Camp Awesome

She did

2007-09-19T07:11:00.000-07:00

The big weekend has finally come and gone: Liz is now married! She's off in the French Riviera, honeymooning around Nice, Monaco, and Cannes. My parents took a post-wedding holiday to New York, too. And I'm in Langley, enjoying the fog and squirrels that drop walnuts on your head as you walk by. Where is the justice?!! Not in my back pocket, that's for sure. Also, is anyone else finding their office attire is bending more and more towards what Mr. Rogers wore AFTER he got home? The front pockets on my cardigan are sure handy!* Langley isn't SO bad...yet. My neighbours haven't made any complaints about my incessant music-playing-dishwashing-plate-dropping-smoke-
alarming-door-banging ways yet, and I found out there's an H-Mart out here (but I can't find the address)!! And a T & T in Surrey! And of course, the Olive Garden.

I would like you people to know that a truck just drove by pulling two cows in a trailer.

* My bad. After googling, it turns out Mr. Rogers wore zippered sweaters with no front pockets:

Bike it out

2007-07-25T21:53:00.001-07:00

It's summertime, and that means I want to ride my bicycle.

Japanese brand Arrow, and their bespoke line Trunk, design simple, logo-less bicycles and hella sweet accessories, like wooden bells and passenger chariots. I want them all, in case you were wondering, especially the Yamajin.

The Wall Street Journal published an article recently on the awesomeness of biking in Denmark and the Netherlands.

The Dutch Bicycle Company can help you channel Copenhagen with little push-go-karts.

Henry WorkCycles produces a bike for you to carry a lot of ice cream in, and one to pioneer the Western frontier.

I didn't figure this out myself. For more bicycling goodies, go to Velo Orange.

Ahoy, mateys!

2007-07-20T15:50:00.000-07:00

If you can make it, the What The Heck Fest is happening in Anacortes this weekend. Most importantly, that means tomorrow is Shipwreck Saturday! Bring your totes and load up on the loot!

Lonely no more

2007-07-16T15:19:00.001-07:00

What does a girl need in the dead of summer in Vancouver, with her nearest and dearest spread out all over the world, and no nine-to-fiver to occupy her time?

No, no, no, not a gym membership, Mom.

What I need is an Asahi Beerbot!

This perfect little companion will store your beer all summer and, with the push of a button, pour you a cool one when it's time to celebrate your triumphs or seek comfort during the lows. It even pauses twice to adjust the tilt of your glass so that the head pours just so. And did I mention the programmable Japanese exclamations? Hello awesome!! Now only if it could walk and hold your hand...

And then we dance

2007-06-16T00:48:00.000-07:00

Hurrah! Another concert success at the Plaza Club! Saw the Pipettes tonight with TBW, Cwang, and Elaine. The show was awesome and they did their mightiest to get Vancouver people to dance (or at least sort-of-sway). But the big surprise was their opening act. No, not Monster Bob, but Smoosh! They introduced a 3rd Smoosh, a wee one (!), who is rocking the bass guitar! She wore awesome tights and counted out her beats under her breath. I hope they don't go all Olsen as they grow up.

I'm determined to learn an instrument, now. I just have to decide which one. And then I can be a Smoosh, too!

Go Team!

2007-06-06T22:52:00.000-07:00

Everyone, please welcome Cwang back to Vancouver! High five!

Don't stop 'til you get enough

2007-05-23T14:48:00.000-07:00

Whoa! Yah, I'm still alive! It's been non-stop since exams ended, starting off with an interview in Victoria (no dice), and then zipping off to New York for 9-1/2 days.

Big Apple City was sweeeeeeet! TBW and I walked all over 2 of the 3 boroughs, made excessive use of our subway passes (I love the 6! I hate the E!), and shopped and ate until we dropped on a daily basis. The only thing we didn't drop was the beats at Hip Hop Karaoke (TBW's song wasn't on the karaoke list), but daaaang, those whiteboy computer guys have some mad werd skillz, yo. And Hip Hop Karaoke was just part of the awesomeness. We stayed at Chui's, Kari's (thank you!), and the Pod Hotel, trekked around Midtown, covered Soho, watched a ball game and some hecklers at Central Park, wandered around the Met (yay! Costume Institute!) and Moma (double yay!) and the Cooper-Hewitt (triple yay!), tripped through the West Village, explored Brooklyn, and did as much as we could of Century 21 in half an hour. And the FOOD! We tried dumplings at Mandoo (awesome) and Momofuku (awesome) and Joe's Shanghai, of course (but just say no to Dumpling Man), grilled corn and horachas at the Red Hook Ball Fields, fried chicken and catfish and chitterlings (nooooooo!) at the Pink Tea Cup, tarts at Egg Custard King in Chinatown (the best ever), pricey pasta at the Original Vincent's in Little Italy, meat on a stick, buttery goodies from the Bouchon Bakery, gelato in Brooklyn, yakitori in the East Village, Vietnamese food at the Mooncake Cafe (cheap and good!), fancy hot chocolate at Max Brenner, lots of rice at Rice, tummy-rubbing milkshakes and burgers (made of sirloin and brisket!) at the Shake Shack, and then there was Lindsay's Sedar, and Katz's Deli...! I'm full just thinking about it. Hurrah! New York! My nose is just starting to feel normal again, and I can't wait to go back! There are some pictures here, but they are mostly of Moma. TBW should have more.

When I finally came home (a day later and somehow via the 8th Mile and Cincinatti), I went to Feist and accidentally got hired to do unpaid articles in Langley (emphasis on the accidentally). And at 8:30 this morning, I graduated with the awesome Law Class of 2007 and a very disfunctional grad cap. It was cool seeing everyone (some for the last time, I wonder), and my Dad got some mileage out of the "I'm a Wong ... I'm a Wong ... I'm a-Right" joke (Papa Mah's personal favourite).

Phew. Time to take a nap. K.I.T. H.A.G.S.

End of the road/extension

2007-05-03T22:30:00.000-07:00

Finally. The last citation has been footnoted, and the last poorly formatted memo dropped off at the Fishbowl (I cared so little, I typed it in Times New Roman! Barf.). Law school is done ... FOREVA. Hurrah! Life feels like a Feist video, right about now.

Now there's nothing to do but gallivant around in primary colours, obviously. Pass me that blue spangled jumpsuit, stat!

Ahhhh yessssss. The sweet sigh of satisfaction. I heart you, Feist. When I grow up, I want to sing and dance just like you.

Going to the chapel and they spelled his name right!

2007-05-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

My sister's getting married this September, and these are a few of her engagement photos. Hee hee hee. These are particularly hilarious to me because I know Liz is generally opposed to nature, and would never scrunch her hair. And there she is, lying in the grass. Ahhhhh! Professionally posed PDA!!

Hello, Abi!

2007-05-01T23:59:00.000-07:00

It still says Goodbye Moss Burger!!

Why yes, I do have 3 more papers and an exam to do

2007-04-22T23:55:00.000-07:00

Finals Fantasy Mix

2007-04-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

Golly! It's the last set of 100% finals and citation-heavy papers I'll ever need to write! Law school is done in 9 days, and this is the music that's getting me through it.

1. Faith - George Michael
2. Freedom - George Michael
3. She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals
4. Someday - The Strokes
5. Come On Eileen - Dexys Midnight Runners
6. Don't Stop Me Now - Queen
7. Faith - George Michael
8. Yeah Yeah Yeah Song - The Flaming Lips
9. Handle With Care - Travelling Wilburys
10. I Wanna Be Like Johnny C - Loveninjas
11. Freedom - George Michael
12. Ms. Jackson - Outkast
13. Drive My Car - The Beatles
14. Hold On - Wilson Phillips*

*Mandatory law school track.

No, your eyes do not deceive you. There is a heavy emphasis on the George Michael this term, 'cause isn't finishing law school going to be a lot like leaving Wham!, making it big as a solo artist, getting arrested for violations of indecency a few years down the road, and then being found slumped over the wheel of your Mercedes S-class with a baggy of cannabis in your back pocket? Am I right or am I right?

PS. Now is a better time than any to start a band obsession a la Grade 9 style. I heart you Travelling Wilburys, and your Lucky Boo, too.

Not so sucky

2007-04-16T12:01:00.000-07:00

I have hearted Suck UK pretty heavily since the advent of the Internet allowed me to discover them (pre-Internet, it's safe to say I didn't really know what design was). I had to avoid their site for a time because the object-worshipping was getting out of control. I recently visited to see if they still sold the Notebook + Pencil, and, again, lost it with the lusting. I also noticed they have a graphics design intern placement program. Le sigh.

The Ambigram doormat reads Come In or Go Away, depending on which way you put it. AMAZING.

Hip flask hidden in a bible? HOW LOVELY.

But my true love? The Sun Jar. During the day, solar cells and a rechargeable battery inside the mason jar soak up the light and store energy. At night, the LED light sense it's dark and automatically turns on. SUN JAR, WILL YOU MARRY ME?

So you wanna be a hipster

2007-04-12T21:16:00.001-07:00

That's an avocado, alright

2007-04-12T02:50:00.000-07:00

TBW's new Music Picks article for The Tyee is up!

Last week, Music Picks featured the Choir Practice, which is TBW's bf's sister-in-law's band. She's also the one that designs Steiger. Oh, the multi-talented.

And I forgot to put this up last week: this is Kari! I've met her and now there's proof on the Internet, which never lies!

The last of it

2007-04-11T15:45:00.000-07:00

16 days, 3 papers, 2 exams. That's all it's gonna take to graduate.

Wretchedly, the Series of Unfortunate Events That Could Happen to a Taxi Driver Who Tested Positive on a Drug Test, starring the Fourth Amendment and a missing Test Sample (you know what that is), have sucked up the last 3 days of my life and are standing in the way of my happiness. Why? Because I don't understand how Quicklaw works . There may also be a slight tendency to stay in my pyjamas until all hours of noon (these last 3 years of academia have sure turned me into a useful and contributing member of society).

To make things even more funner, I decided to try this detox-cleanse thing (yes, I also am rolling my eyes at the sounds of it). So far, it means I get to eat a lot of steak, fish, and broccoli, but not white rice, pasta, bread, dairy, or fermented things. I started it this morning and I've already cheated. And I'm probably going to have fried chicken and beer for dinner tonight. I also tried to follow some yoga that I saw on TV and now I hurt in a bad way. This is what happens when I'm left unsupervised. Aw shieeeet.

Anglophilia

2007-04-04T16:49:00.000-07:00

Although my head may not weigh more than the rest of my body, I still want to get my ass to effing Topshop! Kate Moss' collection is coming out, and Vogue UK has a sweet preview of the line. If a seat sale was going on, I'd totally hop on a plane to London just to try and get half a lower leg into a size -9 dress. Sweet!

Top type

2007-04-03T14:34:00.000-07:00

On top of having it's own movie, MoMA is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the birth of Helvetica with a year-long exhibition. 50 Years of Helvetica will include installations, signage, posters, a t-shirt from Experimental Jetset, clips from the Helvetica film, and Matthew Carter's original Neue Haas Grotesk specimen book (!!!!!!). Go Helvetica Go!

No more kvetching

2007-03-31T21:40:00.000-07:00

Check it: I'm not wearing socks!! Hurrah!

It's the last month of school (possibly forever ever), so in celebration and protest, I welcomed a vintage nanny cape, a pair of $3 thrift sale Bally old lady pumps, and an awesome Casio Rapman to the family (high-five TBW, who ravages Value Village like no other!). Now if only I could find a job that allows me to combine all these things...

Sunlight and modern consumption (the non-tuberculosis kind) are not only making everything twice as nice, they're also making me do crazy things, like work on my fitness (including wheezing and clutching my back exercises), and hallucinate about having already finished papers which, in reality, I haven't even started. Oh Saturday nights, you so crazy.

Let's stay together

2007-03-14T01:59:00.000-07:00

Sigh. Graduation. Time to get dressed up and group-sway to Vitamin C. Prom night turned out to be a dressy version of Awesome, with some heavy flask action, running away from the Edge, Mariah, and circling the dance floor like a vulture. Awwwwww law school. When the semester ends and we all go to our respective jobs or unemployment, I'm definitely going to miss the drunk dancing, midnight canning, MSN marathons, and Candida's lemon loaf slices.

Relive all the glamour of prom here.

And I know there are more pictures out there! Especiall of Cowl! Send them to me! I WANT THEM ALL! (2 points for unnecessary fanatacism).

Always be prepared

2007-03-07T20:39:00.000-08:00

WARNING: Rambly and anxious with a tendency to catastrophize.

As the world knows by now, I don't really want to be a lawyer. And with graduation fast-ish approaching, the question of articling keeps coming up time and again and again and again. There are no more buffer years to protect me from thinking about it anymore: am I going to be a lawyer? Well, I don't want to be. Even for a little bit? No, not really. There's lots of talk about just getting articling over it and being called to the bar and getting to say I'm a lawyer, not just a former law student. That all makes fine and dandy sense. I probably should. I need to pay off the debt, and get out of this house, and if anything, it'll strengthen my character or something (I figure a year of misery will at least do that).

And then I go to a Tuesday night lecture hosted by Chuck Klosterman at the newly-seated, nicely-designed-postered Norm Theatre. And he talks about how he got his first job, and his second job, and how he wrote his book. And he's funny and opinionated and seems genuinely excited and interested in what he does and how he does it.

I manage to fall asleep convincing myself that my life doesn't end with articling and that I, too, can be Chuck Klosterman after I article. I've got time. I've got tiiiiiiiiiiiiime, right?

And then TBW points me to the Editor's Letter of this month's Dwell magazine (that is some good periodical ish), where he describes how the now Editor-in-Chief was unemployed, then applied to a job on craiglist for an "editorial assitant for a design and architecture magazine", and how every moment of the last 6 years at Dwell have been awesome and interesting and life-changing and growing. How working at Dwell wasn't just a job, it was the job, the dream job.

Well yay you people who chose the right profession and have succeeded. Yay you and bully for me. Basically, it all seems to boil down to luck and circumstances and timing. And preparation. As it turns out, I've spent the last 3 years knowingly preparing myself for something I don't want to do. So now what? Switch to something new or play the wilful blindness card and persist for a little while? Give law another chance? That is the question, and has been the question for the last three years. Except now, I really need to answer it. Sort of. Or at least temporarily answer it. Fick.

PS. I want this table by Olivier Droillard real bad:

Monday really IS funday!

2007-03-05T00:52:00.000-08:00

OF ALL TIME!!

That's my second mention on his page!! Yaaaaaaaahh!!!

You say it's your birthday, it's my birthday too - yeah!

2007-02-28T20:38:00.000-08:00

Hurrah! It's my birthday! Woot! I was born!

Thanks for remembering, and taking me out all day, and sending all the well-wishes and birthday greetings. I am a very very lucky 25 year old. It's gonna be a big year. I can feel it! Good things are on the brink, and grad is coming up, and I even found the shoes I've been dreaming of for the past six months!

"I would like you to dance - birthday!
Take a cha-cha-cha-chance - birthday!"

For the love of @*&#$!!!

2007-02-26T14:28:00.000-08:00

Okay okay okay I get it. New York is a kabillion times better than Vancouver. I get it already. I figured out when I heard about your outdoor ice skating rinks and Muppet-themed parties and Marc Jacobs' sample sales and Brooklyn brownstones and Arcade Fire concerts and Phillipe Starck signage and modernist hotels. The World Graphic Design Foosball Championship is really just rubbing it in, don't you think? Sheesh.

Pull shapes!

2007-02-23T17:19:00.000-08:00

The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics, was written and illustrated by Norton Juster, with typography done by Don Foster. Two years after its publication in 1963, MGM turned the book into a 10-minute animation, which ended up winning the 1965 Academy Award for Animated Short Film. Both the book and the narrated animation are gorgeous and clever and typographical (even though they only feature a few numbers, and no letters or puncutation), and have the added bonus of featuring geometry (which generally floats my boat). Watch it!

Cure my blindness

2007-02-22T01:01:00.000-08:00

Years of being a geeked out Chinese kid obsessed with reading comics and Anne of Green Gables have sadly left me bespectacled for life (although, rumour has it, reading in the dark doesn't actually harm your eyesight). Since my sense of smell isn't so good that I can exist by simply hearing my opponent in a prison yard battle, I need glasses. For some reason, I've always chosen really sketchy, unflattering things to correct my vision and I'm determined to not repeat the same mistake this time. This year, Elton John has smiled upon me, and I've actually found two I like! I know what you're thinking: c'est impossible! Now I just have to decide which ones I'm going to get before my medical runs out.

Option 1: A sweet pair of frames from (brace yourselves), Juicy Couture. Can I do it? Will I actually be able to put these on my face and not accidentally slip into a velour tracksuit and bleach my hair blonde? Pro: They have this awesome transparent corner detailing. Con: The inside of the arm is inscribed with Juicy Couture American Princess. Shoot me in the face.

Option 2: Specs from ProDesign Denmark. They get the European brand points, but really aren't as sweet as the Juicy ones for some reason. Pro: they come with nosepads (Chinese = no nose bridge = boourns), and they kind of look like compressed plywood, and who wouldn't want that on their face? Con: a bit heavy looking, and pricier.

What's a myopic girl to frickin' do?!

You be Whitney

2007-02-15T21:52:00.000-08:00

If you are TBW, Swedish, or preparing for a wild night of karaoke, then this video makes perfect sense:

In my pocket

2007-02-11T18:04:00.000-08:00

They came out in 2005, but I'm behind the times and just discovered the awesomness that is the 70th Anniversary Penguin Pockets series. Oh what prettiness!

Top of the swaps

2007-02-07T20:17:00.000-08:00

While clicking around the Information Superhighway, I happened upon Swap-o-Rama, an event where peeps show up with clothes to trade, a big swap happens, and then participants get to saddle up to a sewing workshop and turn their find into something wearable. Shockingly, the Vancouver Swap happened last September and I had no idea!! Either I'm out of it, or there's a lot of covert awesomeness going down in Vancouver. It's a pretty sweet idea + hopefully it'll come around again. For now, I'll be content with Value Village and TBW's rebuttoning skillz.

The marriage of awesome

2007-02-05T01:47:00.000-08:00

On Saturday night, I was privileged to celebrate Jaeho + Nadia as the best man's date at their wedding (I got to sit at the head table and wear new shoes and everything!). It was my first non-family, non-kid's table wedding, and it friggin' Rocked Out! The pictures I managed to take before my battery died are here.

This one's my favourite:

Chop on the block

2007-02-02T00:14:00.000-08:00

I always feel optimism and wanderlust after visiting with my awesome hairdresser, Julie. She trims my bangs in the outfit I'm still trying to put together and tells me about her recent or forthcoming trip from or to Chicago/San Francisco/Brazil/Stockholm/Copenhagen/other hipster locale, the hotels she's booked on Tablet, the friends she's visited, what tea she drank, and her adventures as a part-time deejay. Yeah. She has one of those lives.

On Wednesday, I was telling her about how, for a while now, I've been longing for a high school dance, complete with streamers draped around seismic ceiling beams, a shinied up gym floor, rented disco ball, and Le Chateau shoes. But most important of all, I want the slow dancing. Arms fully extended, stare at your toes, Boyz II Men blaring from the speakers, slow-dancing. The good stuff. Now, I always imagined that these things must be going on in New York, or Tokyo. I bet the people in San Paulo have high school dance parties for grown ups. At any rate, I was sure they were happening anywhere but Vancouver. And then I found out Julie's friend had just held a slow dance party that weekend at his house. A slow dance party. In Vancouver. She deejayed the event, and for her efforts, she has been promoted to Commodore First Class Matson on Party Army. Their website states they're a s society dedicated to party-offs and according to their forum, there's a prom going on, AND a bring-your-own-flask bingo night. Hmmm. What with the awesomness of Hoko's last weekend, maybe Vancouver ain't so stodgy after all. F'real?

weeBay!

2007-02-01T19:16:00.000-08:00

WOOT WOOT! Cheeks are still flush and adrenaline still pumping after winning my first eBay auction. I am victorious!! Vintage trench coat, thou art mine! C'est formidable!

Sidebar: Katie also said "bingo bango" in class, which may or may not have pump-pump-pumped up the volume even more.

Get with the program

2007-01-29T22:42:00.000-08:00

So, like the rest of the world, I've become obsessed with global warming and how humans are effing the world all up and killing the polar bears. Today, BldgBlog posted an interesting perspective on architecture, climate change, the 2010 Imperative, and why we need to bust a move before it's too late.

Hurrah for afros!

2007-01-18T23:22:00.000-08:00

The happiest place on earth

2007-01-15T10:09:00.000-08:00

I had a moment in time with Pizzicato Five in undergrad and now, a few years later, their shimmy-shimmying still blows my mind. Look at that bowl cut! And that suit! And haven't you always wanted to do The Twist in a coonskin cap? Yeah, me too. And that's what makes Pizzicato Five so friggin' awesome. They make dreams come true, people. Dreams. Come. True.

Happy new ear!

2007-01-10T15:02:00.000-08:00

Today I had toast with three ears on it. Creeeepy to say the least (but not as creepy as toast with no ears). I still ate it. What do you suppose it means?

Order a shot of siesta

2006-12-14T10:26:00.000-08:00

Tonight I learned that I can write 15 pages in the span of 12 hours (10 PM to 10 AM, no doubt). I also learned that some exams are better than others, and take-home exams are the runt of the litter, the petard of the pack, the beast of the barn, the ugly baby in the room.

Now gimme some whisky and a sleeping bag.

Haiku I do

2006-12-13T12:07:00.000-08:00

Write a sweet poem.
Win yourself some fame and friends.
Tyrannosaurus.

The 2007 Haiku Invitational. Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival.

Why study

2006-12-12T23:48:00.000-08:00

...when you can have a secret dance party?!!

How to Succeed in Law School: An Authoritative Guide

2006-12-11T18:02:00.000-08:00

1. Use up 9 forests worth of trees printing at least 5 CANS. You need at least five. 1 for reference, 1 for verification, 1 for getting food stains on, and 3 for good luck. Also, learn to add.

2. Live in a suburb so you can get caught in traffic on the way to your exams. The extra travel time and early morning rush hour will help put you in the mood.

3. While rushing to leave your suburban home on the morning of an exam, leave your collection of finely printed, superbly highlighted, expertly tabbed binder of CANS in the hallway. Don't realize you left your CANS at home until you're at school and have only half an hour until your exam begins. This is key. If you discover your mistake too soon, then you'll have time to go back home and fetch aforementioned CANS. That simply won't do. You need to be in a state of utter distress. Going back for your CANS deprives you of the panic necessary for a prime exam writing experience (which includes screaming FUUUUUUUCK in the library at 8:51 in the morning).

4. Go to a law school with a library that has special printers that talk to you. Make sure they only say "Error". Hopefully, they aren't lonely because they also have special computers friends that say "Printer not detected". This is exciting and very exclusive. Only the best technology is able to reject your advances.

5. Go to a law school with a law library that has photocopiers born in 1472. Listen for the "kreeeeeeeeeeeeeeyoooooooo" sound. The whining is essential for determining technological authenticity. Also, make sure the photocopier prints at a speed of 1 page per 4 days. If it copies too fast, then you know it's only faking the magic.

6. Finally, and most importantly, the key to success in law school is theme songs. You don't choose them. They choose you. First year, it was "Everday People" by Arrested Development, and I was pretty down with my marks. In second year, "Golddigger" by Kanye West got me through. That transcript was about as pretty as I was with glasses, braces, and puberty. But the theme song for this year, third year, the last year, definitely takes the cake. Hit it ladieeeez! (And I'm talking to you, Taeghan + Wo).

Mind-messing

2006-12-05T12:56:00.000-08:00

Fear + sleep deprivation - motivation x 14 days ^ hella boring = you can put law school in your pipe and smoke it!

PS. The dude above is illustrated by Josh Petherick, who used to be doing awesome illustrations, and now seems to be crocheting googly-eyed plant hammocks. Sweet!

Multiple choice

2006-12-01T13:11:00.000-08:00

There is no time like exam time to question your decision to go to law school. Your mind is already ripe with questions + confusion (like, What exactly is a fiduciary and how do you cook it?). Why not take it one step further and query the last 2.5 years of your life?

Demetri Martin says, "People said I should get the degree to have something to fall back on. That didn't make sense to me. Couches are good for falling back on, or fat people who are sunbathing, not degrees in things you don't like."

Hmmmmmm.

PS. I've made peace with my haircut. It promised to behave, and I promised to stop comparing it to Toni Braxton. Deal or no deal? DEAL!

I'm the Sharon in Vancouver!

2006-11-25T19:02:00.000-08:00

It's snowing! A perfect end to an excellent and frazzling week. Despite moaning about how much studying there is to do, choosing to not to do any of it, and getting a haircut that didn't quite go as expected, I managed to catch up on Sex & the City reruns, buy buttons, kill all the villagers, and eat a lot of rice.

But awesomest of all was finding out that unbeknownst to me, TBW has been writing to some of my favourite design people for the last three weeks! He secretly schemed to have them write me some words of encouragement, as I have been feel less than enthusiastic about the law as of late (more than usual, if that's possible), and on Friday, it was all let loose on me. Simone from Cabanon Press and Marian Bantjes (MARIAN BATNJES!) wrote to me! And Leif Parsons did, too! He also sent me a drawing that I can't quite figure out (I think it's of an umbrella and 2 people, maybe? An umbrella with feet?). Jim Burgess, the awesomest comic artist ever, wrote a strip of Able + Baker just for me, with a shout out! And the killer, the kicker, the extra fat on the bacon, the icing sugar on the strudel: Ellen Lupton sent me 2 books in the mail and wrote me a postcard! Ellen Lupton! 2 books! Handwritten postcard! Ellen Frickin' Lupton! AHHHH!!! Not only is her gift sweet and amazing itself, but it's also a relief to know that not all designers have nice writing. I have always been a little supertitious about handwriting, and assumed that the fact I wasn't a world-renowned graphics designer had something to do with my sloppy, scratchy, serial killer writing. Now I know it wasn't the handwriting that was holding me back.

Daaaaaaaaaaaang! I love surprises. This one is going to get me through the slushy rain, the law school, the joblessness, and the doubting, fo' sho. To the peeps who knew: who said I was going to cry? WHO?!! I want names!

PS. They also strung up the Christmas lights on The Tree in English Bay. Yay!

STOP THE MADNESS

2006-11-16T15:37:00.000-08:00

I've been saying it all along: unless you're 3 months old, doing yoga, or engaging in jazz battles, there is nothing worse than leggings worn as pants. Leggings are NOT pants. And now Phillip Lim and the entire Internet agree. Unless you're Kate Moss, the Voice of Humanity is telling you to shield your crotch.

Time well spent

2006-11-09T10:56:00.000-08:00

The things you can learn when you're pretending to study. Thumbs up.

ID oh

2006-11-06T23:19:00.000-08:00

A cool-ish project put together at IDEO.

Food 4 ever!

2006-11-06T00:29:00.000-08:00

I love a day that consist largely of super good eating. All cravings are satisfied, everything goes as planned, no hungry hearts broken.

The day started with brunch at the Alibi Room, which is gradually becoming one of my favourite places in to slowly wake-up. The tables are cozy, the room is light, the potatoes aren't waxy, trains slowly creep past the windows and they play some sort of gentle morning hipster music that sounds like Belle and Sebastian with jangly guitars. It's just out of the way enough that it doesn't get crowded or noisy in the morning. I say yes to bringing a book and starting the day here.

Brunch was followed up by a super-most-excellent indoor French picnic chez TBW. Yay to ripping bread, yay to cheeses, yay to popcorn with grapes (still the best combination ever), yay to Earl Gray tea, yay to eating on a blanket on the floor while it pours like Hovah outside. I still haven't been to Paris, but now I don't mind so much.

And to end this awesome eating day, I came home to a bowl full of persimmons! It's so that time of year again! Yah to midnight Asian fruit deliciousness!

BFFAA

2006-11-03T00:04:00.000-08:00

Who are we talking about and what was she wearing?! WHO?!! OMG!

Pancakes is important-ish

2006-11-02T15:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Cary Elwes!

2006-10-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

Damn hipster 19 year olds

2006-10-25T23:05:00.000-07:00

Princeton is ruling my private sheep school now. And I found them without any help! Oh, information superhighway, you are marvelous.

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. He is in fact kicking up his leg and playing the clarinet (tap that!).

The Anchor Centre has a delightful video review of their song, "The Indifference Curve". Please note, since they did not have a full drum kit to record with, they resorted to handclapping.

"Wouldn't it suck to be the ugly twin?"

Yes. Yes it would.

Going to the chapel, and we're...

2006-10-24T21:25:00.000-07:00

...GONNA GET MARRIED?!!

Hells yeah. It's finally happened. No, no, no, not that sprinklers, cowboy hats, and emu thing. Though there was that time when raccoon ninja's appeared out of nowhere and ... ANYWAYS, the first engagement has occurred among my posse of high school friends! Thus begins the tide of nuptials + registry shopping + stagettes + bling. And with all that, I have officially become a twentysomething. Congratumalations, Queenie my dear!

The orange one always lasts

2006-10-17T00:45:00.000-07:00

There are some things from childhood that I will always fancy and never grow tired of. I'm not sure if it's nostalgic romanticizing, or that some things in the eighties were just Hella Epically Awesome (HEA for short). I am inclined to go with the HEA theory, and this video is evidence of that. This montage blew my mind when I first saw it, and it does so to this day (thank you TBW, for yon mad youtube skilling).

So wait wait wait, let me get this straight: a montage of how crayons are made? Gazing into the tip of the crayon in a daydream sequence? Little crayons popping out of their mould? Old man with glasses picking them up with his bare hands (BARE HANDS!)? Old lady in the smock? 46, 847 crayons? No, 46,848! Packing them into wooden crates? Germanic machine shuffling them into order? Oh gawd oh gawd oh gawd. It's. Just. So. Beautiful.

frantic-ish

2006-10-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

GAAHH! So much to do!

I keep on forgetting it's not summer.

Happy birthday, Christine Wang!

2006-10-09T23:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Week to you! 5 x 5 = 25 years old! Rocket like you've never rocked it before!

I hope you're eating enough cake + ice cream + rack of lamb to power a medium-sized nation-state. I do wish I was pimp enough to jetset over to Ottawa and celebrate with you. However, fear not: I will be partying with you in my head all week long. "Why does Sharon look so dazed?" "Oh, she's throwing a party...in her mind."

Where's your turkey?

2006-10-08T01:48:00.000-07:00

I realize I haven't eaten Thanksgiving dinner yet. It's tomorrow. At 6 o'clock. But I'm writing this in advance because I know I'll be too comatose to do so when the reality of a 10 pound turkey with borscht and sides hits me. Hits me hard.

Whoa. So. Much. Food.

Must force myself to dance in the living room to Elton John, and fight the urge to pass out on the couch rubbing my belly. Gahhhhhhh. Limbs. Not. Responding. To. Requests.

honey, I shrank

2006-10-05T17:24:00.000-07:00

Is it wrong + Freudian to want to live in this Sirch SIBI Bauhaus dollhouse? Is it?

Their wheelbarrow and trailer hitch are pretty sweetums, too.

I'll have a #4, please

2006-10-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

Vietnamese Coffee: A Test

Method A: Do not stir coffee with condensed milk. Pour into ice glass. Leave beautiful streams of condensed milk on the sides of the glass. Casually stir and enjoy delicious beverage.

Method B: Stir coffee with condensed milk. Pour ice into coffee. Splash ice and coffee all over table, drowning napkins and splattering Special Sandwich. Casually stir and enjoy delicious beverage.

Method C: Stir coffee with condensed milk. Pour into ice glass. Stay clean and dry. Casually stir and enjoy delicious beverage.

hooboy

2006-10-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

I was just visiting Cwang on the Information Superhighway, and was reminded that it is TOTALLY OCTOBER! I've already procrastinated a month on cleaning my room, buying books, studying, working on the magazine, looking for a job, sorting out my credit, shopping for a jacket (and some scarves), getting glasses, and cutting my hair. Where has all the time gone?!

Oh yes. That's right. I gave it to Elton.

To get a start on it, here is an It's October And About Time To Get Off Your Shaker Playlist (IOAATTGOYSP):

1. "Shotgun" - Junior Walker & The All Stars
2. "Take A Walk on the Wild Side" - Lou Reed
3. "I'm Your Man" - Wham!
4. "Straight Through the Heart" - Bon Jovi
5. "Come On Eileen" - Dexy's Midnight Runners
6. "Dirty Mind" - The Pipettes
7. "Work It" - Missy Elliott
7. "I'm Glad I Hitched My Apple Wagon To Your Star" - The Boy Least Likely To
8. "Heart Light" - Neil Diamond
9. "If Looks Could Kill" - Camera Obscura
10. "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" - Elton John
11. "Half Lit" - Richard Swift
12. "Seaside" - The Kooks
13. "Angel, Won't You Call Me?" - The Decemberists
14. "Got 'til It's Gone" - Janet Jackson, feat. QTip
15. "Knock Three Times" - Tony Orlando & Dawn
16. "Pink Moon" - Nick Drake
17. "My Little Runaway" - Del Shannon ("I wa-wa-wa-wa-wonder...")
18. "Call Me" - Blondie

rocketmaaaaan

2006-09-28T16:25:00.000-07:00

I love you, Elton John.

the bitch is back

2006-09-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

One more sleep until ELTON!!!!

I wasn't able to find red polyester pants (boourns), but that won't keep me down. Especially since his Seattle show indicates nothing but awesomeness. WOOHOO!!

it's gonna be me

2006-09-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

YAHHHHHHHH!!!!! New host of Fashion File? You're lookin' at 'er!

I'm gonna miss Tim Blanks, though. There's something about a grey-haired English academic discussing Georgia Armani in a pointed British accent that is 100% gem. Why can't they get rid of Jeanne Becker instead?

my, what high kicks you have

2006-09-21T12:09:00.000-07:00

so you think you're easy

2006-09-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

Add 3-4 teaspoons of Horlicks to a mug, add a little water and mix to a smooth paste. Pour in hot milk, stir well and enjoy.

Sounds simple enough. But no. It seems I am entirely unable to make a decent mug of Horlicks. I followed the instructions. I experimented with various temperatures of milk and water. I stirred a lot, I stirred a little. I even tried different pouring techniques. Oh delicious malt-based beverage, what is your secret? How do I unlock your magic? My failure poured mucho salt into the wound of having to miss the Voska Massacre Party.

In the end, I realized the key to great Horlicks is really very simple: ask TBW to make it (no more fooling around with this "make it myself" business. What was I thinking?!) But what happens now? Monday morning? When I'm home alone with a teaspoon, a mug, a kettle of water, some milk, and a bottle of Horlicks. Together, they make me happy, but how? When? Where am I?! Can I do it? CAN I?!!

E4: Extreme Eastern European Everything

2006-09-17T15:19:00.000-07:00

While wandering around here, I came across some videos on YouTube of Vova and Olga, a brother-sister troupe who juggle and practice carnival routines in their living room. Judging from the other videos, they both have safely made it to puberty and are now performing in gymnasiums across the universe. But still. These videos are crazy awesome. I mean, I used to summersault on the couch and do round-offs in the hallway, but that ain't sheeit compared to these kids! Clearly I needed to eat more pierogies as a child, and adopt a name consisting of 2 consonants and 2 vowels ONLY.

PS. This little girl concentrates like awesome.

good weather

2006-09-16T02:12:00.000-07:00

This book rules my world. So does it's author, Rhode Montijo. It has gorgeous illustrations (all in monotone wonderfulness), one sentence per page, and delicious-smelling reinforced binding. I've added it to my list of Best Children's Books Ever, alongside The Red Tree, The Paperbag Princess, Where the Wild Things Are, The Velveteen Rabbit and Mr Topsy Turvy.

Sigh. Why read law books when you can read something that'll make you feel like you'll never be lonely again?

letter of truth

2006-09-14T11:26:00.000-07:00

Ummmmmmmmm, AWESOME?!!!

here we heart again

2006-09-13T23:25:00.000-07:00

Because I am a little behind in the music scene, I was only first introduced to Mr Stephen Merritt at the 826 Seattle fundraiser a few weeks ago, where this small but mighty man sat on a stool, sang and played a very small (not ukulele) guitar. His songs are the stuffs that high school daydreams were made for, which is fitting since I seem to be going through a re-puberty (parental angst, researching skincare, "unique" fashion decisions, locker moments, bad posture and a persistent crush). Rereading Deenie might have something to do with it.

I heart you Stephen Merritt, and your love songs, too.

PS. If your name is Thomas Bartholomew Wong, can you please post the song somewhere here? You know the one. Thank you, kind sir. I shall repay you with arm punches and head pats.

screaming marmot, anyone?

2006-09-12T23:16:00.000-07:00

Ever since sometime around last winter exams, I've been wistful for a high school dance. Helium balloon decorations, people wearing "party" clothes, N*sync, slow jams, and blushing when a boy brushes your arm on his way to the loo. That sort of giddiness just doesn't happen at a bar packed with law students, or in the area de l'interaction. You gotta have the shyness, the new shoes, the arms-length dancing, the Wonder Years moments and cheesy themes. Sometimes, I want to just crash a high school dance and partaay like it's 2001. I realize, I'll probably be sorely disappointed. High schoolers nowadays are wearing short-shorts and dancing to dirrrrty music, but nonetheless, and my commentors agree (a record 4 for me!), a dance party would be rad. Radical, if you will.

Besides this dream of all dreams, I also found some cool links: (1) If Screaming Marmots doesn't catch on as a sports team, feel free to start an emo band and try Sunny With Jonas. (2) Uber-cool Italian manufacturer Industreal asked artists to design objects based on their dreams. Some are too fartsy, but some are sweet.

believe the hip

2006-09-06T16:44:00.000-07:00

Hipsters galore! The law school hallways have suddenly been filled with a different and highly intimidating pack of newbies, clearly accepted for their sense of style, floppy hair and command of a foreign accent. There are chopped bangs, indie tees, and sweater vests at every turn. I can't compete with these hipsters! What's a girl to do? Seek refuge in The Kooks, that's what! First of all, they're called The Kooks. Second of all, they look like that (see image above). Third of all, they hail from Brighton (a hella sweet town to be from) and as such, pronounce words adorably. Fourth of all, they utilize handclapping, the greatest instrument of all! Go The Kooks! High five yourself!!

oh happy days

2006-09-04T23:43:00.000-07:00

Peeps! Labour Day is so done. Time to rule the school for the last time, throw some first years into lockers, and make peace with the fact that Maltezers are not sold anywhere in the law building. To help ease the pain/giddiness of going back to linoleum heaven (after a summer spent in fluorescence + air conditioning), I've stocked up on tea + Horlicks, bought a new pair of school shoes, started the long trek through the September issue of Vogue (only 5 pounds, 4 ounces this year), and compiled the Farewell Summer Playlist: Eleven Songs for Hallway Hatas and Textbook Playas:

1. "I've Been Thinking About You" - London Beat
2. "I'll Take You There" - The Staple Singers
3. "They Can't Take That Away From Me" - Ella Fitzgerald + Louis Armstrong
4. "Bowtie" - Outkast
5. "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" - Pete Townsend
6. "Age of Consent" - New Order
7. "Sweet Child O' Mine" - Guns N' Roses
8. "Any Time At All" - Beatles
9. "Windy" - The Association
10. "Coffee and TV" - Blur
11. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" - Tears for Fears

to kidnap a nation

2006-08-28T00:52:00.000-07:00

I want the Japanese. All of them. Over there, even the littlest schoolboys rock my fashion world. Look at that knapsack! And uniform! It takes the cool quotient to the power of infinity. Daaaaaaaaaaang.

not just an excellent pastry

2006-08-23T19:30:00.000-07:00

The Danish are hella cool. Proof? Folketing, the Danish parliament, has an official stylist. Say vat say vat?!!

they call me rapzilla

2006-08-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

Do I really need anymore reasons to move to Brooklyn? No. Not really. Oh well.

1. The Streetboxx SB-246.

200 loopz produced by the Beatkangz, 24 basses and synths, East-coast and West-coast kitz, 8 hours of battery life, and frequent accessory of J-train passengers.

2. Pool Parties at McCarren Park

Full-court dodgeball and a 27-foot slip'n'slide for the best half of summer.

3. Furniture

Enough of rummaging through scratched Ikea furniture that your neighbours have abandoned in the hallway. Can you imagine what sweet free goodness you could score if small factory lived down the hall? Can you?!!

what the frank

2006-08-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

I finally went through the Frank Gehry collection at Tiffany & Co., hoping there'd be a 4-prong American Centre in Paris set on a platinum band, or a miniature Easy Edges chair strung on a white gold chain, or more sweet watches with scrawly writing on the face. Alas, no. Then I remembered that it was Tiffany & Co. we were talking about here, and the shiny glamazonia of all the pieces made sense. Perhaps I can put in a special order with Frank himself. He's cool like that, isn't he?

so this is love

2006-08-18T00:39:00.000-07:00

I've asked it before, and I'll ask it again: WHY AM I NOT BEST FRIENDS WITH THESE PEOPLE?!!!

Lest the world forgets (and I'll never let it), the last time I asked this serious and NOT rhetorical question was in response to another work of pure Okgo genius:

Okgo is clearly a band of the Universe's Most Awesome Geeks. Perhaps my double-posting will impress them. Yes. Yes. Oh yes.

juice master monkey

2006-08-17T22:53:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have seen a flurry of new purchases made by my Dad. This is shocking considering he feels that Costco rips him off when he buys socks in bulk ("12 pairs for $1.99?!! I could make a pair with one eye and no hands!"). His most recent obsession? Juicing. And when I say obsession I mean obsession. He stays up late at night in the kitchen with an apron on, faint sounds of niaaooor niaaooorrrrrr coming through the closed door. It sounds like we're using chainsaws on body parts. Yum. Juicy.

His first purchase was the Jack La Lanne Power Juicer. But he soon realized that wasn't enough. Pulp kept on getting stuck. It didn't grind seeds or skin. So he called customer service and they recommended the European model, with a stronger engine that could handle seeds, rinds, skin and the like. The day it came, my Dad stayed up until 1:30 AM juicing. We drank apple-pear-carrot juice for 9 days. But it still wasn't enough to quench his insatiable thirst for juicing (nice play on words, eh?). So he returned the European model and now, NOW, has finally purchased the mother of all juicers: a commercial grade power juicer. It's 500 watts and comes in stainless steel. It's being delivered sometime next week. If anyone wants 2 litres of cucumber juice, please let me know.

Mr. Mah's Top 5 Infomercial Purchases:

5. George Foreman's Lean Mean Grilling Machine - "Knock out the fat"

4. Ab Sculptor - "Just 3 minutes a day"

3. Pasta Pronta Express - "Step up to the pasta"

2. Jack Lalaine Power Juicer - "Unlock the power of juicing"

1. Ronco Showtime Rotisserie - "Set it and forget it"

this ain't no corn chowder

2006-08-16T22:20:00.000-07:00

Seeing as it's one of my Favorite Things To Do and why not get paid to do what you love, I was researching Fall fashion at work. I stumbled upon Th(e) Influencer, a seasonal book dedicated to the collection of fashion visuals predicted to have a lasting influence culture, art, architecture and you. I'm starting to lust over this "visual soup of editorials, ads, unpublished works and art projects". Does anyone have a spare $7,500.00? Anyone? I'll pay you back.*

*With food.

so why don't you marry it then?

2006-08-14T17:53:00.000-07:00

I heart Moleskines. They make my heart sing.

In addition to collecting them from others, I've been working on filling more of my blank ones up. I won't ever be able to touch some of the sketching/lettering awesomeness that I've been finding online, but they make for some good inspiration.

1 2 3 4 5 6

PS. Using the word inspiration makes me feel lame sauce.

taller, smaller and me

2006-08-13T12:10:00.000-07:00

This week has been loaded with awesome, more evidence that the last few weeks of summer are going to be killer and we're all going to be famous. I can feel it. It's gonna be just like Fame.

1. Seeing Crazy Cwang at Waterfront Centre and dancing around. Not only is this Camp Awesome, but she is a REAL LIVE CAMP COUNSELLOR. AND WE ZAP PINKY FINGERS.

2. TBW’s discovery of two twisted large rodents who totally understand my Pageant Syndrome (I like outfit changes. So sue me). This will do me well during Corps 1.

3. The delicate words of a Polish Giant that ring true and dear:

"It was indeed a harbinger of cheer
making it feel like Christmas, without need for reindeer.
It was an request, simple at that,
To imbibe in some alcohol and via food to grow fat." [emphasis added]

4. The return of Erbs and, therefore, bubbletea.

5. I saw JCVD in all his bulking flesh.

Jean Claude Van Damme people! Maybe you know him as the Muscles from Brussels? He walked past our table at Chambar on Friday night with a decidedly unhip posse of middle-aged men in high-waisted pants. Let's not forget that only a few weeks ago, I saw Luke Perry. Seeing two wrinkly-forehead celebrities who both had intensely cheesy hunk status in the '90s MUST mean something. It must. I wonder who I'm going to see next. If there is a God, please let me see Rider Strong.

the motherland

2006-08-07T10:48:00.000-07:00

The BC Day long weekend marked 2 great homecomings: one from Bowen Island, and one from Japan.

On Saturday morning, a gang of 9 almost-late-and-there's-no-parking panicked rushy people took to Bowen Island for some rest + relaxation. The only item on the itinerary: EAT. Tuscany only served breakfast on Sundays (who DOES that?), so after a lengthy uphill battle, we ended up on a patio at the Galley, high up in Artisan Square. Any meal that includes seafood chowder and shoestring fries is an A+ for me, and the sunshine + breeze were an added bonus. After wandering around and purchasing young adult fiction (AHHH! Judy Blume and Dell-Yearling's for a $1!), our clan settled down in a parched park for some reading and some dancing and some "OMG look at that crazy insect on you don't move I'm trying to take a picture!". When the going got hot, and we realized the taco stand was closed, we headed back home on the Queen of the Capilano, pirate stylz. Ahhhh yes, a most excellent maiden voyage to Bowen. And I even have the something-mosquito bite as evidence of my good time. My sister just told me mosquitoes can bite through clothing. IS NOBODY SAFE?!!

And then on Sunday, the infamous ERBIGAL MARTINEZ came back to Vancouver after a year teaching the Cute in Japan! See you in a few hours, woman! And your little dog too!

PS. Do the dance-walk!

um ... soulmates?

2006-08-01T20:40:00.000-07:00

the new ink

2006-08-01T07:16:00.000-07:00

After a good weekend rockin' the B (BBQ, boozey, Beyonce, + blanterns), I was once again reminded that I cannot spend any more time than I possibly have to in an off-white office, wearing classic cut pants. During a recent dose of retail self-medication, I stumbled upon Co & Co, a design collective (gawd how I love those words), based in NYC and Halifax (wootwoot for dot.ca's!). They do the regular design awesomeness, as well as limited edition t-shirts (of course) under the brand So & So, and also employ Ray Fenwick of The Hall of Best Knowledge fame. Yes. They rule. Check out their sketchbooks section if you need to get your ass into gear and churn out a portfolio which should have been done in 2004 by the end of this year! Not that I know anyone who meets this description. Or anything.

PS. Hi, Elaine.

late nights

2006-07-26T01:58:00.000-07:00

Now that we are over-the-hill, my sister and I like to sleep early. But on a rare occasion, something will strike a chord so deep in us that we must stay awake into the bowels of the night and dance around in ankle socks with wooden spoons out of sheer joy:

1. Macaroni + cheese

2. The night before Hallowe'en, because costumes are glorious. For example, pumpkins. Hehehehe.

3. Getting engaged!!

Not me -- HER! She's giddy! We're all giddy! He got down on bended knee at Ambleside and everything. And then he got stuck in the sad 'cause he has a bad knee, but he's alright! And now she has a rock that'll break yo' arm!

Sigh.

ENGAGED!!

baby got back

2006-07-25T21:28:00.000-07:00

So, I've had enough of feeling like a boring Vancouverite. I'm determined to make something of this city while I'm still here, and embarked on a two-pronged cultural attack on myself this weekend.

First up: independent film with subtitles, natch.

Filmed in French and Spanish by a filmmaker from Amsterdam, the Underground Orchestra is a documentary about street musicians who play in the Paris Metro. Most of them are political refugees who can't return home and support themselves by collecting spare francs in exchange for their play. There was laughter (Beethoven is the Jim Morrision of classical music). There were tears (Mario! And his harp!). And it's playing for a few more days at the fancy, the pantsy, Vancouver International Film Centre. Go watch it with at least two of the craziest people you know, and a bunch of artsy old people.

Next: indie rock band, not from these parts

Short-haired lead singer who scolds annoying people who push aside girls and talk during the shushy songs? Adorable keyboardist in a green dress, with red curls, who smiled to herself quietly throughout the set? Bassist with a ponch? The World's Most Amazing Multi-Instrumentalist in the World (World x 2!)? A SPEAKER WEARING A TARTAN SCARF?! I'm glad the fact that I only sort-of-kind-of know one Camera Obscura song didn't stop me from going to the concert. It was quietly enthusiastic, and a pleasant way to pass a summer evening. However, girls who are physically unable to stop speaking shrilly through every single song must be bapped on the head (next time, I won't be stopped, sir). Listen to them with your favorite Scottish translator.

Finally: first win on ebay

The thrill of victory lingers on. I am flush with it. Flush, I say!

Woopwoop! Things to do! In Vancouver? You don't say.

happy be having four

2006-07-20T23:07:00.000-07:00

With another Thursday comes thoughts of forming bands, practicing harmony, and the goodness. Today, we did the near-impossible: we had a 4th! And Vista is der bomb!

In celebration of quatre, I share a little playlist I listened to on repeat on the Seabus (the M.V. Burrard Beaver). I call it "The Mashed Potato":

1. "I Saw Her Standing There" - The Beatles
2. "Do You Love Me" - The Contours
3. "Cut Chemist Suite" - Ozomatli
4. "Promiscuous" - Nelly Furtado + Timb-o

Bleb. Time to sludge through one more day and then rock the insanely too-hot weekend with some sleeping in and hat-making. Yes, PLEASE.

look, Dylan

2006-07-19T23:37:00.000-07:00

Enough with the ranting. That's clearly dulling me down and making the fans/stalkers unhappy.

And how can I spend time complaining when I haven't even mentioned that I saw The Luke Perry!!!

Luke Perry of the permanently concerned forehead, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Original Motion Picture fame and my-voice-is-raspy-from- fighting-with-Brenda voice.

Ya damn right I did. Just one of the many lucky benefits of belonging to Camp Awesome. Phewf.

1 love

2006-07-17T19:10:00.000-07:00

Once again, despite our best laid plans, it was the Weekend of Three (not that I'm complaining):

One Polack, one Chinaman, one female.

Toto, Mariah, Bono.

Robots vs. animals vs. fruit.

One amazing drummer girl, two fantastic indie boys (ok, perhaps more than 2).

A double voska dour, one very happy gentle giant.

//

It's either the monotony of the road or too much Cameron Crowe, but something about driving down the highway makes my mind wander. I start thinking about the places I've been (not many), the things I've seen, and where I hope to end up. Add that to a summer of job dissatisfaction and the beginning of the end of being a student, and it all sums up to looking keenly forward to the chance of starting over again. A new city, a new home, a new musical instrument (YES!), a new pair of shoes, a new plan. Hopes are high, and with it a whole lot of fear, but even I'm getting tired of thinking that all that good stuff out there is for other people and not me, and weary of always settling for my contingency plan (for further information, please click here).

Contingency plans are about as great as getting stuck with the glue that's lost its stick during craft time: it leaves a bad feeling on your skin and holds you up from putting all the little pieces together, until you get frustrated, and have to ask the nice kid who looks like Danuel Pipoly to borrow his, go back to your seat, peel the half-stuck construction paper from the now-sticky-but-not-sticky-enough yarn, and start again. Which is fine. Except for the anxiety of having to work twice as fast because everyone else is almost done and soon they're going to be lining up to go fly kites outside, and you don't want to be the last kid stuck in the classroom, making paper bag puppets all by yourself (not that paper bag puppets aren't the Most Awesome Thing EVER).

In other words, don't go to law school when you really don't want to be a lawyer.

Alright alright alright. Enough being grumptastic. What can I do to make your day bright again? I know.

must be the caliente

2006-07-09T13:36:00.000-07:00

Besides mentioning the usual porn banter, and teaching an adorable Mexican man how to say "groping" in English (he giggled, cupped his cheeks, and said "dammit"), there isn't much more I can say to describe the mysterious convergence of soju + Mariah Carey at the bitch last night.

Well, maybe there is one thing I can add:

I don't wash you. YOU wash you.

props

2006-07-05T20:22:00.000-07:00

Apartment hunting + line of credit woes = GAH!

What happened to the good ol' days where you just fought to death for a piece of land? Or traded it for your most plump boar? Huh? Boar? Anyone?

clean yourself

2006-07-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

I am attempting to clean my wasteland of a room. And in the words of Joey Russo: "Whoh."

While sorting through piles of receipts, clothing, and magazines, I have developed a list of Super Fantastic Things To Do As A Reward For Cleaning (The SFTTDAARFC List):

1. Make a root beer float. Go to the beach.

2. Lifeguard chairs. I do believe it would be sweet to have one of these things in my yard. Do they have regulation lifeguard chairs? Are they collapsible and portable? Look into this.

3. Convince a certain "person" who lives in a certain downtown "apartment building" that it would be an excellent "idea" to give me the "key" to his private outdoor "pool". (DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT). I'll be so good! I won't eat before swimming. Only drink.

4. Acquire a Buffy the Vampire Slayer boardgame. I've lived long enough without one.

5. Get my hands on a steak.

Alright, so I only have 5 items on the list 'cause I've only been cleaning for about 6 minutes. Wearing crinoline + an apron seems to be helping. Perhaps some Buddy Holly will also move things along.

all day breakfast

2006-06-29T22:06:00.000-07:00

If only I worked for Jim Burgess' brain. Or NASA.

Love. Yes/No?

2006-06-29T21:36:00.000-07:00

Thursdays means binbiru + feeling the love.

I love: the Seabus, Thursdays, curls in lockets, trigonomic tables and the thought of being in Tokyo in less than a year!

I hate: mosquito bites, budgeting, work + teenagers on the beach all of whom are way way way hipper than me.

I have also decided to embrace the PFO's. The more PFO's I get, the less chance I have of articling. The less chance I have of articling, the more likely I'll go to design school. This smells like happiness.

They call me PhD

2006-06-26T22:05:00.000-07:00

With articling apps have come reality: nine-to-infinities, hour lunches, navy carpeting, waiting for the elevator, fluorescent tanning, login passwords, send/receive, file names, sitting laurels, keyboard elevation, and making sure I eat enough snacks. Downtown for life! Eeeeeps!

And then I discover a school called Brain Co. And another one called the Portfolio School. And I look at their websites. And I click on allllllll the links. And I think: These places are SCHOOLS?! Holy smokin' Simon! Camp Awesome is more like it! Where were they when I was 18? Can I go back? Tell me more about this law school "leave of absence" business...

Grump Awesome

2006-06-22T23:30:00.000-07:00

Why NOT get fired in the first week of work?

An icky feeling about my future crept up on me today, and it begins with me anticipating involuntary unemployment within 24 hours. Perhaps that's only wishful thinking. But I am in panic mode. And Mr Carson only added some fuel to the fear: What am I going to do for the rest of my life? What if I never figure it out! What if some people just get to work in airless offices and glaze into a computer monitor all day, pining for coffee breaks and some conviction?

Okay. Calming down now. Until I GET FIRED! And then I need to get DROINK. And go DANCING. And see my dear KUBA play at the Media Club on Saturday night. And then weep. And then get ON with it.

typolust

2006-06-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

You know nerdolatry has broken a personal record when you find yourself thinking: Yeah. Typewriter. You're kind of sexy.

And when you think it can't get any geekier, David The Frickin' Carson decides to come into town. And give a little talk. Just for you. Heart. Exploding. Must. Stop. Lusting. After. Helvetica. Hurting. Typewriter's. Feelings.

hug your future!

2006-06-20T21:46:00.001-07:00

I'm on the letter-fucking-P of this stupid BC law firm articling book FOR CRYING OUT LOUDER. 9 letters left in the alphabet. 2928309248092 cover letters to mail merge. 2928309248092 PFO's coming back to me in the mail. Bloop!

Now, if I could only be more like Monsieur Van Kay, who got offered articling! They were right: the Polack clearly is the brains of this operation. HURRAH you! I'll bake you a Congragucake! And you can wash it down with some fine binbiru! And then we can run around the town flaunting your employment to the world! You are the future Van Kay, the FUTURE, ya hear?!

The finest wine in humanity -- I want it here, and I want it now.

2006-06-14T11:51:00.000-07:00

So I was all psychologically pumped (ok not really pumped, more like not whimpering anymore), about starting the fabulous, the splendid past-time of work tomorrow, when I get an email saying I don't start until Monday. I don't know if I should be overjoyed with 2 more days of freedom, or annoyed that I was pumped for naught. I hate being pumped for naught! There is nothing worse!

Well, except for being pumped about pants with side-of-the-thigh zippers. Ain't nothing worse than THAT. Shiver. I need a drink.

nerdolatry needs love too

2006-06-13T03:05:00.000-07:00

Monday night! Playing with CSS! Damn you code, you are so sexy.

I-5 or die

2006-06-12T18:10:00.000-07:00

Seattle. Road trip. Hoooooollaaaaa. Keeping in mind: the World's First Folding Chair Ever, cowboy shirts, "oatmeal", pinball deficiencies, sake that could clean a subway washroom, a dude that can play 2 (two!) trumpets at once, tamales for breakfast, Japanese lessons, booty booty booty booty rocking on 42nd Avenue, and the ever-present, always-pleasant mano-a-mano luvin' (that is one very special relationship, boyz). Oh, and of course there was some stumbling around Beltown, flush from bad margaritaville, a strapping lad on each arm, and pouncing on some sweet (I mean, MAD SWEET) Garrison caps! Brow-raising veterans calling me darling? Check. Staff sargent + special operations pins? Check. Street steez down the gutter? Hells yeah. Banana-like pyramid hats are the lullaby that puts your street cred to sleep. G-caps reprezent yo!