Influences of Media

The other day, me and Eugene were having lunch at Old town at the lake, (my tummy was demanding some wantan noodles.) then le wild chick shows up and asks us if we would do a survey for her assignment. She was in Communications or something of the sort.

And in her survey were all these really deep (to me anyway) questions, most of them revolving around how much the media affects the choices you make. (social life, music, sex life, fashion) Now, I didn't really have a lot of time to ponder about those questions right then and there (mainly because the chick was hovering over my wantan noodles to get her survey back) so I just said 'maybe' to everything.

But it's really interesting though. Just how much of the choices we make in life are actually influenced by the media? By media, I'm assuming TV, radio, the internet, etc. (I doubt a lot of people my age actually read the newspaper. I read newspaper articles, but only when people post them on Facebook. Heh.) I'm guessing it all boils down to whether you're going to follow the stream or not. But now, it's considered cool if you go against what's mainstream. (Nowadays, these people are called hipsters. In case anyone didn't know. Click on this link to find out more about hipsters!) I don't consider myself a hipster. Even though I shop at thrift stores and buy second-hand clothes at bazaars, (this is partially because I'm constantly broke and I believe in recycling because I'm a hippie like that) I sport a shaggy hobo-like hair cut, (only because it takes too effing long to do my hair in the morning and also because I'm too stingy to pay someone to cut my hair. Yes, I cut my own hair. Shut up.) I occasionally wear plastic rimmed glasses, (but only because I'm partially blind and I can't wear my contacts all the time. And also because quality Ray Ban plastic rims are lighter and more durable than the metal wire ones. I step on mine a lot. And they come in all shapes and colors too!) I am currently pursuing a degree in Graphic Design, (but in my defense, I've been in the Arts stream since I was 16 long before I found out about these hipsters) I listen to indie music, (mainly because I think there are a lot of talented people out there who are being under-appreciated) and I only date guys outside my race.

Oh god. Maybe I am a hipster.

Damn it.

But still. I'm not entirely convinced it was the media that influenced me to become this way. I think it's the people I hang out with. Or used to hang out with. Forgive me, I went to community college with other left-wing liberals. I also used to date an uber-hipster for a large portion of my college life. Who was also a left-wing liberal. Huh.

Trolling like a boss!

So, me, Vandy and Eugene (Lynz would have been there but she was seduced by the sandman and getting her snooze on.) went out on a day of trolling. We were supposed to go to the zoo and give our free shrugs but it was raining. (Boooo...)

Then, we just decided to go to Timesquare and eat! We went to this awesome steamboat restaurant where we discussed how we were going to spend the day trolling random people. It was oodles and oodles of fun!

Life: Money vs Friends & Family

So, I had a very interesting conversation last night with the guy I'm seeing. He's in business management. (I know, what the hell am I doing hanging around boring business dudes, right?) And I can see an obvious difference in the views of life between us. He's more of a career-orientated person where he strives to reach the top of the ladder, and is aware of the sacrifices he needs to make (in terms of spending time with his family and friends) in order to get to that level. In his defense, he has the idea that providing his future family (meaning his wife and kids) with lots of money and opportunities are essential to their happiness. (Sigh.. Asians are nuts)

But I personally believe that being on top (of the career-ladder) doesn't necessarily guarantee a happy life. Yes, you'll have money and success, but you can't take all that to the grave. (Actually you can't take anything to the grave that might actually be useful when you're deadsies.) When I die, I want people to remember me for who I am. Not what I have achieved. I would much rather not become a slave to the world. I want people to miss me for the way I have influenced their lives, and for being a big part of their lives. I don't want to be an important person in the world. I want to be an important person in the lives of those who are important to me.

Sooo... If you were to ever give me the option of working late for the advancement of my career, or going home early to have a romantic dinner with my man, that would be a no-brainer. (Unless of course, I had nothing else going for me and I turned out to be a pathetic cat lady. Which is not that far from my life now.)

Cat lady in training.

Fiction vs Truth

Fiction. Versus. The truth. Everyone is in on this. Everybody is fake to some extent. Whether it trying to look nice. Or just trying to be nice without actually giving a flying hoot about that person. Everyone is guilty.

I believe people are naturally fake. From the make up, to the push up bras, to wearing clothes you can't really afford. To just being a plain douche.

Everybody is fake!

Dreams.

Dreams are pretty cool. I feel that it's amazing that we can dream. What are dreams, anyway? It's just like a state of mind where you feel like you're somewhere else.

I love having dreams. Even bad ones. I dream a lot! It's come to the point where most of the time I do realize that I'm dreaming. One tell-tale sign is when things start falling off me. Like my teeth. Or my hair. That happens a lot in my dreams. The dream interpreters tell me this is because I'm anxious and worried a lot of the time. I'm scared of the future. But then again, who isn't?

I think it's not the future we're scared of but more of the unknown. It's like death. I think the only reason we're afraid of death is because we don't know anything about it. We don't really know what happens to us when we die. I know a lot of religions say we'll go to heaven or hell or a train station. But no one really knows for sure, do they? It's all based on faith. And I believe faith is a beautiful thing to have. I wish I had more. But there is so much cruelty in the world.

Riiiiight.. So out of topic right now.

So, yeah. I dream a lot. Most of my dreams are really bizarre. I once had a dream that I was getting high with my parents, 'That 70s show' style. And believe me, if y'all knew my parents, you'd know that's a bizarre thing to happen. But of course, I didn't know it was a dream at the time, so it was pretty freaky. I do have lucid dreams though. Where I know that I'm currently dreaming. But for some reason I'm still never able to control them even when I know it's a dream. Like I said, I usually suspect it's a dream when my teeth start falling out. And that happens A LOT!

I know a friend who actually found out how to make lucid dreams. It's kind of dangerous, I guess, because you never know how you'll react to it. It's like taking a bunch of aspirin with a load of Red Bull. The aspirin thins your blood and the Red bull pumps it faster. Wicked, huh? Never tried it. Kinda scared I might die. But apparently, my friend did try making lucid dreams by taking muscle relaxants with nicorette. The muscle relaxants make you sleepy and the nicorette keeps you awake. So you're awake but you're asleep. Heh.. Try it!

Hope y'all don't die :)

Map my world!

I actually have absolutely no idea what this topic is supposed to be about. Map your world? As in, literally mapping out? Or just planning? Or places I've been?

What?

Planning, I guess? Let's do that.

Ok, so at this point in my life, I'm actually satisfied with where I am. I'm studying in the field that I've always been passionate about since I could even remember. I remember being in love with art since the first grade. I even remember my art teacher. He had a long name like Artemis or something weird like that. But he had us all call him Mr. Art just for the sake of not complicating things. (Obviously, since we were 6 at the time.) He was awesome. He reminded me of those cool art show hosts with the jovial, funny attitude and weird caterpillar mustache.

So yeah. I am satisfied with where my life is going. I used to be really upset with the way my life was before. Just because I felt like I didn't have a lot of direction. I was just bouncing around, not really knowing what I was doing at the time. And then, I took a well deserved break and went around touring Europe to see all the amazing art destinations. Like the Mona Lisa and the Nike of Samothrace in the Lourve, Botticelli's Primavera and Birth of Venus at the Uffizi Gallery, Picasso's Guernica in Madrid, the friggin Sistine Chapel!!!! I crossed off a lot of things on my bucket list.

When I got back, it was decided. I was going back to school to rediscover my passion.

......interruption..

So apparently. This is all wrong, Map your world means the way you see the world when you step out of your door. Well, that was a waste of half an hour wasn't it?? I was bearing my soul!

Ah well..

The way I see the world is actually pretty straightforward. Occasionally, I do daydream while I'm out and about. But usually, I daydream about me being damsel in distress and a certain man in my life coming to save me. Sometimes, I even die in my daydreams. I usually die in a very violent manner in my mind. Either being stabbed or shot in a robbery. I just want someone I love to be sad when I die. Even if only initially. God, that sounds really narcissistic.

I also have really weird flashes of violent situations. Like when I'm waiting for the train, I have a sudden flash in my mind where someone pushes me in front of a moving train. And also, when I'm holding a knife (usually this is in the kitchen) and someone is in the room with me, I have sudden flashes in my mind where I would plunge the knife into the other person. And stab them to death.

......Don't worry, I talked to my shrink about it. (not really a shrink, but more of a close friend who is studying psychology.) I'm ok, it just means I'm afraid of violence.

Or not. *insert evil laugh*

Fetishes!

This is a weird topic to be blogging about. But then again in my dictionary, weird means awesome.

So, fetishes!

To me, a fetish is kind of like an obsession. I know it doesn't necessarily mean sexual obsession but, when a person says fetish, that's usually what comes to mind. Maybe that's just me.

Personally, I don't have any fetishes of my own. I mean, I like to keep a healthy lifestyle and not have any particular obsessions. Obsessions and fetishes usually imply an unbalanced lifestyle. And balance means a lot to me in my life. And besides, I feel like my sexual habits are a tad personal to be blogging about... I'm a prude like that. (not really, haha)

Although, at different intervals in my life, I have been known to be obsessed with a few things before. Like when I first started out in college, I was just being exposed to the delicate art of painting. This was when I discovered the many many different characteristics of the paint brush. There are different sizes; huge to minuscule, then different shapes; mop, filbert, flat, angle, round, etc. Then of course, the different materials it's made of; boar, squirrel, horse, synthetic.. and one of my most treasured ones was made of camel hair! That was an especially rewarding find :)

You know what? I think that is the only obsession I've been known to have. Huh.. Regardless, obsessions can be good sometimes, I guess. At least you're passionate about something. Which makes you an interesting person. I think it's such a shame when I meet someone who is just plain boring.

I hate boring people.

I'm more into people who are weird or eccentric. Which brings us to our next topic, eccentricity! Being eccentric to me just means being a little bit extraordinary or different. Perhaps quirky or weird. which is actually what I like to described myself as. I mean, I don't just suddenly decide that I am. People just tell me that I'm weird and I guess that's what makes me.. me!

Like this one time.... in band camp..  Haha.. no, it was summer camp. I used to be in Girl Scouts, and I went to this summer camp when I was 9 years old in Ohio, US. So we were staying in these little wooden cabins and this one night, a bat got in the cabin and everybody just started freaking out and screaming and running everywhere. And I would just stand there and say, "but... I like bats."

Then, people started thinking I was weird. I tried to fight my eccentricity all throughout my schooling days, and just try to fit in with people. But alas, after leaving school, I decided I had to be true to myself. Now, I've come to terms with my weirdness and I'm proud of that :)

Superhero Challenge

And so it ends... I've finally completed the final stages of the superhero challenge. And I apologize for posting this very late. I was supposed to put it up immediately after class, but unfortunately late nights have taken it's slow, deathly toll on me, and caused me to pass out for a couple of hours. Eeek!

Now, the reason I chose 'The Procrastinator' as my alter ego is because I wanted a humorous twist to this challenge. Not only am I actually a natural procrastinator, but I've gotten quite good at it over the years. The thing with procrastination with me is that I work best under pressure, and when I'm completing an assignment at the last minute, that's when most of my best ideas surface. I had executed my final outcome in the form of a 'baseball card'. With her strengths, and weaknesses, and favorite foods... etc.

Instead of putting up a video for the challenge, I chose to reflect my story of the Procrastinator on a short comic strip. I'm really proud of this just because I came up with the idea last night! I'm being a true procrastinator.

Pls excuse the bad quality. The rude assistants at the purple corridor are really starting to piss me off.

Okaaay.. I don't want you to think I actually do this to my friends. Granted, I will be extra persistent in distracting people if I really needed the company, but not to that extent. This (obviously) is an exaggeration to my character..

The league of extraordinary derps.

Wings

Ahh.. Wings! The symbol of flight. There isn't a soul on earth who has never dreamt of being able to fly at least once in their life.

Heck, I still have that wish to fly. Especially when I've been stuck in traffic for two hours. I'm sure everyone has their own ideas of flight and fantasy. Some would dream of flying without wings, some with fairy wings, some with robotic airplane wings, some with butterfly wings, some gluttonous ones with chicken wings, etc.

If I were to have wings, I would imagine myself in dragonfly wings. I think dragonflies are misunderstood. Most ancient folklores always depict dragonflies and evil and unlucky creatures. For example, in Swedish folklore dragonflies are called 'Blind Stingers' and rumored to have a penchant for scratching people's eyes out! And also the devil uses dragonflies to weigh people's souls.

Well, who am I to say that they are not? I have no beef with the Swedish.

The point is, dragonflies have a dark side to them. Maybe it's something as simple as just looking really creepy. But it may be something even more. Which is why I like them. They are mysteriously evil. Just like me. (Though admitting it on this blog is not very mysterious.)

But they may also be a representative of good. In some cultures, when a person dies, their souls turn into dragonflies.

A good example of dragonfly wings would be from  Zoe Kravitz from the X-Men First Class movie. That is exactly what I would want. It wouldn't even matter if I couldn't fly. The tattoos alone are badass enough.

But unfortunately, I do not have such luxury to have a big prominent tattoo on my back and arms. So, basically during my more rebellious teenage years I settled for something less 'in your face'. And in a less obvious part of my body. This is a rendition of it.

Aesthetics vs the machine?

I'm going to assume that this topic means beauty vs functionality. Now, I think that this whole topic usually revolves around the type of person you're discussing. Some people might go for beauty over functionality (ie: Lady Gaga of Taylors. you know who I'm talking about) and some might go for functionality over beauty. (ie: me and my piece of crap Kancil, which I will love til the end of the world.) I guess it all boils down to what you're looking for, your priorities and the amount of money you can spend on it.

This is an age-old topic. I'm sure people discuss it all the time. But like everything else in life, we just need to find a good balance. Something that is both functional and yet aesthetically pleasing. One example I can think of would be electronic devices made by Apple. They don't just function extraordinarily (though once you've used it everyday, it no longer remains extraordinary but becomes just plain ordinary, thus setting our functionality standards higher and higher.) but they are also extraordinarily well designed. Nowadays, who wouldn't want to be caught seen strutting around campus with a Macbook tucked under their arm? Once, something has been created with extraordinary functionality and beauty, and yet still made inexpensive (unlike stuff made by Bang & Olufsen. I mean, who are they trying to kid, really?), they tend to turn into a status item. It's kind of like the laptop equivalent of a man's car. Men like to think their cars determine their social status, just like kids of Generation Y like to think their electronics determine their social status.

Steve Jobs derping around with a Macbook.

I use a RM 99 CSL phone with no camera, no bluetooth and minimal internet access. And I borrowed it from my 15 year old sister who now uses an iPhone. The Macbook I use is lent by my older sister who is apparently getting a newer and better version of the Macbook Pro. And the camera I use now belongs to my dad. Technically, I don't own a single electronic device. Not to mention, I have a beat-up green kancil that looks like shit. But for years, it's (almost) never failed me. It's not really fast but it gets me from point A to B. Her name is Jules and she is Jewish. And she is green. And she's awesome.

And yet, my social activities are above par. In your face, society!

Avengers!

Tell me that movie wasn't awesome? Well, it was a bit cheesy with the whole superhero stuff, but they had some damn good funny moments in that movie. My favorite part was when Loki was confronted with the Hulk and he said "That's it!! I will NOT be bullied by some.." Then the Hulk just picked him up and bashed him around like a rag doll. Effin HIGH-larious!!

Photo compliments of FunPhotos.co

Ok, moving on.. So like I said, I've pretty much got the whole outfit for the Superhero challenge figured out. Color schemes and all. And here are the choices:

 It's not all that, but I think it works well together. I had to just get stuff I already had and put them together. Like the top part is a black bustier paired with a really short black mini-skirt and emerald-green tights. Then a red belt to create lines and sections. Then I'm just going to get some fabric from Kamdar and fasten it to my top to create a cape. Now, I'm thinking if I should add a logo to the cape. But I dunno if it will be overdoing it.. I mean, I've got the superhero go-go boots and mask, and gloves. Do I really need a logo? It might be too obvious.. Am I overthinking this??

This was an earlier sketch I didn't put up before. But I'm still using the name and motto!

Superheroes and superderps..

Well, we had our first review on the Superhero challenge yesterday. I think Mr C likes my idea. Or maybe I love my idea so much, I only think he likes my idea. Some progress has been made, though.

I've made sketches, color schemes, and came up with a simpler name: Le Procrastinator! With le powers to procrastinate and le magic red belt that hypnotizes people to be counter-productive. I like magic. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my cable so I can't upload the pictures of my sketches. Boo.. If I had magic I could so easily Wingardium Leviosa them onto my laptop. *Sigh* If only..

But do not fret, my friends! I can show you basically what I'm working on. My color scheme has a sort of sexy Robin feel to it. And by Robin, I mean Batman and Robin. Except that I may be a tad sexier than Robin actually is, unless he's being played by Chris O' Donnell. Now, he is delish!

Anyway, the color scheme I came up with was black, green, yellow and red. Mine's gonna have a lot more black than teenage Robin's here does. But my cape will also be yellow. I'm thinking either lemon or cadmium yellow.

Now, I believe I'm supposed to be coming up with a story on how Le Procrastinator became who she is.. But let's save that for later, shall we? For now, we can just ogle Chris O'Donnell ;)

Phwooaarghh... He so wants me.

Challenge accepted!

Finally, we have our first project! I call it the Superhero challenge.

We need to come up with an alter ago to go with our not-so-interesting personalities. Meaning, we need a cool name, cool powers, cool motto, and even design an awesome costume to go with it.

When, I think about it, my only cool powers include the power of procrastination and the power of an awesome sense of humor. (I may not be funny to some, but at least I'm funny to myself. Ha!)

Ergo, I came up with the cool new alter ego of:

Captain Procrastination!
"Why do it today, when you can do it tomorrow!"

I'm excited to design this costume. But it must be efficient, aesthetically pleasing, and wallet-friendly.

Hmm.. this might be trickier than I thought. More later!

Settimana due

Week two...

Creative processes are not juicing as much, but I'm getting there. Today, we were given our first project in Digital Design, a digital photomontage.

Almost immediately, I had a mini brain-hurricane session while En. Hafiz was still explaining the requirements of the project. No wonder I keep missing all the important points of projects. I also just found out today that this blog is supposed to have a mission statement. Opps!

I should pay more attention in class. This ADD is getting really annoying.

Back to the point, so far I have my concepts figured out for the project. But I must not post here for fear of being plagiarized.. This is the part where the paranoia starts to creep in..

Visual Note-taking

What I'm really doing when I'm supposed to be working.

This was my first attempt at visual note-taking, albeit a simple one, on the Green Party of New Zealand.

Why the Green Party of New Zealand?

I'm so glad you asked! Gives me a chance to talk about myself a bit. I work at an Australian market research company and we do over 2000 interviews a month in New Zealand. (not as interesting as it sounds.) And this one lady I interviewed caught my attention. She was pro-legalizing marijuana, and a BIG supporter of the Greens. So, I got busy finding out who they are and I quite liked most of their stands. You know who I'm voting for if I ever decide to move to New Zealand!

Bienvenue!

As stated this is a channel to record the random and sometimes incredibly and deeply inspiring processes of my occasionally creative work.
Some of my postings, as you will soon discover, are as random as potatoes. But I believe it's the journey that matters.

This blog is dedicated to Mr. C, who has inspired me to be a better person. (Forgive the brown nosing.)