The Place I Call Home,

Happy fifty-first; the one that's a mouthful to say.

I saw those swirly pink candles we get for free when we buy cakes but I guess they like to overcharge everything here, 50 cents for one, bullshit.

And thank you thank you for comments on the previous post eventhough there were only ten but since I don't know so many people so I guess it's okay and I'll leave it till another day for a proper thank-you's. The first one intrigued me the most though, I don't think I expected something like that in the most crude form, without reason or opinions.

On a side note, I hate Sundays. A lot.

Aveux

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:)

Dance Dance Dance

I wasn't sure if I would write about the first book I read from Murakami, which was after dark or Dance Dance Dance which I was really wanting to buy even before I read after dark. But I finished Dance last week and it's such a haunting story and makes you think so much. The first time I found out about Haruki Murakami, was when I bought Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman from the 'New Arrivals' section in Kinokuniya. I was tempted by the covers of the stories, minimal and straightforward. I got a hold on Dance and read through the description and praise, but then unsure if it was a good read. So I didn't buy it.

Then earlier this year, I went to the library and found, by chance, after dark. It wasn't exciting nor was it dull, it had just the right sort of lulling hypnotic powers to make you read page after page and tread till the end only to find that some secrets remain stagnant and we as humans, can only observe from the outside.

So when I went home, I borrowed Sputnik Sweetheart (also by Murakami) back to KL for a read - along with On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan which I loved absolutely to bits as well but save that for another time - and I got my first round of book-shopping in klcc later that week and got my hands on Dance.

It took me this long to finish the book because I haven't had time with all the school work we've been doing, tests/assignments/assessments, crazy hectic workload but when I did get time to read, it was exhilarating.

Dance is not the Sidney Sheldon murder action you might've read about, nor is it A Walk To Remember-esque emotional tormenting book. It's simple and stark. The narrator remains anonymous throughout the whole novel so you'll never know his name, which makes everything else one level more mysterious but that is one important element of the story. The Sheep Man, greatly emphasized in the connections of these people; high-class prostitutes, 13-year-old school dropout with a famous photographer mother and the highschool friend who remains ever so charming no matter what.

My favourite thing about the book is the interplay between darkness and light, the sudden shift between the two dimensions which separates confidence and fear greatly, and the precise anatomic detail of the features of the world. The narrator describes his life as "shovelling snow" with repetitious movements, boring, uninteresting.

He is in a displacement of time, congregated by people, things, actions. A lot of metaphysical elements as well; assumptions and trying to believe those assumptions and reasons.

My favourite scene in the book (I will try and reveal as little in case anyone wants to read it soon): is when the narrator stumbles his way through a deserted building, no sign of any breathing life, and into this room in which he will see the fates of the people he knows. The colours are described in vivid detail here, and the atmosphere was to the smallest atomic description. You can almost choke and feel scared there, because of what he see right in that room. When I was reading it, I was scared for real and then I had to read it in the morning because it was quite... heart-gripping if you may.

In whole as a general plot of the book: an unnamed narrator trying to untangle all these lines in his life, trying to shovel snow in many different ways albeit metaphorically, and his ultimate curiosity in finding out truths he has within himself.

The Sheep Man says " Dancingiseverything. Danceintip-topform. Dancesoitallkeepsspinning. Yougottadance. Aslongasthemusicplays."

Dance, as long as the music plays.

books by Murakami I've read so far!

after the quake
after dark
Sputnik Sweetheart
Dance Dance Dance

and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle which I have yet to read :) and also, I'm currently reading Atonement. I realise I really do love writing about books. Maybe I can make a career out of this. Photo-booklism! (Jade! Amazing hidden talent #3!!!! hahahaha)

Alright concert for Panic At The Disco with TAI and Cobra Starship opening tonight! Yay. :) Have a good weekend everyone.

Bits And Pieces

These are bits and pieces of recent and not-so-recent happenings.

"I will be your secret-keeper. I will be your marginal soul, hand in hand, inherent in the nature of those milky intelligent eyes and beneath the layers of laughter. I am greedy and soon you will be mine, I will be in possession of all your sinful little desires and I will savour them in utter delight. Our love shouldn’t be cruel, that would be too brutal for anyone to handle. What we have is delicate and warm, nestled in a genteel touch that harms no one. The way your neck dips comfortably into the crook of my elbow, the rapid and expeditious ways you retract in movements; those swift, effervescent jolts in your muscles and the smooth craters of your dimples. I don’t have the right metaphors to describe you under these circumstances because you just exist, just like that, beneath the rustic comforter that spreads warmth between you and I; you have dreams and I look at you."

: part of a story.

I am sleepy and tired and hazy and depressed and moody. Someone come hug me.

airplane window

frost

A While Ago

Here are some photos taken back in kl a while ago,

Great catch-up sessions, I hope it isn't a two-year-talk-once thing huh Sying! We actually recorded a video about the top few bitchiest girls around and who's hot and who's not. But I think we need to consider twice before putting it up. I don't know why they like their sandwiches early in the morning for breakfast. They laughed at me when I order Ipoh Hor Fun. Sure, it isn't the authentic kopitiam to eat hor fun, but still... Better than bread and flour.

I think that was one of the most exhilarating karaoke sesh ever. Stupid karaoke people conned us for their snacks. Pft. But it was good. I couldn't talk really well after that.

This is Min being the impulsive Starbucks consumer. I gotta admit, Shepherd's Pie is yummy though. On a side note, Starbucks outlets are closing down here. What a boo-hoo. I still won't succumb into being a Gloria Jean's coffee-person!

Misc.

Chronological line up for this week so far:
School, Maths, Maths, Maths, School, School, French, Maths, Maths, School, Blood Test, Melb Uni Open Day.

I'm not surprised.

Well have a nice weekend.

You've got me
drinking coffee
at 3 in the morning but I don't care for much about caffeine anymore
I want to say that i like and I adore
but I'm sure that you've heard it all before

more

Formal Friday

Some of my favourite pictures from the Formal:

Elena & (Nico)LALA!

Can you see my shoes!
They're so pretty. And I am almost as tall as them, just. Even with my shoes.

(click to see everyone)

Greeny my nemesis in photography

Greeny and us!

Marnie's breasts bread

With gorgeous French exchange Marine

"You look really pretty!"

"Thank you!"

"Come, come let's take a picture! *snap flash click*" :D

Nolah, camwhoring is a universal thing.

Favourite photo <3 With the principal. Fabulous!

Dance, dance to the lousy first half of techno/dance music. 2nd half was gooooood 80's! They played Stayin' Alive which I suggested, Mama Mia whoooo Dancing Queen whoo whooo we all live in the past thanks.

Thank you Marlie, great work there ;)

During one point, I took off my shoes and returned to being short but we danced barefooted with such fun didn't we nini! Whoo whoo. The food wasn't too bad, I ate half of every dish. It was fun :) Marlie is 'Late Queen' - arrived an hour late "hello where are you!" "five minutes five minutes!" hahaha. I made a lot of noise, whined of my painful feet and the bad song selection, took photos. Watch Schnagl the Principal get groovy on the dancefloor etc.

Time for a break, shower time.

Cry Baby Cry

Kokokaina

Of last night:

Triple Eight

Happy eighth of August 2008! I am excited for the Olympics :)

... more than my formal. And we're missing it because the dinner it still on. And mom is going over to our neighbour's house making pizza + watching the opening of the Olympics.

:(

and I still haven't decided what to do with my hair/which earrings to wear. Hee ha. I think I better go put on my contact lenses now.

Lake Mountain

How I spent my Saturday: Sick and up to Lake Mountain for whatever fun-fun you do in snowing places. Unfortunately, I left before the quote "pretty snowflakes started falling!" because I was already too sick to stay in that condition.

So the wholesome of neighbors and cousins decide to stay and ski and I didn't because of aforementioned sickness. Whatever. And it was raining. And I couldn't use my camera for fear of it getting wet.

Health update: I am still sick. My nose is currently on sick leave (pun intended) and I cannot breathe properly.

Other than that, full week ahead as per usual. Nothing great to look forward to tomorrow because it's going to be such a tiring day. Except Friday. Opening ceremony of the Olympics! and the Formal - I will die in those 4 inches heels.

Okay, back to being tired and buried beneath piles of work.

A Secret Life

Those mooncakes reminds me of you. In fact, most inanimate things sometimes remind me of useless insignificant events we used to mull over and talk about. Small, intimate talk that was a source of outlet in disparagement or anger at anyone else. I don’t know why I remember these things, I think I will always be cursed with these memories. I wonder now in amazement how people never really change but things do.

The truest things I remember are the odd, minute moments that you forget. Moments anyone else would forget, but these are the things I keep, useless and dark, a sprinkle of bittersweet treasures, everything that used to mean a lot. All of it are hard to describe, they are simple but complicated, they twist around my heart, make me trip.

Memory plays tricks on you after a while, you get chronically tired after replaying the same things on repeat and sometimes you don’t really know if these events happened because they were so small to begin with. Today I wish you wholesome of happiness wherever you go, and I hold on to a hope that maybe in your subconscious mind, you keep a bit of those shared secrets as well.

This is for you, happy birthday you.