Look what happens with a love like that

Azry, honey, I love you but you still owe me that steamboat dinner. (photo credit goes to the rightful owner via FFFFOUND)

Another reason to love the Internet

... is when I don't have to attend Harvard, Princeton or Yale to participate in scholarly lectures. I can always follow them here on the interweb, at Academic Earth.  It's just so brilliant when you can learn about English, Philosophy, Astronomy, Political Science and a bunch of other wonderful things while sitting in bed, for free from some of the greatest teachers in the world. (Thanks ITIABTWC & photo from My Life as a Sugar Lander)

You are my good cup of coffee

It's so amazing what I'm willing to do for a good coffee. Just the other day I found myself braving the drizzling rain to the next building for a cuppa. Just like how we are willing to go all out for someone who is worth all the love & attention. (Photo from b4co)

Forum nucléaire

Forum nucléaire from étapes: on Vimeo.

Extraordinary anti nuclear energy campaign by Forum Nucleaire. (via notcot)

Because he's cool like that

... the bright orange lights won't do enough justification to his diplodocusian (don't bother Googling, I invented it) coolness.

Dinosaurs, they never get old. They got extinct.

I want a lot of inanimate things. New cameras, new phone, backpacking around Europe, scuba diving licence, base jumping off KL Tower. A lot of stuffs. Stuffs that probably won't happen, but you get the drift.

But this (probably) couldn't match any of those: coming face-to-face with a 23ft T-Rex, roaring viciously in the air. From someone who watched The Jurassic Park I over a dozen times, this largest carnivorous reptile alive was one of my heroes (stop laughing) when I was small (apparently I experienced a premature hunger for power) back when the atlas was my best friend and I could remember every dinosaur's name by heart. I knew which period Stegosaurus was from, and that the Velociraptor featured in The Jurassic Park actually were actually a bunch of herbivores, but I still adored the adaptation in the movie because it claimed that the Velociraptor is the smartest dinosaur alive. Like canine.

But none of them could match Tyrannosaurus Rex, even the name, tyrant lizard, could make you literally wet your pants - quoted from National Geographics, everything about this ferocious predator, from its thick, heavy skull to its 4-foot-long (1.2-meter-long) jaw, was designed for maximum bone-crushing action.

Is there a chance the show is making it round this region? Because, you know, I would love you (the organizer) very intensely. More than anybody has ever loved anyone before. More than Shah Jehan has ever loved Mumtaz, more than Romeo has Juliet, or Patrick has Spongebob.

I rest my case. Here's CR's encounter with the giant and some notes behind the scene. (Photo from BAM)

Last night

... we were out to buy sushi but ended up buying a camera. Until today we still haven't figured out how that happened.

Look Mummy

... I'm drawing a turkey! (Photo from UNIFORM Studio) Love this picture just because the kitty looks like our Lincoln.

The fall

Today I came across Keri Smith’s brilliant blog post (Keri is always brilliant, by the way) about the film "Here Is Always Somewhere Else -The Disappearance of Bas Jan Ader". For those familiar with Bas Jan Ader’s work, he often dealt with the subject of gravity, and here is Keri pondering upon having gravity as a medium for experiments.

we all know what it feels like to fall, but how many of us have experimented with gravity as a medium. what does it feel like to throw yourself off balance on purpose?

the point of ader's "falls" is not the falling, but the moment (1/10th of a second) where he makes the decision to let go. that is the moment of transcendence where you leave everything behind and leap into the unknown. as improvisers or experimenters that is the moment we are trying to recreate. because we've done it before and it becomes addictive, that seductive release (a sense of giddyness mixed with fear). for an instant you get a feeling that you are really doing something worthwhile, living out on the edge of something big.

Being such an analytical thinker at times (in which Maya often calls me ‘anal’ for short), I couldn’t help wondering: was fall actually pre-defined as ‘accidental’? Is there, or should there be a term as ‘purposely’ fall?

What about the time when we dream about our falling, our body feels as heavy as when we fall (but we do not) but we experience the same anxiety as when we actually fall?

If Ader’s falls were rehearsed, did he experience the same ‘accidental’ anxiety (not excitement) as the people who actually ‘accidentally’ fall? Because when he fell, he already anticipated the falling so he embraced the fall. Whereas people who accidentally fall resist the fall, and instead of embracing it they try to struggle out of it.

And until now I find it extremely weird when people say, "Don't fall!". I mean, we all do avoid at any costs to fall (except for Ader) so is there a need to tell us not to?

Phew.

Way to start your Monday, isn’t it folks?

Currently

... I am having a big 'WANT!' sign above my head whenever I think of Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 in black. How sexy is this full-fledged, (the reason I say full-fledged is that it boasts the capability of near DSLR in a compact camera body) hot-blooded hunk?

Azry, knowing full well that I have a somewhat a never-ending collection of cameras, went "So will this be like, your 100 milionth camera if you get this one?". Bah, men. (Photo from crsan)

Balloons!

Azry knows (and perhaps dreads) of how excited I am over this hot air balloons fiesta (the site needs some serious redesign, right Shaza?) we are attending today at Putrajaya that I couldn't stop talking and pestering him about it for the past few weeks. Now at 3 am, I'm pysched waiting for the sunrise like a kid eagerly waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve. 

See you there! (Photo from ohleeveeah)

That's it. Transfer me to Guangzhou now.

You know, maybe there is a reason my current office does not look like Ogilvy & Mather's Guangzhou office. Because they know I won't be working, I'll be going around the carousel all day long muttering my idealism in being quixotic. With bagels in one hand and coffee in the other. But right now, I'll just celebrate the gaudium de veritate. Sniffle. 

TGIF baby! (via Computerlove)

Karen loves dinosaurs

Well, isn’t Internet a wonderful place? Besides the fact that I have met tons of interesting likeminded people (including you, yes you) and having a blast meeting them every time, it also serves like a small prefab house by the lake where I can escape to be alone and do some knowledge scouring in a complete peace.

I love Internet even more and the love is growing day by day when I get the chance to discover awesome stuffs, like last night I discovered Karen Abad’s whimsical videos. Then I became this random stranger all across the world from Karen spending hours going through her every single video without fail. So here’s to Karen & the Internet: You're awesome. I had a hard time picking up my favourite from Karen's amazing videos but here is one of them.

Don't Use Your Mind, It Might Make Things Worse!!!! from Karen Abad loves Dinosaurs. on Vimeo.

I believe we have been in this relationship long enough anyway so Internet, will you marry me? It's going to be beneficial so I don’t mind sharing you with many others around the globe anyway.

Breaking the glass ceiling

Girl creatives, so here's something for us after all. Don't forget to read the post linking to ihaveanidea where they interviewed Emma Hill from Clemenger BBDO who worked her way up to GCD from receptionist. How can you not admire that?

ihaveanidea: Your career is rather unique in that, unlike many other esteemed CDs who moved from agency to agency and country to country, you've stayed in one place for many years and grew alongside it. What's your secret? What keeps you grounded in one place while other creatives wander the earth?

Emma: There’s no secret to why I’ve stayed in the one shop, although Clemenger Melbourne is actually more like a department store than a shop. I’ve been pretty open about the fact that as long as Clemenger kept evolving, doing great work and hanging on to what is probably one of the best client lists in the country, leaving would mean trying to find an agency that either had all that, or didn’t, and then spend five years trying to get it up to the level of this one.

People may read that and think I’m maybe lazy, but I think the opposite applies. Plenty of people are asked to leave an agency after two or three years cause they get dangerously comfortable. I’ve worked my butt off to be here, and to stay here. And just as importantly, love keeps me here too. He’s very worth staying put for.

A thousand words

A Thousand Words from Ted Chung on Vimeo.

Every day, so many opportunities to connect. What if you took just one? (via myturtleneck)

We're planning something special!

Last Sunday @ The Pink Sage, Jalan Dang Wangi with Shafina & Along.

When in doubt, post a video

It's Monday, it's ugly orange corporate scarf/tie day, which I find really hard to coordinate with other outfits seeing most the work clothes in my wardrobe are mostly of brown, blue, black & a little amount of green. Just to be safe, I went all black today with a splash of that orange scarf wrapped around my neck, and until it's afternoon where it is going to get hotter & stuffier, it's still comfy now.

Enough with the random Monday morning rattles, here's a typography video from Sebastian Lange, a motion graphics designer that a reader, JT from my typornography kindly suggested. Please have a look at Sebastian's other videos as well, they're breathtaking.

Flickermood 2.0 from Sebastian Lange on Vimeo.

Extreme colors

For no religious reason, I have always found Holi festival to be so fascinating - the crowd gather in such passion in smearing each other with colored powders. Whilst it is a Hindu festival, people of all religions gather all around in Indian towns and villages to get soaked in the fun.

I have to agree with one of the commenters, in fact it was the first thought that came into my mind - Will we see a Sony Bravia ad inspired out of this one day? (Photos from Boston.com's The Big Picture)

The awesomest TED presentation ever

Blogger cuts the size of the presentation window screen (yeah why do you keep doing that?) so here's the link to the video.

Yesterday

Photo thanks to the corporate event photographer, Khalid. I am yet to develop the films from my fisheye from the camwhoring up the helipad (yes I still can't quit talking about that).

Creative at heart

One thing I learned about our Group CEO Dato’ Zamzamzairani Isa from the teh tarik session this morning that he was just old-fashioned at heart. He believes in building good relationship with whoever you work with, focus on your job and not climbing on top of other people’s heads on the way up, “because that is just not the right thing to do.” I love the way he simply said it, “not the right thing to do.” There is no need for reasoning, because clearly it is not the right thing to do.

Most of what he mentioned during the session made me relate back to the writings of the greatest adman in UK in my opinion – Dave Trott. When Dato’ Zam talked about building good relationship with competitors even if they are competitors, I thought of the time Trott talked about predatory thinking and pictures of two UPS trucks in in one FedEx truck flashed into my mind. Or locally speaking, more like how Malaysian Airlines is competing with Air Asia on the low cost flights throne taking Air Asia’s fiery red corporate colors and designs and incorporating them into their ads. When Dato’ Zam mentioned about adapting to change, the only change is constant, he says, I quickly thought of the rock logic & water logic.

When Dato’ Zam mentioned that after all these years he was doing a lot of stuffs in his tenure, he is still an engineer at heart, I totally can relate of how all these years I spent doing this and that (which I shall not mention) but in the end, I am still a Creative at heart – looking at every thing as a whole, conceptual, jack of all trades but master of none. Perhaps that's why I suck at spreadsheets.

But Dato’ Zam says, it’s OK. “I am not complaining, I am happy just being pragmatic. We need that.” (in the end it still goes back to Dave Trott’s ideas anyway).

I’ll talk about the helipad visit some other time, but I can assure you, it was fun fun fun! (Photo thanks to Khalid the corporate event photographer)

Breakfast

Last Friday while I was on leave from work, Delaila from corporate communications frantically called me to inform that I was among the selected to have a teh tarik session (it is merely a breakfast and 'getting to know' session) with the Group CEO today. Being a good (and a little despotic, I love you still Dee) friend she lectured me for a good 10 minutes not to miss this lifetime opportunity.

To be honest, I am more excited about visiting the helipad. 

Ahem. I'll let you know how it goes. (Photo from Objectified blog)

Paper love

My idea of happiness can seem very simple at times – sometimes it often involves cats, cupcakes, balloons, new books, cute shoes and many others. Another two came into picture recently – trampolines & paper cranes. But let’s talk about trampolines some other day; I’m still in the midst of persuading (more like threatening, I have his comics in my left hand and a lighter in the other) Azry to buy one for me so we can put it on the front lawn and compete with the cats who can jump the highest and get suspecting looks from the neighbours. 

Anyway, back to the subject of paper cranes.

Last year I participated in the Paper Crane project by lovely Liz who sent 1000 paper cranes all over the world. The recipients then would take photos of the paper cranes in their most creative way possible and mailed the printed photo back to Liz. The project became such a joyful phenomenon – everybody talked about it. Which proves that people can be elated about something so simple, yet so ingenious.

Photos (in particular order) from Snorkiesnork!, yospyn, Simple Lovely and kristen drozdowski.

I must learn to love the fool in me

"I must learn to love the fool in me--the one who feels too much, talks too much, takes too many chances, wins sometimes and loses often, lacks self-control, loves and hates, hurts and gets hurt, promises and breaks promises, laughs and cries. It alone protects me against that utterly self-controlled, masterful tyrant whom I also harbor and who would rob me of human aliveness, humility, and dignity but for my fool." -- Theodore I. Rubin, MD

What a beautiful quote, in which I stole from Joanna! (Photo credit goes to the rightful owner via FFFFOUND!)

The thing about cats 4

The thing about cats is how quiet, unassuming and how they often win our hearts in the end without even trying. As opposed to dogs who often go, "oh me me, pick me, PICK ME!" cats have this "Whatever." attitude that seems to add up the major conviction that they are plotting a vast world domination some day.

Like the time Timtam, my dad's 5-year-old cat (my dad has a fascination with the name Tim or Tom for cats, he has had Timmy, Timothy, Tammy, Tommy & Timtam. Lather rinse repeat.) showed us the true definition of a blissful life by deciding to simply lie around the house doing nothing and only responding to the call of meals. Life's all good for cats. I want to quit being a bunneh and start being a cat.

The Crisis of Credit Visualized

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

Depressing, but beautifully designed by Art Center student Jonathan Jarvis. (via Design Observer)

Madness factor five thousand

Please feel free to immerse yourself dreamily in Jason's sweat while he strums his guitar delightfully on stage, on behalf of moi. Because I can't go. I hate you all. Especially you and you. Now excuse me while I go crank up the loudspeakers to every Jason Mraz's song ever exists, while at the same time preparing some valid reasons should the neighbors called the cops on us.

Stop crying, of course I don't hate you ladies. That's almost impossible even in the parallel world. (Photo from Ronald Dean)

All you need is a giant light-orb

... to brighten your day!

Watch & learn

One thing about life is we are constantly evolving and it’s important to learn from just about anybody – not just from people older or much senior than we are, in just about any circumstance. Sometimes I find the wisdom in the most unlikely person ever – my 8-year-old nephew Afiq, who puts on his shorts under his school trousers so when he gets home he can just take the trousers off and goes off to play with those shorts without having to waste so much time changing them. Time efficiency, as we may call it.

I believe this is why I even read magazines and sites like Junior, as I stumbled yesterday via Stan’s blog (who happens to write weekly for the Monday Morning Whip column). If I were to (properly) be in the creative industry from day one, at my age I would probably be considered somewhat old, if not, experienced. But I weren’t, and still aspiring to be in the industry someday, which is why I find myself learning every second I’ve got from these creatives. 

Here's one quote obtained from the site that I really liked, something which I can quite relate to. It's from Droga5's Marcus Johnston: "Patience is something that you really have to learn when you start at the bottom. I did pretty well at college but when I got to London, I got absolutely nowhere. It’s a bit of a blow to how good you think you could be.”

Google employee no. 20

The NY Times Business Section has an interesting article on Google employee no. 20, Marrisa Mayer, Vice President of Search Product and User Experience. A defender of consistency in design, apparently she is the woman who controls the look and feel of Google.

Since joining Google, she has introduced more than 100 products and features, many of which have thrived: Google News, Gmail and Image Search, for example. Almost every new feature or design, from the wording on a Google page to the color of a Google toolbar, must pass muster with her or legions of Google users will never see it. (Link)

Someone who eludes this kind of confidence and composure makes me weak in the knees. I want her job, I want her personality, I want her charisma. (via Design + Writing)

WANT!

As the product might suggest, I am in the middle of a writers' block. Which brings me to this much pondered question: can a non-writer claim him/herself having a writers' block? If something, some circumstances prohibited me to act like myself, or made me difficult to act like myself (which is mostly zinging around coupled with incessant ramblings), does that mean I am having a Zana's block? 

Anyway.

Just received a shocking news today, but

Really, I am. Thanks guys. (Photo from Kitsune Noir)

I disapprove Monday

Harrumph. (via swissmiss)

Mission of the day

After much grueling hours of work, Saturday finally came and Azry and I decided with the recent payday this is not the weekends for us to stay accumulating our fats at home. I told him to pack his comics and I'd bring along my laptop and we took off to a mission; to boldly go where KL-ites have never failed to go: lounging around at the coffee shop for hours Facebook-ing with the free wifi when we have more than enough hours doing so at home. We narrowed down a few places and decided The Apartment at The Curve was the perfect place this time around.

After about 4 hours of ego boost & people judging session ('that girl must have dated that old guy because of the money', 'who the f wears that thing in this era?', 'she needs a serious case of diet', 'omg buttcrack' etc.) a couple of tweets, 25 blog comments, a wedgie Superpoke to my entire Facebook list, a glass of iced latte, iced chocolate, iced lemon tea, a cup of green tea, chicken in a bag (The Apartment's specialty), a set of salmon sandwiches, we concluded mission accomplished and headed home.

Strangely enough we have never felt more knackered than before. It's strenous, this free wifi package affair.