disappointed he was and that he would just be going out the lap the track. But he won! It was incredible. EVERYBODY said that he got really lucky, but there's no denying that he's a competent driver (to say the least). And now that he's made 2 wins in a row, he's really proven that he's not about to fade out yet. Good luck for the Chinese GP!

vr(d)oom

2008-09-27T10:14:00.000-07:00

1st for the 3rd practice race and 15th for the qualifier?!
Damn.

El Nano

2008-09-26T10:07:00.000-07:00

Fernando Alonso won the 2nd practice race at the Singapore GP! Go Fernando! You can win Sunday's race too!

double entendre

2008-08-23T07:39:00.000-07:00

Christina Aguilera-Reflection

Look at me
You may think you see
Who I really am
But you'll never know me
Every day
It's as if I play a part
Now I see
If I wear a mask
I can fool the world
But I cannot fool my heart

Who is that girl I see
Staring straight back at me?
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?

I am now
In a world where I
Have to hide my heart
And what I believe in
But somehow
I will show the world
What's inside my heart
And be loved for who I am

Who is that girl I see
Staring straight back at me?
Why is my reflection
Someone I don't know?
Must I pretend that I'm
Someone else for all time?
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?

There's a heart that must be
Free to fly
That burns with a need to know
The reason why

Why must we all conceal
What we think, how we feel?
Must there be a secret me
I'm forced to hide?
I won't pretend that I'm
Someone else for all time
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?

What a long song. It's taken up so much of this entry's space! I really meant to keep it short and sweet. Anyway. What exactly is the meaning of me copy-and-pasting all these words here? I'm guessing most people would probably already know the lyrics to this song. I mean, it's Disney, man! And I'm not using it to say something like, oh, it's such an apt song to describe my life! I feel like Mulan, all misunderstood and not allowed to be my true self, etc. I personally think it's terribly cheesy. It's emo, Disney style. Eww. But the point here is to look at these lyrics again, and ponder this quote of the day I have here.

Beverly (my brilliant art classmate): 'In today's modern context it's like a gay coming out song.'

I still haven't gotten over it. Every line fits just way too perfectly it makes me suspicious.

these are a few of my favourite things

2008-08-22T07:02:00.000-07:00

No prizes for guessing why I've taken so long to update. School has been totally crazy this whole week. I don't think I've ever worked so hard in my life, and the most nightmarish thing is that IT isn't over yet. 'IT' being my final work for art, the thing I've been working towards yet dreading all year because of all the horror stories I've heard about it. I'm actually living out those horrors right now. I've been staying back in school until around 8 all week and I'm only about halfway through it all. Time is running out! I can't even begin to explain what an extremely frightening thought that is. I almost freaked out today. But I can't do that. Not yet at least. Anyway. Max and I thought of something way more relaxing to do (we wanted to do this since ages ago, but school got in the way as usual).

The Top Twenty List, in no particular order:

Marc Jacobs. I love how cool he looks on this magazine cover. He's a genius and someone I really admire. The Marc by Marc Jacobs line is always interesting, fun and gorgeous.

Zara. I get almost all my clothes there. I'd go there at least once a week if I could afford the time, which I can't. Too bad!

Tokidoki. It's the cutest brand ever. Everything is really cute and simplistically yet thoughtfully designed. Look at all the adorable characters creator Simone Legno has come up with. They're irresistible! He's really shown the world his art and soul.

Cai Guo Qiang. My final work was inspired by his explosive gunpowder art pieces, after all. He's the first Chinese artist to hold a solo exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum and I love the meaning behind his installation pieces.

Eamon Sullivan. The Aussie swimmer is really cute. Michelle agrees! But Max thinks he's a bad boy. Great people get misunderstood sometimes.

TCC NAFA. Beanbag chairs are very comfy. I could spend a whole day there breaking the bank trying every drink on the menu.

Kinokuniya Takashimaya. It probably has the widest selection of books in Singapore. You could lose track of time browsing all the titles there. The Coffee Club inside is a bonus for gluttons like me. Or people with honestly tired legs.

NEW YORK! I want to go back there soon. It's a lovely city. Times Square, Central Park, Grand Central and even the NY Public Library-it's modern day picture perfect and full of culture and liveliness. This shot really tested the limits of my camera. It's one of the best I got of the Statue of Liberty.

The Esplanade. It's nice to just go there to hang around. I like the atmosphere there.

Dairy Queen ice cream. It can be more comforting than Haagen Dazs sometimes. I'm always tempted to get a sundae every time I walk past the outlet just outside Wheelock Place. Which is bad!

Melt buffet at Mandarin Oriental. The food is great and the desserts awesome. I have a pretty sweet tooth, so I was just thrilled with the assortment they had. Sinful.

Adam Levine. Hottest man alive when his hair isn't too short. He doesn't have the manliest voice, but there's something all too sexy about it. I haven't figured out what.

James Valentine. Most overlooked member of Maroon 5. He's icy cool. Actually, the only person in the band people care about is Adam Levine.

Purple. I like almost all shades of the colour. And I like flowers too. They're so delicate and beautiful. They have this sadly transient yet vibrant loveliness about them.

Drainpipe jeans. Some way or another, there's always a different looking one just begging to have an owner. I think it's just me. Another favourite article of clothing is the trusty hoodie. I have this uncontrollable urge to buy a pretty hoodie everytime I see one. I bought 2 in New York.

Botan Japanese Restaurant. Actually, I've liked most of the Japanese restaurants I've been to. I love Japanese grub. I also can't resist Italian food, which is tied for first place. I feel hungry already.

Art and design. If I don't do anything related to this in future, I'd be leading a horribly miserable life. Much as I've complained about the subject, there's no denying it's my favourite.

Foreign films. It's nice to take a break from the usual Hollywood stuff once in a while. Pan's Labyrinth by Guillermo del Toro really got me started. I love the parallel that was drawn between fantasy and real life. I think the plots in foreign and independent films are always seen as being offbeat, but they have more sense in them than many other movies.

Tuning out from the world. And doing nothing but listening to music. On headphones. It's kind of an indulgence, but something I really enjoy. I like all sorts of music, so it's hard to pick a definite favourite. A lot of it depends on mood, don't you think?

Oh my gosh. Twenty is not enough!!

Citius, Altius, Fortius

2008-08-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

I've been so hooked on the Olympics this year. Which is pretty odd since I wasn't too hyped up during Athens 2004. But I sure have been enjoying it a lot. I've been indulging myself in entertainment too much. It's hard to get out of couch-potato mode. I stayed up last night to watch badminton, gymnastics and tennis and slept much later than I wished I would have. Anyway.

I thought Milorad Cavic was going to win the men's 100m butterfly. Look. He was ahead of Michael Phelps but lost by a grossly minimal 0.01 seconds. Oh, come on! He deserves a gold medal too. I've liked Phelps since the Athens Olympics, but I honestly feel that this one belonged to Cavic. I hope he's not feeling too disappointed, I feel so bad for him.

And of course, it finally happened. Singapore's going to win at least a silver medal?? That's totally crazy and awesome at the same time. So many students including yours truly were crowded round the TV near the stage area during Li Jiawei's match rallying like it was the World Cup finals. Feng Tianwei was incredible. She's so cool and composed and of course, she was the one who really helped Singapore win. Although we'll probably never hear the end of it (at least until the next time we win another medal which I don't know will take how much longer), I've got to say that I'm really happy for the country.

big fish

2008-08-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

I know France's Alain Bernard won the men's 100m free final and he's really cool, but Eamon Sullivan from Australia is super cute. Actually what I meant to say was that he was really, really, really close! The slow-mo replay just makes it all the more obvious-it's like the ultimate battle of whose arm is longer/stretchier. Very intense stuff.

while i'm dying to get over with the a levels...

2008-08-13T07:32:00.000-07:00

Pratt Institute, Brooklyn/Manhattan NY

Maybe, mom?

Pratt was one of the schools besides Columbia and Parsons that we visited last year, and it was the only one I didn't know anything about at all. But I ended up liking it so much. Egads. I need to think about how I'm going to pull my grades up splendidly (miraculously) first before I even dare start fretting about admissions.

a declaration of genius. not mine

2008-08-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

I know I've mentioned more than once how much I love Ryan McGinness' (apparently a good friend of Ryan Cheok. Hmm.) work. But I'm going to be repeating it again. Sorry. I was looking at his work for the hundredth time and I got all awestruck again. Actually, I was looking at his work SERIOUSLY (not just any oh-my-gosh-oh-wow-it's-pretty! perspective) this time round, because it may be somewhat useful for my final work, and I'm pretty excited about that. I hope it's going to be useful, so then I can put a picture of one of his works in my prep studies and label it 'artist reference'.

The creativity that is Ryan McGinness, because through lit I've learnt that 'ocular proof' is insubstantial:

Two of the many pieces that made me fall in love with his art. Look at the layering. It's so complex and awesome.

Ryan McGinness sculpture!

Ryan McGinness skateboards!

Ryan McGinness pins!

Get lost in a McGinness maze!

Okay. I have officially talked about McGinness to death.

i don't really not care, really

2008-08-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

Cute stranger on Max's blog :)

Anyway. This has probably got to be the most un-National-Day-ish National Day I've ever had. I skipped all of the celebrations in school to hole myself up in the art room together with Yuting and Beverly, and I watched all of 2 minutes of the NDP just now (the fireworks segment, what else). I totally didn't realise that this is the last year I'll be having school-based National Day celebrations until Michael brought it up yesterday. Which means no more message from the education minister, NE skits, sing alongs, etc anymore. That's pretty much.

Incensed

2008-08-06T06:16:00.000-07:00

So I finally got caught without a tie and had to buy a new one. And I've to show that I'm wearing it next Wednesday. Maybe a few more Wednesdays, I don't know. I can't believe how much this is getting me down! And I usually just brush this kind of trivial nonsensical stuff aside. It's irritating me that I'm letting myself get affected. Oh well. I think PY on the other hand was happy enough that he only got caught for being without a collar pin. He thought that there were other...issues. Which would have taken a longer time to get over with. Poor Michelle! She had to buy a new tie too and she only forgot to bring hers. I thus conclude that it's a weird world we live in.

Teresa told me that she read some article about how incense can cause cancer. Everything causes cancer these days. Literally ANYTHING can cause cancer. And I happen to be experimenting with incense for my art coursework. There's quite a lot of incense going on. Oh, and many kinds too. You know how they say artists have a knack for dying young? I think I'm starting to understand why. They're like these little living magnets of doom and gloom, attracting all sorts of woeful situations to themselves while being unbeknownst to it all.

Nice dress from the extremely talented, painfully cool Alexander Wang.