♠ ♦ ♣ ♥ ☀ ☁ ❄ ☂

the side of me that is strange to me.

2012-01-28T23:29:00.000+08:00

have you ever been surprised by yourself when you discover a side of yourself which you never knew before?

2012-01-26T21:54:00.002+08:00

“Sometimes fate is like a small sandstorm that keeps changing directions. You change direction but the sandstorm chases you. You turn again, but the storm adjusts. Over and over you play this out, like some ominous dance with death just before dawn. Why? Because this storm isn't something that blew in from far away, something that has nothing to do with you. This storm is you. Something inside of you. So all you can do is give in to it, step right inside the storm, closing your eyes and plugging up your ears so the sand doesn't get in, and walk through it, step by step. There's no sun there, no moon, no direction, no sense of time. Just fine white sand swirling up into the sky like pulverized bones. That's the kind of sandstorm you need to imagine.

An you really will have to make it through that violent, metaphysical, symbolic storm. No matter how metaphysical or symbolic it might be, make no mistake about it: it will cut through flesh like a thousand razor blades. People will bleed there, and you will bleed too. Hot, red blood. You'll catch that blood in your hands, your own blood and the blood of others.

And once the storm is over you won't remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won't even be sure, in fact, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm you won't be the same person who walked in. That's what this storm's all about.”

— Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore

向前向上。

2012-01-26T02:39:00.003+08:00

頭也不回。

低調的參與。

2012-01-14T19:55:00.001+08:00

went to art stage singapore. hmmm... i wish i can do big scale sculpture one day...

we are not tokyo girls but where are ike-men?

2012-01-13T20:31:00.001+08:00

2012-01-02T21:34:00.000+08:00

下午在目瞬一刻喝了一杯卡布奇諾，一杯拿鐵，一杯冰檸檬茶，啃了一本半書。當下覺得如果就永遠停留在這一刻也不錯。一度還讀到非常有共鳴同感而有點熱淚盈眶。身體也許因咖啡因作怪而不禁微微顫抖。自己一個人也能high的美好時光。松浦彌太郎的最糟也最棒的書店。還有蜷川実花的尋找幸運星。

完美結束 • 完美開始

2012-01-02T00:48:00.002+08:00

撥開歡慶新年的人群我走了出來，
眼角督見了一張曾經熟悉的臉孔。
出奇冷靜的我向那張臉淺淺微笑，
輕輕點了點頭卻絲毫沒停下腳步。
那故事尾端一直以來欠缺的句號，
終於在整整三年後完美地被點下。

其實人生的下一章早就已經開始。
但是當下永遠將會是以後的曾經。

2012-01-01T16:01:00.001+08:00

i don't mind if...
i don't wanna mind...
i don't care if...
i don't wanna care...
i don't expect...
i don't wanna expect...
i don't remember...
i don't wanna remember...

i try...
i try not to...

let loose.

let go.

2011-12-27T14:09:00.002+08:00

喜歡十一月的綿綿雨季。
而十二月卻總讓我惆悵。
從來它不為誰放慢腳步。
我拼命地跑卻總是遲到。

the launch of sadako fashion diary

2011-12-23T00:55:00.000+08:00

i'll try to make it a long-run fashion diary project. i try... >:-[

2011-12-22T19:46:00.000+08:00

a macaron that is not a macaron.

2011-12-22T15:29:00.000+08:00

i'm not a fan of macaron. but this particular one i just had was way better than the expensive one i had tasted at a macaron specialist shop in Prague (my sister's idea). i feel weird today, not particularly positive nor negative but i guess it marks one of the milestones in life. rather...i'm happy for my friends. all of us are entering into another chapter. the impact of the moving train of life is getting clearer. which, it has nothing to do with this macaron. i'm looking forward to my next trip. :-)

完空。

2011-12-20T22:45:00.003+08:00

吃完了蛋腦袋呈現空白狀態雙眼毫無焦距地直視前方而呼吸也變緩慢下來的我。。。想睡。

not too scientific not too expressive.

2011-12-12T17:36:00.001+08:00

bruce lee's such a charismatic man.

美妙關係。

2011-12-12T16:30:00.001+08:00

怎麽說呢。
想到再說。

noody's away (from home) day.

2011-12-12T15:23:00.001+08:00

natural born olympic swimmer.

the owner who's totally toasted/burnt since his recent obsession of basking himself under the sun and his first time wearing a sleeveless out after one decade.

the talented chef in the middle, the beautiful muse on the left and myself on the right.

i only dare to have a brief bonding moment with noody after he has calmed down from his over-excitement. while the beautiful muse having his own moment next to us.

noody knows the best of how to "live the moment". now, all that matters to him is the volley ball bouncing in the air.

i tried to imagine that i have a dog like nooody.

i enjoyed the moments with the guys yesterday, although i donno for how long more we can share our time like this. i secretly hope that we can make it until we are really old.

sis is here.

2011-12-12T15:02:00.001+08:00

i've been living alone for almost 5 years, my sis has come join me after wrapping up her chapters in london in late october. a change for my life but an even much bigger change for hers. i do wish her all the best here.

siem reap sisters trip

2011-12-12T14:44:00.001+08:00

before december ends too soon, i must post about this trip made in early november. it was a super happy blast for all of us! really hope we can make such gathering trip as an annual event...

possess less part II :: zakka

2011-12-07T23:27:00.001+08:00

couldn't resist cute zakka and have been collecting randomly since my late 10s. some are lovely gifts from friend with sentimental value. but to execute a simpler life from inside out, i'll keep some of the above and i shall not buy anymore zakka. at least not until i have my own house. dear friends, really appreciate your love but please don't give me anything like that anymore. :-)

自嗨的手制糕點特寫。

2011-12-07T19:59:00.001+08:00

it's officially december!

2011-12-01T23:36:00.001+08:00

in the morning of the 1st day of december, i ate this mushroom-shaped bun with, disappointingly and unbelievably, ONLY one tiny mushroom within it. despite the poor content, the bun itself was great. still, it's wonderful. by the way, what i wanted to say is... gosh! time wheel is speeding like nobody's business!

城堡。

2011-11-22T23:54:00.001+08:00

我拖著行李緩慢地走在雪白的沙地上，空氣是涼的。
眼前不遠處有一座很宏偉很高但比例上來說是有點瘦的阿拉丁城堡。
就像主題歡樂公園里看得見的那種卡通神話式的設計，
城堡不同的部分漆上了各種神秘的藍。
從它面前經過時，感覺自己像一只渺小的螞蟻。
抬起頭往上一望，耀眼的陽光透過那洋蔥形的屋頂洒入眼廉。

啊，暈眩。

我在哪裡？

轉頭望另一邊，更遠些有一座百色摩天樓，形如一支開瓶器插在沙地上。
應該是當地的地標吧，可是我還是摸索不出來這是什麽地方。
更遠方還有幾座巨大瘦瘦高高的建築物，但我忘了它們的外形設計，
只記得建築物之間就只有純淨的白沙，沒別的行人或物體，
視線所及就只有大片的藍與白，很攝人很宏偉很壯觀很美很。。。安靜。

噢，對了，我身邊好像還有一個旅伴，我們邊驚嘆邊拖著行李越過了
這個神聖（因為建築物很宏偉）又神秘（因為不見半個人影）的區域，
漸漸地來到一片郊區，還是沒看見半個人影，只隱約聽到狗吠聲，
感覺隨時會不知從哪衝出來咬人。
不知道為什麼我們會認為在眼前的這棟樓就是我們的旅館。
里面沒人。我們自行選了間房放下了行李。

時間也靠近傍晚了。

我睜開了眼。

last toe.

2011-10-30T15:11:00.000+08:00

leasson learnt: the last toe is tiny but it plays very important role in balancing your whole body while walking. i tried to pretend that the pain's not there at all so that i could walk naturally without having other leg muscles working extra hard to compensate. but i failed because it still hurts. going to travel soon and i don't wanna lose to this little accident.

hermit.

2011-10-17T14:56:00.000+08:00

第一次有這種症狀時是在日本念書時。當時是秋天吧。我把自己鎖在房里像癱了似地躺著，隔壁的兩個朋友猛打電話給我都不接，猛敲門都不開，就當我不在房里。若走在路上看見前方迎來個認識的，我馬上掉頭走。不想與任何人接觸，對任何事都不感興趣。當時自己也不明白為什麽這麽做。

後來的生活陸續有出現這種狀況。可是後來我無意間讀到一些資訊而明白了那是為什麽。那是輕微幽鬱症的症狀。不想讓人看見這一面所以躲起來了。不想讓聲音不小心透露出去，所以不接電話。活在都市里的大家都有這種經驗吧。

昨天，我躺了一整天。沒接電話。沒做什麽。

可以說我懶。明明是星期天，為什麽不去處理那一堆髒衣服，還有地上的塵該掃了廁所該洗了桌子該抹了書該整理了。

可是我一直閉著眼。閉眼中我睡了又醒。我依然閉著眼。好像只要閉著眼就能逃離現實。
左腦這時說，好，我只準你這麽沒出息地墮落到今晚。明天你給我好好做人。
右腦接著說，我很累。我他馬的太拼了。讓我墮落一下。明天起來我好好做人。

千萬，我不能失去對生命的熱誠。

太陽 • 月亮 • 上升

2011-10-15T02:04:00.001+08:00

很久以前就聽說過,但直到最近才去探討什麽是太陽星座月亮星座與上升星座。才明白為什麽以前總不能認同我所屬的太陽星座所說的大部分特質。簡單來說，發現原來宅女是我的太陽星座特質，愛自由遠飛旅行是我的月亮星座特質，而我筆下陰暗神秘帶點邪惡的alter ego, Sophie Black, 則是我的上升星座特質。what a clashing combo. 膚淺地總結，聽起來我好像是一個邪惡又愛遠走高飛的宅女。啊，不。

the final view by seba jun

2011-10-15T01:42:00.001+08:00

左腦 • 右腦

2011-10-12T17:25:00.002+08:00

右腦很想兩袖清風地飛到遠遠去，
逃離不斷提醒她無情現實的左腦。
一向來懶惰的左腦其實並不想動，
但現在看來不得不由她掌控大局，
不然天真的右腦會被現實給催毀。
右腦她不想被控制也不想被催毀，
所以才想兩袖清風地飛到遠遠去。

排毒。

2011-10-11T14:51:00.001+08:00

早上睜開了眼，天是陰的空氣是濕的。從喉嚨到肚子里有一種怪怪的感覺。這種感覺對我來說並不陌生。上次有這種感覺時，我身在一口深井里。這下可麻煩了，因為那是一種毒。千萬要冷靜。因為只能自救。經驗告訴我，必須在毒變得更毒並污染其他部分之前，把它硬吞下去並化為屁噗的一聲給放掉。

the finishing line

2011-10-11T14:28:00.000+08:00

finally. thanks so much to those who lent me a helping hand. i have burnt and given all my love and passion to this baby more than i could. although it's hard to part with my new born baby. whatever happens after this, i'll leave it to fate. next, what shall i do?

the look of tiredness.

2011-09-29T20:44:00.000+08:00

the finishing line is... i hope... not too far.

super in love with toe

2011-09-15T18:43:00.000+08:00

變化如常。

2011-08-30T23:13:00.002+08:00

有些變化看起來沒什麽改變。
有些改變不覺得有什麽變化。
出現。消失。如常。向前走。

see you in the dark.

2011-08-29T23:10:00.002+08:00

i'm attracted to dark things but i'm afraid of watching horror movies and yet i'm attracted to the treatment of horror movie posters. maybe turning myself into one can help get rid of the fear in me.

做著做著。

2011-08-29T21:11:00.002+08:00

當你每天埋頭猛做，做著做著做著做著做著你會懷疑自己他嗎的為了什麽。這個為了什麽在這個時侯很重要，因為這個什麽就是在你做得想死的時候推動你繼續做到終點。眼看著遙遠的前方這時你長嘆一聲停下來觀想一下（觀想兩下，三下，甚至很多下都行）站在那終點上美好的情景（起碼比你做得想死的時候美好），然後再振作起來硬擠出更多力氣去繼續做著做著做著做著做到終點。噢，別忘了看看路邊的風景。

blessings that we can't recognise.

2011-08-17T10:07:00.000+08:00

A lion came across a group of cats having a chat. “I’m going to devour them,” he thought.

But then an odd feeling of calm came over him. And he decided to sit down with them and pay attention to what they were saying.

- Good God! – said one of the cats, without noticing the lion’s presence. – We have prayed all afternoon! We asked for the skies to rain mice on us!

- And so far nothing has happened! – said another. – I wonder if the Lord really exists.

The skies remained mute. And the cats lost their faith.

The lion rose and went on his way, thinking: “funny how things are. I was going to kill those animals, but God stopped me. And even so, they stopped believing in divine grace. They were so worried about what was missing that they did not even notice the protection they were given.”

more from Pablo Coelho's blog.

the bright side.

2011-07-30T11:56:00.001+08:00

from now until then,
i should just focus
on sewing and reading.
forget about the issue of
earning no bread & butter.

武俠。

2011-07-26T19:17:00.000+08:00

喜歡武俠里的血，黑暗。
環繞死肉的蒼蠅，寫實。
一張髒兮兮的臉，魅力。
她的一句晚上見，幸福。

2011-07-26T18:40:00.001+08:00

時間飛逝過了那麽久我仍還沒思索出來。
這樣不顧一切不斷去旅行是不是很過份。

應該不會很過份。哈。

inevitable plastic!

2011-07-18T21:22:00.001+08:00

went to super mart with two tote bags today. YET i still ended up bringing back a lot of plastic! bread, vege, milk, toilet rolls, detergent... every single item i bought was packed in plastic! sigh...

...and our mother earth has been enduring it quietly

2011-07-17T00:52:00.007+08:00

Some sad articles about what we have done to mother earth:

"The ocean is now an endless trail of trash floating in the middle of the Pacific: water bottles, plastic crates, disposable diapers, bath toys, cigarette lighters, tampon applicators (styrofoam, too); a veritable buffet of convenience culture.”

"The discovery in 2002 was a wake-up call for marine scientists, who realised that plastic bags and other waste were one of the biggest threats to the whales, dolphins and turtles swimming around our shores. The minke was found on the Normandy coast. At first, it was assumed she had died of natural causes. When her stomach was cut open, scientists were amazed to find nearly two pounds of plastic bags, eaten by mistake as she searched for food. The 2lb haul included two plastic bags from English supermarkets, seven transparent plastic bags, and fragments from seven dustbin bags. In an ironic twist, one of the bags found in the gut of the dead whale appears to read: "We support good farm animal welfare." Most worrying of all, there was no proper food in her stomach. "

And...plastic garbage found in dead whale's stomach too...

And we have Great Pacific Garbage Patch (or Pacific Trash Vortex), which is is a gyre of marine litter formed by pelagic plastics, chemical sludge etc, in the central North Pacific Ocean. And a recent research sponsored by the National Science Foundation suggests the affected area may be twice the size of Texas!!!

Gosh! Since I had such awareness, I've started trying my best not to take any plastic carrier while making any purchase but I realised it's hard to avoid consuming plastic in our daily life. even i use my eco shopping bag for supermarket shopping, fruits like strawberries, kiwi, or vege are all packed in plastic. many items at our home are made of plastic.

A plastic bag that we use only for a short while takes 400 years to be dissolves. I really can't foresee how much longer our mother earth can take in such shit anymore...

Oh well... let's try not to take plastic bag when we make any purchase. I guess that's the least we can do for our mother earth. Plastic is suffocating!

a love song.

2011-07-16T21:51:00.001+08:00

"Just looking in your heart all my life
I'm searchin' for you, my sweet baby
I'm not hurtin' good good feelin'
I know who I'll have in my mind"

this song has been on loop for N times on my play list.　全然飽きないぐらい。 it feels kind of bitter sweet.

夏。

2011-07-13T22:21:00.003+08:00

taken with seagull at caramel cafe. love the lightness from overexposure! even though it was a mistake.

ミナ・ガール

2011-07-12T00:58:00.002+08:00

i ❤ minä perhonen.

當政府是無情無義無惡不做的黑幫。

2011-07-11T22:06:00.004+08:00

我不愛看報紙。可是曾經我每天都看報紙。那是在中學時期。後來我發現，報紙上大多都是壞消息。每次看報紙後，心情都很沉重，我就漸漸放棄這習慣了, 也厭惡政治。

曾經對馬來西亞充滿希望。當時首相馬哈迪2020的口號，感覺大家對國家進步與建設充滿干勁。後來漸漸長大，看見像豺狼般貪污的馬來警察，像死蛇般懶散的馬來政府官員，像豬般沒水準的馬來政治領袖，還有不公平的種族政策，讓我極之厭惡這無能的馬來政府。為什麽在自己的國家，感覺卻像是寄人籬下？在自己的國家被當二等公民，不如到外國做游民。多少被不公平對待的華裔父母鼓勵孩子們往外“逃”。至今旅居新加坡十多年了，雖然是寄人籬下，但是至少在這里我找到很多機會，也不覺得有被不友善地對待。而那愚蠢的馬來政府在國際上做過多少羞家的蠢事，讓我們這些在海外努力爭氣的游子們在別人面前尷尬不已。

馬來西亞對我來說，感覺就像熟悉的陌生人。當別人高喊我愛我國家時，我覺得他們好幸福。我覺得好悲哀因為我喊不出來。可是仔細想想也許我把國家和政府混繞了。如果我會感覺到沉重，或許因為我還愛著這曾經美麗純樸的國土。而我那麽痛恨那些豺狼死蛇和豬，是因為它們的貪濫自私愚蠢糟蹋了這原本潛力無窮的國家。

我由衷願望那些下流卑痞爛泥扶不上壁的無情無義無惡不做的豺狼死蛇和豬他馬的慘遭天煞!

自由自在。

2011-07-08T00:05:00.006+08:00

有時思考很多因為害怕年紀的到來。
當它真正到來時卻是那麼安靜低調，
而且潛移默化地讓我們來不及察覺。
感覺自己好像還一樣又好像不一樣。

以前有自由但不怎麼自在。
如今不只自由還十分自在。

好事來的。越來越好。

possess less part I :: shoes

2011-07-03T00:09:00.001+08:00

to implement my "i-want-to-possess-less" principle, i have started from cleaning up my store room today. it's kind of a re-discovery of what i've been keeping, here's the shoes section:

i bought these many many years ago. looking at them now, i find them horribly sharp! but they did look the best during their era.

the grey "ballerina" was a wrong purchase, i hadn't even worn them once.
i was overwhelmed when i saw the one with embroidery. i had never seen one with such fine and soft materials back in those days. i seriously thought they were "art". haha... now time has passed and they just look normal.

i like flats with very shallow cutting.

black colour is basic. i wear this colour most of the time. yes, my feet are boring.

there was a period of time when i was super mesmerized with light gold shoes.

it's hard to find the right red colour tone on the right shoes but every girl should at least own a pair.

well, i do explore other colours. the lightly shinny blue flats are my fav for the moment. purple flats made with felt cloths, super comfy yet not easy to match. i realised mustard yellow flats are too tight for me when i got back to sg. i guess my feet shrank while i was in london. tsumori chisato's (the one with strings) are to experimental to wear. the green sandals somehow gives me a nostalgic feel. the greyish blue oxford shoes are present from my sis which i still donno how to macth.

i love casual so much that i wear flip flop most of the time. not all of the above but mostly the white ones with tatami base. yes my favourite. this is the Nth pair i bought from Accessorize!

i used to be a super Converse fan during teenage. i was very particular about the colour combination and even a different colour tag at the back of the shoes would make me buy them. but since years ago i started to switch to more feminine style, so these are the only few pairs i still keep. they are my best travel companion. they are classic.

comfy and warm leather boots/sneaker for travel during winter.

i have given away some and left with 32 pairs now. and i should stop buying shoes for now.

矛盾。

2011-06-28T22:14:00.001+08:00

我要說的跟這照片沒關係。只不過我拍得太美了得把它放上。
我要說的是人生充滿矛盾。我想好好地活慢慢地做仔細感受。
可是賺錢機會又不能放過。因為某些現實的基本夢想需要錢。
我想說人生啊衝衝也匆匆。充滿矛盾充滿矛盾充滿無限矛盾。

what i want.

2011-06-27T00:22:00.007+08:00

i cried in my dream last night. i donno why. but when i'm awake, i actually feel happy with my life. although there are many things to be achieved but i shall start with one thing first:

i want to possess less.

i'm not referring to money here. hahaha... i realise that i have too many unnecessary stuff around me. i should only keep those that is necessary. and when i get something that i need, i shall go for real good quality so that it will last long and no wastage.

we all should take only what we need from the earth.

peanut butter cuppie

2011-06-20T21:32:00.001+08:00

one of my favourite cuppie at Caramel. catch it while you can.

可愛い魚屋さん ♥

2011-06-18T17:14:00.003+08:00

went to visit Haru and i must say it's such joyful moments spent with this free spirited & inspiring family! it's pleasant to look at how Kaz & Les take care of Haru! with such care, no wonder Haru is not just an adorable baby but also a happy friendly baby and a baby with good taste!
♥ sayang sayang Haru ♥

map up the wall!

2011-06-15T23:47:00.002+08:00

took this pic at a lovely cafe in greenwich (i'm so sorry i didn't check out the name). i simply love these wall papers! it reminds me that i used to love vintage maps very much during my teenage. one day i will have my own house with a wall all wrapped with the maps of countries that i have been. and oh, not forgetting the small flags from the ceiling as well!

捧上天的幸運

2011-06-15T22:05:00.008+08:00

你們就笑我沒見過大場面吧！曾經，我嘆自己這一輩子都坐不起first class，可是...

天啊！

我真是托我媽的“阿金之處女遠遊世界”的福，竟然因為送行的阿姨意外地在機場遇上本機的pilot而被升級到first class！貴經濟倉整整有十倍的first class 有什麽不同呢？除了能降成180º的座椅，更大幅的絲制被子，靠窗一整排的收納櫃，分段為前菜與主菜地送上的機餐（可是沒分開serve甜品），其他也跟經濟倉差不多。但我還是很惜福地全程不睡，被喂得很飽加磕了四套電影。

我由衷地感恩老天！（ ’ u ‘ )

原來有些曾經覺得不可能的事，是會發生的。

美好時光。

2011-06-05T05:42:00.001+08:00

今天下午和母親到公園里走走，買了雪糕，薯片和啤酒，我們坐下，開始吃吃喝喝，看著經過的可愛小孩與狗，聽著風穿梭過樹葉的聲音，猶如瀑布傾洩而下，有的沒的地聊著。就這麼簡單，卻這麼美好。

lovely weather

2011-06-05T04:51:00.000+08:00

風和日麗。就連流浪漢也快活地享受。
大自然給的快樂啊完全不須一分一毫。
你那舒服的樣子，我不得不大膽偷拍。
真的不好意思咯。

有感。

2011-05-27T05:33:00.006+08:00

有些事不能說，因為說了沒比沒說的好
有些事不想說，因為說了也不會變更好

• • • • • • • •

有些事看起來好像是那樣其實並非那樣
只不過是你想多了，不能怪什麼。
有些人看起來好像是這樣其實並非這樣
只不過是你想錯了，不能怪別人。

• • • • • • • •

有時候會突然想起一些久違的感覺
一直督促自己微笑不去在意那些事
停下想想再問問自己這樣真的好嗎
也許這也不失為更適合我的方式吧
我用盡正面的想法鼓厲自己要勇敢
都已走到這里不行的都已不怎樣了

• • • • • • • •

今天下午我故作瀟洒地對你說了那句話
我在那瞬間才發覺自己原來是

非

常

惆

悵

the other end of the wheel.

2011-05-27T00:51:00.008+08:00

to me, Vivian Maier's photos do not only make time stood still for the moment captured by her but they even make time disappeared. i feel no difference between us even though it's more than half a century away. the way she took her own self portraits, the looks in the people's eyes, the body languages... i see similarities between people in that era and people nowadays. or i should say, she was way ahead of her era.

"well i suppose nothing is meant to last forever. we have to make room for other people. it's a wheel. you get on you have to go to the end. and then somebody has the same opportunity to go the the end and so on. and somebody else takes their place."

through her photographs, i see "the wheel".

*kuan, thanks so much for sharing such inspiration with me!

at a curious t.p.

2011-05-06T00:28:00.006+08:00

my first visit to a curious t.p. for a group show which i have taken part. it's definitely a shop worth visiting. and oh! thanks to kuan, sin and ck for dropping by to support!

first attempt of hand stitching an illustration.

2011-05-04T23:01:00.001+08:00

...and i almost died from stitching! it's therapeutic to do stitching but not when you are rushing for deadline. :-/

ミナを着て旅に出よう (wearing Mina and go traveling) is the title of a book i read long ago. it's written by Akira Minagawa, who is the designer behind the fashion brand, Mina Perhonen. the book was basically about how he turned himself from a long distance runner to a part-timer in the fish market and finally a fashion designer. in the fish market, he observed life and got inspired. Akira Minagawa puts simple motifs which you can find in everyday life onto fabrics. he is a fashion designer with the spirit of a long distance runner, who believes in making fashion that has stamina to cross through lapse of time without losing its charm.

i wonder why most fashion only focus the beauty and vibrancy on the young ones while the old ones seems to be neglected most of the time. to me, an elderly like my grandmother, who is a long distance runner in her own journey of life, deserves wearing Mina Perhonen with long distance runner's spirit. what you see on the canvas is a picture i took of my grandmother on a trip to the southern part of the world. the first picture that captured her laughing so happily hard.

sling's back in singapore.

2011-05-04T21:11:00.010+08:00

sling has surprised me with her short come back in singapore over the may day long weekend. she is now working as a film director in kuala lumpur. we met up and spent our time together just like those good old days when she was still living and working in singapore. maybe she is too relax with me, she looked sleepy most of the time. the above picture is the only picture i could take of her smiling with "pretented-excitement". it may look like a very mild excited expression on her face, but that's actually her max already.

this is the best picture she could "easily" take of me using her iphone. muahahaha... actually, there are many other ugly pictures we took of each other but it's not very good to post any of them here.

oh my, after all these years, we still behave like we were very young.
( ' u ' )

showered with love!

2011-04-29T16:38:00.014+08:00

oh life oh life... just when i felt so down with sickness yesterday, the next day i feel so loved! so loved that my sickness has been chased away 90%!!!

i received soo chern's call last night and in the morning she sent me a message again then followed by kuan and sin's message, too.

around noon, kuan surprised me outside of my window with soup, fish porridge, cheng-teng and bread! he was so busy that he just drop off the food and rushed back to his work leaving me behind the window with my jaw dropped. and very touched!

then kazumi came with her super cute baby, Haru! and she brought me some food too!

so happy to have them in the house!

oh look at haru, he is just too adorable! haru likes chuppa chuppa! haha...
i think i can admire his cuteness the whole day. you will feel life is so wonderful expecially when you see his smile.

thanks so much my friends!!! i'm really touched!
i feel like i can continue to the battle again!

sinful innocent look.

2011-04-27T23:07:00.002+08:00

after all these years, if you have forgotten how an innocent look looks like, see Sin's perfect demonstration and hope it would help you recall a little.

i simply love this photo of him!

:-p

i love sausages from see you tomorrow.

2011-04-27T22:34:00.006+08:00

not long ago, i just said that i would not like to eat mass produced sausage anymore after knowing how it was processed. BUT! i love wearing these sausages accessories from seeutomorrow designed by a very talented girl, aiwei foo. putting it around my neck, i could feel the loving touch from the very soft knitted material. 大好きよ！thanks so much!

2011-04-19T12:22:00.000+08:00

要在這樣的世界保持樂觀積極，
需要多少不被現實磨滅的信念。
要在這樣的社會保存赤子之心，
需要多少不被現實打敗的熱誠。
什麽都要，很難。
什麽都不要，更難。
就算活在當下，也需打算將來。
原來平衡矛盾，就只一線之差。
歲月給了我們眼角的紋。
也同時拿走了心里的傻。

things that make you smile.

2011-04-13T19:34:00.002+08:00

Seeing this super friendly bird hopping onto this young girl's head made me smile. Such moment makes me feel how wonderful this world is. Today, I smile when I saw a baby greeted by a friendly stranger in the lift.

Sausage, anyone?

2011-04-13T00:14:00.000+08:00

I used to love sausage very much but after knowing how it is processed, I would not like to eat it anymore. But, gosh! it's so delicious!

相信。

2011-04-12T22:32:00.004+08:00

當什麽都看不到感覺不到時，
100％的相信真極具挑戰性。

母親的手作。

2011-04-08T00:40:00.005+08:00

退休了的母親來過的3個星期里，每天都有幸福的家常便飯，另加她閒暇時試做的糕點，如上圖的芝麻金瓜饅頭，雖帶點素人的粗糙不及達人的極品，但充滿原味與心思，我啃了一個又一個。好想再吃。

累。

2011-04-08T00:15:00.006+08:00

自N年前從 party animal 的頭銜畢業以來，上星期再和一班朋友去了一晚。五光十色依舊，但覺人事已非，事過境遷，中途只想快點爬上床休息。我只能說一個字。累。

嗯，現在的我覺得在樹林里野餐更有趣。

爱情不过是一种有时效性的精神病?

2011-04-07T23:05:00.008+08:00

當愛情發生時，一切都那麽完美
當愛情逝去時，再完美都容不下
而什麽是完美，什麽又為之缺陷
無非是苯基乙胺與多巴胺搞的鬼
但老天啊世上誰不想得此精神病
親愛的，趕快來給我注射一劑吧

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

F.Y.I. 延伸閱讀：

♥ 苯基乙胺
最基本的一种爱情物质称为“phenylethylamine”（苯基乙胺），简称PEA 。无论是一见钟情也好，或者日久生情也好，只要让头脑中产生足够多的PEA，那么爱情也就产生了，俗话说那种“来电”的感觉就是PEA的杰作。恋爱中的人喜欢海誓山盟。愿为爱人上九天揽月，下五洋捉鳖。这实在不能说是一种有意的欺骗，因为在承诺的时候，一个深陷情网的人会真的相信自己有这样的能力。自信心的空前膨胀是PEA的副作用之一。另外一种副作用就是能让人产生偏见和执著，丧失客观思维的能力。坚信自己选择的正确，只看到自己喜欢的东西，正所谓情人眼中出西施。而同时，大脑中负责记忆和注意力的部分活动则受到了抑制，于是，那些处在恋爱中的男男女女自然就“变笨了”。

巧克力确实是最佳的爱情食物，它的PEA含量是所有食物中最多的一种。PEA（苯基乙胺）是人体自然合成的，另外有一种物质的学名叫苯异丙胺，是人工合成的，从化学结构上看这两种物质非常接近，其功效也相当接近。苯异丙胺的商品名就鼎鼎有名了—amphetamines（安非他明），一种中枢神经的兴奋剂，也是一种著名的毒品，摇头丸的主要成分就是这种物质。

♥ 多巴胺
另一种重要的爱情物质是dopamine（多巴胺，也译作“度巴明”，全名为hydroxytyramine），它能产生一种很欢欣的感觉。多巴胺是去甲肾上腺素生物合成的前体，为中枢性递质之; 可增加心肌收缩力，增加心输出量。脑血管扩张、血流量增加。对周围血管有轻度收缩作用，升高动脉血压。多巴胺的作用之一是刺激oxytocin（后叶催产素）的分泌，这种激素n影响妇女的分娩和哺乳，有消除紧张和抑郁的作用。一般认为拥抱时所感受到的那种安全感和满足感与这种激素密不可分。当你头脑中充满着这些爱情物质的时候，也正是你意乱情迷的时候。

但很不幸的是，在人体内这些爱情物质不可能永远处在个较高的水平上。一旦爱情物质消失。人也就从这样的迷醉状态中恢复过来，或者就像我们常说的那样，失去了爱的感觉。视个体和环境的差别，一般来说 PEA的浓度高峰可以持续6个月到4年左右的时间，平均不到30个月（2.5年）。这和社会学调查得出的数据很接近。

♥ 内啡呔
所有有过恋爱经历的人都知道，爱除了激情外还应该有些其他的东西。在轰轰烈烈地爱过之后，我们需要另外一种爱情物质endorphin（内啡呔）来填补激情。内啡呔的效果非常接近于另外一种毒品——吗啡，是一种镇静剂。可以降低焦虑感，让人体会到一种安逸的、温暖的、亲密的、平静的感觉。科学家指出，运动能让大脑释放情绪元素endorphins，它能使人感到快乐和充满活力，你运动越多，这感觉越强烈; 内啡呔所带来的感觉是和PEA之类的物质完全不同的，后者使我们like being inlove，而前者让我们like loving。虽然这并不能让人激动和兴奋，但这种温馨的感觉一样能使人上隐。

一般来说当一个婚姻存在的时间越长久，这种状态也就会越牢固。这里面很大的一个原因就在于夫妻双方已经习惯了内啡呔所带来的宁静。看来让爱情历久长新的关键就在于在PEA之类的激情物质消退之前，分泌出足够多的内啡呔。很显然，内啡呔的效果和PEA之类的爱情激素的效果完全不同，或许我们可以称内啡呔为婚姻激素。婚姻激素是在爱情激素水平下降后开始起主导作用的。婚姻的物质基础并不一定需要爱情物质参与其中。

就像有些人天生很难被爱情打动一样，有些人就是没有办法得到充足的内啡呔使自己安定下来。他们的爱情生活是由一系列热恋——分手所组成的，周期就是爱情物质的波动周期，一般为6个月到4年。如果他们不幸而结婚，那么婚外恋也就成了一种必然。与其说他们有着一种放浪的生活态度不如说这是一种病态的表现，称他们为爱情瘾君子恐怕更加合适。

爱情瘾君子们追求爱情带来的那种迷醉和疯狂，但当最初的爱情激素分泌高潮一过，他们就会感到空前失落，于是就不得不再次去寻找新的对象以术达到下一次的激情和满足。就像人对兴奋剂会产生抗药性一样。当他们的身体习惯于越来越高水平的PEA浓度时，这些爱情瘾君子们会发现他们已经无法像开始时一样感受到爱情的冲击了。

♥ 后叶加压素/脑下垂体后叶荷尔蒙
我们都认为一夫一妻制是一种值得提倡的行为。人类之所以需要这种vasopressin荷尔蒙和需要安全可靠的伴侣，可能是因为怀胎过程特长，子女成长特慢，因此稳定的伴侣关系有助于人种的安全成长和延续。有关学者在研究几种脑下垂体后叶荷尔蒙的过程中，不幸又发现这些主宰感情的荷尔蒙的分泌与感应并非永恒不变，往往，在时空条件改变的情况下，其供应与感应也会随之相对增加或减少。

也有学者认为pheromones（信息素）才是影响性吸引力的主要原因。有些人甚至将之称为“爱情灵药”，因为很少有动物能够抵御其力量，就连昆虫也不例外。事实证明，只要在母蛾上涂一点点pheromones，所有的公蛾就会抑制不住性欲，向母蛾飞奔，就算中间有屏障隔也是一样。

Pheromones固然威力无究，不过人类似乎更上一层楼，发展出更特殊的性器官，那就是VNO。根据人类解剖学教授的研究，VNO隐藏在我们鼻子最顶端的骨头，正是帮助我们搜寻另一半的最佳探测器。因为VNO可以帮助我们嗅到异性所散发的pheromones，让我们心驰神迷的迷恋对方。专家还发现，男性的VNO对于女性皮肤上的类固醇特别敏感，反之女性对男性亦有相类的感觉。所以，国外香水公司利用这个发现，开香水新产品，而其秘密配方并非在女性的香水中，强调太多女性特质，而是加添少许的男性类固（steroid），效果当然奇佳。

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

♥ 爱情真的能永恒吗？
科学家们已找到这个古老问题的答案。PEA、多巴胺、去甲肾上腺素、内啡呔、vasopressin都是影响爱情的物质。一般来说PEA的浓度高峰可以持续6个月到4年左右的时间，平均不到30个月（2.5年）。这和社会学调查得出的数据很接近。不用试图去挽回变心人的心，这个时候他对你的爱已经消耗干净了。

大自然教的事。

2011-04-06T17:24:00.002+08:00

大自然的事我們懂多少？
我們都不懂的其中之一：
原來生命在死亡中發生。

好想再回到樹林里走走。
現在就好想讀這一本書。

暫時性。

2011-03-23T23:15:00.001+08:00

發現原來自己
把目前的生活
視為暫時性的
為什麽這麽想

生命延續。

2011-03-20T20:38:00.001+08:00

這是老友鬼鬼關充滿愛心送的水培植物，水水一號，水水二號。但願它們長壽。水水一號長出小小圓圓的葉子了；水水二號還是一枝獨秀，不知接下來會給我什麽surprise呢？

oh by the way, 之前落地生根的北比。。。全死翹翹了。。。我不知道出了什麽問題。i'm sorry (; _ ;)

artist of life.

2011-03-20T19:50:00.003+08:00

"所有類型的知識歸根究底就是對自己的認識。“
從來不知道，原來李小龍不只是武術家或演員，他還是個會寫詩的生活哲學家！

everything but hope.

2011-03-20T12:46:00.001+08:00

"Ten years ago I wrote a novel in which a middle-school student, delivering a speech before Parliament, says: “This country has everything. You can find whatever you want here. The only thing you can’t find is hope.”

One might say the opposite today: evacuation centers are facing serious shortages of food, water and medicine; there are shortages of goods and power in the Tokyo area as well. Our way of life is threatened, and the government and utility companies have not responded adequately.

But for all we’ve lost, hope is in fact one thing we Japanese have regained. The great earthquake and tsunami have robbed us of many lives and resources. But we who were so intoxicated with our own prosperity have once again planted the seed of hope. So I choose to believe."

- Ryu Murakami

2011-03-18T00:45:00.001+08:00

回首被工作填得滿滿生活，
人生回憶簿里卻是空空的。

地震の意味。

2011-03-14T23:32:00.000+08:00

* ディズニーランドでの出来事
http://twitter.com/unosuke/status/46376846505426944
ディズニーランドでは、ショップのお菓子なども配給された。ちょっと派手目な女子高生たちが必要以上にたくさんもらってて「何だ？」って一瞬思ったけど、その後その子たちが、避難所の子供たちにお菓子を配っていたところ見て感動。子供連れは動けない状況だったから、本当にありがたい心配りだった
At Tokyo Disneyland:
Tokyo Disneyland was handing out its shops’ food and drinks for free to the stranded people nearby. I saw a bunch of snobby looking highschool girls walking away with large portions of it and initially though “What the …” But I later I found out they were taking them to the families with little children at emergency evacuation areas. Very perceptive of them, and a very kind thing to do indeed.

* 渋滞した交差点での出来事
http://twitter.com/micakom/status/46264887281848320
一回の青信号で１台しか前に進めないなんてザラだったけど、誰もが譲り合い穏やかに運転している姿に感動した。複雑な交差点で交通が５分以上完全マヒするシーンもあったけど、１０時間の間お礼以外のクラクションの音を耳にしなかった。恐怖と同時に心温まる時間で、日本がますます好きになった。
At a congested downtown intersection …
Cars were moving at the rate of maybe one every green light, but everyone was letting each other go first with a warm look and a smile. At a complicated intersection, the traffic was at a complete standstill for 5 minutes, but I listened for 10 minutes and didn’t hear a single beep or honk except for an occasional one thanking someone for giving way. It was a terrifying day, but scenes like this warmed me and made me love my country even more.

* 揺れている最中でも・・・
http://twitter.com/gj_neko26/statuses/46394706481004544
聞いた話でびっくりしたのが、とっさに「入口の確保」と揺れてるにも関わらず、あの状況で歩いて入口を開けた人が居たのが凄いと思った。正直、シャンデリアも証明も何時落ちるか分からないのに、凄く勇敢な人が居た事に感動した。
During the earthquake
We’ve all been trained to immediately open the doors and establish an escape route when there is an earthquake. In the middle of the quake while the building was shaking crazily and things falling everywhere, a man made his way to the entrance and held it open. Honestly, the chandelier could have crashed down any minute … that was a brave man!

* バス停で・・・
http://twitter.com/yunico_jp/status/46168394755612672
バスが全然来ない中、@saiso が、バス停の前にある薬局でカイロを買ってきて、並んで待ってる人みんなに配った！
Bus stop mini episode:
It was freezing and bus was taking ages to arrive. “@saiso” left the queue to run to a nearby pharmacy. He bought heating pads and gave one to everyone in the queue!

* ディズニーシーにて
http://twitter.com/kfstudio/status/46390032776437760
ディズニーシーに一泊した娘、無事帰宅しました！キャストのみなさんが寒い中でも笑顔で接してくれて不安を感じることなく過ごせたそうです。防寒のカイロやビニール袋、夜・朝の軽食と飲み物、おやつまで。ディズニーの素晴らしさに感動です。頑張ってくれたキャストさん、ほんとにありがとう！！

Thank you Tokyo Disney Sea
My daughter who was staying at DisneySea just made it back home! Many, many thanks to the staff who worked very hard in the cold with ready smiles that made her to feel safe and secure during the entire night. They brought her food, drinks, snacks, heating pads, and anything necessary to ensure she was comfortable and secure throughout her stay. I was touched by the Disney staff’s warmth and hospitality. Thank you so much!

* 段ボールに感動
http://twitter.com/aquarius_rabbit/status/46213254376210432
ホームで待ちくたびれていたら、ホームレスの人達が寒いから敷けって段ボールをくれた。いつも私達は横目で流してるのに。あたたかいです。
Card board boxes, Thank you!
It was cold and I was getting very weary waiting forever for the train to come. Some homeless people saw me, gave me some of their own cardboard boxes and saying “you’ll be warmer if you sit on these!” I have always walked by homeless people pretending I didn’t see them, and yet here they were offering me warmth. Such warm people.

* 絵師さん
http://twitter.com/izumi823/statuses/46387948681297920
絵師さんたちがこの地震でみんなに元気付けようと必死に美しい絵や励ましのイラストを描いていることに感動。みんな自分にできることをしたいと思っているんだね。
Touch of art
I saw artists and painters trying to keep things upbeat by painting or drawing beautiful or encouraging drawings for the evacuees around them. I was touched at how everyone was doing their very best to help.

* 父親の行動
http://twitter.com/s_hayatsuki/status/46386255767937024
1階に下りて中部電力から関東に送電が始まってる話をしたら、普段はTVも暖房も明かりもつけっぱなしの父親が何も言わずに率先してコンセントを抜きに行った。少し感動した。
A little story about Papa
We live in an area that was not directly hit. When my father came downstairs and heard the news saying that our area had begun allocating electricity to the hard-hit areas, he quietly led by example, turning off the power around the house and pulling the plugs out of their sockets. I was touched. He usually NEVER turns off the lights or the AC or the TV or anything!

* パン屋
http://twitter.com/ayakishimoto/statuses/46403599743451136
昨日の夜中、大学から徒歩で帰宅する道すがら、とっくに閉店したパン屋のおばちゃんが無料でパン配給していた。こんな喧噪のなかでも自分にできること見つけて実践している人に感動。心温まった。東京も捨てたもんじゃないな。
The bakery lady
There was a small bread shop on the street I take to go to school. It has long been out of business. But last night, I saw the old lady of the shop giving people her handmade bread for free. It was a heart-warming sight. She, like everyone else, was doing what she could to help people in a time of need. Tokyo isn’t that bad afterall!

* ドイツ人の友達
http://twitter.com/sikkoku_otsuyu/status/46392832893796352
ドイツ人の友達が地震が起きた時に渋谷に居て、パニックになっていた所を日本人に助けてもらったらしく、その時の毅然とした日本人の態度や足並み乱さずに店の外に出てやるべきことを淡々とこなす姿にひどく感動し、まるでアーミーのようだったと言っていた。
From a German friend
A German friend of mine was in Shibuya (downtown Tokyo shopping district) when the earthquake hit. He was panicking when a Japanese passerby saved him, taking him into a building. My friend was blown away at how calm and disciplined this Japanese man was. He went out of the building with firm, unfaltering steps, did everything he was trained to do and came back. My German friend was deeply impressed by the Japanese people’s actions during the earthquake, saying they looked like a trained army.

* スーパーでの出来事
http://twitter.com/endless_6/status/46395420523503616
スーパーで無事買物出来ましたヽ(´o｀；でもお客さんのほとんどが他の人の事を考えて必要最低限しか買わない感じだったのが感動しました（涙）
At the supermarket
I just came back safely from the supermarket! Man, I was so touched at how everyone there was mindful of others, buying only as much as they needed and leaving the rest for the people behind them.

* 「みんな」
http://twitter.com/n_yum/statuses/46388003706380288
タクシー運ちゃんと電車駅員さんとおばさんと話したけど、みんな遅くまで帰れなかったりしてすごく疲れているのに、苛立つ事なく、言葉遣いもふるまいも丁寧で、逆に気遣われてしまった。｢みんな大変だから｣という"みんな"って意識があることに感動するし、私も受け継いで大事にしたい文化。
“All of us”
I spoke with an old taxi driver and some elderly staff at the train stations. All of them had been working non-stop and had not been able to go home for a long time. They were visibly very tired, but never once did they show any sign of impatience; they were gentle and very caring. They told me “… because all of us are in this together.” I was touched at what the notion of “all of us” meant to these elderly people. It is a value I will treasure and carry on to my generation.

* 朝礼
http://twitter.com/kyoheimai/status/46374747755388928
今朝の朝礼で「何があっても決して不安な顔は見せずに売り場に立つ以上はおもてなしをする気持ちを忘れずにお客様を安心させてあげてください」ちょっと感動した。がんばるか。開店です!
Morning Ceremony
At the shopping center I work at, every morning we have a ritual (common in Japan) where we stand and recite, “No matter what the situation, I will never show anxiety before my customer; in all customer-facing situations I will treat my customers with respect and do everything I can to make them feel comfortable and at ease”. Today, these words were all actually kind of touching. Well, so the day begins! Here we go people, open shop!

* 井上さん
http://twitter.com/frankyonn/status/46401442583552000
井上雄彦さんがものすごい勢いで笑顔のイラストをいっぱいあげてて感動する。励ましとか勇気とかメッセージって、こういうことなんだなーと思う。ＲＴ@inouetake Smile42.
Mr. Inoue
Mr. Inoue has been churning out drawings of smiling and laughing faces at an amazing pace! Things like this remind me again of what it truly means to give people a message of strength and courage.

* 声をかけること
http://twitter.com/RUMI88LoL/statuses/46342599149240320
昨日、裏の家の高１になるお兄ちゃんに感動した。家に１人で居たらしく、地震後すぐ自転車で飛び出し近所をひと回り。【大丈夫ですか―――！？】と道路に逃げてきた人達にひたすら声掛けてた。あの時間には老人や母子しか居なかったから、声掛けてくれただけでもホッとしたよ。ありがとう。
A strong voice
Yesterday, I was impressed and touched by the actions of my neighbor’s 13-year-old-boy. He was home alone when the earthquake hit. But instead of hiding, as soon as the earthquake quieted down, he jumped on his bicycle and road around the block repeatedly shouting at the top of his voice, “Is everyone alright? Is everyone okay?” At the time, there were only women and children and the elderly in the homes. I cannot describe how comforting it was just to hear a strong voice asking if I was okay. Thank you!

* 助け合い
http://twitter.com/sorry_no_user/statuses/46332985133375488
警備員の友人何人かが町田〜相模大野で夜間警備のボランティアをしていたので手伝ってきた。年齢問わずいろんな知らない人同士が助け合っていて心強かった。ちょっと感動してトイレの隅で泣いた。
The beauty of helping one another
I went out last night to help some friends who were volunteering as security personnel between Machida City and Sagami Ohno City. I saw total strangers, both young and old, helping each other along everywhere I turned and was heartened with an overwhelming feeling of encouragement. I was so touched I hid behind the toilets and cried.

* バイクでよければ
http://twitter.com/hikaru_star/statuses/46332900928532480
僕は感動しました。バイトの先輩が1人でも救うために寒い中紙に「バイクでよければ送ります」と書き駅前で掲げ鳶職のお兄ちゃんを所沢まで送ったそうです。世の中まだ捨てたもんじゃないなって思いました。本当に尊敬です！！自分もなんか人の役に立ちたいと生まれて初めて思いました。
I just have a bike
I’m so touched! My colleague at my part time job, wanting to help even just one extra person, wrote a sign saying “I just have a bike, but if you don’t mind hop on!”, rode out on his motorbike, picked up a stranded construction worker and took him all the way to Tokorozawa! Respect! I have never felt so strongly that I want to do something helpful for others.

* 乗り合い
http://twitter.com/pao313/statuses/46332792174411776
浦和美園からタクシー使えると思ったのが甘かった…30分歩いてたら知らない人が車に乗せてくれた（つд；*) 人間の優しさに感動。ありがとうございました。
Sharing your ride
It was stupid of me to think I could catch a cab at Urawamien Station. I ended up walking 30 minutes and then finally was picked up by a stranger who offered to give me a lift. I’m touched by the warmth of human kindness. Thank you, thank you!

* 開放
http://twitter.com/robasuke23/statuses/46326711935172609
昨日、歩いて帰ろうって決めて甲州街道を西へ向かっていて夜の21時くらいなのに、ビルの前で会社をトイレと休憩所として解放してる所があった。社員さんが大声でその旨を歩く人に伝えていた。感動して泣きそうになった。いや、昨日は緊張してて泣けなかったけど、今思い出してないてる。
Rest here!
Last night, I decided, rather than stay at the office, I should try walking home. So I slowly made my way west on Koshu freeway on foot. It was around 9PM when I saw an office building that had a sign that said “Please use our office’s bathrooms! Please rest here!” The employees of the office were loudly shouting out the same to all the people trying to walk home. I was so touch I felt like crying. Well, I guess I was too tense yesterday to cry, but now the tension is wearing off and am very much in tears.

* 避難所
http://twitter.com/msakatan/statuses/46302864980705280
長女いわく、横浜の避難所に向かう時に、知らない人達と声を掛け合い、場所を教え合っていたそうです。普段は冷たいと思っていた他人の優しさに触れ、感動したそうです。日本人のいざという時の団結力を再認識しました。まだまだ日本も捨てたものではないです。
On the way to the emergency evacuation area
My oldest daughter was making her way to Yokohama’s emergency evacuation area. Total strangers were helping each other out and showing each other the way to the emergency evacuation area. She told me she was moved at how strangers, who can seem so cold at times, showed her kindness and care. I was reminded at the Japanese peoples’ inherent ability to immediately unite in the face of adversity. Today, I have discovered a newfound faith in my nation and my people.

* 呼びかけ
http://twitter.com/akanensm/status/46214540161064960
何時間も歩き続けてたんだけど、至る所でトイレかしますとか、休憩できますとか言うビルや飲食店が沢山あって感動しました。とある企業ビルの人がボランティアで、○○線運転再開ですー！とか、休憩できますー！！って呼びかけてるの見て感動して泣きそうになったマジでw日本も捨てたもんじゃないな
A big, kind voice
I’ve been walking for many hours now. I’m touched at how everywhere I turn, there are shops open with people shouting “Please use our bathroom!” or “Please rest here!” There were also office buildings where people with access to information were voluntarily shouting out helpful tips, like “**** line is now operational!” Seeing things like this after walking for hours and hours made me feel like weeping with gratitude. Seriously, there is still hope for this country!

* 駅員さん
http://twitter.com/tadakatz/status/46274214654787584
終夜運転のメトロの駅員に、大変ですねって声かけたら、笑顔で、こんな時ですから！だって。捨てたもんじゃないね、感動した。
Station staff
I said to a Tokyometro station staff who was on all-night duty, “I’m sure it has been a tough night for you. Thank you.” He responded with a smile, “On a night like this, gladly!” I was touched.

* おっちゃん
http://twitter.com/sumonya/status/46479563412348928
昨日4時間かけて歩いて帰ってきた主人。赤羽で心が折れそうになってた時「お寒い中大変ですね！あったかいコーヒーどうぞ！」って叫びながら無料配布してるおっちゃんに出会った。これがあったから頑張れたそうだ。もう5回もこの話をしてくるので本当に嬉しかったんだと思う。おっちゃんありがとう。
Coffee
My husband finally got home very late last night after walking for 4 hours. He told me he felt like giving up at around Akabane, when an elderly man who was going around handing out free coffee saw him, gave him a steaming cup and said, “You must be tired and cold. Here, have some coffee!” My husband told me that it was because of this elderly man that he found the will and strength to continue walking. I’ve already heard this story from him five times tonight, so no doubt he was really, really touched! Thank you to my husband’s anonymous helper!

* 献血の列
http://twitter.com/NOBCHIDORI/status/46477518169047040
日本は強いです！大阪難波の献血施設は被災地の方の為に超満員の順番待ちでした。私欲の無い列を初めて見ました。感動しました。被災地の方々、全国でその辛さを受け止めます。諦めずに頑張って下さい！
Blood donations
Japan is strong! At Osaka I saw a LONG line of people waiting to give blood at the blood donation center. This is the first time I have seen such a queue of selfless people waiting patiently in line just to give. It was a moving sight! To everyone in the hard-hit areas, we your countrymen accept your suffering as our own and we share in your grief. Do not give up! Stay strong!

* 節電営業
http://twitter.com/hisyakakukeima/status/46584079558250496
近所のスーパー・サミットに来てみたら、通常深夜1時まで営業なのに大きい看板が付いていなかった。早めに店を閉めたのかと思ったら、外の電気だけ消して節電しつつ営業していた。ちょっと感動
Saving electricity for the North
I went to my neighborhood supermarket and was initially surprised that their neon signs were off. They usually are open till 1AM. I then found out that they were open, but were saving electricity so that more power could be channeled to the hard-hit coastal areas. Wow!

* 買うのやめるわ
http://twitter.com/raai15/status/46546475362160640
バイト先に若いお兄さんたちが軍団でお酒を買いに来たんだけど、その中の一人が｢やべえ、オレお酒のためにしかお金持ってきてないから募金できん。ちょっとこれ買うのやめるわ｣って言って商品返品してそのお金全部募金してた。お友達も続々と募金しててすごい感動した。すごいよ
Not enough money!
At the store where I work, a huge group of young men suddenly came in to buy booze. One of them suddenly said, “Oops, I only have enough money to buy booze, I can’t donate! Forget the booze, maybe next time!” and instead put ALL his money into the disaster relief donation box. One by one, every single one of the army of youths threw all their money into the box after him. What a heart-warming sight that was!

* いつでも買える
http://twitter.com/7474529/status/46565903520907264
今日、募金箱に金髪にピアスの若い兄ちゃんが万札数枚入れていた。そしてその友人に｢ゲームなんていつでも買えるからな｣と言っていたのが聞こえて私含め周りの人達も募金していた。人は見た目じゃないことを実感した。そんなお昼でした。この話感動しました。
Goth youth
A goth youth with white hair and body piercings walked into my store and shoved several hundred dollars (several tens of thousands of yen) into the disaster relief fund donation box. As he walked out, I and people around me heard him saying to his buddies, “I mean, we can buy those games anytime!” At that, we all opened our wallets and put our money into the donation box. Really, you cannot judge people by their appearances.

* 絶対うまいはず
http://twitter.com/kyugatimuti/statuses/46594200061493249
僕も秋葉からの帰りにおにぎりとみそ汁配ってる方に会いました、感動しました、チャリだったからダイジョブです他の人にって言ったけどもらっておけばよかったなぁ絶対うまかったと思う
They looked absolutely delicious!
I too saw the guy handing out free rice balls and miso soup on the way back from Akihabara. I was on my bicycle so I told him, “I’m okay, please give it to other people!” On hindsight, I should have taken one … they looked absolutely delicious!!

修行。

2011-02-20T20:54:00.001+08:00

同一個天空
同一個時空
不同的人生
不同的回憶
眼看朋友們
不同的際遇
只嘆人生啊
如戲，無常
有笑，有淚
活著是修行

flower series III

2011-02-13T21:45:00.003+08:00

i wonder if i compile all my flower photos into a booklet, will somebody be interested enough to buy it?

可愛背影。

2011-02-13T12:56:00.002+08:00

母親天生害羞，在鏡頭前更難以自然面對，所以偷拍最好。她在我最艱熬時期，用她最無怨無悔的愛，最簡單的家常便飯，最細致的噓寒問暖，陪我走過來。幸苦你了。

煙花。

2011-02-13T12:35:00.005+08:00

曾經一次在花火下痛哭，以為從此以後的花火都會勾起痛苦的回憶。其實事後就會了解，某些你曾經看得像天一樣大的人或事，是可以變得像過眼雲煙般，在你的生命里比灰燼更輕，甚至於無。

春天又來了, 而那一朵又一朵燦爛的花火啊依然讓人心花怒放。

歸途。

2011-02-13T12:08:00.001+08:00

不知為何每次回到這土地，心里就有一種複雜的感覺。是懷念是害怕是漠生是開心是討厭是似曾相識。從前我曾經很愛它，但坦白說，現在我不確定。我希望我能很愛它。

cafefables.

2011-01-30T21:29:00.006+08:00

went to cafetables at haji lane with my good old friends. found a nice drawing on the wall.

sin's anticipating eagerly for his drink to be served.

i didn't pay attention to what they were chatting about because obviously i was playing with my camera.

噢...涼茶偉！

kuan's acting busy and i was trying to get attention from behind.

we're in a nice ambience but my chamomile tea was too sour.

beautiful tea packaging

2011-01-30T14:14:00.001+08:00

i just couldn't resist from buying these when i saw them at mark & spencer! and what's more they taste good!

hector & the search for happiness.

2011-01-30T13:46:00.007+08:00

"A charming parable about modern life that has touched the hearts of more than two million readers worldwide"

This is a book which you can finish in one breathe because you just can't stop reading it. Let me share with you some bits of the parable:

...this made Hector think. Charles and he were sitting in the identical seats, and had been offered the same champagne, but Hector was much happier because he wasn't used to it. There was another difference: Charles had been expecting to fly business class, whereas for Hector it had been a pleasant surprise.

It was the first small pleasure of his trip so far, but looking at Charles, Hector began worrying. What if the next time he flew economy class he regretted not being in business class, like Charles no regretted not being in the first class? Hector told himself that he'd just learnt his first lesson. He took out the little notebook he'd bought especially and wrote:

Lesson #1: making comparisons can spoil your happiness.

He thought that this wasn't a very positive first lesson, so he tried to find another. He drank some more champagne and wrote:

Lesson #2:Happiness often comes when least expected.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

and Hector learned along his journey from Paris to China to Africa to the United States and here are the rest of his notes:

Lesson #3: Many people see happiness only in their future.

Lesson #4: Many people think that happiness comes from having more power and more money.

Lesson #5: Sometimes happiness is not knowing the whole story.

Lesson #6: Happiness is a long walk in beautiful, unfamiliar mountains.
(take time to observe the beauty of the world)

Lesson #7: It's mistake to think that happiness is the goal.

Lesson #8: Happiness is being with the people you love.

Lesson #9: Happiness is knowing your family lacks for nothing.

Lesson #10: Happiness is doing a job you love.

Lesson #11: Happiness is having a home and a garden of your own.

Lesson #12: It's harder to be happy in a country run by bad people.

Lesson #13: Happiness is feeling useful to others.

Lesson #14: Happiness is to be loved for exactly who you are.

Lesson #15: Happiness comes when you feel truly alive.

Lesson #16: Happiness is knowing how to celebrate.

Lesson #17: Happiness is caring about the happiness of those you love.

Lesson #18: Happiness is not attaching too much importance to what other people think.

Lesson #19: The sun and the sea make everybody happy.

Lesson #20: Happiness is a certain way of seeing things.

Lesson #21: Rivalry poisons happiness.

Lesson #22: Women care more than men about making others happy.

Lesson #23: Happiness means making sure that those around you are happy.

i love deco tapes.

2011-01-26T10:48:00.002+08:00

it's tape and it's stripes and polka dots! very convenient to decorate anything you want.

V for victory! this is my 2nd d.i.y. calendar organiser. to me, a good organiser marks a good start of the year.

you can even use it for tabbing.

what are you grateful for today?

2011-01-22T02:04:00.005+08:00

lovely pix by stephanie.

"this week weather is so unpredictable. we have rain, we have sunshine, we have gloomy and then we have snow. today, i am grateful that i am able to see all these beautiful snowy trees, branches, streets... etc. what are you grateful for today?" - stephanie.

today i'm grateful that:
• i made an impromptu decision to watch Hereafter.
• i decided to walk a long way home because the taxi queue was too long and along the way i found a gigolo shop. haha! no, it's not about that, it just reminded me that if i didn't choose to walk home (which i don't usually do), i wouldn't have found something i didn't know about. and thus it stroke me that i need a restart.

tree for karen lee.

2011-01-20T22:50:00.001+08:00

saw this heart-shaped tree in Fritzroy Garden, Melbourne Victoria, then i thought i understand better why you love tree.

十六年後的午後。

2011-01-20T22:15:00.002+08:00

...不敢想像二十六年後的午後。

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落地生根之打不死。

2011-01-19T15:11:00.002+08:00

之前話說關送我的落地生根剛來我家不久就得接受一個月自生自滅的嚴峻考驗，結果一個月過去了，這俗稱打不死、大还魂到底怎麽了。看看吧！

很神奇！看它還好好的是吧？
而且！！！它還生了北比！！！！！

打不死的生命力好強！太驚人了！

家族。

2011-01-16T01:30:00.001+08:00

外婆。

2011-01-15T23:20:00.002+08:00

其實紐西蘭之行主要是護送外婆到那去見她朝思暮想的兒子與孫子，一起過聖誕（他們是基督教徒）。
想不到七十八歲的外婆在旅途中比想像中健壯，還流露出各種風情。開心真能治百病啊。。。

爆笑姑娘：

花般少女：

都市女郎：

森林系女孩（森ガール）：

嬌羞新娘：

活潑阿嬤：

南海姑娘：

文靜宅女：

bouquets.

2011-01-15T01:59:00.001+08:00

found this in the common kitchen during my stay in NZ. never thought that vege itself can be arranged in such beautiful way.

wild flower bouquet by my aunt.

tiny little flowers from my aunt.

a trip i couldn't have made it by myself - dunedin

2011-01-14T23:42:00.005+08:00

my first fishing trip! though it was super cloudy and foggy, we still set off with worries about my grandma whether if she could take the rocky wave (yes! at the age of 78, she went on board with us) . Karitane Charter, the boat we hired. Captain Alan and his 21-year-old super good looking son was serving us.

seriously foggy! the clouds were really low.

it's summer yet so cold!

my cousin's first attempt of fishing failed. booooo it's only fresh seaweed. then...finally hooked! this species of fish looks very cool! but i forgot its name.

tahdahhh... the cute captain's young son! his sense of balancing is superb! standing on the edge of a rocky boat like that, he didn't even need to hold on to anything.

crazy sea gulls following us! they are beautiful yet very aggressive animal.

captain sokki in the house!

grandma found it warm in the fake fur blanket offered by the captain. she did a good job staying calm and cool! i was so impressed by her!

a trip i couldn't have made it by myself - rainbow

2011-01-13T01:05:00.003+08:00

temperamental rain visited Te Anau when we were taking photos by the lake site in the town centre, we ran and hid into the car. the sunlight was still very glaring.

we decided to head back to where we stayed...BUT!!! the moody rain stopped in a while and somehow we looked back and found this full curve double rainbow!

My cousin was too excited that he even ran out of the car and chased after the rainbow because it appeared too near to us that we could almost touch it. Some said that one should wish upon double rainbow but i was too overwhelmed to think about that. anyway, we were already lucky enough too see this.

a trip i couldn't have made it by myself - Rotorua

2011-01-09T18:28:00.011+08:00

a walk in rotorua redwood forest was so serene and energizing! how i wish i could go tracking everyday there! these gigantic trees made me felt so tiny among them.

despite their gigantic sizes and tough looks, the skin of this type of tree is surprisingly soft.

the ground was soft too, it felt like walking on a carpet.

doesn't it look like a deer's head?

was wondering what this white lump is, when i blew at it, i saw hundreds of spider babies running up and down within it. arh!!!

leaves in different shapes.

i love the golden and pale greenish gray colours on them.

those are my grandma's feet. I didn't expect we would visit this forest so i was wearing flip flop, not suitable for tracking but still quite comfy because the ground was dry and soft.

a trip i couldn't have made it by myself - south omaru

2011-01-09T14:13:00.019+08:00

new zealand's nature is absolutely breath taking! i was in total relax stage that i didn't even care to put on foundation make-up or even my contact lenses. i like every single place we went. ok let's start randomly with south omaru, where you will find moeraki boulders, even though it was not our first destination.

the boulders look just like dinosaur eggs to me. and one of them has hatched!

i found countless nature arts on the beach...

...and i like this most.

Happy Belated New Year!

2011-01-08T00:20:00.002+08:00

saw these when i just arrived at Auckland airport. lovely & cheerful colours!

ok...my new year resolutions are:
• ______________________________
• ______________________________
• ______________________________
• ______________________________
• ______________________________
• ______________________________
• ______________________________
• ______________________________

hai! ganbarimasu!

ただいま〜

2011-01-06T19:09:00.003+08:00

i'm back from NZ! did you miss me? NZ trip was fun and relaxing! on the first few days, we found some apple trees in my uncle's uni campus. too bad that the apples were still too young and small. but i liked the sunlight and breeze. will post more stuff soon...

折原商店。

2010-11-30T22:48:00.008+08:00

went to 折原商店 (11 Unity Street #01-02 Robertson Walk) last thursday and had great time with iris (lola) and celeste. lola is always a cheerful company to have at any occassion. while for celeste, it's actually the first time we could sit down and chat so much since we know each other. wish we can do it more often in future. thanks to celeste for the photos! oh by the way, the cocktail in lola's hand was actually the champion cocktail by the bar tender who just started his first day work on the night itself. the taste was surprisingly good and refreshing!

i love poached egg.

2010-11-30T21:39:00.006+08:00

it just looks appertizing on any food.
*picture from 柳田栄萬.

here's how to poach an egg perfectly with some little tricks.