mini midnight escapades

The love for reading actually runs in the family. It was a quarter before midnight when my brother and I suddenly decided to grab some coffee, both of us wanted a quiet atmosphere to read. Immediately, we headed to the nearest 24/7 Starbucks and ordered some latte as spent the wee hours fully engrossed in our books. We finally decided to go back home when my brother couldn't hold his bladder any longer. At 1:45 am, the time where most have already gone to bed, my brother and I slowly made our way back home. It was then I realized a few things: 1. my brother and I have such a queer relationship and it's special in it's own way. I mean, who else would just go to a cafe and read books without talking to each other? 2. Singapore is so safe that we can actually walk home without being scared of what might happen. It's a beautiful peaceful country, indeed.

True Friendship

Tadaaa!! Meet my girl best friends! Pam, She, Ira, and Ju. Together, we call ourselves the "eating club" because we go out to eat...but that's another story to tell. I grew up with these girls and I am beyond thankful that I have them around me through my ups and downs and lazy afternoons. I've shed liters of happy tears with them and gosh, I can't wait for December so I can hang out with them already. Even though I'm far away from them *tears* #clingycessy, I've never doubted our friendship. You know those friends that will just go away and grow distant just because you guys stopped communicating and seeing each other? yeah, I've had my fair share of those and it's heartbreaking. However, those are the times that will show who will actually stand by you through it all,yes? That's what I call true friendship, and not those friendships by mere coincidence.

I read this article in Thought Catalog on 25 Signs Someone is a Real, True Friend and I would like to share it here because these points actually hit the spot :) I emphasized the favorites of my best friends & I! happy reading!

1. They don’t make you feel like a horrible person for passing on invitations because you have to do things important to your education, career or the betterment of yourself in general. Sketchy is the friend who legitimately bashes you for choosing work over play.

2. You feel comfortable enough at their place to raid the refrigerator or go number two in their bathroom – probably in that order.

3. You’ve discussed and agreed that hypothetically, if one of you were to get bit by a zombie, you’d hold off on killing each other until you actually began turning into a member of the walking dead. (Also, if they aren’t 100% certain you’re dead, they’ll hold off on hooking up with your spouse.)

4. They’ve answered a call you made between the hours of 2-6am groggy and disoriented, but prepared to listen to or meet you for help with your emergency. And it better have been a damn disaster if you barged in on their REM cycle with phone-on-nightstand vibrations and Marimba on full blast.

5. Much like with family members, you can go extended stretches of weeks or months without talking and hanging out consistently, yet there’s no doubts about your relationship. Schedules get busy, circumstances arise, but your friendship remains fully intact.

6. They’ve helped you move. (If they help you move during the summer, they’re the realest friend, and you better buy them some type of friendship ring or at least the 2 for $20 at Chili’s.)

7. If you throw a huge party that results in your place being trashed, look around at cleanup time. Anyone so much as stacking red SOLO cups or pouring out half-drunken beers is worthy of considering a friend.

8. Any little favors they’ve done for you in the past aren’t kept on track of, and vice versa.

9. All of your posts on social networks are guaranteed a comment, like, favorite, or SOME TYPE OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT from your friend. It may sound stupid, but in this day and age, you can’t leave a pal’s post response-less – not even the 47th picture of their nephew or their 4th selfie of the day.

10. If someone slings their name through the mud, you take offense, interrupt and kill any bashing immediately – and they’ll do the exact same for you.

11. They are sincerely happy to see you have any type of success. Not the lying-through-my-teeth fake smile and bogus “Screw you, why not me?Ohhhh, well good for you!” – but legitimate excitement and congratulations.

12. If you’re being an a-hole, they’ll make you aware of it to your face.

13. You don’t constantly find yourself scolding them for putting unflattering photos of you online, because they know better than to post an eyes closed, unprepared, bad candid snapshot of you.

14. When a friend knows painful information (e.g. your crush hates the way your face looks), they’ll tell you. Maybe slightly modified to soften the blow, but they won’t leave you in the dark with false hopes, or headed down a disastrous path.

15. Your interaction naturally begins and ends with casual insults the majority of the time.

16. Even when involved in relationships, they don’t fall off the grid or blow your friendship off entirely. Yes, new love commands a lot of attention but don’t pull an Andy from Toy Story and just straight up neglect your clique.

17. When you stop to tie your shoe, they actually wait for you to finish as opposed to leaving you in the dust. Or they keep walking and openly vocalize and laugh at the fact that you’re being left behind.

18. They’ve taken the dreadful, guaranteed to cause massive drama step of informing you that you’re being cheated on.

19. Rarely do you discover anything about what’s going on with them on social networks. You don’t need Facebook to tell you it’s their birthday, or Instagram to see who they were with and where they went last night.

20. They don’t let you do anything stupid – at least not by yourself. If you wind up hammered, singing the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song solo on karaoke night, reevaluate the friendships of everyone you were with that night. Someone should’ve intervened or started to sing.

21. You’ve borrowed each other’s stuff that normal acquaintances probably wouldn’t share. Cars, spare rooms, expensive electronics, etc.

22. They’ve dropped you off at or picked you up from the airport. This is especially meaningful if you have something like a 5am flight.

23. You’ve changed the music playing on their radio or iPod and lived to tell about it.

24. During the lowest of lows, they don’t give up on you even if you’ve given up on yourself.

25. There are silences, but they don’t feel the least bit uncomfortable or awkward. If you can sit down and shut up with a person, never feeling obligated to fill that hushed void, you’ve got a special connection.

Reading these points one by one made me go down the memory lane with my friends and I can't help but to feel blessed by having these weirdos around me. Who's your best friend and have you given him/her some lovin muffin today? :)

Meet Dr. Suess

Quotable quotes from Dr. Seuss' books that we may have read somewhere:
"Why fit in when you are born to stand out?"

"We are all a little weird and life a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love."
(this one's my favorite!)

"To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world."

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind"

"You're off to great places, today is your day. Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way."

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened"

Hello there! Quite a colorful post, isn't it? Today I would like to pay tribute to the man who is behind the stories we've grown up with, Dr. Seuss. His words, like the words above, have been used to remind people of self-love & positivity. Unfortunately, I haven't read any of Dr. Seuss' books, but I am well aware of his illustrations! Oh! I did grow up watching the film adaptations of his books! I adoooored The Grinch, starring Jim Carrey. I remember watching that film with my younger brother over and over again! and who would forget The Cat in the Hat? and the adorable animated films, The Lorax and Horton Hears a Who!

Ever since watching those films and being able to see Dr. Seuss' works, I can't help but to notice his style of illustration. The use of bright solid colors was perfect for a children's book, but what caught my eye was his imaginative creation of character designs. One look at it and you certainly know that it was Dr. Seuss'. They all have a hint a quirkiness and that's where the magic came from.

Dr. Seuss' real name is Theodor Seuss Geisel and he was a famous American writer and cartoonist best known for (duh) his classic children's books. He first became famous for his advertisements and he also turned to political cartooning. He spent his life illustrating and what I admire about him is that he put his talent into good use. During World War II, he made posters and films to direct support to the U.S. army, In 1954, Dr. Seuss completed The Cat in the Hat and used only 236 words.  He made use of simplified vocabulary so that it could be easily read by beginning readers.

Dr. Seuss' works continue on to be a children's classic and his stories never fail to touch the hearts of both young and old. He's such an inspiration because just through his illustrations, he was able to bring forth a whole new world of magic to the people :)

The Currently #2

Reading my planner's to-do list. I'm half way through my tutorial week and I still have LOADS to do!

Listening to A Rocket to the Moon's playlist. Love love love this band ever since it was introduced to me.

Wearing my denim shorts, loose white lace top, and silver slippers. A very comfortable outfit during this sunny day.

Thinking about what I should eat for lunch...tummy's grumbling 

Hoping that the Zamboanga situation in the Philippines would be resolved. People are endangered and it's scary. Let's keep on praying, people :(

Loving vintage shops and cafes with nice interiors. I dropped by one in Bras Basah Complex and sadly, I wasn't allowed to take any pictures. Anyway, I've been listing down hidden pretty places in Singapore and I plan to check them out.

Needing a new backpack. My bag's straps are worn out and I wouldn't be surprised if they break anytime soon. I probably would go to Bugis later and buy myself a new one.

Wanting a retail therapy & long skype sessions.

What's up, Ketchup?

Hello there! How are you? things have been pretty busy for me lately, projects are piling up but thank God for our term break next week! From September 6-15, I would be able to have time to catch up with my projects and re-touch them if I have to. Some of my friends would be going back to their hometown/ countries, and I'm quite envious of them, really. Especially knowing that my best friend will be turning 18 this saturday and I wouldn't be able to attend her celebration. It'll be the first time in our 6 years of friendship that I wouldn't be there with her to celebrate. On the bright side, I will have 10 days to relax and visit the places around Singapore that I haven't been able to see yet!

Here's a jist of what I've been up to lately!
A Sketch A Day venture:
I've posted a short blogpost about this and fortunately, I've been quite consistent so far! Instead of wasting my blank hours doing nothing, I've tried sketching and doodling to discover what my style is and so far so good, hopefully I'll keep this up! Also, I'm planning to make more sketches to put it into my portfolio so that I wouldn't have a hard time when I have to apply for internships next year :)

Interior Madness:
One of the things that really take a HUUUGE chunk of my time is the interior designs of pretty houses. Lately I've been browsing through blogs looking at beautiful houses with nice kitchens and living rooms with the most adorable decorations. I guess I'm being too excited for the future, yeah? I really want to have my own house and decorate it myself! Not to mention trips to IKEA!!!! hehe, someday, Princess, someday.

Yummy Yam:
One of Singapore's signature street food is the ice cream stalls along the streets. Ah pe/ old uncles sell ice cream with the yummiest flavors! From the usual chocolate, mango, to corn, peppermint, blueberry...the flavors goes on and on, not to mention the 1 SGD price is pretty cheap too. You can also choose to eat the ice cream on cup, on wafer, in cone, or on bread. I got to try the famous Yam flavored ice cream and well, it tasted like yam. hehehe. It was sweet and cool, perfect for the sunny weather here :)

Thrift shop finds:
Deconstruction and Reconstruction is our latest lesson in our 3D Fundamentals class. In this project, we are to take some item, preferably an electronics gadget, and break it down to its individual parts then use thdestroye parts to reconstruct it into something else. In search for items that we could destroy deconstruct, my classmates brought me to a street near Raffles place, a 15-20 minute walk from NAFA. This street was full of street vendors selling hand me downs and useless electronics. From broken cameras, to motherboards, to empty Wi-Fi modem and DVD players. I didn't even know that such place exists and there are people who buy such things. A new adventure everyday,yeah? anyway, it was an odd place and the lady that we bought junk from happily told us to go back next week!

Another thrift shop I've discovered was New2U inside Singapore's Council of Women's Organization. All proceeds go to the funds of the said organization and one book caught my eye! It was only worth 1 SGD and it looked brand new. I bought it because I fell in love with its illustrated book cover and you know, I love pretty book covers.

Tea & Books

Yes, the picture says it all! I cannot emphasize enough how I love love loove rainy days, books, and tea ( or tea latte, that sounds really good too ). Put them all together and you'll have a one suuuper relaxed Princess here! Leave me alone with a hot cup of something and a book, and I can survive all day without talking to anyone. I can literally stay in one corner and enjoy my alone time. Introvert cessy mode!!

I took this picture this morning in Starbucks. Usually on Wednesdays, I would wake up around lunch time since my class starts at 2 (hehehe sorry I'm such a lazy butt). However, today, I woke up at the right side of the bed and planned to go for a morning walk & breakfast! As you can see, that's my chai tea latte, mushroom & mozerella sandwich, and...tehnically 2 books. My planner and my sketchbook. I spent my whole morning in Starbucks not reading this time, but scribbling down notes on my planner and sketching. I was enjoying too much that I didn't even notice that 3 hours had already passed. I just want to share how refreshed I feel after my few hours of...you can say, solitary? It felt good to just draw and relax, and not think about projects or homesickness or future plans. I plan to do this more often because I think it is healthy for my soul.

Disney Baby

I'm 100% sure that you know this picture. Yes, I am!! If not, then you're probably a person without any childhood an alien! How can anyone NOT recognize the orchestra sounds, the castle, the fairy dust, the ever famous "Walt Disney Pictures", and the giddy feeling in your toes whenever we're about to watch another epic movie from Disney. I'm a Disney baby and I'm proud of it! I grew up watching Micky Mouse and his adventures with Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Daisy, and yes, the lovable Pluto. I would dress myself up to be like the Disney Princesses I've grown to love, I can even memorize Under the Sea, I Won't Say I'm In Love, and other Disney soundtracks by heart! Who doesn't love Disney?? 

Walt Disney Animation Studios was founded on October 1923 and since then, it has produced 52 feature films up to date! Beginning with Snow White and the Seven Dwarves showed in 1937, the studio has been successful in producing films that have captured hearts of both young and old. Currently, Walt Disney Animation Studios is producing Frozen, their 53rd feature and the studio has been incorporating both hand-drawn and computer generated imagery techniques. However, I would like to focus more on the hand-drawn part of animation. If I haven't been able t emphasize it enough, Disney has been more than just part of my childhood. It brought itself to a very special place in my heart and it was a BIG part of my decision in pursuing arts. I am simply in awe on how much a little idea, a little scribble of sketch, can turn into. A simple drawing of a character, with enough magic, can be real, can be alive. I told myself that I want to be part of something so great and magical. With my passion in drawing, I want to be help create something that one day will affect someone's life. Just a smile from a child, or a memory brought back to the old ones. One simple magical feeling brought by a character from a story. Amazing, isn't it?

 Look at the picture above! Just a simple sketch of Ariel and the actual scene the sketch has been turned into. Gosh, I am so excited to learn as much as I can to be able to do that already!! Here are some pictures behind the scenes of the makings of the films. Actual actors were used to portray some scenes in some of the stories, so that the animators would be able to imagine the characters in details.

To be able to work for Disney is one of the top of my list in my bucket list and I don't know how I'll get there, but hey, we can all dream, can't we? Thinking about working for Disney and to be part of these processes makes me giddy already! However, the point of the matter is, I want everyone to know how animation and illustration can leave so much impact in someone's life. I mean, can you really imagine your childhood WITHOUT those Disney movies? Life would be so sad..hehe. The little things do matter, don't you agree? and hopefully, in the future, I'll not only be able to do what I love, but to inspire and be part of someone's life because of what I do too :)