Scrimp and Save: The Bucket Bag

September 30, 2009 | Published in | 8 comments

The Alexander Wang - who is probably the most popular guy in the fashion world right now - Diego Bucket Bag. Not glorious, but practical. $800. Sold out everywhere.


Urban Outfitters Deux Lux Drawstring Bucket Bag. $68. Comes in 3 different colours.

SHOULD I??

MATLAB, UCSD Chapter

September 29, 2009 | Published in | 1 comments

U + ME = BFF this quarter.

And probably the rest of my academic career.

Poster Love

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I hit up the poster sale at Revelle today and found these babies to decorate half the room with. Am pleased ^^

Sleepy

September 27, 2009 | Published in | 1 comments

I pored through about 10 of Anton Chekhov's short stories as part of my Russian Lit assignment. The first five or so were - for lack of a better word - odd. I am not well versed in Russian literature; it is probably the last thing I would have ever read in my life if I hadn't taken this class. I am actually excited about this class; it is my first time doing literature since my A level days and I am thankful that it's not Jane Austen - queen of old school chic lit - I'm studying again.

Chekhov's words are diaphanous, almost billowy, strung together like a random assortment of clothes on a peg line on a cloudy afternoon. Chekhov is famous for his stream-of-consciousness style of writing, weaving in and out of reality and dream seamlessly. His style was later adopted by a slew of other modern authors, like James Joyce and Virginia Woolf. Chekhov was a doctor by profession, and a writer by night, claiming that "medicine is [his] wife, literature [his] mistress". Grigorovich thought he had "real talent", but Chekhov never thought so; he felt his writings were "mechanical" and written "half-consciously". In any case, Grigorovich inspired him to focus more on his writing. Chekhov went on to win the Pushkin Prize for his short story collection, At Dusk.

Chekhov was born into a peasant family (unlike other great Russian writers like Leo Tolstoy, who was a Count) and had an abusive father who was declared bankrupt later on in life. This left Chekhov, his brother and mother in a physically and emotionally destitute state. Hence, Chekhov started to write to support himself and his family. He finished his education in medical school and began to practice as a doctor in 1884. Ironically enough, he was struck with recurrent episodes of tuberculosis throughout his life but never admitted to it. In the end, he died of it in 1904 in Germany. His body was transported back to Russia in a train carriage that transported oysters.

Many of Chekhov's stories concern life's little details, mundanity and a gaping lack of purpose. Although most will find his material dreary and overly tragic, I find it oddly compelling. For instance, "Sleepy" details the stream of thoughts of an exhausted babysitter named Varka who simply wants to sleep but cannot because of the screaming baby and the baby's overbearing mistress. Varka strangles the baby and sleeps like a dead person at the end of the story.

And the baby screams, and is worn out with screaming. Again Varka sees the muddy high road, the people with wallets, her mother Pelageya, her father Yefim. She understands everything, she recognises everyone, but through her half sleep she cannot understand the force which binds her, hand and foot, weighs upon her, and prevents her from living. She looks round, searches for that force that she may escape from it, but she cannot find it. At last, tired to death, she does her very utmost, strains her eyes, looks up at the flickering green patch, and listening to the screaming, finds the foe who will not let her live.

Mr Boyd

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I've forgotten how delightful it is to simply sit at the computer listening to Incubus through headphones (courtesy of my darling roommate who understands the inherent problem of living with 5 other girls).

We headed down to Pacific Beach - or P.B as it is affectionately known to kids in UCSD - this afternoon. Jade and I decided to get something pierced on a whim; she got her cartilage done while I got my tragus pierced. So much for what that lady in Camden told me about having too small a tragus to pierce. It hurt significantly less than what I thought it would; I think I am immune to the feeling of metal being weaved through my ears. Or, maybe I really am a heartless bitch after all!

I'm Old

September 25, 2009 | Published in | 2 comments

It's Friday night at the I House and I think just about everybody is here, after having heard about the "mad parties" that go on in this place. Personally, I reckon I'm too old for the 17-year-olds rockin' it out in the flat next door. Don't get me wrong, I love a good night out as much as everyone else, but when there isn't any room to breathe - let alone move - I think it's time to call it a night.

Someone tripped up the stairs holding a bottle of beer and smashed her hand into the glass right outside my flat. She came in frantically, arm and shirt sleeve doused in blood, and ran water over her wound. There were medics, firemen and a policeman outside for a while. It was all so dramatic, but I think she's fine now. I was, however, absolutely disgusted to find bloodied bandages in the sink when I went to make myself my nightly cup of tea. Sigh.

Food Dilemmas

September 24, 2009 | Published in | 2 comments

Food expenses comes up to about $20 a day for just lunch and dinner. (I am not a breakfast sort of person). That IS expensive, right?! This is what you get for wanting to eat salads and sushi and wraps and portobello pitas all day long, not the greasier and ultimately cheaper alternative of hamburgers and fries and onion rings.

Although I really fancy a side of onion rings right now.

Sorority Girls

September 23, 2009 | Published in | 2 comments

Walking along the football field:

American Girl: Hey, do you wanna join the sorority?

Chloe and I start laughing our heads off.

Emeline: (distinct French accent) No, I've had a fucking awful day!

American Girl: AWESOME!

oops

September 22, 2009 | Published in | 0 comments

ok i retract that last post about having nowhere to go: right outside my door, apparently.

I'm Not Really in 4th Year

September 21, 2009 | Published in | 0 comments

I feel like I'm in my first year all over again - only with a bad tan (blame the sunglasses) and darker hair i.e. the exact opposite of what I used to look like in 1st year.

My new room is comfy, although it can get extremely warm in the day time - but a 'Blizzard' fan from Target immediately ameliorates the situation.

I have been slow to jump on the partying bandwagon, given the fact that I technically just moved in today. So much noise everywhere, but nowhere to go! I feel even more like a fresher, urgh.

skewl

September 19, 2009 | Published in | 5 comments


the best part of going back to school is purchasing new stationery and notebooks and planners.

the perks of travelling with your mother

September 18, 2009 | Published in | 4 comments

Photo heavy post!

Align Centre
Eating crab legs from Alaska that are as long as your forearm + hand. They are the best things I've ever eaten btw. Best eaten on its own without any sauces.


See shamu. They weigh in at 9000-12000 lbs. You can tell the male and female apart by a simple observation: the female has a curved dorsal fin where the male has a straighter one. Fun fact!

My mom doesn't know how to use the zoom function on my SLR, but here I am with my Sea World kids meal because I was soo hungry and everything else was so bloody big.

Penguins. They look so..unnecessary.

A large walrus swimming upside down. Poor thing, he frightened a little kid by swimming into her face.

Sunset in La Jolla Cove.
Universal Studios is awesome, but Sea World is 10x better.

The sands of Marina del Rey at sunrise.

I went to Pinkberry thinking they had green tea, but they didn't (they have passionfruit, coconut, original and one more I can't recall) and I was momentarily disappointed until I scoffed the entire thing down in 5 minutes. This is my usual combination of granola + mango.

We also got to stay at my mom's ex-classmate's beach pad. Awesome shizz :)

omg kanye

September 17, 2009 | Published in | 2 comments

GET OVER IT ALREADY!

The man's a jackass, yeah, but there are about 274493 more out there. Hell, I know bigger jackasses than Kanye.

Photos of Amerika coming soon. I just can't bring myself to plug the camera into the laptop, not sure why. Laziness, methinks.

I Dream of Chanel

September 14, 2009 | Published in | 1 comments

I woke up in a startled state to question my acquisition of vintage Chanel pearl earrings and the Stella McCartney mesh sandals. Naturally, it was all a dream.

I blame the LA air.

Jetlag Blues

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This jetlag is really getting to me. I slept at 8 and woke up at 2. AM.

Celebrity, celebrity, celebrity. Chanel, Kitson, Melrose Avenue, The Wasteland, Robertson Boulevard. Names synonymous with materialism and celebrity, two of my top ten favourite things. But LA is rife with the word ‘celebrity’. Every corner, every angle, every fucking tourist destination. The novelty of celebrity has worn off after one and a half days already (Nicole Scherzinger just broke up with Lewis Hamilton, btw). it’s not all that glamorous, honestly. There are plenty of dilapidated buildings in downtown LA, shutters down but paint still intact. A lot of people ask, “why doesn’t LA look like it does in the movies?” and then they have to sorta realize the existence of Photoshop and post-film editing. Still. I want to walk down Rodeo Drive in the style of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman with my patent Docs and shiny tights. As if I don't look scary enough already.

Lala Land Day 1

September 12, 2009 | Published in | 2 comments

I’ve just arrived in Los Angeles. Contrary to popular belief, the immigration folks did NOT hassle us at all. In fact, the woman was extremely nice and spoke to my mother about how she was meant to be a doctor but turned out to be an immigration officer instead, citing that she did not want to see sick people for a living. We took a shared shuttle bus to the motel and lugged all 4 of my bags to the room. Thank goodness my mother and I lift weights regularly, hah! Ma and I went to eat at a diner’s called Twain’s next to the motel; I had an insanely huge Mushroom and Swiss burger with fries (with potato skins! The best!) and an iced tea (can’t fight teh o ais). This motel is not unlike those in the movies: dingy and dank with a hint of a strange chemical scent. Needless to say, my mother, who is accustomed to 5 star accommodation, beachside spa massages and porters, flipped and started panicking for about 5 minutes before she gave up and decided that this place is actually decent. There is an outdoor pool that is opened from 9AM to 9PM. I don’t feel like much of a stranger here though. In fact, it feels as though I’ve been here all my life. I think I watch way too much American TV and read too many books by American authors. I can’t believe I’m here though; I’m so excited! I feel like a little girl in pigtails waiting to go to school on her first day - except that I never had pigtails and I cried like a bitch on my first day at school. And most of all, I’m glad to finally be in the same continent as him. I am now 8700 miles from home and 3000 miles away from Boston. The world is small.

Tomorrow, I shall walk down Ventura Blvd to find Pinkberry for breakfast. Me and frozen yogurt have been apart for way too long.

retrospect

September 10, 2009 | Published in | 3 comments

For your viewing pleasure, a short recollection of some of my favourite foods:

Maggi mee goreng

Bread with kaya and butter

Wu kok

Black sesame and green tea ice cream

I've had a fantastic summer: I learnt about the stock market (from zero to something negligible), the workings of local companies, celebrated my 21st, played Sims 3 for 6 hours on some days, re-organised my room, saw many many old friends, made new friends, freaked out a bit about my future and then decided that I'm just going to do fuck all until I graduate.

And now I'm off to LA for three days and San Diego for the next 9 months.

I realize my posts are short and erratic - like me. I will make more of an effort to write when I'm there. But for now, goodbye!

why is the US so big?

September 08, 2009 | Published in | 1 comments

Cross country long distance travel is looking even more expensive than London-USA! Three times zones, 3037 miles (La Jolla -- Boston) and some exorbitant amount of cash apart.

Seriously now - can't these American low cost carriers learn a thing or two from Tony Fernandes?

goodness

September 07, 2009 | Published in | 2 comments

I'm leaving the country this Friday and I won't be back for another 9 months. I've never been away from home for this long before.

I am sad, happy, excited, apprehensive, nostalgic, undecided, petrified beyond belief.

"I know you can be overwhelmed, and you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever just be whelmed?"

I am whelmed.

Have you ever had shoes without shoe strings?

September 05, 2009 | Published in | 2 comments

"Run This Town" - Jay-Z feat Rihanna & Kanye West



I never usually post videos of any kind - especially not R&B ones - but Rihanna looks too fierce to be passed up this time.

Say

September 04, 2009 | Published in | 2 comments

I only spent a total of six days with R this entire summer. It is wrong on so many levels for two people in a relationship to see each other so rarely, but despite the blatant boundaries, neither of us care. I left for Singapore early one Friday morning after having struck a deal with my boss to take off the day before. My phone had died on the way and he couldn’t contact me and I couldn’t contact him. Through clumsy telepathy and use of a public telephone, he managed to track me down. I had to hit him with my Longchamp before he noticed me in his state of sheer panic. The first thing I told him was how bad his hair looked. “I know,” he replied, “I know." And then he gave me two taro pies from Burger King and a bottle of Pink Dolphin.

I am a punk rock princess with the worst temper when I am with him.

The Chicken and the Egg

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R and I had a 5 minute debate on what came first: the chicken or the egg.

We both concluded simultaneously that the egg must've come first. The theory of evolution says it all: the chicken cannot possibly have come first because pterodactyls (or whatever it is chickens came from) can't simply morph into chickens overnight. So by simple logical deduction, the egg came first. QED!

Been a while

September 03, 2009 | Published in | 1 comments

Nothing like a good dose of shoe porn at midnight.



source: Jak and Jil


I nearly died when I first saw these sunglasses.

Wedding Bells!

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On her first day of school, she was frightened of my awkward attempts at befriending her because I looked like a boy (I liked to wear my school blazer and my hair was obscenely short).

"I'm a girl!!" I exclaimed defensively. I don't think she bought it until a few days later when I came in sans my blazer, with my regular dress and frilly socks with pearls dangling from the sides. She laughed her mistake off. I just rolled my eyes and wondered why I wasn't allowed long hair like the rest of the girls. I wanted to flounce around with pigtails so badly, but my mother denied me this until I was 15 and totally out of my wanting-to-prance-around-with-pigtails stage and well into my angsty teenage stage.

Anyway, soon after she realized her terrible mistake, we became thick 'n' thin friends for most of our primary school years. Most days, we snuck down to the bookshop to buy flag erasers, had lunch together and walked to our respective guardians at home time together. She even made me a blue checkered bookmark for my Heidi novel. I was a very excitable child when it came to receiving gifts. I still am.

We switched classes some four to five years later and drifted apart as time and flaky adolescent personalities would have it. Our friendship was rekindled when we got thrown into the same class once more during our Sixth Form years. She lied to us once and came in with a large (fake) diamond ring, proclaiming that the man had proposed to her on one of his surprise visits. None of us took her seriously when she told us this time that she was getting married for real. It took a while.

But yes, she IS getting married!!

(to the same aforementioned man)



CONGRATULATIONS MY DEAR HARINDERPAL!! :D