Hello, 2012

The new year has come and gone, and I don’t like making resolutions, only because I don’t want to give myself any additional chores to fulfil. I think I’ve got enough to deal with, and lately, with a baby on the way, I’ve found myself knee-deep in the most uninteresting of things – breastfeeding accessories. Recently I have developed an aversion to sharing too much of my private life online, but today, I’m lamenting my previous life as an world explorer turned unexpected single parent. Perhaps I should change the name of my blog. Anyway, I have discovered that breastfeeding a baby is not as simple as one might imagine. One would think that it would just be a matter of shoving the little thing onto your nipple and it would just happen automatically. It turns out that apparently it is not so. It is not so at all, which is why devices such as breast-pumps have been invented, along with a whole range of accompaniments for what promises to be an uncomfortable experience such as nipple shields, creams, and a list of stuff I really hope I won’t need. Nevertheless, I do like to be prepared, so with roughly 3 more months to go, I’m slowly, very slowly, preparing myself for the onslaught that is sure to come. All this turmoil, for so tiny a thing. I’m actually worried the cat might develop some kind of complex as well.

End-of-year wrap up

It’s been a while since I last posted something, only because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to document the last few months online. However, 2011 has been pretty significant in ways I never imagined, so I thought I would just summarize the year by doing my favourite thing: make a list.

1. I struggled through a few months of depression and sought counselling. I later realized it was the product of a bad relationship which brought out the worst in me. The relationship died a natural death and it wasn’t until the middle of the year that I felt more like myself again.
2. I adopted a kitten, Frodo. Although sometimes he really tests my patience, he has brought me more comfort and amusement than counselling ever did. In the 6 months I’ve had him, he’s learnt to play fetch, growl, and come to me when I call for him.
3. I travelled to South America, and saw amazing places.
4. I met someone who made me happier in a week than I had been in over 2 years. Unfortunately he had to leave the country after that week.
5. Last but not least, I’m preparing myself to be a single parent. Yes, that is correct.

2012 will be challenging.

Just a few more

And just like that, my time in Okinawa is almost over. I’ve been here almost 2 weeks, and it does not seem like my trip has served the purpose it was meant to. Yet. It’s too short, and too soon. Apologies for the cryptic posts. More will be revealed, soon, maybe.

What if

Guess where? I’m on the island of Okinawa, Japan. A sudden, unexpected journey to seek answers to questions that may not yet be answerable. Like the weather, the future seems cloudy and thick with uncertainty.

Randomly

It was a weekday afternoon and I was sitting on a weathered old park bench enjoying yet another day of sunshine this winter had decided to present to us. There was a man practicing his saxophone under a gazebo nearby, and I listened to the sweet music wafting through the air along with the cool breeze amongst the trees. It is a serenity I haven’t felt in the longest time, and it seemed an odd sensation. In fact, it made me happy, quite unexpectedly, just like events that transpired in recent weeks. Just a few random things that contributed to this:

1. Frodo has learnt to play fetch. It only seems to work with small bits of paper and my hairbands but it’s very amusing.
2. I met a real gentleman recently who treated me like I deserve to be treated. He brought out the best in me.
3. Sydney is beautiful to live in. Where else would winter give us 27 degree afternoons?
4. I took a 6-day long weekend not long ago to. Just because I wanted to spend time with people I liked.

That’s kind of enough.

Screenprinting on Saturday

The printing room.

Since I was woefully unprepared with my own artwork, I chose a beautiful drawing by Daniel Libeskind.

The silk screens.

Preparing to shoot the image.

Shot image on screen.

Pouring ink for printing.

Printing in one fell swoop.

Ta-da! Finished print on stock paper. It only took 7 hours to get to this point.

Test prints on paper.

Test print on a t-shirt.

Though the photos look quite succinct, in reality the process was painfully long and laborious. Hours on your feet, mixing, washing, pouring. It was art in its true form. The end result was super cool.

Building A Dollhouse Part 1

One flatpack dollhouse, check.

Breaking the each delicate piece away from their flatpack prison, check.

Paint station, check.

My friend V and I are building a dollhouse for her baby daughter. We are having more fun than her at the moment, as the baby can only sit around and drool. It took us 2 weekends to get to the painting stage. There is a lot more painting to be done. We hope to get the rest of the painting done by this week or next. Hopefully we will, as V is getting a wee bit impatient and starting to place doll furniture around in the yet-to-be completed structure.

To be continued.

Another day at work

Trying to work with a cat sniffing around the computer isn’t very productive. Besides stealthily sneaking up behind me on my chair and jumping all fours on my shoulders, Frodo also seems to like my laptop when my back is turned away from it. I know, I’m going to be one of those crazy cat ladies whose lives revolve around taking photos of their pets. If only someone can think of a witty caption.

Hi! I’m Frodo!

Hello internet world! My name is Frodo, and you can obviously tell that my person loves hobbits. They are of course not as cute as me, especially when I’m all curled up like this. Boy, am I tired after an exciting day. This is because I have discovered something called stairs, which were not present at the Cat Protection Society where I used to live with my brother until today. I have spent the entire evening running up and down the stairs. It’s fun!

I miss my brother and my other kitten friends, but I’m beginning to like this small little apartment in Alexandria. It’s only my first day here, but with all these hugs and cuddles from my person who is so happy to have me, I think I will settle down soon. I am already starting to find all sorts of new places to play, like behind the fridge, under the TV, and the bed. Purrr!

On a rainy Sydney night

Rain always makes me contemplative. So today, as the downpour filled the streets with gushing water, I contemplated on the things I simply cannot live without. The things that make me, me. In no particular order, I narrowed it down to the following:

1. Tea. I like black tea with milk in particular, but if I’m feeling fancy, I also drink peppermint tea, green tea, chamomile tea, and generally non-fruity tea.
2. Bedsheets. Not your average Kmart ones, but premium luxury sheets, covers, and pillows. Since I spend so much time in bed, I may as well do it in comfort and style.
3. Books. I am the kind of person that buys and hoards books. There was one time I went crazy at a warehouse book sale, and bought enough to last me a year or two. I’ve read more than half of them, but many are still waiting to be read. And I’m still buying more books.
4. Rice. I can’t survive more than 2 or 3 days without eating it. Since I cook mostly Asian food, there is always jasmine rice in the pantry. But lately, I’ve been getting arborio, brown, and basmati, though I only cook those when I’m not feeling lazy since they take more time.
5. Words. When I’m not reading them or listening to them in songs, I’m writing them. That’s what blogs are for I guess!