Ubiquitous

One Point for Materialism

// December 25th, 2008 // 17 Comments » // Fashion, Personal, Quotables

I logged into WP today and lo and behold, a new dashboard theme! Thank you Lene for kindly upgrading WP so diligently. Yes, it’s Christmas Break so that means I finally have time to blog (or not - the chocolates and wine are calling my name!) To the outside world my life is pretty mundane at the moment, i.e. no new obsessions, no materialistic acquisitions, no romances (boys just aren’t interested, alas). But I do love the daily nuances that pop up in my life. For example:

Mum: Hey what exactly does “XD” mean?
Me: It’s face mother. You have to look at it sideways.
Mum: I don’t get it.
Me: Come here *types out XD*, see? The D is the mouth and the X are the eyes like this: ><
Mum: That’s stupid. I still don’t get it. What does LOL mean?
Me: *headdesk*

Mind you this was right after a Facebook conversation I had with my dad.

Dad: Why can’t I see the snowman photo I just took of you Crystal? On Facebook?
Me: Oh I don’t know, you’re on my limited profile?!
Dad: WHY? WHY DID YOU BLOCK ME? MY OWN DAUGHTER. WHY?!
Me: Uh…kidding *shifty eyes* … maybe you’re not logged in probably… *quickly changes privacy setting for one album* … refresh it now…
Dad: OH OKAY I see it!

They tried to get me to teach my grandma how to use the internet. I passed. I can’t decide whether or not my parents are “at-least-better-than-most-parents-who-fail-at-computer” or just complete lunatics from whom I inherited my DNA. I still proudly announce to all my friends that not one but BOTH of my parents have Facebook lol. Watch out everyone. In a few years I’ll be trying to convince my grandkids to let me reprogram their hovercrafts.

In other news, I finally got down to decorate one of the bare walls in my bedroom. Why should I miss out the whole decorate your dorm wall thing even if I live at home?! Behold, les photos.

BEFORE. Oh dreary white walls!

AFTER.

DETAILS. May I direct your attention to DANIEL RADCLIFFE IN EQUUS, and in the right corner CHUCK + BLAIR = LOVE.

Spreads from: ELLE Canada July, Vogue September, ELLE Canada September, Glamour December. It’s deliciously materialistic isn’t it?

Merry Christmas everyone!

Popularity: 10% [?]

Olympics Fever

// August 4th, 2008 // 20 Comments » // Fashion, Quotables

Countdown to Beijing Olympics 2008: 4 days.

My family’s favourite pasttime is gathering in front of the television to spend “quality time” with each other. So when the Olympics roll around every four years, it’s a huge deal for my folks in the entertainment department. For anyone who hasn’t seen the dress rehearsal fireworks pictures from Beijing’s Bird’s Nest, I recommend you to check it out right away. It totally DWARVES what went down in Vancouver last weekend (HSBC Celebration of Lights).

In the last issue of Harper’s Bazaar, Lucy Liu made several appearances in Spring Couture 2008 clothes posing for Olympics events (photo credits). It totally adds that extra pizazz and glamour the Games need! Observe.

Eye-catching red dress from the Armani Prive spring collection.

This archery one in Carolina Herrera is my favorite of the set.

Where can I get this Dolce and Gabanna bag?!

Haha I know all of you jock types are totally frowning upon replacing weights with Jean Paul Gaultier bags.

Hmm… this Versace gown may have looked better on the runway.

So patriotic eh?

And this is my parting thought for this fashion-filled entry:

The popular creative director of Chanel and Fendi, Karl Legerfield, has been asked by road safety chiefs in France to front their latest campaign, encouraging drivers to wear light-reflecting clothing when traveling at night. The translation, “It’s yellow. It’s ugly. It doesn’t go with anything, but it could save your life.”

P.S. - finally updated the Links in the sidebar with Sarai, Shen-Shen, Alex, Rilla and a few other blogs that I read.

Popularity: 8% [?]

OMFG I’M DONE IB!

// May 21st, 2008 // 19 Comments » // Academic, Personal, Quotables

These are the words I never thought I would get to say.

As of 11 AM this morning, I am finished with the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (last exam was Physics HL Paper 3).

I am now sorting through THREE years’ worth of IB related papers, chucking most out, chuckling at a few.

Our TOK teacher warned us how anti-climactic IB could be, the moment we’ve all been waiting for tends to come without satisfaction, but rather, with emptiness.  While waiting for my Career Prep teacher for some final form signatures today, I had nice chats with people I’ve come to known in the past few years but never REALLY got to know. One of them wailed to me, “I’VE BEEN SO BORED SINCE MY LAST EXAM, sitting in front of the TV watching reruns of reruns, trying to figure out what I used to like to do!” See the thing with IB is, the work never ever ends until the program is finished. For the past three years we’ve become accustomed to having fun by procrastinating - the mere avoidance of work. But at the back of our heads, we always knew that there is some IB assignment to start, IB essay to hand in, IB oral commentary to prepare for.

As much as we hated it, it was hard not to let this Program, this community, take over our lives. In a few years time, or even months… I’m pretty sure I’m gonna look back and happily reminisce how, hmm what’s the word, “fulfilling” IB was. Now the familiarity of daily cramming, late night rants, and tear-stained essays have all but vanished without a trace, I feel like I’m starting another life.

There are no better friends than the ones you make while you are suffering together.

Let the new journey begin.

Popularity: 6% [?]

The Art of Negotiation

// March 22nd, 2008 // 36 Comments » // Academic, Quotables

On the phone a few days ago…

Me: I’M GOING SHOPPING!
Mum: Sure have fun.
Me: ALSO GOING OUT FOR DINNER!
Mum: Sounds good.
Me: CAN I GET A LAPTOP?
Mum: Yea okay. Call your dad.
Me: *jump up and down*

Ladies and gentleman, how does one convince one’s strict mother the necessity for the above three things - shopping, food, and laptop? Simple, one precedes the conversation with this.

Mum: Hello?
Me: GUESS WHAT?! I GOT INTO UCLA! MY FIRST UNIV ACCEPTANCE WOOOOOOT!!

The end. Go Bruins. Can’t afford it so probably not going there but oh well XD.

Popularity: 5% [?]

In Cloud Nine

// January 23rd, 2008 // 12 Comments » // Personal, Quotables

Isn’t it odd when an unusually large number of people have their birthday on the same day? Yesterday was my dad’s birthday (along with a handful of classmates’) and my family went to dine at the highest revolving restaurant in downtown Vancouver, called Cloud Nine. Fortunately, we had the first clear day in the past few weeks and got a gorgeous view of Downtown Vancouver, the English Bay, and North Van. It spins quite slowly so the visitors won’t get dizzy - about an hour to go around 360 degrees. I was laughing at my mum because halfway through dinner, she thought she left her purse on the window ledge (only the inner ring spins, the centre and the windows stay still) and nearly had a heart attack. It was under the table, thank goodness .

Later mother dearest was commenting how the view from our own house isn’t bad either.

Mum: YES! I measured the other day, we have a 220 degree view from our balcony!
Me: Mum, you geometry nerd! [she's an architect LAWL]
Dad: Too bad it doesn’t revolve, maybe you can spin yourself…

My family amuses me. Next week, there are my six mock exams, and I have drawn up the schedules (which I’ll probably never follow but oh well!). Luckily - can one really call this *lucky* - we’re exempt from classes next week and get a note to go home tomorrow telling those IB Parents how their sons and/or daughters will be going through the first ring of hell before long.

IB Coordinator, this cool British Doctorate: You must take this note home to your parents. We don’t want you running around the corridors when you finish your mocks, because people tend to gather in the corridors while classes are still in session.
Me: ZOMG! HE SAYS “CORRIDOR” INSTEAD OF “HALLWAY” LIKE PEOPLE IN HARRY POTTER! *SQUEEE*
My friend: Uh… yes… Crystal…
Rest of class: *thinks* wtf is she on… *goes back to studying calculus*

Gotta love sudden outbursts!

Popularity: 3% [?]