At The Art Of It

Venting Machine

2010-08-10T08:56:00.004+08:00

The title is a description of how I have come to see this blog. Recently I've been feeling deep bouts of frustration and, erm, depression? I don't really know if it's that severe yet, but I guess I can call it that since some really dark thoughts come to the fore whenever I'm 'depressed'. I won't say what those dark thoughts are though, because a) I am stupid enough to not want to admit them to myself just yet and b) I might regret putting them out here.

A lot of the feelings I've bee going through lately (okay, I don't like that sentence's opening cos it makes me sound like I'm an Oprah/that emotional girl in Mean Girls) have been a result, indirect or direct of the people around me, and strangely, my over-attachment to social media.

I always feel a little bad attributing my frustrations and mistakes to the people I surround myself with, cos I'm always worried that I will become one of those people who keeps blaming others for their problems instead of looking a little closer for the source of those issues - themselves.

But now I think, I keep blaming myself for every negative emotion I've been through in the past few months (or longer?), and I don't think I want to do it much longer. Of course, I realize that we are the ruler of our destinies, that no one can make you feel inferior without your consent blah blah blah, but lemme tell you, it can get tiring letting yourself carrying all the emotional load, whether or not they were self-induced. Cos you know, we girls can have the tendency to be oversensitive and dramatic.

If I wanna stop blaming myself for all those emotions though, I would have to resolve them by telling someone about them, or tell it straight up to the person who I'm not completely satisfied with. That's a hard part. Now I'm gonna venture into some pretty annoying territory. You have been warned. It's hard because a) in every person I love and have around me, there's still something I immensely doubt or dislike about them and b) some of these people may react defensively or drastically to those 'vents'. Maybe some of them will look at me in a completely different manner that is also irreversible. I might lose some friends. I might be hated by everybody.

Ah, like I said, I can be dramatic, but yeah, sheet could happen.

Of course, one may argue that true friends or true loved ones won't perceive or treat you any differently just because of some grievances that you have concerning them (except maybe in the ways that you want them to change). True ones will stand by you, be honest with you in return, and continue to do so for a very long time.

Heck, who knows? Maybe those people I have gripes about will do just that - stay. But I've got fears, and many of them center around the ominous theme of being alone. *here comes the drama again*

Maybe what I should do, is have more faith. But my complaints aren't that minor. I probably have more than one big one for certain people. Could they take it? And plus, what if my judgment is wrong? What if the things that I dislike about that person (and which affect my mood and is starting to corrode our relationship) are irrational? Often we are too blinded by our own desires, needs and rage, and in that we may fail to see the real truth. Something which can easily lead to a heated debate about what the real truth is, and if there even is a real truth in this world, but I will digress cos that will steer me away from what I originally was talking about.

Of course, just like there are some long standing frustrations, there are also some minor ones *this is where I can get annoying too* Geeky, self-indulgent things like not getting responses (or enough/right ones) to my tweets, plurks, photos, Facebook activities and the like always riles me up.

I've fallen victim to the curse of the 21st Century Generation-er. Truthfully, in any other time and place, those things would barely have mattered (particularly in times where those things above didn't even exist!). Yet now, they're a constant source of tiny, but nonetheless highly irritating thorns in my side.

I wish I knew how to solve this. I know I should focus more on the other things that I have, like my music, my family (though they're humans so I will always have some doubt attached to them =/), my wardrobe (don't you dare snortle. This is very important to me), my education, plus other 'blessings' I have had in life. The air quote is because blessing is a very corny word to use, but I guess that's what they are.

I take a moment and wonder about the mood I'm currently in. I suppose I feel better than I felt last night, and this morning. Writing about things here doesn't solve my problems in any way whatsoever, but I reckon that I can feel a teeny bit better by doing so.

Still, that doesn't change the fact that the best thing to do in the long run is to solve those disheartening emotions that are dragging me down in the first place. I hate feeling like I always have something to be unhappy about, or that other people can make me unhappy just like that, sometimes without realizing.

I bet it doesn't help that I don't particularly like myself, and that over the years I have begun to suspect that I am, as a matter of fact, repulsive. My jokes about becoming a cat lady are never truly fully jokes. I believe it could happen. Either that, or I die at the ripe old age of 21. I think I would like for that to happen. It sure would help to lessen humankind's massive carbon footprint.

This is a morbid side - but nonetheless related - thought, but right before I slept last night, I thought about how people would react after I died. I felt, as stupid as this sounds, happy at the thought of people possibly being shattered to pieces at my demise, though of course you're more likely to find a shopping mall in the middle of the Sahara desert.

Sometimes, and this is where it gets really bad, I think of leaving right now and seeing how big (or little) of an impact I have left behind. It doesn't have to be leaving in that way. Maybe I could try getting lost. Would anyone come to find me? Would they instigate a search for me? Or would they just try to call me a few times and revert back to their usual lives after a few failed tries?

Somehow I feel better thinking that it will be the last outcome, even though it does make me a little down. Aha! I think I have self-destructive tendencies! But I realize that when I say it it makes me sound more like a wannabe than an actual psychologically mad person.

I'm possibly also interested in the idea of 'leaving' because I want to know the truth behind people's impressions of me, or if I have left any inkling of that at all. I may be overly suspecting, but who is to know if things are what they seem to be? And no, none of this was influenced by my recent trip to see Salt. That was a pretty solid movie by the way.

Alright alright. I think I'm done ranting for now. My mind is somewhat cleared of clutter for the time being, and when it becomes overwrought with worry and mental disease again, I'll come back, and rant. Some. More. *cues evil laugh*

This is probably the one form of therapy I can afford for the time being anyway, until I get enough money one day to consult a shrink. That would be fun. ;)

Wen Ti

2010-06-10T22:38:00.002+08:00

Just to ensure I don't explode, I'm going to vent a little, indirectly, by asking a few questions. They'll probably be so layered and convoluted that no one will know what kind of answers it is that I am looking for, which is my goal =D

So here goes:

Q #1 How do you vent pent up emotions and frustrations without offending anybody? And at the same time appeasing yourself?

Q #2 Why is this such a bad week?

Q #3 Why am I acting like an angsty teen with no idea of how much she has?

Q #4 Why do I keep caring when it is much healthier not to? And am I actually really being caring?

Q #5 How do you stop yourself from mentally referring to yourself as Bitch?

Q #6 How do you solve the problems concerning the people around you?

Q #7 How do you convince people that your crying is not so much a sign of weakness as it is a sign of minding too much?

Q #8 How do you tell yourself that shockhorrorgasp you cannot do it all? And what makes you think YOU are so special to the extent that YOU can do it all?

Q #9 How do you convince yourself that no one hates you? Perhaps they just feel seriously annoyed by you?

Q #10 How do you stop being so whiny and irritating?

Q #11 How do you go to the emotional place you thought you would be at two days ago when you were so anxious about your live radio show recording and so excited about the things that would follow after?

Q #12 How do you smack yourself in the face without letting people snigger at you for being more insane than you already are?

Okay, I don't know if that was as hard to decipher as I wanted it to be, and at the end of this I still feel very much on the verge. Obviously I am not a victim of a Nazi concentration camp, or an orphan, or a cripple, or a homosexual living in an Amish household, so I still don't know what true suffering really is. But somehow I still feel really bad.

One of these days I will have a personal shrink. Or maybe a few more once the first one gets sick and weary of my non existent self induced drama...

ReCAPing

2010-04-24T10:45:00.003+08:00

Lately, quite a few of my thoughts have been about what topics to choose. It's like the theme of the week. I've had a lot of situations where I had to sit down and think deep about what topic to go with for (insert circumstance here). So, yes, in a way my brain cells have gotten a bit of exercise. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

For one, there's been the dilemma of choosing what I should talk about on my radio show. Don't get me wrong, I'm no employed DJ, but as part of my coursework, I'm required to record my own 30 minute radio show. It's very, very cool, but also very, very pressuring especially after you learn about the amount of things that goes into making a show run as smoothly as it normally looks. So, back to the subject of what to talk about. My script is due next week (Monday, actually), and I haven't typed down a thing yet. My half-baked excuse is that my netbook has been sent for repairs since the beginning of this week, and as it has yet to come back I don't really have the right medium to get down to work. Ah. But here I am still kicking back and bathing in 50s-60s nostalgia radio. Haha. I belong in the wrong decade, obviously.

The other topic decisions are mostly minor, like the time when I had to choose which place to cover a news topic of our choice on our very first news reporting assignment. That reminds me...this is kind of a week for first times too.

And then there's the actual main purpose of this post - CAPS (Creative Arts and Performance Society). It's the club I've always dreamed about, where everybody is creative, passionate and talented. And now that I am a committee member (I'm on the music team), I couldn't be more stoked. But as I attended the very first meeting involving the newbies yesterday, I found out that there's also a lot of work to be done. Not that it was something I didn't expect, but I'm just saying, the times ahead sure are gonna be busy. As long as it's not too busy to the point where it does harm to my CGPA, Imma liking the workload.

The first event the club has to submit performances to is Teachers' Day, which is on May 16. I saw this event scribbled out on the club whiteboard and went all o.0. It's only been less than 2 years since I left high school, but it feels like it's been a long time since I last celebrated that event which I never ever truly resonated with. Any Teachers' Day that I feel genuine towards would also have to be Mother's Day, so yeah.

Anyway, we need to give one singing performance in front of the lecturers (precisely. Now that we're all in college, they're called lecturers. NOT teachers.). With my fellow music team committee members slash partner-in-crimes, Amanda and Claire, we deliberated on the right song to sing for them. I don't know what I was on; maybe it was the fear-tinged excitement of meeting the newbies mixed with my ever present sarcasm, but the first choice that came to my head was Gives You Hell.

Yeah. That's right. It's perfect actually --- if you wanna spite the lecturers. Basically, the song takes a dig at an old bully/ex who is still stuck in his/her rut while the person singing it has moved on to bigger and greener pastures. Like I said, it's a great IN-YOUR-FACE song choice. And as a bonus, Lea Michele as Rachel Berry did an addictive version of it on Glee recently.

Here's one part of the lyrics that hooked me:

'And you're still probably working at a 9 to 5 base/I wonder how bad that tastes'

Still. As much as I was sold on that, it wasn't a realistic choice (insert d'oh expression of choice here).

In the end, after more deliberation (and even more time wasting), CAPS's newly installed president, Angel proposed the resulting choice - Christina Aguilera's I Turn To You. At least I think she brought it up. I've pretty much forgotten about the process. But I did push relentlessly for the song to be chosen.

Sure, it's a choice that doesn't score high on the originality factor (heck, it's perfect for any occasion that needs to give a message of love without the sappy romantic feeling), but in other ways it's completely perfect. Also, since I've been magically put in charge of teaching the newbies to sing, this is the ripe opportunity to torture their vocal cords. I say: Ha. Ha.

Ending this obscenely long post is the official music video for I Turn To You. God, Christina is so pretty.

Ignore ze Spanish lyrics, this was the only one I found which could be embedded. Something about this tells me that my friend Claire would be pleased though.

SATD

2010-04-14T11:27:00.004+08:00

That's not a misspelling of any of the following:

a) Sex and The City
b) Sexually Transmitted Diseases

What it really is, is a twist on (a) --- Sex and the Desert. In SATC 2, Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte go on an extended, vamped version of the Girls Day/Night Out - a trip to Dubai. One day...one day...

The latest poster for SATC 2 was unveiled recently, and the moment I saw it I went WOW. Of course the WOW didn't come with the thought that the image is a photographed to death one. It came because my first impression of it blew me away.

[image from JustJared]

I honestly don't care what the haters say. Most of it are complaints about how fake the image is anyway. Hello! This is a movie poster. And what do movie posters do? They effing PROMOTE. And furthermore, this is a movie about glitz and glamour and escapism. Don't you think that if a veiny, muscly-armed and wrinkly-faced SJP appeared on it in place of a glammed up one, it would adversely affect the hype and ultimately box office revenues for the movie?

SO there. I love it. I love it so much I will ignore the main question in my mind, which is how does anyone trough through mounds of silky desert sand in 5 inchers (or probably higher, seeing as this is SATC)? I love how glowy she looks (or what amazing skills those Hollywood Photoshoppers have). I love how she's holding up those theater-show-viewing glasses (or are they binoculars?) in an effortlessly glam way. And need I say it?

I LOVE HER DRESS. I can see nary a bad thing about it. The snake-like cinch (I assume) cascading up the upper ruched half. The caftan-like, flowing skirt with its no doubt amay-zing details. I even love how the blue tone of the dress matches perfectly the crystal-studded 2.

And does this even have to be mentioned? I will be closely analyzing every single outfit the girls wear when the movie comes out. Mwahahaha.

Breathe.

2010-03-12T07:58:00.002+08:00

Alright, so before I start I'm just going to warn those who actually frequent this place, that if you're in a really great mood or simply don't have the stomach for any form of darkness/negativity/slight depression (even in measured amounts), you really shouldn't read this. In other words, this is just a detour from my usual entertainment-based content in order to focus on - maybe? - detoxing my mental state from all the weight that I've been feeling inside for a long time now.

At this point, I don't quite know why I should still care about conventions and other people's thoughts of me, but I guess if I don't I wouldn't be here right now. And so before you pass some judgment, in my defense I have to clarify that this isn't an 'emo' post. Besides, the current overuse of the word emo is starting to be insulting towards its source, which is the music genre of emo. No. Right now my post is centered on what I would call an evaluation of my doubts and worries. Oh yeah, this isn't PMS either. I mean, please.

I honestly have no idea, when such emotions happen, whether it is because I'm going mad or if I'm really feeling it and have no one to turn to. Either way, it doesn't help the way I feel. I can say one thing for certain though, and that's if a certain something keeps popping up, there's a reason why it's acting that way. It's the same reassuring logic with everything else in life - everything happens for a reason. Son died? God wants you to be stronger and/or perhaps teach you to be even more loving towards your other children. Broke up with the love of your life? Maybe he wasn't the love of your life after all. But these are just my (unnecessary) 2 cents worth to support my logic, and I am deviating from my main point.

I'm pretty sure that, with all the things I've been saying so far, though they might just be less than 2 paragraphs thus far, the ones who actually went forward and are reading this right now are majorly perplexed. I find that I tend to trip people up that way. My mind works in a way that no one understands, and that includes my parents, my friends and heck, occasionally myself. Not to sound cocky (and trust me I am not), but I regularly defy conventions, and to defy is to self-isolate. You can have people who supposedly love you and want to know how you are doing, but none of that matters if you already a) know that it is futile ground and b) have doubts they really mean what they say.

And here's another thing that just acts as the icing to all the bittersweet chocolate cake you're seeing here. Apparently, I'm good at hiding my feelings. The real ones. It's not to say that I don't behave genuinely towards anyone. In fact, when these emotions of mine don't spring up, I am honestly happy with all the aforementioned people. I laugh, I cry from laughing, I smile and I feel warm inside.

It's just that when I go into a state that is less than the calm, joke-cracking demeanor that a lot of my loved ones are used to, I still want to give the impression that I am all good, because I don't want to give people the feeling that I am flaky and an emotional wreck. It's also because I can manage it, and because a lot of the time people around me are not feeling so good themselves, I have to be the one who maintains the calmness to keep everything from going haywire. Shouldn't there always be one in a community, regardless of how big or small, who has to try to keep everything in place because that person is more capable of NOT losing his/her cool? I might be that person.

This has nothing to do with arrogance. It does, however, have a lot to do with the fact that I am better able to keep my feelings under wraps, and also because I like being the one that holds everyone together, even if I may be the only one who thinks I am doing this job.

But then there will always be a time when something comes up, and everyone else agrees on the same thing, and I can't because it's not the way I feel. And for some reason, I will feel that with my voicing out, I will once again be alienating myself, and perhaps draw the confusion and hatred of the others. I know there is someplace out there that does not work this way. Some place out there is capable of accepting people no matter what they think, how they look and how they feel. But that place, at least for now, is not where I am at the moment.

As you might've guessed, it's not also just because I find I don't agree with people on a lot of things. I also don't see important parts of myself in others. Maybe they're around, but right now I don't see them, and I haven't met them yet.

Now, when I say I don't see important parts of myself, I mean aspects of my personality like speaking in a way that most people can't - or simply will not - associate themselves with. I don't mean that I speak Mars and others speak a human language, but I'd rather not elaborate more. Another aspect, as laughable and unimportant as it will seem to others, is my love for fashion. I am nowhere near a die hard, but the way I look at the F-word is vastly different from others. People normally see it as a nice way to dress up themselves, and of course it's very good when people know how to take care of their surfaces. For me, I think of it in a way that a lot of people would just dismiss as lunatic or delusional. I think of this as an art, a way to empower yourself and a way to express yourself. In no way am I faulting other people for not sharing my sentiments, but rather I'm disappointed sometimes that there's no one I know who feels the way I do.

Anyway, those 'important parts' of me are simply two out of a few examples. The bottom line is that a) it depresses me when I feel differently about things compared to others and feel like I can't voice out in fear of alienation and b) a lot of the things that are essential about being me are also things that I don't see in other people, thus driving in that feeling of isolation and heightened desire to leave this country.

Yeah, all of this has been a great reason behind why I want nothing more than to get out of the small place where I am now. This is not a case of Penang being too small for my lofty ambitions, but rather more of a case where I need to look for someplace where I can feel less alone in myself, and perhaps escape the conventional lifestyle that might encase me if I don't hurry up and leave. There will be homesickness, and if and when the time comes, I'll probably be really sad to not come home to my dogs - yes, you read right, my canine children - but all of that will not keep me from the fact that I have to get out of this emotional rut that I'm going through. I know some people say we as humans do not deserve happiness, or even the right to ask for it, but for now I am going to ignore that notion and try best as I can to fight for it. Then at least at the end of whatever length my life takes I can say that I've tried.

I probably have more to say beyond this, but I think by this point I've indulged myself enough, and am just going to focus best as I can on navigating the next couple years I have left in my hometown, as well as try to keep myself from spiraling downwards in that equal span of time. Once again, I'm going to stress that the real source of all this is myself, and my inability to fit in with my natural and human surroundings. And since I pride on having a solution to every problem, I know that I already have a plan. I will have to try to channel all of these emotions best as I can somewhere healthy and safe, focus on keeping my CGPA up, and hopefully qualify myself for a scholarship that will take me to the new part of my life, which in turn I hope will change everything. Maybe that IS wishful thinking, but it's a plan I'm willing to go through all stages of.

Beware: Long Post Ahead...Unless You Like Your Oscars Talk That Way

2010-03-09T11:36:00.015+08:00

Yesterday was the first time I did live commentary on the Oscars. First time = amateur, and I'm pretty sure I pissed off my friends on Plurk, but yeah, that was the closest I'm going to get to becoming a correspondent for the biggest entertainment event of any year.

True to my fashion-mad personality, most of those Plurks were centered on the looks that stars strode down the red carpet in. I'm not a huge fan of the E! Fashion Police, or any other kind for that matter. Sure I read them, but usually it's because I want to see if my favourites are crowd favourites or if I'm totally alone in liking something.

Personally, I'm over the period of dissing people whose styles aren't immediately accessible to me, because every one has their own reasons (and flair), and as long as they are in something that makes them feel at - and look - their best, there's really no reason why one should pass their own highly personalized judgements on them, all the more so if they're not even fashion icons.

Khloe Kardashion Odom, I'm looking at you. Roar.

Anyway, this leads me to my post todayyy. Here, I'm going to post my favourite looks of the 82nd Annual Academy Awards, and give my two cents worth as to why they're sitting in my 'Looks I Love' folder, ready to be whipped out anytime I'm in need of some visual glam pick-me-up in my life.

Carey Mulligan in Prada. The dress, thanks to its collection of embellishment strewn all over the front - cutlery included- and its asymmetrical hemline, perfectly shows off this Oscar nominee's elegant yet unconventional sense of style. Oh, the hemline is also great for showing off those pretty ballerina-inspired shoes~

Diane Kruger in Chanel couture. Granted, this number was never going to be most people's cup of tea, but then again a)Diane has always been known for doing a superb job of rocking unusual couture pieces and b) it's refreshing to see something else aside from another variation of the Model Oscar Gown. Personally, I love the cream-and-black colour combo, plus the chiffon and tulle used are fabrics right up my alley.

Elizabeth Banks in Versace. The first time I saw Elizabeth in this, my immediate thoughts were: 'She looks gorgeous, but pity the dress has such a drab colour.' However, once the camera zoomed into the entire dress, I was sold. Once again, tulle manages to cast this spell on me no matter who or where it appears on. The gun metal (I sure like that name better than ol' gray) colour was great against her blonde hair and nude makeup as well.

Gabourey Sidibe in Marchesa. Lots of stars wore Marchesa this year, which is fantastic 'cos it's a label that really knows feminine glam. My favourite things about this gown are its sapphire colour, the silver leaf detail and the ruched texture. It all comes together to hug Gabourey's curves perfectly, and accentuates the best points of her figures. All in all, it was a wonderful dress to be seen in for a first-time Oscar attendee and nominee.

Helen Mirren in Badgley Mischka. Now wouldn't it be fantastic to look like Helen when you're her age? This dress, made of satin crepe and tulle(!), was sophisticated and age-appropriate without being snooze-inducing. A real feat, I say. It also makes her silver hair the perfect colour to complement it.

Jennifer Lopez in Armani Prive. Another personality-matching yet event-appropriate number. The cascading ruffles brought out the diva side of her, but the pearly white colour and otherwise modest silhouette made sure that it was fitting for a grand event such as the Oscars.

Kate Winslet in Atelier Yves Saint Laurent. When I first saw her, I thought she looked just beautiful. It might not be as dramatic as the gown she wore in her winning year, but nonetheless I felt it was modern and flattering enough to not fall completely into the boredom zone. Silver was a great colour against her blonde waves, and overall it felt like an update on the Classic Hollywood look.

Kristen Stewart in Monique Lhuillier. This could be the most glamorous we've seen Kristen in, and she definitely works this side of her without deviating from her indie casual punk style. Her pale, but nonetheless glowy complexion emphasized the black colour of the gown to great effect, and the sweetheart neckline added a young twist to ensure she didn't look older than she really is.

Maggie Gyllenhaal in Dries Van Noten. Kudos to Maggie for taking such a bold risk! Maggie, being one of the most unconventional Hollywood beauties there is, was perfect for this floral print dress. The collision of black and blue was like nothing else, and it made sure she got her fair share of sartorial attention on the red carpet. Her fuchsia lips were a highlight as well. In short, she was wonderfully unusual.

Meryl Streep in Chris March (yes, the Chris March of Project Runway). Meryl is yet another woman who has grown well into her age (is that how you say it?), and that topped off with all her achievements, makes her one outstanding figure. Thus, she could have gone with something flashier, but instead opted for this low-cut, draped white gown. It may be modest, but it didn't stop her fab-ness from showing through! ;)

Miley Cyrus in Jenny Packham. Okay, posture issues aside (I sincerely hope she had something going on with her back), the dress on its own was certainly a stunner. The beige colour was soft and went well with the floaty quality of the gown, plus its potentially aging effect was countered by its fun bustier top. I'm not a Miley fan, but this was a good choice for sure.

Rachel McAdams in Elie Saab. I don't think I've ever found Rachel wearing anything that doesn't make her look beautiful, but that's another story. I wished she had let her hair flow over her shoulders to go with the flowy feel of her gown, but I'm assuming the updo was to give some structure to it. Even so, that tiny blemish didn't stop this gown from being fab. I loved how the fabric criss crossed to hug her upper curves and form the sweetheart neckline, as well as how the tighter upper half slowly dissolved into layers of blue dreamy material.

RDJ (seen here with wife Susan Downey). My main gripe about this look was that he had to be in those tinted glasses all night long and keep us fangirls from looking into his eyes, but aside from that I really loved how he set himself apart from a sea of luxury label tailor-made penguin suit-ers, thanks to his glasses, turquoise bow tie and kicks. How can I not love such eccentricity? Plus, his wife had on a complementing blue, glittery dress. Could they have been the best dressed couple of the evening?

Ryan Reynolds. I think my friend and I must have screamed our heads off when we saw him. Well, virtually anyway. Any OMG-s I had were saved in the history of our Skype Chat, as well as immortalised in my Plurks. The point is, Ryan doesn't have to do much to look good. He just has to show up.

Sam Worthington (seen here with girlfriend Natalie Mark). I liked how Sam opted to go with a skinny tie instead of a bow tie, and IMO skinny ties are sleeker and more modern. Oh, Natalie also had a lovely, grayish-blue gown which shone without grossly outshining anyone. They looked good together.

Sandra Bullock (congratulations!) in Marchesa. Well, it's Marchesa, so what am I gonna say? Like Gabourey's dress, it came with flowery details, and the glittering lower half was a good contrast to the feminine upper. Didn't think the bright lip went too well with the platinum shade of this number though, but generally it was one of the most glamorous I had seen Sandra in.

Sigourney Weaver in Lanvin. She may be reaching into her 60s, but it wasn't something that showed with this red outfit. Much like Helen Mirren's outfit, it was fresh and nowhere near boring. I mean, come on, it's impossible to be bored by Grecian-inspired silhouettes. The bow in the middle of the dress was also great for reining in its flowy nature.

SJP in Chanel couture. This was somewhat toned down compared to that belted Dior dress she wore last year, but it's nice to see that the style icon can pull off almost any variety of dress. I love, love, love the detail on the neckline, and the clingy satin of it helped her to stand out from the more dramatic gowns sweeping the carpet. Her slightly tousled updo also went well with her outfit, and I'm guessing the comfort she experienced wearing something like this helped her to carry the whole look off better than ever.

Taylor Lautner. A.k.a the other guy of the night who was responsible for filling up my Skype and Plurk with fangirl-ing. I still sort of prefer seeing him decked out preppy chic style though, or hey - forgo the top altogether, eh? :P

Zoe Saldana in Givenchy Couture. Tulle was utilized in a pretty unusual way, but darn it if that's going to stop me from loving this dress! Purple looks great against Zoe's mocha skin, and knowing my love for things that shiiine, the glittery pinkish-golden top added to the winning quality of this dress. Plus, I loved how the tulle layers came in varying shades of indigo and purple. In short, it was prettiness personified.

Cameron Diaz in Oscar de la Renta. Again, one of my big favourites for the evening. To compare it with her fairly drab - personally speaking - look of last year's makes this an even bigger improvement, and why wouldn't it be? She may not have been nominated, but she is a strong contender for Best Dressed. That voluminous hair! That dress! Those lips! Dare I say this is the best Ms. Diaz has looked in some time?

Anna Kendrick in Elie Saab Couture. Another Grecian-inspired creation that won me over simply because of the inspiration behind it and how that influence was applied. From the soft pink hue of the dress to its modestly flattering (is that an oxymoron?) of Anna's figure, this shows her off as someone with relative industry innocence, but with possibly great things in her future anyway.

Amanda Seyfried in Armani Prive. I have to agree with some when they say that the silvery white colour of the gown washes out her pale complexion and nude makeup, but that doesn't mean it's an utter failure. On the contrary, it shows that Amanda is someone who is starting to take more risks with her fashion choices, and who has the versatility to pull that off (anyone remember that deep plunging blue dress she wore to the premiere of 'Dear John'?). This look of her exudes an air different from her past ones in that it gives off a stylishly icy exterior, all without dampening the ray of sunshine that she is.

I'm Just That Good

2010-03-02T22:19:00.002+08:00

Today, it dawned on me. I've got this amazing ability to mess up the good things in my life. And if they are bad enough from the start? I let it rot and evolve and ultimately become disastrous.

Like I said. I'm just that good.

Injecting Positivity Into My iTunes

2010-02-26T19:53:00.004+08:00

Honestly, StarWorld commercials are awesome. Unlike all the other times I've used that oft-overused word, this time it comes at a more than appropriate time. If you like music and TV and preeeeety colours, you're just gonna be blown away.

This is all, of course, a lot more relatable if you like me:

a) Live in M'sia
b) Subscribe to Astro
and
c) Have too much life left to spend and thus spends it on watching the same ad 10 times

Maybe not so much the last one. Anyway, I think I've cracked the rough formula of those brilliant SW commercials.

Gorgeous, cheerful song + scenes of TV series shown on SW interspersing at times in the lyrics that fit each other perfectly + outstanding editing skillz = 1 A-may-zing, Sock-Blowing Starworld Commercial.

It's funny though. I get that usually coms like these are supposed to make people want to subscribe and tune into the channel, but I almost always see these ads on the channel that it advertises. Is that the smell of redundancy I sniff?

Still, I'm not complaining much. It's about time some decent-quality ads hit our screens, and since Yasmin Ahmad passed on, the void for such ads has grown even larger. I only wish I wasn't the only person I know who's blogging about them.

Believe it or not, me waxing lyrical about 'em oh-so-wonderful commercials isn't the main point of this post. Rather, a song that was used as a theme to a recent commercial is.

And it's 70% of the reason why the recent commercial is SO jaw-dropping. Or maybe my passion for the arts has just tripled and I now feel greatness deeper than ever in my veins. Yes, I'm creepy I know. Here's the song:

The instrumental (is that what you call it?) at the beginning is what slaughtered it. I wish I could have found the advertisement it appeared in originally, because that's where you can feel the full impact of the song. Oh, and the lyrics are one-of-a-kind as well. I feel like I detected some hint of sarcasm in the song, but I would rather just not go too deeply into that and focus on the fact that it is what the title says it is.

You say what you want to say
your diamonds are drops of rain
your smile is your credit card
and your currency is your love

And the morning is for you
and the air is free
and the birds sing for you
and your positivity

Watch out

So you play where you want to play
on the main streets where the creeps all pray
and you can feel like you're in dynasty
and you can be what you want to be

And the morning is for you
and the air is free
and the birds sing for you
and your positivity

And the car crash for you
and the sunshine is free
and the sirens call you

Yes the morning is for you
yes the air is free
and yes the world spins for you
and your positivity

Positivity

The Full Moon Brings With It A New Film

2010-02-12T19:36:00.006+08:00

Grr. It's surprisingly irritating to have to balance your laptop on your crossed legs while typing. And the only reason I have to do this is because all the chairs in my room are gone, what with mom's tuition class students and their asses. :P

Upon starting this post, I was thinking of doing a review on The Wolfman, which is what I went to the cinemas for today. I'd been meaning to see it ever since I saw the trailer, and knowing me and my fascination with lycanthropy (don't ask. I can't explain it either. And Tay Tay is NOT the source of this either), it was my first priority, more so than Percy Jackson and Valentine's Day (though the Tays look like epic stuff in it)

Anyway, back to The Wolfman. I felt bad for it when I read on its WikiP page that it had received mixed to negative reviews, and garnered a 34% 'Rotten' rating on Rotten Tomatoes. That's too bad. Personally, it was pretty scary, but I do wonder if that's also because I haven't seen enough horror films to get used to sudden scares. The acting was above average too. Benicio Del Toro as leading man Lawrence Talbot adopts a convincing American accent (he's Puerto Rican), and I felt he brought out the torture experienced by his character pretty well. Can't be easy playing someone who always has to doubt his own sanity. I can so relate. ;)

Anthony Hopkins, who plays Talbot's father Sir John is, of course, commanding of the screen as usual whenever he's on it. He has pretty awesome, sadistic lines, and he kinda makes you feel lucky about your own dad as well. The role was a tad reminiscent of Hannibal Lecter though, what with the cold-blooded yet witty demeanour and equally memorable lines (those yummy fava beans!).

Last but not least, Emily Blunt and Hugo Weaving. Watching Emily portray Talbot's love interest Gwen Conliffe made me yearn for her role in The Devil Wears Prada somehow, 'cos I remember how wonderfully biatchy and fabulous she was there. Nonetheless, she's pretty decent in The Wolfman. Her closeup shots are beautiful, and although she sometimes turns out to be more of a flower vase than anyone intended, I gotta say she does have real onscreen presence, and this may be further cultivated in her potentially long career. As for Weaving, he's great as the stoic, sophisticated, slightly snarky dude - he kinda is almost always the first two things isn't he? -, though it might be nice to see him as an alcoholic, R&B hit song-composing hippie. Or something. Or maybe he has but I didn't notice.

The plotline is nothing to shout about, of course, seeing as werewolves have been given the Hollywood treatment so many times over, with pretty much the same premise Still, it was pretty cool to delve a little deeper into the subject of lycanthropy. Oh, and this is random but (spoilers ahead!) - Sir Anthony Hopkins looks strangely adorable when he has fur all over him and a big furry beard as well. But that could just be me.

Oh, lastly I liked the overall mood of the film as well. You'll need major dosages of sunshine and a chocolate sundae after seeing it, that's for sure. The closest you get to vibrant colour in the movie are Blunt's bright blue peepers, and even that's got a distant, chilly feel to it, even if her character isn't so. Expect tons of blues, dark greens, grays and blacks. Despite the mood dampening effect (not that anyone in their right mind would walk into Wolfman expecting to come out with a huge dopey smile on their faces), it's essential in order to set in that hopeless, frustrating spiral downwards that Talbot goes through.

Ok. Imma stop here, in case you actually were reading this and am 90% numbed by now to all the blah blah blah I've put your mind and eyes through.

P.S: The Wolfman has the dubious distinction of being the first movie I've seen whose film reel burned up halfway through. Can't say the orange/red/yellow glowing hole on the reel wasn't gorgeous though. But does this mean film is still flammable?

Moment of Self-Indulgence

2010-02-08T22:10:00.004+08:00

Bestie who Photoshops superbly + More besties who have too much spare time + phone camera + too much time in the college cafeteria =

*HALLELUJAH HALLELUJAH*

Ahem. Obviously I'm not admiring myself. I'm admiring the artwork (and don't you accuse me of being in denial!). Which was lovingly crafted by Amanda! *claps* And because I'm not anyone famous nor am I rich enough to pay anyone for such work, you just know that it's the work of a best friend (who has too much time on her hands - LOLIMKIDDING)...

Here is, in my own words, my interpretation of what might have been going through my mind when each of the shots were taken:

1st shot: 'Ahohoho! HO! That is GOOD. That was good. Really, really, really good.' (Don't ask
what could possibly be that good. Because I don't know either)

2nd shot: 'Butterflyyyyyy~with golden speckled wingssssss~aheehee. Heeheehee. Ah hee hee
hee hee hee....' (This can only be brought on by Cottage chips)

3rd shot: 'Oh oh oh I know who that is! Oh my God it's this close to coming out of my mouth! Oh
my God erm erm erm, wait! It's that guy from One Tree Hill isn't it!' (It wasn't)

4th shot: 'Man this dude is smoookin'! But oh no, I can't let the others know I'm popping
my eyes out over some random person. No, what would happen to my dignity? Oh no,
they're taking my picture, I hope it's not too obvious..Oh darn it, who cares!'

5th shot: 'I don't care! This dude is HOT and Imma grin stupidly all the hell I want!'

6th shot: This is the expressionless shot. I have nothing to say about it, even though I look nais.
:D .... *proceeds to slap own forehead*

V Day !

2010-02-05T09:57:00.003+08:00

Ok, maybe the title is a little anti-climatic, 'cos this post has nothing to do with any romantic exploits I might/might not have.

It's about a 40 second clip which I saw a few days ago and absolutely DIED over.

Ok, that's probably a little exaggerated. But let's put it this way: if you were one of those who avidly supported Taylor Squared throughout the course of their brief, but high-profile relationship (even though there was a possibility that it was a nice little publicity stunt), you will likely a) have seen the clip or b) need an oxygen mask after you've seen it here.

Cute stuff right? A couple of comments on Youtube said that she's no good at being the Double B (Bitchy & Bimbotic) cheerleader type, but I gotta disagree. Sure I love her to bits, but I do know when something's good, and this is it. Props to the other Taylor for showing off hints of good comedic timing, as well.

Ahh, in case you haven't already guessed, that clip just upped my anticipation for the movie. =)

I've Just Seen Jim's Face

2010-02-02T18:13:00.003+08:00

Okay, this is one of the main things anyone should know me: one of my favourite movies ever, ever, EVER is ---> Across The Universe

I've probably discussed this more than once on this blog, but seeing as my memory always fails me when it comes to stuff like these I honestly don't remember. All I know is, it's a near-perfect movie, and all the more wondrous if you, like me, love any of the following:

i) Musicals
ii) The Beatles
iii) Jim Sturgess
iv) Joe Anderson
v) Evan Rachel Wood
vi) Anyone who sings in the movie
vii) Freakin' music

So, as I was hearing songs iTunes shuffled for me, one of the BEST songs on the soundtrack came up

I've Just Seen A Face

If you've ever had a moment where you met and saw someone for the first time, and just went 'Oh wow, that is one heck of a person. I think I'm in love.', this is probably the song for you. I don't know about you, but I think every moment in life deserves a song. If my life were a musical (and I hope for the same thing everyday), ATU is the one I want it to mirror - complete with Joe and Jim. Ha!

The song doesn't deserve to just be heard, of course. Seeing it pretty much heightens the entire meaning of the song, as well as multiplies the feeling it evokes times 10. I might be biased, but it's just...so...amazing.

Here's that aforementioned scoop of musical chocolate ice cream:

Lyrics:

I've just seen a face,
I can't forget the time or place
That we'd just met, she's just the girl for me
And I want all the world to see we've met
Na na na na na na

Had it been another day
I might have looked the other way
But I had never been aware
And as it is I dream of her tonight
Na na na na na na

CHORUS:
Falling, yes I am falling
And she keeps calling me back again

I have never known
The likes of this, I've been alone
And I have missed things and kept out of sight
But other girls were never quite like this
Na na na na na na

CHORUS

I've just seen a face
I can t forget the time or place
And we'd just met, she's just the girl for me
And I want all the world to see we've met
Na na na na na na

CHORUS

Heel The World, Make It A Better Place

2010-01-30T11:28:00.009+08:00

That is not a typo.

Have you ever met one of those crazy people who believe in the 'power of heels/fashion/makeup' and how it has transformative qualities and can make you a better person?

I'm one of them, and yet I'm not, not completely anyway.

On one hand, I do believe in the power of great style and how it gets you noticed for all the right reasons and how it empowers you through it's unwavering ability to give that little bit more confidence and self-esteem. On the other hand, however, I also think that the clothes and shoes and stuff are only half of it. Because if you are inferior in attitude and intellect, no amount of great hairstyling and heel-walking training (I'm sure there's a better word for it which I don't know of at the moment) is going to stop people from noticing what's really hidden underneath.

In short, fashion can elevate you, but it can only take you up to half the building. The rest has got to come from yourself. Does anyone really think Audrey Hepburn is the icon she is just 'cos she has amazing Givenchy LBDS and a beautiful face?

Anyway, I'm sorta deviating from the main point here. Which is to share some of the most amazing shoes I've encountered through hours of surfing the Net (does anyone say surfing anymore?). You could say I've become height-biased. This doesn't mean that I favour tall guys over short ones (though it is the truth), but rather that I've now developed the habit of discarding a potential shoe-rack occupant just because it's not high enough, a.k.a. not more than 3 inches high.

So, right now, any shoes that I welcome into my home must either be very flat or very tall. My life just got an extreme edge.

Anyhow, I'm gonna cut to the chase and showcase some of the big favourites, starting with flats.

If I'm not wrong, these are from Forever 21. One of the things that can instantly attract me to a pair is, of course, its colour. Its bright, distinct colour, to be precise. The pinkish purple shade of this one plus the glittery sheen just does it for me, and the bows don't hurt either.

These are from an online blogshop named Mezzanine, which stocks these runway-inspired shoes for prices a quarter of what may cost you for the original. Obviously, these are inspired by Marc Jacobs. For some reason, I am a sucker for anything that features a quirky graphic, mainly pictures of weirdly drawn people. The gray and white stripes that act as a background for the cartoon figures complement them perfectly, and make this pair absolutely indie chic.

Ahhh, animal prints. Once upon a time, I hated them to the core and could not see why it was a recurring trend and such a hit among celebs. Now I've seen the light. Personally, as long as it wasn't taken off the body of the original wearer, I'm loving it. Leopard and zebra prints are thus far my biggest faves, which half-explains why this pair made it onto the list. The print is made even better by the fact that it's pieced together by sequins, and you know what I feel about shine!

I loved this one because of, what else, its crystal studded Union Jack flags. There's just something about 'crystal-studded' which pulls me in. Must be the way it shines and looks oh-so-precious. The flats are otherwise simple, which keeps the spotlight nicely on them glammed-up flags.

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! I loooove these to death, for one very obvious reason - retro floral prints! Anything that includes this one very special feature, be it cups, dresses, cushion covers, is sure to catch my eye. Must be one of the side effects of my enduring love with all things vintage, I guess. Oh, and I have to mention the mary-jane straps as well. Without it, the retro feel of the flats would never have been fully achieved. ;)

This is another pair from F21. It's one of those subtly elegant pairs which complement your outfit without showing off the fact that it's doing the complementing, you know? I love the gold tips; they remind me of a luxury pen somehow. Besides that, gold and black are such versatile colours, more so when they're paired together that I'm sure you can pair these with almost anything in your wardrobe.

And now....Heels.

Donatella Glitter Peep Toe Heels from F21 (4.5 in. heel height/0.75 platform height). Isn't the glittery gold fabric on this pair so intoxicating? It's not hard to imagine a champion of bling and glam wearing this (here's looking at you, Beyonce). This pair will give any outfit an instant glam-ification, so what's not to love?

Heels from Viktor & Rolf's Pierrot collection. The design is like nothing else I've ever seen, and it's got lace too (now I sound like I'm high on sugar)! The details on the heel certainly aren't overlooked as well, and the diamond shapes stay very true to the Pierrot spirit. And oh, the height! This is a pair that pretty much ticks all my personal boxes.

Boots from peepboutique.blogspot.com. It crosses the sleekness of a good black boot with the sweetness of a mary jane heel to great effect, hence it's got hints of androgynous chic peppered by unmistakable feminine chic. I also love, love the sneaker-like holes. I'm sure there's a better name for that that I don't know of at the moment. Plus, the buckles are to die for!

Open-toe heels from Chie Mihara. My favourite thing about this has got to be the pleat detailing on the front, and how they are layered on top of one another to create a soft, irresistible focal point. The white colour looks a little grayish here, which gives it a subtle, slightly washed out hue. Oh, and it looks pretty comfy too. I bet I would wear this everyday if it were mine...

Zip up boots from Charles&Keith. Don't you just love the metallic gold stripes on this one? Personally, anything that looks like it came from 50 years later is a hit with me. Paired with something contrasting like a black tutu skirt, it could just be really awesome. One day, one day, I'll have the means to raid C&K like nobody's business....

Berry Platform Pumps from Forever 21 (4.5 in. heel height). I'm not sure about the texture of the fabric, but it sure looks like velvet from the picture. The biggest drawing point of this pair would have to be its blueberry colour; it's bright without being overwhelmingly so. Plus, it looks like something from an 80s revival, and really, no one can ever forget the 80s, can they?

For very obvious reasons, this reminds me of Blair Waldorf. New York-accented preppiness is written all over this one. The plaid stockings are paired with the muted gray heels to great effect, and it just might make you wish this were part of our school uniforms - I know I do.

Films, Films and More Films

2010-01-29T22:32:00.006+08:00

January is ending pretty soon, and I just realized I've watched no less than 10 films in less than 30 days. Mind, this is likely a feeble number compared to some friends of mine who don't go a day without a movie (I do the same with music), but for me who used to have little patience sitting through a movie - as much as I love them - this is pretty big.

There are a couple o' reasons as to why January has been so full of film. First off, one of my subjects for this semester is Film Studies, which - to cut a long story short - practically obliges me to see 2 movies (short clips not included) once a week. And oh. There's also my new awesome routine of going out for an awesome movie after class every Wednesday for a movie with my awesome fwends. So yeah.

The movies shown by my lecturer have thus far either been hits or misses, which is inevitable since I've seen some of them before, and he doesn't stick to just one genre of course. Among some of the best I've seen in those otherwise butt-killing 3 hour classes are the Hitchcock classic 'Notorious', the Coppola classic 'The Godfather' and (I think) a Stone classic 'Natural Born Killers'.

Yeah, most of the stuff we've seen are iconic. Just 2 days ago the class was treated to the Psycho shower scene, and in The Godfather we all learned to fear the sentence 'I'll make him an offer he can't refuse." Brrrr.

All of this is made even cooler when you juxtapose it with the fact that the other source of my frequent movie-viewing comes from the cinema, which is filled with the latest releases. So you could say that if my diet was movie-based, it would be pretty healthy.

So what about the stuff that I've caught in theatres? Well, I was a little late to see it when it came out last year, but at the beginning of Jan I went ahead and finally watched the epicness that was Avatar. To this day, it continues to sell fast and sell out. And that Sam Worthington dude is looking to be one very blessed dude. His breakthrough role was in Terminator Salvation, and then came this. Next up, he's got the remake of The Clash of the Titans, and now rumour has it he's up for the role of Dracula. Now if he can keep his personality the down-t0-earth, nonsense-immune way it is, he will be Hollywood's next Big Leading Man.

Na'vi was then followed by Sherlock, which proved to be another piece of brilliance. I am happy to report that ever since that, the female quotient of my friends and I have officially become RDJ-mad (Iron Man and Natural Born Killers were the foundation-setters). And that Golden Globe! O' how deserving!

Both dramas were then followed by very light-hearted fare, namely - Old Dogs and The Tooth Fairy. Both have a couple things in common, aside from the genre: a) I went into both with little-to-no expectations and b) I went out laughing hyena-style from both.

Honestly, my taste in comedies have always ranged from, well, tasteful to just plain off-the-mark. But never mind that, because if it makes you laugh, it can't be that bad can it? So long as you don't expect a mind-blowing plot out of it.

That's all for January, and the coming months are just going to get better, thanks to the onset of Valentine's Day, Nine, Alice In Wonderland, Iron Man 2, Eclipse, Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief, The Wolfman...in short, 2010 is gonna be real goooooood.

Rama-rama-mamma

2009-11-15T11:33:00.006+08:00

Here's a fact: some of the best music videos this year have come from this envelope-pushing artiste. Her name is:

LADY GAGA

I thought Poker Face was great for her dance moves, her out-of-this-world outfits, and its overall tone and vibe. Then I saw the video for Nothing Else I Can Say (Eh Eh), which showcased a softer and prettier side of Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. And then I saw Paparazzi, which I'll admit was a tad self-indulgent, but was nevertheless full of wacked out awesomeness (glitter, glitter, glitter... ). Oh, and it made me look at Alexander Skarsgard very differently. ;)

Anyway, we all know by now that the only thing predictable about Lady Gaga is that - she's not. And with her new video, she's proved that once again. It's totally okay if you don't always get the message she's trying to portray - they're probably made to confound most of the time anyway. Just know this - it's twisted. It's hot. It's insane. It can only be her.

It's honestly so refreshing to see the (near) fresh-faced look on her. Just when you think she's going to go all out unrecognizable ala this year's Video Music Awards again, she hits you with minimalism. It's not hard to see why Madonna's a fan.

Lyrics:

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah-ah!
Roma-roma-mamaa!
Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!
Want your bad romance

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah-ah!
Roma-roma-mamaa!
Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!
Want your bad romance

I want your ugly
I want your disease
I want your everything
As long as it’s free
I want your love
(Love-love-love I want your love)

I want your drama
The touch of your hand
I want your leather-studded kiss in the sand
I want your love
Love-love-love
I want your love
(Love-love-love I want your love)

You know that I want you
And you know that I need you
I want it bad, your bad romance

I want your love and
I want your revenge
You and me could write a bad romance
(Oh-oh-oh--oh-oooh!)
I want your love and
All your lovers' revenge
You and me could write a bad romance

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah-ah!
Roma-roma-mamaa!
Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!
Want your bad romance

I want your horror
I want your design
‘Cause you’re a criminal
As long as your mine
I want your love
(Love-love-love I want your love-uuhh)

I want your psycho
Your vertigo stick
Want you in my rear window
Baby you're sick
I want your love
Love-love-love
I want your love
(Love-love-love I want your love)

You know that I want you
('Cause I'm a freak bitch baby!)
And you know that I need you
I want a bad, bad romance

I want your love and
I want your revenge
You and me could write a bad romance
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!)
I want your love and
All your lovers' revenge
You and me could write a bad romance

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah-ah!
Roma-roma-mamaa!
Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!
Want your bad romance

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah-ah!
Roma-roma-mamaa!
Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!
Want your bad romance

Walk, walk fashion baby
Work it
Move that bitch crazy

Walk, walk fashion baby
Work it
Move that bitch crazy

Walk, walk fashion baby
Work it
Move that bitch crazy

Walk, walk fashion baby
Work it
I'm a freak bitch, baby

I want your love and
I want your revenge
I want your love
I don’t wanna be friends

Je veux ton amour
Et je veux t'en revendre
Je veux ton amour
I don’t wanna be friends
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!
I don’t wanna be friends
(Caught in a bad romance)
I don’t wanna be friends
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!
Want your bad romance
(Caught in a bad romance)
Want your bad romance!

I want your love and
I want your revenge
You and me could write a bad romance
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!
I want your love and
All your lovers' revenge
You and me could write a bad romance

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Want your bad romance
(Caught in a bad romance)
Want your bad romance

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Want your bad romance
(Caught in a bad romance)

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah-ah!
Roma-roma-mamaa!

Ga-ga-ooh-la-la! Want your bad romance

Impulse

2009-11-13T17:21:00.002+08:00

I'll probably regret this very, very soon (as in I'll be whacking my head in the next half hour), but oh well, I probably think too much sometimes, so here goes:

If you were here, what would you do?

If you were here, what would you say?

Life piles up in layers,

And the little things get me through the day in quick little spurts.

Nothing lasts.

I wish you would.

Don't know what's wrong.

Less of what's real.

I'm trying to keep from sinking.

I know I can do this.

But the days would shine

If you were just around.

Being alone's an option.

But now you're my only choice.

Every word I say I regret.

But somewhere deep down I keep it

And it comes right back sometime someday

If you were here, how would it be?

If you were here, maybe I would. I could just be.

You can be my last gasp of air on earth.

You can be my first thought in the day.

But everything's still just the same.

I want you right here with me

But the simplest things can be the hardest.

I want you here

I want you here

P.S: If you're wondering if it's supposed to make sense, the answer's pretty obvious isn't it ? ;)

What The World Needs Now

2009-11-01T10:57:00.003+08:00

I first heard this song during the scene in My Best Friend's Wedding when Julianne (Julia Roberts) tries to squeeze through the crowd to get to Michael (Dermot Mulroney) and Kimberly (Cameron Diaz) after the latter two's wedding ceremony is over, just trying to get a glimpse of Michael especially. There was something about the scene, and the song accompanying it - Jackie DeShannon's What The World Needs Now (Is Love) - that made me cry there and then. That's the power of a good soundtrack, I guess.

Anyway, till this day My Best Friend's Wedding remains one of my favourite romantic dramedies ever, and the same goes for said song. The version which I will be posting the lyrics to today though is Stacey Kent's. She is arguably one of the biggest names in the audiophile/jazz music industry, and once you hear her voice - if you've never heard of her before - it won't be hard to see why. There's no one else out there who sings like her, regardless of genre.

And she puts a really special touch to What The World Needs Now as well.

Lyrics:

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No not just for some but for everyone.

Lord, we don't need another mountain
There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb

There are oceans and rivers enough to cross
Enough to last till the end of time.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of.

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No, not just for some but for everyone.

Lord, we don't need another meadow
There are cornfields and wheat fields enough to grow
There are sunbeams and moonbeams enough to shine
Oh listen, lord, if you want to know.

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of.

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No, not just for some, oh, but just for everyone.

Fred and Ginger + Bonnie and Clyde = Zooey and Joseph?

2009-10-17T09:51:00.003+08:00

I've been wanting to watch (500) Days of Summer since I found out about its existence months ago. It's the kind of thing that just begs to be seen, at least for me. It's got Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon Levitt, the most adorable and creative movie poster I've seen in ages, a fresh storyline, and an indie soundtrack that doesn't just complement the movie, but sounds like its audio soulmate (that sounds like a cool idea for a band name). It's pretty much indie heaven.

Then, a while ago I found out local cinemas were going to be showing it. That, along with all the other crazy film releases in October, got me absolutely pumped for the 10th month. And then I found out it's only going to be shown in KL. I live in Penang. It's simple math.

Grr.

So now I'll just have to wait for the DVD. It really is too bad, and I can't put a finger on as to why the movie wasn't released nationwide. Was it 'cos it's an indie movie and therefore can't be relied upon to bring in the bucks? Pfft. As if we don't already have a ridiculously limited number of movies shown here, now they're cutting all 13 other states from viewing what might be one of the best films this year. I feel like I'm exaggerating, especially since I haven't even seen (500) yet, but I trust local and overseas reviews - as well as Zooey - so I'm giving it the extreme benefit of the doubt.

Right. Babbling aside, while I'm waiting to get my hands on the DVD, I've got a neat little video to placate me. I might be a little late in discovering it, but to wring a worn out cliche to death, better late than never! Here it is:

It's another slice of indie love. One Youtube user said you can't watch it without smiling, and another commented that it's cheesy in the best way possible, and I agree wholeheartedly with both. It's awrsum. I've heard this song by She & Him before, though I never really felt drawn to it, don't know why. This video however, has given me a whole new perspective and now I love, love, love it.

Sad though, how he pretty much just leaves her after all that courting a.k.a. The Wonderful Dance Routine.

Where The Wild Styles Are

2009-10-15T10:14:00.004+08:00

Just Jared may be first and foremost an entertainment gossip site, but man could it just as easily function as a celeb fashion hotspot! Ever since I started frequenting it, it's made up at least 50% of the folder, Looks I Love on my computer which stores...well, it's self explanatory isn't it?

Anyway, that's not the main point here. This morning I did my usual rounds there (I realize I sound like a cop on patrol), updating myself on unnecessary-but-strangely-still-mandatory showbiz goss and what she or he wore last night, and this one look stood out:

Blake Lively in Marchesa at the premiere of Where The Wild Things Are (can't wait for that one; the trailer got me all pumped for it, too bad it's only reaching local shores in Dec)

Truth is, I don't usually take a strong liking to what Blake Lively wears outside the Gossip Girl set. I usually either find it too snooze-worthy, or even too age inappropriate (though that Michael Kors hot pink dress she wore was a good step out of the red carpet ordinary).

Which makes this choice of outfit even more outstanding for Blake. It's nice to see her take a risk every once in a while, and it's really paying off. The upper section, dominated by a string of B & W flowers set upon a see-through bustier top contrasts perfectly with the feathery lower section (is it related to the adorable fluffy texture of the Wild Things monsters' bodies, by any chance?).

It's a case of tough-cum-feminine. Oh yeah, it's also a Marchesa creation, which says a lot already. I dare say they hardly put a wrong foot forward, and it's indeed wonderful to see their dresses breathing life back into the red carpet.

Love her shoes too. No shoes, it seems, ought to be caught without at least a 4 inch heel these days, and painful as this trend may be, it sure is fierce. Its nude hue complements the dress very well without taking anything away from it, which is just the way it should be when you have something as striking as that on.

Finally, the hair! Though I love Blake in her usual soft waves, this style, which I presume to be Old Hollywood inspired, is amazing. Brunettes and redheads would look good with such waves too, but there's something about the sheen that only blond hair has that makes it look ultra better.

All in all, keep it up Blake!

New Direction

2009-10-14T23:12:00.002+08:00

Having both deliberately and unintentionally ignored this blog for a record breaking span of time, I've decided to take things here in a new direction.

In other words, instead of blogging about this or that (as in random topics, from what my dog swallowed last night to the latest favourite on my playlist), I'm going to have a more specific theme from now on. I did this because there's still a part of me that wants to maintain a blog, so I thought: why not do it in a way that's refreshing and motivating?

Hence, At the Art ofIt.

*I really, really like the name* *Glows with pride*

Recently (or rather, for the past couple months or so), I've been accumulating pictures of celebs in outfits I love, fab magazine covers....basically just images I find and fall in love with, though they're mostly to do with fashion <3

That's not going to be the sole theme of At the Art of It (AAI for short), though. Aside from looks I love, I'm going to blog about random songs I love, or movies I've watched recently. Basically, the concept is Art, and branches of it that excite me.

Change. We all needz it sometimes.

Yes, that was Cheezburger talk.

From One Thing To Another

2009-08-26T19:00:00.003+08:00

I'm blaming Twitter, Plurk and yes, even Facebook for my blog inactivity. Truth is, nothing that's happened in my life thus far is really worthy of something that exceeds 140 characters, and those little mildly interesting and amusing things in my life are better off suited for said microblogging sites. Oh well. That's tech. Always getting ahead of itself. Always outdoing itself.

Here's a random fact: everytime I'm listening to a good song from my iTunes playlist, my mind instantly goes to - blogging. It's weird (and so what else is new about me?), how a simple song can change my state of mind. For instance, when I was listening to an old guilty fave, M2M's Pretty Boy, I thought about blogging its lyrics, and its significance in and relation to my life. Is that what you might call philosophical? I'm always thinking, and my mind never shuts up. No wonder eyebags are popping up. I can't help my mind racing everytime I go to bed. The dreams just keep on coming, and it would be nice if I could remember them, but the sucky thing is that I hardly do. I would give 'most anything to have lasting images and memories of them all.

I'm really enjoying Plurk now that a few of my friends are on it. It's nice reading their reactions to certain things that we might have been through together on a certain day. It's a nice feeling I get replying to their reactions. It's nice reading their replies to my reactions. The last 3 sentences were an attempt at rhetoric.

I don't know if I'm a closet drama queen. I can't be sure. I think I'm going to be a little disappointed if someone confirms that fact for me. There has to be a reason why, when I listen to certain songs - which mostly happen to be melancholic and romantic - I feel kinda low in a great kind of way. Haha. Obviously that sentence is never going to make any sense to anyone else but me. But if it does, feel free to sign up as my soulmate, hah.

Oh my gosh, is this post imperfectly random and almost emo or what?! I know that being a person is a lot about being individual, but it would be beyond great if someone just relates completely to a couple of things I just wrote in here.

I'm not sure if I ought to continue writing this. Basically, this is a Train-of-Thought post, one where I write down anything that comes to mind. Clearly, my mind is a maze strewn with Rubik cubes in every corner, plus a couple of advanced Sudoku puzzles thrown in for good measure. I gotta admit, I enjoy being this different, even if I do wonder why there's no one else who's even remotely close to sharing my perceptions. Different is of course a lonely word, but nevertheless an exciting one. So imagine finding someone who is different in the same way that you are.

That would be amazing. =)

P.S: I think I'm going to regret writing all of this down sooner or later. That's my nature, regrettably or non-regrettably, depending on your point of view.

How Bee-sy Body Of Me. Oh Well

2009-08-11T07:48:00.003+08:00

Regrettably, there are more people in the world I dislike than I would care to admit.

Well, to be honest, the target of my tongue this time was one I used to dislike (and now I'm just neutral), so really I should address this poem to my former this-person-hating self. If I could send it back in time to ol' me I sure wouldn't mind. But until some fantastic scientist figures out a way to send us back and forth in time, I'm happy enough just to publish this thing and hopefully keep whoever is reading this mildly entertained, at least.

Here goes:

There you go

Strutting down the halls

Thinking the world's a fashion show

News flash: it isn't

But so what? In your head there's no reason

And as we all know

There ain't no Michael

There ain't no iPod

And there ain't no nothing either

Oh I'm sorry

You think I'm being mean?

Wait till you see

How vicious you actually can be

One by one you're losing them all,

Thanks to the backstabbing,

And oh dear so much more

Truthfully sometimes I ponder

If all you are is real

Or just an act to make us wonder

Either way the attention you're getting

Is getting you nowhere

As much as it is tempting

To administer a hammer for your head

And have you wake up on some random man's bed

Just to give you a real nice scare.

But don't you worry

For no real harm is meant

So you can stop faking that faint

After all aren't you such a saint?

Fruit Of My Bored Wits

2009-08-05T21:53:00.002+08:00

So recently I've met this person who makes my skin crawl, and not in a good way either. I'm not going to tell you where I met her or what she did (or does) that incurred so much wrath in me. There's a term going on which describes people getting fired due to blogging about their jobs - I've forgotten what it's called exactly - but I suppose I've given you a little clue now haven't I?

Anyway, let's cut to the chase. As the title says, I was so bored one fine day that I decided to devote a little time to penning a poem on her dastardliness. I don't get told things like I've got good taste, but I personally find this one fairly decent. Read on:

Red

You really don't deserve my time

'Specially when your face is always sour

Like you're chewing on a piece o' lime

But I'm writing this for you

'Cos there's nothing better for me to do

Unless you count standing all day long

Listening to the same slow dead songs

A fun activity for all.

Really I just need the money

Though ain't it funny?

We get worked like robots

Just to get what we want

To the point where we get massive brain clots

Oh you know it's all your fault

And let's not even get started

On your sky scraping eyebrows

Your ever present overdose of lip gloss

Truthfully you shouldn't be in the kids department

You may just scare all the children present

But goodness me that's nothing to you isn't it?

The least I can say is

Woman

You're a real twit.

Quizzzzz

2009-07-29T10:42:00.003+08:00

Took this personality quiz recently, and this is how it turned out:

Your view on yourself:

You are intelligent, honest and sweet. You are friendly to everybody and don't like conflict. Because you're so cheerful and fun people are naturally attracted to you and like to talk to you.

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:

You like serious, smart and determined people. You don't judge a book by its cover, so good-looking people aren't necessarily your style. This makes you an attractive person in many people's eyes.

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:

You are ready to commit as soon as you meet the right person. And you believe you will pretty much know as soon as you might that person.

The seriousness of your love:

Your have very sensible tactics when approaching the opposite sex. In many ways people find your straightforwardness attractive, so you will find yourself with plenty of dates.

Your views on education

Education is very important in life. You want to study hard and learn as much as you can.

The right job for you:

You're a practical person and will choose a secure job with a steady income. Knowing what you like to do is important. Find a regular job doing just that and you'll be set for life.

How do you view success:

You are confident that you will be successful in your chosen career and nothing will stop you from trying.

What are you most afraid of:

You are afraid of things that you cannot control. Sometimes you show your anger to cover up how you feel.

Who is your true self:

You are mature, reasonable, honest and give good advice. People ask for your comments on all sorts of different issues. Sometimes you might find yourself in a dilemma when trapped with a problem, which your heart rather than your head needs to solve.

Hmm. I don't know. Some parts do sound pretty accurate to me . What do you think? Which parts of this quiz do you feel has spoken rightly about me?

The Result of Amanda's Nudge

2009-07-28T23:53:00.010+08:00

Girl, I suppose I oughta thank you la~

I've been having some fun since the exams ended, but I'm gonna start working part time for a bit in a couple of days time because this is the year where my shopping bug has bit me the hardest. Shopping = money spent

The higher the expenditure, the higher the need for moolah

Therefore shopping = the increased need for moolah

My dad was right in saying when I was younger that I would grow up to place a whole lot of emphasis on money. $$$

Don't tell me to go marrying some rich old perverted ah-pek soon though. I want to walk into Topshop one day w/o shame, but at the same time I wanna do it...with dignity * cue noble, inspiring music *

Grr. My Life is in dire need of a Soundtrack.

The Sometimes Eventful Life of Rachel: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.

One day. Someday. Who knows right? Fame is free for all these days. Pfft.

I am a little bit nervous about my new job, obviously. I have worked before, but new job environments probably will always make me jittery. It's a non comfort-zone after all. Still, I have one of my best friends working with me there, and if I'm working in the women's department, I definitely have no problem having gorgeous threads for colleagues all day long. That's the fashionista in me talkin'.

Oh, and I'm beginning to miss my friends too. It's great now that I have more people than ever to hang out with and ruin lives for (mwahahahahaha), but at the same time it's slightly hard because I need to learn to balance time between them and my family. Both are important, d'oh. I suppose the day I get a car will be the day the burden of balance shall be lightened *cue noble music again*

Damn I am so full of it.

Oh yeah, it kinda sucks too that lots of my friends are not gonna be around. I'm defo not going anywhere, since my semester break does not coincide with the national school hols. There is a potentially amazing outing to Bukit Merah next week though, so there's something to look forward to. (I realize if you're reading this and you come from New York this is all going to sound very mundane and pointless for you. Believe it or not, I have a life. It's just a different life, that's all)

Argh argh. Lasto but not leasto, the grades for my classes last semester are gonna come in through the mail the week before the new semester officially kicks off. I had better assign a clone of meself to start guarding the mailbox now so that no one else but ME gets hold of those grades first. I imagine some less than perfect results for Sociology - as fascinating and original as the class is, it was majorly hard as I might've mentioned in a past blog post - plus some pretty okay grades for IMC, hopefully?

Ah, best not to hope now. Just think of the monehhh you're going to make from your new part-time job, Rachey!

By the way, I've been visiting The Sartorialist pretty often lately. No 1, Scott Schuman's camera and/or photography skills rock. No.2 )Is it possible that Malaysians are some of the worst dressed people in the world? Okay, that was mean. Though when you see how well-coordinated people from Milan, Paris and New York are...oh well, I suppose we just have different priorities eh?

Here are some of my favourites so far:

I know some of us out there just look at fashion and don't see how it could be such a huge deal. But looking at these pictures, I just feel like what you wear says so much about who you are as a person, or at least who you want to be, that it really is hard to ignore. Okay, so fashion isn't the huge deal here. Sure, these people are fashionable alright, but most importantly they put their own stamp on it. They make it theirs. And as far as I know, that's what I call style.

Sorry!

2009-07-22T08:36:00.001+08:00

Believe it or not, I think about updating my blog everyday. But sadly I've had exams lately, plus a whole lot of other assignments dating all the way back to nearly two weeks ago (which is just about the same period of time during which I have failed to post anything on zis blog!).

Trust me.

I WILL BE BACK.

Good Day

2009-07-13T18:30:00.002+08:00

Today was such a near perfect one that I wonder if it's the perfect calm before the roaring storm. I can't help the negativity. I've been through way too many sleepless nights and problem-filled days to actually find the one divine place where I can just let loose completely and not expect horribleness next. I think that place went away with the passing of my 12th b'day.

Oh well. Anyway, here's a look into why I called July 13, 2009 my Perfect Day.

My day usually begins with me looking through my wardrobe for something that has probably been worn before, but that still has to look well coordinated enough to look like it's something new/hot/chic. A new outfit is a bonus here, but since I don't have completely different ensembles for every day of the year, I've learned to cultivate this useful skill called Mix-n-Match. It's not always easy, though, and if I'm lucky, I'm able to throw on an outfit that's at least two of the following: chic (or at least decently current)/comfortable/flattering.

This morning, I had it slightly easier because it's Presentation Day in college and our class is expected to show up in formal attire. That defo narrowed down my choices. So in that sense, I already was pretty lucky. I ended up with an empire waist top (totally flattering for curvy girls like me) and a pair of black satin skinnies. Perfect. And it didn't take me as long as perfect outfits usually do, either.

Because of that, I was able to do up my face, feed the dogs, eat breakfast and fill the dogs' water bottle, all without being late for school. And ding! There you have it, the first sign of Monday perfection (that I believe is an oxymoron, but I guess there will always be exceptions)

After that, it was straight for school. This is where my day couldn't be completely perfect, because one of my team members for the presentation couldn't make it to school. Even then, this indirectly worked in the team's favour, because halfway through the presentations we realized that whoever turned up late had to have their groups go up right after the current team. SMSs were sent, and we were able to convince ze late group member not to show up in school and present on Wednesday instead. More time to prepare = more potential for brilliant presentation.

Usually on days of presentation, I slip into this sombre, serious mood because I get so worked up over whether or not I'm going to ace the prez and then I end up doing myself a disfavour because my serious, sombre mood stops friends or anyone else from talking to me. Not today. I had a great time in class, alternating between helping pals with their presentations, goofing around and comforting those whose prezzes didn't pan out too well.

And the good day machine continued to hum on...

After the presentation class was over, friends and I went on to our second and last class of the day - Intro to Mass Comm. Our lecturer was super nice (and usually he already is a great guy to be around), though I won't go into details into how he was nice (hehe - I wonder if he's reading this). Let's just say he was a lot of help for our exams next week (break out the notes and stop blogging right this second Rach!). That aside, lecturer, friends and me looked through some hilarious photos of one of my besties in India and laughed our heads off together. This has pretty much never happened before, and to think that it was our 2nd last class made it seem quite sad. Still! It was a great morning, to say the least.

Since college is a huge deal in my life, if it doesn't screw up, then the rest of my day won't feel so screwed up either, no matter how effed up the day may turn out to be (of course there could always be some major events outside of college that will be earth shattering, but I'm just speaking in terms of everyday life now).

Moooore perfection was added to the day when I ended up not having to wait as long as usual for mom to pick me up, and got into the car with a lovely lunch waiting for me (fried rice and some fried tomyam chicken nuggets...nothing ultra posh, but probably just as delectable as any caviar in the world). Me turns on the radio, and a killer pop playlist comes on and makes my day all that much better for the next hour. Mariah's Obsessed, Click 5's Jenny, Lady GaGa's Nothing Else I Can Say, Colbie Caillat's Fallin' For You, Daughtry's No Surprise...music plays a big part in determining my mood, so one can only imagine what good songs do to me.

After that, we dropped by the driving centre to pick up my P license, and one part of my life was complete. Having it in my hands finally closed one of the hardest chapters in my life so far for good, and may it never be opened again!

Upon arriving at home, I was greeted by two great friends - Love and Cookie. Sometimes I think about how my insane maternal-like affection for them probably does nothing for my dwindling 'cool' factor, but then I always shrug it off and remember that these two truly are one of the best things that have happened to me.

That was a few hours ago, and things are still moving along at a nice, smooth pace. A little bit worrying, but I know there's nothing I can really do except sit back and enjoy. You might've noticed that none of the things I talked about were really major. In fact, all of them were small things like a great lunch, great music and great company. Then again, I guess it's always the small things that turn out the biggest, and thus the ones that matter most.

Gosh, perfect days turn me into a complete mushpot.

Hmm, I think I will just about faint and die if Joe Anderson sang I Want You to me. I think I shall die a very happy death.

Omg Joe Anderson is taking over my life.

I Want...

2009-07-09T07:58:00.004+08:00

One important stage of my life officially ended yesterday, successfully marking the beginning of a new one.

Because I passed my driving test!

Gosh, I'm a real late bloomer. Haha, just like everything else about me. Or sometimes it just doesn't bloomin' bloom at ALL.

I think I know what car I wanna be working towards from now on.

Everytime I see one of these rolling about on the streets, I just go all wide eyed and think: "Oooooohh...". Or sometimes if I'm not careful, it comes out as actual words. Embarrassing.

Truly I know nothing about the workings of the car. I don't know how fast it can go, and what kind of features it has. I just know it's pretty.

It's gorgeous.

And now that I have a license (gosh that sounds awesomely strange), there will now be a day when I will have a chance to sit in one of those babies and actually drive them. DRIVE them.

Okay, I meant to gush about how happy I am to finally have passed the test, but this is kinda sorta maybe turning out to be a mini online Mini Cooper shrine now, eh? That's me, always going off track, ha.

And you know what, if the Mini never falls into my hands, this will always do:

See, see how the Volkswagen Beetle shines among the other typical boring grey/silver/black in what I think is a typical gloomy day in UK?

I want to stand out. Therefore, I need my ideal car to do the same. Why else do I like yellow for my cars?

One day. Someday.

Inspiring

2009-07-02T08:32:00.003+08:00

Handsome, smart, talented, weird, random and possesses a warped sense of humour.

There's totally no reason for me to ever stop loving James Franco now.

Okay, so most of us already know the first three qualities about him. But what about the rest? Watch this and find out.

Your reaction to this video will instantly determine your sense of humour. If you're indeed amused, welcome to my exclusive Awesomely Weird And Loving It Club. If you're not even smiling on the inside, 'congratulations' you're part of the majority who are normal and find road-crossing chickens funny.

...

This vid is a trailer, a prelude of sorts to what is really a 32-minute film dedicated to James Franco walking into and trashing a beautifully decorated room to pieces. I sure hope it's his. That'll make it a lot more fun *glee*.

Random, insane men are absolutely the best. It sure helps when they're this good looking, too.

In Need of A Cineplex

2009-06-30T13:46:00.007+08:00

It shouldn't have been that long since I last went to see a movie - cos I remember catching Wolverine, Angels & Demons and Night At The Museum 2 - but for some reason I feel that way. I guess it's mainly because so many good films have come out, and I haven't seen a huge chunk of them. Oh yeah, and I miss popcorn.

The following are just some of the more epic ones that I missed:

So, catch me missing these:

I just know this is going to be furry awww-some.

From what I've read so far and seen in the trailer, it looks like a strong contender for Best Animated Film in next year's Oscars already.

'Worst reviewed mega blockbuster'? That's what I've heard from Yahoo!, which kinda makes me wanna see it even more.

By the way, if you haven't seen the trailers for Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs just yet, here it is (it's, I will annoyingly reiterate, furry awww-some):

...

OMG OMG I CAN'T WAIT I CAN'T WAIT! GIMME SCRAT NOWZ!

...

Ahem.

Like Monsters Vs Aliens and Up, Ice Age: DOTD is going to come out in 3D. So fun. Can't wait. (and don't ask me why I lost my sentence connectors all of a sudden. Sometimes weird things happen to weird people like me).

Giiiimmmeeee Scraaaaaat

This Can't Be Happening

2009-06-26T12:26:00.003+08:00

But I woke up and the reality hit me: Michael Jackson is gone.

Like pretty much everyone else, I didn't see it coming. Just days ago, omg.yahoo.com featured MJ in their What Were TheyThinking?! section, and really the world was moving at its usual pace - another day in our lives, swine flu cases rise by the second, Michael lands another slap on the hand from the fashion police - and now. This.

I suppose most people are aware of the fact too that this man was in the midst of planning and rehearsing for his comback tour. I guess that's kinda gone up in the air now, too.

How could it have happened? And why?

I guess this is just like one of those inexplicable things that happen to people close to you and who get taken away by a debilitating illness too soon - except that it's now happened to someone who EVERYONE loves.

Before I go on, here's an article written by one of Yahoo! Music's bloggers on the loss of MJ. I think it's very well written, to say the least.

Michael is, for me, in a nutshell, one of those seemingly eccentric geniuses who, at the height of his success, pretty much conquered the world in a way that no number of presidents or kings could ever do. For the kid who I used to be, he was a big part of my childhood. I remember my father putting on music videos of Remember The Time, Billie Jean, Beat It and of course, Thriller (which became the cause of many sleepless nights at one point, but I guess that's why it's what it is), over and over again into the VCR, and even though I didn't realize it at the point, it formed a huge chunk of some of my best childhood memories ever.

Michael was one of my earliest exposures to what a real entertainer is like, as well as how they are supposed to be. He really showed us all how it is done, probably even without trying to, since strokes of genius are almost always accidental.

He dared to strike out, and despite his own tumultous childhood, he did it superbly and the rest of his accomplishments even better. A superstar is never cookie-cutter, and he was a testament to that fact.

Towards the end of his premature death, his name might have been tainted with things that may or may not have been there, but here I choose to overlook all of that and implore all those who love him or have ever loved him to remember him by his beautiful legacy, nothing else. Because there is no one out there, not now, not ever who can possibly give us what he did.

We may not know yet what exactly transpired at the time of and the causes of his passing, but we can hope that he was in a good place in his life when he did. Hope he's in an even better place now.

Things just aren't the same anymore. R.I.P, MJ.

To Haruhi Yun (don't Kill me)

2009-06-24T11:10:00.002+08:00

Oh dearest darling,

You may not be a man,

But you're more than any fling,

You are my friend,

For whom I will always bend (though not to the other side),

Drawing books,

The dirty looks,

From the Evil Science Teacher

To just any darn shallow preacher.

But I say who the hell cares,

Certainly not Winnie The Pooh Bear,

And certainly not us.

Thank you for not pushing me in front of a bus.

Now I'm running out of time,

My dear sweet lime ^^

But this has been fun,

Maybe I'll do it again,

On a day with a little more sun.

P.S: I am not lesbian. Believe it or not, it just isn't in my capability.

Happiness Is A Warm Gun

2009-06-23T10:08:00.006+08:00

Before I launch into semi obsession mode, I wanna ask a question: is it wrong to gain awareness of the Beatles' hits through Across The Universe, and if so/if not, is it wrong to love the film covers more than the originals?

Question aside, it's been such a random day. I'm having a quiz for Intro to Mass Communication today, and though the right thing to do is always to buckle down (or is that up?) and study hard, concentrate your brain juices on each and every question, it was the thing I did not do. Don't I always? I'm so predictable. You know what I did do though? I started thinking about ATU's Happiness Is A Warm Gun, that's what I did. I can't take the blame entirely for it, though. It just sorta, well, drifted into my head.

Now I shall shift into Semi-Obsessed mode.

See, the main reason the song kept going round my head like a broken (but gorgeous nevertheless) record halfway through said quiz is because Joe Anderson sings it.

Joe who? If you have never seen the brilliance that is Across The Universe, you probably aren't familiar with him. If you have (and good on you!), then this guy's probably left a pretty deep impression on you, perhaps even more than Jim Sturgess did (though I love both guys with equal measure :)...but okay, maybe Joe a little more)

Okay, ahem, great looks aside, what really got me mad about this guy is his voice. That sounds fanatical and oh-so-wrong, but that's just the way I felt when I first heard him sing. His vocals are almost in the same vein as Jim's, as there's a similar thread of vulnerability as well as a devil-may-care attitude that runs through the songs they performed. Gosh, is this turning out to be some deep review of ACU or what? Anyway, what's different about Joe is that there's a rocker edge to him. Whereas Jim is somewhat more of a balladeer (but that may just be because he's lovelorn 80% of the screen time he gets), Joe is a little more...freaky I would say? Which is totally great because I've noticed that guys I've liked (and are liking) always have some sort of a twisted mentality in them, whether they themselves realize it or not.

Here's the scene where J belts out Happiness Is A Warm Gun. Superb stuff!

So, what do you think?

I know he looks totally stoned (which in a way he is, because the poor guy got injected with painkillers, for goodness sake! Looks like he's happy though), and if you don't know me all that well you might've gone in your head: 'Huh?' or 'Where's the appeal?'. In any case, you probably didn't miss the great vocals. It's not just Joe who shines, either, because even Salma Hayek sounds suitably sweet and sensual.

Then again, as much as I love love love Happiness Is A Warm Gun, there's actually another song on the soundtrack that is twice as magnetic, twice as charming and twice as melodious. That's my own humble opinion, anyways.

Presenting...

That, absolutely sealed the deal for me. I can't believe I'm doing this, but I LOVE JOE ANDERSON!

Oh gosh, someday I'm going to regret this big time. Until then, I'll just sit back and wait for more of Joe's movies to come out, and maybe even for an album? (Le gasp! My world will just about explode if that ever happened)

By the way, this is kinda off topic, but isn't it kind of creepy how much Joe has in common with Kurt Cobain, most noticeably in the looks department? From what I've googled on Joe thus far, I guess I'm not the only one who realizes this because:

If anyone ever decides to make another Cobain bio, Joe would really look the part. Of course, it also helps that Joe has great pipes.

The only thing that slightly bothers me about all this? Joe's 27 this year.

There'd better be NOTHING of the nasty sort that happens to him!

Hot Hatyai

2009-06-15T20:49:00.013+08:00

And I mean that both in shopping utopia and temperature terms. Actually, that's more in temperature terms. In any case, I miss the Thai bordertown already, and the feeling is further elevated seeing as reality is such a hard hitting gun in Penang. Assignments...coming tests...irrational emotions...yeah, I really miss genuine tomyum and flea markets. Sob. At least I have the dried mango snacks (and awesome flea market scores) to remember Hatyai by.

Anyway, sobbing aside, here are some shots I took there:

This is the most awesomely awesome place ever. We stayed at Lee Garden Hotel, and though I've only been there once I've had nothing but good memories. This time, I discovered something new about it...

The Sky Buffet! Sadly this picture doesn't really encapsulate the awe that it inspired in me when I first walked into it for dinner, but it was basically a round room surrounded by wide glass windows that looked out into nearly the whole of Hatyai. This is going against all my beachside fantasies, but the first thing that came into my mind when I saw it was 'How awesome would it be to have a wedding reception in this place!' I don't know what it is about it, but it felt like a really great place for one.

I had such a healthy dinner! Of course I had four flavours of ice cream (let's see...ruam mitr - don't ask - , yam, coffee and lemon) after that to stop me from getting ravernous, but the portions still did make me proud of meself.

My sister, being the thinner one, certainly deserves to have a more appetizing meal. ;)

Who crosses the border without having a sip of tomyum? Not me!

Lee Garden (which consists of a mall, said hotel and this fab fab fab Sky Buffet) has got to be one of the tallest buildings in Hatyai. If you look a little closer, you'll see it's written there that the buffet is on the 33rd floor.

The Girly One and The Crimson Eye

Ze round thing you zee in ze photo iz not ze moon, but vealy one of ze round ceiling lamps reflected in ze glass.

Hatyai's a small place, but it does boast some pretty amazing night scenery.

Another highlight of our stay was the breakfast buffet (well, now I officially sound like a foodaholic). The butter was so pretty to me. They were these little twirly rolls of butter sitting together with nearly-as-pretty cubes of ice, and oh they were gooood.

Oops, misplaced photo. This is supposed to go up there...

Mind you, I did not eat all of those. The french fries did end up bearing my fingerprints though.

Sadly, they were a tad too cold and bland to make it onto my personal list of The Best Potato Products Of All Time.

One (or two, or three) freshly squeezed orange a day keeps the (insert disliked object here) away.

In this place, they sure don't skimp on decor costs. If you didn't know it was Thailand and there weren't so many Malaysians present, one might've thought it was some swanky NYC hotel. Then again I've never been in one, so what do I know? Still, you know what I mean.

I looked up and there were this swaths of pink chiffon (or were they chiffon?)extending to all four corners of the hall. Lovely.

Goodbye Hatyai (that rhymed!)

And I Think I Am Obsessed

2009-06-06T16:48:00.009+08:00

Well, maybe that's an exaggeration (like, ahem, 99% of all my sayings are). The thing is, I love The Sims 3. I really do. But there are just some things about it that keep me from adoring it. It's like when you're in a long term relationship with someone who is completely right for you on paper, but who just doesn't do anything for you because there simply is something missing, like sparks. But of course you still love the person, because after all this is a long term relationship we're talking about and the person in question is not bad at all.

That's The Sims 3, everyone. At least for me. If The Sims 2 and 3 were to mate, I'd certainly be the first to hold their baby. Ahem. That sounded off. But you know what I mean, right?

See, The Sims 3 is a wonderful game, and it'll definitely attract more fans than it already has. It's a nicely functioning formula, and one will be hard pressed to mess with it. But a couple of problems bug this simulation utopia.

Number one, the graphics for the characters are a major letdown. Maybe it's my video card or plain old screen resolution, but compared to the look of sims in 2, the realism in 3 is really nothing to write home about ('Dear mom, I played The Sims 3 for the first time today and the character graphics rock! Not). It's harder than before to recreate a Jennifer Aniston replica, so what does that tell you? Sure there's a higher level of customizability now (players can use sliders to determine body shapes and decide what their Sims' favourite food are), and without that Create A Sim would be a huge blunder. Still. BRING BACK THE CHARACTER LOOK OF SIMS 2!

The look of sims in Sims 3; Sims 2

Number two, there is only one town to play with. Okay this is stupid sounding, I realize that. Still! When Sims 2 first came out, there were already 3 premade towns, not to mention players were allowed to create whole new towns of their own. Now we are left with one. 1. Sunset Valley to be specific. And it's a beautiful town. But we need more. I'm going to tire of the community lots very quickly now.

Number three, we don't get to do much with the community lots. Once again, the graphics for the buildings are spectacular, but their potential is sadly unrealized no thanks to the fact that one can hardly enter any of them. So far, the only lots I've been able to actually step into are the local library and the swimming pool, though the latter doesn't really count since it's outside. It's nice that one needs not wait unbearably long periods for buildings to load, but now that exploration has been all but snatched, I'd pick the waiting time if that means I can look inside the buildings. Sigh. I just reread this paragraph and I sound so sad. Unintentionally funny, but sad. I guess that's what happens when something you love gets taken away!

Four, the aspect of time control has deteriorated. Whereas in The Sims 2 hours would simply zip by if we clicked on the 3rd speed button (which stands for ultra super quick speed), the 3rd speed button now makes hours seem like...hours. Sad but true. Can you imagine how boring the wait is when your Sim disappears into an office building and they work for 7 hours straight and it all feels sooo long? Bring back the old time controls please! (And get Will Wright back too, thank you very much)

Having devoted so much blogspace to the negative aspects of The Sims 3, it would be unfair if I didn't at least hint at the good changes and features that have been added to the game.

Like I said, the best part about 3 is the customizability. Basically, everything can be altered. The pattern you see on your tablecloth can be easily applied to a fancy ball gown for the fashion police to trash the morning after, and if you're not happy with the shade of green in your hair, you can always bleach it, without the pain of course. That's arguably the best thing about it. Being able to customize all things, I mean.

The next feature I love love love about 3 is minor, but nevertheless significant. If you were an avid player of the last installment, chances are you'd have been majorly bugged by two things in renovation mode (ooh I forgot the name!): a)furniture's inability to be placed in 45 degree positions and b)furniture's inability to be placed in that space in between the grids allocated for said piece of furniture. Now fear not, for sofas and couches and tables and more can now be placed diagonally, while the placement grids they can reside in are noticeably smaller as well.

And last but not least, here's a short video to remind all those who have been forced to wait till their b'day or X'mas Day to get the Sims 3 what they're missing! This is so eeeevil of me, I know.

Out!!!

2009-06-03T15:52:00.001+08:00

Ahem. The Biggest Game In The World Is Officially Released.

Much to talk - I mean, blog - about.

Next up: The Story of A Little Girl's Unhealthy Obsession with T.G.G.I.T.W.

Coming soon to this URL.