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

note: create a toilet board, for ideas pop up while relieving.

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.

the.stars.are.connecting.

Days have been filled with a myriad of activities ranging from tennis to rounders to yoga to football to ushering hundreds of kids into a shopping mall. We managed to slot in Kungfu Panda into the itinerary.

As the appointed dj for a pg-rated ‘disco night’, i had to make a list of songs i should “spin” for age 12 and below. Somewhere in between macarena and mamma mia, a few ten year olds came up to me and asked if i have benny bennasi and cascada (!!!). TEN YEAR OLDS! Then i’m reminded - oh i’m in europe. It’s all about the HTT baby.

*housetrancetechno

There has been much drama in a week’s worth. Russian boys bashing up the turks. turkish girls spreading rumours about the russian taking drugs. Two girls saw someone sniffing what looks like a tissue paper from afar and said “i saw them taking cocaine”. I had to stomach the hilarity of it all and pretended to be the concern house leader..that’s not how you do cocaine darling, believe me. Three little princesses decided to blow up the matter (because it’s fun having something to cry about) and have the turkish embassy in europe to jump onboard. The director of russian airline called from his motherland (who happens to be some kid’s dad) asking why was the bus to an excursion was delayed.

UK’s economy receives a boost during this time of the year because these kid spends 200pounds on average on chocolates, pencils and erasers in summer camps (each week).

“Erm, can I get my credit card. No another one also. Also when I have my 250 pounds?”

And today, I have to refresh my pretentious knowledge on yoga.
I’m holding classes on Monday evenings, from today onwards!

Oh and ehm I really really hate English weather.

zurich

next flight is in 8 hours

in exactly 10 hours time I’ll be in london

a backpack and an electric blue carrier

to kickstart the next phase of life

am i excited?

“… surreal but nice” hugh grant, notting hill.

2017–ten years, on national day, from the date of planning.

london.

reminder: c, q, h, s, you.

Istanbul is a drug. We shoot it in our veins from dusk to dawn, and have bread to soak it up in the day.
Alexander Hacke began his narration “it is a land of contrast…”

It is to me an oxymoron in every sense of an experience. Where east meets west, where nationalism hinges on the quest to modernization, where the call for prayers is blasted five times a day in every nook of the city, along side catchy rhythm of electronic fusion turkish folklore.

It is a muslim country where alcohol holds a special understanding between the glass shot and God.
Sneakers are don with Gucci shades and rainboots are good all year round.
Every cafe is a breakfast saloon, at any given time of the day.

I greet the sunset, live through sunrise and repeat step one all over again.
Four months, seemingly unreal, but I loved every minute of it.

Sherefe.

I wish I have four lives.

One for music, one for design, one for food, one for the sea.

To fully dedicate myself in each and everyone of them to the level of highest mastery.

Oh how, oh how.

Iran reminds me of selfish beauty. Untouched, untainted.

Formerly regarded as the throne of the Devil by the Christians but later converted by them into a church. Presently a mosque.

Pergamum, Turkey.

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 read this book a decade ago and ever since then I held a tiny wish to land myself in Greece on this special date based on a philosophy I held so dearly. There are 52 cards in a deck and not coincidentally 52 weeks in a year. Every four years come a leap year, like every four suits there will be a Joker.

29th February is the Joker’s day.

So the odds have it that I am 10 hours away from Greece and so the spontaneous adventure begins…

Thessaloniki – with no map, no accommodation, no plan. Diagnostic procedure: internet café.

Greek salad, feta cheese with pink peppers

Grandmother’s Cheese Pie

Rabbit with mavrodafmi wine & almonds, vinegar, daphne, black pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg

Deer in chocolate sauce with xinomavro, pepper, cinnamon, clove, cumin & homemade cocoa pasta

Patsavouropitta (traditional treacly), served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce

The highlight of the trip was that full blown three course Greek lunch at Mount Olympus (yes, where Zeus is) signature restaurant.

Telios! is ‘perfect!’ in Greek, and it was.
I have a 29th-February-Greece stamped on my passport!

A tough fight between these three

One - a childhood sweetheart
Two - falling head over heals for
Three - don’t know you but I’m

london, istanbul or toronto?

technically i shouldn’t give a flying fuck anymore. and i don’t.

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!

Yesterday I walked out alone, took the bus alone, took another bus alone, took the train alone and made my way to where I am suppose to be, in an unfamiliar territory.

The sudden rush of independence, the ability to walk and arrive, and realize that in this life there is no one else but you, to make everything happen the way you want it to be - a once familiar territory.

This is not growing up, this life as it should be. I did it once, I’ll do it again.

The mystic and magical route to where I will sleep after long hectic days..