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About Me. Add to the Picture. 2011 Objectives. My Present List. Fine Dining . My Walls ice cream list
Strings and Flowers
older, wiser, more rubbishy than ever!
20 May 2015 @ 01:02 am
About Me. Add to the Picture. 2011 Objectives. My Present List. Fine Dining . My Walls ice cream list
01 May 2012 @ 05:17 pm
It was Perth's largest lindy exchange and it was awesome for a variety of reasons. I'm not going to talk about the amazing parties (both organised and spontaneous), the live music (both paid and unpaid), or how, after one of year hanging around, I began to know the dancers of Australia to a satisfying extent.
I'm going to document how i think that i have improved in my dancing and what i now desire in Swing.
1) You get what you give
This applies both to dancing and being a local in an international swing event. Last year, we were living Perth but did the minimal for the Hullabaloo festival. We attended all the classes and the balls, but skipped the after parties, the socialising and the hosting. As a result we had a very run of the mill experience. It was understandable. Barely a few months in country, we were grappling with a multitude of other issues. This time, i went all out. I hosted 3 amazing girls, followed them around and attended EVERYTHING. I gave so much and i got a lot more in return.
It is easy to lapse into a boring routine and only doing the minimal, but Sinclair said something that stuck with me: "You never see a jazz musician play the same solo twice, why do you want to to dance in the same style again and again?". Whenever i find myself in a dance, I try to create. I try to vary and i try to challenge. I can tap my feet to to another rhythm and i can add in different footwork in every spare second i've got. I can "play with myself" (another Sinclair quote) and i can give as much as i want that will satisfy me (no matter who the lead is). Which leads me to...
2) A prefer a light lead
I've been telling people this philosophy over the weekend. I do not want to be caged into my lead's desires. Every spare second does not need to spent physically preparing for another violent, fancy move. Sometimes, doing nothing for a while allows you to connect emotionally with your partner and also the scope to tap. I like to tap. I danced with a beginner and he was desperate, holding on to me- with thumbs! - for dear life, like he would fall over if he let go. I also danced with a beginner who, in a similar vein, didn't know what the hell he was doing but i loved it because he was light enough for me to do my own thing while he tried hard not to fall over his own feet. And when he wasn't off balance, we played. I like to play. which leads us to...
4) Hey fella, i don't care who you are. I want to dance with YOU.
If i ask you to dance (and let's face it, no-one asks me to dance because of the lead/follow ratio), i want to know you. And that means i don't care what your skill level is. If you give me a light lead then it's better. I don't need a Michelin star meal every day. Sometimes i like Marmite on toast and i love all my meals. I hope you want to dance with me too, instead of a robotic dance machine who executes moves.
5) I've learnt to be a lighter follow
This is a work in progress. I've been a heavy follow since forever. Steven yelled at me for most classes in the last 12 months telling me to relax and to stop tensing up. I didn't understand what he meant. And then at this event, i learnt how to relax. I cannot explain it, except that since it took me 3 years to find where my hips were, i guess i am a slow learner. Being a light follow meant that i could dance faster, and i have never been able to dance fast. In addition, i didn't need to rely on my own cardio or physical prowess to dance fast. I think it was all about technique and relaxation.
6) Bouncing is paramount
Sophie had been telling me to bounce more since day one, and so have all the teachers in the hundreds of classes that i had attended. BOUNCE!!!
I didn't know how to bounce consistently until this camp. Well. i guess i had flashes of brilliance on and off over the years. This time, i bounced more than ever before. It was awesome. I danced with the bass player who was a beginner, and he could bounce extremely well. He kept the time - of course he did - and he gave me a light lead. It was as good as any dance that i've had, or even better.
Somehow, all these 6 point mashed up together in some magic soup and i had the best swing camp ever. In Herrang, I had great dance nights and miserable dance nights. At this camp, it was all good. I think it's because of my own personal journey and improvement in my dance self esteem that helped.
Give of yourself, employ a light lead, bounce when you can, and enjoy all your connections.
Oh yes, i forgot:
7) Painkillers work. They really do! Ibuprofen was my saviour in this camp. I used it for skiing to make the pain stop and it was only this year<\b> that i learnt that they work for painful feet. I guess the girls in Scotland were correct when they wore painful heels and just popped a few tablets of painkillers to dull the aches.
I'm going to document how i think that i have improved in my dancing and what i now desire in Swing.
1) You get what you give
This applies both to dancing and being a local in an international swing event. Last year, we were living Perth but did the minimal for the Hullabaloo festival. We attended all the classes and the balls, but skipped the after parties, the socialising and the hosting. As a result we had a very run of the mill experience. It was understandable. Barely a few months in country, we were grappling with a multitude of other issues. This time, i went all out. I hosted 3 amazing girls, followed them around and attended EVERYTHING. I gave so much and i got a lot more in return.
It is easy to lapse into a boring routine and only doing the minimal, but Sinclair said something that stuck with me: "You never see a jazz musician play the same solo twice, why do you want to to dance in the same style again and again?". Whenever i find myself in a dance, I try to create. I try to vary and i try to challenge. I can tap my feet to to another rhythm and i can add in different footwork in every spare second i've got. I can "play with myself" (another Sinclair quote) and i can give as much as i want that will satisfy me (no matter who the lead is). Which leads me to...
2) A prefer a light lead
I've been telling people this philosophy over the weekend. I do not want to be caged into my lead's desires. Every spare second does not need to spent physically preparing for another violent, fancy move. Sometimes, doing nothing for a while allows you to connect emotionally with your partner and also the scope to tap. I like to tap. I danced with a beginner and he was desperate, holding on to me- with thumbs! - for dear life, like he would fall over if he let go. I also danced with a beginner who, in a similar vein, didn't know what the hell he was doing but i loved it because he was light enough for me to do my own thing while he tried hard not to fall over his own feet. And when he wasn't off balance, we played. I like to play. which leads us to...
4) Hey fella, i don't care who you are. I want to dance with YOU.
If i ask you to dance (and let's face it, no-one asks me to dance because of the lead/follow ratio), i want to know you. And that means i don't care what your skill level is. If you give me a light lead then it's better. I don't need a Michelin star meal every day. Sometimes i like Marmite on toast and i love all my meals. I hope you want to dance with me too, instead of a robotic dance machine who executes moves.
5) I've learnt to be a lighter follow
This is a work in progress. I've been a heavy follow since forever. Steven yelled at me for most classes in the last 12 months telling me to relax and to stop tensing up. I didn't understand what he meant. And then at this event, i learnt how to relax. I cannot explain it, except that since it took me 3 years to find where my hips were, i guess i am a slow learner. Being a light follow meant that i could dance faster, and i have never been able to dance fast. In addition, i didn't need to rely on my own cardio or physical prowess to dance fast. I think it was all about technique and relaxation.
6) Bouncing is paramount
Sophie had been telling me to bounce more since day one, and so have all the teachers in the hundreds of classes that i had attended. BOUNCE!!!
I didn't know how to bounce consistently until this camp. Well. i guess i had flashes of brilliance on and off over the years. This time, i bounced more than ever before. It was awesome. I danced with the bass player who was a beginner, and he could bounce extremely well. He kept the time - of course he did - and he gave me a light lead. It was as good as any dance that i've had, or even better.
Somehow, all these 6 point mashed up together in some magic soup and i had the best swing camp ever. In Herrang, I had great dance nights and miserable dance nights. At this camp, it was all good. I think it's because of my own personal journey and improvement in my dance self esteem that helped.
Give of yourself, employ a light lead, bounce when you can, and enjoy all your connections.
Oh yes, i forgot:
7) Painkillers work. They really do! Ibuprofen was my saviour in this camp. I used it for skiing to make the pain stop and it was only this year<\b> that i learnt that they work for painful feet. I guess the girls in Scotland were correct when they wore painful heels and just popped a few tablets of painkillers to dull the aches.
11 March 2012 @ 10:26 pm
Happiness kinda just sneaks up on you. A while ago i was content with snatches of happiness, but now, it's back. Fleeting instances are lasting longer, and i am happy.
We spent a weekend in the a bush camp and it was a great chance to reconnect with nature, what the best part of the bush meant, and with myself. I know it sounds new-agey and crap but i had the opportunity to be myself in the presence of strangers (or newly made acquaintances) and be happy with myself. Happy with what i am, who i am and why. It's been a long time that i didn't need to censor myself with the fear of being misunderstood and hated. In the words of my dearest friends - i showed my vanilla coated chocolate peanut goodness and it was accepted. My preconceptions of social etiquette in this country were not valid over the weekend. Now, it could be that all the folks that i connected with were not from Perth, so that helped a big deal, given that my previous negative experiences were with Perthians and i was subject to that particular, special brand of female cliquely, judgemental behaviour*. Or maybe not. In any case, i did not hate myself anymore.
Happiness, for me, has alot to do with dance. It is not just dancing, feeling and connecting with another human for 2 minutes, in a tiny 2 minute love story, it was connecting with myself and being happy with my own movement in response to my partner's that even if it wasn't perfect, i was pleased with it and my partner, sensing my happiness, was pleased with it too.
You can only love others if you love yourself.
Maybe, i was just drunk, and euphoric with all the chemicals. Or maybe, finally, I have finally settled into this new land, and carved out a little piece of it for me, and I am happy here. It's been a long time coming.
*sorry if you are a female Perthain and are offended. I'm sure there are exceptions and if you were my friend you would already been made aware of the specific experiences that i've been subjected to.
We spent a weekend in the a bush camp and it was a great chance to reconnect with nature, what the best part of the bush meant, and with myself. I know it sounds new-agey and crap but i had the opportunity to be myself in the presence of strangers (or newly made acquaintances) and be happy with myself. Happy with what i am, who i am and why. It's been a long time that i didn't need to censor myself with the fear of being misunderstood and hated. In the words of my dearest friends - i showed my vanilla coated chocolate peanut goodness and it was accepted. My preconceptions of social etiquette in this country were not valid over the weekend. Now, it could be that all the folks that i connected with were not from Perth, so that helped a big deal, given that my previous negative experiences were with Perthians and i was subject to that particular, special brand of female cliquely, judgemental behaviour*. Or maybe not. In any case, i did not hate myself anymore.
Happiness, for me, has alot to do with dance. It is not just dancing, feeling and connecting with another human for 2 minutes, in a tiny 2 minute love story, it was connecting with myself and being happy with my own movement in response to my partner's that even if it wasn't perfect, i was pleased with it and my partner, sensing my happiness, was pleased with it too.
You can only love others if you love yourself.
Maybe, i was just drunk, and euphoric with all the chemicals. Or maybe, finally, I have finally settled into this new land, and carved out a little piece of it for me, and I am happy here. It's been a long time coming.
*sorry if you are a female Perthain and are offended. I'm sure there are exceptions and if you were my friend you would already been made aware of the specific experiences that i've been subjected to.
08 March 2012 @ 03:24 pm
http://kony2012.s3-website-us-east-1.am
Obviously i watched the Kony 2012 film, and i was surprised as well about how i continued watching it for 27minutes, instead of switching it off. Why did Jason Russell's film go viral?
Here were my initial thoughts as i was watching it:
- The film maker is cute, and he's got a cute family. He films his life in an aspirational style and portrays himself as a cool young hipster. Like we watch celebs on tv, we want to know what he says next and we want to be him.
- He explains difficult concepts very very simply. He treats us like children. He removes complexity and states a BLACK and WHITE explanation. No grey. Africa is complicated, but Americans don't know that, so he doesn't really delve into the details.
- He uses children to explain injustice. He uses his own child and he uses pictures of Ugandan children as well. Like motherhood and apple pie, saving the children is a no brainer! Michael Jackson didn't thank his parents or his record company, he thanked the children and the children's children!
- He harnesses the raw emotion that the child within us has too. This film is about connecting with emotions and not the brainy part of us. Like a cult leader, he has total mass appeal.
- He treats the film like a Dan Brown movie. There is always a page turner. He hints at the solution and he hints about what he is going to tell us next. We can't help but want to find out.
- He is positive. He treats the film like a shit sandwhich, or a romcom. Good cute stuff at the front, bad stuff in the middle, and hope and positivity at the finish. We lap it up!
- He uses celebrity- if Rihanna is supporting it, of course we are.
- His film making skills are VERY GOOD. I was impressed that he turns a normal picutre into a 3D still - like in the Matrix film. But these cool effects suck the people in, and make it viral. The production quality of the film is very slick and shiny and it's just nice to watch. It's not cheap, and obviously, Invisible Children needs to spend money on such shiny showmanship. That's the only way to go viral. Who wants a film that looks and feels gritty and depressing like Hotel Rwanda?
- What he wants us to do is totally in sync with what we, as lazy people, want to do. Just click. No need to stress about volunteering in Africa, just share the link. It's easy, and we can feel a part of it. There is also a thrill when we click on the celebrity images and send them little emails asking them to listen. Live Aid also gave us what we wanted - a free concert! Of course we would support the cause!
- If there is any direct action, it's the fun type that young hipsters want to do! 'Cover the night' is like when the Knitting guerillas roamed the cities at night and gave scarves to statues and knitted covers for lamp posts. It's fun, exciting, not really dangerous but feels like a rebellious activity (like getting a tattoo).
- He is young, and we are impressed about his youth and we support him because we didn't do nothing when we were his age.
- It's ok to spend money and donate to get rid of Joseph Kony. I mean, we spent billions bailing out banks so what's the big deal about messaging celebs and donating a few dollars a month?
- Oh yes, and Joseph Kony is a bad man. It might be complicated, it might be that he was abused when he was a child, but i wouldn't mind if they caught him. They caught Saddam and Osama as well, and i'm sure that they all had interesting human stories that we will never hear.
So i guess invisible children exploded on to the scene within a day with amazing PR and media savvy- a lot like lady gaga with her 'who is lady gaga?' campaign following the release of her first single. Like ms gaga, many of us will hate her but he will accumulate a huge following in the impressionable youth. But he wouldn't have achieved his goal- he would have made kong famous.
Let's give him a break and support him. We've killed a lot more people for less.
14 February 2012 @ 06:19 pm
Dare i say it?
I like Valentine's day! No. I LOVE Valentine's Day!!!
I love the way the entire commercial world tries to cater for 'romantic' dates. I love the way flowers are everywhere. I love the fact that the Subi market Flower shop is open for this day only! I like watching boys struggling with big bouquets on the street.
I like asking and nudging my single friends whether they've got dates or not, and what they've got planned.
This is a day of celebration, and i love it!
I don't care about commercialism. I don't care that companies are trying to cash in. I celebrate Christmas even though companies try to cash in, don't i? I got married in a hotel and they cashed in on me, didn't they? I send my mummy cards and flowers on Mothers' day, don't i? You don't see me telling my mother 'i'll buy you flowers after Mothers' day because it's too expensive on the day itself'. I don't see any moral incongruity by allowing the economy to benefit from this wonderful day.
It's fun! I get to dress up and i get to make Pman organise something special! And it'll be a surprise! Hurray!!
Some people say that 'everyday is Valentine's day in my house'. What bollocks. Would you eat and drink yourself silly and then attempt to have drunken sex everyday? HA HA HA! I certainly would not be writing romantic cards to my husband everyday nor expect him to spend frivolous amounts of cash on me. Nope. This is the exception, not the rule. In addition, having the entire commercial world demand that men put in the effort gives my husband (who, face it, is an engineer) something to aim for. He doesn't need to wrack his brains about when he needs to organise something special. The world tells him that TODAY IS THE DAY YOU DO IT. Birthdays, wedding anniversaries and Christmas are all targets that all men can hit. Win, win, win, win.
Ok, now to pretty myself up....
I like Valentine's day! No. I LOVE Valentine's Day!!!
I love the way the entire commercial world tries to cater for 'romantic' dates. I love the way flowers are everywhere. I love the fact that the Subi market Flower shop is open for this day only! I like watching boys struggling with big bouquets on the street.
I like asking and nudging my single friends whether they've got dates or not, and what they've got planned.
This is a day of celebration, and i love it!
I don't care about commercialism. I don't care that companies are trying to cash in. I celebrate Christmas even though companies try to cash in, don't i? I got married in a hotel and they cashed in on me, didn't they? I send my mummy cards and flowers on Mothers' day, don't i? You don't see me telling my mother 'i'll buy you flowers after Mothers' day because it's too expensive on the day itself'. I don't see any moral incongruity by allowing the economy to benefit from this wonderful day.
It's fun! I get to dress up and i get to make Pman organise something special! And it'll be a surprise! Hurray!!
Some people say that 'everyday is Valentine's day in my house'. What bollocks. Would you eat and drink yourself silly and then attempt to have drunken sex everyday? HA HA HA! I certainly would not be writing romantic cards to my husband everyday nor expect him to spend frivolous amounts of cash on me. Nope. This is the exception, not the rule. In addition, having the entire commercial world demand that men put in the effort gives my husband (who, face it, is an engineer) something to aim for. He doesn't need to wrack his brains about when he needs to organise something special. The world tells him that TODAY IS THE DAY YOU DO IT. Birthdays, wedding anniversaries and Christmas are all targets that all men can hit. Win, win, win, win.
Ok, now to pretty myself up....
31 December 2011 @ 10:21 am
'What are you doing for new year's eve?'
'I dunno, there are 6 parties that i could go to, so i can't decide'.
'Oh.'
That, my friends, is the problem with new year's eve. Everyone is throwing a party, so you don't dare throw one, just in case no one turns up. There is also the disbelief that they would spend new year's with you when they aren't your bestest friends in the whole world. There are always other options on the table, or so you think.
So you scramble around for invites to those legendary 6 parties, thinking that one of your friends must be throwing one, except that they aren't, because they are just like you and don't dare throw a party and think that you won't turn up because you aren't their best friend and have 6 other parties to attend.
I still can't bring myself to pay for a new year's party that someone else organises. I refuse to schtump up $250 for a fancy dress ball or a James Bond themed party or anything else like that. Why? Because i know that there is a 1% chance of meeting my friends if i held out and waited for a last minute party invitation VS a 0% chance of meeting anyone at a random expensive party thrown by strangers.
That is why all is quiet and so many of us hang out by ourselves, going to bed early and wishing that the blasted night is over. It's such a let down because everyone thinks that everyone else is having a great time but they are just like you - thinking that the grass is always greener at another party and wishing they were somewhere else.
This is not the case if you are with your old friends in the same city and can party together. I haven't been in that situation since... (let me check my blog history) Dec 2007 in Kerala! However, Pman wasn't there so it was a little bit sad, especially since there were frogs in my bathroom and my friends laughed at me for like 13 minutes before getting rid of them :(.
And the last time i celebrated New year's with a boyfriend AND best friends was in 2005 (and i didn't even like the boyfriend then. gah).
On 31st Dec 2010 i was in a little country pub in Ireland with Pman's parents: husband + no best friends. Boo!
Anyway, tonight i'm going to throw a party! But wait- It's a different kind of party. It's for people who said that they were not going to any party for New Year's and if we didn't organise anything, they would go to bed early. I.e - it's going to be a party for people like me.
See you guys soon!!
xxx
D
'I dunno, there are 6 parties that i could go to, so i can't decide'.
'Oh.'
That, my friends, is the problem with new year's eve. Everyone is throwing a party, so you don't dare throw one, just in case no one turns up. There is also the disbelief that they would spend new year's with you when they aren't your bestest friends in the whole world. There are always other options on the table, or so you think.
So you scramble around for invites to those legendary 6 parties, thinking that one of your friends must be throwing one, except that they aren't, because they are just like you and don't dare throw a party and think that you won't turn up because you aren't their best friend and have 6 other parties to attend.
I still can't bring myself to pay for a new year's party that someone else organises. I refuse to schtump up $250 for a fancy dress ball or a James Bond themed party or anything else like that. Why? Because i know that there is a 1% chance of meeting my friends if i held out and waited for a last minute party invitation VS a 0% chance of meeting anyone at a random expensive party thrown by strangers.
That is why all is quiet and so many of us hang out by ourselves, going to bed early and wishing that the blasted night is over. It's such a let down because everyone thinks that everyone else is having a great time but they are just like you - thinking that the grass is always greener at another party and wishing they were somewhere else.
This is not the case if you are with your old friends in the same city and can party together. I haven't been in that situation since... (let me check my blog history) Dec 2007 in Kerala! However, Pman wasn't there so it was a little bit sad, especially since there were frogs in my bathroom and my friends laughed at me for like 13 minutes before getting rid of them :(.
And the last time i celebrated New year's with a boyfriend AND best friends was in 2005 (and i didn't even like the boyfriend then. gah).
On 31st Dec 2010 i was in a little country pub in Ireland with Pman's parents: husband + no best friends. Boo!
Anyway, tonight i'm going to throw a party! But wait- It's a different kind of party. It's for people who said that they were not going to any party for New Year's and if we didn't organise anything, they would go to bed early. I.e - it's going to be a party for people like me.
See you guys soon!!
xxx
D
21 November 2011 @ 11:44 am
I'm flying this week and I am trying very hard not to buy anything. Even though the shopping ban is over, I can't bring myself to buy any clothes or to go anywhere for an opportunistic shop. I have, however, scheduled a proper shopping session with my friend and stylist to help me get a new wardrobe, since i threw about 2/3 of my wardrobe away upon coming to Perth.
The only way to fight against the spending bug (in the Singapore airport, no less) is to run to the airline lounge and gorge on free wifi/food/vodka sodas instead.
I picked up a girly magazine (Harpers Bazzaar/Harper's Bizarre? hahahaha) and something fell out of it.
In Hello or OK magazine, the little mini magazine that lives inside the main magazine is usually a 'Red circle of shame!' pull out or a 'Celebrities get fat!' section. This one, however, was 'Harpers Kids'.
OMG. It was an abomination. The first article mentioned that Linda Evangelista requested for a large alimony cheque from her baby daddy, and then proceeded to give no opinion whatsoever. Then i was assaulted by various paedophilic images - little babies dressed up in grown up clothes, wearing pearls, tiny skirts, and little boys wearing MACS. Why would a little 4 year old boy wear a red patent trench coat? There were ads for Gucci kids that made me yelp in my seat. Serious, frowning models of 4 -5 years of age, trying to pout. I wanted to cry.
I don't know what to say, but i know it's wrong. Let me try to articulate my anger. I like having money, and i like lovely things. But i work for my salary and i save up for my little pretty things. These kids have not worked for anything. They don't have any choice and are trained to be slaves of mainstream fashion, and their parents are splurging thousands of dollars on clothes that they can wear for about 6 months before they grow out of it. I do not mind buying pretty designer gifts once in a while for my friends' kids to show my love for my FRIENDS, but Harpers Bazaar Kids is aimed towards parents who only dress their children in such poncey togs and are espousing a certain lifestyle for the children that i abhor.
The point about childhood is that you can trash your clothes and roll in the mud and not be dainty at all. Those bloody designer babies' clothes are dry clean only. Gaah! Why on earth would a baby want to wear designer clothes when their childish bodies look cute even if they are naked or are wearing rags?! That is the point of being young! You look good with a sack on! These baby clothes are also smaller versions of adult clothes. WHY??!! Children are meant to wear kiddy clothes that make them look like children! Stop trying to sexualise them before they even understand what sex is! (or do they?) And why are those stupid gucci babies wearing MAKEUP?!?! At 5 years old??!!! The ads are ridiculous and puke worthy. Go look at them for yourself. I can't imagine how terrible it would be for children to be brought up as slaves to fashion, to see their childhood, which is all about being silly, be taken away from them in the name of 'cool adult style'. Life is hard enough as a youngster without being judged by other silly rich kids who make fun of you for not carrying the latest Chloe rucksack to school (??).
For the record, I chose when I wanted to be vain, and I chose when to start wearing makeup and when to invest my salary in designer stuff (in my late twenties, thank you). Before i made my choice, i was a rubbishy, silly, fun loving kid and our little group of friends was having too much fun to worry about designer clothes and slimming pills (yes. Those types of rich kids existed in the 90s too). These children, as I ranted before, have no choice and are lost to us normal people already.
'Shut up', those designer wannabe nouveau riche mummies would tell me as they roll their beautiful made up eyes - 'we, as mothers, have a choice and we are rolling in money and we want to dress our kids up in designer wear and read little designer magazines to help us consume more to show the world how shallow we are.'
Yes, you have a choice, and your choice sucks. Your children are going to grow up bratty, spoilt, and will never fit into society. You might not want them to fit into normal society, i suppose. You want them to galavant in Nice and Monte Carlo and the MBS (or whatever is cool and happening in 10 years time - Syria?). Good for you. You do understand that at best they will be they will be anorexic, rude and depressed after they realise that money and looks will never buy them happiness right? At worst, they will be depressed, anorexic and die of a drug overdose, right after they realise that money and looks will never buy them happiness.
The only way to fight against the spending bug (in the Singapore airport, no less) is to run to the airline lounge and gorge on free wifi/food/vodka sodas instead.
I picked up a girly magazine (Harpers Bazzaar/Harper's Bizarre? hahahaha) and something fell out of it.
In Hello or OK magazine, the little mini magazine that lives inside the main magazine is usually a 'Red circle of shame!' pull out or a 'Celebrities get fat!' section. This one, however, was 'Harpers Kids'.
OMG. It was an abomination. The first article mentioned that Linda Evangelista requested for a large alimony cheque from her baby daddy, and then proceeded to give no opinion whatsoever. Then i was assaulted by various paedophilic images - little babies dressed up in grown up clothes, wearing pearls, tiny skirts, and little boys wearing MACS. Why would a little 4 year old boy wear a red patent trench coat? There were ads for Gucci kids that made me yelp in my seat. Serious, frowning models of 4 -5 years of age, trying to pout. I wanted to cry.
I don't know what to say, but i know it's wrong. Let me try to articulate my anger. I like having money, and i like lovely things. But i work for my salary and i save up for my little pretty things. These kids have not worked for anything. They don't have any choice and are trained to be slaves of mainstream fashion, and their parents are splurging thousands of dollars on clothes that they can wear for about 6 months before they grow out of it. I do not mind buying pretty designer gifts once in a while for my friends' kids to show my love for my FRIENDS, but Harpers Bazaar Kids is aimed towards parents who only dress their children in such poncey togs and are espousing a certain lifestyle for the children that i abhor.
The point about childhood is that you can trash your clothes and roll in the mud and not be dainty at all. Those bloody designer babies' clothes are dry clean only. Gaah! Why on earth would a baby want to wear designer clothes when their childish bodies look cute even if they are naked or are wearing rags?! That is the point of being young! You look good with a sack on! These baby clothes are also smaller versions of adult clothes. WHY??!! Children are meant to wear kiddy clothes that make them look like children! Stop trying to sexualise them before they even understand what sex is! (or do they?) And why are those stupid gucci babies wearing MAKEUP?!?! At 5 years old??!!! The ads are ridiculous and puke worthy. Go look at them for yourself. I can't imagine how terrible it would be for children to be brought up as slaves to fashion, to see their childhood, which is all about being silly, be taken away from them in the name of 'cool adult style'. Life is hard enough as a youngster without being judged by other silly rich kids who make fun of you for not carrying the latest Chloe rucksack to school (??).
For the record, I chose when I wanted to be vain, and I chose when to start wearing makeup and when to invest my salary in designer stuff (in my late twenties, thank you). Before i made my choice, i was a rubbishy, silly, fun loving kid and our little group of friends was having too much fun to worry about designer clothes and slimming pills (yes. Those types of rich kids existed in the 90s too). These children, as I ranted before, have no choice and are lost to us normal people already.
'Shut up', those designer wannabe nouveau riche mummies would tell me as they roll their beautiful made up eyes - 'we, as mothers, have a choice and we are rolling in money and we want to dress our kids up in designer wear and read little designer magazines to help us consume more to show the world how shallow we are.'
Yes, you have a choice, and your choice sucks. Your children are going to grow up bratty, spoilt, and will never fit into society. You might not want them to fit into normal society, i suppose. You want them to galavant in Nice and Monte Carlo and the MBS (or whatever is cool and happening in 10 years time - Syria?). Good for you. You do understand that at best they will be they will be anorexic, rude and depressed after they realise that money and looks will never buy them happiness right? At worst, they will be depressed, anorexic and die of a drug overdose, right after they realise that money and looks will never buy them happiness.
15 November 2011 @ 01:00 pm
It was bound to happen sometime, everyone complains about how Australians are racist, in particular, those from WA. This time, it was a young twenty something colleague of mine, who interrupted a conversation and announced - 'In Oz, they wouldn't rent to Asians because they cook and they leave the kitchens oily and disgusting'. After i told her it was probably illegal and unfair of landlords to do that, she said 'But they always cook oily food and never clean up'.
I commented that lots of Caucasians cook fish and chips and deep fry stuff as well but she said 'we don't do it at home and we always clean up'. She looked at me in that haughty steely way she usually does to everyone and then turned away.
W T F .
Is she saying that billions of Asians around the world don't clean up after the cook? Have they met any Asian mother? And what about health freaks like me who broil and steam? Doesn't she know that skinny Asians are skinny for a reason? Does she really think that all Asians are like that? Am i in the presence of an evil person? I really don't mind living in a country where I am treated better because of the colour of my skin (Scotland) and i'm ok with living in a country where i am just like everyone else and treated no better or worse (Hong Kong) - but to live in a place where even well educated locals looks upon people like me with scorn......
I commented that lots of Caucasians cook fish and chips and deep fry stuff as well but she said 'we don't do it at home and we always clean up'. She looked at me in that haughty steely way she usually does to everyone and then turned away.
W T F .
Is she saying that billions of Asians around the world don't clean up after the cook? Have they met any Asian mother? And what about health freaks like me who broil and steam? Doesn't she know that skinny Asians are skinny for a reason? Does she really think that all Asians are like that? Am i in the presence of an evil person? I really don't mind living in a country where I am treated better because of the colour of my skin (Scotland) and i'm ok with living in a country where i am just like everyone else and treated no better or worse (Hong Kong) - but to live in a place where even well educated locals looks upon people like me with scorn......
26 October 2011 @ 09:19 am
I first had Vegemite in 2004, where we were at a dance camp in the Welsh countryside. This lady from Australia brought it, and we were huddled in the castle kitchen, making toast. Everyone spread their toast thickly with butter, but she spread hers with Vegemite from a small tube she kept in her hip pocket.
After some begging, she let me have some, and it was.... well it wasn't Marmite. I didn't like it at all. It was more metallic and grainy. But i asked for another piece of toast because i wanted to get used to it. I accept tastes that i don't like and after eating enough of them, i always end up liking them anyway.
"Not too much!" my friend replied, "i can't get this in the UK and i don't want to waste it."
OOH! Vegemite was now a restricted commodity and i immediately wanted more!
Well, that was my reaction now, but back then, i employed the 'sour grapes' technique and mumbled that i didn't really like the taste anyway and i didn't want to waste her precious supply. HARRUMPH.
---
When i touched down in the land of Vegemite, i avoided it. It was everywhere, it wasn't special, and i missed Marmite dearly, since it was now the restricted commodity. However, this morning, i tried a bagel with Vegemite and butter. I usually have an egg roll (with tomato ketchup and it's not a roll, it's actually a sandwich) but after hearing the guy in front of me in the queue order a Vegemite bagel, i proceeded to order one too.
"Oh! YOU ordered this?" said the sandwich maker girl, who came out of the kitchen to deliver my breakfast. She usually made my regular egg roll and was also stunned at my change of breakfast choice (it seems that I am not the only one who is resistant to change in my own morning routine).
I'm pleased to report that the Vegemite bagel tastes just like Marmite, only saltier. I don't know what happened to my taste buds in the past 7 years but they seem to be very similar. I need to go home and perform some blind tastings.
After some begging, she let me have some, and it was.... well it wasn't Marmite. I didn't like it at all. It was more metallic and grainy. But i asked for another piece of toast because i wanted to get used to it. I accept tastes that i don't like and after eating enough of them, i always end up liking them anyway.
"Not too much!" my friend replied, "i can't get this in the UK and i don't want to waste it."
OOH! Vegemite was now a restricted commodity and i immediately wanted more!
Well, that was my reaction now, but back then, i employed the 'sour grapes' technique and mumbled that i didn't really like the taste anyway and i didn't want to waste her precious supply. HARRUMPH.
---
When i touched down in the land of Vegemite, i avoided it. It was everywhere, it wasn't special, and i missed Marmite dearly, since it was now the restricted commodity. However, this morning, i tried a bagel with Vegemite and butter. I usually have an egg roll (with tomato ketchup and it's not a roll, it's actually a sandwich) but after hearing the guy in front of me in the queue order a Vegemite bagel, i proceeded to order one too.
"Oh! YOU ordered this?" said the sandwich maker girl, who came out of the kitchen to deliver my breakfast. She usually made my regular egg roll and was also stunned at my change of breakfast choice (it seems that I am not the only one who is resistant to change in my own morning routine).
I'm pleased to report that the Vegemite bagel tastes just like Marmite, only saltier. I don't know what happened to my taste buds in the past 7 years but they seem to be very similar. I need to go home and perform some blind tastings.
22 October 2011 @ 09:59 pm
Any Singaporean knows that water is precious. 'LET'S NOT WASTE PRECIOUS WATER!' the numerous campaigns screamed at us from TV, radio, and posters in our school bathrooms. We were NOT to leave the taps running and were not allowed to leave the shower running while washing our hair. My chinese teacher (Mrs Su) told us that she used to clean her shower and bath with bleach, and then perform the final rinse of the bath during her own shower, hence maximising the use of her shower water.
I never forgot those water lessons.
When i moved to the UK, i was amazed at the profligate water wastage. People left taps running in public bathrooms (especially when drunk in the nightclubs). I pounced on the taps and turned them off in front of their noses! People left the taps running when shaving or brushing their teeth! They had sex in the shower! They were not even standing under the water! GAAH!!! The worst offence that even i was guilty of? The fact that i had to run my shower for 30 seconds before it warmed up enough for me to stand under it.
I continued my water saving ways but was a little bit more relaxed. In Scotland, we were drowning in water. The summer shortages in the south east were not relevant in Scotland. Scotland was the land of plenty and it provided water, oil, salmon and Aberdeen Angus beef to the starving southerners. The only environmental impact of wasting water up north was the power used to filter, pump and clean the water to potable quality (not insubstantial, I might add).
We're back to our water savings way now that we're in Australia. When we moved into our new place, there was no hot water. I had to boil a kettle full of water and fill a bucket, and then wash with it. A good shower required one bucket of water.
I realised how much water i wasted when the hot water came back and we had to run the shower for a while before it got hot. It took half a bucket of water to get hot. I collected the water and used it to water the plants. I did that for a while, until i consulted my colleagues about what they did with their buckets of water.
Yes my friends, Australians collect buckets of water in their showers. Lots of people do it. With water usage rates about $500 a quarter, who wouldn't want to save a couple hundred bucks by being water wise? Not only that, it's not embarrassing to be water conscious, and those who do NOT save water all feel guilty about it and say things like 'You're so good with the water! I should do that too!'
Most people i interviewed used their shower buckets to water their plants, however, another colleague uses his shower bucket to fill up the cisterns in the family toilet.
I have experimented with that idea. I turned off the tap of the loo and popped open the cistern. Very clean! Good!
Did you know that it takes a whole bucket of water to have a full flush! I'm shocked! That's a whole shower's worth of water to flush the loo. For all those houses without dual flush systems, it's a lot of water for nothing.
Now that i've got a new house, there is a chance to put in some water wise measures in. There are a few grey water systems that recycle your shower and laundry water in your loo and reticulation (read: garden sprinkler) system. To be honest, i don't want to put any shower or laundry water into my garden. I have evil chemicals in my hair and oxy action in my laundry. I'm happy about popping them into the loo though, but since we both work there isn't a lot of toilet flushing action in the household.
Rainwater collection, on the other hand, is a concept that sings and sings and sings. Rainwater is clean and yummy and not full of acid because we do not live in Europe. I want to collect rainwater and water my plants with it. I want to use rainwater to fill up my spa (once i build it). I want to remove the guilt that comes from growing a lawn in the desert.
That said, what on earth would i do with my shower bucket? Well - if i build my rainwater collection system correctly, i could fling my shower bucket onto the roof and it will flow into my rainwater collection butt. Or i could continue to fill up my toilet cistern with the shower water.
Decisions decisions.
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