all begins with L

on why i’m at peace: this is a cut&paste so don’t be offended. )

“Alright, here we go.

Eight months on and I am declaring that my quarter life crisis is coming to a proper wrap. After series of interviews, taking aims and pursuing ‘proper’ jobs, I walked away from the last interview feeling utterly relieved knowing that I wouldnt be taking up the position despite putting on a good show.

After an hour of grilling the CEO looked at me and say that I am not one who value sales as much as marketing. I looked at him and went “absolutely.” We all know that a good product is a matter of being communicated, sales is a by-bonus end results. Chey-bah. )

After which I recommended him a good restaurant to have lunch in and he asked me to join him. But then I thought my time with him that day was already over stretched.

I am however meeting him again for possible collaboration. I’m beginning to embrace this mantra of working with people, not for people, even if you’re in a company. And that’s exactly what I’m gearing on with this coffee stint.

True enough, couple of weeks down the road, I saw the present in light. I start to work with what’s around me, my customers, my colleagues, the bosses and just working with the present value.

After seven months I’ve gradually make known to the managers of what I really want to do professionally and right now I’m co-interior designing the new coming cafe these guys are setting up. End of August I’ll be heading to Italy for the Biennale.

Coming back I’ll be starting an introductory course on Interior Design, not a masters nor a bachelor but a starting point. I’m beginning to love London for what it’s worth. Even today taking a new bus route home, I chance upon a road I’ve yet to stroll by.

It hasn’t been easy, I’ve made fools out of myself and still catching myself doing so at times, I’ve gotten quiet lately, perhaps having something to do makes you talk less, and if you talk less then you’ll really find something to do. The equation seems to work at present moment.”

THE FOLLOWING IS NOT CUT&PASTE, SO PAY ATTENTION. )

well, yes the ceo extended a dinner invitation next week. why not. and there’s a new distraction in town. when i get a name, i’ll let you know.

i found an interior design course from st martin which i’ll be signing up for when i get back from Italy. starts in October. Lola leaves London for good tomorrow, i’m quite sad about it actually.

i kinda fought with Sanran, I don’t know how to put it across to him that I can’t be friends with him anymore unless we completely put aside this intimacy.

on a more trivial note, i’m meeting ms. elizaveta tomorrow.

man?women?man?women? is never the question. )

you, i miss, as always.

now what next
for the coming decade

ps. i miss the family

there’s a certain ritual to ushering in the new year, or rather if you’re a less futuristic person (with a history major) you would say instead, ‘to wrap up the year’. And they are almost accurately as follows:

a) reading old letters/blog post
b) scrolling through phone numbers
c) and delete those you’d probably not need to remember about (or pursue) in the new phase of your life
d) decide whether you really should delete their numbers
e) chart how old your virtual pets are, namely your blog, your flickr acccount, your twitter account, ourchart account, hotmail account??!
f) re reading certain post and stomach a guffaw, re re re reading another post
g) that brings a trip down memory lane that turns into another lane, then goes waaay into the back lane
h) and go “omg C, look what i found!!”
i) and go bloody hell! my blog is turning three!

the flings, the affairs, the trials, the pursuits, the fantasies that partially morphed into bitter sweet realities, here we we go again.

am having a preview of what life is like being a wife to a marble tycoon. no i cannot get used to this. it’s too. erm.

comfortable.

that’s it, i’m officially on a diet. tomorrow.

th recent disappearance is due to a weekend solo getaway that involved perhaps too many modes of transport within a couple of days.

and now the i’m having istanbul withdrawal fever.

i’m back. nicely tucked in my dormitory bed.
massive amount of photo editing to do.
once you photoshop you can’t stop.

on a side note: i can’t believe next week’s episode is the season’s finale. no. i. don’t. want. l word. to. end.

I put on my favorite white pants and it was tight. I don’t even remember it being fitting. So here’s the story…

The weather took an unexpected 180 deg turn and it is a blizzard up here. The first morning it snowed, I received a couple of messages from ecstatic Singaporeans (me included) saying “Look out the window!”

The next day though, it was back to bright sunny days. So Ali and I decided to drive around the city and feast away!

Kumpir - oven baked potato filled with melted cheese and twenty different kinds of salads and sauces to short list from.

…and I had my first crossed over to the Anatolian (i.e. the Asian minor) side of Istanbul!

Over the next few days, I decided to get a mental map of what the city is like and there is no better way to explore it than by foot. Some of the best discoveries include devouring fish sandwich served fresh with bones in it. Those fish were grilled on board a tongkang equivalent of a boat by the river with waves hitting hard but the these men in uniform know how to keep their balance and make sure the crowd is well served.

It’s 3 lira!

The snow got serious over the next few days, thus mobility is limited from campus dorm to campus canteen. I didn’t manage to go for the big couchsurf party but did manage to spend prepre valentine with a small cosy bunch of global nomads. All in all I’m a happy camper still!

how about having a Macbook Wind-Water-Earth-Fire

and call it the Captain Planet Series.

I should sleep. Now.

Facebook is amusing. I’m still resisting the bandwagon of vampire slayers, bitters, smoochers and eggs hatchers. But I have succumbed to several catalysts of procrastination namely the scrabulous and the human-pets.

A close friend called in the afternoon telling me that she will be bringing me to the museum, and so in gleeful delight I asked when and where do I meet her. She replied, “No, I’m taking you to the museum now.. It’s really fun, you keep running around.” At this junction, I am in point blank.

She continued, “Oh, haven’t you checked, you’re my human-pet!”

..

Thus the evolution of our social life.

On a slightly more tangible (I meant to say productive) note, I was appointed associate of a Lebanese architectural facebook portal for which reasons I have yet to get a reply for. I might be the next Karim Rashid in female form, but my function now as designer is no where to boast about - wonderment. So yes, who knows facebook might land me a stint in Lebanon, for real.

As of now I am happy spending gazillion hours clicking life away. Maybe not away but perhaps clicking onto the future that I have been dreaming of ever since.

Embrace 2.0!

The group mate from Netherlands said “You do realize that you can’t work in an office, you have to do something with this expertise of yours.”

“Yes, my next big plan is to slog my arse off in Starbucks-London just to pay off the ridiculous fees for my future design school.”

Isle, “Call me up when that happens, I’ll come down and shake your hands.”

If one could graduate with a degree in Powerpoint , I’d probably walk away with a summa cum laude.
Having dealt with it so much, by default.

…until my brain starts to cooperate. For weeks the boys and I have been cracking our heads for this one particular module of ours.

Entrepreneurship and Business Creation.

1800-IDEASBYTOMORROW-PLEASE

Preferably something that adds value and addresses a problem.

Work brain work. Urgh.

Do you know that you’ll only fall asleep when your ears shut off

You can close your eyes for all you want but insomnia lingers until the ears decide to follow suit

That is why we use an alarm clock to wake us up, not some light flickering device (though that might work for some)

And last night I was hearing the ticking clock from dusk to dawn

Caffeine intake at 0000hr was not that wise after all

Yawn

While waiting for the lactose to take effect,
(snipped off from rose)

1. I’ve come to realize that my last dance.. was with Ray, my lesbian man.

2. I am listening to.. the fan at speed no.2

3. I talk.. when I am not bored

4. I love.. food, cats, and blue beaches

5. My first dance.. was the moment I could stand on my two feet

6. Love.. is very rare for me

7. Marriage is.. to accept, commit and then tolerate for as along as

8. Somewhere, someone is thinking.. about food

9. I’ll always.. place wisdom over intelligence

10. I have a secret crush.. on _________ .

11. I cried because.. I cannot marry my bestfriend

12. My cell phone is.. similar looking to the iPhone

13. I woke up this morning and.. waged a war with my bowels

14. Before I go to bed.. I get into position

15. Right now I am thinking.. of how to fund my exchange trip

16. Babies.. are nice to look at

17. Today, I.. cleared my desk

18. Tonight, I will.. read up on how to be a part time style-guru/coach for the obscenely rich

19. Tomorrow I will… hunt for good dessert

20. I really want to be.. (well) paid for something that I love doing and give back to the world

1. There’s nothing more I want than a good roll of cigarellos.
2. I am about to forfeit a ticket because it would be stupid of me to take a bus to KL just to catch a flight to Bangkok
3. A ticket to Bk from my country cost sgd57
4. I hope both of you will get back together
5. Life is pointless without love
6. I am disagreeing with a few people who are very dear to me
7. I will be very happy to have a good book, a cup of coffee and that roll of cigarellos on a drizzly day
8. I would very much like you to call me
9. Life is also pointless without desires

1. Apply for exchange, apply for exchange, apply for exchange. Deadline: In 20 days.

2. Fuck BOSS. Bidding e$65 for Science Exploration is a joke. I’m going to make t-shirt that says “I hate BOSS” for next year’s freshman orientation camp. Or “How to win your BOSS” or “I bidded e$1936748.09 for Finishing Touch.” (Suggestions welcome)

3. Internship has officially ended. But the hunt is very much an on-going affair.

4. I love cool clients. And I don’t mind them cool ones calling me at godly hours sulking at the fact that they might lose the bid.

5. Dad sewed me a vintage pink leather laptop casing!

6. Spotting designer properties is like shooting up drugs for me. I am in a profession of satisfying desires. And based on recent expeditions, if I were ever to buy a property in Singapore, it would be in Tiong Bahru. That neighborhood is vintage cool. I could go on and on but I’d reserve this for another entry.