{{ early grad gift }}

shhh, originally uploaded by broiche.

I am stoked.

I am very stoked.

My Sony Ericsson was pretty awesome, but it was time to say goodbye. Not only was the battery completely retarded, this piece of metal sometimes just decides not to show missed calls, voicemails, texts, etc...I started the Sony Ericsson 4 years ago - second hand from my brother. It was exciting for me because I never had a phone before then. Now that I'm old and gray and more mature and perhaps - i like to think this way- a little more knowledgeable of the world, I strive for something better.

Even though graduation isn't until May of 2010, my old phone was making me pretty miserable. On top of that, the battery for my ipod was questionable aussi. All in all, I received my grad gift early!

I should've started my paper last night when I got home around 9:30pm. Instead, I received my little surprise from my mum and I started playing with it like a little kid for a good 2 or 3 hours. It was sweet. It was very sweet. It was so sweet that toffee is considered bitter.

The cover is pretty sweet as well. I think it suits me quite well: weird, awkward, shy etc.. I love it!

I am extremely excited to have an iphone and like i said, i am super stoked.

Thanks Parents!

{{ a thought: calm down to move forward }}

photo via emmas designblogg

sing if you must, but quit thinking too much.

Let's focus. Let's concentrate. Let's get it done!

{{ a flickr: beyond the surface }}

The Great Wall of Bokehistan, originally uploaded by rogvon.

Things we cannot see are often scarier than the things we can see

{{ 走不動 }}

不知道為什麼

最近心情很差

很不難煩

也許是因為快要考試了

為了寫兩個final paper

有很多書要看 做reference

另外

要複習理科的課

雖然兩個paper的due date已經延到7號

但是我想要竟量早一點寫完

因為這樣我就可以好好專心讀書了

因該會一直熬夜吧

另一個原因

可能是因為學期快要結束了

怎麼過的這麼快

在四個月就要畢業了

然後呢？

如果要馬上載繼續讀

二月多之前就得做好申請的動作了

在學校的日子裡

根本沒時間好好的做一些藝術方面的功課

這樣

怎麼會有足夠的作品呢？

我之所以沒辦法直接上masters

是因為我根本沒有那個能力

沒有做好足夠的準備

就算有機會

也是浪費時間

浪費金錢

浪費力氣

要好好的完成一件事情

我希望我是以已經準備好的心情

去做這件事情

在我生活中的每一個人

對我都有不同的期待

他們有他們的立場

我有我的立場

他們每一個人對我來說都很重要

我並不希望他們失望

我只希望他們了解

決定是我的

我希望他們能看透這一點

我了解我自己

我知道我需要什麼

我並不是一個不向上的人

我也並不是一個愛逃避的人

我更不是一個會讓他人而左右的人

我希望他們了解

他們的期待

給我非常大的壓力

雖然這不是他們想聽的

但是這的確是事實

壓力

大到我晚上躺在床上

太安靜

會睡不著

會抖

會喘不過氣

我希望他們了解

我只是一個人

我沒辦法完成每一個人的夢想

每一個人的期待

我有我對自己的期待

我有我對自己的承諾

最近心情很不穩定

壓力已經產生了

壓力一直都在那裡

我會壓他

我會把他藏起來

但我克服不了他

我希望這些人可以給我

我自己的空間

我自己的時間

我自己的獨立

{{ a flickr: desire for rejuvenation }}

, originally uploaded by la_sendi.

Things haven't been going smoothly lately: school, personal, relationships. This photo presents to me an expression of hope and comfort, reassuring me that all will be well. It could be worst.

{{ love }}

on dirait le sud, originally uploaded by Just Lae.

He loves and she loves,
And they love
So why can't you love
And I love too?
Birds love and bees love
And whispering trees love,
And that's what we both should do.

{{ a flickr: soothing aroma }}

Lavender Field in Provence, originally uploaded by MesmanImages.

The rich color of the lavender contrasts with the spotting greens, yet blends in so well overall with the environment.

{{ Toes out! }}

Pastel by aorukaya featuring Marc by Marc Jacobs bags

Today was not only a long, tiresome day, i encountered some weird, rude, unfriendly people. In order to relieve my stress due to academic engagements and personal affairs, i resort to 3 things: i eat, i watch films, i blog. It is too time consuming to do all three combined therefore I chose to eat, not in huge amounts, and blog. I played around with polyvore, which is something I haven't played with since 10 months ago. I kind of wish it was the summer where I can feel the sun on my skin and wear pretty shoes that can show off my toes. But summer's gone and Vancouver is already one month into its rainy season. Boohoo. Anyway, I read something in a book today that really should be the motto of everybody's life: le bon vivre!

{{ breakfast! Egg in a hole! }}

inspired by SimplyBreakfast

egg in a hole is delicious! The last time i made it, i made it in a bagel and had thin slices of yellow cheddar. Very filling.

{{ Epistemology }}

ledoux, claude: coup-d'oeil du theatre de Besancon

Epistemology (n.) the theory of knowledge, esp. with regard to its methods, validity, and scope. Epistemology is the investigation of what distinguishes justified belief from opinion.

{{ La Tour Eiffel a 120 ans }}

Paris: Eiffel Tower 120 years (Street view), originally uploaded by grafixen.

The famous Eiffel Tower turned 120 this year. A new set of lights are installed and are "performed" from 8 to 11pm every night. Paris is beautiful and one day I shall live here. Paris is incomparable to any other city in my opinion. Hitler, infamous for looting, destroying and killing, visited Paris once. One of the many reasons that he didn't destroy Paris was because of his fascination with the architecture and urban layout of the city. I wish to go. I wish to go soon.

{{ 沒有煩惱的日子 }}

這幾年的暑假

我都回台灣

今年

是最棒的一年

我認識了一些天真美麗的朋友

我感覺到了寶島的生活

最近 學校很忙

心情很煩

讓我有點喘不過氣

想要逃

逃到哪呢？

開起了iphoto看看以前的照片

台灣

熱熱的天氣

生存的感覺

熱鬧的街道

甜美的水果

很高興認識你們

我相信我們有緣份

我們

會在相遇的！

{{ The love for Bikram }}

In the period of yogaless lifestyle due to my injured knees, I began to suffer chronic shoulder, neck and chest pains. On top of these are irksome migraines. After injuring my knees from participating the Sun Run 2 years ago, I was getting pain simply from walking. The pain was so severe that I didn't dare to go back to Bikram.

After seeing the doctor about my physical pains, he told me that they were probably due to my constant tense muscles. I know I'm always tense but never did I realize that this would be the cause of so much discomfort. I finally decided to start Bikram again.

Saturday was my first day back. I am sincerely glad. I love Bikram. I love the instructors and how encouraging and motivating they can be. I always get so emotional in the class and I'm not really sure why. I feel completely vulnerable yet completely myself. I feel the urge to be better, to improve, to love, to appreciate, and to surpass myself.

Our bodies are strong. It is our minds that are weak. Yoga connects our bodies with our minds. Bikram makes me feel physically and mentally strong. It makes me feel courageous. It drives me forward. It calms me. It balances me.

It fixes me.

{{ Grocery list }}

Things I wish to buy:

• Fig Jam
• Maple Syrup
• Raspberries
• Blueberries
• Apples
• Yellow Tomatoes
• Cob's Coffee & Date Loaf
• Steel cut oatmeal
• fresh carrots
• yellow split pea
• Patisserie Bordeaux's almond croissant

{{ Artflick 101 }}

The Department of Art History at UBC provides movie screenings (mostly documentaries) every other Tuesday. The first film they showed was about a young kid artist who's apparently super famous. The name of the girl and the film escapes me and hopefully I'll remember it eventually. The most recent film and the first one I've actually gone to see was shown on Tuesday titled "The Rape of Europa." The documentary is based on a book The Rape of Europa: The Fate of Europe's Treasures in the Third Reich and the Second World War by Lynn Nicholas. This is a story of Nazi Germany's plungering of Europe's great works of art during World War II. This movie introduced to me a new level of history and art. I was so intrigued and interested by this emotional film that it was hard to even blink my eyes.

Hitler was mad, but he was also mad about art. This film is impetus to my interest in WWII and art. The focused paintings shown in the film that really caught my attention were Gustav Klimt's Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer and Raphael's Portrait of a Young Man.

Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer is a painting filled with mystery. It's a wonderfully detailed oil painting with silver and gold on canvas. Portrait of a Young Man is oil on canvas. It's beautifully coloured and displayed the intricate use of light and shade.

Raphael's Portrait of a Young Man is among the three most wanted art works by the Nazi Government. The other two being Leonardo's Lady with an Ermine and Rembrant's Landscape with Good Samaritan. Both of these two paintings have been recovered after the war and currently located in Czartoryski Museum in Krakow and in a private collection, respectively. Raphael's famous piece is yet to be found.

Art makes us human. Art reminds us of the significant of antiquary and the purity of origins. History is buried in people, in places and in things. It is continuously being made and discovered, learned and interpreted.

{{ Great leaders of our world }}

In my construction and engineering management class, a British guest speaker talked to us about people management and leadership. When asked who we thought are good leaders, these names came up:

Ghandi

George Bush (echem)

Churchil

Jesus

Nelson

Trudeau

M. Thatcher

Nelson Mandella

Bob Marley

Steve Jobs

Lenin

Steve Nash

Bono (wtf)

Borbachev

Mother Teresa

Hitler

Napolean

Roosevelt

Obama

Martin Luther King

and...

Optimus Prime

{{ Error! Problem Found! }}

originally uploaded by emshim.

So I finally realized what my problem is.

1. I don't get enough sleep.
2. I am tired all the time.
3. I have a lot of stuff to do.
4. I eat to keep myself awake.
5. I eat to keep myself awake.
6. I eat not because I'm hungry.
7. I eat to keep myself awake.

Goal: get enough sleep

{{ Must Visit Soon }}

originally uploaded by emshim.

Patisserie Lebeau

I haven't been for weeks, actually months. We had planned on going, but we can never find the time when everybody's available.

Soon. I promise. Soon.

{{ Vegas: A Trip to Remember }}

8:00am

Departing UBC!

We got on the charter bus and headed south. Going through the border was a pain in the ass but it went quite swiftly. We stopped by McD shortly after the border to grab breakfast/brunch. I had the worst breakfast/brunch of my life. I didn't get worked up about it because meh, we're going to Vegas! It's funny how things look very differently once you cross the border. I'm not sure if it's the way things look, the environment, the people or just my mind playing games. Either way, I didn't pay much attention to the surrounding because we watched "Hangover" on the bus. This was my first time watching this movie and I thought it a suitable movie for this trip =)

Like I said, there wasn't much to look at during our bus ride until we drove through Seattle. I'm intrigued by Seattle and even though it isn't very big and it's located right by the highway, I'd like to visit. It's a shame that I've never really visited Seattle since I live just hours away. My mum and I are planning to visit Seattle over the holidays and I think that'd be quite nice.

We arrived at the airport and had time to kill. I'm so used to the type and selection of food we have in Canada that American food was well, not very healthy. I'm sure there are lots of fine dining places with healthy food, but the places we've gone weren't one of those. I had a panini at the airport which was just filled with grease. Since wasting food isn't in my personal agenda, I ate the entire thing. Feeling completely nasty after my huge, greasy, cheesy-with-zero-vegetables panini, I had to finish my meal with a pint of beer!

Yay, Eric was up for it! Our first legal purchase of alcohol in the States! I ventured myself and got an IPA, which was extremely difficult to drink at the time. I was about 2 sips from finishing my drink when we realized that we had a plane to catch! Oops, gotta go!

Halloween! I'm pretty sure I haven't dressed up for Halloween since like Grade 8. I know, I know, it's lame. Everybody should dress up for Halloween no matter how old you are. It's a way of keeping ourselves young. I guess I've just been way too lazy in the past. I know for sure that I'm going to be dressing up every year now!

Note: My plan to dress up as Cleopatra and Ryan as Mark Antony totally fell through. Maybe next year... for sure next year!

Anyway, my roomies for Vegas were my "fourth year friends"! (Ha!) Gwenda dressed up as Cruella deville and Kaori, Behin and myself are her little b*ches (I mean dolmatians..). Our costumes were done in a hurry the day before but they turned out alright! Halloween in Vegas was one of the most interesting events. Everybody's dressed up. Everybody's tipsy. Everybody's having a blast!

There were only about a million Waldos. They were easy to spot!

When I visited Macau earlier in the summer, I wanted to watch a Cirque de Soleil show; however, there were no performances during the days that I was there. Not only was I disappointed, I didn't get to see much of Macau because of who I was traveling with - elderly relatives.

To make up for this loss, I was extremely excited to see a show in Vegas. There were about 6 Cirque de Soleil shows plus many other different ones such as the Blue Man Group. "O" was showing at Bellagio but the tickets for this show were way beyond our budgets. A whole group of us decided to go see "Love". I was definitely in the mood for some Beatles. We ended up paying around $60.00 per ticket with balcony seats. We didn't think too much at the time because we were pretty happy with the price that we were paying. Once we got to the theater and headed for our seats, the people working there stopped us and told us that they were going to upgrade our seats! "Holy F*, Really?" We ended up being in the "3RD ROW". It was pretty ridiculous because another friend of ours payed ~$75.00 for like the 7th or 8th row. We were beyond bliss. The stage was set in the center of the theater so really, every seat had incredible view.

The show was unlike anything I've seen before. I've seen plays, broadways, musicals, but nothing like this. Listening to the Beatles brought nostalgia and comfort. I couldn't stop humming "All you need is love" the rest of the night! The show was creative, engaging and mesmerizing. I wish we could've seen more shows!

The rest of this specific night consisted of me getting ridiculously drunk (a happy, talkative, loud drunk). There was a part of the night which I didn't remember,but that's okay. I had a blast. Obviously, not so much the next day. I totally missed our visit to UNLV and the water treatment facility/construction site. I wish I had gone but I was in no shape to get out of bed. I tried and even went on the Monorail with some of the guys from the trip who stayed at the hotel that day as well. I traveled one station before getting off the Monorail and headed back to the hotel and back to bed.

We spent the next day just doing some last minute shopping and sight-seeing.

I wish I wasn't so sick on the 3rd night and that I was up for more drinking. People had a blast at the club that night -Jet. Even though I missed out on this, I still had a great time in Vegas. I met a lot of people that I've never talked to in class. I've gotten to know more about some people. It was great that the Grad trip was so early on in the year.

The trip was a success and thanks to all who organized it!

monday night

Went to see this movie on Monday. It was a free screening at 5th Ave Cinema. It was a really classy cinema. There's even a balcony! The movie was very entertaining, very comical. It was a spontaneous, fun night for Ryan and I. It was fun.

When you're stressed, get away!

Life is pretty hectic right now..

apple and cinnamon and brown sugar with oats is one solution.

photo via SimplyBreakfast

The weather has been strange lately.

During my walk to Save-on on Saturday, I felt almost "hot". The sun was blazing with the sky bright blue.

On Sunday, a couple of us went to the last Farmer's market of the year in Kits. The weather was gray and the ground, slimy and wet.

Today, it's windy. It's very windy. It poured this morning when I left the house. Now, the sun comes and goes. It's bright then it's dark.

Strange weather.

photo via coco+kelley

Let's get away to a place far far away. Provence sounds lovely. It's probably getting cold there now as well, but that's okay. I'll imagine Provence summers with lavenders and sunflowers... I long for freshly baked bread with cheese and delicious baked pasta with wine.

Memories live on. They are there to help me get through hard times.

ah woooooooo

I went to see this movie on Saturday night.

I didn't grow up here so I've never heard about this book until quite recently. Scarfe didn't any any copies left because everyone wanted to read it before seeing the movie. Luckily, I came across a copy in the Bookstore and read it in all of 5 minutes. The illustrations were pretty amazing and the story, very creative. So i didn't know what to expect from the movie. I've heard mixed reviews and wondered how the movie could be 101 minutes. The music for the trailer sounded pretty awesome, so I looked forward to the soundtrack for the movie.

We arrived at Scotiabank theater around 6:15 for the 7pm show after getting some food from Johnny's Pizza ( a tad of disappointment with the food), and the lineup was already huge. The majority of the people weren't kids, which is ironic. After waiting for 45 minutes, in line and in the theater watching boring advertisements, the movie finally started.

Not to spoil any details, I was fully awake one minute after the movie started.

I like it. It's beautifully filmed. It's creative and touching. I think it speaks out to individuals who feel isolated at times, even in the presence of other people;especially in the presence of other people. The music is beautiful and it definitely adds to the effect of removing the audience to a different world. I really enjoyed the movie and I most definitely think that the movie isn't suitable for young children.

putting a smile on my face

I am absolutely inspired by all the creative projects and photos and artworks you find floating around the internet. This "bow" is soo adorable and it suits the model very well. The technology today allows us to obtain unlimited information and it seems impossible to see and learn it all! Bit by bit we slowly absorb, but time is definitely a factor! How do you find the time to do all the things you want to do, and the things that you have planned to do? This can lead to madness and frustration. Emotional instability and overeating, which may have happened today when we had the most awesome Thanksgiving dinner ever, are my symptoms for ill time management. Good food is no cure for frustration. Great food is anesthesia to numb the mind. Looking through blogs and seeing pretty photos of people and things is the remedy for a troubled mind! This photo made my day. It often amazes me how such small of a thing can change my mood and thus my day. It's good. People should just try to be positive all the time.

It was good to be home for the long weekend. A day or two in a different city reminds me of how lucky I am. There's a house to go back to. There's a kitchen with all the ingredients you need to make a feast. There's comfort and there's warmth. There's family and there's love.

Also, there's Mount Royal bagels...

photo via ilovemuffins

words..

Pen and paper, originally uploaded by Mack2.

I had a midterm today. It was an urban studies course titled "Cities". When I checked out the course last school year, I was extremely excited about it. It has been awhile since I've taken an arts course. Anyway, so I came out of classroom feeling completely stupefied. Writing used to be easy, or at least easier, for me. Now I can't seem to organize my thoughts into words. It's really frustrating. My midterm paper probably had more lines crossed out than lines with words so please excuse my ranting.

I came home, not wanting to study right away, watched an episode of gossip girl. This made me feel a little better, but still not 100% great.

I'm looking forward to something good happening soon.

Métro parisien | Paris subway

Métro parisien | Paris subway, originally uploaded by neoweb001.

I really am in love with Paris..

Fall!

It's getting colder now. Despite the fact that I hate wind chills and goose bumps, I'm looking forward to wearing fall/winter clothes. Nice warm turtlenecks, sweaters, nylons, boots, scarves, touques and much much more.

I am wearing my touque for the first time in a very long time. I think I might buy some more hats. They're fashionable and cute.

Now with the weather getting chillier and the day starting later, I have been craving for something like this.

I think my favourite drink is still a soy latte. Sometimes cappuccinos. If I don't really feel like having any dairy or soy, I just get a double Americano, black.

Maybe it's because I haven't had coffee for awhile or the fact that I just drink black coffee, I get quite shaky. This is probably not a good sign.

I'll have to go to Caffe Artigiano one of these days and pamper myself with a nice soy latte and a berry tart.

Love.

picture via Coffee stencil

Lost in Time

So a few weeks ago I picked up an Ion Magazine. I flipped over the first page and I saw this...

This is crazy. This is Eric. Well, it's not, but it's Eric!

I guess it's not unusual for people to look alike in this world, but what are the chances that you see one of your friend's face in a random magazine that you picked up in a shoe store? Odd. Very odd.

Looking at this picture reminded me of Eric back in our high school days. Then I realized that high school was..awhile ago. Time is flying by and sometimes we get lost in it. "Live in the moment" they say, but once you look at the bigger picture, it's hard to fit everything in place. So, let's do the best we can and make the best out of the time we've got. We can't do everything. We can't go everywhere. We can't know everything. But, we'll do the best we can. =)

spoiled spoiled spoiled

I yearn for you, my love.

my new favourite piece of art

I've recently fallen in love with lipsticks.

Growing up, it has always been about flavoured chapsticks, fruity lip balms, and shiny lip glosses. They smell good and they make your lips pretty. However, nothing makes the lips sexier than the use of lipsticks.

I was a bit late on picking up the trend of lipsticks. I bought my first one at the airport this summer: Shu uemura OR 530. This beautiful rose colour immediately caught my eyes and I chose it without hesitation.

I don't know if it is the personality changing, hormones rising, or just pure aging, I have become profoundly attracted to the world of red.

I used to be a tomboy who'd wear oversized t-shirts with sweatpants or tear-aways. I'd wear my brother's basketball shorts because I thought it made me look cool. I'd wear baggy jeans and caps. I'd kill myself before I'd put on a skirt. I didn't believe in makeup. All in all, I was not fashionable.

Now, I admit I like materialistic beauty. "Natural" makeup is flawless but sharp and colourful makeup is creative. It's exciting and it's extravagant. It's a different type of beauty and a different expression of the art. Each summer I travel to different countries and perhaps different continents. I observe the different attitudes each trend possesses. I take pieces of ideas to form my own style, like the making of a quilt. Our clothes define who we are. It's important to take the time and effort to appreciate the quality and design.

To conclude, I plan to purchase more lipsticks.

Add a little blush and you become your world's favourite person.

The start of something new

bound books, originally uploaded by cootsh.

4th year, here I come!

go beyond that

zero gravity, originally uploaded by [auro].

"liberty will not descend to a people. A people must raise themselves to liberty. It is a blessing that must be earned before it can be enjoyed".

It's the circle of life!

This morning I went to the public market with my mum in search for some fresh vegetables and fish for lunch. Having lived in Taiwan for the first decade of my life, I still can't be 100% comfortable visiting these markets. It's not really the flesh that bothers me. The only difference with that is that in supermarkets, the pieces of meat are packaged. What bothers me is that behind the stands with pieces of meat on display with the occasional flies hovering above stands a perfectly elegant looking woman from the waist up holding a really really sharp knife. Behind her are lively chickens and turkeys in cages, sometimes making the most unbearable sounds. Behind these cages are two huge machines: one for boiling the animal to death and the other to pluck all the feathers off. Yes... elegant looking woman indeed. 

Beside the meat stand is the fish stand. The fish just lie there on the stand and you can see them breathing or suffering. More than once in awhile, they freak out and jump up and down, spattering the customers with fishy water. I stand about 2 meters back from the stand. My mum laughs at me, but whatever, I like to keep my clothes clean. So eventually you take your pick out of the who knows how many fish on the stand. The man holding the knife grabs the fish, sometimes he bang its head for a bit until it's half dead or he just starts scraping off the scales while it's still alive. He then makes one sharp slit under the head and jabs his knife inside the fish to get all the guts out. He briefly rinses the fish in a bowl of water that can hardly be called clean. Finally he puts your order in a plastic bag and takes your money. This entire process probably takes under 5 minutes. 

The most disturbing of all is that the stands across from these meat and fish stands are selling bread and other baked goods. Next to this, a stand selling really cheap clothes or candies. I will never, not that I have ever done this, buy bread at public markets in Taiwan (not that there's anything wrong with it). 

Despite all of this, the meat and fish that you get from public markets like these are probably the freshest ones you'll get. At the same time, I can't wait to shop for food in an air-conditioned environment and still get really fresh meat and seafood. 

Blog for my Kyoto trip!

I've created another blog specifically for my trip to Kyoto.

April in Kyoto

I've been so busy!!

I give up on manually writing about my daily events.

I can never keep up! I'd do so much each day and it'd be late when I get back home. I'd be so tired and... basically, there is absolutely no time. No time at all! 

At first thought writing diary would be more meaningful then I realized that it's really harder than I'd expected. So, back to blogger.