お久しぶり

It's been a while. Reviving this blog because I'm inspired to write again.

The only resolution I made at the start of this year was to change my lifestyle and work towards reducing waste in my life.

It just kind of came to me one day, queuing in the hawker centre during lunch hour and watching everyone pack food to go, in styrofoam boxes and plastic bags, with disposable plastic forks and spoons, one-use wooden chopsticks, plastic containers, plastic cups...and I thought about how there are probably hundreds, maybe even a thousand people going through this one hawker centre in one day, and how everyone eats five lunches during the working week, and the unimaginable amount of waste we all generate all the time.

How is it that we are all still doing it?? Despite evidence and news of the devastating consequences it has on the ocean, marine life, Earth. Eight million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year, and the figures just keep increasing. The more I read about the environmental problems the more horrified and terrible I feel. It's not just about plastic waste, there are also other issues like deforestation due to palm oil demand. I never used to think about the way I consumed products, but after delving more into the issues I started becoming more conscious of everything I consumed. I looked up the zero waste movement, found many many tips on Pinterest, and decided to start on it.

So far I have made (or tried my best to make) the following changes in my life:

• Switched to the menstrual cup - After watching countless YouTube videos and doing a ton of research, I finally took the plunge and made the switch to the menstrual cup. It was difficult initially, learning how to use it properly, but I have used it for about six months now and have drastically reduced my usage of tampons and pads. In fact I barely use them at all now. Can I also just say that it is the most liberating thing; you don't have to feel like you're sitting in a diaper of blood, get skin irritation from pads, or risk getting TSS from the use of tampons.
• Switched to using shampoo bars and bar soaps - Bar soaps are easy but the switch to shampoo bars took a little getting used to. The first shampoo bar that I bought was from LUSH, and unfortunately I cannot say that I like it because it makes my hair rough, and I feel that it does not clean my scalp properly. It also contains SLS. Did a ton of searching online and finally found a shop where the shampoo bars do not contain SLS, paraben or palm oil, prices are reasonable, shipping isn't exorbitant, and ordered two shampoo bars. Can't wait to receive them and try them out.
• Dined-in or packed my own lunch as far as possible - This is not always possible unfortunately, depending how busy work gets. Earlier in the year I tried to cook and pack my own lunch bento as much as possible, but the amenities at my current work place make it difficult to do so, so now I try to dine in when possible.
• Refused disposable cutlery - I have my own set of cutlery that I keep at work and use whenever I do have to buy takeaway.
• Reduced use of plastic bags when grocery shopping - I bring along reusable bags when I go grocery shopping. Sometimes we do impromptu shopping though and I do not always have a reusable tote bag at hand, so I'm still working on this
• Switched to environmentally-friendly toothbrushes - Bought wheat straw toothbrushes to replace plastic toothbrushes. Right now I am wondering if an electric toothbrush would be longer-lasting, or if it would be wasteful as well. I imagine the plastic brush head would have to be replaced periodically. I should probably look into toothpaste alternatives as well.

It's easy to think that as one person it's impossible for you to do anything impactful, and therefore there is no point in trying. But collectively consumers do have power to make it known to companies that we expect them to do better, through our consumption choices. I am constantly inspired by the zero waste community online and the tips on Pinterest to replace, reduce, reuse or recycle.

Currently I am looking into making some reusable cotton pads for removing makeup, getting a reusable straw and researching on what other small steps I can take. I am still far from zero waste, but everyone has got to start somewhere.

Start doing something

I NEED a picnic.

I need a picnic. At the beach or in the gardens or a park, I care not where. On a big mat or with blankets, and a couple of cushions. To lie around under the shade of a tree, chat and watch the clouds drift across the blue sky. Read a book or flip through a magazine. Watch a light-hearted movie or play music from the laptop. Take polaroids. Fly my kite. Drink some wine or sip on tea. Juice would be good too. I want to make yummy picnic food. Egg in bacon cups. Brownies. Sandwiches. Fresh fruits and yogurt. Salad. Nutella cookie cups. Onigiri. I need a picnic basket though. A nice big sturdy basket. I've been searching for one for the longest time. They don't seem to sell it anywhere.

...and if singapore's weather were not so scorching, my daydream wouldn't seem so far from reality. RJ and I had two picnics backpacking around Europe - one in Amsterdam by the lake and one in Copenhagen in a park. It was a little too cool, especially with the wind in Copenhagen, but good times (':

sources: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Summer dreaming

Mood board for the summer~ I'm thinking retro pin-up doll vibes, polka dots, bright colours, bold patterns, cropped bustiers, kiss-me lippies, minidresses with flare skirts, shift dresses, short rompers...

There's something sexy about short curls and bold lippies

The swimsuit I bought! And now, to get a bikini-worthy bod...wish I could just buy it as well.

sources: W_小调 | wild cat | lacepipe

On a random note

Creamier; earl grey lavender and hokey pokey with waffles

So jen suggested a new cafe and we headed there after school yesterday. I haven't seen the busy girl for months. The place sells handcrafted ice cream and coffee and they have such interesting flavours. It's shown on their website here, although they don't have all the flavours available everyday. We each had two scoops of ice cream and two waffles, 'cause we're greedy like that, but I was so stuffed after I couldn't stomach dinner. Yes, dessert before dinner. you have to live life like that occasionally. The cafe has quaint decor, and the art pieces on display are all for sale, including pieces drawn by the post-it man. We didn't try the coffee unfortunately, but I'll be back.

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I've pretty much got my summer planned out all the way till Part B starts in July. As school draws closer to the end, people have been saying that we should treasure our remaining time here, we will miss it when we go out to work, and the like. It makes sense I suppose, and I guess I will miss going to school in a way, after I finally get out to work. But right now, all I can think about is just getting out of here, 'cause the tedium of school is setting in. Happens every semester, and I've been through 7, almost 8 now, semesters to be thoroughly tired of it. You know what they say, you won't miss it until it's gone. Although I've always been one to look forward. I do look back and think of the goods times occasionally of course, but it's no use dwelling in the past. 

random (procrastination)

And I want to rewatch silly cartoons like Spongebob and Crayon Shinchan and Azumanga Daioh. And all the Studio Ghibli films! And drama series I've been meaning to watch. And drink hot chocolate with marshmallows and have hthts through the night and then sleep in late and have a nice brunch. And it would be such a lovely day.

And I want to make this:

source

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Totoro obento! How intricate is this?! It'll take forever, and then you'll have to eat it all up...

source

I'd so buy one of these, except then I'd have no space to walk around in my room...so I shall have one of these in my future home /decides ...and this is turning into a totoro appreciation post.

also, this is the cutest thing EVER:

I feel like squealing every time I look at it.

What I've been feeling recently

Wallflower.

"We accept the love we think we deserve"
- Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Listen: guns n' roses - november rain
It's not November yet, but this song's been stuck in my head.

Watch: the last
The bed just looks extremely fluffy and comfy

Ode: intimations of immortality

Though nothing can bring back the hour

Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;

We will grieve not, rather find

Strength in what remains behind;

In the primal sympathy

Which having been, must ever be;

In the soothing thoughts that spring

Out of human suffering;

In the faith that looks through death,

In years that bring the philosophic mind.

- William Wordsworth

Food for thought

An article that zhilei showed me: are we ready for the future?

"Buddha says: stop wanting stupid shit"

Sometimes I think it's so easy to forget to stay grounded, so easy to be influenced by the people around you, to give in to the natural impulse to become 'better' that you forget your principles and scruples. It's also so easy to just give in to temptation and your desires, so easy to just want, want and want more. But somehow this man manages to do it, to resist these natural impulses, despite growing up in a rich family, working in high-level positions, mixing around with the powerful and the wealthy...it's a wake-up call, of sorts. To not get carried away. To learn to be content. It's not easy.

When you really think about it, why do you need a bigger house when you're living so comfortably in the current one? Why do you need to drive a fancier car when the one you have is functional? Why do you need that much clothes? It seems to make so much sense when you think about it rationally like that, but when we look at the shop window displays, when we see the advertisements, when we see how other people are consuming, we just forget. Everywhere we look, something is urging us to consume and over-consume. 

Thinking back to just a couple of years ago, I feel like I'm the same person I was, but I guess if I were to be completely honest with myself, I have changed. Thoughts, perception of things, ideas of how I should live my life, they've probably all changed. Subtly, unconsciously, whatever. I've forgotten some important things, I've gotten greedier. More jaded, less contented, more materialistic.

Attempting to sell my things at the flea yesterday also brought with it several revelations. There are so many people who are frugal. Maybe by choice, maybe by circumstance. You see people standing around and taking a long time to decide whether to buy a dress (brand new and unworn) for $8, when you didn't even take 2 minutes to buy and pay $27 for it on the internet, only to decide you didn't like it when it arrived in the mail. You see people wondering whether $3 for a pair of jeans is worth it. People bargaining their hardest to get things at $3. It is quite sobering (I hope it is for my shopaholic friends too), the way we waste money and spend it thoughtlessly just because we can afford to. I used to think things through a lot more, but these days I'm getting careless. And shopping somehow serves as temporary stress relief, so the amount of shopping increases proportionately to the amount of stress. Which is bad.

Also, IT IS SO HARD TO SELL THINGS. All the effort, energy, etc. it takes so much work just to earn a few measly bucks?! Spending money is easy, but earning it is no joke. And I suck at bargaining you can practically see my will crumble right in front of your eyes if you ever watch me bargain, with aunties especially. They are so...determined. And that is why I barely covered cost. It would have saved me all that trouble if I'd just donated everything to salvation army. But then again, as mummy said, I needed to be taught a lesson.

I shall try to turn zen. No shit.

Sentimental.

Just bawled my eyes out reading this story. I hope in my lifetime to find a love like this too.

the dumbledore of law school

"At the end of the day, so long as we are happy and fulfilled, everything is good. You can have a lot of money, but if you are not happy or fulfilled, then what is the point? I am sure money can bring you a lot of enjoyment, but I am not sure if money can really bring you happiness or fulfilment. Real happiness or fulfilment comes from being with people you enjoy being with, and doing what you feel a connection with, and if you don’t have that I think almost everything else doesn’t matter.”

- Prof Tan Cheng Han

a very lengthy interview with the ex-Dean. i, for one, have saved all his near-exams emails to us since year 1. a very sensible and inspirational man.

"There is no reason not to follow your heart"

"[Y]ou can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."


"Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."


"No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."


"Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish."


- Steve Jobs' Inspiring Speech 2005

上を向いて歩く！

amazing how everyone stayed till the end. no dropping out halfway for our class (:

"人生は、楽しいことばかりではなくて、苦しいこともたくさんあります。あきらめなければ、可能性はあります。"
ー 高塚先生

in life, it is not always happy and smooth-sailing; there are many difficult things. but if one does not give up, there is always a possibility.
- my own translation haha

日本語 intermediate 4 は終わった！みんなは八月間ぐらい一緒に勉強したから、今ちょと悲しいね。そしてテストが合格しました。でも成績はあまり良くない。これから、日本語をもっと勉強して、六月に高塚先生のクラスに行くつもりです。

pedestrian life.

“I have always, essentially, been waiting. Waiting to become something else, waiting to be that person I always thought I was on the verge of becoming, waiting for that life I thought I would have. In my head, I was always one step away. In high school, I was biding my time until I could become the college version of myself, the one my mind could see so clearly. In college, the post-college “adult” person was always looming in front of me, smarter, stronger, more organized. Then the married person, then the person I’d become when we have kids. For twenty years, literally, I have waited to become the thin version of myself, because that’s when life will really begin.

And through all that waiting, here I am. My life is passing, day by day, and I am waiting for it to start. I am waiting for that time, that person, that event when my life will finally begin.

I love movies about “The Big Moment” – the game or the performance or the wedding day or the record deal, the stories that split time with that key event, and everything is reframed, before it and after it, because it has changed everything. I have always wanted this movie-worthy event, something that will change everything and grab me out of this waiting game into the whirlwind in front of me. I cry and cry at these movies, because I am still waiting for my own big moment. I had visions of life as an adventure, a thing to be celebrated and experienced, but all I was doing was going to work and coming home, and that wasn’t what it looked like in the movies.

John Lennon once said, “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” For me, life is what was happening while I was busy waiting for my big moment. I was ready for it and believed that the rest of my life would fade into the background, and that my big moment would carry me through life like a lifeboat.

The Big Moment, unfortunately, is an urban myth. Some people have them, in a sense, when they win the Heisman or become the next American Idol. But even that football player or that singer is living a life made up of more than that one moment. Life is a collection of a million, billion moments, tiny little moments and choices, like a handful of luminous, glowing pearl. It takes so much time, and so much work, and those beads and moments are so small, and so much less fabulous and dramatic than the movies.

But this is what I’m finding, in glimpses and flashes: this is it. This is it, in the best possible way. That thing I’m waiting for, that adventure, that move-score-worthy experience unfolding gracefully. This is it. Normal, daily life ticking by on our streets and sidewalks, in our houses and apartments, in our beds and at our dinner tables, in our dreams and prayers and fights and secrets – this pedestrian life is the most precious thing any of use will ever experience."

- Shauna Niequist

stay up, keep moving.