another 3 hour lunch, big breakfast with poached eggs
talk: Malaysian and Singaporean politics, miscellaneous topics, food, the perks of being an academic, god knows what else. the heat saps everything.
AND IT"S FUCKING HOT! 38 degrees out and sweltering
tomorrow: pyrmont market to see if they have any more pomegranate vinegar and bush dukkah. and confused eggs for brunch
Friday, October 31, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Monday
I spent the afternoon in the city. From Chinatown I made my way up to the CBD, felt the heat from the sun on my skin. It's different from what it is in Malaysia. The air here has a clarity I haven't encountered anywhere else; not in Melbourne where it is filtered by cloud cover, more diffuse in Brisbane, and unlike the heavy and dense air in KL. The brilliance startled me every time I returned from a month or three away. Just walking out on a clear day, perhaps after the rain, even in the middle of winter, the clarity of the light makes me smile.
I picked up a loaf of bread, a chocolate hazelnut croissant, and a cherry strudel from one of the best bakeries in the city. The croissant was my lunch on the go, happily leaving a trail of crumbs behind me as I walked through the underground of QVB, back into the light, through Myer, and up to Martin Place to get cupcakes. Knowing that it was one of the last times, possibly the last time I would do that did not make it any less enjoyable and I smiled to myself all the way, chomping on the flaky pastry.
Almost every landmark in this city has a memory attached to it. Places to meet friends or lovers, places to walk alone through the crowds, places to escape from the crowds and just be silent. Over these four years, this city has turned from a stranger to something else. It's sharp beauty, like the edge of a knife would cut through whatever else was fogging my mind; the emotions, preoccupations. And when there were none, it amplified the happiness and peace.The clarity of air I have found only here at times bordered on being overly bright. Almost blinding.
Yet the sharpness never cut me, instead cutting through to me. Frequent pauses for a moment of appreciation, to just stop running for awhile and admire you.
It's an oxymoron - a beautiful city. Cities aren't supposed to be beautiful. They are brick and mortar, steel and concrete, man made defences against nature and the wilderness. They are elegant at best but elegance is not beauty. Somehow you have that quality rare in a city and wear it lightly.
I picked up a loaf of bread, a chocolate hazelnut croissant, and a cherry strudel from one of the best bakeries in the city. The croissant was my lunch on the go, happily leaving a trail of crumbs behind me as I walked through the underground of QVB, back into the light, through Myer, and up to Martin Place to get cupcakes. Knowing that it was one of the last times, possibly the last time I would do that did not make it any less enjoyable and I smiled to myself all the way, chomping on the flaky pastry.
Almost every landmark in this city has a memory attached to it. Places to meet friends or lovers, places to walk alone through the crowds, places to escape from the crowds and just be silent. Over these four years, this city has turned from a stranger to something else. It's sharp beauty, like the edge of a knife would cut through whatever else was fogging my mind; the emotions, preoccupations. And when there were none, it amplified the happiness and peace.The clarity of air I have found only here at times bordered on being overly bright. Almost blinding.
Yet the sharpness never cut me, instead cutting through to me. Frequent pauses for a moment of appreciation, to just stop running for awhile and admire you.
It's an oxymoron - a beautiful city. Cities aren't supposed to be beautiful. They are brick and mortar, steel and concrete, man made defences against nature and the wilderness. They are elegant at best but elegance is not beauty. Somehow you have that quality rare in a city and wear it lightly.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
revised itinerary
Chiang Mai - Ban Houayxay - Louang Phrabang - Phonsavan - Vientiane - (if there's time, Si Phan Don) - Bangkok
this after narrowing down the suggestions from Duncan re:Laos and throwing out his more bizzare preferences ('I like to go to the places tourists don't go because there are no sights for them there' = off the road/ bombed out by the Americans)
also, travel in the daytime because the scenery is beautiful. That means I should put aside at least 3 days for traveling on the road.
10 days? I think Si Pan Don might not happen this time around
this after narrowing down the suggestions from Duncan re:Laos and throwing out his more bizzare preferences ('I like to go to the places tourists don't go because there are no sights for them there' = off the road/ bombed out by the Americans)
also, travel in the daytime because the scenery is beautiful. That means I should put aside at least 3 days for traveling on the road.
10 days? I think Si Pan Don might not happen this time around
Sunday, October 26, 2008
I have way too much time on my hands
Pollan is making me seriously think about food for a change (as opposed to what exactly I'm not sure).
New project: Industrial vs organic chicken
Pollan's book is roughly divided into 3 sections; industrial, organic (which has two subdivisions), and personal, each of which traces the paths of produce produced through each system. Industrial follows corn because it's the keystone of American industrial agriculture. Corn - beef, corn - HFCS, cornstarch, dexterin, -glycerides, and other molecular derivatives of corn mass. Thirteen out of the 38 ingredients that go into a Chicken Mcnugget are corn-derived. Yeah, 38. I digress.
What was my point? Oh right, industrial/ organic chicken. So the premise of this experiment is the 'chicken-ness' of say, a Chicken McNugget. Does it really taste like chicken with its 38 ingredients, including natural chicken? I'm not sure. In my memories Chicken McNuggets seems like chicken, although the dominant flavour is the crust of the thing and it's McDonald-ness (no better word, not going to bother trying to find it either). You know that particular flavour or aroma McDonalds food has. The texture of the thing certainly isn't chicken - which isn't surprising considering the 38 things that go into it. The chicken meat that has gone into a Chicken McNugget has been processed and disfigured to the point of no longer resembling it's source. That's my hypothesis.
So I'm going to make a side by side comparison of Chicken McNuggets with a piece of organic, free-range if possible grilled/ pan fried chicken (although these veracity of the labels attached to such a chicken in the supermarket may be misleading, I've got no other source so that chicken will have to do as 'authentic chicken')
And yes, this is an attempt at distracting myself from the boredom and loneliness so I don't give in and call any of them. hah.
Next time, I will only write after having coffee. So incoherent.
New project: Industrial vs organic chicken
Pollan's book is roughly divided into 3 sections; industrial, organic (which has two subdivisions), and personal, each of which traces the paths of produce produced through each system. Industrial follows corn because it's the keystone of American industrial agriculture. Corn - beef, corn - HFCS, cornstarch, dexterin, -glycerides, and other molecular derivatives of corn mass. Thirteen out of the 38 ingredients that go into a Chicken Mcnugget are corn-derived. Yeah, 38. I digress.
What was my point? Oh right, industrial/ organic chicken. So the premise of this experiment is the 'chicken-ness' of say, a Chicken McNugget. Does it really taste like chicken with its 38 ingredients, including natural chicken? I'm not sure. In my memories Chicken McNuggets seems like chicken, although the dominant flavour is the crust of the thing and it's McDonald-ness (no better word, not going to bother trying to find it either). You know that particular flavour or aroma McDonalds food has. The texture of the thing certainly isn't chicken - which isn't surprising considering the 38 things that go into it. The chicken meat that has gone into a Chicken McNugget has been processed and disfigured to the point of no longer resembling it's source. That's my hypothesis.
So I'm going to make a side by side comparison of Chicken McNuggets with a piece of organic, free-range if possible grilled/ pan fried chicken (although these veracity of the labels attached to such a chicken in the supermarket may be misleading, I've got no other source so that chicken will have to do as 'authentic chicken')
And yes, this is an attempt at distracting myself from the boredom and loneliness so I don't give in and call any of them. hah.
Next time, I will only write after having coffee. So incoherent.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
like, seriously?
So erstwhile f-buddy and nominal friend (oversimplification but you already know the complicated details), S called. He managed to lock himself out of his flat and wanted to know if he could stay with me in case the locksmith couldn't come until the next morning.
I'm on auto answer when people ask for help (unfortunately) so 'sure' is my verbal response
Luckily, the locksmith pulls through (yay, nameless locksmith!) and S doesn't have to spend the night with me.
But seriously, was there no one else he could call?
Men
I'm on auto answer when people ask for help (unfortunately) so 'sure' is my verbal response
Luckily, the locksmith pulls through (yay, nameless locksmith!) and S doesn't have to spend the night with me.
But seriously, was there no one else he could call?
Men
-thump-
I ate my cupcake (too eggy) and just as I finished it I remembered the time I was standing in front of you, using your laptop.
You put your head to my chest just to listen to my heart beat.
grr owl
You put your head to my chest just to listen to my heart beat.
grr owl
Friday, October 24, 2008
strike one: 'fast' food
i don't think i'll be able to look at a maccas meal without seeing a bushel of corn and a gallon of petroleum now
sigh
sigh
idle thoughts
I was thinking while carving up a roasted chicken. Tearing the meat off the bone structure of a chicken is something I suck at. It takes forever. So I started thinking of a conversation a few months ago, about infidelity and whether it's acceptable and even normal.
To me, it is not acceptable and it is not normal. I would leave any man who cheated on me, regardless of how sorry he may be or how many excuses he may make. And likewise, I would leave someone I could not be faithful to instead of prolonging the relationship. Here's why.
To argue that man is inherently incapable of monogamy smacks of determinism and is a blatant denial of free will. True, men are more inclined towards having multiple partners than women are. It's a throwback to prehistoric times and a fact of nature. But this alone is not enough to justify infidelity because humans, unlike animals, have free will. This capacity to make rational choices and morality are elements which distinguish man from beast. A person who cannot rise above his baser instincts is not fully developed as an individual, both mentally and morally. Fidelity is something every person in a serious relationship has the right to expect from his/ her partner.
It is also a matter of respect. A person who truly respects and values a relationship would not then jeopardize it by seeking attention from a third party. It can be argued that there are extenuating circumstances, problems in the relationship but these are excuses, not reasons. However troubled the two of you may be, if it is worth holding on to, the last thing you do is to find someone else to play with. To do so is to wilfully and deliberately hurt your partner. If it's not working out, the two people would be better off going their separate ways.
To accept infidelity, physical or emotional, as inevitable is to perpetuate a vicious cycle upon both your current relationship and future ones. Because he, having gotten away with it once, is likely to carry the belief that most women will forgive and forget infidelity into future relationships. And she, having it stamped into her consciousness that the genetic predisposition is an excuse for infidelity, will allow it to happen in future relationships.
Conflating the weaknesses of the individual with the tendencies of the sex is flawed. And yes, I do believe that it is a sign of weakness, and that it marks a personal lack of self control and responsibility. I've been there before but I hope to have learnt better.
The argument that men just can't be monogamous is not one which holds water these days. Infidelity is less common than you might suppose - one in five men and one in ten women have commited infidelity during their marriages. It is not inevitable for a man or a woman to cheat.
To me, it is not acceptable and it is not normal. I would leave any man who cheated on me, regardless of how sorry he may be or how many excuses he may make. And likewise, I would leave someone I could not be faithful to instead of prolonging the relationship. Here's why.
To argue that man is inherently incapable of monogamy smacks of determinism and is a blatant denial of free will. True, men are more inclined towards having multiple partners than women are. It's a throwback to prehistoric times and a fact of nature. But this alone is not enough to justify infidelity because humans, unlike animals, have free will. This capacity to make rational choices and morality are elements which distinguish man from beast. A person who cannot rise above his baser instincts is not fully developed as an individual, both mentally and morally. Fidelity is something every person in a serious relationship has the right to expect from his/ her partner.
It is also a matter of respect. A person who truly respects and values a relationship would not then jeopardize it by seeking attention from a third party. It can be argued that there are extenuating circumstances, problems in the relationship but these are excuses, not reasons. However troubled the two of you may be, if it is worth holding on to, the last thing you do is to find someone else to play with. To do so is to wilfully and deliberately hurt your partner. If it's not working out, the two people would be better off going their separate ways.
To accept infidelity, physical or emotional, as inevitable is to perpetuate a vicious cycle upon both your current relationship and future ones. Because he, having gotten away with it once, is likely to carry the belief that most women will forgive and forget infidelity into future relationships. And she, having it stamped into her consciousness that the genetic predisposition is an excuse for infidelity, will allow it to happen in future relationships.
Conflating the weaknesses of the individual with the tendencies of the sex is flawed. And yes, I do believe that it is a sign of weakness, and that it marks a personal lack of self control and responsibility. I've been there before but I hope to have learnt better.
The argument that men just can't be monogamous is not one which holds water these days. Infidelity is less common than you might suppose - one in five men and one in ten women have commited infidelity during their marriages. It is not inevitable for a man or a woman to cheat.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
hatchoo!
The company was good. So much so that I failed to notice until much later that the food wasn't actually as good as I remembered it to be. The deep fried prawn, chicken, fish, and mashed potato thing were lukewarm bordering on cold and the sashimi was dry as if it had been prepared a few hours ago. But I ate it all anyway. The whole dinner bento box (this is where you break out the applause). Not bad, but not what I remembered it to be.
The barbequed squid was good though.
Fucking sydney is fucking freezing. It's been like the middle of winter for the past two days - 15degrees out, plus rain, plus knock-you-over wind. Really. Thank you. I felt a cold catching this afternoon but dinner seems to have chased it away. Also chased dinner with a walk through the city (late night shopping Thursday, y'know! shops open til 9! excitement) and something I haven't had for years - one of those Japanese green tea ice cream things encased in wafer with red bean in the middle. Eating ice cream when it's cold is really counterintuitive. My head says no, my tastebuds go 'yes please!'. No prizes for guessing who wins. And because my tastebuds are self indulgent, the rest of me couldn't try on clothes. Which of course means a return trip is necessary.
And contrary to popular belief (really people, I do have some sense of morality that actually functions now and then. And it's functioning full swing right now) I am being good and staying away from all of them nasty liddle (or not so liddle) addictions. Mind over body.
The bad news is that the same ethics are also starting to hammer at me for all of the following reasons:-
i. eating unsustainably farmed food - meat and veg
ii. eating unethically grown meat
iii. eating un-local produce (both meat and veg again)
iv. eating processed 'food' and junk
In sum, contributing to the 'military-industrial complex' that fuels bad health and divorces people from nature by so easily turning that cow into an unrecognizable patty with corn filler.
It's also bad for the environment.
read
M. Pollan compacts the contents of 'the omnivore's dilemma' here AND offers solutions too. You will need an account with the NY Times to access the article, but it's free. Alternatively you could wait until the next time you see me in person and get the lowdown from me, significantly simplified and edited for content depending on the inconsistencies of my memory. Just sign up for an account dammit, save us all the trouble :p
Whether this will impact my eating habits remains to be seen. Because my carefully nurtured ethics are coming up against my culturally-ingrained apathy and cynicism. Activism vs. defeatism. Sit back and watch.
See, this is where all my energy is being redirected.
This weather calls for Miles Davis. It's a thing I have. Jazz goes well with hibernation. hibernate. zzzzz
It's nice not having anything to do. :)
The barbequed squid was good though.
Fucking sydney is fucking freezing. It's been like the middle of winter for the past two days - 15degrees out, plus rain, plus knock-you-over wind. Really. Thank you. I felt a cold catching this afternoon but dinner seems to have chased it away. Also chased dinner with a walk through the city (late night shopping Thursday, y'know! shops open til 9! excitement) and something I haven't had for years - one of those Japanese green tea ice cream things encased in wafer with red bean in the middle. Eating ice cream when it's cold is really counterintuitive. My head says no, my tastebuds go 'yes please!'. No prizes for guessing who wins. And because my tastebuds are self indulgent, the rest of me couldn't try on clothes. Which of course means a return trip is necessary.
And contrary to popular belief (really people, I do have some sense of morality that actually functions now and then. And it's functioning full swing right now) I am being good and staying away from all of them nasty liddle (or not so liddle) addictions. Mind over body.
The bad news is that the same ethics are also starting to hammer at me for all of the following reasons:-
i. eating unsustainably farmed food - meat and veg
ii. eating unethically grown meat
iii. eating un-local produce (both meat and veg again)
iv. eating processed 'food' and junk
In sum, contributing to the 'military-industrial complex' that fuels bad health and divorces people from nature by so easily turning that cow into an unrecognizable patty with corn filler.
It's also bad for the environment.
read
M. Pollan compacts the contents of 'the omnivore's dilemma' here AND offers solutions too. You will need an account with the NY Times to access the article, but it's free. Alternatively you could wait until the next time you see me in person and get the lowdown from me, significantly simplified and edited for content depending on the inconsistencies of my memory. Just sign up for an account dammit, save us all the trouble :p
Whether this will impact my eating habits remains to be seen. Because my carefully nurtured ethics are coming up against my culturally-ingrained apathy and cynicism. Activism vs. defeatism. Sit back and watch.
See, this is where all my energy is being redirected.
This weather calls for Miles Davis. It's a thing I have. Jazz goes well with hibernation. hibernate. zzzzz
It's nice not having anything to do. :)
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
this week
this is the plan for the week so far:-
return the library books that are cluttering my room
meet Duncan and plan mamak session
dinner with C on Thursday. get hit with sugar if there's anything appetizing. the offerings this year don't appeal to me that much. what do you think?
carry out massive clean up of room
think about summarizing research findings for participants
hunt down cupcakes in the city (ooh.. wild game)
oh, and i went shopping today :)
1 dress (to add to my ever expanding collection). quite proper. not a sundress, more for dinner. stretchy and close fitting, cream upper, black lower. just above knee. v front and back. argh, you'll see. maybe.
2 pairs of shorts. basic. i left my fave pair of shorts in kl. genius
1 tank top. basic.
1 belt (because some of my dresses need a belt to look good). heart.
the belt i got needed an extra hole or two so it'd stay up instead of falling halfway down onto my hips. the guy at the shoe and watch place was nice - he did it for free
return the library books that are cluttering my room
meet Duncan and plan mamak session
dinner with C on Thursday. get hit with sugar if there's anything appetizing. the offerings this year don't appeal to me that much. what do you think?
carry out massive clean up of room
think about summarizing research findings for participants
hunt down cupcakes in the city (ooh.. wild game)
oh, and i went shopping today :)
1 dress (to add to my ever expanding collection). quite proper. not a sundress, more for dinner. stretchy and close fitting, cream upper, black lower. just above knee. v front and back. argh, you'll see. maybe.
2 pairs of shorts. basic. i left my fave pair of shorts in kl. genius
1 tank top. basic.
1 belt (because some of my dresses need a belt to look good). heart.
the belt i got needed an extra hole or two so it'd stay up instead of falling halfway down onto my hips. the guy at the shoe and watch place was nice - he did it for free
done
yeah, it's done. it felt surreal yesterday, to not have it in my hands anymore, to know that it was complete. the work of almost a year and by far the biggest thing i have ever done.
'empty nest syndrome' my cousin called it.
But today it feels good. To finally have the time to do what I want without feeling guilty for taking precious minutes away from it.
So I made truffle scrambled eggs.
Remember bills' scrambled eggs? The silky texture without a trace of hardness in the eggs? :) I got it perfect today (and without the 1/2 cup of cream too)
nyam
I now have to clear off my desk and clean up my room - papers, journal articles, chapter drafts from march through to the final full draft in october, LIBRARY BOOKS (two trips)
I'm going to spend the next month of so doing (almost - because I'm being good) everything I've meant to do since March. And I'm also in the mood to cook for the first time in months. Maybe I'll set up a cafe with my sisters and use my thesis as wallpaper. Hmm..
And no, no plans to do a PhD. Or to turn my thesis into a book.
'empty nest syndrome' my cousin called it.
But today it feels good. To finally have the time to do what I want without feeling guilty for taking precious minutes away from it.
So I made truffle scrambled eggs.
Remember bills' scrambled eggs? The silky texture without a trace of hardness in the eggs? :) I got it perfect today (and without the 1/2 cup of cream too)
nyam
I now have to clear off my desk and clean up my room - papers, journal articles, chapter drafts from march through to the final full draft in october, LIBRARY BOOKS (two trips)
I'm going to spend the next month of so doing (almost - because I'm being good) everything I've meant to do since March. And I'm also in the mood to cook for the first time in months. Maybe I'll set up a cafe with my sisters and use my thesis as wallpaper. Hmm..
And no, no plans to do a PhD. Or to turn my thesis into a book.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
speculate
Someone has my address here. Someone I do not remember giving my address to. Which means someone has been snooping because this someone does not know any of my friends (here).
How do I know this?
I had the earliest birthday present ever in the mail today.
was it YOU?
How do I know this?
I had the earliest birthday present ever in the mail today.
was it YOU?
it's your fault i took this!
the questions and options irritated me - i find very few things morally objectable but many of them are intellectually absent or tasteless. and what if you try to walk whenever possible BUT your family also owns luxury cars, cars that are fuel efficient, as well as second hand cars?
but i'm surprised at how 'not proud' i am. less surprised at what would send me to hell..
| Greed: | High | |
| Gluttony: | High | |
| Wrath: | Medium | |
| Sloth: | High | |
| Envy: | Very Low | |
| Lust: | Very High | |
| Pride: | Medium |
The Seven Deadly Sins Quiz on 4degreez.com
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
today
I spoke with a man with the most brilliant blue eyes I have ever seen. They were jewel-toned, the colour of sapphires. Blue eyes and black hair get me every time
I amused myself by observing a pretty bubble head in the library
I picked up a copy of The Omnivore's Dilemma
I was offered a gingerbread man for oktoberfest
I smiled a bit at every head that turned
I had my usual large skim latte, one sugar and banana bread, toasted and buttered
I shivered in the wind
I relished every minute here because I know they are coming to an end
I amused myself by observing a pretty bubble head in the library
I picked up a copy of The Omnivore's Dilemma
I was offered a gingerbread man for oktoberfest
I smiled a bit at every head that turned
I had my usual large skim latte, one sugar and banana bread, toasted and buttered
I shivered in the wind
I relished every minute here because I know they are coming to an end
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
the end is near
tweet tweet tweet tweet!
It's almost done
:)
just a couple of thorough read throughs to check for consistency from start to finish and then it's done. for good. monday, october 20 2008, 12pm will mark the end of this phase.
It's almost done
:)
just a couple of thorough read throughs to check for consistency from start to finish and then it's done. for good. monday, october 20 2008, 12pm will mark the end of this phase.
Monday, October 13, 2008
book list
In preparation for freedom. I have a lot to catch up on
Michael Pollan - The Omnivore's Dilemma
- In Defense of Food
Peter Singer & Jim Mason - The Ethics of What We Eat
Jennifer McLagan - Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient
The Waiter - Thanks for the Tip: Confessions of a Cynical Waiter (Waiter Rant is brilliant)
TBC
Michael Pollan - The Omnivore's Dilemma
- In Defense of Food
Peter Singer & Jim Mason - The Ethics of What We Eat
Jennifer McLagan - Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient
The Waiter - Thanks for the Tip: Confessions of a Cynical Waiter (Waiter Rant is brilliant)
TBC
constellations
the End is in sight. the email read that tomorrow's meeting will be short. I interpret that to mean that there's little to correct or change and it is near acceptable for submission.
So I tripped home, first peaches of the season in hand, dawdling and anticipating. And admiring my gold nails every chance I got. Every time I want to check my watch I get distracted and look at my nails instead and forget about the time. tsk.
:)
The bad news, depending on how you see it, is that I feel the stirrings of my ink addiction. I should name them, just for ease of reference (and also because I secretly think they've each got a distinct personality. Or they are associated with a different me). The last one kept me satisfied for almost two years now, so that's a bit of a record. No piercings etc since then either.16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and nothing up to now. It IS a new record! woo hoo! I can't believe I got something done every year of my life since I was 16. Never counted until now.
This time around I want something
a. at the base of my neck/top of my back (obviously)
b. shoulder blade
first choice would be a. but that would leave the problem of concealing it should I ever be unfortunate enough to land in a conservative workplace. As for what it would be.... I've come full circle - I want another star. Perhaps a smaller one, not a carbon copy of the first but there aren't that many variations on stars.
Which gives me an interesting idea. I could eventually have a smattering of stars across my body/ canvas. Not just black or solid stars either, maybe have a few red stars, a few outlines of stars, different sizes. That kind of thing. OR instead of having a completely random scatter of stars, I could place them in apparently random positions but have them form a sign/ something-i-just-don't-know-what-yet if I were to draw an imaginary line connecting them. Connect the dots. ooh...
So, a constellation of stars or connect the dots (stars). This would keep me occupied for a decade, I would think. And because each one would be so (relatively that is) small, I could get them done more frequently. Yes, let's bring some order into this whole milestone thing instead of ending up with a completely random assortment of creatures and symbols. Bigger picture yeah
So I tripped home, first peaches of the season in hand, dawdling and anticipating. And admiring my gold nails every chance I got. Every time I want to check my watch I get distracted and look at my nails instead and forget about the time. tsk.
:)
The bad news, depending on how you see it, is that I feel the stirrings of my ink addiction. I should name them, just for ease of reference (and also because I secretly think they've each got a distinct personality. Or they are associated with a different me). The last one kept me satisfied for almost two years now, so that's a bit of a record. No piercings etc since then either.16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and nothing up to now. It IS a new record! woo hoo! I can't believe I got something done every year of my life since I was 16. Never counted until now.
This time around I want something
a. at the base of my neck/top of my back (obviously)
b. shoulder blade
first choice would be a. but that would leave the problem of concealing it should I ever be unfortunate enough to land in a conservative workplace. As for what it would be.... I've come full circle - I want another star. Perhaps a smaller one, not a carbon copy of the first but there aren't that many variations on stars.
Which gives me an interesting idea. I could eventually have a smattering of stars across my body/ canvas. Not just black or solid stars either, maybe have a few red stars, a few outlines of stars, different sizes. That kind of thing. OR instead of having a completely random scatter of stars, I could place them in apparently random positions but have them form a sign/ something-i-just-don't-know-what-yet if I were to draw an imaginary line connecting them. Connect the dots. ooh...
So, a constellation of stars or connect the dots (stars). This would keep me occupied for a decade, I would think. And because each one would be so (relatively that is) small, I could get them done more frequently. Yes, let's bring some order into this whole milestone thing instead of ending up with a completely random assortment of creatures and symbols. Bigger picture yeah
Saturday, October 11, 2008
self-praise
I have to admit, even as IT drives me insane editing it, I love the complexity of my thesis. Reading the first few paragraphs that state succintly what it's about makes me positively purr.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
almost there
I *heart* gnocchi filled with spinach and ricotta. It doesn't even need sauce. Browned butter might be nice. mmmm..
The meeting over the first draft lasted two and a half hours but it didn't seem like 2.5 hours. Must have been the coffee. Surprisingly little to change though even if it'll take a few full days to correct. Minor details here and there but Duncan still hasn't criticized anything I've written much. He talks about how he kept scribbling 'excellent!!' instead and wanted a stamp so he wouldn't have to keep writing that. I hope it's just me being overly critical of my own work rather than him being overly easy to impress/ lenient. Now, finding more things to cut is going to be hell. Damn word count. Shouldn't have it. It's repressive.
gnocchignocchignocchignocchi. love the sound of it. gnocchi. too much coffee. gnocchi. shiny blind-you-bright fuschia nails. gnocchi
The meeting over the first draft lasted two and a half hours but it didn't seem like 2.5 hours. Must have been the coffee. Surprisingly little to change though even if it'll take a few full days to correct. Minor details here and there but Duncan still hasn't criticized anything I've written much. He talks about how he kept scribbling 'excellent!!' instead and wanted a stamp so he wouldn't have to keep writing that. I hope it's just me being overly critical of my own work rather than him being overly easy to impress/ lenient. Now, finding more things to cut is going to be hell. Damn word count. Shouldn't have it. It's repressive.
gnocchignocchignocchignocchi. love the sound of it. gnocchi. too much coffee. gnocchi. shiny blind-you-bright fuschia nails. gnocchi
Monday, October 06, 2008
this
I loved you once before and maybe I still care, which is why I won't ignore you. Also because I'm being civil.
But I am over this back and forth game that you're trying to play. So when you ask me how I'm doing, I'll reply. And when you ask me to meet you now, you'll need to give me a reason to.
But I am over this back and forth game that you're trying to play. So when you ask me how I'm doing, I'll reply. And when you ask me to meet you now, you'll need to give me a reason to.
eat
lunch. blanch asparagus. garlic sauteed in olive oil, capers, spaghettini, asparagus, crumble feta, smoked salmon, squeeze lemon. drizzle e.v. olive oil. yum.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
i hear the constant sound of yarping
9am:
still asleep, i hear
yarp yarp yarp yarp
(cover head with pillow and go back to sleep)
11am:
i wake up to more
yarp yarp yarp yarp
they made headphones and microphones for a reason. and do you have to make the living room your phone booth? yergh
blast PotUSA in return.
hehehehe
still asleep, i hear
yarp yarp yarp yarp
(cover head with pillow and go back to sleep)
11am:
i wake up to more
yarp yarp yarp yarp
they made headphones and microphones for a reason. and do you have to make the living room your phone booth? yergh
blast PotUSA in return.
hehehehe
Friday, October 03, 2008
signs of summer
bikinis (yay, skin!)
shorts and mini skirts and dresses instead of jeans
strawberries on the cheap, all the time
which naturally means that I eat a punnet a day (sometimes)
because they are that good. that red, that sweet, not even dipping them in dark chocolate tops these berries fresh and unadulterated
:)
and yes, that is a package you see in the background. my cousin sent me a message two days ago - keep an eye out for the postman in a week!
it came today
and.. (now i know you'll scold me..)
this was in it
card telling me to hang in there
and the entire Zoya gossip collection
which completely satisfies all my hot-pink and purple cravings :) i know, i know..
plus Zoya ki, top coat, base coat, and quick dry drops
(photos taken with 1.3MP cameraphone so excuse the quality)
on another note, i was distracted by the presence of prawns (not dried, fresh and butterflied) in my papaya salad and wondering about the contents of my package. this is what happened
ooh prawns, i don't think they usually put prawns in papaya salad
(lifts a forkful of salad, briefly note red specks but continue pondering prawns)
munch munch munch
ow. shit. damn chilli. cili padi too
Thursday, October 02, 2008
-germinating-
Ok, this will take the place of my no-go solo jump
Places to visit/ worship in Thailand:
Ayuthaya
Chiang Mai (yes, again) - take the train up from BKK
BKK (obviously)
islands - not sure which ones yet, but eyeing Phi Phi
want to check out the south too but these bloody travel warnings.. the food would be different there from central and northern Thailand. it would only be fair!
and then off the beaten track (at least as far off as you can get in Thailand..) :
Ranong?
"The least charming of the Andaman coast's provincial capitals, Ranong lies on the east bank of tea-brown Pak Chan estuary, a short boat ride from Myanmar. This is a frontier town through and through, with a frenetic, downtrodden feel and a mix of Burmese and Thais scrambling for your tourist dollar. The town attempts to woo visitors not only with its interesting visa runs to Myanmar (Burma), but with a clutch of natural hot springs and a handful of tumbledown historic buildings. Even if you don't need to renew your visa, it's well worth taking the opportunity to have a cup of tea in Myanmar - but the bleak town of Ranong doesn't entice a stay longer than a day or two." - Lonely Planet
bleakness sounds promising. and i could hop across the border into Myanmar for a bit. but i don't like the sound of frenetic Burmese and Thais scrambling for my tourist dollar. bears consideration this one.
not off the beaten track but intruiging:
Pattaya
this is what Lonely Planet (again, so help me) says about it
"A heavy-breathing and testosterone-fuelled testament to holiday hedonism, Pattaya has lured tourists for almost four decades, and it's showing no sign of slowing down. And as past visitors move on to more genteel Thai resorts, first-time travellers from Russia and Eastern Europe now air their new passports with a fling in Asia's first and foremost Sin City. Anyone for Pattayagrad?"
herm... maybe to humour my curiousity
I have this urge to cover all corners of Thailand and then trek back to the center for a civilized break with the family. But the south is off limits for now, the Andaman coast offers Phuket but 'been there done that' and the rest of that side still has a [recovering from the tsunami] sign hung on the door. that might be an opportunity to do some 'community tourism' but god, how I hate the sound of that. It's so patronising and do-gooder who comes in for a weekend and goes 'oh, i helped rebuild this village'. harumph.
ALTERNATIVELY
It could be a BKK - Chiang Mai -
option (a) transit in bkk and take land route into Cambodia to trip out at Angkor again - 6 hours on dirt roads isn't that bad, done it before :) it gives you a massive headache but yeah, not unbearable
option (b) transit in bkk and take train into Laos and make way to Vientiane
option (c) take bus from Chiang Mai to border town of Huay Xai (Laos) and boat into Luang Prabang (yay, Laotian boat person!) and then check out Vientiane?
and that's as far as I've got right now. Eventually to head back to BKK and Ayuthaya and BKK and finally KL.
Laos sounds quite appealing actually. Angkor can wait for another trip and I've been there once, even if it wasn't enough.
Places to visit/ worship in Thailand:
Ayuthaya
Chiang Mai (yes, again) - take the train up from BKK
BKK (obviously)
islands - not sure which ones yet, but eyeing Phi Phi
want to check out the south too but these bloody travel warnings.. the food would be different there from central and northern Thailand. it would only be fair!
and then off the beaten track (at least as far off as you can get in Thailand..) :
Ranong?
"The least charming of the Andaman coast's provincial capitals, Ranong lies on the east bank of tea-brown Pak Chan estuary, a short boat ride from Myanmar. This is a frontier town through and through, with a frenetic, downtrodden feel and a mix of Burmese and Thais scrambling for your tourist dollar. The town attempts to woo visitors not only with its interesting visa runs to Myanmar (Burma), but with a clutch of natural hot springs and a handful of tumbledown historic buildings. Even if you don't need to renew your visa, it's well worth taking the opportunity to have a cup of tea in Myanmar - but the bleak town of Ranong doesn't entice a stay longer than a day or two." - Lonely Planet
bleakness sounds promising. and i could hop across the border into Myanmar for a bit. but i don't like the sound of frenetic Burmese and Thais scrambling for my tourist dollar. bears consideration this one.
not off the beaten track but intruiging:
Pattaya
this is what Lonely Planet (again, so help me) says about it
"A heavy-breathing and testosterone-fuelled testament to holiday hedonism, Pattaya has lured tourists for almost four decades, and it's showing no sign of slowing down. And as past visitors move on to more genteel Thai resorts, first-time travellers from Russia and Eastern Europe now air their new passports with a fling in Asia's first and foremost Sin City. Anyone for Pattayagrad?"
herm... maybe to humour my curiousity
I have this urge to cover all corners of Thailand and then trek back to the center for a civilized break with the family. But the south is off limits for now, the Andaman coast offers Phuket but 'been there done that' and the rest of that side still has a [recovering from the tsunami] sign hung on the door. that might be an opportunity to do some 'community tourism' but god, how I hate the sound of that. It's so patronising and do-gooder who comes in for a weekend and goes 'oh, i helped rebuild this village'. harumph.
ALTERNATIVELY
It could be a BKK - Chiang Mai -
option (a) transit in bkk and take land route into Cambodia to trip out at Angkor again - 6 hours on dirt roads isn't that bad, done it before :) it gives you a massive headache but yeah, not unbearable
option (b) transit in bkk and take train into Laos and make way to Vientiane
option (c) take bus from Chiang Mai to border town of Huay Xai (Laos) and boat into Luang Prabang (yay, Laotian boat person!) and then check out Vientiane?
and that's as far as I've got right now. Eventually to head back to BKK and Ayuthaya and BKK and finally KL.
Laos sounds quite appealing actually. Angkor can wait for another trip and I've been there once, even if it wasn't enough.
trip?
before i forget, this is an idea
december - Bangkok with sisters and mom is on. For a few days only though. Go earlier and backpack around for 2-3 weeks? JL might be in Chiang Mai by then, T in Bangkok
might be able to rope in JL for island hopping. ko samui, phiphi!! probably not full moon parties though. over the booze and drugs and partying thing.
ooh, could hop over the border into siam reap. and then laos. and maybe vietnam. not sure what's in myanmar but junta there.. ergh. hmm... wanderlust..
research! of the good kind :)
and I have until monday off from thesis stuff. yay!
december - Bangkok with sisters and mom is on. For a few days only though. Go earlier and backpack around for 2-3 weeks? JL might be in Chiang Mai by then, T in Bangkok
might be able to rope in JL for island hopping. ko samui, phiphi!! probably not full moon parties though. over the booze and drugs and partying thing.
ooh, could hop over the border into siam reap. and then laos. and maybe vietnam. not sure what's in myanmar but junta there.. ergh. hmm... wanderlust..
research! of the good kind :)
and I have until monday off from thesis stuff. yay!
lazy dazy
mwrr... not having urgent work to do disorients me
i need:-
a haircut
fruits
an espresso machine
only 1 out of 3 is feasible right now but no matter
i want:-
*cough* nevermind
also vaguely tempted by the sound of Jo Malone's nectarine blossom and honey scent. hmm... $80. frig
papaya salad
yum!
toodle doo
oh right, clothes..
i need:-
a haircut
fruits
an espresso machine
only 1 out of 3 is feasible right now but no matter
i want:-
*cough* nevermind
also vaguely tempted by the sound of Jo Malone's nectarine blossom and honey scent. hmm... $80. frig
papaya salad
yum!
toodle doo
oh right, clothes..
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
hehehehe
so.
I'm painting my nails OPI's 'go on green'. it's that pale blue-green shimmer someone though might be bitchy looking but it's actually not.
in between chatting with a friend online. and this is a snippet:
IP says:
but I'm a boy
IP says:
it'll be kinda weird painting my nails...
jeen says:
you could paint them with...
jeen says:
(wait again)
jeen says:
http://glossifieds.blogspot.com/search?q=man+glaze
jeen says:
hahaha
IP says:
ewewewewewewewewewewewew
IP says:
dowaaan!
jeen says:
hahahaha
jeen says:
just saying..
IP says:
yesh
jeen says:
eh, but it's not shiny
jeen says:
at all!!
IP says:
I'm. Not. Painting. My. Nails. Period.
jeen says:
dammit
jeen says:
wait, when i get back
jeen says:
you'll get to see my fabolous coloured nails
jeen says:
and then you'll want some for yourself!
IP says:
omg...you so used to do this as a kid, didn't you?
IP says:
tie up boys and paint their nails?
jeen says:
tsk
jeen says:
nope
jeen says:
i put gold glitter on the seat of their chairs though
IP says:
how mean!
IP says:
wasting all that gold glitter
IP says:
!
jeen says:
so not wasted... it shows up really well on brown pants
hehhehheh.. I can't believe I used to do that. good times.. much more innocent times too
but the present is good too. complex maybe, but all the richer for the complexity
I'm painting my nails OPI's 'go on green'. it's that pale blue-green shimmer someone though might be bitchy looking but it's actually not.
in between chatting with a friend online. and this is a snippet:
IP says:
but I'm a boy
IP says:
it'll be kinda weird painting my nails...
jeen says:
you could paint them with...
jeen says:
(wait again)
jeen says:
http://glossifieds.blogspot.com/search?q=man+glaze
jeen says:
hahaha
IP says:
ewewewewewewewewewewewew
IP says:
dowaaan!
jeen says:
hahahaha
jeen says:
just saying..
IP says:
yesh
jeen says:
eh, but it's not shiny
jeen says:
at all!!
IP says:
I'm. Not. Painting. My. Nails. Period.
jeen says:
dammit
jeen says:
wait, when i get back
jeen says:
you'll get to see my fabolous coloured nails
jeen says:
and then you'll want some for yourself!
IP says:
omg...you so used to do this as a kid, didn't you?
IP says:
tie up boys and paint their nails?
jeen says:
tsk
jeen says:
nope
jeen says:
i put gold glitter on the seat of their chairs though
IP says:
how mean!
IP says:
wasting all that gold glitter
IP says:
!
jeen says:
so not wasted... it shows up really well on brown pants
hehhehheh.. I can't believe I used to do that. good times.. much more innocent times too
but the present is good too. complex maybe, but all the richer for the complexity
*stretch*
first full draft done
almost full
no concluding section yet
because
word count 19800
not including (3) diagrams and TOC and appendices
need to dream up a title
and put together bibliography properly instead of mumbo jumbo state is in now
stop tinkering and adding stuff
for now
'lost in translation?: Local Agenda 21 in Malaysia and and the limits of participation'
hehehehe
hmm.. i like that
going to rock me gold nails tomorrow
wont dry in time for sleep tonight
hate smudged nails
zzzz
almost full
no concluding section yet
because
word count 19800
not including (3) diagrams and TOC and appendices
need to dream up a title
and put together bibliography properly instead of mumbo jumbo state is in now
stop tinkering and adding stuff
for now
'lost in translation?: Local Agenda 21 in Malaysia and and the limits of participation'
hehehehe
hmm.. i like that
going to rock me gold nails tomorrow
wont dry in time for sleep tonight
hate smudged nails
zzzz
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