novshiel vidal

Truth to tell, the longer I live, the more I'm tempted to think that the only moderately worthwhile people in the world are you and I.

2011-10-12T01:14:00.001-07:00

[quote from Les Liaisons Dangereuses]

You. I.

As we get older, we realize that the circle of people that comprise our "you" does indeed get smaller and smaller. While in our younger years we care about popularity and the number of people we know or who know our name, we learn as we cross milestones in our lives which ones are those really worth keeping. There are those who take a leap with us, supporting us if ever we lose our footing, and then there are those who stay behind and become our detractors. I am not saying that it is such a bad thing if someone has a different view of life from us. It would be a dull world indeed if we were all to think alike like automata. As the saying goes, "To each their own." But what is objectionable, and the motive highly questionable, is when those very people we've been counting on try to forcefeed their opinions onto us and try to impede our progress and weaken our drive for something we are so very clearly passionate about. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth and makes us think twice about our relationships with people.

That's all.
Just sharing what I'm feeling at the moment. I just hope I grow up fast enough to learn which people are even moderately worthwhile.

sitting on my bed

2011-07-04T03:34:00.001-07:00

at 1:50 in the morning trying to capture in words transient sentiments
like how that tender warm feeling that arises
upon viewing a Vermeer flits right out the heart and is replaced by something awful and heavy
as you move across the room and examine "The Clinic of Dr. Gross"
because i have come to realize that i don't understand a damn thing and that has led me to attempt to write this
because isn't that what modern poetry is about anyways
devoid of rules and full of realism
just like us
as the bitter chill of reality envelops me and flings me back to the hard asphalt that is your heart

because when i look at you i see songs and a multitude of colors
erupting
and pulsing together in this raw dance
so intoxicating and dangerous and it carries me away into a sickness
akin to toxic poisoning by moonshine
and i want to roam the streets of Hydra with only you
feeding burros weary of the day's work and watching the sun go to bed as we walk hand-in-hand eating baklava

but nothing sweeps a cold immovable stone
and when you look at me you only see
me

Hello again my darlings!

2011-06-09T20:42:00.000-07:00

Soooo I keep saying I will blog more often, but there is no way of predicting life's twists and turns and how you will be able to handle challenges as they come. I know I have promised to write an entry for each day I was in Bali last year (and Singapore!), but for now, that will have to wait (if I even get around to finding the courage to revisit those days).
To sum it up, a lot has happened (as I am sure it has in everyone else's lives as well). Relationships have ended, traveled to interesting places, friends have crossed milestones, experienced death in my family, dealt with anger and hurt, jobs have come and gone, gotten to know some people a lot deeper, and most recently, I've taken some first small steps towards a change in my career goals. You never know how much strength you have in you and how much you value yourself until you are thrust in situations where you have no other choice but to sum up all the courage that you have and fight with all your might.
[=D] I must sound like a badly written self-help book, but it is what it is. And like I've said many times before: I WILL TRY TO POST ENTRIES MORE OFTEN. LOL.
Below is a little summary of my life in pictures (recent and the not-so-much):

a beach area that we passed by on our way to our camping site

camping in Loma Mar

colorful cupcakes!

a colorful-themed party

oh dear!

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Mother and son. I miss him so much. ='(

macarons from La Boulange

Starbucks is now an almost daily routine.

I love seafood! (@ Boiling Crab)

Pura Uluwatu temple in Bali

dinner at Jimbaran Bay, Bali

rock formations at Goa Gajah, Bali

in Ubud, Bali

beads for sale in Ubud's main market area

Singapore!

the historic Fullerton Hotel

lights in front of the Esplanade

Old Mission in Santa Barbara, CA

Santa Barbara beach

Getty Villa in Malibu, CA

Tinkerbell flying over Sleeping Beauty's Castle in Disneyland

California Adventure [N is for Novshiel hehehe]

Griffith Observatory

The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles

rose fountain sculpture made of broken Delft pottery

Santa Monica pier

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Asilomar State Beach

Vintage Barbie and Fashion Barbie for Halloween

hippie mode

Bali Day 2, November 19, 2010, Friday --- MY BIRTHDAY!!!

2011-02-03T02:35:00.000-08:00

It's my birthday!!! I would say that I woke up so early from excitement, but that would not be entirely true. I was actually up most of the night from jet lag. Try as hard as I might, I just could not fall asleep. I was already very tired from the long flight, which included 2 layovers, and I still could not get the rest I so needed. I tried watching TV---if you can even call that watching: perhaps the more appropriate term is staring, as I could not understand a single word that was uttered---and munched the night away with some Indonesian snacks. I wanted to step outside to smoke on our balcony several times, but the boyfriend had told me about kuntil anak, which he said are ghosts of dead children and they play tricks on people (I googled the term and they're actually women who died from childbirth and have become the undead, killing their victims by ripping their stomachs open with their sharp fingernails and eating their organs). Now I don't really know whether I should believe that or not; fact is, I still haven't made up my mind on what my position is about the supernatural; but seeing as I was on foreign land and it was very dark outside and with the two-storey hotel building surrounded by several ancient-looking trees, I say no, thank you: I very much want to keep my bowels intact.

After a painfully long time of waiting for the sun to come up, I finally saw it's rays break through the little spaces in between the blinds at around 5:30 a.m. My boyfriend and I ran outside and celebrated with cigarettes and a cold soda and then went on to plan my birthday. He had found a car rental website and their rates are even cheaper than yesterday's driver, so he called them and got their smallest car, which could seat 2 to 3 people, for only 170,000 rp (about $20) for up to 12 hours of use, driver included. Since the car was not available until the afternoon, we decided to walk the sweltering 5 minutes to the beach a couple of blocks away from our hotel, but not until after having a scrumptious complimentary breakfast of fresh fruits and juice, Balinese coffee, and nasi goreng (fried rice topped with fried egg and eaten with fish crackers) at the hotel restaurant. They also had American and Continental breakfasts on the menu, but I thought since we were in Indonesia, we might as well experience everything Indonesian, and food, along with culture, definitely tops that list for me.

nasi goreng = fried rice

We walked to the beach and I almost nearly passed out from the extreme heat and humidity. But just seeing the ocean and imagining how warm the water would be, just like in my childhood memories, were more than enough to get me really excited. There was a little footbridge before you got to the beach area, and a little sign said that that was a religious area, so no swimming, surfing, sunbathing, or wearing swimsuits were allowed. WHAT?! Before I collapsed in extreme anger and frustration on not booking the right hotel at the right location, I kept reading and found out that you could, however, do all of those a few feet to the right or left, where the white umbrellas and beach chairs were located.

a beach in Kuta

And so we walked to the left. Along the way, we saw people on horseback and quite a few Caucasians walking their dogs followed by a local, their help perhaps? The water was nice and warm, so I took off my flip flops, picked up the hem of my dress, and walked happily along the shoreline, splashing water as the little waves broke around my ankles. I was not alone in enjoying this little pleasure: this one dog nonchalantly strolled past me and, quite joyfully, ran towards the waves until he was about neck-deep then ran back to shore and rolled around in the sand with what looked like a huge grin plastered on his face. Now that is almost quite literally a personification of how I am feeling at the moment, I thought to myself, except that since he is canid and not human, I guess that would make it a doggification?

We kept walking, then we reached the area with the white umbrellas and beach chairs. We rented out a couple for about $3. The guy said we could stay for as long as we could. I put my things down and was about to take off my dress and jump in the water in my two-piece, but I noticed that most of the locals were staring at me. Now I did not think that there was anything wrong with me, but shyness won over me, and I certainly and absolutely would not strip down to my bikini with the way they were staring. So I simply sat there, taking pictures, trying to relax, smoking cigarettes, and downing a cold soda. After about an hour, we got up and walked back to our hotel. Along the way, I bought another dress and a pair of beach shorts from a retail store that we passed: we had to take our slippers off to go inside, a sign of respect I guess, but as I was dripping sweat on their sparkling clean, smooth tile floor, I do not know exactly how respectful I was being.

local fishermen by the beach

Back at our hotel room, I picked up the little travel guide we got from the airport and finalized our plans for my birthday: I decided on Pura Uluwatu, a temple standing on a cliff, and my boyfriend suggested going to Jimbaran Bay for dinner afterwards. We took a short nap, showered, and were soon getting picked up by our new driver and the car that my boyfriend chose. I must admit I was a little shocked when I saw the car (I think it was called a Jimmy?). Anyway, it was a lot smaller and older than the one we used the day before. It was a lot like a small Jeep, the ride was bumpy and uncomfortable, and with only two doors, I was having a hard time trying to get out from the backseat in my little summer dress. I was mad that he did not even go up a price range and gotten a more comfortable car. Anyway, at the end of it all, we simply agreed to never get that car ever again.

getting ready to go out for my birthday

Pura Uluwatu

I don't think I've seen a place as beautiful as Pura Uluwatu before. The place really took my breath away. Located on the tip of a rocky cliff and guarded by mischievous monkeys, this 11th-century temple is almost like something you would only see in dreams, that is, if you were dreaming of ancient divinities and spirits. It was so surreal for me, I almost half-expected to find a dragonball hiding just around one of the corners. If only there was fog enveloping the place, I think the whole experience would have been lifted into something altogether mystical.

the view surrounding the temple

perhaps the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen

As with all other temples that we visited in Bali, women are required to wear a sarong if their dress/skirt/shorts are above their knees and the men have to wear a sash around their waists (the latter is not required at all temples). I guess this is for religious purposes, like women cannot show too much skin, etc. But I wondered why it was okay to be wearing strapless and backless dresses though. My boyfriend told me, however, that it's simply for tourism purposes: not only are foreigners more attracted to the idea that they are taking part in something traditional but the locals get to make more money because you do have to pay a little extra to rent those extra pieces of clothing. Hmmm..interesting. Anyway, we got my sarong and my boyfriend his sash and in we went (and by in I mean inside the temple grounds, as people are usually not allowed inside the temples themselves), but not before the guides warned us not to bring in any food, to keep a tight hold of our cameras, and to store our cellphones, glasses, and hats safely inside our bags, for the monkeys around the temple will try to steal anything they can from you. Inside the temple grounds, there were a large number of Asian tourists who did not think to take heed of what the guide had said, and so we were witness to one Japanese girl getting her sandal stolen by a quick little monkey who held it hostage until it was offered an assortment of food, including a boiled egg and peanuts, by one of the temple's workers, and a Chinese guy whose eyeglasses were snatched up by a monkey who then ran along the cliff while being chased by that very same guy. Let's just hope he had an extra pair with him, or maybe some contact lenses, as those looked like they were prescription.

sneaky little temple guardians

crouching tiger, hidden monkey

After a truly enchanting experience, we drove to Jimbaran Bay for my birthday dinner. Jimbaran is a fishing village popular for the seafood warungs or restaurants that line the beaches, where one gets their choice of fresh seafood which is then grilled and served to their table on the sand.

We got a fat lobster that was almost 5 lbs, some clams, kang kung (Asian water spinach), and some fries, and 1,200,000+ rp (about $130) later, we were happily stuffed and enjoying the twinkling lights in the distance and the little fireworks display nearby. But happy as I was with the food and environment, I could not help but feel bad for some of the locals that may never get to experience the same things as I had just had. Bali has become such a touristy place that while some stuff have remained cheap (or perhaps are just relatively cheap for us tourists), some of the best experiences have been driven up to becoming ridiculously expensive because of the influx of foreign money to the island. I mean, fact is, some families earn only 2 million rp a month! Do you think those people would spend half of their monthly income for that one dinner that we had just had? Absolutely not! It might be nice to think that these people are living in paradise but whether they actually experience it the same way as we foreigners do is a completely different story.

After dinner, our driver took us to his trusted street vendor for some martabak manis, which is like a thick pancake with condensed milk and your choice of either cheese or chocolate filling or both. Very very yummy. I would say it's definitely a must-try for anyone visiting Indonesia.

Now a little bit of info about our driver: Putra is a joyous old man, I would guess about 60 years old, who always has a little bit of Bali history to share. You can tell that he has so much pride in his culture and island and is always excited to share that with people he meets. He has probably seen all of the tourist spots in all of Bali, but you still see his face light up every time we get to one. When we got back to our hotel, we gave him a 30,000 rp (about $3-$4) tip which he tried to refuse at first but because we insisted, he took it and very gratefully, touched his hand to his heart and shook our hands. His sincerity was so affecting and his service excellent that we decided to keep hiring him for the duration of our vacation.

Bali Day 1, November 18, 2010, Thursday

2011-02-01T23:22:00.000-08:00

[I know. I know. This post is waaaay overdue---my fault entirely.]

Oh God, here we go. I took a deep breath, my heart racing as I clutched on to my boyfriend's arm tightly. As in really tight. As in if I was a boa and his arm a rat, I would have suffocated the life out of it already. Do I close my eyes? Do I not? Do I want to see my death coming? I was trembling from head to foot and was actually quite surprised to hear myself manage to choke out a "Can we just stay on this side of the road?"

Yes, I am not embarrassed to admit that that's what I was so scared about. But if you have ever been to Bali, you would know that crossing the street could very well be like inviting death to your doorstep. For one thing, there are no crosswalks, nor do vehicles stop to give you way. You basically throw yourself into busy traffic and hope that you manage to get to the other side unscathed.

My boyfriend laughed, saying I was being too dramatic, everything will be fine, blah blah blah. Of course. He's used to this. He grew up in Bandung, the capital of West Java in Indonesia, and he tells me that traffic over there is much much crazier than in Bali. But then again, he has been in the United States longer than I have been (which is actually quite long, as I moved to the U.S. more than 10 years ago), and he still views this whole crossing-the-street-in-Bali-thing like a normal everyday occurrence. Now that just makes me look bad. You see, I grew up in the Philippines, so seeing traffic like this is definitely not new to me, but it still freaks me out tremendously. Bali is so similar to the Philippines in a lot of ways, with maybe a few exceptions: Bali is cleaner; they value and preserve their traditions and culture better than we Filipinos do; they have tremendous respect for nature; everyone is just so damn nice; and they have waaaaay more scooters than any place I've seen in my whole life, and weaving in and out of traffic is as normal to them as breathing. Of course, they will try not to hit you if they see you, but they don't slow down: they'll avoid pedestrians by just about an inch.

Scooters abound in Bali. This picture shows a scooter as a means of transport for an entire family: the father sits infront driving, the mother is sitting behind him holding their child while balancing 3 sacks of rice and a few bags of groceries.

And so the boyfriend pulled me along. I closed my eyes and let my feet follow him to my inevitable end. I thought to myself: Any second now and I would hear tires screeching, two loud thuds as our bodies hit the concrete, people yelling. Any second now.

I opened my eyes.

We were on the other side of the street, and in front of me was a shop much like the other ones on this street: retail stores with light, summery dresses perfect for the tropical climate in Bali. This was Seminyak, a popular street that's lined with miles and miles of retail shops and cafes, both local and Westernized. Our driver Bagus took us here after we told him that I was looking to do some shopping. Tomorrow was going to be my birthday and I needed something new to wear.

Seminyak

Two dresses and a big white wide brim sun hat later, I was ready to leave. We walked back to our car, and looking at the dizzying traffic we were about to drive into, I guess there is something beautiful about it all: no matter how chaotic the jumble of scooters and various other vehicles seem to be, there is a sort of peaceful rhythm as all of these motorists move together in unison, weaving in and out of each other, headlights pulsing in the darkness, the sound of car horns punctuating the gentle humming of motors.

We drove about 20 minutes back towards our hotel in Kuta. Just a few blocks before it was a Masakan Padang that my boyfriend saw earlier and wanted to eat at. A Masakan Padang is a local restaurant where the food is displayed by a glass window and you get to point at and choose the ones that you want to go on your plate. The cuisine is from a city called Padang in West Sumatra, Indonesia. We stopped by and asked our driver to join us, which he so gladly did. Three heaping plates of rice, chicken, beef, and various veggies all smothered in some very tasty sauce that I've never had before and do not remember the name of, we were stuffed like bears about to go into hibernation. And the whole thing (3 big meals, 3 sodas, 1 bottled water, and 1 pack of crackers) only cost us 72,000 rp! That's only about $8! That's not even enough for an entree at a Chinese restaurant here in the United States! But then again this is Bali, and as I would find out in the days to follow during our trip that some things can be had for very very cheap, while others can get very expensive. For example, the Suzuki car we were using only cost us 300,000 rp = a little over $30, and that's for about 6 to 7 hours of use including an incredibly polite driver who makes sure that the car is running and ready for us to jump into so we would not walk more than 10 feet from any building that we were just in. Very, very cheap indeed.

A Masakan Padang (the guy smiling in the background is our driver Bagus)

nom nom nommmm!

Back at the hotel, two porters immediately approached us as our car pulled into the driveway. They opened the car doors and even wanted to assist with my shopping bags, but as they were light, I thanked them and said I was ok. One of them walked us to our room and lit our way with a flashlight because even though the grounds were lit, it was still very hard to find your way in the dark. Now it's not like these people were expecting a tip (although those were much appreciated too), but I guess it's just part of being Balinese that people are just inherently nice and helpful. There was actually one hotel employee who even refused the tip we offered him.

Taman Ayu Cottage grounds at night

Back in our room, I decided I would take notes of what went on in each day of our trip, and blog about it when we got back to the U.S. Some of the other stuff that happened earlier that day were:

Our flight from Singapore to Bali was delayed for about an hour: the pilot said it was due to a problem with the landing gear. You have no idea how worried this made me, especially upon approaching the airport in Denpasar.

We got to Bali around 1 pm, and Bagus, our driver, picked us up from the airport. After checking in at the hotel and dropping off our luggage, he drove us to a Carrefour, which has practically everything under one roof: retail stores, a food court, and a grocery store selling everything from fresh fruits, veggies, and meats, to dried squid and fish, to cameras and laptops, and so much more. We stopped at the food court for some Es Campur and bought a few essentials from the grocery store, such as toothpaste, a phone card, etc.

Es campur: a dessert or snack consisting of mixed fruits with shaved ice and condensed milk, similar to the Filipino halo-halo

The boyfriend checking out the fried food inside Carrefour

Kulit Goreng = fried skin

Bagus drove us to a mall, as I wanted to go shopping. I think it was called the Mal Bali Galeria. The boyfriend and I got a smoothie, for it was really hot, and then we walked around the mall. You can imagine my surprise at how it was okay to smoke inside the building. Inside! I was truly surprised, but took advantage of that fact right away.

The mall is a nice combination of modern and traditional Hindu architecture with the middle opening up to a garden. I ended up not buying anything, as I found most of the stuff either too old-fashioned or too pricey for what it was. Our driver then took us to Seminyak, which is where this blog post starts.

[Keep checking back for more entries about my Bali trip!]

More Art Riot Madness

2010-07-17T00:34:00.000-07:00

After months of absence, we meet again my blog! [I really should make blogging more of a habit.]

Last Saturday, July 10, I went to another Art Riot event hosted by Paper Hat Productions at Space Gallery. Titled "Alien/ation: An Illustration Show," it was done in collaboration with Hyphen magazine. There were food and drinks, music, and live painting, in addition to artworks on exhibit.

I liked most of the artists featured this time. One of them, Yoko Furusho, is now a new favorite of mine. Her pieces somehow remind me of Aubrey Beardsley's work, but a lot less dark and definitely not erotic. Perhaps it's because of her use of repeated patterns and textures, which I enjoyed a lot---I can totally see the fashion influence from fabrics. Absolutely interesting and very inspiring.

Here are some pictures that I took of the event:

The finished pieces:

artwork by Eve Skylar

artwork by Rick Kitagawa

artwork by Joseph To

Overall, it was a fantastic evening filled with good art and great people [with the exception of this one guy who.....nevermind].

I'm so looking forward to the next one!

Art Riot Night

2010-03-16T23:59:00.000-07:00

I was invited to go to an Art Riot opening and exhibition last Saturday, March 12th, at SPACE Gallery on Polk street by my co-worker Eve Skylar, who is also one of the artists and organizers of said event. It was a fun night, with music, baked goodies, yummy drinks, and a laid-back atmosphere---definitely none of the pretentiousness and snobbishness of other art galleries. I arrived with my boyfriend late, as I had to work overtime that day, so we quickly headed to the bar, grabbed some intoxicating goodness---he had The Gun Powder [made with soju, lemon, honey, and cayenne pepper---it was so good, I kept switching drinks with him that night] and I the Mango Ginger Ku [this one was okay, a little too ginger-y for my taste], and headed straight to the second floor where a live art battle was about to begin.

Two artists are paired up randomly for the battle [six artists for a total of three teams], and the audience picks the theme; in this case, it was "Chaos". The artists are given two hours to complete their works; afterwards, the audience votes for their favorite piece. All three artworks are raffled out, and the lucky person with the winning ticket gets to take home the art he/she voted for.

My co-worker Eve and her teammate Xiau-Fong Wee hard at work.

Artists Francois Vigneault and Lavit Sea---these guys are awesome. I definitely like the Surrealist feel of their work.

Artists Haruka Seki and Jonas Madden-Connor. I must admit I did not like this one at all. I think it was taking the theme a little too literally. King Kong and Godzilla destroying the city to represent "Chaos"? I mean, really? Come on.

Boyfriend and I walked around the gallery and took more photos while the art battle raged on. Here are some favorites.

Above 3 photos are of works by Xiau-Fong Wee

Above 3 photos are of works by Rick Kitagawa

This last group of pictures are of artworks done by Eve Skylar. I keep saying that her pieces sometimes remind me of Hayao Miyazaki's [but with a darker undertone], especially the one with the plane in it. Perhaps I'm still stuck in Porco Rosso world, but that's the feeling I'm getting [and this is actually my form of praise, as I absolutely adore Miyazaki].

Two more drinks for me [I got a Passionfruit Pop, which is a light, fruity flavored champagne, and another Gun Powder] and a beer for boyfriend later, art battle has ended, and it was time to announce the winner. Although I mentioned that I liked Francois Vigneault and Lavit Sea's piece earlier, I voted for Eve's team, not because she is my co-worker, but because I simply liked theirs better: the theme was better interpreted, and it looked more well-thought out, more "together", and more finished than the others.

Eve Skylar and Xiau-Fong Wee. I kept calling the little skulls "white soot gremlins" because that's what they reminded me of before the piece was done. Like the little soot sprites in My Neighbor Totoro but instead are little white balls of puff.

Francois Vigneault and Lavit Sea. If there was an award for second place, I would definitely give it to them.

Haruka Seki and Jonas Madden-Connor. I think they could have done more in the two hours that was allotted.

And the winners are: Eve Skylar and Xiau-Fong Wee! Yay! Unfortunately, I didn't win the raffle. Oh well. Maybe my luck will happen in the next art battle.

Treat Your Skin [and Hair!] to Something LUSH

2010-03-16T16:50:00.000-07:00

It's often hard to find the perfect skin and/or hair products that are actually good for you. I usually read labels, and I often find myself scratching my head going "Huh?" reading about ingredients whose names I can barely say right. So one day while walking around Union Square on my way home from getting my passport renewed, I passed by a LUSH store on Powell street, and I couldn't help but stop by. I remembered really liking their all-natural, handmade products having used them during my undergraduate years, and I had just ran out of shampoo and moisturizer, so of course, in I went.

I ended up buying more than just shampoo and conditioner [insert guilty smile here]. I was reading about the Marilyn hair mask and knew that was something I really wanted to try. Formulated for blondes, it's meant to brighten and make hair softer, but it works just as well on dark hair!

The consistency reminds me of a banana smoothie. It is made with chamomile and saffron infusions, fresh organic lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and lemon and chamomile oils. Apply to hair once a week before shampooing and let soak for 20 minutes. My hair was extra soft and shiny after the first use. [$18.55, 7.9 oz.]

This might look like spoiled cheese, but it smells like heaven! The Blonde is a solid shampoo with real chamomile flowers, lemon, and orange to make hair softer and brighter, and after just using it for a couple of days, my friends have noticed that my hair looks lighter. [$71 per lb. --- I got a slice weighing about 0.3 lb. which is like a regular-sized bar soap and actually lasts a long time]

Perfect for sleepyheads [like me!] in the morning, use Veganese not just to condition your hair but also to awaken your senses with fresh floral and citrus scents: it's infused with lavender flowers, rosemary, and agar, and a blend of lemon oil and fresh lemon juice. Great for all hair types but also works extremely well with fine hair as it is very light and won't weigh your hair down. My hair used to be heavy and frizzy when not styled, but now I can step out of the house without any additional hair products or straightening my hair. And I've always wanted to grow it long but since I have naturally wavy hair, I dreaded having to take hours to style it. Now, I can grow it out and wear it light and wavy a la Lily Collins. =) [$17.45, 8.4 fl. oz.]

What? A smoothie for your skin? True. Dreamwash Shower Smoothie has the look and feel of real smoothie. Extremely creamy and relaxing, it is good for sensitive or troubled skin. It's got calamine powder, chamomile, rose, aloe vera gel, and various herbs to calm and soothe---truly stuff that dreams are made of. [$18.55, 8.8 oz]

I have sensitive/oily skin, and I've tried all sorts of moisturizers, but they always leave my pores clogged and my skin looking even greasier, so I'm always suspicious when it comes to facial products meant "for oily skin". But I admit, I already like some of LUSH's products, so I'm a bit biased. I looked around the store and was immediately drawn to Enzymion because it promised to be light and good for oily skin. However, I wasn't completely convinced. [Enzymion, tell me more.] After reading the back and talking with the sales associate, I found out that it is made with fresh papaya, lemon, lime, and grapefruit juices to tone and remove excess oils from your pores and avocado oil and cocoa butter to provide moisture. [I'm starting to like you Enzymion.] I opened the tester: looks light, smells light, feels light. I ended up bringing home a container plus a sample. I've been using the sample [they give you quite a generous amount], and so far I'm loving it. My face is less greasy throughout the day, and it feels and looks brighter. I don't even use any concealer or foundation anymore; just a few brushstrokes of loose powder in the morning, and I'm good to go. [$35.95, 1.5 oz.]

This one I bought out of curiosity. I've never used solid perfume before, and I wanted to give it a try. Looks like lip balm, feels like lip balm, it definitely does not smell like lip balm. Sakura Solid Perfume is a mix of cherry blossom and mimosa bath bomb, so you get a fresh, clean, floral scent. It is not overpowering like those spray-on perfumes, and you can rub as much amount on your pulse points as you want. [$7.95, 0.35 oz.]

After a few minutes and over $150 later, I was finally on my way back home.

Oh My Dear Blog, How I've Missed You!

2010-03-01T01:18:00.000-08:00

I haven't been on here lately, as I've been busy with work and my recent accident (I got hit by a car as I was crossing the street. OMG!) But now I'm all better, and of course, I've been out and about. And now to explain the shoes in the photo: It was a nice Sunday afternoon, and my friends and I decided to hit up San Francisco's Japantown. A car show was a-happening for SF Weekfest, but we were there simply to grab some lunch and pay a quick visit to my workplace---New People---as my friends have never been there. Of course, I wore my new Sou Sou Split-Toe Tabi Boots, which I got from work just the day before. I knew it was going to be lots of walking all day, and so I wanted to try them out. And they were great! The shoe structure hugs your feet perfectly, like wearing flip-flops but with a lot more support. It was like walking barefoot but with none of the pain as your feet hit the concrete. So as my friends were complaining about their feet hurting in their high heels, I was skipping and hopping in my awesome new shoes.

Cam-whoring while waiting for our food.

My friend Heidi suggested we eat at Kushi Tsuru inside the Kinokuniya building. It was my first time, but she said the food was good and cheap, so we all okayed. I got the Katsu Curry (only $9! what??!!?!), which by the way, was incredibly mouthwatering. It was like the comfort food of all comfort foods. All the sinful carbohydrates done just right. Not to mention the sauce was so good, my friend Crystal was practically licking it off my plate.

And of course Heidi got her usual Salmon and Chicken Teriyaki.

Afterwards, we headed on to the Peace Plaza right outside the building for some air and more pictures.

And then on to New People! I know, I know. I've blogged about the place before, but hey, I am a bit biased. I mean, yes I work there. I know that a lot of people hate their workplace. Who ever goes to work on their days off? That's just crazy, right? But I'm serious. I like my work---and not just because of the people I work with (I am so lucky to have some amazing coworkers), the place also has some very interesting and unique things to offer, and I simply wanted to share the experience with my friends. So off we went, but we were in a little bit of a hurry, so we didn't get to explore as much as I would have wanted. And for some (quite obvious) reason, we got stuck in the stairwell, which quickly became a favorite spot amongst my friends to take even more pictures.

Line Drawings by Noritake

A lot of people may bash Noritake's work, saying that it is garbage and even little kids can draw as he does, but I disagree. There is a certain stillness you get from the simplicity of his lines, and you can tell his images are well-thought out. If it looks like a random sketch of a little 5-year old, it is because it was deliberately done to look that way. Who's to say that all art should have a complete range of values and have to look realistic? This is not Renaissance Italy. And besides, Western Art did have a more rigid set of rules as to what was good art and what not because a lot of the works done back then were commissioned either by the court or by the Church. As an artist, you did not have a lot of freedom to experiment with your style. Whereas in the East, art was done for the artist's own pleasure or to donate to the court, so it was a lot more freer in form. Just look at Sumi-E art: the focus is on capturing the subject's essence, not to reproduce it perfectly as it looks. I think that in the same manner, we are now more open-minded and accepting of non-traditional and more expressive forms of art.

Sou Sou boots making another appearance.

Did I mention how much I love these stairs? I guess it's obvious from the tons of photos we took. I simply love how cold and geometric it looks. Very modern.

Mural of a Girl done by Tomomi Kazumoto (second floor bathroom, New People). Kazumoto a.k.a. Kazmo is a silkscreen artist whose works have appeared in various ads and magazines and has done collaborations with multiple fashion labels, amongst them the avant-garde house of Comme Des Garcons.

New People Cafe. In the background is a painting from the Deva Loka series by Yoshitaka Amano, character designer for the popular videogame Final Fantasy. This particular one is titled "Candy Girl". Amano uses bright auto paint and glitter and inspiration pulled from American comic books and pop culture.

'Til next blog!

Kawaii Lovers Unite!

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This post is long overdue, but I feel like I just cannot not blog about the newest, hippest thing that has hit San Francisco's Japantown: New People. Located on 1746 Post st., the building boasts five floors filled with everything kawaii and fun. Featuring a state-of-the-art movie theater that plays Japanese comedy, drama, documentaries, live action, and anime films; a Blue Bottle cafe serving drip coffee, four different teas, a deliciously bittersweet hot chocolate, Delica sandwiches and yummy bento boxes, and more; a whole floor devoted to the coolest goods (about 90% from Japan); a fashion floor selling modern tabi shoes, Gothic and Lolita fashions, and a rotating boutique; and an art gallery that exhibits Japanese and/or Japan-based artists, there is always something to keep everyone---young and old, hip and old-fashioned---entertained. So next time you find yourself in J-town, you might want to stop by New People and indulge in some J-pop.

Here are some pictures from the building's opening on August 15. The whole block was closed down from traffic: there were performances at the Peace Plaza and on the street hosted by MTV Iggy, and a premiere screening of 20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End (the first in a trilogy of films adapted from a manga by Naoki Urasawa of the same name) with a red carpet event attended by Takako Tokiwa and the character "Friend" from the movie.

BEST BOOK I READ IN 2009

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Designing Design by Kenya Hara (Lars Müller Publishers, 2008)

Perhaps the best book on design, this has quickly reached the top of my favorite books list, which says a lot as I usually only read novels and short stories, having almost no patience for nonfiction. Since I am broadening my literary palate, I thought I would give this book a try. Besides, it is about design, and I am always interested in anything that has to do with art. I must also admit that I was taken in by the cover: very clean and elegantly simple. So I dove in, expecting nothing but just another design book, and I was completely blown away. Kenya Hara's approach on design is a very well thought out, very intelligent process, paying extremely careful attention not just to the end-use but also to the target audience and the little meanings and nuances of every minute detail. He is a genius. One of my favorite chapters from the book is "White", a trademark color of his. In it he explores and expounds on the color's many design possibilities. I have always thought of white as a pure color, simple and minimalist, almost cold, but I have never paid full attention to its different shades and how it can also convey the concept of life, comfort, and nurture. I also think that his idea for the programs for the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics opening and closing ceremonies was a real triumph of resource and design. He wanted to create a program made of "snow and ice", so he used white puffy paper for the cover with the text debossed on the surface, creating an illusion of snow and letters made of ice. There is also an image of a red flame in the center, so when you look at the overall picture, you see the Japanese flag as well as the flame of the Olympic torch. A very simple, yet very powerful image.

I can go on and on about this book, but I highly suggest that you read it for your own enrichment. It is a very satisfying read, definitely worth every penny. I can certainly say that this is the best treat I got myself this year.