boxes

Found here.

I wish moving was this beautifully neat in real life.

twenty-something

Learning to Love You More


"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,
it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness..."

-Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

some good things

1. Kwang Ho Lee

Carlos and I went to see Korean artist Kwang Ho Lee's Touch exhibit at Kukje Gallery a couple of weeks ago. It was beyond fantastic. Plus, the cafe at Kukje has the best cakes. Seeing hyper-realist paintings of phallic cacti and eating green-tea cake make for a great time.

(see more here)

2. Poketo! Idea Book

We love this simple new notebook! In the box in the center, put down your main idea and goal and the surrounding boxes, write down all the other brainstorming ideas! Idea book - This is just what we all need to realize your ideas into reality! Now go!

YES! (via We Love You So)

3. Ana Kras

I want this coat rack. So much. (via Welcome Home)

4. cutting off the hem

Garance Doré

of mice and woman

***
"Katie, you have two choices," my mother stated calmly, yet firmly, over the phone.
"You can seize this opportunity to be a strong and independent woman, or you can just stay on that chair for the rest of the night.
Take control of the situation.
Empower yourself."

The situation she was referring to was the mouse I had just seen in my apartment.

I ended up calling over my friend Patrick to set the traps. Mice terrify me.

two wheelin'

I just got back from a mid morning bike ride (on my sweet yet barely broken in bicycle) and I've realized two things. One: I'm incredibly out of shape and Two: the world needs more bike lanes.

good morning midnight

My life, which seems so simple and monotonous, is really a complicated affair of cafes where they like me and cafes where they don't, streets that are friendly, streets that aren't, rooms where I might be happy, rooms where I never shall be, looking-glasses I look nice in, looking-glasses I don't, dresses that will be lucky, dresses that won't, and so on.

-From Good Morning Midnight, Jean Rhys
(via via)

you're the one that i want

Jessica's post below reminded me of how much I miss having a proper kitchen (one which doesn't have a washing machine in lieu of an oven) to whip up my most favourite breakfast (or lunch, or dinner), huevos rancheros. These pictures were taken last year, whilst I was blissfully cooking up a storm in the good old Locke Street kitchen. Sigh - I miss avocados, tortillas, and four-burner stoves.

long live the king

In my little debrief about Thailand, I forgot to mention how much the king and royal family are loved and respected, and how prevalent this love is. This beautiful blog reminded me. Almost everywhere you look, there are formal portraits and shrines dedicated to the king - even at the movies. On our third day in Bangkok, Carlos and I took a much needed (and air-conditioned) break from the bustling streets at the Paragon Cineplex. This was by far the most fantastic theater I've ever been in, complete with plush, reclining seats and intricate crown moldings. However, what I'll remember most was that after the previews, a message appeared on the screen reading "please pay respects to his majesty the king". Following this, everyone (including the baffled tourists) stood up and watched a montage of the royal family. It was all very bizarre, a bit bewildering, but ultimately quite touching.

dallas clayton

APPROACH
When you want to talk to a stranger
but you’re scared of feeling like a failure
you should just picture them as a grocery store clerk.
You have no problem talking to them
about totally useless mundane nothing
and you don’t consider it a failure
or even give it a second thought.

If you are a grocery store clerk
the same exercise hold’s true,
just exchange the word “clerk”
for “customer.”

//

NEIGHBOURS
I’m going to go next door and borrow a cup of sugar.
I don’t need a cup of sugar
I just need to know that still happens
because once it stops
we’re lost.

I really like both of these thoughtful poems by Dallas Clayton.
(I learned about him here)

not for sale

There are shops in Paris where nothing is for sale, no matter how hard you beg. I think people get lonely. Their apartments become full, and, rather than rent a storage space, they take over a boutique. Then they sit there in the middle of it, gloating over their fine taste.
-David Sedaris, 'Memento Mori', When You Are Engulfed in Flames

First it was an old copy of the hard-to-find Apartamento magazine. Then it was a pair of antique brass owls. Next came a lone anchor earring which I thought I could turn into a brooch. Following these, came a smaller version of the lovely print Jessica gave me a few years back (the Frou Frou one). Finally it was an unopened Diptyque candle. I have attempted to purchase all of these little things since being in Korea, and every time, the shop owners have kindly told me that they simply weren't for sale. Sometimes this was frustrating to hear (I really wanted those brass owls and that mate-less anchor), but other times I just came to expect it. I suppose it's part of the charm of Korean boutiques - hundreds of stores, each with distinct, wonderful style, full of lovely, covet-worthy knick-knacks (only a portion of which are actually for sale), and store owners sitting right in the midst of it all "gloating over their fine taste." If anything, this tormenting form of show and tell saves me from myself (as I certainly don't need these little odds and ends), and adds a whole new level to the term window shopping.

thailand

bits of my trip

My recent trip to Thailand was a wonderful experience - I especially enjoyed Bangkok and have discovered that I'll take a big, dirty city over a pristine beach any day. Although I didn't visit any temples, I definitely feel like I've experienced one of Asia's most vibrant, messy cities in the best way possible (thanks, of course, to my trusty city guide). For those who plan to visit Bangkok, here are my favourite places:

• Arrive on the weekend and visit the Chatuchak Market. Take the sky train, indulge in some delicious street food, and barter away for some kitschy souvenirs (like the above sailor painting, which now resides in my living room.) After you're all shopped out, head a bit further north to snap some pictures of the playful Elephant Building.
  
• Forget the cheap (and ghastly) hotels near the airport if landing late at night - the city center isn't far, so head right to Nai Lert Park, a most enjoyable hotel located in the business district (beside the Swiss and British Embassies) of Bangkok. The service here is outstanding, the lobby/rooms are incredibly calming, and the pool/gardens provide a much needed refuge from the hustle and smog of the city.
• Visit 70s bar (Thanon Sarasin) for a night out filled with dancing amongst Bangkok's hippest gay demographic. The DJ played the best songs (including lots of K-Pop, Kylie Minogue, and of course, the YMCA), and the popcorn machine outside provided some necessary snacks. Get there early though - the place gets packed before midnight.
• Go on a boat tour - take a cab to the luxurious Peninsula Hotel (in Old Town), and grab a long boat up the river. The trip will cost about 1,600 baht for 2 hours, but it's certainly worth it. You can see the local houses on stilts, the perimeters of beautiful temples, and some adorable Thai children playing in the water (you can also visit a snake farm, an attraction I chose to avoid).
  
• Shop in the neon-lit lanes of Siam Square. I found some amazing vintage clothing here and a beautiful handmade purse (sadly I don't remember the name of the store - but the owner visited Korea regularly to pick up products - not surprising).
• Get a traditional thai massage at Ruen Nuad (photo with the colourful counter tops) near the Sukothai Hotel. Go for the 1.5 hour massage, full of some good-old-fashioned kneading.
  
• Eat at Spring/Summer in the evening. Make a reservation and dine outside on the large cushions. The atmosphere here was beyond incredible - they were playing gorgeous covers of some of my favourite songs and the food was a gastronomic heaven. Order the Japanese inspired fried rice with seared tuna and avocado.
  
• If you like Italian, head to La Scala at Sukothai Hotel. The pizzas and pastas here were some of the best I've ever tried and the service was unbeatable. My mother always says you can tell a good restaurant by the bread basket, and this one was both inventive and tasty. To top the meal off they brought out a complimentary dessert sampling. The meal was pricey, but you knew what you were paying for - and it was well worth it.
  

As for the rest of the trip - we ignorantly headed to Phuket for a very brief stay (which was fairly horrible), and then moved on to the Phi Phi Islands, where we soaked up some sun and took some gratuitous pictures at The Beach. Ultimately, I hope to head back to Thailand someday to visit the northern area - and to return to Bangkok, which I loved.

with emphathy

I haven't really made any New Year's resolutions yet, as I constantly make/break the obvious ones (pay off credit card, eat less sweets, drink less red wine) throughout the year. However, I wanted to share these ones (found on this lovely blog) with you. They're from The School of Life and are quite worthwhile to keep in mind for 2010 (and beyond).

1. CULTIVATE CURIOSITY ABOUT STRANGERS

One of the best ways to develop your capacity to look through the eyes of others and escape the confines of your own worldview, is to have regular conversations with strangers, especially those outside your usual social circle. This doesn’t mean a brief chat about the weather. Rather, it involves a mutual exchange of thoughts on your most important beliefs and experiences, and – crucially – an attempt to understand the world inside the head of the other person. We are confronted by strangers every day – the heavily tattooed guy who delivers your post, the dignified elderly woman across the road who always wears a red beret, the new Thai employee who eats his lunch alone in the office canteen, the woman who sits in the underpass all day preening her dog. Set yourself the challenge of having a conversation with a stranger once a week. All it requires is courage.

2. LEARN FROM YOUR EXPERIENCES

Ask yourself this question: When has somebody failed to empathise with me, and what difference has it made? Expanding your empathetic imagination requires recognising the impact that empathy – or its absence – has had on your own life. Perhaps you have a nasty boss who has criticised you for missing a deadline without considering that you are using every spare moment to care for your mother who has Alzheimer’s. Or maybe your partner enjoys spending each Sunday playing five-a-side football with friends, but just can’t see that it burdens you with yet another day of doing the childcare, just when you really need a break. Such experiences – when another person fails to take into account our feelings, beliefs, or daily realities – can upset us, make us angry and diminish our self-worth. Unless you happen to be a rare empathetic saint, you can also ask yourself a second question: When have I failed to empathise with other people, and why? And then a third: When have others empathised with me, and why did it matter? Exploring this triumvirate of questions is sure to help sensitise your empathetic soul.

3. TACKLE YOUR FAMILY EMPATHY DEFICIT

The film The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy features an ingenious device called the Point-of-View Gun. When it is fired at someone, it causes them to see things from the perspective of the person who pulled the trigger. This singular weapon was designed at the request of the Intergalactic Consortium of Angry Housewives, who were tired of ending every discussion with their husbands with the statement, ‘You just don’t get it, do you!’ There is probably somebody in your family at whom you would dearly love to fire the Point-of-View Gun. But there is equally likely to be someone who would wish to fire it at you. The task before you is to identify a family member you have failed to empathise with and make an effort to do something about it. Give them a phone call or take them out for a meal and do your best to listen and understand where they are coming from. Try to get inside their skin, just like an actor attempts to inhabit their character, and grasp all the nuances of their thoughts and emotions. You might find that your irritating sister or heartless uncle do not deserve the harsh judgement you usually reserve for them.

4. TAKE AN IMAGINATIVE JOURNEY

There is nothing wrong with a little armchair empathy – sitting down with a good book and letting it take you into the mental landscape and experiences of someone whose life is utterly different from your own. This is ideally done through first-person narratives, where you can hear the voice of the author or main character and let it become one with your own. These are five of my favourite empathy books, which will take you on unusual journeys into other minds:

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby (1997): enter the world of a man who is completely paralysed and can only communicate by blinking his left eye.

Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell (1933): find out how to become a tramp and what you can learn as a kitchen assistant in a fancy hotel.

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown (1970): a history of the American West as told from the perspective of Native Americans such as Sitting Bull and Geronimo.

May the Lord and His Mercy Be Kind to Belfast by Tony Parker (1993): interviews with ordinary and extraordinary people about the conflict in Northern Ireland, from bus-drivers to terrorists.

The Story of My Life by Helen Keller (1903): autobiography of the deaf-blind writer who reveals the beauties of the world by expanding our appreciation of the senses.

5. CHALLENGE YOUR PREJUDICES

We all have prejudices or make false assumptions about others. These are frequently based on the collective labels we apply to people – like ‘single mothers’ or ‘Muslim extremists’ – without delving into their individuality and uniqueness. One of the most rewarding ways to expand your empathy is to gain direct experience of their lives, putting into practice the Native American proverb, ‘Walk a mile in another man’s moccasins before you criticise him’. How can we do this? It requires pinpointing the individual or social group who is the target of your strongest prejudices, and then inventing a way of stepping into their moccasins. So if you disdain people who live off the welfare state, spend a week trying to survive on Job Seeker’s Allowance, which currently stands at £64.30. If you detest wealthy bankers, see if you can shadow one of them at work for a day. If you are fervently religious, you might treat yourself to attending the services of religions different from your own. You get the picture. This experiential empathising is likely to be etched on your skin and memory forever.

some ecards

Remember e-cards? Why did we all stop sending them?

Who knows. But someecards is a pretty good reason to start again.

we made a home

Eva, Austria
pictures: A Home for Alice (check it out!)

I've moved around quite a bit over the past few years - some places are more memorable than others and some I would certainly rather forget. My favourite of these temporary dwellings has been my apartment on Locke Street in Hamilton. I loved cooking in the spacious kitchen (how I took this for granted), hiding away in the cozy little bedroom, tucked at the back, and running across the street for a bagel in the morning - I could spend a whole weekend cooped up in there and not mind at all (except for when I was visited by a little whiskered intruder). Now, living in a high rise in Korea, I've had to turn a rather austere loft into some semblance of a home; a familiar haven within this foreign culture. And with the help of a special someone, it's become just that - a wonderful little space with some art on the walls, scrabble in the corner, and lots of silly dancing filling the room.

junkmail

Katie and I share many, many mutual loves - multigrain tostitos, vintage treasures, white wine - and one of our favourite past times since university days has been trading cute and quirky greeting cards with one another. From black and white quoteables to a retro Australia postcard , Katie has always managed to produce a one of a kind card for many a special (and sometimes very ordinary) occasion. So of course I thought of her immediately when I spotted these sassy cards by junkmail greetings at the Drake's Outdoor Market this past weekend. At $1 a pop I just had to snap up some of these oh so pretty prints with spiteful sayings - because you never know when you're gonna need a "Congratulations on your mediocrity" card (I feel like I should have received that after graduating with my second Arts degree).

And Katie ... obviously you should keep an eye on your mailbox in the coming weeks. xo.

narcolepsy

This shoot from Vogue Girl Korea is exactly how I feel today - oh so sleepy.