The Persistence of Memory

1931

Salvador Dali

"A powerful reminder that our memories are much more like melting wax than hardened metal. 

They often change over time, far more than we realize." 

GIRLS NIGHT!

HUUUUUUH all the time. 

♥♥♥

Warm Bodies - Isaac Marion

“In my mind I am eloquent; I can climb intricate scaffolds of words to reach the highest cathedral ceilings and paint my thoughts. But when I open my mouth, everything collapses.”

Since finishing my first exam on Tuesday, I decided to reward myself with a little taste of my anticipating summer holiday. So I accidentally finished reading Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion in two days. By accident I meant forgetting all reality of exams and everything else. 

I have read Twilight by Stephanie Meyer and painfully endured the second book, New Moon (if I took a shot of vodka every time Bella describes the "hole" in the her chest, you'll be rushing me to the emergency room). I have also studied religiously for Year 10 English, Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. Now replace the vampire phenomenon with zombies and the two protagonists, "R" & Julie. You see what I did? I've just described Warm Bodies on the surface known to many. 

I initially began reading with those thoughts in my mind and I can admit I was blown away at how good and different this was from page one. My persistence for reading Twilight were to be thanked here, as I appreciated new and insightful writing that weren't always...you know, where the protagonist doesn't leap off cliffs to catch a glimpse of her lost vampire boyfriend. I'm not saying Twilight is atrocious, I just prefer it as light reading for my taste. This book wasn't entirely based as a remake for Romeo & Juliet as well, in my opinion this included some of Beauty & the Beast tale. How could  a beautiful woman love a brain eating monster? 

The dystopian setting in Warm Bodies also eludes me back to Orwell's Nineteen Eighty - Four and I too enjoyed this back thought while reading. Surprisingly I really do like the whole doomsday fear concept (in books!). I never knew I could sympathize with a zombie before. "R" narrates intelligently and philosophically on the world that he sees everyday. His knowledge of the human emotions and memories lost within, as well as the ability to communicate through only a few syllables comprises his heart warming nature. Sometimes he's just damn adorable. 

Of course there are those gory bits all zombie stories would elaborate on and I'd always see it on film, but never before have I ever considered my perspective on the way cells and neurons are annotated by R. I'm hoping that the film set to be released in 2013 will have at least some aspect on this. I also know that it will be dominantly narrated since the zombies don't really talk so I'm not sure how this will be tackled either. I already have a feeling of some parts that the directors will leave out so I'll be surprised if they did decide to include it. The last few chapters were a little disappointing I must say (those gimmie-more-more! thoughts), and I can already imagine the directors amplifying the story like they always do. Ah, this style of this novel has already made me skeptical about the film.  

A beast and his beauty. Romeo and his Juliet. I must emphasize this is not Twilight with zombies. Never. The pace of R & Julie is not too slow or rushed either. R can be the most cheesiest zombie you'll ever meet, while we are also reminded of the gruesome instincts they inevitably possess. Humans and zombies. A cure. A book so elegantly written, this will surely not be my last time reading it. 

Oh and bonus....I swear I found this on the internet when I finished reading! 

Goodbye October

A winter-y November to suit the weather for today. 

Spring has one more month to prove it's worth this year! 

2012 IS NEARLY OVER. 

Ryan Gosling

My obsession always reaches it's peak around this time of year. Everything just gets better and prettier and more exciting when you don't want to do something you're suppose to do. Last year if I recall was Nicholas Hoult. 

This year. 

(Look Sophia, I made myself my first meme. Aren't you proud of me?)

All the movies I've seen up to date: 

1997| Frankenstein and Me

1999| The Unbelievables 

2000| Remember the Titans 

2001| The Believer

2002| Murder by Numbers

2002| The Slaughter Rule

2003| The United States of Leland

2004| The Notebook 

2005| Stay 

2006| Half Nelson 

2007| Fracture

2007| Lars and the Real Girl 

2010| All Good Things

2011| Crazy, Stupid, Love

2011| Drive

2011| The Ides of March
2013| Gangster Sqad

2013| The Place Beyond the Pines
2013| Only God Forgives

Some happy photos before exams.

Free HARIBO lollies from uni. | On the go energy efficient heating while I attempt to do something productive. 

and...

ALL THE Gloria Jeans PHOTOS TAKEN SO FAR IN THE YEAR. 

I swear I've had a vanilla frap more than once. 

Tim Tam frap - Linda.

Hot chocolate - Caufield racecourse.

Mango fruzie - Lilian.

Raspberry Italian soda - Linda. 

Tangerine & grapefruit ice tea - Sophia & Tony. 

Creme brulee frap after Magic Mike - Lan. 

This was taken after Gloria Jeans with Yen. 

Frozen yogurt with lime Italian Soda - Sophie.

R U OKAY? Day - Jp.

Green tea with Sophia.

Table for forever alone after the first exam. 

Goodbye September

Alright, this is the month for all months. Let's get down to business (to defeat The Huns). Saying goodbye to Tumblr and everything that makes me happy like a giggling school girl for now. Good luck everyone ~ Hibernation mode: ON. 

Important: 

• Re - enrollment: 8th October - 19th November 
• NQT resumes 13th & 17th October
• Keep clocking up log book

Final assessments for the year: 

PSY

• Lecture Topic Quiz 5 
• Tutorial Assignment 2 
• EXAM: November 9th 2:30PM

EDF

• Workshop: October 10th 10AM 
• Assignment 2 

PHY

• Sugar Metabolism report 
• Gastric Simulation tutorial 
• Digestion Test 
• Exercise practical 
• EXAM: October 30th 9:30AM

Snip!

To all my short haired friends, I finally did it! 

No more "maybe next week" or "I don't think I'm ready" anymore. I feel so liberated with a whole heap of hair gone. I don't even remember the last time I had hair this short. I had missed the feeling of the razor nuzzling on my neck, although now it's very cold there. I'm so happy! There are no tears here. 

On my way to the hairdressers. 

This is very last photo of my long, naturally wavy and untamed hair. 

That is all mine. ALL MINE. 

...and the final product of the evening...

Tada! 

Cheers to no more spending those extra minutes in front of the mirror and quicker showers.  

Finding lost time.

The post title above derives from DBSK's 2006 Banjun Theater Drama. Oh how I missed those innocent days where the boys wore baggy jeans, loose tops and hair that well, by having a thick luscious fringe would go get the ladies. Asides from the nostalgic setting now, here the plot follows Park Yoochun who is reunited with his long ago high school friend, Hong Soohyun. She admits to him she is the one who was responsible for the fall out between him and his best friend Lee Sungmin - for they both fancied her at the time (typical or what?). If they could go back, she wishes for the two to make up for the lost time spent apart from each other. 

The concept of "finding lost time" has always been an intriguing and curious mindset. I'm fascinated by moments that could have been, would have been and maybe should have been. Where did these moments of supposed happenings have gone to? You're left finding yourself with missed opportunities and disappointment when it's all too late. Nothing can ever recreate that moment for you to rethink and take back or give all your actions. The regrets and the "what ifs?" all sink in, consuming you to the degree of the quote "Worry is just a misuse of imagination". You can't kill time because time only passes. 

I'm going to the dusty vault of my memories for this post. Picture me walking into a cob web covered wine cellar and pulling out the bottle not well known to others and kept under my breath. This is a time and here is my story.

...
It's been four years since we've first met and for the remaining three years we had no contact at all even till this day. Yet, I can still replay our time together over and over in my head. I still remember so clearly that cheeky smile of yours. 

We went to tutor every Sunday for a year. I was very young and nothing was more important than my homework. So it wasn't a surprise that I didn't take notice of you even though at times you'd be sitting right in front of me. Then I remembered the first thing you spoke to me. 

"Take a break (from work)". 

The ice had broken and just like that a very simple friendship brewed, nothing more or less. Laughs and smiles were always exchanged and sometimes a few wise words of advice. It ended on the last day of term where you were headed to university and I was preparing for my final year of high school. We both didn't swap each others contact details. We didn't have phones back then and I remembered you didn't really associate with social networking at that time when everyone asked for your details. This may be due to shyness or it's simply just part of your norm but it's the part where I still kick myself for it today for not exchanging any kinds of contact. 

I admit I've been fixated on this person for years. We both departed on mutual terms and we had never fought. Perhaps it's the idea of never seeing someone again and then you just pray that fate comes and puts you both back in the same time frame (kudos to OUAT references!). How I'd imagine us meeting again in a coffee shop cafe far away and we'd just start all over again. Just maybe, even this friendship of ours could have been so much more. This was a time too abrupt and I'm astounded that I should have realized earlier. Maybe I could have gone back to last day and did something different but it's just all too late. You've left me wanting more and I've fallen into a state of pure infatuation and delusions. I don't even know your surname or where you've been or anything at all and I probably never will. 

He is not a stranger, but this feels so strongly as if I'm missing someone who's never been in my life before. All this lost time between us is unfortunate and it'll only take a miracle to reclaim something a little precious. 

Wherever you are in this world, someone is always waiting for you. This is my lost time. Till we meet again. Take care. 

...

"You think you die alone, but that’s not true. Nobody is alone in this world. 

We have to coexist and take care of each other."

Azusa Hayano

Aokigahara  Suicide Forest Geologist

A very Yen-ry post.

A cosy catch up at Gloria Jeans with white hot chocolate (which was not sweet enough!) 

Prawn sticks

Impulsive Yumcha lunch of only four dishes across the road. 

Matcha Green Tea Latte & Grapefruit Green Tea - CHATIME

Shopping, and with a very refreshing end. 

Yen's belated Valentine's Day card. It's the best. I love it.