Hopeful Extraordinaire

See ya

2010-04-24T17:02:00.000+10:00

I'm moving.

Follow me if you'd like.

Mood

2010-04-22T21:56:00.005+10:00

This autumn, I'm feeling...

Music: anything by Kent; I suddenly miss that haunting, indie sound of theirs

Book: I'm gonna re-read "Chocolat" and not eat chocolate while at it

Film: "Iron Man 2", what else?

Food: I'm still rooting for a big bowl of puffing hot laksa from Laksa King; I've been rooting for it since maybe about a month ago

Place: Berlin; I got into this mini German phase when I found out there might be a family trip to Europe next year

Clothing items: corduroy pants, maroon-red jeans, lace-up knits and my yellow tennis shoes

Crappa

2010-04-21T21:29:00.002+10:00

I feel like this blog is turning into a blah-blog. I'm not exactly motivated to update it anymore. I think I should turn it into a plog (red: photo blog) and then I can be more self-absorbed and have a blog full of pictures of myself.

I'm writing like a fricking martyr these days too. Like, I'd say something to look like I'm humble but in the end I just look like a bigger idiot than the next emo kid you see at the bus stop.

Ta-da-dadada-dadadadadadada-dadada!

2010-04-21T13:51:00.003+10:00

8 more days till "Iron Man 2"!

I have never been this excited about a movie coming out since I was a foetus.

Hidden talent

2010-04-12T20:42:00.003+10:00

I'm currently inspired by the Asian girl who can speak the language of any European country. The petite girl with shiny, black hair that falls freely down to her shoulders, porcelain-white skin and almond-shaped eyes.

She won't have to be necessarily 'fashionable'; in fact, she probably lives in her jeans, sweaters and sneakers. She is that traditional girl in her twenties who embraces her roots by always making time for her family and loves her dumplings.

But then she would take everyone by surprise when she starts speaking French or German fluently. She is well-travelled - having gone to the country of that second language she speaks more than once - and keeps the company of people from many different backgrounds.

What a breath of fresh air that is.

Dream a little dream

2010-04-11T18:36:00.003+10:00

Hey dudes. It's been a while since my last real update.

I've come to that moment - at least at this point in life - where I'm itching to break out and just be free. I'm starting to question what is it that makes me truly happy, not just to make other people happy.

As I go to work 5 days a week, 9 to 5 every day, I start to question whether this job is really something I want or if it's just something that will pay the bills and impress my family and friends. It's true that it's work - you don't have to be particularly passionate about it and you don't always look forward going to it every morning - but the question starts to rise as to whether this is something I want in life.

And then I start thinking about the 'what ifs'. What if I get a job in something I am actually passionate about and then the mundane reality of going to it 5 days a week will take the magic away? What if that happens and that way I won't have that escape to what I love anymore? I get scared like that.

Sometimes I feel like it's right to keep dreams as just that. Because at least it's always going to be that happy little place you visit in your head to take the edge off reality when you need it most.

What?

2010-04-02T23:47:00.002+11:00

How can a man have a completely black face with white neck?

And I'm not talking about RDJ as Sergeant Lincoln Osiris in "Tropic Thunder". This is a real guy I see on TV.

I hope this isn't deemed discriminating or something. I'm only writing what I saw.

Blah

2010-03-18T13:35:00.000+11:00

There has been so much work at the office, that it’s no longer funny. I’m scared that I’m gonna be bogged down by this and I’ll give up somewhere along the way. Funnily enough, I’m not too scared whether the people at the office will be disappointed in the way I work; what concerns me more is whether I’ll someday get sick of all this and end up hating it with a passion.

I hope that won’t be the case, so I’m just trying to make the most of things as I go.

Day 8 at the apartment and I still haven’t swum at all. I’m getting all jittery just thinking about it; I have to swim!

My winter look

2010-03-07T22:14:00.000+11:00

I had this epiphany yesterday that I’m going to wear quirky-patterned crew-neck jumpers with a good pair of jeans in winter. Then I’ll alternate between flats and my trusty loafers, depending on whether it’s super cold or not. Love it!

Friday loco

2010-03-05T13:12:00.000+11:00

It’s Friday and I couldn’t be more glad that it is. It’s been a busy week, and everything’s just been happening all at once at the office. But at the same time, though, the fact that it’s been busy made this weekend all the more worthwhile; feels like I’ve earned the next 3 days off. It’s so exciting that it’s gonna be the long weekend!

Anyhow, I was watching one of those “20 to 1″ specials on TV last night, and the topic was about celebrity going AWOL, and naturally RDJ was included. And that’s made me all the more think that it’s so good that nobody talks about his bad past anymore. Sure, they’ll always drop the ‘bad-boy’ term here and there when talking about him - after all, can’t turn back time and what have you – but it just occurred to me last night, while I was watching this TV special and the screen was splattered with his mug shots and caps from his prison days, that he’s successfully made new impressions on people and that he is now the ’successful actor’ rather than the ‘guy who did time in prison’. Like, I think that’s pretty amazing.

This is so bad, but this lamb and spinach curry that I’m currently having is so good!

Hump day shenanigans

2010-03-03T22:11:00.000+11:00

What a day at the office today was! I didn’t get out till 6.30 PM – which is not too bad, but it felt like a long day, anyway – trying to tie things up. Although I didn’t get to tie up as much as I would’ve liked to, but whatever. One step at a time, I guess.

But after all that drama at work, I eventually had a lovely dinner with K tonight. It was just good to catch up with her, talking shit and telling each other what we’ve been up to in the past 3 months. It was a nice, girly, bonding session.

I’m glad that tomorrow is Thursday. Then the next day will be Friday and it’ll be the long weekend, before the family is coming on the Wednesday. I’m looking forward to the next couple of weeks.

Probation

2010-03-02T22:08:00.001+11:00

I’m currently liking the taste of jasmine green tea with sugar and - wait for it – milk. I’ve always had it cold as pearl green milk tea, but now I’m actually quite liking the hot version.

I still can’t get over how wonderful the experience of Moonlight Cinema was. Yes, it was raining a few times throughout the film, but towards the end of the night when the moon came out above the trees in the park and it was so bright, it was just really pretty.

I’m gonna go see K tomorrow night; pretty excited to be able to catch up with her after her long trip.

The February that was

2010-02-24T21:57:00.008+11:00

I had a conversation with P today, and she kindly pointed out that I've gone through my first month at the office now. Time has flown indeed.

First week of this month was spent rather casually at the office, getting to know my role better and my boss and supervisor not giving me that much work yet. I went out over the weekend, going to a friend's birthday drinks at a place full of naked baby angels (like the place, don't really like the crowd); went for lunch on the Saturday (spent about 30 minutes standing alone at Footscray Station, so the day was a bit of a thriller-drama-comedy, I guess, but I ended up having a great time, thanks to Nick); went out for drinks at night around the corner where the pink elephants are, then later on at the icky Irish pub down the street; then spent all day Sunday doing nothing before going to my friends' gig down by the beach. That was by far the best week I've had this month.

The following week was a bit hell because that was when I really learnt what it feels like to bring work home. I had a lot of work to do at the office and I couldn't finish them by the time 5 o'clock struck; and so the deadline needed to be extended and that was not a nice feeling to bring with me when I came in the next morning. But thankfully that was resolved by the time Thursday rolled in and I was able to enjoy the weekend. I went out dancing on Saturday night for Shahana's birthday and then had yum cha the next day for Chinese New Year. Bought "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" on DVD too that day; enjoyed it a lot, and it wasn't only because of our extensive adulation for Robert Downey, Jr. Yes, mainly that, but Val Kilmer is pretty damn good there too.

Last week was pretty underwhelming as I'd expected something equally high-strung as the previous week, but it turned out the workload had died down then and I was cruising along till the weekend. Mum and Dad came back mid-week from their month-long stay in Jakarta so the rest of that week was spent catching up with them. I went to my friends' gig again on Thursday night; finally got to talk properly with the drummer after not having done so in the past, so I won't feel guilty anymore now when I see him at their gigs. Went to an old friend's birthday drinks after work on Friday, then to dinner and more drinks with the girls which turned out to be disastrous because lack of sleep + alcohol = well, let's just say not pretty. I spent Saturday looking at properties for half of the clan when they come Down Under next month. Had a lovely late lunch by the water with mum to celebrate finally finding a property, before going to the movies with my sister at night. "The Wolfman" turned out to be pretty fantastic; I love Benicio Del Toro there.

And so it's come down to this week. It's my 6th week working full-time and honestly, it feels like high school all over again, except people wear suits and nice structured dresses and I spend half the day in front of the computer. I tell you what, nothing beats that feeling when 5 o'clock strikes on a Friday afternoon. It feels pretty damn great. Oh, and I'm finally reading "A Study In Scarlet" properly this time. The book makes me all the more compelled to read some Poe.

I miss blogging like this. I should spill my guts on a public space more often.

"The Nanny Returns"

2010-02-15T13:20:00.003+11:00

I read "The Nanny Diaries" and quite liked the movie version, so the fact that a sequel to the story is out makes me somewhat excited. I can't wait till I get my hands on a copy.

(Image courtesy of amazon.com)

RDJ, anybody?

2010-02-09T09:40:00.005+11:00

Those past negative posts weren't getting me anywhere, so I've decided to delete them altogether. I'm cluttering the blog with emo stuff and too much negativity is never good. Sasha's indecisive moment #84873401.

I've been in love with Robert Downey, Jr. lately. He's a fiercely talented actor and not to mention severely charming. Like, dude. I've been on an RDJ-movie-marathon for the past week, just digging up his films and watching them. It's actually a sort of an education for me as well, because I've always been stuck in the rom-com and superhero-action genres when it comes to films and since he's been in more films than my actual age, it's a good thing to see what he's done and in the process, explore different film genres.

2010, I already love you

2010-01-02T22:46:00.005+11:00

Happy New Year!

This year is gonna be awesome, and I'm only just talking about the movies that are coming out that I really want to see.

Clash of the Titans

Greek mythologies and Sam Worthington. Enough said.

Iron Man 2

He had me at "I've successfully privatised world peace." Already a favourite quote for 2010.

Salt

Has the 3 quintessential ingredients in a classic action movie: stolen identity, secret service agent and neat self-defence tricks.

Dear John

Wanna see this purely because Lasse Hallstrom directs it. He is probably one of the few directors that did justice to the film version of a good book with "Chocolat".

It's Complicated

Meryl Streep. Need I say more?

Busybody

2009-12-25T18:36:00.003+11:00

Happy X'mas!

For some reason, Christmas has always been a bit of a bittersweet time of the year for me. For quite some time, I couldn't exactly say why. It should always mean happy times with the family and fun, relaxing holiday. So I didn't know where the negativity came from; I just always felt down a little when the end of the year rolled in.

And then I figured it out: apart from the fact that my family will always seem to clash when they spend too much time together (it's unavoidable in every family, I've come to terms with that), but at the same time, Christmas means holidays. And while a holiday seems like a great time, to me time off means uselessness and boredom. I just realised today - of all days - that ever since I started kindergarten, I would have something to look forward to and would have some sort of purpose. It never occured to me to take a year off after high school; I didn't even know what 'gap year' was until my first year at uni. And that too was the exact reason why I enrolled in postgrad right after I finished my undergrad, because I wasn't quite ready for workforce yet but I know I'd just go crazy if I didn't have anything to do. I was feeling a bit depressed in the past 6 months because when I'd finished that postgrad, I felt like I didn't have anything to give myself some meaning. And when this new job finally came along, I felt not good, but actually content. It's like I've got purpose again.

And so I think it's safe for me for now to just keep doing something and not stop. Especially since I still have the energy to do it. I might even like to add something else to this work, just so I get even busier, maybe like a language course or one of those magazine publishing courses I saw being offered in RMIT. And then other days I'll do my weekly exercises, like bikram yoga classes or swimming.

I'm just looking forward to being busy again.

2010

2009-12-23T13:55:00.005+11:00

What I'm looking forward to next year:

o Finally starting on my path to becoming rich (a girl needs her diamonds and couture, you see)
o Having a daily routine
o FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa
o New job
o Using my Moleskine monthly diary 2010 (yes, that's acutely important to me)
o Actually having New Year's Day, Australia Day, Labour Day, Easter weekend, ANZAC Day, Queen's Birthday, Cup Day and Christmas Day off
o Finally getting that Mulberry Bayswater bag
o It's my year, The Year of the Tiger! (I don't know how that will affect me, but let's hope it'll bring good luck, unlike that stupid belief that your Chinese year is always gonna be a bad year for you)

Basically there's not that many, but I just feel like 2010 sounds like a nice, round group of numbers. It will be 10 years since I moved to Melbourne and I think I can safely say things are gonna be all right. Not perfect and completely blissful, just okay.

The downside to it all

2009-12-20T00:42:00.003+11:00

Is it wrong to think that maybe this job isn't all it's cracked up to be?

Don't get me wrong; I think it's a fantastic opportunity. But I took it because of the convenience. It's good money, big company and basically just good old showy job. I think I'm the envy of my friends for having been accepted into this. But what about what I like right now?

Maybe it's just the case of me having done something so long that I think that's all I like. I mean, I graduated with a degree in media and I've always loved writing. So maybe I just haven't seen what's out there. Maybe there are other things I'm gonna like apart from media, and this job is gonna show me.

But if it's the other way around, then what? What if I've been at this job for a year and I realise I wanna do writing all along? Basically, I would've wasted a year when I could've spent the time working my way up in the magazine/publishing industry.

I just hope it won't be the second one. Because I'd hate to see the haters right.

Victory!

2009-12-17T23:41:00.005+11:00

I got my first full-time corporate job today!

It feels soooooooooooooooooooooooo good!

I'm gonna go as far as saying I'm choosing career over anything else right now. I'm gonna work my ass off to be able to save enough to buy my own place in 3 years. Just you wait and see.

Being epiphaneous (no such word, I know. I just wanna be a smart-ass)

2009-11-20T14:55:00.006+11:00

I'm back from a wonderful holiday in Singapore and my hometown Jakarta. I didn't get to do everything I wanted to do and didn't get to see all the people I wanted to see, but that's fine.

Somehow lately I had the epiphany about friendship. Maybe it's got something to do with the way holidays clear your head and all that giving your mind, body and soul a break shit-ass crap. But whatever. I feel like I should remind myself about these things so I can hopefully be a better person from this point on.

o Being open-minded about your friends is the best thing that anyone can do. You can't mould other people into the way you want them to be. Knowing the difference between telling them off when they're wrong and when they're plainly different than you want them to be is hard. But just by listening to the other side of the story and be fair is, I think, a good start.

o Going on holidays and getting away from your friends is actually necessary. Having other groups of friends helps too but actually not seeing them for a period of time is good. But yeah, of course if someone needs you, you're gonna be there.

o Drawing the line on friends that take advantage of you. Don't make too much effort when all they do is ask you for favours. Don't repeat that mistake more than twice. Or in my case, after the 15th time or something.

o Good: Making new friends for the sake of making new friends. Bad: getting bogged down with the 'hey, that guy is cute, I should start a conversation with him so I can make out with him by the end of the night' attitude. It'll only stress you out and end up not making that first move.

Okay, maybe that last part is more like a dating tip. Not that I'm eligible for giving out dating tips. But I guess I had that figured out just now. Pfft.

The ballad of the sorry

2009-10-20T22:47:00.005+11:00

So I just heard more stories tonight about a certain unfortunate person. Let's just call him Sorry Ass.

To give a bit of a background story, this Sorry Ass tries to start a magazine. Let's just call this sorry creation Ass Wipe. He enlisted my help as the editor. I helped him in vain for 7 months before I realised he doesn't know shit about doing business in general. So I quit.

It's been 3 months now since then and Sorry Ass has found the guy who took over the editor job. Let's just call him Mo-Editor. One day, Mo-Editor and Sorry Ass were meeting a potential client to fund Ass Wipe. This forms case number 1.

The potential client asked Sorry Ass: "So why do you think I should place my ad in Ass Wipe? What good is it gonna do me?"

Sorry Ass answered nervously in broken English: "Ass Wipe is so good. It is very elite. The articles we carry are only about high-end luxury brands like Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton..."

"Yeah, I know. But those are articles. You guys don't actually have ads by them," the potential client said.

Sorry Ass was desperate: "But Ass Wipe is even better than Harper's Bazaar!"

And with that, according to my source, the potential client pulled out of the deal.

Case number 2. Sorry Ass has this acute dislike for a certain media competitor. Let's just call it Toilet Paper. Toilet Paper is actually quite successful as a media brand, except that, well, it's made out of newspaper and so I think it's best used only for toilet business, just like Ass Wipe. Anyway, basically Sorry Ass hates Toilet Paper's editors with a passion and thinks that Ass Wipe is already better than Toilet Paper, even though Ass Wipe hasn't put out one issue yet.

And so Sorry Ass thinks whoever works with him on Ass Wipe absolutely cannot write for Toilet Paper. Which is exactly what Mo-Editor did. Now I don't know if Mo-Editor did it out of spite or if it was just purely coincidental. But basically Sorry Ass went nuts and told off Mo-Editor, saying that he couldn't write for any other media other than for Ass Wipe. Mo-Editor was said to be confused because in his contract with Ass Wipe, there was never any obligation to write only for Ass Wipe and not for other media.

Mo-Editor has been heard saying to his friend that he wants to quit Ass Wipe. Not one issue is out yet but two editors are already walking out of the project.

On to case number 3. Sorry Ass has just done the second dummy of the magazine and all he's got in it are articles which are poorly edited and 5 pages of copies from a dated LV catalogue. I am so sorry to admit that when I was still working with Sorry Ass, I tried to defend the first version of the dummy which looked a lot like this in front of my friends, saying that it was just a 'work in progress'. Now I've learnt my lesson and found that this is actually Sorry Ass' definition of Vogue, or in his words, Harper's Bazaar.

And the icing on top of the cake is case number 4: it's been almost a year since the idea to start Ass Wipe was thought up, but until now Sorry Ass hasn't even registered an Australian Business Number yet. The reason? Because Sorry Ass is the director of the Ass Wipe brand and so he can do whatever the hell he wants.

Including putting himself in jail if they find that he was practising business without licence.

I just love stories like these. I did say pointing out people's mistakes are useless, but this is more like knowing that at least there are people more unfortunate than us so we should be grateful with what we have.

Nauseating hopes

2009-10-16T22:47:00.003+11:00

So this is my 100th post! Hmm, I guess this is a big milestone, more than my 600th tweet on Twitter.

Anyway, I've been feeling a bit dizzy and nauseous lately; I guess it's from my lack of exercising and I keep eating junk with little to no fruit and vegetable intake. That and lack of caffeine. I realise my body is starting to depend heavily on the stuff now.

Apart from that, it's another 2 weeks till Jakarta. I cannot wait. I'm looking forward to shopping, eating donuts and other junk, more shopping, more eating donuts and other junk and going to the salon to get my hair done and manicure pedicure. Oh, and I think I should make a list of things to eat while I'm there.

I'm serious.

Compulsion

2009-10-14T22:13:00.002+11:00

Help! I can't stop eating the Grain Waves chips in Sour Cream & Chives flavour!

Prince of Persia

2009-10-13T14:01:00.003+11:00

I've been watching the original version of the game Prince of Persia. I used to play it when I was little (or rather sent the poor guy going through the body guilottine). But it was always so much fun and watching it now is still pretty cool...

Blogging while away

2009-10-12T14:09:00.005+11:00

I think I'm gonna try and update this often when I go to Singapore and Jakarta in 2 weeks. Not that it's gonna be as exciting as a travel blog if one goes to somewhere like Europe or the US, but still. I thought I'd record stuff so when I'm back in Melbourne doing nothing, I can read about the fun again.

Yep, sounds like a plan.

Anyway, saw "Valentino: The Last Emperor" last night. It was an entertaining film, although I still enjoy "The September Issue" a lot more.

Past couple of weeks

2009-10-07T13:33:00.004+11:00

I've been reading my friends' blogs and I decided I wanna write in mine too.

So it's been going really well the past couple of weeks. As I last wrote here, we got our PR and I finished my master so to cut long story short, I've finished school forever. And then my sister got her dream house and it's a wicked little dwelling with the perfect view and all. It really does remind us of our childhood home back in Jakarta.

Then I had my birthday last weekend and it was plain wild. I think I can safely say people had a good time there. I think I can categorically say that it was the best birthday I've ever had, because it was, ironically enough, far from perfect. The day started off with me super sleepy with a headache then my parents and my sister wished me happy birthday; had breakfast then got down to business making food for the party that night; mum and dad started fighting over who got to mix the eggs with the pepper; got ready and left for yum cha and it was so very nice; opened presents; went home and ate my birthday cake, mango gateau! Went out, bought beer and ice; drove to the hotel; panicked over how to hide the 24 bottles of beer in the suitcase; checked in, complete with my mum trying to take over the whole process; family out, friends in; spent time with them before getting ready; people started coming and finally the party started; tired mixed with alcohol equals me drunk and passing out crying. It was ups and downs, highs and lows all rolled into one day. And that's okay; I think I'm starting to learn how to embrace imperfection. It's my life, it's anybody's life and I gotta stop striving for 24/7 poise and grace and just allow myself to let go.

Anyway, I'm going to Singapore and Jakarta in 3 weeks. I got a crazy deal for the flight, and I ain't paying nothing for accommodation in Singapore, so it's great. I hope I got enough money when I'm there so I can shop like nuts!

So anyway, I think things are going well. But I can't help thinking all the time when will the other shoe drop? I'm pessimistic that way and I sometimes think that things are too good to be true. I guess you can't blame me for thinking like that after the past 10 years of drama. But let's hope things are gonna be fine in the long-term. Not perfect, just fine.

Good news

2009-09-16T23:13:00.007+10:00

Yay, so we got our permanent residency today! Everything seems to be working out slowly; don't wanna jinx it, but hopefully other things will go my way.

We can start fresh now: I can work without worrying my savings will go into yet another tuition fee; I don't have to worry anymore about being the only uni graduate that keeps getting back to school; and I'm so partying like nuts on my birthday till I pass out with drunken jizz coming out of my mouth.

I'm going to Jakarta in the next month or so and luckily I've saved up enough money for the plane ticket and some spot of shopping over there.

Last but never least, thank you God.

2004

2009-08-30T23:07:00.001+10:00

This weekend I went back in time and read up on some of the things I wrote during the year 2004. That was actually quite a productive year for me and that's a miracle in itself, since I don't get up to much in my spare time.

Anyway, one of the things I wrote was this story about a band manager and the bands she works with. It's pure crap but I can't help remembering again how inspired I felt when I was writing it. And thanks to that, now I kind of want to write again. I'd love to re-write the whole story again and make it less crap, especially while this inspired feeling is still around. So this is probably going to be my personal project for the next couple of months now.

Going bananas

2009-08-24T00:00:00.005+10:00

You know, I'll come out and admit it. I'm in a rut.

I feel like I have nothing to define me; I'm not a student anymore, but I'm kinda stuck doing it for some legal reasons. And because I'm doing that, I can't get a job. Well, not a full-time job, anyway. And not having a job is, well, pretty depressing. I mean, I work where I work right now, but it's a casual job. That's not something that I love doing. And the way things are going with the magazine job and the stupid Indo community that goes with it, I have nothing to be proud of.

You see, maybe it's the old-fashioned mentality of always having something to show what I've done - "here's what I did, I've achieved this and this and this..." and all that crap. But I seriously feel low for not having done something good lately. People might say to me, "but come on, you've got your masters..." Yeah, so? I haven't proved to myself and anyone else that I can hold down a job and be good at it. The only thing I've done for the past 17 years is that I can do my homework. Yeah, whoopee, let's give Sasha some certificate and put her in a stupid gown and hat.

I just feel like with all this hanging over me, I can't go and function properly. I'm self-conscious all the time, I'm constantly moody and what's worse, I'm projecting all these on people I hate.

Oh well, I'll get over it soon.

Hermit no more

2009-08-13T19:34:00.001+10:00

This was from today. I think it's pretty obvious that I was seriously stoked to be out of the house after having stayed in for the past 3 days.

What's new pussycat?

2009-08-12T16:11:00.003+10:00

It's been the worst week ever. I have been - I kid you not - staying at home for the past 3 days. The only time I went out was to go jogging, and that was only around the neighbourhood.

I've been obsessed watching "Brothers & Sisters". Budi was right when he said I'd like it; I really love it now. It's a whole new way to compare your family to what's presented in the media and feel even worse about your own because you know something just ain't right about your favourite uncle or your biological grandmother. Whatever; the main point is, I still get self-destructive sometimes when I watch TV series like that because it just makes me think even more that my life is anything but normal. Don't mean to go emo on you now.

Other than that, I've been obsessed with finding an office job. It's pretty daunting the fact that all my mates are starting their first full-time job. And an office job seems to be the way to go because it makes you feel better about yourself. I've been doing the freelancing thing for the past year now (and it took me one whole year to realise that it's been a freelance job, ding ding, I should get a prize to have guessed that right) and I think a little bit of routine in my life is what's best for me right now. 9 to 5 job sounds to me like a candy store sounds to a six-year-old fat boy.

I think I'm getting sarcastic again.

Love me for my lack of taxpack

2009-07-10T18:11:00.005+10:00

Okay, great, so apparently the tax office is now too lazy to send out the taxpack to our address, so we're now supposed to go to newsagents and grab our own copy.

I guess the tax office can then say, "Okay, great, so apparently Sasha is now too lazy to go and take a walk down to her nearest newsagent and grab a copy of the taxpack".

It's a lose-lose situation.

Anyway...

Sunday
9 AM: Camberwell Market
1 PM: lunch with Ms Editor and kids

Monday
12 PM: apply for graduation and enrolment (yep, didn't think that would go in the same sentence, either)
5.30 PM - 12 AM: work

Tuesday
1 PM: appointment with plumber
5.30 PM - 12 AM: work

Wednesday & Thursday
12 PM - 12 AM: work

As you can see, I'm leading a fabulous, busy life. Not.

Pizza and flu

2009-06-30T21:35:00.004+10:00

This was probably the best pizza I've had in a while. My sister made it with simple pita bread, tomato paste and cheese. Super yummo.

So much has been happening in the past month. But I guess there's no point talking about them because, well, they're in the past.

I can hear people coughing, throwing up and sneezing outside my house. Swine flu, anybody?

Hello, you're being disrespectful

2009-06-06T00:15:00.006+10:00

Well, this is an age-old issue, but I just feel like blogging about it.

Once upon a time, I liked a Japanese band named PIERROT. They were great, they were massive in Japan and they were loved for more than 10 years (not 10 years of my life, my God, when they first started, I was fresh out of nappies. But they were around for more than 10 years). Then they disbanded, and the break-up wasn't exactly well received by all band members.

So vocalist, bassist and drummer went to form another band called ANGELO. Or Angelo without the capital letters, whatever. While the two guitarists went to work on their individual projects (bless their souls), Angelo (ANGELO?) went to wallow in the sadness of PIERROT's disbandment and continue on like they're still in PIERROT. Their songs are similar, their image is similar, so yes, that means they go around dressing like they're 10 years younger than they really should.

Yes, I get that the break-up was intense. I cried for days when PIERROT broke up, I shit no one about that. But Angelo/ANGELO should really just get over themselves. I just found out that they still go around and perform PIERROT's songs at their concerts and get the crowd to reminisce the past with them. I just don't think it's doing anyone any favours if they do that. They continue being depressed about a love lost, the two guitarists that left probably think they're idiots (and I don't blame them if they do) and fans like me also think they're idiots too.

So what does that make Angelo? Depressed idiots. Not a good title if you want to continue in the showbiz. And I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but I just expected something better from the Angelo members who love PIERROT to death. What bigger respect is there than leaving PIERROT's songs alone and not sing them under a different name?

(Image courtesy of Kashifus)

Ask and ye shall receive. Don't ask and ye shall still receive.

2009-05-31T10:20:00.004+10:00

So did I just twittered I miss house parties? I did and then last night I went to a friend's housewarming and had fun.

I was a bit 'blah' about coming there alone and knowing only one person there, but in the end it was cool. I met new people who like Blur, caught up with an old friend who wore glo-stick bracelet and had peanut butter chocolate cookie. I felt like I could belong to that crowd.

I refuse to surrender to this virus! I'm not getting sick!

Long overdue

2009-05-25T23:45:00.003+10:00

I've been wanting to take pictures of my street during autumn, where all the leaves are red and the sky is grey. Not at all how I expected the photos to turn out ("damn cars, move away from the picture!"), but at least I captured the redness a little bit.

There's that mixed feeling of liberation and fear standing in the middle of the road like that. You feel like you're on top of your game breaking the pedestrian rules yet you still look over your shoulder and make sure there are no cars ready to honk at you.

In response to that...

2009-05-21T23:50:00.006+10:00

You know, reading Jarome's last blog got me thinking a lot. Me five years ago would've thought, "well, I think it's a load of shit. You gotta stick up for your friends no matter what." But now I think there's definitely some truth to it. Even if you're best friends, they still hurt you in some ways. Yes, they do that because in some twisted way, they're trying to teach you a lesson, but is it worth the heartbreak? Because true friendship is a hell of an investment, you know. It's like, you put sweat and tears into it, so if it disappoints you over and over again, you start asking why bother?

I mean, call me having high expectations from people, but I expect some kind of relationship from my close friends but when they don't do it, you're left looking like a fucking idiot. And at that moment, you just think, "To hell with how long we've been friends, they don't know me at all so I'm not gonna waste my time."

I guess I gotta learn to assume nothing and expect little. But the biggest lesson would probably be not to trust people too much. How many times have I been eaten up by sweet words and charitable deeds by new friends, only to be ditched by them? Too many to count.

Remember, friends will still ditch you when they can only save their own ass from a burning building. It's a fucked-up metaphor, but it's true. You just learn to have your guard up, be there as much as you can but don't sacrifice everything for them, especially if they're shit friends.

I'm a dummy...

2009-05-21T23:30:00.003+10:00

Worked on the magazine dummy tonight. Loved doing the layout design and putting shit together. It was like playing puzzle made of fashion pieces.

Still got a lot to work on, but I'm trying to keep positive.

Current playlist

2009-05-09T15:31:00.005+10:00

What I'm listening to right now:

"Ava Adore" - The Smashing Pumpkins
Probably one of the best releases they've ever done. Ironically, it was one of the last things they released before they broke up, as far as I remember it. Well, at least they reunited so that's not such a big deal anymore.

"Hold Me, Kiss Me, Thrill Me, Kill Me" - U2
This is the reason why I'm missing U2's finer rock moments. A good choice too for a Batman soundtrack.

"Downfall" - Matchbox Twenty
A lesser-known gem by the band. If Rob Thomas didn't talk so much (based on his 20-per-second Twitter updates), he usually works out to be a pretty mean songwriter. This remains my favourite Matchbox Twenty track.

"Monday Morning 5.19" - Rialto
A classic.

"Yellow" - Coldplay
Let this be the mourning song for the death of Coldplay. Just kidding. I just don't like the band anymore, but their first album still impresses in my book, especially thanks to this track.

"Paparazzi" - Lady GaGa
I like this much better than "Just Dance" or "Poker Face". The chick may be sick-crazy, but she writes pretty good stuff, so who cares?

"Glycerine" - Bush
The only thing I can remember Bush released. I used to know more about them but somehow this one stuck out in my memory, and it's justified because it's a masterpiece.

"If God Would Send His Angels" - U2
This track reminds me of The Netherlands as I remember it 10 years ago. A lesser-known gem by u2 after the more widely-received "Discotheque" and "Staring At The Sun", but nonetheless something I'm really impressed with.

"3 AM" - Matchbox 20
Easy-listening, atmospheric piece. A little like something Counting Crows would write, but Thomas' vocals and lyrics gave it away as something only a Matchbox Twenty could do.

Oh, it's exciting!

2009-05-09T15:06:00.006+10:00

Got myself a pencil case in my favourite colour ever!

It's not important to you, but it's an important milestone for me. The amount of times I've had to scrub off the pen marks on the bottom of my bags due to lack of containment for ink leakage is quite disturbing. Not to mention the inimitable embarrassment of burying my head in my bags looking for that particular Faster pen. Yes, I love my own country's product, so sue me.

Comes thundering in this wicked blue pencil case, and all my problems are solved. Well, not all. I'm yet to clean my black Longchamp bag. Thank God it's black, so the pink/blue/green marks all over its base are not that visible.

Listening to a lot of music right now. Isn't remembering the things you've been wanting to listen to for ages the next best thing to reading a four-digit figure in your paycheck?

Shopping? Yes, I love it

2009-05-03T21:05:00.003+10:00

I bought a whole bunch of shit today. Went to Camberwell Market and Chapel Street - lethal combination, fabulous for sartorial perfection.

I love Melbourne

2009-05-01T10:08:00.000+10:00

Spotted on the train to the city at 10 AM: Asian guy, shaved head, with a permanent scowl on his face. Tough black Doc Martens boots, listening to hard metal on iPod.

To complete the look? Big white Gucci bag.

Oh dear.

Much love

2009-04-30T22:15:00.004+10:00

You know the saying 'I have so much love to give'?

Well, right now, I have so much HATE to give.

Some of the customers I had at work yesterday and today were simply shocking on a basic human level. I can't even believe those people exist just to waste our oxygen supply. I'm sorry, but when you can't even treat other human beings properly, you might as well be put in the same place as the racist and homophobic sons of bitches. Hitler would love some company, thank you.

My landlord isn't only clueless in how to spell 'recession', but clearly she doesn't even know what the word means. After increasing our rent less than a year ago, she's done it again now. Take a guess, people: 1) she's had lack of sexual partners that she's frustrated and thus can't function, including think properly 2) she's just plain mentally challenged 3) she's, well, please fill in the blanks, I'm sure she won't mind because, oh my God, she probably won't even understand what you mean cos she's just that dumb.

I really hope these people will do some serious damage control to their behaviour soon or else, you know, with other people wanting to kill them and all, the sales of shotguns would go up. And that's not the message we're trying to put out to the children, riiight?

Yo ho hello!

2009-04-28T21:07:00.002+10:00

Pirates of the Caribbean, anyone?

Sydney, April 2009.

Boring old update

2009-04-27T22:59:00.003+10:00

Everyone knows that I'm a big fan of Alexa Chung. Everything about her seems so much fun and makes anything else matters less. Something about her carefree, fun-loving outlook that translate into some of the most enjoyable fashion I've seen this decade.

Feeling inspired is an addictive thing; and right now, all I want to do is look back on some of my favourite looks of hers and build my wardrobe like hers. It's so much fun and I can't get enough of it!

Apart from that, the past two days have gotta be some of the coldest weather Melbourne has had in the past 12 months. I'm shaking on my sofa just thinking about it - well, that and the fact that I still need to write up 3 articles for the magazine.

And speaking of the magazine, I'm quitting the job. BECAUSE I GOT A NEW JOB!

Yes, you are now looking at the proud, soon-to-be marketing executive at an up and coming design company. Well, okay, maybe not that prestigious, but it's a new company founded by an acquaintance and he was looking to hire someone to do the marketing, promoting and all that jazz. So I got hired, much thanks to the recommendation of a dear friend. Note to self: gotta treat her to a nice dinner very soon.

Anyhow, I can't wait till I get all my shit organised and go out shopping to celebrate. There may be plenty other things I still worry about, but as I've told B the other day, you gotta stop and smell the roses and be grateful for what you've got so far. Another problem is another day's worry. Please buy me a great pair of shoes if you agree with me.

Jooooooob

2009-04-23T22:14:00.001+10:00

Awesome, thanks for your comments on the last blog, guys!

Got a second interview tomorrow! Wish me luck~♪

You'd think I'd be a professional by now...

2009-04-21T21:47:00.003+10:00

So the surprise interview today was awesome. Can anybody notice the sarcasm there?

The thing is. I had the sneaky feeling that it was gonna be a job interview; I told my friends it was gonna be a job interview, but I myself didn't think twice that it was gonna be a job interview.

So I rocked up in my jeans and anticipated something like a chat. Turned out the guy had us "chatting" in a white-wash meeting room and a 5-page booklet of interview questions. So I did my best despite skipping lunch and zero caffeine.

Is it selfish to want to think I did good?

Feeling inspired

2009-04-19T15:12:00.004+10:00

Inspirational right now:

- A nice top with cute statement necklace
- The 60s
- Hot pink nails
- The tree-lined avenue outside my house during autumn; beautiful red leaves
- Money
- Europe

Meme 2

2009-04-18T22:50:00.005+10:00

The meme from K.

WHAT WAS YOUR:
1. last beverage = mocha from Max B
2. last phone call = a friend J
3. last text message = to B
4. last song you listened to = "Penny Lane"
5. last time you cried = this arvo, watching "The Secret Life of Bees"

HAVE YOU EVER:
6. dated someone twice = nope, but I'm not ruling it out...
7. been cheated on = I think I've been but I'd rather not find out
8. kissed someone & regretted it = no
9. lost someone special = yes
10. been depressed = yes
11. been drunk and threw up = yes, and good thing I've been there, I don't wanna be a bitter old fart who hasn't experienced it at all...

LIST THREE FAVOURITE COLORS:
12. peacock-blue
13. black
14. mustard yellow

THIS YEAR HAVE YOU: (2009)
15. made a new friend = I can't remember...maybe? I'm terrible with names and faces.
16. fallen out of love = nope
17. laughed until you cried = I think so, can't remember either
18. met someone who changed you = didn't exactly meet them for the first time, but just saw my cousins again after a long time and thought that they have such a good life and I decided to work hard for my own happiness too :)
19. found out who your true friends were = probably, but more along the lines of people who have ulterior motives and how to detect them without getting too close first
20. found out someone was talking about you = yes, just last night, that bitch...
21. kissed anyone on your friend's list = no

THINGS THAT DESCRIBE ME:
22. how many people on your friends list do you know in real life = all of them except one. Honestly, I regretted agreeing to adding that person since that's never been my principle to add people I don't know...
23. how many kids do you want to have = 2 is a good number; I agree with what my parents said about having one parent attending to each child :)
24. do you have any pets = nope
25. do you want to change your name = no, I'm now proudly comfortable with my name :)
26. what did you do for your last birthday = ate cupcakes and had great drinks with those who matter to me :)
27. what time did you wake up today = 1 PM, not proud of it...
28. what were you doing at midnight last night = meeting the girls at a club
29. name something you CANNOT wait for = WORLD CUP 2010! :D
30. last time you saw your mother = er, she's in front of me right now...
31. what is one thing you wish you could change about your life? = my lack of confidence; would love to be more of a go-getter...
32. what are you listening to right now = the sound of "Defiance"; my parents are watching it behind me right now...
33. have you ever talked to a person named Tom = um, does a Tommy count?
34. what's getting on your nerves right now = Indos with bob-cut hair and blunt fringe wearing black leather jackets; seriously, you gotta get over yourselves, you still look like maids stumbling across shitload amount of money
35. most visited webpage = Facebook and Twitter!
36. what's your real name = Raisha
37. nicknames = Sasha, Sash, Sha, Rai
38. relationship status = single
39. zodiac sign = Libra
40. male or female? = oh, I don't know...female? :P
41. elementary? = Don Bosco and Cibun
42. middle school = Cibun and MGC
43. high school/college = MGC
44. hair color = black
45. long or short = short and loving it :)
46. height = 156 cm
47. do you have a crush on someone? = yes
48: what do you like about yourself? = big eyes and long lashes
49. piercings = two
50. tattoos = no, but I could change my mind, I don't know...
51. righty or lefty = a bit of both; I write and eat with right, but hold racquets, bats, bowling balls and scissors with left

FIRSTS :
52. first injury = I think I fell flat on my head on a marble floor when I was 5ish but got up and continued playing with my cousins again...
53. first piercing = around 7 or 8
54. first best friend = Lindsay Liem
55. first sport you joined = something like a baseball
56. first vacation = I think The Netherlands and Germany
58. first pair of trainers = dude, I can hardly remember what I ate last night, I can't remember that far back...

RIGHT NOW
59. eating = nothing
60. drinking = none
61. I'm about to = drink lemon lime tea :)
62. listening to = the sound from the movie "Defiance"
63. waiting on = some money to come through

YOUR FUTURE :
64. want kids?= sure, but preferably adopted; can't imagine myself giving birth to someone, oh my Lord...
65. get married? = would love to
66. career? = yes, please! A job in a fashion magazine, thank you...
67. lips or eyes = eyes
68. hugs or kisses = hugs
69. shorter or taller = taller
70. older or younger = older
71. romantic or spontaneous = spontaneous always seems to work out rather than planned-out stuff...
72. nice stomach or nice arms = stomach, oops...
73. sensitive or loud = sensitive
74. hook-up or relationship = relationship, but my friends say hook-ups could do me good, LOL...
75. trouble-maker or hesitant = neither

HAVE YOU EVER :
76. kissed a stranger = no
77. drank hard liquor = yes
78. lost glasses/contacts = nope, don't wear glasses or contacts
79. had sex on first date = no
80. broken someone's heart = no
81. had your own heart broken = yes
82. been arrested = no; who do you think I am, Lindsay Lohan?
83. turned someone down = yes, but we're now best friends
84. cried when someone died = no, I express sadness by laughing instead...come on, what kind of question is this?
85. fallen for a friend? = no

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
86. yourself = most of the time, no
87. miracles = yes, I rely on it a bit too much sometimes
88. love at first sight? = not at the moment
89. heaven = yes
90. Santa Claus = I never knew about Santa until I knew he didn't exist
91. kiss on the first date = sure, why not?
92. angels = yes

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
94. had more than 1 girlfriend/boyfriend at a time = no, totally disagree on this
95. did you sing today? = yes, to The Beatles!
96. ever cheated on somebody? = some people probably consider it harmless, but I think I did cheat...
97. if you could go back in time, how far would you go?= probably to the 1960s and see when everything unfolded - The Beatles, Edie Sedgwick, Twiggy and of course, the Batman euphoria in 1966; and then I'll probably go back to 1996-1997 when Britpop came back and I'd stay up to watch late-night MTV, waiting for any videos of Blur or Suede to come up, and the trip to The Netherlands and going to the record stores to get the Britpop bands' CDs and having that European vibe all around you...
98. if you could pick a day from last year and relive it, what would it be? = that one whole day being spent in Brunswick doing fashion photoshoot for the magazine; felt like it was such a productive day and everyone having a great time on the shoot, it was amazing!
99. are you afraid of falling in love? = I guess it would suck if it doesn't work out in the end, but no, I'm not afraid...
100. posting this as 100 truths? = nope

Meme 1

2009-04-17T11:40:00.004+10:00

Got this from B. I have another one in the making from K.

1.WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Apparently Raissa Gorbachev, and then my grandma spent the last 22 years complaining to me why my mum decided on Raisha with the 'h' rather than double 's'.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
I think last week...

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
I actually don't mind it.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE LUNCH MEAT?
Chicken. And I know B's gonna say "aren't you gonna say pork?" on this.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
No.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Probably not.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
I think so.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes, I'm pretty sure...

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
No.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Rice Bubbles!

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
I'd like to just take them off without, but two of my shoes need to be untied first, damn it.

12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Chocolate, cookies & cream and green tea.

13. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
The size of their ass. And then their clothes.

14. RED OR PINK?
At the moment, pink. But it's a seasonal thing, most of the time I'd choose red.

15. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVOURITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
My short, stumpy legs.

16. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My grandma from my dad's side.

17. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
I'd like to, but can't force anyone.

18. WHAT COLOUR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Blue and brown. Sounds like a high-school uniform...

19. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
The sound from "The Reader". My mum's watching it behind me.

20. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOUR WOULD YOU BE?
Orange.

21. FAVOURITE SMELLS?
Musk.

22. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
My distributor.

23. HOW DO YOU KNOW THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Through Budi.

24. FAVOURITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Football (soccer).

25. HAIR COLOUR?
Black.

26. EYE COLOUR?
Dark-brown.

27. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
No.

28. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings, please.

29. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
"Face". I hate it.

30. WHAT COLOUR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Grey.

31. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Summer for the sunshine and the beaches, winter for the clothes and the hot chocolates. :)

32. HUGS OR KISSES?
Hugs.

33. DESCRIBE YOUR PENCIL CUP:
Well, clearly, this meme is written by and for artists. I don't have any, I have a red pencil case, does that count?

34. FAVOURITE ARTIST(s)?
Rembrandt and Vermeer.

35. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
I'm trying to read Morrish's "Magazine Editing", but I always seem to lose interest along the way.

36. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
I don't even own one.

37. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
"Face", we had the VCD on. Yes, that's right, that wasn't a typo, it really was VCD not DVD.

38. FAVOURITE SOUND(S).
Probably a great guitar solo and new-wave slow drumming.

39. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles!

40. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Netherlands or The US, don't know which one's farthest.

41. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I can move my ears and move my knuckle bones.

42. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Indonesia.

43. FAVOURITE PIECE OF JEWELLERY?
Ring.

44. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
Don't have one.

45. WHAT IS YOUR QUEST?
To save up so much money that I can buy anything I want in the world.

46. WHAT IS THE AIR SPEED VELOCITY OF AN UNLADEN SWALLOW?
Probably the speed that human beings can't move at.

47.WHAT'S YOUR JOB?
Currently retail bitch.

48.TATTOOS?
No, thank you.

49.WHEN DID YOU LAST SPEND MONEY?
Just last night on a taxi ride home.

50.WHAT WILL YOU EAT AT LUNCH?
Probably something cheap, like sushi. I need to save money...

Tweet tweet

2009-04-14T00:21:00.001+10:00

I'm on Twitter now!

http://twitter.com/violetmusk

It's actually been quite fun so far...

Super random

2009-04-11T20:00:00.003+10:00

A few things that I saw in Sydney which I found to be quite weird:

- A van parked on George St with the embarrassingly huge slogan written across it - "Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!"

- Spotted in Chinatown: a little boy sitting down with what looks like an issue of FHM on his lap.

- Two ladies with a dog in their respective bags.

- A picture of a scary pink lady in the ad for Yayoi Kusama's exhibition at Sydney's MCA. And this friggin' ad is following me everywhere! Google that exhibition and see what I mean.

Apart from that, my cousin's wedding yesterday turned out to be a fantastically beautiful day. And what with the shit that happened in our family on the lead-up to it, I think she did an exceptional job planning it.

Sydney

2009-04-10T11:26:00.002+10:00

In the hotel room in Sydney.

Yey~

2009-04-02T21:09:00.004+11:00

I got a free wooden DVD/CD shelf!

But I don't have enough space for more DVDs that I'm sure to buy in the future, though.

Get moving...

2009-04-01T13:42:00.005+11:00

So M is moving back to Indo and B is moving out and back to his old place. We were helping them out with packing, cleaning and throwing things out.

I'd like to think the box above could've packed me in and send me up to Indo for free so I can eat those J.Co donuts already!

But anyway, I'm gonna miss M. Take care over there, M. Don't let the bugs bother you.

Heh. Well, it's April Fool's Day. And the joke was on me today. Just trust me on that.

Tech-savvy

2009-03-19T23:38:00.002+11:00

I feel like a laptop dealer. There's currently 3 laptops residing in my increasingly dilapidated home...

Yes, I'm obsessed...

2009-03-17T23:07:00.004+11:00

I watched this movie all in one go last night. I really like it!

Maybe I am biased because I love Robin/Dick Grayson so much and this movie features his character, but I can't help to think this movie blends just the right amount of human drama with comical cinematography. Sure, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight did the fictional landscape of Gotham City in great detail, but where's the theatrical craziness of it? Batman Forever has neon lights, buildings with non-sensical architects and the enemy headquarters in the middle of the sea. I mean, come on, you can't be too real when you do a movie based on comic books, right?

I hated Val Kilmer, but he did wonders with the Bruce Wayne/Batman character in this movie. And Chris O'Donnell as Robin is just pure pleasure to watch. To hell with the geeky belief that Robin is a curse for actors who have ever played him. When the gloves fit, you just enjoy the ride.

Gosh, of all things to have a fandom for, it has to be something that I liked 15 years ago...

More childhood dissatisfaction

2009-03-16T00:35:00.005+11:00

Bridget Jones moment #383092: I've just been sitting here watching trailers and clips from Batman Forever and the 1960s TV series of Batman.

I guess I could safely say that I'm royally obsessed with the character Robin. I think all the screen adaptations that have been produced so far did well with the character interpretation of the Boy Wonder - Burt Ward and then Chris O'Donnell, both did good with their own way of portraying the boyish charm of Dick Grayson. And it just made me realise that he was, in fact, my first superhero crush.

~~I really hope Hollywood is really gonna do that new TV series about the pre-Robin Dick Grayson. It'll be awesome.~~ Yep, no, I just found out it's not gonna happen in the near future now. Damn.

Hmm...

2009-03-09T18:33:00.000+11:00

Is it mean to recognise someone by the size of their ass?

Batman & Robin

2009-03-07T22:57:00.004+11:00

It's so random but I'm watching the original series of Batman from 1966.

Lalala~♪

12012

2009-02-20T01:25:00.005+11:00

Just started digging up 12012's stuff again. I'm not really fond of their 2009 release, but I'm loving this song released in August 2008, "太陽" ("Taiyou"). Since it means "the sun", I feel like it's the perfect song for this summer and I just think the melody is so old-school; it's the kind of music that's been done before but it's catchy, anyway.

I love the drummer. Hehehe...

Fuck this shit

2009-02-17T21:16:00.002+11:00

I thought it was too good to be true. And I was right.

Why should anything work out for me, anyway? Nothing has ever been right, so why start now?

Affectation

2009-02-16T15:32:00.007+11:00

My close friend D left Melbourne for good yesterday. It wasn't a long-winded goodbye, it wasn't sentimental. We just went to drop him off at the airport, said our farewell and he left.

I guess this drives home the point that we all eventually have to grow up and move on with our lives. If I could be childish, D, I wouldn't want to be friends with you in the beginning if I knew there was gonna be a goodbye. But we're adults; these memories have to be turned into something that we're grateful for and cherish. So for the last time, I just want to be a child and say just how much the memories kill the most. To me, it's not so much about what our friendship had been that made me sad; it's the damn things we've done together.

Of all the things that made me cry, it was my clothes in the closet and remembering which he gave compliments on. But it's so typical D - he always has nice things to say about other people, and yes, he can be a bit of an air-head sometimes, but he is nothing but genuine. That's probably one thing about him that I'll miss the most.

And then it was the music. Beyonce's "Single Ladies" will never sound the same again, because when I listen to it, all I can think about is D's spot-on booty-jiggling dances. There's also Mika, whom he was always gushing about; then Kylie ("I love the way she's so flirtatious and girly on stage!"); and then even L'arc en Ciel. I'd love to hate him for making me feel sad about good music, but I can't.

Then there's deleting his number from my phone, because that won't ever be of use again. Even if he does visit here in the future, he'll probably have to get a new number. I may sound deranged for saying this, but do you understand what it means? That number has been in my phone for the past 5 years. The past 5 years of "How are yaa?", "Shaaaaaa, would you like to go to lunch at Dessert House?", "Oh my God, I love Aggy, she's so hot!" and don't forget the "I'm dying to catch up with you, it's been ages!"

So here's to you, D. You'll be missed in Melbourne, because this city is just not the same without you. And our day-to-day photos certainly won't be the same without your fierceness.

Look at this little guy...

2009-02-09T23:43:00.003+11:00

It was so random, but a couple of weeks ago, I was in the lobby of B & M's place and I saw this little guy hanging out (literally) at the fire emergency exit notice. Just had to take a picture and that decision was right - the guy disappeared the next day when I came around again.

But onto a more serious note, right now my thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the Victorian bushfires over the weekend. It was just so shocking that you didn't believe it at first. May there be renewed hopes for those devastated by the disaster.

The big bad world of publishing - and it's only just getting the book

2009-02-08T12:51:00.004+11:00

It's been a while since I updated this blog.

Just thought I'd let the whole world know that I'm now officially obsessed with the industry of magazine publishing. And so I bought this little gem...

To further prove my point that I did everything to get my summery-coloured paws on them, let me tell you the story of how I got it. It wasn't the simple process of getting into the shop, plucking the book off the shelf and taking it to the cashier to pay for it. It was a rather long-winded experience of searching the book on the Net, reading up the reviews and deciding that it was worth every cent, then going down to the local bookshops (not one but three shops) to search for it and have the sales assistant ordering the book in for me. Then there was the whole thing of mistaking a missed call for a call from the bookshop to let me know that the book had come in, then I came in to ask for it before the sales assistant said the book had not, in fact, come in.

But eventually the book was delivered to the bookshop, I got a call from them and I picked it up. I'm thinking of covering it with some kind of plastic cover so it's not damaged.

Ah~ am I obsessed? I don't care. I love it.

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeach

2009-01-21T01:39:00.002+11:00

We had so much fun at Williamstown Beach today. And we really made the most of the trip - swimming, sunbathing, phototaking, eating on the sand, cartwheeling...

I wanna do it again.

Peachy pink

2009-01-19T22:20:00.003+11:00

Spicy salmon maki♥

I love this even though it's a bit difficult to eat.

Going to the beach tomorrow! Sun, sea, blue sky!

Under the weather

2009-01-18T22:12:00.008+11:00

New year's resolution #90342934820: drink more water and get sick less.

Oh yeah, and sleep early.

Good night~♪

Temptation from home

2009-01-15T23:47:00.004+11:00

We just got sent this calendar from Indo, containing 13 pages of delicious food pictures.

I want to burn it from envy.

Work, music and a whole lot of other crazy things

2009-01-15T00:09:00.000+11:00

The back of my neck, my throat and my ears are so sore. I feel like I'm coming down with something, and I hate to think it's because of the dust that my nose has inhaled over the past 2 days from doing stocktake at work. The place is amazingly filthy and today, I could literally smell mould.

Gross.

I've been wanting to listen to old-school J-rock music. I dug up the CDs that I burnt 3-4 years ago and I've been finding shit like Nightmare's "Dasei Boogey" and PIERROT's "Makka na Hana" PV. It's craaazy.

Anyhoo. My last entry was written while I was a little distracted. M was talking to me when I was trying to write, and basically, what I really wanted to say was that this week has been far from perfect because I've been so laid back with sleeping early and getting up on time. The story of my life; what's new, right?

I wanted to apply for this other job that S recommended to me, but I just realised it's the same workplace as a friend of my ex's. I don't know if he would even care, but I just feel so awkward to have to talk to him and stuff, if I do get the job. Plus, it's also about my pride; can I imagine myself working under this guy where he'll make me feel little while I'm trying to be this cool chick who's on the same level as everybody else in the office? Hell no.

Long story short, I've decided I'm not gonna apply for this job. As much as I need the money. As much as I desperately need the money.

Perfect week blunder

2009-01-13T23:38:00.006+11:00

So this is my full week at work and I promised to myself that I was going to be really disciplined and take good care of my health to be ready for the long hours...

...and I'm already stuffing up.

Yesterday, after I got off work at 4.30 PM, I went to see Keeks, her sister and Ceuceu and then later B joined after he finished work. Then D and Juli also came along and we hung out for coffee at Block Arcade, dinner at Dessert House and then late-night karaoke at KBox. Then I ended up sleeping over B's place because it was really late and I didn't want to taxi home. Besides, I'm on a budget, you see.

Anyway, on top of that, I'm tempted to give away my Thursday shift to someone else because Keeks and her sister are planning to go to the beach on Thursday. After all, when else can we all go together?

But anyway, it just means this week is already far from perfect.

Went to Dumplings...

2009-01-13T23:38:00.002+11:00

We love the place, full stop.

Sins like you wouldn't imagine

2009-01-12T23:41:00.001+11:00

Coffee, dinner and karaoke = lethal combination.

I've decided...

2009-01-12T00:20:00.004+11:00

...that I'm gonna make this a picture blog. At least for a while. I'll try to take pictures every day of this year, if not, pictures of things that I find interesting on certain days. See how long this project will last.

I'm excited!

Picture series 001: The usual mischief at B & M's loft.

Unproductive

2009-01-11T11:08:00.000+11:00

I just woke up now and I hate the feeling of having woken up late and missing the first part of the day. I mean, it's not like there's anything I have to do today, but I just feel unproductive.

I need to go see this dorama I rented Hanayome to Papa. Not because I'm keen on seeing it, but because I need to return it soon, you see.

Midnight ramble

2009-01-11T01:37:00.005+11:00

I hung out tonight at V's place; there were B, D and Ceuceu, as well as Amar and Tanno. We got together to watch "Transamerica" and then sat around for a bit of talk and some drinks. It was nice, clean fun tonight.

I need to go and rest for the whole day tomorrow. It's my last day off before I have to work on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They're not extremely long hours, but I know I'll go nuts from having to see the same place every day for 7 days.

But that also means money, which is always good. I'm planning to save up a lot this year, especially since there's the possibility that K, A, L and I are going to Japan this September. On top of that, my cousin and I have already planned to go around Indo between July and August. Well, I'm hoping to get a bit of financial boost for that trip from my lovely grandparents, so if that happens, technically I need to just save up for Japan.

I am shit-tired. I'm gonna go and get some sleep now then.

Here's to 2009

2009-01-07T23:02:00.007+11:00

So it's the new year already, and it's been a funny first week of 2009.

I slept through the New Year's countdown, so I had at least enough rest before working on the New Year's Day.

Then on the 3rd, I went for a road trip with my parents and B and D. That combination of participants was funny enough, but then D had a massive motion sickness halfway through the drive and he had to take anti-nausea tablets before making our way home. I took one too cause I also got sick from looking at D being sick. Either way, we had fun checking out the sights, though.

On the 5th, I had a friend's party and being the ass that I am, I bought a dress especially for the occasion - on the same day. It wasn't an expensive dress, though, and I think it's pretty so I guess I'll be able to wear it for a couple of times.

The next day, my friends and I went to the beach but we only managed to stay there for about 2 hours because cold wind started coming and we had to pack up before we got blown away to the middle of the sea.

And finally, today we saw Twilight and I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. It was - I'm sorry - one of the worst movies I've ever seen. The action part was fine, but the romance part? You could tell it was written by some crazy fanfiction geek. "You're my personal brand of heroin"? Pfft. Please. Even my ass can come up with something better than that.

I can't wait to see what else 2009 will bring for me.

"Sober"

2008-12-30T19:01:00.002+11:00

I really like this song right now...

PINK - "Sober"

I don't wanna be the girl who laughs the loudest
Or the girl who never wants to be alone
I don't wanna be that call at four o'clock in the morning
'Cause I'm the only one in the world you know that won't be home

Ah, the sun is blinding
I stayed up again
Oh, I am finding
That's not the way I want my story to end

I'm safe up high, nothing can touch me
But why do I feel this party's over?
No pain inside, you're my protection
But how do I feel this good sober?

I don't wanna be the girl that has to fill the silence
The quiet scares me 'cause it screams the truth
Please don't tell me that we had that conversation
'Cause I won't remember, save your breath
'Cause what's the use?

Ah, the night is calling
And it whispers to me softly, "Come and play"
But I, I am falling
And if I let myself go I'm the only one to blame

I'm safe up high, nothing can touch me
But why do I feel this party's over?
No pain inside, you're like perfection
But how do I feel this good sober?

Coming down, coming down, coming down
spinning round, spinning round, spinning round
I'm looking for myself, sober

When it's good, then it's good, it's so good till it goes bad
Till you're trying to find the you that you once had
I have heard myself cry, "Never again"
Broken down in agony, just trying to find a friend, oh

I'm safe up high, nothing can touch me
But why do I feel this party's over?
No pain inside, you're like perfection
But how do I feel this good sober?

LM.C

2008-12-19T13:58:00.005+11:00

I've been listening to LM.C's stuff again, after not having done so for a while. They're a duo from Japan who specialise in electro pop-rock or as they'd like to call it, "new century electro-rock". Their guitarist is Aiji from the now-deceased popular rock band PIERROT and the vocalist Maya has done some work in the past with popular solo artist Miyavi.

In the span of time that I haven't followed their activity, their website has been translated into 4 languages; they're set to play Taiwan, Korea, Brazil, Chile and Europe next year; they've been featured in foreign publications, both online and print; and they've allowed their international fans to pre-order tickets for their Japanese dates. Not bad at all for a band who has just become active a mere 2 years ago.

I recommend:

"little Fat Man boy"

"OH MY JULIET"

"Haunted House make a Secret"

"John"

"88"

(Image courtesy of formoz.com)

"Tonight...I'm a rock 'n' roll star!"

2008-12-17T22:59:00.006+11:00

Here's a confession: I love rockstars.

I know it's something so cliche, and anybody who knows me knows that I'm a sucker for band boys. But there's something magical about the idea of rockstars. I don't just mean being dressed in leather jackets, skinny jeans and having the eternal bed hair. There's so much more about being rockstars - it's probably the romanticism of having so many followers screaming your name; of having blogs that aren't just gonna be read, but drooled over by fans; and the classic one, to have your pictures taken everywhere you go. Celebrities have that too, but when you're a rockstar, you have this automatic 'cool' status given to you, even when you're caught picking your nose publicly.

And no matter what you wear, the 'cool' stamp is still there. If you wear a Christmas snowflake jumper but everyone knows you play guitar/drums/bass guitar/tambourine in some band, people will still wanna get down on their knees and kiss your rockstar boots.

It's just such a fascinating concept. I would say The Beatles started this whole rock 'n' roll euphoria, but then again, Zeus from the Greek mythology was loved by a lot of women, so maybe he could have invented the rockstar status. So where did this all begin?

Greetings and bitchings

2008-12-14T00:57:00.003+11:00

So my friend D has decided to start a new blog Viva Salvatore! I hope you didn't get that title from Coldplay, did you D? :P

On another note, I passed this semester of school. I've got another one to go and hopefully I'll graduate with the long-overdue Masters in Media & Communications in June next year. Cross fingers.

And just wanna ask this: am I nuts or is Kings of Leon extremely annoying? Their songs are so dumb but they get a lot of airplay everywhere! In the past week, I've heard their music in a random Sportsgirl store, on TV, on the radio, at JB Hi-Fi. It's probably a matter of days before they play it in public toilets across Melbourne.

New favourite

2008-12-11T20:16:00.009+11:00

Okay, after so many reality TV shows out there based on fashion, this one has finally hit my favouritism in a big way.

Stylista is the perfect meeting between my two favourite things: fashion and magazine publishing. It's got all the ingredients from both - drama, editorials, fashionable moments and of course, the stupid wannabes.

This show makes me want to learn more and sit at Borders for hours to read "Magazine Publishing for Dummies". And I'm feeling even more inspired to be that successful bitch of an editor now.

(Image courtesy of elle.com)

Whatever I like

2008-12-11T17:39:00.002+11:00

There's nothing better than a bit of vitamin D and a good dose of caffeine on your day off.

I've been way overdue for this shit.

Hell, yeah!

2008-12-10T20:46:00.005+11:00

Blur is back!

They will be reuniting for a big show in the UK next summer. There's no official press conference yet, but Damon spoke in an interview that a reunion is in their plan for the year ahead.

I literally jumped around when I saw the news on TV this morning. I knew something like this would happen soon; I just had the feeling!

(Image courtesy of guardian.co.uk)

Saint Seiya: live-action movie

2008-12-10T01:00:00.004+11:00

Yep, just heard from my sister that the hugely popular anime and manga Saint Seiya is going to be turned into a live-action movie...sometime soon.

As much as I'm just so-so when it comes to the series, I actually would like to see the movie when it comes out. It would be so interesting to see how tacky the costumes and settings are gonna be.

(Image courtesy of saint-seiya.com)

Confused?

2008-12-10T00:34:00.003+11:00

I swear to God, sometimes I feel like I should've been born as a boy.

I'm not a domestic person at all - I don't cook, I don't iron, I don't do laundry, I don't make my own bed; I don't have the niceness that girls do where they greet people they know, and instead I ignore them (which probably means I'm bitchy and that's just about the only thing that defines me as a girl); and for the mercy of all things good and nice, I don't groom myself until quite recently, and yes, in case anybody's forgotten, I'm well in my 20s. Today's girls already know how to put on mascara when they're still in their nappies.

Oh, and I forgot to mention this one little gem: my parents were expecting a boy when they had me. That was until I went out and they saw that I will never have the tendency to grow a penis. For five days I was the baby with no name because nobody in the family had prepared a girl's name.

I'm just waiting for the day that gay guys will start falling in love with me. And that's likely, you know, since I have quite a few gay friends.

Ah, someone slap me.

Britney

2008-12-02T23:11:00.004+11:00

I just watched the "Britney: For The Record" documentary tonight (complete with B's corned beef macaroni in a smoke-filled room).

I don't call myself a fan, but I do have sympathy for the girl. The doco might've been designed in such a way that made viewers feel sorry for her, but she probably is the modern poor little rich girl. One scene in the documentary showed she couldn't get out of her car because paparazzi were being abusive outside. To me, that looked like being stuck in a potentially dangerous street riot; in her case, it happens every day.

Everything she's done is recorded, exposed and judged; she's not an ordinary person, and she doesn't have the choice to be one. How can that not fuck you up after 10 years?

Anyhoo, all the best to Britney, man. If she pulls through this thing, she's gonna be the next Madonna. She really will be.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow's Christmas breakfast with the girls from work.

(Image courtesy of perezhilton.com)

Mumbai

2008-11-28T19:10:00.010+11:00

You know, the Mumbai terrorist attack has been troubling me for some time now.

We'd just witnessed a message of hope from Barack Obama a little over 3 weeks ago, when he was elected as the first US black president. That marked that there really is the open-mindedness, the togetherness of humanity. Everyone was so hopeful - expectant, almost - that solidarity would be even more promoted now, and racial prejudice would slowly be eliminated.

And then this terrorist attack in Mumbai happened and all hopes were dashed. These terrorists targeted foreigners, motivated by what I'm only guessing as hatred against the Western way of life.

I guess this just proves the point that inspiring solidarity between race and class is not an easy task; that it won't happen overnight. But I can't help feeling so sad about it, that strong hatred still exists out there, or that misled people are out to prove their point in the most extreme way.

My thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost their loved ones as well as the hostages still currently held in the attack.

(Image courtesy of cnn.com)

Conquer all?

2008-11-28T16:48:00.004+11:00

I finished my exam!

It's been such a long time since I had a proper sit-down exam at school, so Tuesday's exam was a big deal for me. Not to mention, I hate the subject. I couldn't wait till it was all over. And now it is!

I just hope I won't jinx it; not that if I fail this subject then I have to repeat it, since it's only an elective, but I feel like I should prove to myself (and the world) that I can conquer my dislike and still win - so passing the subject would be my victory against this subject and the tutors and whatever else I don't like about it.

December 13, please come faster!

Ugh, I just ate a chunk of chilli in my fried rice.

Feeling decadent

2008-11-21T23:18:00.004+11:00

Today felt like a perfect day, despite all the rain. I was wearing an outfit that I actually like (call me superficial but yes, liking your outfit is as important as flossing your teeth regularly), had coffee with my mum and my sister and I went shopping; I bought the French Sole ballet flats that I'd been wanting over the past week.

It was just an indulgent day.

Reunion

2008-11-20T23:11:00.004+11:00

Hello, haven't seen you for a while...

I had dinner with P tonight and the CDs that I'd lent her about two years ago have now been returned to me, safe and sound. One of them is this PIERROT album, which happens to be one of my all-time favourites. Oh, how I've missed you.

Say yes to being beautiful

2008-11-19T22:37:00.007+11:00

I'm currently obsessed with beauty products. I guess it's because of all the Christmas shopping, but there seems to be an abundant supply of products to apply to your hair/face/eyes/body/etc.

Wherever you turn, there seems to be a new product to enhance your eyes, reduce your pores, prevent acne, erase wrinkles (hey, I just realised that beauty adverts don't use the word 'wrinkles' so they don't offend their middle-aged audience) and even inject fillings to your face minus the surgery.

In this day and age, who cannot transform themselves into something they weren't born as? More so, everybody has the means to be beautiful now, just make sure you define it. The cliche is, these products are all sold in attractive packaging because we will always pay attention to beauty, no? But the definition of beauty itself is changing everyday, thanks to the manufacturing of these products.

There's some food for thought. In the meantime, I'm going shopping.

Morals of the day

2008-11-16T01:10:00.004+11:00

I broke one of my favourite bracelets tonight. It probably doesn't sound like much of a big deal, but I'm actually a little sad about it, which is why I'm gonna try and get it fixed.

And I also just figured out today how to use my eye make-up remover liquid properly. It turns out I have to shake well each time before using it. All these times I've been put off by it because it left yucky oily residue on my skin. And now I know why.

As for the more philosophical part of the day, I just literally found out the meaning behind the saying "where there's a will there's a way". Whereas some people have found out and acted on it, I've been stuck in a rut, thinking nothing was going to go well no matter what I did. Well, of course nothing would happen if I didn't do jackshit and kept blaming it on the situation. Learning to take the credit and turning around to take charge of the situation is actually quite a liberating experience; coming home at the end of the day feeling sorry for myself is not.

I guess I did myself a bit proud tonight, and that's always, always liberating.

Yey

2008-11-13T22:27:00.003+11:00

Tomorrow's schedule:

11 AM: Swimming at K's

2 PM: Meeting @ Chapelli's

4 PM: Coffee with S

7 PM: Dinner party

9 PM: Drinks!

Modern Frankenstein

2008-11-08T22:41:00.002+11:00

I need a new neck, a new pair of shoulders, new skin, new eyes, new teeth and new hair, please.

Oh, and a new pair of legs won't hurt either. And maybe while we're at it, a new tummy.

Jargon, anyone?

2008-11-05T17:46:00.003+11:00

XML, XSL, XPath, XSLT...

Bet you know what I'm talking about, right? No? Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realise I've taken up an advanced class in multimedia programming.

I can't wait till this semester is over. I hate this class.

Donuts and politics

2008-11-05T16:44:00.002+11:00

Someone please get me a box of J.Co donuts!

I mean, pleeeeeeeeeease!

I've had two dreams about them in the past week, only thing is, I never got to eat the damn things because, hey, they were just dreams!

Anyway, Obama is officially elected as America's 44th president today. Fantastic.

It's out!

2008-10-30T11:47:00.003+11:00

Anyway, onto a happier note...The newest Majalah Qita is out since last week, and it's featuring the very successful fashion shoot that we did last month. I'm so glad it turned out well; everyone who was involved in this issue should be proud of themselves!

Kids

2008-10-29T21:04:00.003+11:00

I love kids, I do; I just don't know how to treat them and act around them. But I love how they're really cute and huggable.

So today when I saw these 2 siblings playing around on the train I smiled. I just think they were so innocent and oblivious to the big bad world out there. They should probably just stay like that forever.

Then there was this old man, all of a sudden, starting to pick a fight with this girl just behind me. I don't really know what the main argument between them was, but basically it seemed like the guy was lecturing the girl; he's right and she's wrong. I don't know if he was in the right in this argument, but I just think that it's plain wrong for him to swear in front of the kids I mentioned earlier. They were right there, watching the whole thing unfold and they were probably absorbing everything. As they say, kids are like sponges, they take in whatever they see and feel and keep them.

So anyhow, I just think that guy was nasty. Even if I'm not in one of those kids' welfare organisations thing or whatever, I still think we should protect their innocence and their happy little world for as long as they need it.