It just irritates me that my japanese teacher keeps going on how we're probably not going to get an A for japanese and we should try hard for our other subjects etc. I feel she's never really tried to seriously help us, like telling me how I can improve. I didn't come to class to feel demoralized! And I feel our lessons are totally ineffective. What to do? Well if she's not going to help me I just have to try to help myself.

I want to be a geek

Or at least, I'm intrigued by this pair of glasses. Am I being crazy to like them? Are they ugly? Anyway I definitely need a new pair right now.

I've just started writing my KI independent study, and already I'm stuck. Writing is painful, because it's a process of clarification. I know I have produced a good piece of writing if my thoughts about the subject are clear after that. Maybe I need to plan more first.

PostSecret

Have you ever heard of this project called PostSecret? It's a totally ingenious concept, and part of its ingenuity lies in its simplicity. Anyone can anonymously send a postcard with a secret written on it to the creator of the project, who features some on his blog, publishes books, and organizes exhibitions of them. I'm thoroughly fascinated and moved by some of the secrets. Alot of the postcards are really artistic too. Copyright issues dictate that I'm only allowed to post one picture:

Others that had a profound impact on me:

"I'm a respected designer, but I've often stolen my students' work... One day someone will notice."

"One of my best friends just got back from a honeymoon and I have NO desire to look at the photos."

The website even tells of how the project started from a dream he had, and includes some follow-up letters from people who mailed the postcards. The blog doesn't have an archive; everytime he updates he takes the old ones down.

Salvatore Ferragamo flats

Pastel/bright-coloured Salvatore Ferragamo flats are my newest obsession.

http://liebermarlenevintage.blogspot.com

www.ebay.com

One-piece bathing suits

I have this odd liking for one-piece bathing suits, especially vintage ones. Others may wear their bikinis but if I had to go swimming (which i haven't done in a long time) I'd choose to wear a one-piece.

Vintage bathing suits from eBay







Someone channeling the look

Miu Miu bags

Another of my favourite brand for bags is Miu Miu. I really like their tie-dyed bags from I'm not sure how long ago:

Their vintage-style satchels are cute too:

The Coffer bag:

And others:

Marc Jacobs bags

http://bagcraze.blogspot.com/

I love the new Marc Jacobs bags. I find it hard to find stylish, affordable bags.

Wannahave

www.ebay.com

Instead of the wannabe it's the wannahave. I'd love to own this vintage Rolling Stones T-shirt. I'd channel Claudia Schiffer and layer my mum's costume necklaces over it, perhaps?

I'm shocked. Shocked that I did so well for h3 art. h2 and h3 art emerged as my best subjects in the common test. Maths seems awfully dull now compared to art (sorry, maths teachers).

I received my E. Lit. paper today. I was amazed that I passed the poetry compare & contrast component because I'd misread a word and as a result misinterpreted one of the two poems. This mistake has been on my mind for almost the entire June holidays. I'm so upset that I've disappointed not only my teacher but myself as well. When you have such a dedicated and caring teacher as I do you'd feel terrible letting him down. I never knew, or perhaps I'd forgotten, that a teacher could pay me this amount of attention. I almost feel like I'm not worth it, but then again that's my inferiority complex kicking in. I always feel frightened to answer teachers' questions in classes because I lack confidence in myself. That's something I genuinely want to change. If a teacher can believe in me so strongly, why can't I believe in myself?

Went to Artfriend today and bought $20 worth of paper for my art coursework. The guy at the counter was like, "Whoa". Anyway I'm kind of excited to start constructing on the mannequin. I think I'd do so tomorrow.

I didn't do so well for KI because of my essay. I think it's an overall D. I kind of expected it. When I finished writing the essay in the test I already felt it was problematic. I think I've got to improve on my essay-writing skills, which will help in my other subjects as well.

I leave you with this interesting family portrait by Lucian Freud:

It's not a traditional family portrait; in no way does it idealize their life. This gives it some intimacy and psychological depth.

Update on today

School just started and I'm already feeling overburdened. These coming two months or so are going to be VERY hectic for me. Believe me, I'm not one to consciously overexaggerate. I won't say "I think I did super horribly for that test" or "I'll surely fail" unless I really think so. If I think a test was ok, I'd say so. If I think it went pretty well, I'd say so too. I have to finish my art coursework, my KI independent study, my japanese coursework and prepare my topic for my japanese oral in slightly more than two months. Yup, there is an oral component for japanese 'A' levels. We have to present on a topic related to Japan, then engage in a discussion with the examiner. Obviously, I have to read very in-depth into my topic and brush up on my verbal skills. Because of the lack of everyday use, I'd rate my verbal and listening skills as weaker than my reading and writing skills. That's why I'm kind of worried about my oral right now.

Well at least today was a pretty good start to the week. I received my maths grade which was a good B. I also found out the grade for my art coursework which takes up 60% of my h2 art grade. It was a good B as well, one mark higher than maths. Hopefully this trend will continue for my other subjects.

Another positive note is that my family had dinner together at home for the first time in ages. We ate crab and durian. Such typical singaporean fare. It was a nice feeling to chat and spend time with each other after such a long, hectic day at our respective institutions and work places.
It's comforting to have a cosy home and family to come home to at the end of the day.

The Bride Stripped Bare by her Bachelors, Even (The Large Glass)

http://www.artchive.com/artchive/D/duchamp.html

For some reason I like this artwork by Marcel Duchamp. Maybe it's the long, quirky name that appeals to me. Maybe it's the use of paper. Maybe it's the cracking of the glass. The mechanization of the bride's and bachelors' bodily functions just seems like an intriguing concept to me; it is in direct contrast to the actual violence of the physical union between man and woman. Anyway that's how I read it. Perhaps you don't see anything but strange looking apparatus, and you think Duchamp is spouting nonsense with the title. That's not an unlikely view.

I DID IT. I added a picture to my header. This is a photo covertly taken of me by my dear sis while I was napping in the afternoon. I must say that I really like it.

Shoe problems

My feet are plastered with, well, plasters right now because of my mum's wedges that I wore. I didn't expect the straps to give me blisters. I seem to always have problems with shoes. Perhaps the skin of my feet is fragile? The most comfortable pairs of shoes that I have are my sneakers, my sports shoes which have lasted me two years already, my white wedges, my black ankle boots, my apple green low heels and my white elastic flats. Maybe I'll try to solve the problems with my other shoes by wearing them with socks or tights.

Alteration projects

This holiday has been a rather fruitful one when it comes to clothing alterations. Why do we have clothes to alter? Well, some of our clothes are thrifted from Salvation Army or bought cheap from sales. In other words, they're good deals but they don't fit us exactly or need a little change in their design. This is where a handy sewing machine comes in!

Project 1: A long white skirt with brown print. Don't know how to describe it but the print is a bit tribal/bohemian/summery. This was bought some time ago before I realised that I get more wear out of shorter skirts. So I did a simple hemming and it's now a cute summer skirt.

Project 2: A denim skirt that was too long for me to walk with ease when wearing it. This was also easily solved by hemming it. The new length looks great with my striped top and my Clubmarc floral print tank top.

Project 3: Denim overall pants from Salvation Army probably worn by some obnoxious, oversized kid back in the '80s. My sister converted the pants to shorts and I made the waist and hip area more fitted. Now I have a pair of overalls hanging in my closet. Again, I think it'd look cute with my striped top. The striped top was one of my buys this holiday. I've been looking for it for some time because I see it as an investment piece. It's proving to be super versatile. I'm just so afraid of it wearing out.

Project 4: A blue floral print dress. I bought it because it was on sale and I loved the print. I'd been wanting for a floral dress for a while too. What I didn't love was the ruffle on the hem which wasn't working for me. So I removed the ruffle. I'm thinking of wearing it as a summer dress with my white wedges and espadrilles or dressing it up with tights and high socks. The good thing about it is that I can change the look with different belts as well.

Project 5: A white dress from Salvation Army that looked matronly because of its length and sleeves. My sis hemmed it and made the sleeves shorter into cap sleeves. It's a lovely semi-casual dress now. Have I mentioned that it's our third white dress?

Project 6: A black and white diagonally-checked long skirt that has an elastic band at the waist. My sis shortened it and we now wear it with a belt as a dress.

Project 7: Another floral print dress that was shortened.

Project 8: A leopard-print dress bought for $10 from a Cotton on sale. I liked the print and design but my size had run out. The top part was way too low and gaping as well. My sis shortened the straps and sewed the top part smaller. It's such a nice, slightly slouchy dress now.

I realize that I should post pictures but I won't because I'm lazy.

Yay! I know this sounds silly but I FINALLY learnt how to insert a picture into my blog header. Now I just have to find a suitable picture. This blog was tremendously useful- it simplifies everything for computer-idiots like me: http://tips-for-new-bloggers.blogspot.com/

I'm currently busy with my japanese coursework and speech. I'm researching and writing on overcrowding in Tokyo and the waste output of the Japanese. Have I ever said what a HEADACHE it is to read and understand complicated issues in JAPANESE?! Even worse, I sometimes phrase sentences like "Tokyo is plagued by the problem of overcrowding" in English in my head and then wonder how the heck to translate it. I try to think in Japanese but often an English sentence just creeps in. Usually a direct translation is not possible. I'd have to change the above sentence to mean something like "The government is worried by the problem of overcrowding" or "Overcrowding is a serious problem in Tokyo", etc. Gah. This tedious process just fills me with admiration for my third language class buddy who maintains a blog in Japanese. You go, girl!

When I have more time I'll try to learn more about web design. I want to open a web store with my sis. Hopefully my foray into web design works- I'm such a klutz when it comes to these things! One thing I do know, though, is that when I set my mind to learning something I can achieve it. Oh yes, I need to learn how to do serious sewing as well. So many things, so little time.

It's not a nice feeling...

Today was somehow an unlucky day for me. Unlucky because I got to meet some nasty Singaporeans. Some time ago I did a post on lovely Singaporeans but today it's the opposite. When I was exiting McDonald's with my apple pie, given my poor arm strength I was taking some time to get the glass door open while this impatient fella wanted to come in from outside. What did he do? He yanked the glass door open and I stumbled out. Hmm.

Then there are those impatient, incosiderate people who always try to get on or off the public transport quickly. Like when lining up to enter the MRT carriage they swerve in front of you and get in before you do. I'm still ok with that. What I'm NOT ok with is that they're not letting others exit from the carriage first! When exiting from the bus I'm often jostled out by some impatient commuters, usually women. Well, one thing I noticed is that most of the time these inconsiderate commuters are women with a harried, unpleasant, sour face. Some even maintain a frown for the entirety of their journey! Isn't it a strain to maintain a sour look? It's like they're angry at the whole world. Seriously that's the kind of vibe I get from some people. They seem to throw me nasty looks for no reason. GRRR... I will NOT be bullied by people with a 'holier-than-thou' attitude.

If only I could meet that kind fella who helped me reach Victoria Concert Hall again- I'd treat him to a meal in a heartbeat!

Pants, trousers, whatever you call them...

I currently have three pairs of pants- black, white and beige. The black and white ones are of the same design. I find that I'm quite utilitarian when it comes to buying pants- just neutral colours and slim-cut (not too tight!). If I find a design that fits me well I won't hesitate to buy it in a few colours. As for jeans I have two pairs, but I try not to wear them too often to avoid being a member of the clone army on the MRT. I like my jeans with some stretch for ease of movement, also slim-cut and with thinner, breathable fabric. Right now I'm looking out for a pair of dark-rinse jeans and grey pants like this:

www.thefashionspot.com/forums

Perhaps less tight though. I'd also like to own a pair in light-wash denim.

www.style.com

A more adventurous pair like this:

www.style.com

Capris don't seem to suit me maybe because my ankles are thick in relation to my legs. Sad because it means missing out on cool looks:

www.style.com


www.style.com

http://facehunter.blogspot.com

Caught Prince Caspian today. Personally I felt it had too much fighting (violence terrifies me!!!) but I loved the beautiful locations and costumes. Stunning. For every movie I watch I definitely pay attention to the set design and clothing choices. Those two really contribute to the mood of the movie. Lost in Translation, one of my favourite movies, had a superb Tokyo setting. And I loved Audrey Hepburn's stylish outfits in Breakfast at Tiffany's! She's definitely one of my favourite actresses- so cute and chic.

Posting two of me and my sis's recent buys from Clubmarc- a pink quilted shoulder bag and a filmy tank top with a swirly, stylized foral print. Alot of my stuff comes from Clubmarc nowadays- their designs seem to be constantly improving and they come at affordable prices.

I also tried on this pair of harem pants or aladdin pants as I call them. My mum wasn't into it so I couldn't buy it but I thought they looked interesting on me.

www.clubmarc.com

Is there anything wrong with wanting to look like an Arabian princess like Jasmine in Aladdin?

Stuff I made recently

A bouquet. Wasn't sure how it would turn out but I'm quite pleased with it. I bought the flowers for $2 from a florist and the inner clear plastic (printed with pretty white butterflies) and the yellow outer wrapping paper for $2. Ribbon was my own. I trimmed the flower stalks shorter and arranged them together. The total sum came up to $4.



A simple card and complementary envelope for my fantastic sectional leader. I learned to make cards and envelopes when I was young because my mum, looking for a card for my aunt, was aghast at the price of store-bought ones and believed we could make them equally nice. She took us to Popular immediately and bought us materials on the spot. Then because our cards have custom sizes we had to make our own envelopes to fit them nicely.