Month: August 2007

Little Miss Shopaholic

Excuses to shop

yannisms

It’s pouring outside and while I normally love the rain, even this torrential storm is driving me insane.

Nevermind. If Muhammad is stuck indoors and cannot shop, the shops will come to Muhammad. Presenting my current infatuation:
!(imgcenter)http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1180/1254642823_51fa6db3d5_m.jpg(Pretty wellies)!:http://www.flickr.com/photos/yannisms/1254642823/

Gorgeous wellies!
Bright, chirpy, colourful and downright loud.
And really good for splashing around in those puddles (a fantasy of mine since childhood).
Maybe I should get Hams or my editor to get me a pair when they are in London, although at 30 quid a pair, it’s seriously expensive.

The organised chaos

Shut your mouth

yannisms

I would just like to say that if your first words to me, after more than a year of not seeing each other, are nothing but criticism, then I am better off not seeing you ever.

Sure, I cringed when I heard the recording of my voice too and they had edited out what I truly meant to say. But given that I am much better with the language – written and spoken – than you are, your criticism just sounds shallow and pathetic.

I smiled and did not reply. Actually, what I really wanted to say was: Fuck off. Oh, and your hair looks revolting. Get a cut, sonny.

Everything Else

A very good Secret

yannisms

想不到竟然会这样喜欢周杰伦所导演的电影《不能说的秘密》。

它让我想起了上学时第一次恋爱的感觉 － 那种甜甜酸酸的滋味， 那心跳加速的紧张， 那飘飘然的幻想， 那没有压力的天真。
它也让我叹息自己没有钢琴的天分。 戏里优雅的曲又轻松又富有柔情， 而我只能闭上双眼后悔当时不懂得珍惜妈妈的一片苦心。
它让我明白到宽容的爱是没有瑕疵， 没有限制的。
它让我感觉到浪漫的新鲜感。

最重要的是，它让我目睹了周董的天分， 提醒了我为什么这样如此的仰慕周杰伦。
我喜欢他的创作能力， 他与众不同的曲子， 他美妙的音乐才华， 他对美术的细心。

《不能说的秘密》 － 不可错过。

Health Goddess

Creak

yannisms

That’s the sound my back would make if it had the strength to move a muscle. One week away from exercise and the muscles grow flabby, fat and lazy. Now, the lower back is encased in the loving adhesive of Salon-Pas. On the other hand, I successfully loaded up 9kg worth of weights for the legwork and boy, does it feel good.

I have come to remember why I never go to the Capital Tower Fitness First outlet. After class, I have to queue in arctic conditions for the shower because there are only six or seven cubicles for, oh, 20 women. When I reach the cubicle, all shivering and with my toes turning blue from the miserable cold, I turn the tap on only to find cold water splashing down my back. I shower as quickly as I can and then move out, hoping to snag a counter to warm myself up with the hairdryer. Sadly, none are available because the 10 women ahead of me in the shower queue are fighting to blow dry their hair too. I glare at that atrocious woman who dares to sneak her hand past me to grab the hairdryer when I am so obviously going to blow dry my hair after combing it but the rude cow ignores me and happily powers up the appliance. I want to strangle her with the electrical cables after I finish tsk-ing at her.

So yeah, I hate going to Capital Tower.

Meanwhile, I am happy to say that Nike sports apparel is really quite amazing. No, this is not a plug because I am not prolific enough to be a sponsored walking ad. It’s just cool because unlike adidas, which retains a bit of moisture and can smell quite funky, Nike tops really keep me dry. So thank you, God of Sales and thank you Sista for becoming the next Jojo Sinclair (she can’t fit into her clothes anymore and has passed on a whole lot to me).

Everything Else

Run

yannisms

!(imgleft)http://farm1.static.flickr.com/206/515908622_5cfc4f18cd_m.jpg(Hmmm…)!:http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmyliew/515908622/
Music has always been a huge part of my life and it’s important that I have the right songs for the right moments because I am emo like that.

In my iTunes/iPod, I have a playlist titled “Song song blue” for those days when I am angsty and feeling really, really low. The songs are usually melancholic, haunted lyrical pieces that speak right to the soul. It probably sounds strange that I listen to moody songs when I am already so under the weather but it’s just the way I function. I let myself wallow before perking up with the “Yeah yeah songs” list.

One of my favourite songs is Snow Patrol’s “Run”, from their Final Straw album. That was my first brush with Snow Patrol and it was this song that got me madly hooked onto Snow Patrol. Gary Lightbody’s mellow voice just melted my heart and the guitar riffs were soulful. I knew then this group was a keeper.

American television has always been a great source of music for me and Eva Cassidy was one of the best finds I have ever had. Taken from the soundtrack of “Smallville”, her rendition of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time after time” is so clean, simple and heartfelt. Couple that with her early demise and you get a song that breaks your heart.

Another “Smallville” song that’s suitable for those moody nights is Lifehouse’s “Everything”. Back in those days when we were apart but not yet separated, my eyes would water up when the song plays. And when they sang would you tell me how could it be better than this, it made me think, YES.

Coldplay’s “Yellow” is an iconic song but it’s not their version that gets to me these days – the honour belongs to Petra Haden and Bill Frisell. A find from “The O.C.”, Haden’s version of the song is folksy, dreamy and lilting and certainly different from Coldplay’s angsty original.

I think I had heard Embrace’s “Gravity” on Virgin Radio, which was a great recommendation from the F (as he is now known). I really like the intro – the gentle tinkling of the piano before descending into full-blown rock. And the lyrics are so full of confusion and mixed feelings.

And last but not least, The Fray’s “How to save a life” has been resonating in my mind. How often have we not sat down with a friend who was truly in need of a listening ear? How often have we wished there was someone to bring some gentle guidance in our lives when we were down and out? This song speaks the truth and carries a certain amount of reflection.

The organised chaos

Go sadness

yannisms

Despite the fact that there are over eight million people on the island of Manhattan, there are times you still feel shipwrecked and alone. Times even the most resourceful survivor would feel the need to put a message in a bottle, or on an answering machine.

It’s an inexplicable thing, this insistent dull ache that rings, its disruptive noise resonating and echoing uncomfortably.

It swooped in from nowhere and yet it lingers, like filthy smoke.

I was not alone and yet, in essence, I was. I talked, I smiled, I laughed but I felt piteously empty inside. We exchanged words but we were not on the same plane. No, not now.

And then I stopped speaking and locked my voice up. I stopped trying. I went back to the shell of my words, my only salvation, my ability. Escapism may be the word for it but I deal just fine, thank you very much.

Comfort is good, isn’t it? Excitement, recklessness, surprises….these are desires that draw you from the right and good path, these are not what nourishes your soul. Or are they? Why does my hand reach for them sneakily and shamefully, for fear of punishment and repercussion?

I’m tired.
I’m only 26.
I have a right to want to feel alive and fearless.

Geek Girl

I heart iMac

yannisms

I’m not dead, just floating

That sums me up right now. I haven’t had much energy and time to write these days, after work and gym. Plus, this thing called Wii (thanks to Bralala!) has been occupying my time, making blogging a secondary activity.

BUT. That’s not why I am writing. The main point is, I have played with the new iMac and I. Bloody. Love. It.

!(imgcenter)http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1135/1138491361_28dca43636_o.jpg(Yummy iMacs)!:http://www.flickr.com/photos/yannie/1138491361/

I attended the Apple briefing today (9 days after the main event, it’s almost sacrilegious) and it was just so awesome.

The iMac was all metallic sexiness, with its slender form and sleek aluminium lines. It’s like how the cute boy-next-door wearing braces has turned into this hunk of a man with delectable abs and yummy biceps, sans braces. The glossy glass screen does reflect light and was a little disconcerting but the images were truly lifelike and vivid. I can’t wait to get me one.

Typing on the new keyboard felt a bit weird initially. Afterall, it’s as slim as a pancake and retains none of the clacking noises that I have grown so used to. It’s surprisingly tactile and easy to use despite its gorgeous form. Some of the keys have changed positions and Expose and Dashboard now have their own dedicated keys.

iLife is really, really cool. I love the “skimming” tool in iPhoto and iMovie. Basically, mousing over a set of events or a clip allows you to view all the different images and frames within. The new way of managing pictures via Events in iPhoto makes it easier for shutterbugs and it definitely looks less clunky than before.

Even iWork looks interesting. Newcomer Numbers makes spreadsheets look funky – you can now place two tables into one spreadsheet and make adjustments to one without affecting the other. Plus, you can also add pictures and sounds to your spreadsheets. Spreadsheets, good looking? Who would have thought?

Sigh.
I heart Apple.

Silly things

Love Letters – An animated proposal

yannisms

In the spirit of proposals, here is something I found on the wonderful world of Internet – a beautifully- and meticulously-crafted proposal that probably took many days and nights to plan.

The guy’s an animator and he had roped in his colleagues and college students to come up with an animated clip that was shown at what was supposed to be a free screening of a romantic comedy. He duped his girlfriend into thinking that she had won a luxury movie package and to her surprise, the characters of the movie looked exactly like the two of them.

The original film is here and below is her reaction during the four-minute screening. Really sweet stuff. Sniffs.

The organised chaos

Happy 42, Singapore

yannisms

Before you know it, a year has passed and it’s time to celebrate the independence of my nation again.

Happy birthday, Singapore.

I love you, I truly do. This is where I had grown up, this is where my family and loved ones are. I love how I had the chance to have an education, how I can sit here and blog about my fondness for this little red dot of an island, how I can later picnic in the city just so I could catch a glimpse of the exhilarating fireworks.

As I grow older, I have come to realise that loving one’s country is not the same as loving one’s government. I love Singapore for the intangibles – the familial ties that bind me, the memories that I have. It’s really a complex tussle, I can’t put it into words. I may not necessarily agree with many things that my government implements but I also know that without them, this country may not be where it is today. Is that a good thing? I don’t know.

But it’s going to be the home for me for the rest of my life – I’m getting married here, have a little apartment waiting for me next year and it’s where my children will grow up.

And as always, I love Kit Chan’s warm voice that exudes oodles of emotions. I just wish she doesn’t sound so strangled towards the end.

And maybe, that sums up my feelings for Singapore.