A friend sent me a couple of laughs :)

LOVE IT.
Reminder: You might not want to watch this at work!

Let’s throw a Mustache Party!

Yums and Funs

Green Waffle has became our lunch choice whenever we crave for a relaxing afternoon. Located on a steep hill between our office and Hollywood Road, this place attracts a somewhat different crowd. The
The food was not up to standard today, but we had a nice talk over lunch and nothing beats this.

We went there around 12:50pm.
As expected, had to come back in an hour.

Minimal Christmas decorations. Nice.

Love their tiles.

Wall plants.

Stew skillet. This is what I've been eating here three time in a row. 

Coins above the exit. Feng shui stuff.

Sometimes I wonder if life could be better.

“Little peonies” 小牡丹 are in season! Waited for months. Literally.
Finally know what florists call them.

Dearie, thank YOU and your sweet words!
Feel bad for telling you that I'm leaving in 6 days…
but want to get you prepared! No big deal ;)

Ceci showed me what she got her uncle.
And I laughed out loud. This is TOO cute. Do you see him?

I’ve got mail (finally not bills)!!
So unexpected. Thank you.

 Love your metaphor…
Irene, I wish I knew you are this sweet all along!
What you + Gladys + Cary wrote gave me a good chuckle.

Got all these in a day.

I am one lucky bitch! 

Love you all xx

Hands-on!

Haven't done these tea stains for a long time…
since high school? Fun times!

deTour HK 2010

Managed to make it to the deTour Hong Kong opening’s on November 26th. This year deTour is hosted at the former Victoria Prison in Central. I think the vibe there wasn’t bad. This kind of night-time treasure hunting in HK was definitely my first, and I wish we have artsy booths like these all year long.

Saw lots of young jewelers, illustrators, product designers, and other kind of artists who created amazing, affordable art pieces. Please note that I am only showing a small part of the exhibition. I had to view the remaining at another time, as one of my favorite client said, “viewing art can be tiring.”

Outside the former Victoria Prison 

Outside the former Victoria Prison 

Apart from the installations and exhibitions,
the night market got the crowd excited.

Wearable art

Emerging local talents: Dirty Paper
Learned that they were flown to participate at Japan's deTour last year

Illustrations and handmade books.

Sek Kip Mei elderly people.

Beauties.

Hidden haven.

Locker, anyone?

This other room's lighting is a lot cooler,
but the deers managed to bring this place to life.

From Local Dutch, a group of independent
Dutch designers living and working in China.

Inviting participation

Live projection at the Upper Courtyard

The DJ (in black) and the projected random visuals on stage.

After being visually overwhelmed,
“Pure Water Design — with a vision for the future”
definitely cleared my mind. 

Different containers were used to show the beauty of water.

Simple and beautiful.
What a perfect place to end tonight's tour.

This year the Hong Kong Ambassadors of Design brought the project DeX Detour into the program. DeX Detour is a design exchange program curated by Marisa Yiu and Teruo Kurosaki that partnered ten Hong Kong designers with Teruo Kurosaki's studio in Japan. While Hong Kong designers worked under the theme “Aesthetics. Ethics. Designing with Innocence,” designers from Japan worked under the theme of “Pure Water Design.” Click here to read more about deTour and DeX Tour.

Florence + The Machine

found a clip i like.
just wanted to share.
love her humble character (and her dress!)!

Sesame Steet

Was looking at Feist's videos, and saw these.
Haven't watched Sesame Street since my early years — kinda fun to watch, no?

Feist


Norah Jones


Destiny's Child

Margaret Atwood

During an exchange at lunch today, my co-workers talked about the time Margaret Atwood attended the 2009 Hong Kong Literary Festival as a participant (and of course, I wasn't in Hong Kong back then). I was quite surprised and was all-eared. I recall this poem I loved during high school. In fact, this poem was the reason I held onto the ‘text book’ for so many years. I’ll let you interpret it yourself – here it is for you to enjoy:

Tricks with Mirrors

by Margaret Atwood

i

It’s no coincidence

this is a used

furniture warehouse.

I enter with you

and become a mirror.

Mirrors

are the perfect lovers,

that’s it, carry me up the stairs

by the edges, don’t drop me,

that would be bad luck, 

throw me on the bed

reflecting side up,

fall into me,

it will be your own

mouth you hit, firm and glassy,

your own eyes you find you

are up against   closed   closed

ii

There is more to a mirror

than you looking at

your full-length body 

flawless but reversed,

there is more than this dead blue

oblong eye turned outwards to you.

Think about the frame.

The frame is carved, it is important,

it exists it does not reflect you, 

it does not recede and recede, it has limits

and reflections of its own.

There’s a nail in the back

to hang it with; there are several nails, 

think about the nails,

pay attention to the nail

marks in the wood,

they are important too.

iii

Don’t assume it is passive

or easy this clarity

with which I give you yourself.

Consider what restraint it

takes: breath withheld, no anger

or joy disturbing the surface 

of the ice.

You are suspended in me

beautiful and frozen, I

preserve you, in me you are safe.

It is not a trick either, 

it is a craft:

mirrors are crafty.

iv

I wanted to stop this,

this life flattened against the wall,

mute and devoid of colour, 

built of pure light,

this life of vision only, split

and remote, a lucid impasse.

I confess: this is not a mirror,

it is a door

I am trapped behind.

I wanted you to see me here,

say the releasing word, whatever

that may be, open the wall.

Instead you stand in front of me 

combing your hair.

v

You don’t like these metaphors.

All right:

Perhaps I am not a mirror.

Perhaps I am a pool.

Think about pools.

You cannot teach a man anything; 
you can only help him discover it in.

—Galileo Galilei

National Geographic: One Cubic Foot

Photograph by David Liittschwager

Thought the website photos are nice until I saw the ones in print!

See how this was done at different sites.

Life is full of wonder. 

Long Time No See

Thought no one looks at my blog anymore, until recently, a friend complimented on my writing. Thank you, this makes me want to write again.

Thinking back, things have been going on at an extremely fast pace. My graduation, the Europe trip, the Philippines trip, the Taiwan trip, and of course, the Hong Kong trip, and going back home for a short visit. What do I want to do? What kind of purpose do I want to serve in life?

It seems like my life have just begun…

[old post found]

A Tiny Apartment Transforms into 24 Rooms

Have forgotten about Gary Chang's apartment until my friend Bonnie uploaded this video on Facebook. Read about this hidden gem a while ago, I got kind of confused when I was first reading about it—The New York Time's images are stunning, but I couldn't quite grasp the spatial configuration. This video shows us how these incredible movable walls work and I can finally see it in 'real'. Interestingly enough, had never thought of this as an eco-friendly apartment.

Featured in The New York Time's Home & Garden section.
I think it was Man Dao who sent me this last year. Thanks again!

When you have a chance, don't forget to read MCCM Creations' book by Gary Chang himself.

Growth is the only evidence of life.

—John Henry Newman

NY Times feature: A Face Without Expressions

A Face Without Expressions

NY Times feature: A Face Without Expressions

Kathleen Bogart suffers from Moebius syndrome which limits her facial expressions, a basic universal language. Imagine not being able to show your happiness through your smile.

I love the way she talks—how she communicates so clearly and how she takes it so positively.

Art Therapy Classes

Was recently contacted to hold an experimental art therapy course for 3 autistic children. Was intrigued by this idea since I would be collaborating with an educational psychologist. I've planned to do some research but the Central City Hall Library is actually CLOSED today—yes, I thought it never closes too! Sadly, the local book store sells only Chinese books on this subject; since I know it will take me forever to read a page in Chinese, I've decided to look on the internet.

While looking for videos (I am very reluctant to do reading on the screen with my strained eyes), I found this documentary, "Kids With Cameras", from Polaris Media Group. LOL, please note "ass burger's syndrome" = Asperger's syndrome (1:38).
























More on art therapy.

Films at the film fest

Movies takes me on an emotional roller-coaster ride…

I am so glad I made it to see Eccentricities of a Blond Hair Girl at the 34th Hong Kong International Film Festival today.

Stayed after to watch the Short Film Competition Programme IV. José Luis Montesinos' The Same Old Story (2009) is definitely worth mentioning as it got me in tears. The whole story evolves around a phone conversation which a bus-rider is engaged in. The script is cleverly and thoughtfully written—the man on the phone brings us through his argument/talk with his ex-wife into an unexpected ending. Go see it if you ever have the chance to!


Another one from the short film competition is Jean-Christophe Lie’s The Man in the Blue Gordini where Mister R and his wife plot a clothing revolution in a 1970s suburb. Great use of colors and angles. It was so fun to watch and it squeezed a laugh or two out of us.

2am

.

.

.

.

.

clear your mind

close your eyes.

now listen

—what do you hear?

…is there such thing as silence?

An Understated Escape

Trapped in the midst of high-rises and skyscrapers here in Hong Kong, it is hard enough to see the sky from the ground, never mind the sunset and sunrise.

Mo introduced us to this place called 白泥 (direct English translation: White Mud), a popular location where city dwellers enjoys the sunset. We took a short trip down Yuen Long on a nice Saturday afternoon before sunset.

We went a bit further than the usual route and stuck around to explore the neighborhood. I felt like I was in a rural part of China or something, though we were only an hour and a half away from the central part of HK.

Duck and you'll see

Looks like a haunted house

Have no idea what this means—anyone?

Villagers

Guess people here are not immune to the mosquitoes
and needs bugs spray too.

 Pucky found this weird-looking but beautiful tree

… with cute chubby branches and leaves

The new and the old

Think he spotted us too

Reflection

The calming wave

A spectacular view of the changing sky

We were chasing after the sun

 There you are :)

Love the silhouette

 Good night plants

They have different kinds of gates, all quite distinctive

The simple corner store,
with potato chips humbly displayed on a counter top

I have been so enthralled by the scenery, had almost lost track of time. It was quite an adventure; an escape from the traffic, the noise and the scents of the city. We are often too caught up in the time-bound environment, which is undesirable for a leisurely contemplation of the scenery. I enjoy these slow walks. They are quite meditating and I believe they connect us better with what surrounds us.

The above photographs were taken with my amature photography skills. Search on the internet for great photos from others (for example, http://www.fotop.net/pacific108/0885)!




A Special Note: CC has recently commented on my writing, which motivated me to write again. Thank you CC, I thought nobody reads my blog anymore and that's why I stopped.