jinisu's Xanga

Sibling envy

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:10:13 GMT

As an only child I've always been quite independent in what I do. I've developed a resistance to the need or want to interact with others - I read, talk to dolls, dress them, make them talk to each other, then think up lives for them in my head. I quite enjoy it. Or perhaps I think I enjoy it as I had little choice. In any case, I've never wished for a sibling.

Well, maybe I had, once, for an older brother or sister who would take me to cool places with their older (and therefore cooler - I was at that age) friends, but I didn't dwell on it. As for a younger sibling, I'd always thought, why? The parents would always spoil them, I'd be the guinea pig for all their unproven theories of parenting, and they'd always skimp on me to save for the younger one. But recently I witnessed something that made me realise a younger sibling isn't just someone who takes more than their fair share of the cake and eats it, s/he's actually a subject of love, as in someone you can direct your love towards.

N is a good friend of mine. We've known each other since high school, and while I'd always known she has a younger brother, and even met him a few times, I'd never really thought about their relationship. It doesn't help that N rarely talks about her family, but recently we were having dinner with a few other school friends and she got to talking to one of them about the pitfalls and merits of a particular mobile phone model. Initially I thought this was because she was looking to buy one for herself, but then she mentioned that she wanted to buy it for her brother. Now, it's not surprising that a sister wants to buy something for her brother, but considering he is now also a fully grown young man with earning powers that exceed possibly all of those sitting at the table that night, I thought it rather tender.

There were many similar occasions - none revolutionary or outstanding that made me realise that among N's daily or habitual events, many were related to her brother. Every time I notice this, it makes me extremely envious of the fact that she has someone to care for in her life. Someone that she feels responsibility for, but no burden. It's different from the love and care directed towards parents, as they are forever fussed about you more than the other way around. So for the first time, I felt envious of someone who has a younger sibling. Perhaps it's an age thing...

一個人多平凡的期許

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:27:01 GMT

好想要揮霍

盧廣仲

詞陳綺貞曲盧廣仲周谷淳

我穿戴整齊面對瘋狂的
世界不管今天
面對誰微笑是必須
就算妳不在意我微笑的原因
是我僅有的自信

我慌亂面對你轉身離開
不管未來快樂是不是
我的必須品
我只能再一次安靜作好準備
妳下一次出現

總在午夜夢醒家徒四壁
是甚麼包圍空虛
好想把我的全部都給你
一個人多平凡的期許
總在人潮散去瞬間覺醒
全身力氣得不到安寧
從不曾揮霍好想要揮霍
好讓明天繼續

我慌亂面對你轉身離開
不管未來快樂是不是
我的必須品
也許早已否定我所有的努力
愛已不會降臨

Baby,午夜夢醒家徒四壁
是甚麼包圍空虛
好想把我的全部都給你
一個人多平凡的期許
總在人潮散去瞬間覺醒
全身力氣得不到安寧
從不曾揮霍好想要揮霍
好讓明天繼續

我要的生活只有那麼一種
卻無法一個人點滴的過
直到今天還不能放開昨天的手
誰來救我

午夜夢醒家徒四壁
再沒有甚麼包圍空虛
好想把我的全部都給你
兩個人彼此間的必須
總在人潮散去瞬間覺醒
全身力氣得不到片刻安寧
從不曾揮霍好想要揮霍
好讓快樂繼續

從不曾揮霍好想要揮霍
沒有甚麼是必需

愛暴你!

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 05:13:23 GMT

Cantonese is such a funny language. In case you can't read Chinese, the title of this entry says "Love explode you" - meaning love you very much (so much that it could cause an 'explosion', I suppose). Violence haha...

New Year's Resolutions

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 02:38:17 GMT

2008 has passed way too quickly - I feel like I haven't achieved a thing. So this year, I'm setting myself some targets...

1. Wake up earlier (and sleep earlier)
2. Exercise - join a gym
3. Go skiing
4. Dress better
5. Spend less, save more
6. Be more vocal

That's probably enough for 365 days... (well, 357 days now)

Random literature...

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:03:10 GMT

"The next train arrives in 3 minutes," said that over-courteous voice that reminds Cara of plastic daffodils. She stared at her dreamy, lop-sided smile in the reflection. The day had gone well. It wasn't anything special - she woke to the reassuring sound of her landlord shouting at the plumber, electrician or laundry man, flipped through her stack of grossly expensive 'lifestyle' magazines and met up with Jae and Abbie in the afternoon, cafe- and bookshop-hopping the day away. When dinnertime came around they weren't exactly hungry, but went anyway to the Farmer's Market to pick up whatever the vendors had left (pumpernickel, gruyere, half an organic lettuce, kurobata sausage), then set themselves up at Abbie's with a ten year-old soap series. The wine flowed with the conversation - from patisserie to politics, there was nothing they didn't share.

As the train pulled into the station, Cara plugged in her iPod. Doors opened and closed, children fell asleep in their parents' arms, lovers cooed in the darker corners of the car, but Cara was in her own cosmos. All she could see was Jae making fun of her clumsiness at the bookstore, Jae pulling her 'retard' face when she didn't get her too-obvious joke, Jae telling her about the interns at her office... She suddenly felt a rush, an urgency to give all the love she had to Jae, to drown her in this intense feeling that was boiling inside her like a rattling kettle about to burst into a screeching whistle. Her heart was beating at Formula One speeds.

She had felt this before, but never with such vehemence, shocking even herself. This is the Cara who had refused to even toy with the concept of falling in love with another girl, let alone one of her best friends. It would be akin to wearing five-inch Louboutins on a cobblestoned Italian street - nice on the silver screen, painful in real life. Just imagine: your soul mate, the childhood friend who already knows every quirky, ugly nook in your personality and adores them - this was the perfect relationship, minus alienating all your other closest friends, and oh, being the same sex. She exited into the cold winter air, taking deep breaths that she hoped would numb every muscle in her body, including that relentless, pulsating one.

Excerpt from The Living Field

Movies by the sea

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:13:40 GMT

More people should do this - we can totally do it in HK.Who's game?

Perth International Arts Festival (photo from PSFK)

Kara Mann

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 07:32:03 GMT

My latest interior design lust is over Kara Mann

Ok, so that Eames chair is a bit cliche, but am loving the combination/composition. She does this slightly offbeat, macabre stuff too with skulls etc. Nice. Too bad I couldn't find photos.

Last Friends. Why was it such a hit?

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 04:58:49 GMT

(from Fuji TV)

Last Friends aired on Fuji TV (Japan) earlier in the year and was a huge hit. I only watched it recently and it wasn't too bad, but the Japanese view on sexuality really kills me. The poor protagonist (Ruka) thought she was suffering from mental disorder when she faced the fact that she was in love with a girl. Ironic though, that such a 'taboo' subject became such a huge hit on TV. And apparently because of this show it's now really hip now for girls to dress like 'tomboys' like Juri Ueno's character Ruka did. (I do like that look though - whoops the Japanese must think I'm lesbian.)

Here's the English synopsis from Fuji TV:

"Last Friends" deals with issues such as domestic violence, sexless couples, and other problems that people suffer today. The youths in this drama are all suffering from different issues. They come to live together in a share house."

Hello? "Sexless couples"?! They can't even bring themselves to say "lesbian", yet it's such a prominent topic in the plot. It's funny how the "L" word was never even once mentioned in the series. Like, never.

And the stereotypes - Ruka she climbs trees, is a motorcross racer, doesn't wear skirts and kissed a girl, like, once. Oh, and she hates her body?! Oh come on. But I guess that's all the conservative Japanese can digest about lesbians for now...

Oh, and apparently if you share a house in Tokyo, you're a flower child. Hip hippie hooray!

Watch it if you haven't seen it - it's intriguing on a wider, social level, but hardly riveting drama.

Taipei sounds like a good idea...

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 08:32:50 GMT

From de-vote.com a site that, as a disclaimer, I am involved in. Read on!

Design, get sold worldwide and win Hong Kong-Taipei return air tickets for two!

De-vote.com is launching with a mega competition - submit your best graphic design and it could be a part of the De-vote.com limited edition screen-printed t-shirt series AND you could win:

Not one, but TWO return Hong Kong-Taipei air tickets; and
Cash coupons for awesome clothes at I.T.

A bit about us:
De-vote.com is soon launching a brand new, Hong Kong-based design portal where designophiles can submit, collaborate and vote on graphic designs to be printed on limited edition screen-printed t-shirts. We'll promote the winning designer and the winning design will printed as limited edition t-shirts and sold on the website.

The deets:
Size: designs must be within 21 x 29.7cm
Colours: no more than 12 colours in the design, no gradients
T-shirt colour: your pick, and we'll find something/discuss with further with you if you win :)
Competition starts now and ends midnight Oct 31

Check out the details on http://www.de-vote.com (in Chinese); or email cs@de-vote.com.

On the site, you can also sign up now to stay on the ball for future competitions (and yes, you'll get freebies for doing that too 'cause we're generous souls).

Tell your friends and get drawing!

(You can also check it out on Facebook HERE)

Zaha Hadid: too much of a good thing?

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 06:40:18 GMT

Just like melamine in Chinese processed food, there seems to be a bit of Zaha Hadid everywhere these days. She's not exactly new - she's been an architect for around 30 years now, but her recent forays have brought her to the attention to the average non-architect public. Personally I find her signature futuro curves interesting, if not (increasingly) too iconic, and appeal to my curiosity more than aesthetics. Nonetheless, her offerings are truly unique, I just hope she won't become a Starck in the late 90s/early 00s - overdone and *gasp* ubiquitous.

A few e.gs of her work commonly known outside of the archi circle:

Chanel Mobile Art (photo courtesy of Wallpaper*)

Melissa Shoes

Neil Barrett's new store in Tokyo (photo courtesy of JC Report)