Ever get a sudden MSN instant message from a friend which makes no sense whatsoever? Sure that happens every other day I suppose depending on who your friends are but when it does happen to me, it pisses me off like someone just slapped me on the face. And I mean that literally. I can't stand it when someone (IF someone nudges me, it's a million times worse) messages me outta nowhere saying "The walrus is doing backflips on pancakes" or something like that. If it's an inside joke, please don't bother bringing it up to me as I'm obviously not part of it (unless I am being teased behind my back then har har). I don't care what your 'walrus' is doing or what 'pancakes' you're flipping.

When I say to the person "sorry you're not making sense", usually a long string of lol's or whatever comes along and they proceed to continue not making sense to me. Excuses include "I'm drunk/hungover/sleepy/talking to a million people at the same time". I would think, if you're too intoxicated/sleepy to make sense, please go to bed. Do anything other than coming online and making a fool of yourself. It's not glam. Never has been and never will be. It's not because I'm wound up tight or something but when I'm in the middle of doing Uni work whether it's last minute stuff or not, it's frustrating to have to listen to someone talk about something you don't have the foggiest about.

However, I can advise you to write a song when you're in that zone in hopes you can become the next Beatles popstar or something. After all, they like Walruses too. Haha.

Today's activities included: Having a debate which went pretty smoothly in class, watchign lecturers argue with students, running from my class with Kinna to my car because of a "cops are giving out tickets to everyone who parked outside" hoax, lunch at Q-Thai, sleeping it all off when I got home till 6PM



I take the interwebz vaiiiiiry seriouzly. B)

by pressao

It's our first time participating in Earth Hour. We switched off everything and broke out the candles. Spent an hour folding laundry while attempting to beat box with my sister. Failed badly but it was a lot of fun. Sadly not a lot of people on my street did it. Only the house in front of ours and next door took part.









As for the WC Qualifiers. Saw NO games. I was too tired/semi uninterested to bother waking up at 5 AM. But hey the scores are pleasing so far (unless you're a Portugal fan then nghhh). Managed to catch some of the end of Italy's game and watched Spain's first half before dragging myself off to do work (which I am not doing as you can see). I hate assignments like these. Gotta come up with 4 ads (print, television, radio and ambient) for Subway and Samsung. Can I just get Lampard to call Terry as a Samsung radio ad? It'd get a great response wouldn't it? Anyone wanna share any ideas I can use? I am desperate and uninspired D:

Just went to Looi's 20th + kavi's house. Had a couple of drinks there and lost my camera lens cap. We searched for 2+ hours while I downed some coke to help ease tension and finally found it JUST as we were leaving. Thank God. I ain't spending RM50 on a new one. However, my fingers (especially on my left hand) are tingling as usual after a few drinks and it hurtss like crap ... I read up on it and it's pretty common among HEAVY DRINKERS. I only had 2 1/2 glasses. I don't think I'll be consuming much alcohol soon as it can actually be a permanent thing if it happens a lot. *waves bye to getting drunk* Pictures soon.

KL Design week started yesterday. Was planning to go today but now I'm not too sure. Depending on who's going I guess then I'll make a decision later today. I haven't been down to KL since ... Thaipusam. Which is alright I guess because I average visits to KL to about 5 times a year haha.

Tried to coax mum into going to IKEA yesterday but failpotato-ed. I haven't been to a decent mall in weeks and I feel the effects of it. Not a shopaholic but I just need to be out. At least to a store I love ala IKEA. She said she was tired and whatnot and I tried to get Anne to go but alas, she was already out so that was a major bummer. Shall try in an hour to get mum to go again and see what comes out of that *rubs hands evily* I heart IKEA.

Workwise: Sketched out all my fonts last night thanks to my (very unused) Illustration Markers from last semester and my trusty Artline 0.2 pen. Next, to scan them in and trace them out on my second worst fear of all - Illustrator. First place goes to InDesign. Really need a mac for all the FontLab benefits. And the fact they get Helvetica as a default font. Poo poo.

Watched Ep.3 of Diplomatic Immunity. I gotta say, I think Craig has a thing for partial nudity in this series because it's twice in three episodes, he's stripped down to almost nothing *shivers*. I think Leilani's growing on me too. I love her name. Leilani. I might name my next pet that because I don't ever expect to have kids to name >=D

Aunt and Cousin are flying down from Melbourne next Thursday so from then on, I shall be tied up in PJ and bound to the steering wheel of my car. I sense a lot of petrol flowing and money deminishing D: It's all good I guess. I only get to see them once a year. Wish I could go back to Melbourne and chill for the rest of the month. I just ended my break and now I need another haha. crap.

I miss doing those things. I want to get on a plane again, eat quality authentic Italian food, perhaps not watch my sister chew gum, and just ... chill. Where has all the freedom to do whatever gone? Everything is so complicated and ridiculous now. Everything has it's consequences and everything is not as it seems at first. I miss being carefree (not that I was in those pictures but you know what I mean).

I think this country is slowly starting to disagree with me. I can't get along with most of the people here. I'm labeled most things that are ludicrous to me, I can't speak the language and I can't understand most things about it anymore. It's not because I feel I'm too good for my own country but I just feel that there's almost nothing to love about it anymore. It's a brilliant place and I love my friends ... the food and some of the environments here. I love the location of the country, I love the weather (as hard as that is to believe) but it's just the mentality of people that drags the whole thing down you know. Perhaps this is because I don't live in a highly urbanised city but rather a small (yet diverse) town with an alarmingly high crime rate.

One simply cannot go for an evening stroll here and walk their dogs or watch their kids play at the playground without fearing there's a pedophile or kidnapper lurking around the bushes nearby. I loved when I lived in Cyberjaya, I could walk out of my house at 7PM and just walk around the area and enjoy the breeze/sunset. I don't claim to be nature freak but I love enjoying it when I can. When I am back home, I can't leave my house for any nature reasons (unless my jamban breaks down or something lol) because there is simply none.

I hate responsibility and reputations and wish they'd just leave me alone.

As usual, I compile a list of ALISON WANTS:



01. Hansa Latrava is the latest design added to the Hansa series of bathroom faucets from Munich, Germany based Octopus Design. Who doesn't want a faucet like this right?



02. Nice shelving units. Cause I don't have enough. *quick trip to IKEA*



03. Tablet. Tablet. TABLET



04. A beautiful country life, and a darling yellow cabinet, in Norway via Bo med barn. A simple cabinet will do just fine too. It's small things like these which makes a home beautiful. I love minimal pieces.



05. Faber, a Netherland’s based manufacturer of fireplaces, have released some inspirational photos of their 2009 collection of fireplaces. Walaupun dalam negara ini memang tak perlu guna fireplace. Saje aje lah.



06. And a sorry puppy.



07. and a mischievous looking Craig Parker *hugs*.



08. Day by the sea.



09. Or a week in Santorini Island (Greece)



10. A home with a view (and vanishing pool would be a plus).

God I'm marerialistic.

Just had a very f**ked up conversation with an old "friend" from school. So here's what I'll conclude:

because i go to a private university, i am not rich
because i can afford my fees, i do not use my own money to pay for it
because i can travel, it doesn't me i ooze liquid gold
because i cannot speak chinese, i don't feel that i am too good for my race
because i own my own (6 year old) car, it doesn't mean i sit on a diamond hill
because i lived out on my own, doesn't mean i drink, smoke, party my face off and have random sex partners
because i know how to live life in the real world, it does mean im not as ignorantly stupid and shitheaded like you.

so grow some balls/brains, come back and talk to me like a decent human being. until then, go f**k yourself in a bathroom with one of your textbooks einstein and leave me the f**k alone.

If i ever, ever have to endure another motherf**king conversation which consists of me being a "rich kid", I will personally drive my rich kid car to their house, use my bare rich kid hands to shove a f**king poker so high up their asses, they won't know where the hell the stick begins and ends. The next time I hear the sentence "Woo, you're a rich kid", I'll reply with "Woo, you're not". I'm done being nice and explaining myself to jackasses who sit so high up their insanity thrones. Just go fly a kite.

Oh, good to be a Liverpool fan.
I can actually say we played well. Not "the other team were crap and we were slightly better." Nah, we're actually playing a whole lot better.
Woke up this morning trying to remember what the hell happened last night because it felt like a black out. :D Smile on my face as I remembered. International break. Why?



"It ain't over till Pepe dances on your pitch" - RAWK.

Did more browsing. And today's site is Lovely Package!


Kevin Hockin from Boxed Water sent us some photos of their newly launched product. With a package that is more sustainable than plastic bottles, they’ll be giving away 20% of all profits. 10% to world water relief and 10% to reforestation foundations.

Designed by Milk | Country: Sweden | Fonts used: Futura

“Swedish advertising agency Milk has turned the classic white Arla milk carton black.

It is a campaign for WWF’s Earth Hour. A worldwide event encouraging people to raise environmental awareness by turning off the lights for one hour.”

Beautiful detailed packaging for Brooklyn based artisan chocolate brand, Mast Borthers Chocolate. If anyone knows who is behind this amazing design work please let us know.

Images via Shop Composition.

Fonts used: Metro.

“The drink has been around since 1931 and operated during World War II with dirty means a tough campaign against his greatest enemy, Coca-Cola. During the 1960s it seemed as if the African Cola was losing cola war in the German market. In an attempt to gain market share redesign was the bottle of Jupp Ernst.”

“A concept bottle design containing pure alpine snow powder, without any additives used for aftershave ~ as nature intended. The target audience for this aftershave is for men who appreciate all in nature, for
example Sir David Attenborough.

The braille simply reads, ‘pure snow’ on one side and ‘aftershave’ on the other. Additional information is not necessary as it is what it is. The way the Braille falls down the bottle like snow is very deliberate, it is also molded into the glass, and this takes away an additional sticker.”

Thanks to Aesthetic Apparatus for sending in this great work that they designed and printed for Andrews & Dunham teas.

Fonts used: Futura Black, hand lettering.

Seriously. If you're a packaging admirer, check out the Lovely Package. It's pretty solid stuff :D

Ehee. Gotta love Danny Murphy. That second goal was stunning. Good on ya Fulham.
Oookay Chelsea now. >__>
This better not be a fuckin jinx
Crouch scoring against Everton? Cmon this is awesome.

I guess I'll be getting Season One courtesy of a family friend via Ebay. I'd buy the whole thing myself but they don't even sell this series in Malaysia. Epik failpotato. I've been wanting to watch Kevin Sorbo on TV for ages (and it doesn't mean any of that Andromeda junk)

Also, watched Yes Man on DVD last night. Finally got my arse up to watch something new. It wasn't as good as I thought it'd be but I guess it's an alright movie. It's not as cheesy as you might think (or hope) it is which I guess depends on it's audiences. Coincidentally enough, The Mask was on TV after that so we watched that too. Anyway, I finally noticed Bradley Cooper on Yes Man properly for the first time.



uh. hello. If i could land a guy with eyes as blue as his, wow.

To more serious stuff: I was talking to a friend a few days ago on MSN. Let's call them X. I invited X to come to uni with me for a day since X had a day off. X said "No thanks. I feel kind of uneasy just sitting in your uni for over 10 minutes." That lead me to ask X what they meant. Apparently X feels that my uni caters just for the upper class yuppies who flash they cash at everyone's faces. This isn't new I guess since half the country assumes the same thing about us. But I guess it's different when your closest friends think the same way. X has seen many of my uni mates and I can guarantee on my favourite Liverpool poster that none of them behave in any way "flashy" as X mentions.

X went on to compare the feeling of sitting in my uni to "sitting in a hotel room with a bunch of CEO's and VIP's". I wanted to laugh so badly at this comment because 80% of that is untrue. One doesn't need to be the son of a sheik to attend my uni. Most of the students that are there are on scholarship even. I'll admit, there are a few people who do walk around in nothing but designer apparel and the latest iPhone or whatever. But not everyone does that. And tell me what university/college doesn't have a few people who fall into that category? It's not just LimKokWing which boasts a higher class society of students. And that being said, not EVERYONE in it is from that social status. I can hardly afford to drive to uni every week let alone walk around with "bling" around my neck. My problem is that people are just too quick to assume that people from this Uni are "Rich, stupid kids who buy their way into uni."

Dude, there are people who buy their way into any uni let alone this one. Do you think everyone get's into Ivy League Universities because they are SMART? Open your eyes and listen with your ears and you'll find out that there are some students from an elite generation of families who do the same thing. And yet, you do not hear anything like "Oh THAT uni. Yeah kids buy their way in there." Because? They're "IVY LEAGUE" remember?Everyone who gets in there is automatically prodigal son of a genius. I don't mean to accuse anyone from those uni's if you're wondering that. I just want to highlight the worlds assumption of private universities and how they accept people when they do not fall under the "elite" group of universities. Or maybe it's because we're an Art influenced university and therefore Art students are a whole lot stupider than Med/Science/Engineering/Basically a 'REAL' job students. That view on Art Vs Science has been presence since the beginning of time. Especially in this country. Why else do they place the students with "higher" grades automatically into science streamed syllabuses when they don't want to be there?

Anyway, back to my situation with X. I more or less told X whatever I mentioned above and let it be. I cannot constantly be arguing the case that my uni only accepts "rich kids" because I can probably write a small book about it. I'm fed up trying to tell people that we're not all from that upper class society and we walk around like kings in uni because, sorry but that's the real world for you. When one finds something intimidating, complain about it. It only makes the situation easier :D I rest my case. If you wanna assume we're all rich, yeah ok we're all rich :D Whatever I say can't change your mind anyway. Sorry if you met a bad apple from my uni which led you to believe so but hey, who's to say you won't meet another tomorrow from your own university? Then what will you say?

RIP Natasha Richardson.

I really loved the only two movies I've seen with her in them : The Parent Trap and Maid in Manhattan.
I'll really miss her. She was my mum's age.

I just need a break. A break from everything. Life, university, friends, people, humanity, myself.
I want to go out, loosen up, just leave the world behind and be with my own thoughts and fantasies even just for a day.

My head is so fuzzy at them moment. I've spent hours handwriting research of Australia's Immigration Policies and I am nowhere near done yet. Why did I delay this till the last second? Silly Alison. Also, I've emailed 6 Australian designers about my assignment so I'm hoping for at least ONE reply by tomorrow. Hopefully it will be the Asian girl too cause it's vital I have the input of an Asian Designer here.

"Take my hand, take my hand yeah take my hand"

Not to mention I got an unpleasant surprise from someone today. I'm not even too sure if this someone is the someone I'm thinking about too. Won't say more on this matter because I don't intend to discuss it any further :D

My mind is so phucked up now. It's insane. I think I'll just curl up in bed, shove my headphones on and listen to Armin or Oceanlab ... or Trading Yesterday (which will NOT help this situation)

Distractions. Stupid distractions. Thank God I got at least my Design Research done before got distracted. Now I can't even make up coherent sentences. This phase better move by quickly or I'll kick someone in the nuts. And I mean it. CRAIG WHERE ARE YOU WHEN I NEED YOU!?

Listened to this song and just started to weep. I miss Trading Yesterday (The Age of Information as they are known now). Not particularly thinking of anyone when I listen to this but I think it's just the lyrics.

As I write yet another FB note, I shall contemplate what to do before tomorrow. Should I ...

A. Finish sketching my lame fonts?
B. Start deeper research into Australia's migration policy and racism issues for Design Research
C. Just chill, have dinner and watch Tropic Thunder?

lol. I think you know which one I'm leaning towards now.

Was just browsing through the regular graphic design/typography/advertising blogs and simply flickr today as I am in need of inspiration desperately.



01 (Tokyo-based Stephan Hauser's amusing bathroom dustbin addresses the way (and place) that we guys like to read. See more of his portfolio here.)

How awesome is that? I think it is because I do that to my bin in my room. Shove books on top of it to conceal it. As for actually reading while you're on the can, I don't know haha. I'm not that kind of person. This is just purely for lol!fun.


02 who remembers any of these? (source)
for my coursemates who are suffering through the hardships of creating fonts (like I am now, here's a handy guide to making fonts. Alison highly recommends)


03 Agency: GITAM/BBDO, Israel

04 David Airey's list of pros and cons of being a freelancer

PRO:
You set your own hours.

CON:
You’re expected to work 24 / 7.

PRO:
You set your own rates.

CON:
How do you know when you’re selling yourself short?

PRO:
You’re doing the job you love.

CON:
Many people don’t appreciate your design education.

(more in the link)

------ END ------

Now I need to run off and finish typography.

ICING. On. the. bloody. cake.
Liverpool 4 - 1 Manchester United
thanks.

Went shopping with the family at Summit USJ today and what do people usually get when they go to Summit? DVD's ... of course.



These movies were bought (some against my will) and one more which was a Donnie Yen movie was completely in Chinese so I couldn't find the poster for it. failpotato. Just so people know, my choices were : Paul Blart / Tropic Thunder / Underworld.

Then we headed to Popular Bookstore which was having a sale. Like stock clearance prices. 90% for members. I've seen women claw at each other at the malls/boutiques in movies and this was exactly it. Mothers and their young sons pushing through crowds to get that last copy of (insert random Chinese storybook here) and teens grabbing at Harry Potter / Football books / Design and cookbooks while the fathers and boyfriends went insane at the DVD section. I had a few books in my arms (lofts, dream apartments, Terry Goodkind's Chainfire, random PageOne books) but ended up just getting one.

Original price: 89.90 / Discount price: 90%. You do the math.

Sadly, I haven't read the previous 8 books (lmao) so I'm awfully ahead with this book. I'll have to go look again tomorrow or Monday hoping to find the previous books. Another failpotato

Then I thought about something. Not that it's important but I've just always pondered: Is Hans Isaac (local actor) an Indian dude with what we call Francis Light/Vasco de Gama Syndrome? So I looked him up and it says "Gerald Hans Isaac or more popularly known as Hans Isaac is a Malaysian actor, producer, director and a former model. He is of Indian, Filipino, Spanish and Eurasian parentage, his mother is of Filipino and Spanish descent and his father is Indian Malaysian." So I guess he can actually talk the talk lol. And there's my question answered. :D (used to have a small crush on him too before he got ... crappy D:)

ANYWAY, everyone's so excited about tonight's game. I've been chatting with more Manc fans than Kopites sadly so I'm pretty well bashed up already and they game hasn't even started. haha. Some were nice enough to "wish" me luck haha. If we come off with a win tonight, I'll have so much more to say to them tomorrow >=D So yes. Here's to hoping.

I love my yeendian bradduhs and seesters lah. My world would be shite without em :D

Haven't actually talked about Uni/Life for a bit.



It's been a hectic(ish) three weeks into the 5th semester. I still haven't gone too far behind on assignments. Just some printing problems here and there. Nothing I can't handle. I still haven't sketched some Display Fonts for Typography *winces* but I have 4 hours to do it tomorrow so it shouldn't be too bad.

Fixed up my schedule to ensure I get Wednesdays and Fridays off (take replacement classes on other days la of course) because it costs way too much for me to drive from Shah Alam to Cyberjaya 5 days a week. Thankfully the lecturer understood my situation and let me join 5A for their typography classes (p.s, I don't get to see some annoying people from 5B *winks*)

It was really great to be back though. Meeting up with old friends and making new ones. Hanging out with them is real good fun too. Going back to Cyberia was fun as well as I haven't really been there since I moved out. It's changed a little since but it still feels like home after a while. I miss living there and wish sometimes I could go back to D-17-B for a week.

Back to uni work: I feel a little lackluster(ed) this semester because we don't get to actually design anything. I mean nothing worth a Photoshop visit (cept maybe Typography). I'm alright with writing but the whole researching process just tires me beyond reason. I don't mind it but I don't like it. I just want to work freely from my own mind. Why does everything need a reason? Why do I need a rationale? Can't I just have my own freewill? That kind of is art isn't it? Perhaps not Graphic Arts I guess :(

Watched these two movies yesterday. One (Kite Runner) I own on DVD and the other I watched on HBO. For some reason, there are some days I just would prefer to sit down and enjoy a foreign film (in terms of them not being based in USA/England/any other English speaking country). It gently reminds me that there is more than just action thrillers and romantic comedies out there. There are simply just stories. Another movie I would have loved to watch yesterday would have been The Pianist. Real stories of real people (although I don't know if Partition is a true story though).



Khalid Adballa. If I ever get to meet him, I'd run up to him and just give him a hug for such a great performance in the Kite Runner. Every time I watch the scene of him reading Hassan's letter, I break down and weep. It brought my mum to tears too and she doesn't shed a lot of them for movies. (not to mention it really makes me wanna go fly a kite ... in the best way possible)

As for Partition, I haven't seen it enough to come with a full opinion on it yet. It's just more amusing for me to see Kristin Kreuk as an Indian/Muslim woman. Although she does it pretty well. And the fact that it's Jimy Mistry as Gian Singh, pulls me to watch this movie even more. But it's ending is pretty screwed up. Totally ruined the movie for me although others may disagree. Sometimes you just need to have a happy ending, or if not, then at least don't make the sad ending end in a stupid way. Plus it's better than your average Bollywood flick. They don't break into song in this one. Haha.

Gonna have a 2nd game of badminton with Nisha (& Anne) tomorrow. Hopefully the court won't be as booked/full as it was on Friday. Seeing as it's a holiday, it might just be. So we're gonna try to go at lunchtime when everyone's busy stuffing their faces >=D My right arm still hasn't recovered from Friday's game. Thanks to not warming up. But I still got it. Badminton remains Alison's only sport she's good at actually playing. Wish I could go swimming but there's hardly any decent pools around here without people and their bazillion children cannonballing as though as it's Ulu Yam or something. Plus no one really wants to go swimming D: