it's just another day now.

In the past few weeks, I’ve been learning about Heian Japan’s Aristocratic culture and aesthetics. In the process, I’ve been constantly amazed by the level of detail and discipline that is applied to their culture and aesthetics…the Japanese art of colour coordination, 5-dye paper, calligraphy, poetry, paintings and visual arts, noh theatre, perfume making and later on the tea ceremony really started during this time and not only that, reached high levels of standards!

We were asked in class if we would want to be born as an aristocrat during this time…my answer was very singaporean: yes, but only if I am talented and good in these practices!

Most of the class said no because such rituals of culture and aesthetics seemed so rigid and the standards so difficult to achieve…but there’s a reason why people (even up till today) look to that period and it’s lasting influence in Japan now, as the pinnacle of aesthetics and civilisation.

we-ll, as much as i’d like to be as cultured and disciplined in my aesthetics (I think the Japanese have the best skills in colour coordination and simple style), I stumbled upon this while browsing through some of my favourite design sites. It really is quite cool, good for hosting and when friends come over…but I think I would appreciate it more than anyone else I know! Maybe when I have time, and am feeling in the mood to indulge in this

There’s also hydrangea drying…

off to lunch! in the meantime, may the weather hold up so that I can escape here with my barang barang and make it home dry and safe!

I just had the luxury of a nap. It’s been some time since I last had a nap, at home, on the bed with the fan blowing. Am feeling rather restful, getting ready for tuition later at half past six. there is much work to do..as Frost said, I have many more miles to go. Am praying that all deadlines will be met with as little hassle as possible.

am thinking of going for a nature-walk with terence sometime soon. maybe BTNR or the southern ridges. sometime away from work and to breathe in the fresh air. also, a good chance to look at the flora and fauna and see what we can spot/identify.

went for terence’s aunt’s twins’ full month gathering. it was quite cool, the twins are really cute. Felicity and Michael are going to be great companions to their older sister, Tessa, and great company for the whole family! While there, we met his aunt’s diving instructor/friend and got to learn about diving and we’re thinking of perhaps starting on it soon! Hopefully, in time to go diving during the ’season’ next year!

three things that made me happy this week…to think about on a day (like today) when i’m motivation-less and in a permanent lack of energy:

1) terence rescued two kittens, and he is so loving and caring and sweet with them that it can really make your heart melt. especially when he is taking care of skippy (the more timid, much skinnier one), he was just so gentle and amazing you want to jump on him and give him a great big hug. and the same time, he is reassuring to Cat who is feeling threatened by the new additions…

2) i apologized to dr quek for not finishing her readings and she was very nice about it.

3) i met up with ca ystd and had a fun time, and had nice photos too. i replied to jieying on facebook and was glad that she’s still happy to talk to me even though i’ve been so busy that i haven’t made the effort to sms or msg her on fb….

READINGS. NOW.

it has been a bullet-train ride of a semester so far…so many things to do, read, study, think…THINK..THINK AND TALK SMARTLY IN CLASS…PARTICIPATE IN TUTORIALS!

hence, the long hiatus here. seriously did not expect how busy this semester to be and the problem is not school, it is juggling school together with being at home, trying to help out with housework, maintain friendships..spend time with ca, jieying (i’m sorry i haven’t been around much ), church and terence (who has had to deal with a ton of whining the past few days…)

so today i’ve got alot of mucus and phelgm resulting in a blocked nose and cough. civic-mindedness and a strong desire to clear readings and make good sense of the past 4 weeks of school have left me at home.

there was a point to this post…

and that was to say..i’m still here! and i will make good to update more often.

cheers!

now that school has started, I’ve unofficially gotten into a “school routine”…there is a set time i wake up at, what I prepare for breakfast, the time when I get out of the house, walk and get on the bus.

I used to think that such a routine would be, “bleah!” and dull and boring and after awhile it would suck the life out of me but no, not yet…there is still alot of comfort in having this routine. I think the bigger reason is that I don’t have to wake up at 5am in the morning. I’m guessing this might change when i start working in a few years’ time.

when this routine starts becoming bad for me, i will raise hail and hellwater here because that would mean one less thing that I enjoy when I wake up.

on another note, oprah winfrey has gayle king on her show. ca and i did talk about doing a bff thing like them almost in the future..either writing a book about all the things we know for girls or just doing something big together. i dunno when it will happen but it doesn’t really matter. what’s great is that we can still have these small conversations about doing such things..I’m also sure that as we grow older (which is happening at a rate faster than we like), we will actually do some of these things.

CA YOU ARE STILL IN CHINA SO…have fun! I will see you when you’re back next week..

the title’s kind of lame but that’s what happens on my last free weekday.

somehow ystd was a really tiring day and by midnight I was sleepy and cranky, totally not the best phone companion. SORRY TERENCE!

In the meantime, school has been busy…but more on that later.

compliments of design*sponge

August is coming to an end…TOO FAST TOO FAST!