It has been said that change is necessary for growth. I think that dreams can change as people’s mindsets shift and alter with time. I think that lately, I’ve been learning more about my preferences and have been thinking more about where I want to go in life. 

The same is true for my design practice. Although there hasn’t been a lot of new additions to this space in a long time, I think that I’ll be taking the opportunity to see what else I can come up with as a designer. Stay tuned.

For now, enjoy the offering of cake. The photograph is courtesy of one of my closest friends, Christine. 

Okay… so I’ve become one of those people. I’ve joined the cult of the cool kids. 

Hello friends. Over the past few weeks, I’ve become the owner of a new iPad. It was half-a birthday present; half-a reward. It’s become my constant companion, particularly in the video-viewing and the reading departments.

I’ve also taken to using the Paper App by 53. I really love the fact that it’s like having a mobile Moleskine notebook and the trimmings without the hassle and mess that is often associated with many art materials (much as I love them).

My initial attempts at finger-painting merely reinforced my desire to find the perfect stylus. But, while waiting, I’ve decided to see whether I can be successful at capturing what my eye can see. 

Self-portraiture has been something that I’ve been interested in. I’ve always relied on cameras to capture emotion and those goofy expressions. I’ve taken it to another level. I’m more comfortable with using monochrome. It’s a challenge to rely on just black and white, with line being the primary method of expression. 

The second image is just a small present to someone I know. I’m not sure whether this person is an active reader of blogs like mine, but I’d like to put this out there. I’m becoming better at drawing hands, I think… I will probably fix this illustration, because there’s a number of flaws that I can detect. I’m a lot more comfortable with illustrating girls’ faces. Less angular. 

Until next time. 

I don’t often do this, but I believe that this guy deserves the best. We may not be biological siblings, but this doesn’t stop me from thinking of Eman as my younger brother. 

Eman, I wish you the happiest of birthdays. I’m so thankful to have you in my life as my friend, brother, close confidante and someone to bounce ideas from. Thank you for being one of the first people to be there during happy times. Thank you for being the shoulder that I cry on and for being one of the people that I rush to when I’m utterly excited about something, when there’s those guys I like or when I want you to know about the inner workings of my mind. Basically, I’m glad that you’re there to withstand my craziness. 

May you continue to grow into the man that you want to be. May God continue to be by your side, blessing you more opportunities of creativity as well as moments of laughter and craziness.

I’m going to keep this short, so neither one of us will cry. Again, I hope that you have a happy, happy birthday. 

First and foremost, I hope that everyone in the world experienced a wonderfully happy Sunday. For people who celebrate it, I pray that your Easter was blessed. 

So, as each day begins… the quintessential outfit report needs to go under-way. In accordance to theme dressing, I have opted for Sunday Best. I was inspired by the feminine fashion from the hit TV series Mad Men. January Jones was amazingly styled in that particular feature. 

{ skirt: BYSI from Singapore; blouse: Sportsgirl; camisole: Cotton-On; necklace: vintage; shoes: lace stilettos from Sydney; bag: vintage Oroton }

Sunday was not just a celebration of the feast of Christ rising from the dead. It was also a celebration of 21 amazing years of a friend’s life. Happy birthday Carlos! 

There was a lot of catching-up with close friends and I had the most amazing time. I have missed this group of people… a lot of whom I have not seen in years. 

There were Polaroids aplenty, and also plenty of hugs from one of my favourite girls in the world. Jess, I am truly thankful for our friendship. You never fail to make me smile about things. I look forward to more events with you (and your partner) in the future. 

This photograph with a balloon is probably one of my favourite shots of the night. A lot of the photos from this event were taken by my friends Miguel and Eman… as well as many taken using my iPhone. Those boys made me wish that I brought my KISS with me. (This is a hint- I wish for more shoots with you!) 

Today was an amazing day. The weather was absolutely perfect for exploring the world outside one’s own home. Somehow, the lyrics of the Bruno Mars song were fitting for such an auspicious day. 

After months of planning and preparation (on my friend Zee’s part), it was finally here. 

Party Rockers in the house tonight? 

It seemed like an innocent flashmob. But we all knew that something better was in store. 

Originally, my adopted sister/ex-roomie/dearest friend, Reigene was told that Zee had procured reservations for Tetsuya’s. Zee just told her that he had something else in mind. 

Guess what she said? 

Congratulations on your engagement, Zee and Reig. I know that God will continue to bless you with love and happiness in the days ahead. Love you both, long time!

Before anything… It’s been a year since the horrific natural disaster hit the Tohoku region of Japan. I hope that we all continue to provide support to Japan, and that we continue to pray for the Japanese people. 

The sunshine has been amazing. I’m loving the weekend weather, I really am. Today was a jam-packed day. After going to Mass (said in Mandarin), I met up with my favourite foodie and traveller-extraordinaire, Christine. We were being spontaneous, so our feet found their bearings and ended up at saké (Argyle St. The Rocks, Sydney). It was contemporary Japanese fine dining at its finest!

We ordered the Chiraishi salad, the teriyaki chicken and some mocktails. Mine was called Spring Breeze. Amazing food. Amazing company. Amazing ambience! 

We explored the markets at The Rocks. It was such a lovely day. 

We also visited Angel Place (near Martin Place). I loved the birdcage installation.

For dessert, we visited Azuma. Christine had the brownie while I had a yuzu tart. I love citrus desserts, I really do. 

My day was filled with amazing food in small proportions. I had some salmon belly, rice and some tofu for dinner. 

And, the quintessential outfit for the day! I wanted to be feminine and comfortable. I certainly played up the theme of Sunday best. 

(tunic blouse: Just Jeans; skirt: Richard Nicholl for Sportsgirl; bag: vintage Oroton; necklace: from a market somewhere; earrings: from a market somewhere)

Until tomorrow. Today was a great day!

These are a couple of photos from yesterday’s trip to the Gallery. They were taken by my friend, Helen, using her Canon camera. It was such a beautiful day… I wish I had taken my own camera out for a spin. Maybe tomorrow?

We were up quite early the next day. We had a lot to get through- major shrines, more hiking and also more opportunities to bond with each other. 

This was probably one of my favourite highlights of the trip. Not only did I manage to walk up an extremely steep hill. The end of the walk was a reward in itself. We were treated to a scene reminiscent of things that I had only seen in films. It was utterly magical. 

Before anything though… 

We stopped over this place, which was quite empty. It reminded me of old Japan. I didn’t know what it was called- all I knew was that it was beautiful.

We stopped over another area with amazing wood-carved puppets. There was a notebook, so Junpei and I decided to write in it. My handwriting is atrocious- but I managed to salvage it with a heart. 

Then we met this amazing gentleman who shared some water with us. He was quite nice- and pointed the directions to the USA, Russia, Australia, etc. from where we were in the peninsula. I got spun around…

I felt like I was living in a movie.

650円? First it was “only the guys’ backs are cool.” Now it is 650円 for this guy. Though I think the hat lies! (He is definitely worth more.)

Yunomine is the only hot springs located in a world-heritage listed site. It is picturesque and perfect. The hot springs are amazing. 

I also got to try deer sashimi. Fascinating taste and texture. 

変顔！(Funny face!) Until my next post! Peace out~!

This leg of the journey was one of the most enjoyable. Despite almost slipping in the snow as a result of wearing the wrong choice of footwear, I learned to trust in my companions and in myself. 

We came back to Chikatsuyu for a week (after the initial pilgrimage) to do some work for the community. Chikatsuyu is the second site for one of the main shrines that we visited in this trip. It is also the site of an amazing art gallery. 

We had sashimi and nabe! 

I just had to include a BEST FRIENDS shot for my friends Justin and Nicola. (Hi guys!)