Pre-Departure

Is July 24! time flies, and im ready to go for my trip... oh ya, forgot to update you all that my sydney trip is remain back to track. my boss (frank) told me last week, that we will still go for this trip, since H1N1 is considered as 'worldwide disease' now. we are not going to pay for admin fees to cancel 4 flight tickets and also not going to lose this chance to attend the design exhibition. so, the final decision has made.
they (frank, his wife n little daughter) will depart tmr am, and i will only depart by myself on tues evening.
last night, i bought myself a new luggage, as my prev luggage is old and is canvas made, not so good for travelling esp when it is raining! this new luggage is very fanciful (don't you think so?), and it is PINK! in fact, i will try to avoid pink color, no matter for apparel, personal belongings, etc... but this is the nicest color i found. the other 2 available colors are yellow (mustard yellow), and black.


here is goes.. my brand new pink luggage.

i started to gather some necessary items for trip, all samples are very good to use for travelling! p/s: i bought mask for myself.. just in case...

"Design Studios"

"Kawakong designworks" page

today is friday, but i din plan for any activities for tonight. so, i went to Page One alone, as i'm "craving" for new books since this morning. wanted to add some chinese books to my bookshelve, but eventually, i din manage to get any.

Page one is having some design books campaign, and i bought this --- "SMALL STUDIOS", a very thick book, value for money? ($64.09 before 20% discount)... introducing 100 nos. of small studios (small studios = 2-3 person who run the company in a small office or soho) around the world (western & Asia), all are from design field for sure.

this book showcased the owner of each design studio --- how they develop their business, how different to work from a big company and small company, etc.. it also showcase their portfolio....

very inspiring, i hope i can be 1 of them very soon. and proudly speaking, there are 2 small studios from Malaysia Truly Asia featured in this book! Both are "Grain Studio" and "Kawakong Designworks".

talk about design, i'm abit confused lately. i think i'm in love with graphic (2D) more than interior (3D)... :(

is that sad to find out? i don't know. i guess this is because i'm doing interior in commercial line (mostly for offices, and offices in this region are all very.........ahem....) for almost 4 years, office client are very corporate and there is not much design that we can apply on, as they always see practicality as priority. in order to meet practicality and functionality, we have to give up aesthetically or design intention. If we insist on design intention, in this "pitching industry", we will lose the job for sure...!

this month, work is not that busy, as few of the projects were handed-over. finally, we can start on our "self-initiated" project, which we always like to talk about, but never have the time to start off.

we are planning to do a product (cannot reveal now... :P), and make it as corporate gift + sell it out as x'mas present for this year.

because of this project, i started to do self-learning on how to use Adobe Illustrator this few days, as i feel the tool in Photoshop is limited for me to do what i intend to do.

from what i'm doing this few days, i really fall in love with this "graphic designing" activities :P besides that, i'm also very amazed by all the editor of books and magazine, i wonder how they come out with such a great planning/ layout and graphic edit. salute.......! ^^

bye, chenxi

bye chenxi...

my "son" from world vision child sponsorship programme has been removed, as he and his family moved to a new province at china and withdraw themselve from this programme.
i have sponsored chenxi for almost 3 years when he is only about 2 years old, and this is quite a sad news and shocking news for me!
in this 3 years, i received letters and 2 photos from him.... very cute & adorable little china kid...
in my every letter, i will incl. a little gift (stickers, folding papers, cards..etc..) for him. the last gift i posted to him is color pencils, as from his letter to me, his father told me he is starting to pick up drawings....
i hope he can have a good life.. at least comfortable life in his future, and grow up soon :) i will miss you....

world vision gave me another kid from Hebei, china, and i should say "hello, lixin"....

get away soon!

So finally i have made the decision to travel alone, and the destination is to my favourite country - Hong Kong.
2 days ago, i'm still not sure whether to travel alone ornot, browsing the internet for reserch.... while doing my budgeting on this "get away trip", the airticket is $348 (before insurance & admin fees) quoted by jetstar. and yesterday, when i re-browsed again... just 1 night different, and the price is amazingly lower! i met jetsaver! return airticket is only $213! plus $17 (travel insurance) & $6 admin fees, the total cost is $236, which is $114 cheaper! if excluded travel insu + admin fees, it is $137 cheaper!
well, i know i din save anything, as i'm spending money!

anyway, i'm excited. 30 days more to wait for my 5 days 4 nights getaway! :)

Hong Kong, here i come....



(i'm totally forget about the H1N1 desease.... but seems like nobody care, right?)

souvenir

hehe. souvenir from manila, philipines. :) T-shirt from lomography embassy of Manila.

偶然独活, 该珍惜而不是叹息

......... 最近有朋友忽然对我概叹，一段接一段的拍拖太久了，根本没有机会回过气来，很想试试单身的滋味。我很明白这不是身在福中不知福的犯贱，与爱得不够的人在一起，固然比单身还可耻，即使相亲相爱，也同时公平的错过了很多单身的快活。

看一套电影，在旁有人分享感情好，但当你试过看到欲哭之时，耳边忽然传来一句这里拍得太入骨了，泪水即时要倒流，胃口也给倒了，甚至看完后的戏经，有时因伴侣边看边评的影响，连自己的独立思考也迷失了。

恋爱中的人或一家几口的人，偶尔可能还会梦想一人背起背包游天下，对不起，天下没有免费的午餐，伴侣不怀疑你去偷欢，就是觉得你对他已相处到产生厌倦感，再明事理，也需要知道你想游到几时吧？一要交待，一人自由游行已扫了一半的兴。但是，人一年有几多假期有几何旅行？毕业后不把握单身的黄金机会，一恋爱便迟了，只能在每段恋爱的空隙间成行，可惜，大多数是怀着所谓分手后散心的心态，自乐中总有茫茫的自虐阴影，很难摆脱心魔真正自由自在。到年纪老大，没有伴又缺少安全感，总有人互相照应才安乐，老残游记是不好过的。所以，要天涯任我行，不能不趁体力旺盛又不为爱情所牵累时成行。

那种去到哪里是哪里，不需商议妥协迁就的快感，在想停下来的地方逗留三个小时就三个小时，不许任何人答应，不许揣测此举会带来什么脸色，这种逍遥游，真会恨得动弹不得的连体爱侣内心牙痒痒，连把心愿说出来的自由都没有。

独处，并不可耻，可悲的是分不开孤独与寂寞。

寂寞的情绪可能让一只猫叫春，孤独自处，会容许不沉默的自由，思考的自由，不吃东西的自由，沉迷烂片的自由，而无需任何理由。这不是安乐是什么？

从出生到死，不是有太多人有太多时期可以有这种福利，人始终是群体动物，偶然独活，该珍惜而不是叹息。

转载自林夕, HK uMagazine Vol. 139, july25 2008

They queue for...

Picture shown: Singaporean like to queue for Louis Vuitton.

This is a new up-coming shopping mall - ION at Orchard Road, nice architecture. wondering how's the interior? :) hope to see more next week.

"design consultant"

最近的工作量多得让我觉得有点想吐，尤其是当老板在国外出差的时候，我的工作量简直是。。。 让我有想要罢工的意思。。

原来，名片上印了所谓的‘design consultant’ 这个头衔，其实背后是藏有危机的。

design consultant- 顾名思义，是设计师的意思。而为何有consultant这个头衔在后面呢？就是因为这位设计师不单只要做设计师该做的东西，还要consult 顾客，consult supplier，consult contractors... 从行政工作开始，到帮公司买文具，tissue paper, 到marketing，到site supervisor，或穿着高跟鞋到工地当清洁工人，或精心化妆到到处铺满灰尘，没有冷气供应的工地，到应酬顾客。。样样都要精通。
那到底，这位所谓的设计师要怎么样才能专注于她分内的工作呢?

很矛盾。

一开始，为了要做开荒牛，已经预测到自己是必须要做那么的多。所以基本上，不该抱怨那么多。但是，人应该都有一个极限吧，当自己所付出的；与所得到的拿来作比较时，感觉不到那个平衡点，也许这样的小噪音就会出现吧。

"黑白无常"

朋友群当中，有一位自称要等天黑才懂得说话的朋友。大概就是，大白天工作的时候，他是一个内向不多话的人；而当月色朦胧时，他就是一匹奔放狂野的狼，紧盯所有可能落网的猎物。也许你真的不相信，真的有白天黑夜变化那么多的人吗？是真的，我亲眼目睹他的幻化。上半个小时吃晚餐时，还是低着头鼻子快贴到白饭，过了不久马上双目发光侃侃畅谈他骄傲的“猎女史”。这位朋友不算帅、不高、也不算富有。可是不止一次身边的其他男性朋友问过我：Ei，你是女人，那你一定知道，为什么那位E君每一次出现身旁总有数不尽的辣妹？他究竟哪里吸引女生了？
我想了一下，唯一一个可以成立的答案就是，他没有威胁力。当你遇见一位高大威猛身材倒三角的帅哥，你不会有勇气爱上他，你觉得和他一起没有什么安全感，有条件的人怎么会死守一棵树？如果对方是一位戴金丝眼镜衬衫tug in 的斯文人，你又害怕他过不久递上屋契保险结婚戒指，你才不想那么快结束自由身。
所以，这位E君大概就是，你一看就知道他不会成为你的恋爱人选，可是你也不介意和他跳跳舞，玩一玩的“不太讨厌男”。在这种定位的男生好处可多了。每一次向他贴近的火辣姐姐都比他高一个头，美女左拥右抱不用负责任。而且，也许这位朋友知道大家都不会对他有戒心，自然也会大胆起来。只要在昏暗的月色迷蒙夜晚，避开一些无谓的目光，他就能对姐姐们狂灌迷汤，大行其道。
可是，这种角色如果换成女生的话，情况就大大不同了。女人们，如果出去party，稍微casual架上一副眼镜，眼睛的瓦特指数马上降温。身上没有什么bilng一点的行头，眼影、衣服、耳环、项链都好，黑压压的人潮根本发现不到你的存在。穿着不稍微有一点看头，肩膀、雪背、锁骨性感晒冷，站在隔壁有意无意想要和你较劲的姐妹，轻而易举地把你比下去。
女人要hunting，就必须从头到脚豁出去，相较起那位E君，你说公平吗？

（载自leexinyi/ 5月份《女友》杂志）

喜欢这篇，尤其是最后那段。所以，女人啊，hunting需要很大的投资，要么，就乖乖地找个架金丝框，忠厚老实，衬衫永远tuck-in的斯文人；要么，就从头到脚豁出去，卖了整副身家，为了就是钓个金龟婿。毕竟，这也是投资的一个行列。:)