The Closet Nerd

rantings of a work horse

2009-05-03T16:50:00.001-07:00

So I realized the other day, on a run near the Charles that the sunset was spectacular. Tinges of pink curled around the smooth almost silky purple with an occasional shot of orange- just enough to make one stop and say, 'Damn...Mother Nature really knows her stuff'. It was right then and there that I realized I wished I could capture that scene in a painting. My hands were almost itching to do so, to grab a brush and capture the colors in layers of acrylic.

I flumped down onto the nearest bench and gawked at the scenery. For exactly 4:15, the exact length of the song that had been playing on my iPod, I sat there gazing at the scene. As my iPod switched to 'Stronger' by Kanye West, I was rudely interrupted by the realization that I had to continue back to work on my 8.02 Pset and pending HASS paper.

As I ran back, I was suddenly really angry. At first I couldn't really pinpoint the reason as to why I was so annoyed. As I sprinted across the bridge, it came to me. It seems that once I've entered college, I no longer have any creative outlet. Everything has become about work, sleep, or chilling with friends. And when I do have 'alone time' I just end up napping it away or watching Gossip Girls. While I'm definitely learning a lot in school and I do think I'm accomplishing a lot, at the same time, I feel that a part of me has been lost.

The choice and capacity to just draw whenever I want, paint whenever I want, totally immerse myself in something asides from art, seems to be no longer there.

Which leads me into the tangent that I am going to buy an artists' briefcase/supply box and lug all my supplies to Boston and paint to my hearts' content.

On a lighter note, this made my day:

olympics gymnast~~ all-americaness

2008-08-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

These last ten days have been pretty crazy. College shopping took utmost priority AND the Olympics were on so I barely had time to settle down and concentrate on anything else. The fact that I decided I had to brush on my Calc skills (which was kind of left to rust after junior year) also narrowed my free time.

I never realized simply how much...stuff I known. >.> I feel like I’m moving my whole room! I swear, people are going to faint at the sight of how much I’m bringing. It doesn’t exactly help that college is a good +7 hours on the train, even slower via car.

Anyways, I had originally wanted to blog about the Olympics’ opening ceremony but it’s been more than a week since then and it’s kind of stale news. So I’ll move onto womens’ gymnastics, specifically Shawn Johnson. Now, I’ve never been an avid sports fan- I think the only sports (outside of the Olympics events) I enjoy watching are soccer and tennis. Everything else is completely incomprehensible and holds no interest for me whatsoever.

But gymnastics...I simply adore gymnastics. It kind of annoyed me though how this year, many of the gymnasts had to sacrifice artistic flair in their routines for technical difficult. More twists and twirls = higher level of difficult = higher scores. Europeans still manage to retain the artistry in their routines (though it doesn’t exactly help their scores because they’ll do a beautiful pirouette and then fail a jump -_-). From the U.S. team, Nastia Liukin, heavily influenced by Russian style, is all grace and agility. Watching her perform her routine is like watching a hybrid of ballet and acrobatics. She’s lithe and beautiful, very focused and brings an effortless elegance to the screen. Having been crowned the “Queen of Gymnastics” with her gold All-Around Medal, she deserves the title.

Personally, I enjoyed watching Shawn Johnson more. She’s only sixteen and has a sunshine personality. But most of all, I love her gait. XD It’s so endearing as you see her waddle into the auditorium. Both she and Nastia have a distinctive gymnast ‘walk’- hands to their sides swinging in rhythmic motion with pointed toes, almost like a march set to a ballet. From interviews and such, you can tell she’s a dedicated and hard worker but possesses great sportsmanship. I think she had bad luck in certain events, having to perform first (the first scores are generally the lowest and scores escalate as the routines proceed) so I desperately wanted her to win a gold. I think many of the audience also find her more relatable than Nastia. Her family’s a ‘normal family’, as her mother proclaims and she represents the All-Americaness spirit and sportsmanship.

But seriously, I love her gait! She’s so cute! xD

revamping our McDonald's of coffee

2008-08-06T20:05:00.001-07:00

5% of Starbucks stores are closing in the U.S. this summer. One would think that this news would bring alarm to the urbanites of the world. Surprisingly few people are disturbed. This brings about a reflection on what Starbucks does represent in society.
Starbucks had first been established in Seattle with the intentions of being a hip coffeehouse, something that made the neighborhood a bit more cultured. Because of Starbucks, the coffee culture was completely revolutionized. Starbucks introduced terms like ‘barista’ ‘grande’ ‘venti’ and other coffee jargon into the mainstream culture. They even invented their own drink- the frappuchino and their trademark green and white slogan has become a signature on the cups of celebrities and yuppies.

There had always been a sort of status label associated with Starbucks. I myself still remember the first time I had stepped foot into Starbucks. I don’t know if it was because I was fed with images of sophistication and chic urbanites by the media but I felt I had stepped into another realm. It was a realm where everything was basked in wonderful and musky aromas of coffee beans with hints of caramel and vanilla. Those who sat inside Starbucks also carried a distinct aura with them- either urban college students discussing Proust over a Caramel Machiatto or yuppies conversing about the stock exchange.

In recent years however, the introduction of the breakfast/lunch option and the alarming development of Starbucks (they seemed to monopolize the city streets- turn ten feet and there’s the trademark green letters) seemed to make Starbucks lose what made it so distinctive. Starbucks began to feel like a fast food restaurant. The Starbucks located in the cities were worse- the baristas barking out ‘Hello, what would you like?’ in the same tone as the dreaded ‘Welcome to McDonalds, may I take your order?’ and everyone expected to spit out their orders like their lives depended on it. The fast-pacedness of Starbucks slowly corrupted its previous tranquil atmosphere that was so refreshing.

With the closing of 600 stores in the U.S. this summer and the elimination of the breakfast warm sandwich option, hopefully Starbucks will revamp and revive its original spirit. If Starbucks continues to carry on its fast food restaurant ways, I fear it will face more than just competition but also the disillusionment many of its previously loyal patrons. Do we need more cafes like the original Starbucks? Should we boycott Starbucks the same way Americans began a campaign against McDonald’s. What’s next- a documentary on the evils of caffeine in America?

steal your mind~

2008-07-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

I received my Apple orders in the mail yesterday via Fedex. I am simply blown away by Fedex's services! I ordered my MacBook on Sunday night and it came Tuesday morning. o.o I ordered posters from Amazon 18 days ago and they still haven't arrived!

Apple...wow...despite my previous grievances against the company (the transition between the PC and the Apple was incredibly arduous and painful for me), I have to admit that they don't do anything half-assed. Even their packaging is creative. I can only imagine the time and thought they spend in designing one product. Which is why now I've kind of become a fervent supporter of Apple and hiss angrily whenever I see Apple product knockoffs. -_-;; I mean, so much thought goes into the design and then when you have a company that sells the same design-except with a twist- it seems unethical. It's design-plagiarism!!

These photos are from a street vendor in Thailand (courtesy of Flckr):

Apparently this brand's an authentic Japanese brand but one look can tell you that it's a Ipod copycat:

On a certain level, I can understand it and why people opt to buy the cheaper knockoffs. I mean, it's the same with fashion. If you're a college student, you obviously can't get afford that black quilted chanel clutch but if Forever21 carries it and sells it for $24, you'd buy it in a heartbeat.

And yes, I ended up getting the plum Incase for my laptop...I'll post photos of my MacBook later. *reserved spot*

WALL-E REVIEW

2008-07-24T10:58:00.000-07:00

“Wall-e”, the lovechild of Pixar is one of the best films I have seen this summer and perhaps one of the best ‘children’s film’ yet. Pixar, like former sibling studio Disney, always manages to release films that are suitable for the family- while their film targets children with their adorable characters and animation, their deeper message also reaches the older audience.

Pixar is no doubt the best animation film studio of today. The animation’s sleek and detailed and creates an impeccably rich portrait of what the world will be like in seven hundred years. From the scenery shots to the interaction between characters, the animation is both smooth and convincing. The graphics manage to convey most of the film’s plotline- there is actually almost no dialogue at all for the first half an hour of the film. Although it may alarm some filmgoers (“How can a cartoon without words be that interesting?”), director Andrew Stanton effectively conveys the setting and character depiction.

The plotline of the film revolves around an unlikely hero- a robot named WALL-E. Well, to be precise, he is last of the line of robots called WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class), robots created to clean up trash on Earth while humans escaped to a space colony. Due to the human’s excessive consumption and environment destroying lifestyles, the Earth became unsuitable for human life. WALL-E is a quirky little fellow- although diligent in his work and happy collecting human gimmicks (like a recording of the song “"Put On Your Sunday Clothes" from the 1960’s musical Hello, Dolly!) that he plays over and over), he is a bit lonely. As the only surviving member of his robot line, his only companion is a cockroach that chirps. When WALL-E meets Eve, a feminine probe sent by the human colony Axiom to find signs of life, WALL-E believes himself to be in love. The antics that follow include WALL-E’s journey to space and aboard to Axiom in order to ‘rescue’ Eve.

WALL-E is unbelievably cute. It’ll make you coo, make you gasp, and even make the fainthearted teary-eyed towards the end. Most of all, it is one of those Funhouse mirrors found in carnivals, with a warped reflection of society. What will life for humans be like in seven hundred years if humans continue to lifestyle today? In WALL-E, Earth has become a barren wasteland due to negligence of humankind. Obesity has become commonplace for humans and humans have become so accustomed to communicating through their computer screens that they’ve forgotten how to interact with other humans. Although at a glance a whimsical and adorable cartoon about robots, WALL-E proves to be a thought-provoking and contemplative criticism on society.

Review: **** (out of 4)

Cardigans- no, not the 90's swedish pop sensation

2008-07-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

So when I was at Delia's the other day, I spotted this cardigan and instanteously fell in love. I'm off to college next year so I think I was drawn partly to the preppy aura it cast. At the same time, it's kind of fun and the color is very versatile so I can throw it over anything. I mean- come on, it's Delia's , the haven for preteen fashionistas.

I find it highly ironic that I've suddenly developed an obsession with cardigans and have begun some serious cardigan-hunting. You see, my highschool was a prepschool with a dresscode that dictated a cardigan if one were to wear pants. Needless to say, many girls donned cardigans during the wintertime. I had been firmly set against cardigans and pranced about most of my highschool winters in skirts + two layers of leggings or thermal underwear. The few cardigans that I owned were for major winter cold- they were chunky and not quite flattering but kept me warm. Although I do own two Free People cardigans that I'm quite fond of- they're both of the 'omg, I'm going to freeze to death if I go outside' type. Anyways, my fixation with cardigans started AFTER senior year and I discovered an array of cute printed cardigans from J.Crew.

Actually, cardigans are like the lovechild of J.Crew. They're incredibly soft and great to throw over a pair of jeans. I still don't think I can pull off the J.Crew cardigan + khakis look. I think it still screams 'Greenwich countryclub mother' and on me, it's a bit awkward. The color selection at J.Crew is also quite diverse:

I particularly adore the ruffled embellishments.

For the slightly cheaper and more youthful look, Delia's offers a couple cute choices:

And Urban Outfitters does it best with their casually urban-chic looks:

reflections on laptop shopping and the complications of accessories

2008-07-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

As my temperamental Dell laptop finally died on me during early summer, I decided that it was about time to invest in a new laptop. I’m entering college in the fall, my other laptop is completely infested with a plethora of viruses- it seemed quite appropriate to begin computer shopping. Once I began perusing through the countless websites and catalogues, I was completely mindboggled to discover the range of accessories that accompany laptops. What is a necessity and of significance and what is simply a trivial trinket made to lighten one’s wallet?

Buying a laptop is in itself tricky business. Not only do you want one with the necessary memory and functions, you want it to be durable enough to last you for at least three years. So what if it’s absurdly cheap? The question is, is a $500 laptop worth it if you go through at least three of them before college ends? One has to weigh the priorities against each other.

Further complications arise when the accessories come into the picture. From multi-colored plastic cases that protect one’s laptop to web-cam gadgets, one has to navigate carefully through the world of computer add-ons. What is the sole purpose of purchasing the said laptop? If it’s only to use for schoolwork and school work alone, a simple case will do to protect from unforeseen accidents in the dorm (spilled soda, grease from last weekend’s takeout, etc.) If one wants a complete entertainment system, consider investing in a pair of plug-in speakers. A serious gamer? Invest the extra money for more ram.

Oh my, so many choices! What to get?

I found this InCase Hardshell in Plum and was in love. The only thing that irks me is the $49.95 pricetag. ToT So expensive!!

This is really expensive- $109.00 but incredibly cute

It is easy to be fazed by the array of accessories that accompany the laptop. Realize that one does not have to buy everything recommended by the site or salesperson. An extra set of battery and adapter? Only if one feels like he can’t sleep at night due to paranoia.

What do you want in a laptop? How often do you use it? What do you use it for? What is your budget? These are questions worth considering before plunging into the virtual shop or driving to the store. From there, one can have a clear perspective on what accessories are worth buying and what are merely marketing attempts.

Twilight: the next fantasy/supernatural creatures/teenage angst sensation

2008-07-08T19:48:00.000-07:00

So I finally finished “Eclipse”, the third installment of the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. Can I say how addicted I am? I haven’t read a book so engrossing, since…like…the last Harry Potter book! I think there are a few possibilities as to why I am so obsessed with the book series now.

(1) During most of my later highschool years, I was lucky if I could squeeze in ONE pleasure reading book per SEMESTER. When you’re running on 6 hours of sleep (on a really good day), you’re more likely to read nytimesonline.com or pick up a tabloid for ten or fifteen minutes rather than attempting to embark on a book when you could be...sleeping. You could consider my sudden surge of affection for the Twilight series to be a result of lesiure reading deprivation.

(2) It’s a very plotline-oriented book as opposed to a more reflective text like “Sophie’s World”. It helps that the characters are very distinct and have rather alluring personalities. AND, it doesn’t hurt that Meyer’s two male characters are described to be exceedingly attractive and are both supernatural creatures. And we know how the poor human girl always falls prey to the charms of supernatural beings...

(3) Meyers understands teenagers. She has secret mindreading abilities- thus she always knows what her readers wants. Lack of action? Throw in a chapter filled with vampire showdowns. Lack of romance? Throw in a ever-so-convenient love triangle. Her skill is the ability to manipulate the text so it has a intoxicating effect on the readers (who is more than often a teenager grown up on a diet of books about young wizard boys and thus a veteran to enthusiasm and passion towards fictional characters).

For those of you who don’t know the general plotline of the book, you can either watch the film which is coming out on Dec. 12th later this year. By then everyone will have known that the series is about a young very human girl falling in love with a hundred-year-old-ish vampire and getting dragged into a series of complications. It’s always the stuff in between that makes the read so interesting but that’s the summary of the series in less than fifty words.

Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson)

I am really excited for the film...secretly because want to see Robert Pattinson as the vampire Edward Cullen. Robert Pattinson? Your ears may perk up and you may scratch your head in confusion. For some reason that name sounds oddly familiar. Why is it so? He actually played golden boy Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter. Yes, indeed, that’s why that intense gaze and pouty lips seem so familiar. Oh yeah, and Jacob Black is played by an actor born in 1992. That makes me feel so old. ToT We have entered an age where the ‘child celebrities’ are born in the 90’s.

The teaser trailer can be found on Youtube:

lego rings~~ ahh, bringing back memories of our youth

2008-07-06T18:55:00.000-07:00

So I was browsing through a tech forum when I stumbled upon this work of genius: a Lego-inspired ring! I find this piece of jewelry both clever and awesome because it's recycling Lego pieces that could otherwise be junk. I'm getting really inspired by all these 'eco-friendliness on a daily basis'- this may be part of the reason why I find these Lego jewelry so quaint.

There's also certainly a deeper aspect of it that really got me. Remember when you're little and you play with Lego toys, transforming robots, Furby toys, TY stuffed beanies? And all of a sudden, bam! You hit a stage in your life when you no longer play with them. Is it because others don't or because you find interest in other things? Here's another question: do we outgrow toys or do they outgrow us?

Anyways, the fact that fashion often blurs the lines between childhood and adulthood is the source of my fascination with it. In fashion, you can find a place where your inner kid can frolick about. It's as if you really never did grow up...

You can also find Lego-earrings. These Brickwall jewelry are available on Giant Robot and Etsy.

of streetstyle, night scenery, and manga exhibits...

2008-06-29T10:17:00.001-07:00

So I finally paid a visit to Hong Kong, the ‘Pearl of the East’. It is indeed a pearl. Excuse me for being trite but I totally fell in love with the city. The culture is so diverse, everything is so shiny and clean, and for a place with so many people everyone’s extremely polite and well-mannered. While in Mainland, you’ll see a mob of people attacking the buses when they come around, Hong Kong residents stand in orderly lines with no pushing or shoving. Everything is super fastpaced- I knew I should’ve expected it but it caught me a little off guard at first. The elevator doors close quickly on the person if they’re not careful- the escalators are twice as fast as in the States. Everyone’s walking ridiculously quickly and the subways are efficient and effortless in aiding one get to one place to the next.

The only annoying thing was that we were caught amidst the rainy season and succumbed to carrying around umbrellas everywhere. I did still get a good view of Hong Kong though and even rode a doubledecker!

More night shots...everyone's so stylish. ToT (Not that you can tell from these photos).

Even the bathroom stalls were cute!

And, luckily, I was lucky and got to see a manga exhibit.

starbucks on a rainy day

2008-05-19T14:57:00.001-07:00

So, what better to do on a rainy Delawarean day when one has to finish a suite of projects three days before graduation? One over-priced, globally known, green-and-white mascot-branded word: Starbucks.

Now, I would’ve expected the rain to abate after two and a half hours at Starbucks. Unfortunately, it was not the case. It only got harder. Figures.

Starbucks is not the ideal working environment for me. For people who work well with the white noise in the background- the perpetual hum of the frapucchino machine, the eclectic mix of music (I swear I heard celtic pop for a period of time) and the alternative teenboppers who come in with their checkered Vans and think they’re so rad, Starbucks is the place to be. I think that when I am in a super stressed out mood, the library or recluse of my lair (aka dorm room) is more labor-inducing. However, Starbucks is a great place to work when one does not want to be in the library or room. Or if one simply needs to run about and go off campus.

In my case, it was the latter. I was a bit miffed to find that my Starbucks charged for Wireless. WHAT?! Are you insane? Most people who come to work at cafes are broke high school/college students. You expect us to shell out extra for Wi-Fi? Psh.

Anyways, here’s me hard at work after a Tall Caramel Machiatto and a Tazo Berryblossum Tea.

senior spring...is a myth

2008-05-01T14:28:00.000-07:00

So, can I take a moment and say how much it sucks to being taking the APs your senior year? Yeah, the general consensus is "whatever...it's your senior spring...NOT!" Seriously, senior spring is a myth. Ah yes, that's right, all you underformers. It doesn't exist. Furthermore, who would really want to have worked really hard for four years of highschool and then let their grades plummet during their last semester of school? Puh-lease.

All I can say to those of you out there who are sharing a similiar fate- fighting! Keep it up. :D The scent of graduation is in the air...

21 film review and commentary

2008-04-24T11:42:00.000-07:00

So I couldn’t update all last week because stupid Blogspot.com claimed that I was making spam-entries. WTF? I made one entry and it’s already been decried as spam? Ah, my selfesteem...anyways, so I watched 21 recently and after revisiting MIT for CPW, I thought I had much to reflect on. Without further ado, here’s my review on 21.

What makes 21 so memorable is the fact that it is based on a true story. In the early 90’s, a group of MIT and Harvard students did indeed sweep millions of money from Las Vegas after successfully ‘card counting’. Adapted from a book called Bring Down the House by Ben Mezrich, the film adds pizzazz with some Oceans’ 11-like shots and thuggish villains.

To be honest, I had first been drawn to the film for Jim Sturgess and then the plotline. Although I was greatly disappointed that Sturgess had to relinquish his British accent for his role as Ben, he was still just as impressive as he was in Across the Universe. He manages to transition seamlessly from the honest diligent student to the party-hard Las Vegas gambler. Kevin Spacey plays Professor Rosa, one moment a praising mentor and the next a villainous money-grubbing leech. Kate Bosworth is mere eye candy and a big-shot name attached to the film. Asides from her array of chic outfits, Bosworth really doesn’t add to much to the overall experience. She’s a bit too pretty to be outfitted in clunky college sweatshirts so her role as Jill Taylor, Campbell’s love interest, is a bit unconvincing. Up-and-coming actor, Aaron Yoo actually managed to catch my eye. Playing a character with kleptomaniac tendencies and blurring the lines between pothead and genius, Yoo adds a splash of lightheartedness to 21.

Though the plotline is relatively simple and lacks the nuances of some other more famous gambling/swindling films, 21 makes up for it with its freshness. I felt like the whole card-counting strategy was a bit vague and wished that the film had explored it more. The dynamics of the characters were right on and it was both a thrilling and heartfelt film.

What kind of annoyed me later, though, was when my mom forwarded me an article from Sina.com (basically a Chinese online news site) that revealed the original character Ben Campbell (in Bringing Down the House, Kevin Lewis) was based off of was actually a Chinese-American named Jeff Ma. Apparently he was a Mechanical Engineering major at MIT and the really powerhouse behind the operations. He- unlike Ben Campbell- played for the sheer excitement of the game.

Now, why would an obviously Asian-American man be interpreted as a white middle-class student and then later, played in a film by a British young man? That just makes no sense to me at all. Though some may cry out, ‘Racism!’ what I find interesting is that the filmmaker felt like he needed to make the main character Caucasian so the audience could relate more. Why is this so? Hmmm...something interesting to think about.

fresh slipons for the spring~~

2008-04-07T12:27:00.000-07:00

So the point of this blog is to catalogue my reflections on style, design, being a poor student, and how although being a poor student, am still able to keep a toe in the style world.

One thing that has been of particular interest- Ked-like slipons. Although Keds have been revived with the launching of advertisements featuring the fresh-faced Mischa Barton, they are now being seen in more saavy designs that exude a much less street vibe. And yes, I know that many 14-year-olds are also caught in this hype but not only are these shoes ridiculously cute, they are easy to walk in, especially if one plans to go travelling.

My personal pair of slipons- that I picked up from Puma recently. A bit awkward looking at first but they grew on me the more I wore them.

Add a splash of color to any outfit!

For some reason, I'm particularly drawn to these dizzyingly mosaic prints.