For Tutu

I had Yoda my cat to type in (she was mostly stepping randomly on the keyboards before deciding to sleep on the laptop) some well wishes for Shaza’s Tutu, who was down in the cat hospital after a near-death squabble with (gasp!) a python:

“Dear Tutu, you had no idea how I felt when I heard from Zana about your misfortune; amidst her seaweed snack munching & incoherent grumbling of how my little sister managed to poo on the couch again. For the record, I think you are awesome for being able to kick that huge snake’s ass (I forgot what it’s called, Zana said it’s a ‘pantheon’, is that right?) although I’m not sure which part of its elongated body is its ass, whilst me and my sister and my mother here sometimes get freaked out by some birds stealing our kibbles. They can be pretty mean sometimes, they bit my little sister on the head once and she couldn’t make out between a sausage and our uncle’s tail for two days.

Anyway, I am rambling. You know where I get that from (points paws to Zana) as sprint talking seems to run in our blood. I hope you would get well soon because you sound like an interesting dude to get to know closer, you know, you and me, Tutu & Yoda, T&Y, like forever, you know…

Oh look squirrelsverqbv (scurries off accidentally typing randomly)”

There you have it, Shaza. Yoda might not be the girly girl all the boy cats are after, but she does have a big heart, and a driving enthusiasm to hunt after cockroaches, which is good for me. Anyway, get well soon, Tutu!

"A man must constantly exceed his own level"

Here's a little Wednesday lift-up brought to you by Campsite blog as told by Stirling Silliphant, a good friend of Bruce Lee's:

“Bruce had me up to three miles a day, really at a good pace. We’d run the three miles in twenty-one or twenty-two minutes. Just under eight minutes a mile [Note: when running on his own in 1968, Lee would get his time down to six-and-a half minutes per mile]. So this morning he said to me “We’re going to go five.” I said, “Bruce, I can’t go five. I’m a helluva lot older than you are, and I can’t do five.” He said, “When we get to three, we’ll shift gears and it’s only two more and you’ll do it.” I said “Okay, hell, I’ll go for it.” So we get to three, we go into the fourth mile and I’m okay for three or four minutes, and then I really begin to give out. I’m tired, my heart’s pounding, I can’t go any more and so I say to him, “Bruce if I run any more,” —and we’re still running-“if I run any more I’m liable to have a heart attack and die.” He said, “Then die.” It made me so mad that I went the full five miles. Afterward I went to the shower and then I wanted to talk to him about it. I said, you know, “Why did you say that?” He said, “Because you might as well be dead. Seriously, if you always put limits on what you can do, physical or anything else, it’ll spread over into the rest of your life. It’ll spread into your work, into your morality, into your entire being. There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you. A man must constantly exceed his level.”

Perhaps Azry shares Bruce's sentiments since he always pushes himself to the limits till his body can no longer take it and then he falls sick and has all the excuse to act so babyish. Meh.

Vintage sexy

I almost got sucked into this photo of Scarlett Johansenn & Liev Schreiber in a Broadway revival of Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge thanks to twittering @fridaysdust: the balance of both dominance and submission, how Scarlett actually possessed that kind of fragile yet an unfettered characteristic in her 1950’s outfit all the while the same goes to Liev, who looks more boyish than manly despite his spiky, 2-day newly shaved look, or so I presume. Also, it reminds me of this series of photography from GQ featuring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Claudia Schiffer.

On a separate note, Microsoft Word just corrected the word ‘teleworking’ in my write-up to ‘teleporting’. Yay, that actually sounds more fun! Now who says Microsoft doesn’t have sense of humor?

Monday

I owe, I owe, so off to work I go, pararam pum pum... (via Hamiltonhughes blog)

Now this is the movie that we can closely relate to

Bobby revealed in his blog, Kitsune Noir, about the upcoming movie inspired by Facebook called The Social Network. The film is directed by Fight Club director David Fincher and is based upon the book The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding Of Facebook, A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal which profiles the rise of Mark Zuckerberg and his Facebook empire. The movie will star Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg & Justin Timberlake (?) as Sean Parker. Haven't heard the exact date when it'll be out, so if you do, just holler.

Sunday

Sometimes I think I am so used to live on the edge of my seat, I feel a little guilty for taking the time. Literally so, I do sit on the edge of my seat every so often, always ready to flee off it and run flailing my arms around. I also notice I need to learn to speak slower, in terms of speed - I tend to confuse people and stress them off at the same time. So on this beautiful Sunday, I made a pledge to myself - when people are pushing the speed to the max, I vow to slow down a little; and live life. Yup. Don't you just love what Sundays can do to you?

Both photo & quote taken gloriously from yet another newly found source of inspiration, Hamilton Hughes Design blog. Because you gotta credit where you found the stuffs in your blog, that's why.

(P/s: I feel the need to ask politely for those who have been taking photos and pictures gloriously from my blog or any other blogs at all, to at least credit via. I just went through a blog with pictures where the owner coincidentally (don't think so) posting the same stuffs I did in sequence without a single credit to me or even to the original poster, as if she/he had created the stuffs by her/himself. I'm not going to name names. Feel free to re-share but please credit, I'd think that a line or two is not too much to ask, hmm?)

Sometimes doing nothing helps you get good ideas

things to learn from Matt Edgar on Vimeo.

Check out this sweet illustration-based video by designer/illustrator Christian Borstlap. At 01:35 it said, "sometimes doing nothing helps you get good ideas." I have a confession: this post was scheduled and I am in the midst of doing nothing and I will get back to you with all the groundbreaking ideas this Monday. ALL OF THEM! Random info: This video is a Yellow Pencil 2010 D&AD Winner! (via Hamiltonhughes blog)

I need your help

I haven't got the chance to get to know you, I know, my bad - but if you ever read this, could you please be a darling and send some prayers over to my good friend Zunaira's sister Jenn who was involved in an accident over in Medan, Indonesia. Please pretty please. (photo via Le Love)

Success is a matter of perception

Alex Noriega is a very wise man. He has learned a lot of stuffs and he's willing to share them with us in a form of adorable animal cartoons. Some of the life lessons he portrayed just hit the mark for me, like the one above. Thanks Leila for the link!

Droolage!

If you ever decide to get me this box set of 25 films by Akira Kurosawa (Rashomon, Seven Samurai) I promise I will love you till eternity and forever and ever and ever! (via Hamiltonhughes blog)

Taking mobility to the next level

If you must know, yours truly is embarking on a full-time working from home starting August and I must say I am definitely looking forward to this experience. FYI I have been pretty much mobile all the time – my current office has this (sort of crazy) policy of having everybody to be accessible all the time for work, just like doctors on call – even we would habitually reply work emails & answer office calls over leave days & weekends. Sounds familiar, Azah?

For the purpose of my mobile working soon, I have set up a list of cute cafés around Klang Valley where I can have my lunch or coffee whilst taking the time to do my work there. I thought the idea was neat since I have wanted to spend some time visiting these cafés but I could never find the time to, so perhaps by then that might be the perfect time.

Little did I know that Brian Chesky, co-founder of Airbnb has taken mobile working to a more extreme level. He decided that he will live the remainder of 2010 on Airbnb. He will stay 2-3 nights in homes and apartments on his website, across San Francisco. Originally he wanted to stay in every place available in SF on Airbnb. But, with 650 listings, that would take him a couple years. Still, by Christmas, he will likely break a record for living in the most homes in a single city. The benefit is clear; the best way to make a great product is to design something for yourself. By using Airbnb everyday, he will get to know the product and the people like never before.

So, he is either a homeless entrepreneur, or a guy with 650 homes in San Francisco. Depends on your perspective. Take time to read the comments too, someone apparently invited him to spend a few nights at their boat! So exciting. (via swissmiss)

Anyway, would you like to see my list of cute cafés around Klang Valley? You can drop me your own suggestions in the comment line if you want!

I AM YOUR FARTER!

Well, yes I know the official Father's Day was on Sunday, but come on, how could you resist this illustration? More here (and maybe you'd like to follow @darthvader too).

The art of analog computing

Phew, Monday is here before we knew it. Just like many of you exasperated minions who had to wake up early and face one of the battlefields that is Damansara-Puchong highway, I dread Monday the most and look forward to Saturday. Also, have you ever thought how we now are too dependent on the social media for interaction and information in the midst of the digital lifestyle whatsoever they call it these days? I don't even read the newspapers now! I find it scary, yet I couldn't find a way to escape it. If Azry and I are out somewhere, I'd be frustrated if I'm bored and I could not detect any wifi connection anywhere nearby using my iPod touch. See how's that got into me? Sheesh.

Anyway, the folks at Meltmedia had kindly created a sweet little video "to represent the digital tools and interfaces we use daily in an analog way. In the analog office, your computer desktop becomes your actual desk, your inbox gets flooded with Spam cans, the server runs past you multiple times a day (and perhaps crashes every now and then), and Twitter users follow each other around the space. This concept is essentially just for fun but also reminds us just how digitally connected we all are."

The Art of Analog Computing from meltmedia on Vimeo.

Head over to meltmedia.com/ignite for photos and more information on the video. Awesome!

'Em macarons

We had French macarons at Whisk espresso bar, Empire Subang the other day, and I must say I have fallen in love with the sweet French confectionery. What's funnier is when I consulted Delinn the other night if our spatula-whipping, English hat-donning-while-gardening friend Azah knows how to make 'em macarons, Delinn said "The macarons are too pretty, Zana, I don't think Azah knows how to make them." I immediately said, "Let me convey this to Azah the next day and we'll see if she'll combust into flames." And I just burst into laughter.

I love you girls, you know that? (Second photo via weheartit)

(Update: Yes I did tell Azah about my conversation with Delinn & she said, "She said WHAT? I will roll up my pretty flowery silk sleeves and try to make 'em macarons the moment I reach home from work today! You'll see!")

Fathers (one of which we're hoping to be one soon)

I am really in love with this photo. My father is not someone you can instantly make friends with, so when he asks you to help find his grey hair, then you can be rest assured that you are one of the chosen (or unlucky) ones. Happy Fathers' Day, awesome dads around the world!

Weekends

When I think about it, Sunday is the only day where I get to spend the whole day with this guy of mine. Sigh.

Cookie splash!

What's better than coffee, cookies and a little splash on a Friday morning? This week flies by so fast, I am as happy as a clam! (via The Whistling Duck)

Something to be grateful about

Thanks for the gentle reminder, twittering @suparabbit (us bunny families are awesome innit?)

Make time to dance along with a hand waving free

I’m not good at consoling people, you see. So when I notice friends are in their hardest times and feeling down I do unconventional things people don’t often do – I encouraged them (sometimes in a way a little too harsh to comprehend) to get up & find the solutions. Or get involved in things they love doing. Or occupy themselves with loads of work – which I don’t really recommend even though it does distract you but in the end you’d feel more miserable.

When everything else fails, I looked up quotes hoping that will cheer them up. Here’s something oldie but goldie, something I have blogged before. Something Claire Colburn (Kirsten Dunst) in Elizabethtown says, “Sadness is easier because it’s surrender. I say make time to dance alone with a hand waving free.”

I know it’s easier for me to say this and also it’s easier to sit in the corner and wallow in your sadness, but if you could, please get up and move on? If you could, that is. For me. Please?

And here are some virtual cupcakes too. The next time we meet, I'm gonna buy you real cupcakes. Deal?

Kitsch can make you ritsch but art can break your heart

Sometimes Tina's product recommendations drive me wild I couldn't sleep at nights. Like this colorful set of alphabet stools - you know how much I am a sucker for pretty typographic products. The best things are they go by the label artcanbreakyourheart.de, has a funny slogan "Kitsch can make you ritsch but art can break your heart" and they come in 147 colors! One freaking hundred forty seven!

A note from Comic Sans to all of us typographic bullies

Apparently, Comic Sans the font has already had enough of us mocking him and deploring his very existence and here's a note he wrote (probably in his own blood in his own body - body, that means in Comic Sans geddit? He he why aren't you laughing OK let's move on) to all of us:

When people need to kick back, have fun, and party, I will be there, unlike your pathetic fonts. While Gotham is at the science fair, I'm banging the prom queen behind the woodshop. While Avenir is practicing the clarinet, I'm shredding Reign In Blood on my double-necked Stratocaster. While Univers is refilling his allergy prescriptions, I'm racing my tricked-out, nitrous-laden Honda Civic against Tokyo gangsters who'll kill me if I don't cross the finish line first. I am a sans serif Superman and my only kryptonite is pretentious buzzkills like you.

I'm sorry, I will never look at you the same way again, Mr Sans. (via Frank Chimero & photo from BustedTees)

Ideas are open knowledge

Spent the day translating junks from English to Bahasa Malaysia today. I stopped everybody dead in their tracks to become my involuntary walking thesaurus and later had a good time laughing with my coworkers over how silly some of the phrases sounded. Judging from the posts today, you can see I have a bit of extra free time so here's an inspiring quote from Paul Arden's book, It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be, again, thanks to Markus whose inspiring blog I just stumbled into. This is a good day!

The genius of design

I am so excited having to find new things every day. That's just how I am. Today my heart leapt for joy when I found out that Vimeo just published the first two episodes of the BBC documentary called "The Genius of Design" about the history of design.

BBC Shop writes:

“This five-part series, made by the team behind the award-winning series The Genius of Photography, tells the story of design from the Industrial Revolution through 20s modernism, the swinging 60s, the designer 80s and up to the present day. Features interviews with star designers like Philippe Starck and creatives from Apple and Ford; as well as design fans like Stephen Fry.”

The videos are going to the list of things to watch during weekends. Thanks Markus!

Gastronomical orgasm

You know what they say about good food. One that sees you waiting anxiously at the end of the dinner table swinging your legs from side to side, one that gets you utterly impatient about sinking your teeth in them, one that lingers in your mouth for what seems like eternity and makes you think of all the good stuffs in the world, one that gets you a little mad for how fast time flies while you are savoring the taste only heaven could offer and of course, one that leaves you yearning for more. Now tell me what do they say about good and pretty food?

Word of caution though: Stay away from this blog during the month of Ramadan, or you will regret it. (via Kitsune Noir)

Posting one of these pillows to Jonah Lehrer

Yes, Suet, I may not be able to get my grubby paws of Jonah Lehrer, but I hope I'd be able to get two of this, send one to him and coordinate my sleep time accordingly (because obviously due to global constraint his sleep time & mine would be different) and preparing answers to my husband, "Honey, why is one of your pillows emit lights along with some weird pulsating sounds?" HAH!

Pillow Talk is a project aiming to connect long distance lovers. Each person has a pillow for their bed and a chest sensor which they wear to sleep at night. The chest sensor wirelessly communicates with the other person’s pillow; when one person goes to bed, their lover’s pillow begins to glow softly to indicate their presence. Placing your head on the pillow allows you to hear the real-time heartbeat of your loved one. The result is an intimate interaction between two lovers, regardless of the distance between them.

Jonah, you and me, our hearts aflutter. (Obviously this is an attempt to piss Suet off)

The trick never fails to get me every single time

Also, did you hear what Jonah Lehrer (author of Proust Was A Neuroscientist) says about a dangerous activity that's bad for your brain? (via Bobulate): "[T]he activity I’m referring to is walking down a city street. When people walk down the street, they are forced to exert cognitive control and top-down attention, and all that mental effort takes a temporary toll on their brain. Just consider everything your brain has to keep track of as you walk down a busy thoroughfare. There are the crowded sidewalks full of distracted pedestrians who have to be avoided; the hazardous crosswalks that require the brain to monitor the flow of traffic. (The brain is a wary machine, always looking out for potential threats.) There’s the confusing urban grid, which forces people to think continually about where they’re going and how to get there."

That's it. I am staying off the streets, and Tesco! :D (P/s: How old is Jonah Lehrer? Young influencing writers make me wet in the bikini area, if you must know.)

The end of the world as we know it

I got what I wished for today - to lie in bed all day doing nothing at all. Never had any idea how good that made me feel. Anyway, here is an interesting yet somewhat scary article of how advancement of gadgets and technology can affect how our brain works while the first poster is via Creative Review.

"Researchers say there is an evolutionary rationale for the pressure this barrage puts on the brain. The lower-brain functions alert humans to danger, like a nearby lion, overriding goals like building a hut. In the modern world, the chime of incoming e-mail can override the goal of writing a business plan or playing catch with the children."

Reminded me of the time we were in the midst of producing this video for our project, I blurted out & said, "I would never want to have a life like that."

A little murder in our heart

Steve Dublanica, in his book Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip - Confessions of a Cynical Waiter, quoted: "Everyone, no matter what kind of job he or she has, fantasizes about freaking out at work. How many corporate drones, stuck in a boring staff meeting, have had the sudden urge to jump on top of the conference table and start screaming obscenities? Strip off their clothes? Kiss the woman or man next to them? We all have. How many employees joke about shooting the boss or blowing the place up? I’m not suggesting we do any of these things, mind you, but let’s not kid ourselves; we all have a little murder in our heart." (via Fahmi)

The photo of the rail-tracks via gatekeeper is in reference to our conversation about the rail-tracks we frequented during our school days as a shorter alternative route to our high school. Strangely enough, although Fahmi and I went to the same school (he was my senior) I had never known him, until recently, through Twitter. Ain't Internet grand?

Understated elegance

When I spoke about dressing up during the weekends, I had an idea of wearing a long maxi dress combined with a jacket on top, complete with a pair of flats or flip-flops. I’ve always liked high heels and wedges, but I hated wearing them (although I’ve tried dancing in them once and I could pull it off quite well) so I am more of your flat shoes kind of girl. Every time I think of that look I am always reminded of this simple bridal gown worn by Erica of Thoughtful Day. She had a very low-key, relaxed wedding party, yet everyone had a lot of fun. If we were not married yet and my Mum chose not to hog every single detail of the wedding planning (but I love you still, Mama) I’d have a humble wedding party like this.

It's just a matter of connecting things

(via Kitsune Noir)

My life is now complete

… ever since I discovered from Lainey that somebody had came up with Smelly Cat stuffed toy. Now I want an action figure of Joey with a button on it & when pressed we could hear, “Hello, how ya doin’?” and another one of Chandler with a moldable face because he could come up with so many funny expressions in every episode. The rest is not so much worth mentioning – and also because sometimes I can be as clueless & flaky as Phoebe Buffay.

Early weekend post

The girl in the photo from Le Love could be me on a Saturday morning, except perhaps with more or less clothes and an adorable snoring man by my side. Every weekend we would have trouble waking up early although I, for one, love morning walk. The bed is the problem, you see. It is too freaking comfortable. Somehow we just lie around and tell ourselves it is OK not to do anything because we work so hard and we deserve this. Although I full well know that later in the afternoon I would feel guilty letting such a beautiful morning past by.

I’d like to dress up this weekend – I already had in mind of what I’m going to be wearing – but we had planned to go to so many places - Bijou Bazaar, seeing a friend about work (you know who you are), KL Alternative Book Fest, OriginalCopy as well as visiting a friend at his newly set-up business. I am going to be sweating like crazy, which would totally defeat the whole purpose of dressing up because I am just going to be seen wiping my forehead & powdering my nose all along.

Oh well.

Oh lookit here is a rant exceeding 140 characters

When people talk on cell phones, do the aliens come and snatch their sanity or something for a split second? Because I swear this is the third person coming out of the meeting room, talking on the cell phone like nobody’s business, and standing right behind me staring right at my computer screen. When they are done they would walk right into the meeting room & had no idea what an absolutely annoying prick they have become.

A sister I never had

She secretly reads here once in a while. I knew because she confessed over our sushi lunch this afternoon, among other conversations about her journey completing her Masters over at West London, her ordeal in finishing her research in establishing a personal branding for her studies, how Heathrow Airport was completely deserted during the Eyjafjallajökul eruptions (she knew this because her house she shared with 7 other students in London was just right in front of the airport), her joy of discovering car boot sales & how she misses working life not because of the work or the salary per say, but because of the friends (read: us) who make everything so much nicer, according to her.

What she didn’t know is, I’ve always regarded her as a sister I never had. She’d bully me, called me names ("Zanabananawama!"), told me the truth about my quirky fashion sense ("You'd be great on the cover of Clashing Patterns Digest") while at the same time protected me from all the other office bullies, and in the end said kind words that would make me feel good about myself, like “Don’t talk to me in all those big words Zana, I don’t even know what they mean!” or “Why are you only eating cookies? Did that bitch call you fat again? Let me talk some sense into her!” Sounds like a sister to me, eh?

Now she knows because well, she reads here once in a while, don’t you Kak Maya? ;)

My first gasp of the morning

... was when I first opened my Safari & was welcome with the look of this hunky fellow. I believe I've wet my knickers! Here's a review of what's new in Apple iPhone 4.

Dream big

(Illustration by Jason Sweeney, who is funny as hell with a cute & funnier wife to boot!)

The only remedy out there

I felt weird the moment I woke up the other day. My neck had strangely elongated, I lose my ears & my nose but not my nostrils, I turned blue but nothing as sexy as the Navi' chick you saw in that James Cameron movie, and I felt the strong urge to put on a matching blue sweater.

When I went to the hospital, the doctor suggested a high-end suite in an asylum for yours truly, but I quickly waived the offer saying I wanted to go home and see my friends. Maybe the love from my friends could cure my illness, I said. And today, I am myself again, with my ears and my tanned skin and my corkscrew curls and my flat nose. Cynics may argue all they want with me, but love is really the only remedy for every problem out there. (Illustration via weheartit)

(P/s: The truth is I was down with food poisoning & acute gastroenteritis whatever it is the other day, and was admitted to the hospital for a day. But I didn't lie about one thing - love is really the only cure for everything. Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite, or I will bite them back for you!)

(P/s/s: I now have a new name, given by lovely Wani because according to her the pictures in my blog has this strange Zooey Deschanel effect so I am now Zanoe Fauzi. I like!)