Every morning I take the bus to work. I can't help but notice at the bus stop how everyone always has their heads down staring at their iphone screens. Well done, Apple! The iphone has turned into a natural extension of our palms. On the bus, people never look up. They are texting as they are crammed into the aisle. They are texting as they are waiting for the lights to change. They are texting as they are crossing the street. It makes me think at how, as technology is connecting us to people on the opposite end of the globe, it is making us less aware of our immediate surroundings. What happened to random conversations at the bus stop? Or, spontaneous conversations based on random observations as people wait around for their Starbuck drinks? Are we really so busy that we cannot stop texting nonstop? Or is it an avenue to avoid conversation and awkward moments beside strangers? No wonder it is getting harder to meet people.
It would be so nice if just for a day, we could cut down on our cell phone time to notice our surroundings and interact with people for a change. If we remember our manners and not text or talk on the phone as we are being served at a counter or continue chatting as the waiter arrives to take your order at the restaurant. Maybe we could find time and space to rest our brains for just a little and stop jamming irrelevant bits of information we don't really need to know so we can notice the little things in life. Maybe.
Ah! First post in a long time. An absence explained by birthdays, late summer fun, job interviews, a new job, work dramas good and bad, and some good reads. I noticed I've been reading a lot more this past year ever since I discovered Goodreads because the website helps me finds books I want to read. The reason I stopped reading for awhile was because I never knew what to pick up. I realize how much I missed reading and now nice it is to get caught up in a good book, and at the same time, cut back on TV time. I've even got a new ereader for my birthday and am loving it (but still loyal to good ol paper books at the same time).
Anyway, I recently finished this one called Friends Like These by Danny Wallace. It's about this guy on the verge of turning 30 who decides to track down and reunite with friends from his childhood. It doesn't sound all that ground breaking, but something in it really connected with me. Like Wallace, I know what it's like to be fiercely nostalgic about my childhood. I miss it. If you've read my blogs before, you'll notice how stupid things from my childhood will amaze and excite me. I miss my childhood and feel reluctant to leave it behind. I would much rather watch cartoons in my pyjamas and eat froot loops for breakfast than push through the morning commute in a corporate suit.
In our technologically advanced world, I've found it so easy to relive those magic moments and watch childhood cartoon theme songs on YouTube, search for childhood toys on eBay, and search for old friends on Facebook. But perhaps there is something that makes you miss your childhood when one is at that point where we are supposed to be leaving our childhood and carefree days behind and step into the world of adulthood and "settling down in life" (ooh how I hate that phrase). You start wondering if this is a normal phase of life and how you compare with others you went to school with, as if they are the benchmark to measure yourself against. As if we can define our success with the money we earn, the number of children we have, and the people we end up being with.
A few years ago with the magic of Facebook I posted my first grade picture and for a month, connected with more than a quarter of those in my class. It was so weird. Familiar faces of kids whose lives crossed with mine for a year by coincidence and chance. I went to an international school in Hong Kong so the children were mostly those of diplomats and expats across the world who eventually returned to their own countries. I feel like I could've written my own book like Danny Wallace. I have yet to actually meet one in person but I'd think it's a bit weird. Like meeting a pen pal you once wrote to decades ago.
It's so bizarre to think that as I grew up, so did those boys and girls. In fact, many of them actually have successful and interesting lives. Much more interesting than mine.
That's me front row, far right. Always the shortest in the class and forever destined to sit at the left or right corner of the front row in all my class pictures until graduation. Do you still keep in touch with your old classmates? Where are they now?
Just wanted to share my review of the latest book I read, Anna and the French Kiss. It's also on my Goodreads page if you're there too. I liked it a lot and totally recommend it for young adults and adults alike.
"Here is everything I know about France: Madeline and Amelie and Moulin Rouge"
And so begins one of the sweetest young adult novels I have read in a long time. I could not resist especially when my favorite movie is listed in the first sentence and Hogwarts is casually name dropped on page 2.
I've heard a lot of great reviews about this book and they are well deserved. A simple story of Anna being sent to a Parisian boarding school who crushes on her best friend, the charming and handsome Etienne St. Clair. It has swoon-worthy moments the likes of the Twilight series, but this Stephanie author is a much better writer than the other Stephenie. The characters are realistic and likable and the story takes place in Paris. It is not overly sappy, cliched, or drawn out, it only makes me wish I was a teenager again on the cusp of puppy love.
Recently a friend of mine attended the New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys concert in town. As we reminisced about old times and past celebrity favorites I admitted that I probably have an unconscious gay-dar in preferring the gay member of the band out of the others even before they were out and wondered if this contributed to my disastrous love life to date. Is it my fault that I like well dressed, sensitive types? At this rate I'll probably be forever single or resemble Grace from Will & Grace. A brief rundown of my embarrassing teenage crush list of popstars.
NKOTB
New Kids was actually a bit ahead of my time. I was still in elementary school but some of the older kids were into them in the early 90s. While most of the girls liked Jordan Knight and Joey McIntyre, I once said to a classmate I preferred Jonathan.
NSYNC
All the girls liked Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez. I thought Justin was too cocky and JC was too boring. On a magazine quiz about the band, I checked Lance Bass as the one I would pick if I had to choose a favorite but I admit the selection to choose from wasn't that great.
RICKY MARTIN
During the Latin craze of the late 90s, I was Living La Vida Loca like all his other fans (sooo embarrassing!). He was cute, dressed well, and polite. Well what do you know, those tight pants Ricky was wearing while shaking his bon-bons was suspiciously too tight even by male Latin standards! Now that I think of it, some of the hands groping him in the She Bangs video definitely look male.
ADAM LAMBERT
I totally preferred him before that other forgettable guy won American Idol, but after he rocketed out of the closet and talked nothing except being gay instead of his music I forgot about him.
And probably a lot more in the UK boybands like Boyzone, Westlife and Take That. Boybands in general just feature a lot of same looking young boys in silly costumes and makeup singing elementary rhyming lyrics about love.. Who were your favorite boy band members?
We're barely into August but the sight of fall clothes on the racks is already making me dream of outfits to wear. I have to admit that fall fashions has always attracted me more than summer. I especially like the preppy look, leather boots, and cozy sweaters. Almost makes going back to school worthwhile. Almost. If you're a scarf person like me, here's a cool video on how to wear your scarf in different styles!
I've heard a lot of good things about this series but for some reason it never jumped at me because from the trailer it looked a bit stuffy and boring. I'm glad I decided to give it a chance because it turns out that it is another BBC winner to add to my list. The story focuses on the aristocratic Grantham family and the servants that work for them. It is actually quite interesting to see how the two worlds differ and overlap. Written by Julian Fellowes (who wrote Gosford Park), the story has a lot of conflicts and romance and gossip between the two worlds, and it's all in the middle of the new 20th century and the changes this era brings. I really enjoyed seeing the workings of the servant class and how structured and complex they can be. As always, the acting, sets and costumes are top notch. I heard due to the success of this, they will make another season of the series and I can't wait for that too.
You got to love those Japanese for cute-ifying everything including their lunch boxes. They call it Bento (lunchbox) art. They look beautiful but I think I'll stick to peanut butter sandwiches.
It's been a long time since I saw a good movie this visually beautiful, poetic, and flawlessly acted. I've forgotten about A Single Man until I saw it recently and decided to give it a go. I can't believe Colin Firth did not win his Oscar for this film, his performance was just as amazing (if not better) than the King's Speech. I knew it was directed and produced by THE Tom Ford, but this movie left me feeling more than impressed considering it's his first film and that it isn't even within his usual arena. Some scenes were so beautiful, I felt you could have framed them into pictures.
It does move kind of slowly, but it does make you think. I thought about it long after the TV was turned off. A bit sad that a lot of Hollywood movies today are based on the flashy special effects, the raunchy jokes, and the simplistic storylines. That is what sells and the artsier, introspective films are pushed into art house cinemas and foreign box offices. But it is films like these that remind us the beauty of life's details, and how they all add up to create the mosaic of life that yields the bigger picture. Perhaps people like the escapism of lighter fare, but every now and then, it's nice to have a quieter film to enjoy as well.
It also made me realize how the 60s were a cool decade when all the art forms were at their peak, in music, in art, and in films. Makes me want to draw on lots of eyeliner and wear nude lipstick.
There's this book I keep seeing in bookstores and heard from friends that I've never read. It's called the Tao of Pooh. I was never interested because it sounds too philosophical for my taste and maybe because Pooh was never one of my favorite of the Disney films. However, even in today's day and age of amazing computer animated accomplishments like Toy Story and Shrek, I do at times feel nostalgic for the classic Disney films that I grew up with. They were less sophisticated for sure, but I liked that in each they hid mini lessons about life in their stories much like classic legends and in the Aesop's tales I used to read. On the surface, they were all about princesses and finding true love, but as I am older and able to see the bigger picture, I'm more appreciative of the other issues that are communicated in the songs and scenes as I watch them again. If anything, there is a lot of wisdom between those animated cells. This is what makes them timeless across all generations. Some of my favorites (and the lessons I think they inspire):
Cinderella: Hard work always pays off in the end, and you will be rewarded for it.
The Little Mermaid: Be accepting of other cultures and people instead of being close minded and prejudiced
Aladdin: Be confident of your self worth and recognize that it is independent from monetary wealth
Beauty and the Beast: Look beyond appearances and make your own judgements
Lion King: We can achieve great things by looking within ourselves and by listening to the wisdom of our elders
Dumbo: Don't underestimate those who are different from you, they may have strengths and talents you lack
Peter Pan: It's important to have imagination and a playful side even after you grow up
Snow White: You can find friends in unexpected places and enemies in those close to you
Pinocchio: To get what you want, you need to prove that you are worthy and deserving
Lady and the Tramp: Higher class and education does not necessarily equal superiority, street smarts is important too
Mulan: Courage lives in us all. Family gives us our strength.
Alice in Wonderland: Don't do drugs, ha ha
And speaking of drugs, if you have seen Dumbo, that pink elephants segment is one of the most twisted psychadelic trips in Disney's films. I have never noticed how many surrealstic influences are in that one song. It's actually not that surprising after all to learn that the Surrealist artist Dali and Disney collaborated several times. You can definitely see overlap of images such as the eyeball and pyramids! Weird! (There are tons of other info about hidden messages and controversial topics in Disney films, quite fascinating actually)
What was your favorite Disney film while you were growing up? Is it still your favorite as an adult?
I came across pictures of this model in a fashion magazine recently:
And I was just floored to find out that it's a dude! Apparently Andrej Pejic is one of the most successful models out there today because he is so uniquely androgynous looking. He is favored by Marc Jacobs and John Paul Gaultier. It reminds me of how, a few years ago, Agyness Deyn was all the rage because she looked like a boy. In some ways, it makes sense that if models are there to display the art, or the fashion they wear, why does it matter what gender they are as long as they portray the clothes in the best way possible to match the vision of the designer?
British model Agyness Deyn in 2009
And this is the one thing I love about fashion. It has the ability to re-invent the things we know and assume and mix it up into new ideas that blow our minds. It challenges the things we don't even see anymore, and wakes up different perspectives. Fashion, like art, pushes us to think outside the box and take the boring everyday into new heights and dimensions.
Now if only there can be more diversity on the runways instead of rows of Caucasian waify femmes, and now, a few males. Makes you think, doesn't it, when this guy has better legs than any girl I know (including myself obviously).
This is pretty amazing except I do kind of enjoy grocery shopping. I do see how convenient it would be if you were only missing a few items like milk or a carton of eggs though!
If this was for clothes I'd be broke by the time I got home!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Now, I do like JK Rowling because her books have influenced a huge part of my life, but what this picture tells us is that you truly cannot buy style, even with a billion dollars. I can't believe she wore this to the movie premiere and that it is an Oscar de la Renta, I mean, REALLY?! It is clearly influenced by English sofa fabric.
Like the infamous basilisk in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, if you look at this dress directly you will be petrified and be close to death. Good one, Rowling, we can always depend on you to integrate deep metaphors in all your actions!
Also, you can't help but notice the girl in the Gryffindor scarf....tee hee
I guess Hermione is once again at the top of her class and shows how it is done:
I've always loved England but back in 2005 when I finally had a chance to visit Paris, I have to admit that it really crept up to a photo finish second. Everywhere, the city has touches of cream and gold in its architecture, with windows accented by pastel and golden brown pastries. I sometimes imagine certain cities to be masculine, Berlin for example, but Paris really is the opposite and has a feminine aesthetic.
Lately I've been trying to cut back a few pounds as the summer is in full swing, but perhaps it is bad timing because I was also reading David Leibovitz's The Sweet Life in Paris. Every page is an enticement as he talks in detail about food, food, and more food. He also puts in recipes in between so I'll definitely have to try a few as well. You have to admit that a book about food is a lot more interesting to read than, let's say, Safran Foer's Eating Animals.
One of my favorite things to do on vacations is going to supermarkets and outdoor farmer markets. Food is so central to a culture, it says so much about about the people and their identities. How can any traveler deny the importance of eating local cuisine? If anything, a good meal is the best souvenir one can buy on a trip. I can't imagine traveling with people who insist on eating familiar food abroad. Yet I know people who would go to Paris and seek the closest McDonalds.
Come to think of it, a lot of the best things I ate are from traveling. I feel like I will be turning into a foodie in no time and start gushing about heirloom tomatoes or something...
And on a separate note, I just saw the latest Woody Allen flick, Midnight in Paris (with Owen Wilson and Marion Cotillard) and really liked it so don't miss!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Earlier in the evening I was passing by a park in my neighbourhood on the way home when I saw two little girls sitting on a bench with ice creams in hand. It was one of those scenes of such simplicity and cuteness that I wish I had a camera to take a postcard worthy snap.
One of the things that I had always wanted is a longtime childhood friend, someone who's been in my life since we were kids. My mother shares a 40 year friendship with her oldest friend, and I have always envied all the memories they share and how well they know each other's families. Of course, we can meet new people and start friendships everyday, but I would have liked to share a friendship that began simply and innocently, like those two girls on the bench. Not a friendship that started from working together or networking, but one that started from sharing jellybeans and Barbie dolls.
As a child, my first best friend move away shortly after her mother died. By chance, I've always had short term friends who would often move away, and being in a time before email and Facebook, it was challenging to keep in touch and kids move on. In the tumultuous years of high school, I admit that my friendships were partly based more on being in a clique, and together with the dramas of that time period, those friendships faded quickly after graduation. Today most of my friends have been in my life for about 5-7 years, and the few great ones who are closer to 10 live far away and it's more like being pen pals. It really hits me that in today's age, people move around so quickly and time speeds up so much that it is becoming harder to find someone who can be there over a longer period of time. It is no longer our grandmother's era when they would sit by the lake and share lemonade and secrets!
But sometimes I would think, how nice it would be to have a friend that stays through the thick and thin, the happy and the sad times? To be our personal cheerleader in the successes of our life and our therapist during the lows? To rescue us in our time of need, to slap us awake when our heads get too big? One who will not bail after an argument, who tells the honest truth when no one else has the courage to, and is humble enough to make up? How great would it be to tell a story and not need to fill in all the details? To have a sister by choice, someone who's seen it all by your side? So if you are one of those lucky few who do, I hope you take a minute and be grateful for how lucky you are!
Lately I've been feeling in a Jane Austen sort of mood. I think it's in direct correlation of the weather, when it feels like it has been gray and rainy for 5 months straight in Vancouver, the only thing tolerable is if I try to romanticize it as the backdrop to Austen type of movies with girls in white dresses walking among the muddy fields. And let me add that it really does feel like an eternally cold spring this year for us, in fact the coldest spring we've had in 55 years. For once, I'm sure that even those in Scotland, Dublin, and Holland probably have experienced more sunshine than us!
So what I usually do is curl up in a chunky blanket and watch Austen type of movies, Becoming Jane and Sense & Sensibility are good picks (and no, I'm definitely not a "Janeite" who dresses up and fantasize about Mr. Darcies). I haven't actually read her novels for awhile. Firstly there are not many to begin with, and her writing takes getting used to because she uses a lot of long sentences and commas. I'm also not too fond of those Jane Austen fan fiction type of books that are spin offs or prequels/sequels.
But recently I came across an interesting title called A Jane Austen Education. What attracted me was that cover (as usual, I'm easily sold) and that it was written by a male academic who tells how Austen's novels taught him lessons about life. Each chapter focuses on one of Austen's books and the writing style is easy to read, making this a balance of memoir, self-help, and biography of both author and Jane Austen. A few of his arguments seem weak, but in general I was pleasantly surprised that it gave me a new perspective of viewing Jane Austen and her works. I admit that I've always taken her novels at face value as sort of classic chick-lit and never took the time to delve deeper and consider additional underlying themes and how relevant they still are in today's society. So if you have a chance, do consider this pick and let me know of your suggestions too!
