My Only Weltanschauung

Goodbye, My Pet

2008-07-12T00:57:00.001+08:00

I loathed our first meeting. You’re shivering in that tiny birdcage, claws cutting into the grilled cage floor and smelling of pet shop. A warm bath and some chow later, you snuggled on my palm, rubbed your head against my shirt and blinked sleepily.

I thought you were too skinny. But still the cutest damn thing I’ve ever seen since my ex-squirrel.

When you walked towards me after I called your name, at that moment I felt like a proud parent. And you were such a petulant child, giving puppy eyes and sulking whenever I shampooed you.

It pained me to squeeze pus out of your ear 3 times a day when your had cheek pouch infection. But you, being the brave little warrior, didn’t flinch or bite. Or maybe you knew that I’d be giving you that strawberry flavored medicine afterwards, you little runt.

You’d make purring noises when I rubbed your furry white belly and grabbed my fingers with your sharp little claws. I remembered my sister woke the household with her happy yelps after watching you stretch and yawn for the very first time.

My heart sunk when I found out what that wheezing noises you made for the past week meant. On your last night, I couldn’t sleep and decided to keep you entertained till morning. You still snuggled on my palm, attacked my shirt and chased after treats, despite the loud respiratory noises.

I came back from work in the evening, only to find out from my family that you have passed on in the afternoon, and been buried in the park downstairs. It’s been fun having you around, sweetie. I hope you’re in a better place.

A Little Duvet & Harajuku

2008-05-23T02:05:00.004+08:00

And you don't seem the lying kind
A shame that I can read your mind
And all the things that I read there

I am falling
I am fading
I am drowning, help me to breathe
I am hurting
I have lost it all
I am losing, help me to breathe

Duvet by Boa(the UK band, not the little girl from Asia)

What an inspiringly sad song. It is rather nice to indulge in a dose of melancholia every now and then. A little Boa, some Perishers, a bit of Evanescence, then throw in some Caroline, Imogen Heap and Portishead. Voila! A sad little playlist to last the weekend.

One of my splurges at Kinokuniya, Style Deficit Disorder, showcases some of the best in Japanese street culture. Among my favorites are the Hysteric Glamour label and H.Naoto. Came across Zaldy on style.com and I remain strong in the belief that black is forever. Damn, I can't wait to go to Japan.

Features & Rants

2008-05-14T22:38:00.006+08:00

Goldie was featured in May's issue of Catalog Magazine! I know the picture is small, but all the more reason for you to grab a copy for yourself!

Because Chanel never goes out of style. Speaking of which, I need to get myself some Chanel grenade launchers because they look so damn cool. ~~A Burberry rifle wouldn't hurt either.~~

It's great having RibbonRabbit featured on iWeekly too, if not for the painted heels being placed under the wrong section ~~and miscredited~~. And overpriced, too.

Painted Heels

2008-05-05T04:48:00.006+08:00

Thanks to Michele (again!) for the feature, this time for RR. Though the site wasn't quite ready, since it's still in process of being updated. So many things to consolidate, so little time.

Soiree
Mixed medium, matt varnished.

Stars and Stripes
Mixed medium, gloss varnished.

All the Beautiful Things

2008-05-05T03:28:00.008+08:00

If you thought Barbie was the most beautiful girl on earth, wait till you see D.O.D.. These Dollfies are completely customizable,from hair to eye colour right down to hand their hand stitched clothes. Tea-party Barbie? Pffft. I'd get myself a kickass E-An anyday.

Trembled Blossoms is an awesome animation featuring James Jean's illustrations for Prada's latest collection.

"Victorian England.
A haunted writer in an isolated castle is tormented by sleepless nights and visions of a girl named Alice. He finds himself becoming a symptom of his own invention.

“Now all my nightmares know my name.”
He is Lewis Carroll. Terrified of what waits for him each night."

Sounds promising, and I love the first poster. High expectations for Manson's movie, considering there's Tilda Swinton involved, and supermodel Lily Cole in it, too.

Shinigami no Seido, a novel adaptation on the life and duties of the Angel of Death (Shinigami) and his enjoyment of life as a human. Thought I caught a whiff of Meet Joe Black, but let's see how it turns out.

Ponder Once, Ponder Twice, Pondered

2008-04-22T02:01:00.004+08:00

This is what you get after a weekend mix of Sartorialist and Doubt.

An amusing and heartwarming entry by one of my favorite artists, Hector Sevilla, the condensed version. He who has essentially summed up all of an artist's hopes, fears and desires,I worship the paper on which he draws on.
For a full read, please read his journal.

“When i was a kid, and i'm talking about 10 years from here back in time, cellphones were for the rich and crap like that, and when Pearl Jam ruled, and real old anime was in this side of the world.

A teacher, yelled at me in front of all the class, saying "What are you doing here?, you don't have a sense of design, you don't have what it takes to be a graphic designer, you should be somewhere else.

Youth, passes so fast, that you repeat this question all day, its like if you have a flu, and everyone its playing in the snow outside, I think this example perfectly describes what I’m talking about. You will feel that you don’t belong to the world in a way.

Your body is a drawing machine, so you need to eat well, sleep well do exercises, don’t drink to much, its a lot of sacrifices, because if something its unbalanced your work will not show a 100% of your true strength, that’s why it's a sacrifice.

Besides, art is a selfish B***H, it doesn’t matter how much you study, work, gather ideas, design, etc. She will never be satisfied, sometimes she will treat you very bad and I mean Very Bad, and some days she will be happy with you.

So art is a bipolar girl. But that’s my personal experience, other people have the luck to find a nice balance, those are hard to get, because you barely go out the house. Art will become your first priority and you will miss a lot of things in life.

The doubts will never fade, each day its a fight to get inspiration, to study to learn, there will be days you cant draw, or all your works ends pretty bad, there will always be good and bad days, just like in the beginning in youth.

So I ask you this, do you feel something weird, when you are feeling a pencil scratching on a paper, that sometimes people tell you what are you smiling at, that you are drawing and you didn’t notice that smile you had on your face.

Be brave and art teachers, behave.”

Rabbits for May

2008-04-13T23:48:00.008+08:00

Thanks to Michele for the feature on Spotted! at Culturepush!

Shoes don't last long with me; even the sturdiest pair lasts only about 6 months, max. For those that I wear to work, 3 months tops. Not surprising, considering I pretty much run in them ~~after buses~~ on a daily basis.

I'm referring specifically to ladies' shoes, of course. My Adidas and New Balance sports shoes are currently competing for the Most Dust Gathered Award. I think I'm better off building thigh muscles in stilettos instead.

It's with much disappointment that I realise that the shoes sold here are in such limited colours. Everywhere I go, it's red, black or white. Being able to 'promote' to 4 inch heels lately, I was ready to reward myself by getting a pair of nice yellow heels but alas! I could not find any along the stretch of Orchard Road. The ones at Louis Vuitton is obviously out of the question, unless anyone feels nice enough to buy me a pair for my birthday. Which I doubt.

So while staring at my spanking new white shoes, I decided to doodle some florals on them since well, white is so damn boring. Especially when one owns over 10 pairs of white shoes, it's ten times the boredom. 2 months later, whether by luck or Mysterious Forces of the Universe, I'm currently customizing shoe designs over at Hide & Seek, thanks to shop owner Keith.

Hide & Seek is located at 22B/C Hongkong Street, across from Central Mall.
A few samples of the painted shoes:

Danger Colours

2008-04-10T00:20:00.008+08:00

Bright hues are in! Just look at the CK Tang window display. Splashes of psychedelic colours assaulting my senses and tempting my wallet. I can finally strut to work in my engine-red tank top without garnering too many stares.

Details are therapeutic. There's nothing quite as satisfying as a good long session of adding in every detail in every nook and cranny.

Uber late
Easter illustration inspired from the Harajuku scene. Am so wowed by the culture and dressing.

There is this set of cabinets in the middle of the studio(currently acting as a cutting area) which emits smells which reminds me of cuttlefish. Bad cuttlefish, that is. So this warning I made for fun gets pasted on it to prevent other from opening them, this preventing unwanted fumes from coming out.

30 and 1 Nights

2008-02-29T01:24:00.003+08:00

A month full of making goodies, selling goodies and eating goodies. Days of running through interviews and nights spent to rush freelance work. It’s been a bloody good month, I’d say.

CNY in Johor started with a bang, and a loud one at that. Unlike last year, the policemen didn’t ~~ask for a bribe~~disturb us this time. Probably because election is coming soon. *smirk* We’ve had fun blasting about $300 bucks into the sky, and then sweeping up the falling debris soon after. Oh, and the diesel jerry can in the background is empty. Really.

Being the pampered brat that she is, my sister demands a chocolate cake for every birthday. It was Awfully Chocolate last year, and NYDC’s Boo Boo the year before that. Since she’s turning 12 this year, I ordered a chocolate coated chocolate cake from Canele, decorated with chocolate covered almonds. Along with a chocolate lollipop and macaroon set. And there went one day’s worth of freelance fee. Money spent on dessert is money well spent, says moi.

Since the Canele bag was so pretty, I used it as a backdrop for my redecorated heels. Was getting a bit tired of plain white, so I drew on them. My 2-year-old-and-still-spanking-new wedges shall be next in line.

More illustrations for DNa magazine, and an interesting collaboration with a BB Shousetsu(short fic) writer. I’d think the picture is more than obvious as to what kind of short fiction has been written. XD

Been working at the new agency for a while. So far, so good. Great colleagues, no politics (as far as I know), and interesting projects. Interesting, because as my AD mentioned, most of our accounts are associated with a vice of some sort. And that our karmas are probably going to be affected. After all, we’re practically advocating ~~advertising~~ them. Haha.

For Shits & Giggles

2008-01-10T03:13:00.000+08:00

You've got to catch Harry Potter and the Chronicles of the Lord of the Golden Compass of the Jedi this coming 2008!

Oooh, Facebook!

“Die, you little feathered shit!” Hilarious ad. Thumbs up for casting the pissy old lady!

I hope in the near future there’ll be a series of Roadkill Kids, only replacing the bunnies with toddlers. That would be awesome, innit?

Old Flames & New Loves

2008-01-07T02:06:00.000+08:00

Old Flame: Illustrations for a local free magazine, DNa. What can I say, it was fun while it last.

Definitely Old Flame: Just kidding. I like Sally just the way she is. Including her adorable schizophrenic alter-egos.

Eternal Flame ~~so cheesy it hurts!~~: The afternoon tea at Tea Cosy sure was a great place to brainstorm. That painted bell to summon a waiter, the charming vintage cake stand with a warm sample cake platter, melty chocolate brownies and vintage teacups to sip from. It's my first time being served sugarcubes with tea ~~I know, sua ku right~~, something which I found really delightful.

And yes, in the end we got more than a few ideas, dawdled a bit before proceeding to shop at Spotlight, which was conveniently next door. *Makes mental note to go back for their food next time*

New Love: The planning, printing, and product designing makes me giddy from all the fun we're having. It's like being back to school again.

Puppy Love: Has it actually been a year since I posted about my tarts? My sister the circus mistress. That girl went and pile those dogs to look like they're performing some balancing act.

This food taster/packer/free asst. baker is back in business ~~for the consecutive 12th year~~ again!

And these, are the reasons why I resemble a National Treasure of China now. ~~Oh my, pastry making, accessory designing, afternoon teas and illustrating. I haven't felt so girly in ages.~~

Hair Pea Neu Yar!

2008-01-04T13:04:00.000+08:00

Christmas 2007 had been tiring, but fun. Went to 3 malls, hated all the wrappings they had in stores. Design so cliche it hurts. Personalizing my presents had been tiring, and not to mention people tend to just throw away wrappers. Call it a job satisfaction, but damn, that had been fun. :P

Cover art for a New Year mix for friends. Happy New Year everybodeh~

Back from the Land of Smiles

2007-12-12T02:57:00.000+08:00

A breath of fresh air was all I needed. Though it seems like there's more carbon monoxide than oxygen in Bangkok. The malls sucked, the local markets kicked ass, roadside food was good, and I have officially become a pirate. I think I came back with a kg ~~or 2~~ of accessories. And another kilogram on my person.

Bachalor! ~~on a billboard, no less~~ Not trying to be mean, but this is just hilarious. There was a banner outside my hotel too(which I forgot to take!) which said, "Long Live the King on this Ouspicious(Auspicious) Occation(Occasion) of His 80th Birthday".

Why don't we have this amazing invention here? A beer tap for every table! There was a 3-beer fest outside a new mall with 3 different live bands playing in 3 beer tents at the same time. Of course I'd go for the Heineken one.

Design store with a larger than life figurine outside, which, for some unknown reason, reminded me vaguely of Hard Gay. Also, all hail ~~my new shirt~~ materialism!

I paused to take a snap at the shophouses in Chinatown...and got my ~~preciousss~~ bag slashed a second later. Luckily nothing was taken. ~~I hope the thief gets flesh-eating boils on his/her gonads.~~ Went to shop for a new bag to console myself. *wipes dramatic tear with lacy hanky*

Squirrels sold at Chatuchak Market. Very, very cute but very, very cruel.

The Lady Riding Hat

2007-11-29T14:55:00.000+08:00

I suppose this can be considered a sequal to The Pillbox Hat Girl.
02 of 03 hat girls.

The Curtain Closes

2007-11-23T01:06:00.000+08:00

I worked past midnight on my first day and loved every minute of it. I attributed it to the Fresh-Grad-Enthusiasm-Syndrome.

Within the first 3 months, I’ve taken my first ‘couch photo’ with the Creatives. In my graduation gown, complete with motar board, Snoopy toy and a bottle of ketchup wrapped in gold ribbon.

Layout, type, draw, FA. Everything was (and still is!) about speed and precision. I owe everyone a damn big one for their patient guidance. This n00b would not get through this without your help. Arigatou gozaimasu.

Lunchtimes were the hardest, as nobody could ever decide where to go until we were all out of the office. We’d just point to whoever’s walking right in front and get the poor guy to decide. Fridays were reserved for long lunches via cab/car rides.

Late nights meant supper, coffee and chips. We’d be blasting music while typing/DI-ing/drawing furiously. There’ll be entertainment at random intervals from frustrated individuals, who could be seen dancing, pulling hair or just being high from the caffeine.

Every now and then, some jokers would tease me about The Toe That Was Too Long For It’s Own Good. It didn’t help that a spider ~~that bastard!~~ bit me on the foot, the nickname simply changed from Long Toe to Spider Toe.

I don’t usually wax lyrical over anything, but hey, as they all say, you don’t ever forget your first ~~Agency~~! Now I shall try and kick your asses at Scrabulous. Which isn’t a very high possibility. Bo Kor Leng!

Thanks, everyone. I had fun. I hope you did too.
Farewell, my dear spicy boys and girls! And send Auntie my regards.

Cheers,
Jo
a.k.a. Princess, Pirate, Box Folder.

Pillbox Hat Girl

2007-11-11T03:28:00.000+08:00

The Pillbox Hat Girl, Miss Mephis
I find pillbox hats adorable. Modeled after pillboxes of olden times, perching ever so precariously over coiffed hair and did absolutely nothing to provide shade for their wearers. Since pillboxes like that were phased out, the closest thing that I could relate that hat to would be a cake.

And since it's a hat that looks like a cake...I must draw eet.

All Hallow's Eve

2007-11-01T05:07:00.000+08:00

Attempted to bake some Halloween cupcakes for my colleagues. Severed foot for you, sir? Or are eyeballs more to your liking? Loved what B2 Natopus did with the candles, they resemble waiters with those white frills and bow. So cute.

Yes, late art. Oh well. Better late than never, I suppose.

What's On Your Mind?

2007-09-30T21:53:00.000+08:00

Everything and nothing.

Drawn & inked by hand.
Speech bubble in Photoshop.

Life Placid

2007-09-19T02:00:00.000+08:00

Saya from Blood+. I enjoyed this show a lot. There's actually a plot, fabulous fight scenes, and none of your typical-happy-anime-endings. In fact, it doesn't feel like an ending at all. Rather bittersweet, I'd say.

I'm hoping for a movie ala Blood:The Last Vampire or a sequel. This is good stuff.

Life goes on.

I'm filled with so much ennui these days, I think I should try slicing legs off ants and watch them wriggle and squirm on my office desk. So far I've been going to work early to play Slam The Little Buggers Off My Desk. Nothing gets on my nerves faster than those 6 legged freaks. Maybe except pesky telemarketers.

Done with the rant. Nah, I'm not sick enough to go around cutting ants' legs off. I don't exactly have the best eyesight around and besides, slow and painful deaths are reserved only for pests on 2 legs. ;)

The Undine's Song

2007-09-16T23:41:00.000+08:00

Title: Melody of Your Demise
While watching Walt Disney's The Little Mermaid, I was reminded of the tragic folklore of Ondines. The original tales of Disney's 'happily ever afters' would make parents curl in fright if they ever made it to the silver screen without any age adjustments.

"One afternoon Ondine was walking near the stables when she heard the familiar snoring of her husband. When she entered the stable, however, she saw Lawrence lying in the arms of another woman. Ondine pointed her finger at him - Lawrence felt it as if he was being kicked, and woke up with a start. Ondine uttered her curse: "You swore faithfulness to me with every waking breath, and I accepted your oath. So be it. As long as you are awake, you shall have your breath, but should you ever fall asleep, then that breath will be taken from you and you will die!"

So romantic and so tragic. Much more preferable to Ariel.

Girls~

2007-08-25T00:50:00.000+08:00

Girls Girls GIRLS.

Who are you calling a Feminist?

2007-08-24T00:27:00.000+08:00

There's been a number of articles on 'girl power' ~~or rather, the lack of it~~ in the papers recently, anything from complaining about women who flaunt their assets at work being labeled as bitches, female bosses being bitchy, and a bitchy bimbotic show called Girl on Girl.

All these newspaper articles were written by women. No surprise there. Let's face it, 99% of women are born bitches, the other 1% hides it. I am unabashedly among the 99%, and if I complain about other females being the bitches that they are, it is like Pot + Kettle = Black.

What I really can't stand are those bra-burning grimalkins ~~whose hooters have probably reached so far down their knees that no Wonderbra® could support~~ disguised as Feminists. ~~I didn't buy Calvin Klein to make a bonfire, you know!~~ They speak of Equal Rights for Women, but complain when men treat them gruffly. It's called One of The Boys, you dolts. If you're born as a female, be glad, celebrate your sensuality and stop that bloody whining about everything, it gives women a bad name.

I am also pretty damn grateful for the fact that National Service is not a compulsory conscription for ladies, unlike those in North Korea, Israel or Libya. I love Ladies' Nights, enjoy having doors being opened for me and most importantly, saviors who deliver me from the Evil Roaches. I may hate pink and rather die than whine, but that's called maturity. Hah!

While I have no issues with women showing some cleavage at work, it IS rather rude if I should spot a fellow feminine specimen literally squeeze out her girls in the presence of males. Unless she has a bosom you can serve dinner on, in which case I'll pretend I'm not staring at those bazooms with my Womanly Peripheral Vision. I may not be a man ~~or a queer~~, but heck, if you're gonna expose some crack, expect some stares. Bottom line is, if you've got it, flaunt it. Beautifully and only at opportune moments.

Some Thoughts

2007-08-12T02:48:00.000+08:00

The mind is an amazing thing; it never stops running even when one is sleeping. It can take one to places, bring up visual images at the speed of light and take you back to memory lane, complete with audio and visual effects. It also on occasion acts as the voice of conscience.

A person can think a million things at once ~~or at least a woman can!~~ without showing an ounce of reaction on one's face. Or having one's brain combust spontaneously every time one's head seems be dashing in 4 different directions.

I enjoy watching people think. I also try not to get caught doing it, because it unnerves them. I know, because I'd get irritated too. It's interesting to catch the subtle differences between daydreaming and being lost in thought. Some people gaze to the right; some to the left. There are those that mumble out their thoughts and the ones who knit their brows together. I know people who jot their thoughts down in case they lose potentially good ideas as well as those who simply sit there and stare back at you, not seeing but thinking.

Can't tell the difference between thinking and stoning? The next time you talk to someone, observe. The 2 seconds before they reply back to you, thats when they start thinking about what to say. Maybe its their eyes, or simply subconscious changes in one's features, but there would be a look that says "I'm thinking of my reply to you". Don't know what the hell I've been babbling about for the past 15 mins? Think about it. ;)

The Secret has been geting raving reviews this week. Or at least from work and friends. From what I've been watching on Youtube, this film looks rather promising. Classical music, grand pianos and ivory tinkling, what's not to love? It's not a Great Romance until I've heard good pianos or violins. I'm old-fashioned like that, so sue me.

I'm getting the same vibes from this film as when I caught The Notebook, those make-you-wanna-cry moments and that all-is-well-in-this-world feeling. This show better be as good as I hope it is, or I'd be really really disappointed. Oh, and this drawing was done right after I've watched the trailer for the 5th time.

Shopping Sunday

2007-08-05T21:44:00.000+08:00

What a cheeky little thing.
Due to curiosity, I got myself registered to something called Postcrossing. I'm supposed to exchange postcards with strangers from all over the world, might as well start designing my postcards now.

Maraschino cherries! I didn't even know Phoon Huat sold them. These babies are the best, they're sweet like hell and looks good on any dessert. Too bad they only come in those ridiculously heavy 3kg jars.

In the end, I got myself a small box of glazed cherries. Not very sugary ~~they're not bathed in syrup, after all~~, but eat more than 10 and you'll be sugar-rushing till tomorrow. I had only 5 ~~Hah! That's self-restraint for you!~~, so I guess I'll be all right. ;)

The Water Kitsune, W.I.P.

2007-07-28T17:28:00.000+08:00

The Water Kitsune has no wings nor tail, just a pair of fluffy fox ears. If you look carefully, you might spot one tanning among the flowers at the pond on a bright sunny day.