Oh man - chat quote of the day

A: doing anything for spring break?
me: not really. u?
A: nope
me: spring break hahahaha
A: i mean easter
hahahaha
me: i reeeeally feel like some of us are stuck in college days - especially me
since i'm going back to school!
A: i see
i'm stuck in college days and not going back to school
maybe that's worse

2009 movies post

OK. I haven't seen every good movie of 2009 (haven't seen the Hurt Locker in particular), but faves are as follows:

-Star Trek
-A Serious Man

Uh, ok. That's it! hahahahaha. Very high-low brow?

Books, Change, Life

I was getting my daily blog fix yesterday when I came across one that posted a list of the 10 books that changed this person's life (or "influenced" said life also works). I thought this would be a fun and easy exercise, until I realized it's really not...

There are books that touched me greatly and altered my thinking for that moment/week/month (some of them academic, as can be expected), but the only thing I came up with that certainly changed my life was Lord of the Flies. It is simply because this is the first book I read for which someone showed me that there is such a thing as symbolism in literature, that it's not just a story. It was like a veil lifted. Like a secret finally whispered. A rite of passage.

Feels different this year

Sometimes, I just feel so incredibly blessed to have such kind, wise and loyal friends, I don't even dare believe it, as if thinking about it too hard will disprove it. They know who they are. But here I quote part of a chat session from yesterday, my birthday, with a colleague who doesn't know about my blog.

V says: ... feel old
not exactly feel old, but feel ill-prepared for my age...
W says: u're 27?
V says: ......... r u serious
W says: ok...u're a few years older than me only, right? (coz i forget how old i am, whaahaha) so u're 29?
V says: yes
W says: i think the actual no. is not important, what important is ur face and ur heart, and u definitely don't look like ur age
V says: wa, u r good at "tum" me
W says: sorry, i'm good at telling the truth that people always forget, hahaa

This made me smile

They can be really lame with words sometimes, but Langham Place - one of my favorite hotels in this city - knows what's up. They get the media. They get what's fun, what's not. They sent me an invitation for the media launch of their "iPod Art Tour." The invite consists of four sentences only. This is one of them:

"Free of speeches but with excellent Champagne, great conversation and fine food from all four-corners of the world – we’d love your company."

Oh yes. I'd love to be there.

Why oh why...

Gianfranco Ferre accessories, always so fugly they hurt my eyes. (At least they are consistent?)

Ugh ugh ugh what on earth are they thinking?

Belated Quote of the Day

March 1, 2010

Someone: "Think I buy on average one H&M item per week... is that a sin?"
--via email

My current reading habits are all over the place, which I think is a very accurate reflection of the direction of my life right now - or lacking thereof. Currently actively reading:

Committed
Land of Desire
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
2 issues of Time magazine
Lucky magazine March issue

I am normally way too anal to be reading all this, especially magazines out of sequence (I go from front cover to back cover, chronologically, strictly, normally). I haven't felt so "caught in the middle" (channeling Lenka) in ages... work, school, people, life, houses, dimensions

People write what they know. That's why novels are often about writers. That's why operas are frequently about artists, musicians, etc. Musicals are often about the singing and dancing professions: Moulin Rouge, Phantom of the Opera, Chicago...

Anyway. Someone should write a tragic opera about a singer who suddenly loses her hearing in one ear. Not so much "loses" hearing but worse. She has her hearing altered in such a way that the world sounds distorted and dissonant. Sort of like the way they make robots sound in movies. It's a fate worse than deafness. She was normally quite the reticent one to begin with, but now her own voice is the most excruciating to listen to because it's closest to her inner ear.

"Diplacusis" I was able to google out yesterday.

This sums it up

Everyone at work is being really high-maintenance.

In response to latest Style Rookie post...

http://tavi-thenewgirlintown.blogspot.com/2010/02/blowing-every-time-you-move-your-teeth.html

Although I have not read the articles Tavi is alluding to, I feel for her because 1) she is 13, and it can't be easy to be openly criticized at that age, even if she does dare to stick her neck out by finding success, 2) she isn't a journalist and accepting gifts should be fun and not unethical, 3) anyone who's read her blog will know her sincerity, 4) anyone who's read her blog will know that her head is screwed on tight, 5) she is 13! When Michelle Wie said something silly two years ago that stirred up controversy, I was like, uh she's 19, give her a break. It's easy to forget Tavi is just a kid because she's such a genius. It's just a blog. And it's a great blog that has some great pieces of writing. It's scary that she has to fend for herself against these professional, adult egomaniacal writers (because all writers are egomaniacs).

Some of fave lines in fave movie of the decade

Beatrix Kiddo: You pretty good with that shotgun?

Karen: Not that I have to be at this range, but I'm a fuckin' surgeon with this shotgun.

B: Well, guess what, bitch? I'm better than Annie Oakley. And I got you right in my sight.

K: I could blow your fuckin' head off.

B: Not before I put one right between your eyes, so let's talk.

Shoot. Me. Now.

Frankly, the February issue is quite good, despite January being kind of shitty. But given that January is ancient history and I don't see why anyone should dwell upon that, let's focus on the February issue, which is actually also history. It's somewhere between not bad and good. So f--- the HK T---ism B---d! And people who are all like, "can you not make any mistakes at all ever when it comes to freaking museum opening hours, lone writer/editor/gatekeeper between correct and slightly incorrect information?", fuck you! GRR! F--- museums!

Suddenly it's February (but of course).

I really should be getting work done right now, but I really wanted to make a list of my 10 favorite movies of the decade before it's suddenly July. Which might be thought of as a lame reason for skipping lunch, but that's exactly what I'm doing now. Funny thing is, I quickly wrote down four movies just off the top of my head:

-Kill Bill Vol. 2

-In Bruges

-Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

-The Departed

The phrase "off the top of my head" is rather apt, seeing as how these four movies all feature a lot of gratuitous violence (and rambly dialogue). Well OK, I would describe it as "hilarious violence," but that's because I have a warped mind.

Then with the top off, I decided to dig deeper into my brain's archives of pleasurable movie experiences, as well as take a quick look online to check what movies came out over the decade, just to make sure I didn't forget ones from earlier on. Here's what I have in no particular order (warning: I am lowbrow): M:I:3, X2, Waitress, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Gladiator, Amelie, all three Bourne movies, Lost in Translation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Star Trek, Casino Royale, Atonement, Catch Me If You Can. It surprised me that Amelie only came out in the noughties! And I must note that I haven't seen many movies that would be classified as late 2009. Anyway... by no means definitive and final, but my 10 Favorite Movies of the Decade:

1. Kill Bill Vol. 2

2. Amelie

3. In Bruges

4. Lost in Translation

5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

6. The Departed

7. Waitress

8. A Very Long Engagement

9. The Dark Knight

10. Catch Me If You Can

Honorable Mention for most played DVD: Mean Girls (half-kidding... a small half)

something beautiful

normally, images of watch movement parts bore me. (i know, totally weird that there is such a phenomenon as "images of watch movement parts." i mean, who cares?) but this one from gerard-perregaux - i've never seen anything like it.

being a child of the 80s :)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/popcandy/post/2010/01/previewing-the-baby-sitters-club-prequel-whats-claudia-wearing/1

Omg. Out tomorrow. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0670021652/

My Urban Outfit

How this outfit epitomizes current HK fashion:

-tunic/short dress/skirt

-plaid

-black tights or skinny pants

-dark motorcycle-type boots

-long sweater

I'm the opposite of trendy but this trend is irresistible if one has the right clothes and the will--which I find most challenging with how cold HK apartments are in the morning. You know, like, I just rolled out of my duvet and it's too cold to think about fashion. Dress arrived this week from Urban Outfitters via Tim from LA. Sweater from Uniqlo. Age-old tights. No-name boots from Japan. New bargain Baby-G from Amazon.

took this last night

Ah, Facebook.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/08/the-funniest-facebook-sna_n_383847.html