cicak on the ceiling: 09.08

9.30.2008

Wish Come True

These WISH COME TRUE toys are looking like my cuppa tea. There is no direct link on the website (think that's a very unfortunate design decision), but if you go to Friends With You and click on "The Friends" under "Story", you'll find them.

via creative closeup.

9.23.2008

Paper art

Am a big fan of paper art and these kirigami works by Kanako Yaguchi is proving to be very delicious eyecandy. Pingmag, my fave Tokyo-based magazine (it's in English, yay!), had a short interview with her.

This was my resource when I first started to learn kirigami.

And for the ultimate word on paper-cutting, head over to Cally Creates, you will not be disappointed.

Side note: Cally is not doing well health-wise and has therefore been unable to update her blog as often. I don't know her personally, but am an avid fan of hers – she was a constant source of inspiration. I hope she feels better soon.

9.22.2008

wise words

Ignorance is liberating
Start where you can: never say can’t
Imagine first: reason later
Be reflective: waste time
Embrace serendipity: get muddled
Play games, serious games
Challenge consensus
Look for multipliers
Work backwards: move forwards
Feel good.

– from the book "Small Change" by Nabeel Hamdi.
Looks like a book I might enjoy reading. As it is, going through the fuddle is like sailing in the vast ocean looking for a horizon. This code of conduct that Mr. Hamdi prescribes for city planners is like a sagely knight in shining armour.

Mystery of Iceland by Tim Gasperak

Jaw-dropping photographs of Iceland by California-based photographer Tim Gasperak.

via the girl in the green dress.

9.21.2008

Addicted

I'm hooked on this lately. I read at least a few pages before I turn in every night. There's definitely a chuckle or two every visit. While I am not surprised there are so many cheap a**es out there, the racism and the ignorance displayed is unbelievable. These are people from the first world after all. What hope is there for those who are not?

Simon's cat

Hilarious stuff, as a former cat owner, I can certainly commiserate. Plus, the award-winning animation is truly superb.

Pictured above is cicak's cat, who has been missing since April 2008. Life has not been the same since. :-(

9.20.2008

Loris Gréaud

What I wouldn't give to be able to wander around in the space pictured above. Enter wistful sigh here.

Here's a write-up of the installation at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris. Don't forget to click on the slideshow in the middle of the page (on the left) of the article. I also found more photos of the show here and here.

A good apéritif is a good apéritif

I have no easy access to alcohol these days, not by choice, I'm afraid, but living in a predominantly Muslim country does render imbibing all but impossible for someone without a disposable income. I was fortunate enough, however, to have been gifted one of my favorite apéritif, the Umeshu, and am therefore now one very happy camper.

Choya is one of the more readily available brands, and that is plenty good enough for me. À votre santé.

9.15.2008

Lego and Escher

I'm revealing my inner nerd here, but these Lego setups by Andrew Lipson are so cool, "cool" in the sense that I get a kick out of seeing them and cannot imagine myself being able to create something as ingenious. There, clarifying made me feel less nerdy already.

Love that he shows photos of the construction process too.

Japanese Secret Puzzle Box

My sister owns one of these, and they are exquisite. They come with instructions on how to open, this one has 27 moves before you get to the inside of the box.

My favourite is this one here, thank God it's sold out. :-p

Honeymoon's over

The elation of having access to the internet again, after a long hiatus, is finally hampered by connection hiccups, system errors, credit limit, payments, etc. While the careline staff is friendly and polite (not always the case in US), the fact that it took five days before I can go online again made me wonder if it's a third-world problem. Sorry, I think the term du jour is "newly industrialized country". Granted, out of the five days, one of them is a weekend.

However, despite being connected again, the bandwidth seems punier since pages that could load properly before are now not showing completely. Will have to call them about that…

Anyway, just figured I should explain my absence.

9.10.2008

Things I would like on my feet

I used to lust over Barbara Shaum’s sandals, (I still do, actually) but now that I saw Natalie Portman’s vegan-friendly footwear line for Té Casan, well, I guess I have a new crush. ;-P

Left Barbara Shaum sandals

Both on right Natalie Portman’s

If I could zip around on an airborne Segway for the day…

I would have a leisurely brunch in Cafe biografen, Odense, taking in sunlight and maybe some music, followed by a stroll in Bagh-é Fin, a beautiful, historic garden in Iran. Sated with the beauty of nature, I'll pop by one of the few restaurants I can reliably count on for good food experiences in New York, Tia Pol. You have to be there early, or the line gets crazy. All that travelling is bound to tire a gal out so, for coffee, I'll just head home instead.

Provided, of course, airborne Segways do not rely on fossil fuel.

Bagh-é Fin image via here.

9.08.2008

Chisato Tamabayashi

image via The Old Sweet Shop.

First came across her work at hellojenuine and seeing more of it at her site brought instant cheer.

9.07.2008

Classic Photographs in Lego

by Mike Stimpson. Not exactly sure how I feel about the more serious subject matters, but the lighthearted ones are refreshing. Check out the rest of his Lego sets.

via kakiseni.

“Wandering”

What is the difference between assent and denial?
What is the difference between beautiful and ugly?
What is the difference between fearsome and afraid?

The people are merry as if at a magnificent party
Or playing in the park at springtime,
But I am tranquil and wandering,
Like a newborn before it learns to smile,
Alone, with no true home.

The people have enough and to spare,
Where I have nothing,
And my heart is foolish,
Muddled and cloudy.

The people are bright and certain,
Where I am dim and confused;
The people are clever and wise,
Where I am dull and ignorant;
Aimless as a wave drifting over the sea,
Attached to nothing.

The people are busy with purpose,
Where I am impractical and rough;
I do not share the peoples' cares
But I am fed at nature's breast.

verse from Tao Te Ching,
as interpolated by Peter Merel.

Inspired by a fairytale that I am oddly fond of –the Princess and the Pea– comes a daybed I would not mind calling my own.

9.06.2008

¡qué divertido!

Great fun on a rainy day, and so pretty to look at after.

Jacksonpollock.org by Miltos Manetas, based on the original

"Splatter" animation by Michal Migurski of Stamen Design.

Not something I'm likely to wear, as I'm not very ostentatious in presentation (read: boring) but if I have extra cash to spare, this is something I would spring for to show my mirror self.

Happy Birthday, cicak!

And without further ado, here's to getting started! Fantastic awe-inspiring nature illustrations by Ernst Haeckel (1899 – 1904).

via Eric Gjerde.

Links I ❤

This is a compilation of sites that I enjoy. It's strange publishing the list as a post, but until Blogger comes up with static pages (ETA: that works properly!), this is the way to go.

Anyway, most of you probably know about these sites already, so here's a suggestion: when I go to someone's list of links, I play a pseudo game of roulette! I scroll up and down before clicking randomly at the spot I stop at. It usually makes for a pleasant surprise :-)

Also, the list is not alphabetized nor categorized, makes the roulette part more believable, yes?

Last updated: Aug 24, 2011

Note: Some links are crossed because the blogs are either no longer actively updated or updates are rare. Still, I really liked them and want to preserve a record of them here. Also, I check on them from time to time because they are worth it. Apologies if that makes for a somewhat messy list though.