Random Thoughts On... Boxing Day

Usually, our family tends to avoid the chaos known as Boxing Day sales. The last time that we may have braved sale-hunting around Christmas Eve and Boxing Day was way back in the day when Chadstone wasn't that big and Borders hadn't made its presence known yet. And even then, parking was a gas-guzzling venture. However, I decided (or more accurately, Dad decided) to venture to Chadstone to see what sales there were on tablets like the iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy 10.1. 


I've never been to Asia or any other place where population density is high. Though, I have a secret suspicion that Chadstone Shopping Centre on Boxing Day is the closest that I'll get to knowing the feeling of being so unpleasantly acquainted at close quarters with a complete stranger's rear side, and in turn, a stranger being so familiarized with my rear end. Having said that, I think it may have been more disagreeable to the person behind me since we ran to Chadstone and I had yet to steal a free spritz from the perfume counters at David Jones. Ah, first world problems. 


Dog's breakfast aside, Chadstone managed to amaze me. Its tagline is 'Fashion Capital' but I beg to differ and propose to rename it as 'Stereotype Mecca'. It was as if every typecast imaginable had come out to play. There were the cashed-up bogans, identifiable by their small Guess handbags, big sunglasses and Havaianas-clad feet, who twittered about outside Tiffany and Co. Then the hoards of fob Asians made lines of 7m or so outside Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci and Burberry. In David Jones around Ralph Lauren and Hugo Boss, the uptight upper-middle class suburbia was present too. The skateboarder/punk-ish teenagers with their long side fringes under caps flocked to Vans. Even the tweens and young high schoolers were out in their groups giggling outside Valley Girl and Forever New. 


Turns out DJ wasn't having a sale on iPads and JB Hi Fi was way too crowded for us to have a proper glance at the Samsung Galaxy tablet (the Asian guy behind us showed his impatience by precariously hovering near us. His olfactory loss I suppose). So we may have been among the few to leave Chadstone without making a contribution to the economy. The magic of Boxing Day sales were lost on us but hopefully for all the others it wasn't. I mean, I would hope that they'd find something worth the parking havoc.

New Years sales anyone?

Random Snippets On... Christmas carols

Probably due to my lackluster attitude towards Christmas this year, I haven't been keeping track of the dates that closely. So I was pretty surprised to find that it was already the 23rd (no wonder Box Hill was so busy), meaning that I only have 2 and a bit days to legitimately enjoy my favourite Christmas carols such as God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and Carol Of The Bells.

I often feel guilty listening to Christmas carols during the non-December months (which is why I feel it's slightly ridiculous for shopping malls to play Christmas jingles in November. It's like premature... well, something untimely). It's as if I'd be sucking away at the Christmas magic, making the coming Christmas not as wonderful. A silly superstition I know, but I did believe in Santa until I was 11.

I must have been a gullible child.

Anyway, I think you should check out this video by The Piano Guys:

A warm Merry Christmas to you :)

Mundane Happenings #6

- The above photo is the fruit of my culinary labours. It's supposed to be sujebi à la K.L. style but after looking at the image it really doesn't look like anything at all. But that's okay because it tasted freakin' amazing. And even though it may sound like self-flattery, my praises are actually directed to the one ingredient that makes anything taste infinitely better: sesame oil. 

I maintain that sesame oil is the Asian answer to Nigella Lawson's "quarts of heavy cream" that she seems to add to dishes. Butter be buggered. Sesame oil can sizzle my saucepan any day. ;)


- Instagram is amazing. It makes pictures look better than they actually are. Proof? Above photo. The original really wasn't that appealing.


- Finally went to the dentist to have teeth cleaned. Is it awkward to stare at the dentist's eyes while having any dental work done? I mean, I find it quite fascinating trying to catch a glimpse at my own mouth in the reflection of the dentist's glasses. But then again, I guess it would be unnerving to have someone staring at you for more than ten minutes. Oh well. 


- This site tickled my heart: HJ Story.


- Christmas cheer hasn't hit yet. I'll be the Grinch for a little longer yet. 

Random Thoughts On... Napkin hoarding

I find that one of the annoying things about washing clothes is the need to empty out clothes' pockets of their contents. More than once, I've had the misfortune of taking out my clothes from the washer and finding them covered with the telltale white confetti of a tissue left in a pocket somewhere.


One time, I happened to be checking my jean's pockets prior to washing and found a number of napkins stashed away in each of the pockets. These napkins were taken from a variety of fast food eateries and unassuming Asian restaurants that keep their pile of napkins out in the open for anyone to take. With such a plethora of free napkins out there, why would I ever pay for a pack of tissues like these: 

via Listia

I never gave much thought to my serviette-amassing activities until a friend asked for a tissue. Being an obliging person, I reached into my bag to offer what happened to be a serviette from Nandos. The "Are you serious?" look crossed the friend's face, followed by the "Anything but a Nandos serviette!" look when he realised that no one else had a spare tissue available. This brought me to wonder whether napkin-hoarding was really the road to take. 


The only other viable alternative I'd recognise is carefully folding up tissues from a tissue box and storing them away because I point-blank refuse to buy a pack of tissues (above) that cost more than a whole box of tissues. But then again, the only difference between folded up tissues and folded up serviettes is that the latter may have some logo emblazoned on it. And the way I see it is that whenever I blow my nose with the serviette, I spend no extra money and I do some free advertising while at it. It's a perfect win-win situation.
 
I also refuse to believe that I'm the only person who does this. Ignorance is bliss.

Mundane Happenings #5

- As much as my parents like IKEA, I no longer find the novelty of the place that appealing. It might be because the food at IKEA is almost exactly like college food (meatballs and gravy anyone?). So it's not somewhere that I would particularly want to visit every week. But because my parents have held a fondness for the place ever since their twenties, they like to go there as a replacement cafe that provides free coffee. Oh so Asian. 

Anyway, the parents decided to walk to IKEA today and I was coerced gently urged to also go under the guise of 'family bonding'. The results are aching legs, a slight tan and horrendous hat hair. It's times like these when I'm secretly relieved that the chances of anyone I know driving past me are relatively low. I probably looked like the biggest dork ever. 


- Berry picking! So so much fun and so so delicious! Truthfully, I was only interested in the raspberries but the blackberries were pretty good too. The drive to and from was quite hilarious as well, starting with J's 2 minute long struggle of leaving on his right-hand indicator (captured on video for posterity :D) and continuing with the GPS leading us to a 4WD-only dirt track instead of Miss Marples Tea Room.

via waywardwandering.com

- I'm obsessed with We Found Love by Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris. Thank you J for your good taste in music. :D


- Hello summery days! Last week's weather was cold and gloomy :( but I'm glad it's warm and sunny now. 


- Weeding apparently does wonders for the quads (Whittling away thunder thighs since the summer of '11!). 


- G's b-day celebration was awesome and it was so good seeing (almost) everyone. My arms hurt from SingStar Dance. Clearly my arms are not conducive to dancing (as SingStar Dance seemed to agree with it's constant flashings of 'Awful'). 

Random Thoughts On... No Ps, no anxieties!

Despite how certain people bag me out about the possibility of becoming a 21 year old without any working drivers license, I find that there are a number of benefits to my current situation.


#1 The Health Benefits


Not being able to drive anywhere means the utilization of the often-forgotten medium of transportation: walking. Need to get somewhere <8km away without any particular sense of urgency? No problem! Just walk there! Walking to your destination may just work off the heavy lunch you ate (which you tried to justify as brunch). Sure, it may be a little degrading when fit geriatrics overtake you when going up that not-so-steep hill, but act all nonchalant and as if it's only by choice that you happen to be walking at that slow pace. After all, slow and steady wins the race. 


Let's also not forget that walking to your destination may just work off that heavy lunch you ate (which you tried to justify as brunch). With summer here, you might need all the help you can get. No beached whales here! 


#2 Getting In Touch With Nature Benefits


What better way is there to get in touch with local flora and fauna than to walk? By walking, not only are you able to better appreciate hayfever-inducing pollens, but you're also able to observe which birds species have a tendency to swoop (For the record, Noisy Miners seem to be audacious enough to swoop at humans). And imagine, you can better enjoy any inaccuracies of the Bureau Of Meteorology's weather reports. Those safely-cocooned drivers may not even realise the sudden temperature drop until they arrive at their destination, but you'll know when it happened exactly. Ah, how lovely Mother Nature is. 


#3 Saving The Planet Benefits 


Any walker will be the hero of any die-hard environmentalist. I may take longer than three minute showers, and I may not recycle at all very much but at least I'm saving the environment by walking! That's right, I'm doing it in the most inefficient way possible but that's alright. Every little bit helps okay?




My sad attempt at defending my license-less self clearly fails. Furthermore, chances are that I probably won't get my Ps this break. So I'll just take the teasing like a man whenever some people may feel it's necessary to bring up. But don't worry, I will be sure to make fun of you in some other way in retaliation. :D

Random Thoughts On... The leap between Y and Z

As much as I'd like to deny it, Fb-stalking certain favourite people is part of my daily internet surfing routine. Probably, it's also a part of your routine but it's okay if you're not at that stage of being honest about bad habits. We'll both just share a knowing smile and nod when you say, 'It just came up on my Newsfeed!'.


It seems even Firefox knows how much I like to peruse certain people's profiles, as it always happily provides the necessary URL for instant access to such persons. Sometimes I think Firefox is almost too smart for its own good and I end up deleting some of my browsing history so that I can keep up the delusion that my habit hasn't gotten that much out of hand. 


One of the unknowing victims to my 'casual browsing' (i.e. a weekly to fortnightly check) happens to be my cousin. My cousin and I aren't particularly close but I still have a piqued interest in her due to the fact that we are related. Actually, that's just half of it. I'm extraordinarily interested in her activities because despite her being only in year 7, she seems to have experienced more than I have as a second year uni student. That is to say, my cousin, 7 years my junior, has had her first kiss already, gone through two boyfriends, posted a Youtube video of herself singing and has more friends than me.


My pride has taken an almighty beating over the past few months.


To justify my apparent late-blooming, I've come to argue that it's because there's such a large generation gap between my cousin and me. She's Gen Z and I'm Gen Y. Despite the two letters being next to each other in the alphabet, I maintain that there's actually a huge gap between the two age groups. For one, I still remember fashions like these:

via 4.bp.blogspot.com

Back in the day when I was in year 7, there wasn't any of this social networking business (there might've been Myspace I think but I never got into that either :/ ) and I was still trying to get over the horror of a boy bagging me about my sideburns >_>. When I was 12, probably the most stressful thing at the time was Mrs Wilson. And one of my main concerns was garnering friendships of the corporeal kind, not those necessarily solidified by an automated 'You are now friends with Person Blah blah'. So take that Gen Z! At least I had a more wholesome teenage-hood.


Alright, evidently I am just a little jealous that my kid cousin apparently knows 345 people, has a boyfriend named Jason and can sing Justin Bieber songs better than I could. But I think that even if there is such a large leap between Gen Y and Z which could (but not really) explain the lag in my life, I'm probably more happier with the thought that things happen at their own pace. And when I really think about it, as it is, I'm pretty content with the way things are.


Now give me a fade out with Timbaland's 'The Way I Are'. 

Random Thoughts On... Family solidarity

My parents have worn matching glasses for about five years now (I don't know why. It must be an eccentric couple-y thing to do). They decided to buy another set of matching glasses with transition lenses because I'm guessing they wanted to give up their Asian heritage:  

via Ideas Culture

The style that the both of them chose was rather unfortunate. It happened to be the Wayfarer-esque style that's become popular especially amongst the Asians. I think the following picture should help set the image quite nicely:

via 1.bp.blogspot.com

Except really, the effect is more like this minus the tape:

via 123rf.com

In any case, there's a certain Asian fobness associated with glasses of that style. I'm fine with my parents looking fob in their glasses. I'll even go so far as to say that wearing that style makes them look fob but stylish since it's a little rarer nowadays to see late 40-some year olds wearing Wayferers. 


Turns out that the optometrist was willing to do a deal: get two pairs of glasses with transition lenses and throw a free one in for the daughter! It's three for the price of two! My parents were thrilled. Not only would their daughter be wearing glasses that would make her look like a run-of-the-mill fob Asian but she'd also be wearing the exact same glasses style as her parents! It's family solidarity taken literally. 


Now that the floodgates have been opened, I fear as to what may come next. Lee family t-shirts? Matching outfits? Ooh dear...

Random Snippets On... Packing

I've been packing up my room in preparation for the inevitable departure from dear Adelaide. I've come to the conclusion that I like Adelaide during very specific times of the year: during the first few weeks of the new uni year, the days post-semester 1 exams, the first few weeks of semester 2 and the days post-semester 2 exams. In short: enjoyment of Adelaide ∝ 1/obligations to uni. 

As per usual, I procrastinated packing for three days. It was only on Friday that I realised I should probably get cracking on the whole boxing and folding business. But then it was 37°C. Perhaps it was some form of divine chastisement but for a good four hours I sweated and laboured away in the non-ac room of mine to pack away a year's worth of stuff. I had thought I gained a bit of swotvac fat in the past few weeks but I have a hunch that I may have sweated away my third chin at least. Or maybe even my double chin too. No, I really shouldn't keep high hopes about this.


As sad as it is, I think I'll miss Adelaide... in a slightly masochistic way. The city brings me so much angst in the form of terrible college food, horrific store opening hours and the lack of 7-Elevens. But at the same time, I have no dark curfews, no need to weed and no obligations to finally clean away traces of my high school self. 


Actually, I take it back. I miss family + good food + AC. And a double bed. And a garden. And a pantry. And a stove. And unlimited internet.

I hear thunder! Shall we... dance in the summer spring rain?

This is probably the most erratically written post I've done so far (I blame sleep-drunkenness). Well done Draco. Well done. 

Mundane Happenings #4

- Property's finally over. Huzzah.

- I hate it when you might be in the middle of eating something (like an avocado) and then the urge to sneeze suddenly just comes. Sometimes I'll be lucky and a tissue will be somewhere nearby but otherwise... Well. Splatter damage is high.

- I consider it an achievement but I wasn't even that desperate for the bathroom after my exam. Yeah, take that bladder!

- It surprised me but there were actually blood oranges in the fruit basket at college. Fresh Agrum, yes please.

- Cram, cram, cram.

- Internet usage is too high! Makes me sad.

Random Snippets On... 7-Eleven-less

O SA, how sad you make me so.


Just why isn't there even one 7-Eleven in this 983,482 square kilometres stretch of space?

(via Inqistr.com)

 

Random Snippets On... Swotvac

The weather's been far too good lately. It's making me feel so happy that I feel almost guilty for being in such a good mood for swotvac.

I'm probably hovering in the false confidence stage at the moment. I'm predicting that the dip in my mood will happen by late Saturday to Sunday. Until then, I'll soak up all the sunny and peaceful swotvac days I can (preferably whilst in Chocolate Tree). 

Mundane Happenings #3

- I have half an excuse for not blogging. Because Google seems to be almost everywhere I turn to on the internet, I can't seem to log into both Blogger and my uni account at the same time. It's a pain to log into my uni email all the time (and also because I've had a lack of impetus to blog) so most of the time I can't be bothered to press 'log out' and re-sign into another Google account just to blog. 


Yeah, somehow that reason didn't assuage my guilt for not blogging in ages. Dammit. 


- Weather is good. Especially those low 20-ish degree days with sunny blue skies and a warm wind. Add Chocolate Tree as an afternoon locale for study inter amicos, and the result is swotvac happiness :)


- Mangoes are my guilty pleasure. So good and yet so expensive. 


- Waxing! I'll admit that I just got up with the intention of waxing my legs after close inspection of said limbs only to find that I have 2 wax strips left. I wish 2 strips were enough to remove my hairy little friends but unfortunately that's not the case. So the world will just have to suffer from my hirsuteness for a while yet. 


- A has been running wild in Europe but is coming back soon. Yay! 


- During swotvac, my sense of fashion (a term I use very loosely) slips and in my books, anything goes. I even plan to wear track pants to my exams if it's cold, and PLC shorts if it's not. I think I practically lived in my rugby jumper during year 12 swotvac (and there's photographic evidence of it). The sad thing is, I wasn't even aware that I had subconsciously started my swotvac fashion trend until it occurred to me a few days ago that I spent more than 20 hours in the same pair of shorts. I swear I'll do my laundry regularly. Trust me.

Random Snippets On... September (and everything it should've been)

Dear September, 

At the beginning of our relationship, I was hopeful of how things would pan out. You promised the beginning of a warm season and you did deliver... somewhat. You tantalised me with the prospect of warm temperatures when the mercury rose to 29°. I even went out of my way to wax my legs for you – just to show how committed I was to this relationship. You and I were happy together for so many days. I was even beginning to think that ours was a relationship that was above all the others but then you went and broke my heart.

It was the thunder and lightning storm at first (but I would've forgiven you since thunderstorms aren't supposed to be too uncommon in spring). And then you slowly let things cool between us, literally. It  cooled so quickly and so fast that I had to dig deep into my closet and find my thermals. You should know that I hate wearing thermals because they remind me of those ridiculous-looking long johns:

 

I'm moving onto October, September. That's right. I'm ripping you away from my calendar and dropping you in the trash. October and I will be what you and I never were. 

Sincerely, 

K

Random Snippets On... Green tea

The others can have their chai or earl grey. But I shall always have green tea. 

Especially on a night like tonight.

Random Thoughts On... The art of being smooth

Charismatic people seriously impress me. 

Let's take Charismatic Person A (or CPA for short) as an example. Compare the pair: CPA and yours truly are both persons who have never met Person B. Person B is introduced via mutual friends. Conversation between Person B and yours truly is completely courteous and superficial. Broached topics may include mentions of the weather, relation to aforementioned mutual friends and the degree being studied. Overall score = 5, an average result. Then Person B will turn to address CPA and suddenly, the two are chatting away as if BFFL. Ten minutes later, CPA is being led away enthusiastically to meet Person B's other friends who'll surely be as bedazzled. The next day the inevitable occurs: 'CPA is now friends with Person B and 5 other people'. 

As I said, charismatic people seriously impress me. 

I can't even fully comprehend how these people achieve such feats. I'll even be right there in the conversation but it's impossible for me to pinpoint what question was asked or what topic was brought up for the mood to change. It just happens and I'll still be left in the dust wondering what just happened. Even after asking a charismatic person the secret to his success, he shrugged and said: "I dunno. It just happens."

(via The Great Geek Manual)

...Dammit.

Mundane Happenings #2

- I really like black Pilot G-2 0.5 pens. And I mean, über like. I've rejected every other kind of pen since I was first introduced to them back when I still had funky hair.

(via Kaboodle.com)

I've found that they're pretty uncommon in Australia for some reason. It always seems to be the 0.7 pens that populate the shelves. But personally I find that 0.7 is way too thick for my liking (since my handwriting's usually pretty small, thick pens make everything look extra messy and then my writing resembles a messy scrawl). I was pleasantly surprised to find that Unibooks sold the individual black 0.5 pens (for a steep price but the world isn't perfect... yet). In my happiness, I bought one to use when I finished using up all my other pens. Time passed, and when it was finally time to use the new pen, it didn't work. I tried every trick that Yahoo! Answers could provide. I even held up my pen right near my heater to somehow warm its lifeless body but it still wouldn't work. It did annoy me that I spent nearly $5 on a useless pen but it unfortunately didn't detract me from buying a replacement (which works perfectly btw).


My goodness, a paragraph on pens. My life is mundane.


- Still in line with mundane happenings, my umbrella warrants a mention. It's lacking a hinge and won't close properly! I've been emotionally attached to my umbrella for about three years now. My dearest mommy bought it for me and it's been an ever-faithful companion in the rain. It's never turned inside out on me and it has a "fruity" pattern (as A would say). So now I suppose I'll have to become one of the masses with a dreary navy blue or black umbrella. :(


- The weather's bad and I'm missing the warm sunshine. Is this Adelaide's answer to the monsoon season?


- It annoys me when bobby pins have so little grip strength.


- I have a craving for something that I just can't name. I can't even say if I'm craving for something sweet or savoury. I'm just craving for something. Maybe... kimchi?

(via Love That Kimchi.com)

Mundane Happenings #1

- I've been enjoying the spring-like weather that graced the past week. It was a nice change to feel the breeze and not feel cold. I even cracked out the whole alternative thing of cuffing my jeans (which by the by I've always wanted to try and I couldn't care less whether I actually pulled it off successfully or not). Anyway, KP would be proud. 

- Because of the spring-like weather, I felt obliged to wax my legs. So I did, even though it's technically winter and I made a point of not waxing my legs during winter. Now I have legs that are un-tanned (and possibly flabby from the lack of exercise) but gloriously hairless. It's a rarity and I intend to enjoy them while I can, which I envision will be a time period of about 1.5 weeks. 

- For the record, toothpaste is an effective cleaner of white items. It blew my mind. Now a pair of my shoes have a whiff of mint around them. Next target: the white Converse sneakers that belie sweaty feet issues. 

- I'm such a fag hag. Actually, it's probably more accurate to say that I'm a fag fan. Some people get gushy and fangirl-like around Justin Bieber or Miley Cyrus or even George Clooney. I get that. I really do because I'm exactly like that around gay men. That's right. I become overly-excited and overly-eager whenever I see a gay man that I recognise. It's embarrassing for everyone in the immediate area (i.e. crowded food court) but that's okay. I mean, everyone gets to have their little crush, right? 

- Operation Dexter Overhaul has officially begun. It's happening. Trust me.

Random Snippets On... Lizard skin

It distresses me to no end that my right hand is suffering from the grave affliction of lizard skin. I don't even know why my right hand almost exclusively becomes dry and chapped around my first two knuckles and my index finger's middle joint. Maybe this is the beginning of my transformation into some reptilian hybrid (Voldemort anyone?). 

If I begin to make sibilant sounds, I'll be concerned. 

Random Snippets On... Happiness #2

Thank you for making today a day to be treasured and preserved in my memory. I laughed and smiled so much today that if I don't lose any fat around my jowls I'll be sorely disappointed.

Although skyping is sufficient enough to fill the distance between all of us, there's no substitute for being able to see each of you smiling in person. Clearly Skype's video resolution doesn't do justice.

Even though it was so rare for us to be all together, I'm glad we were able to see each other this time (albeit for such a short time). Let's try not to make this a bi-annual event.

And so with all the sappiness I can muster, let me just say guys (insert J's sappy voice), I was so very happy today. :D

Random Thoughts On... Wendi Deng

Due to the time difference, I was ensconced in the warmth of quilt and sleep when the parliamentary inquiry into media phone hacking occurred. Had I forgone sleep, I may have been able to watch live Wendi Deng being a pro-volleyball player uh... coming to the defense of her husband when he was attacked by a cream pie:

She spiked that man's head reallll good.

Random Thoughts On... Idiosyncracies of the parentals

I must be getting overly-sentimental to think that particular traits of my parents, which I found previously annoying, are now rather endearing. One such trait is the tendency of both parents to be suspicious of any form of contact I have with the opposite sex. 

I'll be fair in saying that my parents have made progress since the early days of their behaviour. For instance, in high school my parents' favourite maxim for a situation that involved extensive communication with any human male, was to simply "turn around and walk away". I think the following sign most appropriately summarises most of my high school interactions:

(via Snippits and Snappits)

As I left high school, my parents resigned themselves to the inevitability of a co-ed environment in uni. And so, being ever so adaptable, their tune changed. (I still wonder whether it's intentional on their part but my parents are rather ingenious in that most of their boy-centric lectures occur during medium to long drives. I mean really, the car's just the most strategic place to have a monologue because I'm hardly in a position to exit a moving vehicle.) Their new angle was based on the premise that once males and females were friends, mutual attraction was unavoidable and one thing would lead to another and bam! The birds and the bees would make an entrance. Platonic friendships? Psh! Non-existent! In my mom's own words: "It's not that we don't want you to have male friends. We just think you shouldn't get so friendly with males." My parents were... helpful at best.

And then we fast-forward to how they are now. My pater and mater have finally wrapped their heads around the concept of platonic friendships (albeit with a sizable dose of suspicion). They still require an extensive back-story on how I came to know (insert male name) and whether I'm attracted to said individual (which is accompanied by a satisfied "good!" when the answer is always given in the negative). Nonetheless, my parents and I have come a long way since those high school days. Well done team.  

Random Snippets On... Happiness #1

The more that I think about it, happiness is the amalgamation of small, even minute happenings.

Happiness is:

- Walking with my parents

- Enjoying the rare sunny winter's day

- Waking from a pleasant dream

- Unexpected sweet gestures from an unexpected source

- Hearing Titan snorting and sneezing because he's so excited

- Daydreaming about sweet nothings

So all in all, I had a happy day. Did you?

Random Snippets On... Pronounciation and limits

So is it just Melbourne weather that's bone-chillingly cold or is it winter that's thrashing out its wrath? (And on that note, do you pronounce it as either 'rath' or 'rȯth'?) 

I've been pleasantly surprised these holidays. Whenever I've run, the distance of running from one destination to another has always weighed heavily on my mental attitude. If my dad proposed to run somewhere that had an estimated travel time of more than 40 minutes, something about it would make me balk. I'd be reluctant to go since I could imagine myself struggling all the way with heavy legs. Or maybe I would be put-off by a particularly steep hill that I knew we'd have to climb along the way. Whatever reason I had, I was a reluctant runner. 

Then suddenly (or maybe not so suddenly with imperceptibly incremental improvements), I've come back and the mental limits I seem to have previously self-imposed were no longer existent. I still find that Wattle Park hill as hard as ever (although I can now climb it without losing my pace horrendously) and it's still a hard mental game but I have a more open mind about running. I suppose this change has come at the right time (and not a season too late) to aid the shedding of Jabba the Hutt-esque fat before the summer months come. Otherwise I may have been a bit of a wobbly sight if I attempted to Baywatch-run across a popular beach. 

(I would have inserted some picture of an actress running from Baywatch but the ones that I browsed were a little too eyebrow-raising for my liking)

Countin' down the days 'till Wed! :D

Random Thoughts On... Makgeolli

With my beloved laptop all newly repaired and as sleek as ever, I thought blogging would be appropriate so that I could publish my happiness to the blogosphere. No I joke. Just who would be that self-important and egotistical? I'll just be twiddling my thumbs and looking innocent.

Yesterday I met up with F, V, S and E. The highlight of this epic time was for me the sampling of "Makgeolli". Actually, 'highlight' is probably not the right word to use since it suggests positive connotations. So really, when I say highlight, I really mean major let down.

You may know of my penchant for Korean dramas. The peak of my K-drama phase was probably last year when I devoured watched numerous a few historical dramas. I could guarantee you that in almost every episode some character would be downing a bowl of makgeolli and finishing with a satisfying "Ahhh...". I became curious to know about this mystery drink and I did my research by youtubing all I could about it. One interesting result was the following:

Fake smiles and bad acting aside, the makgeolli stuff looked pretty tasty. As a bonus, it's apparently brewed with "love and care" and it's rich in dietary fiber and lactic acid bacteria. So far it was looking pretty good. 

Then, I get a brainwave and ask the cultural expert on Korean liquor: my mother. My mom tells me about how she could still remember from her childhood the soothing smell of brewing rice and other nostalgic memories about the rice liquor. She then declared that makgeolli is her favourite liquor. Given that this drink even has my mom's seal of approval, I was becoming pretty well excited about finally sampling it someday. 

And then, yesterday happened. 

V said this about makgeolli: "I think I'd prefer to drink vodka over this"

And S said: "Don't be surprised if I stop along the way and buy an alcoholic drink to wash away the aftertaste of this"

All in all, it was pretty terrible. It was the shattering of a year-long fantasy of a holy drink that tasted like roasted rice with only a touch of alcohol. I actually have no idea how people drink the stuff but maybe it's an acquired taste (Mom????). 

Random Thoughts On... A cold winters night

It's freezing in our house and I wish I was safe and warm in L.A. I've got The Mamas & The Papas' California Dreaming stuck on repeat to somehow give lyrical solace to my chilled-to-the-bone body. And on that note, here's a really nice cover of the song:

One of the things that I always seem to conveniently forget when I come home is that my dad happens to be even more Asian than I'll ever be. Squinty eyes aside (I still maintain that my dad has even squintier eyes than I do despite however much he denies it), my pater is the master of stinginess. Actually, this is probably when my dad would have liked to step in and beg to differ on this point.

With all the passion that he commands, my father would argue that by not turning on the floor heating he is doing his part to combat global warming. Why sacrifice the environment (and gas bills) when one could easily just wear a few more layers of clothing? He would then close his case by adding that he hadn't actually turned off the heating but merely re-set the temperature at which the heater automatically turns on to 15°C. 

Granted that I've never been much of a green individual. Probably the best contribution I've made to keeping my carbon footprint as minimal as possible was catching the tram to and from school for 6 years and even then, I jumped at every chance to get driven. So maybe my dad's noble gesture is lost on my environmentally-ignorant self, but I'm sure there has to be a line drawn somewhere.

Well, while I'm pondering the existence of said line, I'll be emulating the Michelin Tyre Man. 

(via Wheels Of Italy)

Random Snippets On... Post-High school cleaning

It seems that my room is in need of a long-overdue clean from all the piled junk from high school. I never actually did the whole post-high school cleanup so I'm still hoarding Geography and History papers from Year 10. It's almost like a time capsule.

Here's a sample of what my year 10 self noted on Henry VIII:

- Had 6 wives, one after the other

- Was a Protestant, the old church was Catholic

- Made a new church because of his personal needs

- Made himself the head of the new church

- Big, fat

- Beheading

- Was highly intelligent and educated

I find it amusing how I had to define that Henry VIII didn't have six wives simultaneously but "one after the other". At least we know that my year 10 self knew the difference between a harem and re-marrying.

Random Snippets On... Food. Good food.

Yes... 3 and a bit days until I'm able to embrace the wonders of a fully-stocked pantry, fridge, rice-cooker and stove. 

I never thought I'd say this but I'm craving kimchi and rice like a pregnant woman. Edit: It also makes me sad that I'll be missing out on A's awesome cooking. :(

Speaking of rice, this is my dream rice-cooker:

Not only can it cook porridge and all sorts of rice, but it also looks so sleek and sexy with its stainless steel finish. It's perfection. 

Yes, I may be driven to blog about a food-related topic due to the downturn in college food. S, I'm glad you got to run away so quickly. D, I'm so sad! 

(via TigerJ15's Deviantart)

Random Snippet On... the art of being sedentary whilst stuffing one's face

For the past few days, I've had the pleasure of becoming better acquainted with an old friend of mine:

(Courtesy of Wikipedia)

Jabba and I knew each other quite intimately last year. And now since it's swot vac and I've yet to burn any of the excessive calories from Tim Tams, Starbursts, Thins Salt and Vinegar Chips, Cheetos, Raspberry tarts and gargantuan helpings of chocolate pudding, I may be able to evenly compete with Jabba for the prize of multiple chin folds and neck-chin fusion. Don't hold your breath for a winner.

I've also taken the liberty of drawing up a graph that shows the the relationship between junk food consumption and any form of exercise:

You may call me KL the Hutt.

Random Thoughts On... Hoodies and Female Dogs

I sometimes feel that having watched the collection of classic films that Audrey Hepburn starred in (Roman Holiday, Sabrina, My Fair Lady, Breakfast At Tiffany's etc.) my view on the male-female interaction has been permanently changed. In the K-tinted world, men are always gentlemen who give their coats to women when it's cold or who'll open doors for a lady. But I am aware that the real world can't contain such idealistic chivalry because of the annoying gender-equality argument ("If men and women are equal, why should men be expected to put themselves at a disadvantage and be the gentlemen all the time?") or whatever other practical reason reality throws out. So with the shattering of my quintessential notion, I've come to observe the emergence of two new male-female interactions: the hoodie and female dog ('bitch') relationships.

(Courtesy of Leather Up)

This is a hoodie. This piece of article just oozes comfort and laziness. It's the staple of any person's wardrobe. I mean just think about it. When you're cold at home what do you wear? The hoodie. When you're going for a run in the chilly morning/night what do you wear? The hoodie. When you're going to McDonalds/Hungry Jacks/KFC what do you wear? The hoodie. The hoodie is so essential because it's so comfortable and versatile. But as soon as a situation turns to such that the outer appearance becomes the slightest concern to the greater public, the hoodie is the first to be ditched. After all, since when was the hoodie ever a garment to impress?

The hoodie relationship characterizes the dynamics between a guy and his girl friend (the platonic kind). To the guy, this particular girl friend is his hoodie. She may lack the defining features of a hoodie such as the eponymous hood, but to him, the girl friend exhibits the very characteristics of his favourite article of clothing:

- Her comfort factor is right up there with his home sweat pants and week-old t-shirt. With her, he feels most at ease and he feels no pressure to impress her. She is, after all, his friend who has probably seen him in his most comfortable state: disheveled in clothes a day off from washing and wearing Lynx (or even no deodorant at all) instead of a musky cologne. 

- She's always there for him. When he's bored and in need of some company, the girl friend is there to be worn called to have a general catch-up session to talk about the daily events or any other casual topic. But don't be mistaken, the girl friend is also a friendly ear to any deep and meaningful concerns that may be currently plaguing him.

- Her companionship is perfect when he needs it to be. If there's ever time when he needs to visit some of his casual haunts, the guy will bring the girl friend along to be a compadre on such jaunts. But nota bene, to an event that may be just outside his natural comfort zone (distinguished by the need to style his hair or wear cologne), she is nowhere to be seen.

All in all, his girl friend is almost as fun to be around as a fellow male "buddy" albeit having longer hair and a higher pitched voice. She is necessary in his life because without her, he'd have a certain absence of warmth that could only be filled by a hoodie. 

Female dogs are known as bitches. Even though a girl friend may not be a dog, she can also be known as a bitch. But let me make this clear, I don't mean 'bitch' as in "Oh no you di'in't you BITCHHHHH" or as a sleazy term, I mean it in the most sterile way possible.

Being a guy's bitch (in the K. Lee's definition of the term) is a little different than being the hoodie. They do share the three hoodie characteristics that were outlined earlier but there are other defining qualities that tip the balance from hoodie to bitch. They are the following:

- Bitches are first and foremost working dogs. Girl friends can be a guy's bitch. He will have no qualms about asking her to run small jobs for him: carrying bags, helping him move heavy things around, or asking her opinion on his fashion. A guy will not usually ask these things of a hoodie, as he will remember that she is his female hoodie not another one of his run-of-the-mill pals.

- A guy will not hesitate to introduce his bitch in events outside of his comfort zone. I refer back to a female working dog as a prime example. As if you wouldn't leave out introducing your pet dog. She has a great smile, big eyes and she's your friend! Oops, is this your pet dog we're talking about or the bitch? Either way, this girl friend is definitely not the hoodie and is not neglected when the guy is dressed up for the greater public.

A dog is a man's best friend. And it's true, the girl friend really is a guy's best friend. In comparison with his hoodie, a guy may be a little more gender-blind to his bitch (refer back to working dog characteristic) but to him, his bitch is a caring and faithful friend.

So the question stands, which are you? The hoodie or the bitch? 

Day 5

Presenting Day 5's topic:

Six things you wish you hadn't done

IMO, this topic's a bit too open-ended for my liking. Just how immediate or trivial are we talking as far as regretful actions go? For instance, I regret publishing most of my posts so quickly due to the grammatical mistakes I always seem to make when I don't properly proofread, or just eating a little bit of the Lindt chocolate bunny just then.

Anyway, since I dislike going into too personal subject matters that border on being deep and meaningful on a blog, I'll keep this list neat and tidy:

1. I wish I hadn't been so sedentary in year 10. All I seem to remember from that year (apart from the ridiculously hilarious feuding) was just eating and sitting (a glorious but disastrous existence). I don't think I even did any sport except for softball in first term (and let's face it, it's not the most active sport out there). I'm convinced that I'm still attempting to burn away the calories some 4 years later. Oh Karma, how you bite so deeply.

2. I wish I'd never lost my original Nokia 3315 back in year 8. If there was ever a time when a small action had long-lasting and scarring repercussions this would be it. My fringe, the pride and joy of my year 8 self, was sheared away by my raging mother. Hell hath no fury like a mother angered. And so I was subjected to a hairstyle that was probably as close as I'll ever get to having a mullet and being 'masculine' (courtesy of J). When there had been some re-growth, I was upgraded from Asian bogan to a hardcore fan of the Sandy character from the Monkey tv series with the similar hairstyle and all:



3. I wish I hadn't decided to wash my white Converse sneakers. I think I have a complex about white articles of clothing. I know the upkeep of white clothing is a lot of work and the odd stain does occur here and there at times, but those factors still don't stop me from almost pedantically checking on how white my white items are. So I finally decided to give my white Converse sneakers a well-needed clean to relieve them of the term's dirt and dust. Instead of being restored to their former pearly glory, my Converses seem to look as if they've become sweat-stained. I mean, I wouldn't have minded it so much if the whole shoe had taken on that (particularly unpleasant) tinge. At least it may have appeared as if I had a really bad taste in sneaker colours. But no, now it just seems I have an excessively bad sweaty feet problem that seemingly affects my left foot than the other. To this day, I have no reasonable explanation behind my shoes' metamorphoses. Another mystery of life perhaps. >_>

4. I wish I didn't burn bridges so easily. 1 and a bit years later and I'm regretting having burnt bridges with certain people. It was such a pointless exercise. I can't even keep tabs on them directly. Like really, Facebook isn't even a viable medium! But stalking aside, I do I wish I hadn't so easily finished things on a sour note. A costs vs. benefits analysis would've probably told me that but apologies, I was never very good at Economics.

5. I wish I hadn't noticed how much i moult. Out of sight, out of mind right? Compounded by my dad going through a hair-loss phase, I have this fear that I'll end up hairless by the time I'm in my thirties. And to be honest, I don't really want to look as ridiculous as Shane Warne does:




(Courtesy of The Telegraph)

6. I wish I hadn't been so much of a lemming. When I was in my early teens, I felt that a good proportion of my time was spent on worrying about not fitting into whatever the mould was at the time. Even now I'll admit that I can be the hypocritical lemming and still run off whatever cliff everyone's heading towards, but I certainly feel that I've found my own groove since then. It's been a working a progress and I'm still trying to find the niche that's me in and amongst the ephemeral fashion styles and the popular trends (think Asian peace symbol). Cool beans? Cool beans.

Day 4

Seven things that cross your mind a lot

- "Why do my eyes feel so uncomfortable at the moment?" This thought has crossed my mind a lot the past two weeks. I attribute the question to the state of my eyelids. Instead of being single-lidded as per normal, they've tended to become double-lidded when I wake up. I'm not sure why. If I did, I would be patenting it and hawking it off to my fellow Koreans (who'd want plastic surgery anyway?). The mullah would be mine.

But no, the mystery behind the sudden double factor goes unresolved. So I'm left with wondering at odd and random times why my eyes feel so strange and double-lidded. I don't think they even make my eyes appear bigger. What a lose-lose situation.

- "I wish everyone could just start dancing right now." Yes, I wish God (was) a DJ and Life (was) a dance floor (courtesy of Pink). Things would be so much simpler. I sometimes hope that Hugh Jackman would just come along and pluck a Lipton Ice Tea out of nowhere and start dancing. I'd be right there, busting out all the moves. :D

-"Oh well, that's awkward." Such a thought is usually accompanied by the following signs:

a) A lone brow being raised precariously close to the hairline

b) A side-long glance directed at any individual in close radius who may also just be carrying out the same action

c) A slightly uncomfortable impression that gives off an amalgam of emotions such as concern, bewilderment and embarrassment for the awkward party

d) A nervous laugh

I leave out the Awkward Turtle because it's so overt. I heard that it's supposed to disperse any awkward tension in the air but I'm convinced that this is a fake claim! As someone once pointed out, an Awkward Turtle just confirms that a situation, which may have just passed under everyone's awkward-radar, is well and truly awkward. But I do understand the undeniable urge to bring it out every so often. How else would our thumbs be given such a strenuous workout?

-"I hope it doesn't rain." It's funny how in summer I always wish that it would rain so that I'd have a legitimate reason to sing 'Summer Rain'. And then, as soon as the seasons change to winter, I'm always hoping that we could have a relatively dry winter so that I didn't have to worry about splashing or squelching flats. I mean sure, it's a purely selfish thought that doesn't take into account the drought situation but let's not kid ourselves here. We're still not taking the earth-friendly three-minute showers, are we? (If you are, kudos!)

-"I like what he/she's wearing!" For mere mortals like myself, fashion doesn't start from Vogue or the runways. The stuff's either too perfect or too outlandish – ideal qualities for eye-candy. It's when you start to see that girl in your seminar class wear a particular item and admire how well it suits when the object of your appraisal becomes slowly integrated into the category of 'fashionable' wear. Some may derogatorily call it being the ultimate trend-follower but I maintain that I don't sink to the level of an avid Cotton On/Supre shopper. Because after all, that would just make me an ordinary lemming who loves super-tight tights. Ew.

-"Oh dear. I'm procrastinating again." Pretty sure this particular notion needs no further explanation. Any further writing would probably just prolong the irony of procrastination.

-"I <3 Titan."

(I have a vision of the future: Forget about crazy cat lady. Boxer-lovin' spinsters will be everywhere. Coming soon in about 30 years time to a neighbourhood near you.)

Day 3

It pains me to admit it but my life until now has been devoid of romance. Perhaps that's why I have to live vicariously through fictional characters' like/love/lust experiences. So for me, the thought of liking/loving/lusting after someone has always been a vague concept. I suppose it's like someone who's never eaten pork pondering about the taste of pork. Then again, it's not as if one who's never eaten pork has never seen a pig. 

If I haven't lost you yet, to extrapolate the analogy back to the present topic, I'd say that even if I haven't experienced any of those l-words, I can certainly imagine what it would take to have those experiences. 

And so, I come to address Day 3's topic:

Eight ways to win your heart

1. Don't be a radical. Radicals... worry me. Being too far on either side of the spectrum is just overwhelming. It's all about flexibility, see? And if it's true about what 'they' say about everything coming down to money, religion and politics, I think I'd eventually start to argue with a person too stuck in one camp. I identify myself as a conservative-progressive, a Bhuddist-Christian, a stingy-mass-consumerist and the list goes on. As society progresses, it's imperative that views change.

2. To offset all that deep and meaningful mumbo-jumbo, here's a rather shallow requirement: Be fit. Before this year, I would've said that any body type would've been fine with me (even a little pudginess would've been okay!) but now... I'm more picky. It might be because the guys at college are fitness-obsessed but I've come to appreciate a fit body. 'Appreciate' in the sense that I enjoy how I can exercise with a fit guy, not 'appreciate' as in 'Helloooo eye candy!'. 

3. Be a conversationalist! Awkward moments should be avoided at all costs! There's a particular guy that I know of. For now, we'll call him J. Whenever J and I see each other, we're obliged to start a conversation since we're Facebook friends, have quite a few mutual friends, see each other outside of uni times etc. And so the transcript of a typical conversation between us would be as such: 

"Hey J."

"Hey K."

"So how's uni treating you?"

"Yeah it's fine. How about you?"

"Yes, it's pretty good."

"Cool."

"Yeah."

"..."

"..."

Don't even try denying you haven't had those sort of conversations that don't break past the safe topic of polite niceties (Ah! So many negatives in that sentence!). But on the off-chance that you haven't... leave a comment and we'll start from there... ;) 

...-cough-

But no seriously, I think it's important that the barrier of politeness is broken and a level of easiness is reached where absolutely anything can be breached and nothing (much) will be taboo. 

4. Be proactive please. To the man who'll be the object of my l-words (I'm still holding out that it'll happen soon. Maybe. Well soon-ish.), please show some interest in me. Don't be all cagey about how you feel. It's not as if I'm expecting a big ol' flag being waved in my face but being proactive on your part is certainly a nice indicator of something happening. 

5. BE MANLY! I find it attractive when I'm with someone who doesn't make me wonder why I'm re-living my high school days again. Don't get me wrong, a feminine touch does make the world go round (Feminists unite!) but there are certainly times when I'm thankful for the diversity that the opposite sex brings. So no half-hearted attempts there thanks. 

6. Be smiley. :D I like smiles. 

7. Be a practical romantic. I don't expect anyone to be writing sappy love poems or serenading me outside my window (that's just uber embarrassing). I'll be secretly delighted if there are thoughtful romantic touches made here and there, like waiting for me if I'm late. It's the small things that make me swoon. 

8. Finally, have a deep character. I'd like a person who was insightful enough to offer a fresh perspective on matters and didn't float around in the shallows. Otherwise, I might just start to think that nothing else but physical attraction was holding us together. And that would just be.. carnal lust I guess? Rowr! 

Anyway, a shout-out to Viv who invited me to High-Tea at the Hotel Windsor. Thanks, it was full of gastronomical pleasures and great conversation! :)