Sunday, 23 September 2007

Back...

Hey, I am back after disappearing for a good 3 weeks.
The past 3 weeks was traumatising, but I am back to get my act together and make good. All thanks to my great friends who allowed me to detox...

Miss you all lots and alongside 3 simple pleasures:
1) Old Chang Kee - a friend of mine told me about the new recyclable bag OCK came up with. I lost him halfway - my mind just swayed to the land of puffs!*craving*
2) Steamboat at Beach Road Golden Mile - I used to have a few steamboat buds... one went off to Shanghai in pursuit of high fashion. One went away to UK and now that he's back in SG, I am here in Brissy.
3) Teh Si Siu Dai (aka Milk Tea and easy on sugar)- There's no better beverage to start your day off, to start a mahjong game with, to start a ranting session... *slurp*

It's semester break but no time to relax though.
It's time to do work...

Saturday, 8 September 2007

Friday

I am usually looking forward to the weekends... but not this particular one.
I have got 5 stories to rush out by Monday and just the thought of it frightens me.
Am I going to survive the weekend in one piece?

I am gonna ensure comfort is within reach (read: tim tams, red rock chips & coke!).
They will help me get by!

Meanwhile you guys have a great weekend ahead and Congrats to Mingbao and Jiehong on their new baby boy, Jerard! For photos, check out Junxiong's blog!

Wednesday, 5 September 2007

When recycling becomes ostentatious

UK activist group We Are What We Do has a simple mantra – use your everyday actions to change the world.

Well put. Simple but sensible and powerful credo.

That was how they started their collaboration with famed bag designer Anya Hindmarch and Sainsbury’s to produce an eco-friendly bag to encourage people to reduce their use of plastic bags.

An unpretentious bid that has since erupted into a shopping spree for the hungry fashion addicts, who do not necessarily care two hoots about the environment.

The newborn recycling bag iced with Anya Hindmarch’s designer tagline “I m not a plastic bag” took the world by storm since it was first launched in London in July this year.

It has since evolved, within a short span of two months into a fashion icon plugged by the likes of Keira Knightley and Alicia Silverstone, and met with huge crowds and stampedes each time the bag was launched.

“I m not a plastic bag” made her appearance not only on environment publications and material, it was heavily marketed as a fashion must-have in leading fashion magazines and beauty forums. Has media jumped onto the bandwagon and lost all consciousness for the environment and sell themselves out to haute couture?

Environment causes never quite make headlines in the papers and this seemed a rare opportunity for environment to advocate their cause – but only if these crowds will listen.

The mindset of the public was homogenous.

This noble project presented perhaps the only opportunity to own an authentic Anya Hindmarch creation for a fraction of the price.

The long queues at the supermarkets do not signal conversion of the masses into environmental cause. Of these turnouts, it makes one wonder what the ratio of the trend followers versus genuine tree huggers is.

"I know this is an environmentally friendly shopping bag aimed at encouraging people to ditch their plastic bags for this more eco-friendly option, but the truth is I won't," said one would-be fashionista when interviewed by thislondon.co.uk.

"Besides it wouldn't fit a week's worth of shopping in and will look a lot better with my sunglasses in."

Enough said.

PS: Check out the Riverfire videos at the earlier postings
PS2: Happy Birthday BW! Welcome Welcome! :P

Tuesday, 4 September 2007

Random

Friend A: "Does your blog have a theme?"
My reply: "Nope, I cannot just keep to A theme leh."
Friend B: "Your blog quite random... you are writing about different things, very random thoughts..."

I can't quite deny this. I don't have a theme and I can't keep to a particular train of thought... that's me - neither here nor there.

My days are just filled with random stuff. One moment it's work, and the other it's school work. And the next, shopping and mundane stuff.

It's tough to keep to a certain mode all the time thus these random rantings! That's how it's gonna be!

Sunday, 2 September 2007

Facebook addict

I am officially hooked to facebook... not darn proud of this addiction simply coz i spent 4 hours playing with it on Sat instead of clearing my assignments :(

I had a friendster account, but never got it to work. I didn't understand it.
Was it the interface?

Facebook helps me keep track of stuff - places I visit, friends I have, friends I used to have, photos and lots more.
And the best part, you get to know more about others without them knowing real time.

When this fad will fade I don't know... just wait and see!

But meanwhile, it's back to sending tequilas and candies...

Riverfestival

Taking a break from my seemingly long To-Do list, I took Sat evening off for Brisbane's signature Riverfestival. It's a week long festival along the entire Brisbane river. For me, the highlight of the festival has got to be the Riverfire, a half hour solid display of fireworks, something we don't see very often in Singapore unless it's approved by the government. :( This is how Brisbane City looks like at night from Southbank... The city skyline turned from that to these...!! And this is what fireworks ought to be about! I especially liked the part where the buildings had spurts of fireworks to create this entire stretch of sparkles. Another of my fav was the fireworks shower falling from the bridge...It felt heavenly and surreal to see the fire shower right into the river... isn't that what life should be all about? Can't quite describe exactly the spectacle of it... Video coming right up... I haven't had much encounters with fireworks. The only one other I have seen was during Singapore's fireworks festival. That was decent... But the Riverfire tops it straight up. This will be something I will miss when I am back in Singapore next year! You just have got to be here to see it for yourself!