All Black

What I'm Listening to: All Black by Good Charlotte. I didn't like Good Charlotte before, but some of their songs are rather catchy. (MediaFire won't let me upload the mp3 right now, so check back later)

It's been a rather long day today. I didn't have time to have anything for breakfast because I spent all my time on getting dressed for class. It helps to explain why I seem to have lost weight recently, especially since I've been following a strict popcorn and cereal with soy diet. The exact reason why I am restricting myself like this is rather complicated (i.e. I don't really know).

In accordance with the title of this post, pretty much everything I'm wearing is all black, except for maybe some silver accents. My nails, boots, eye makeup, lace gloves, dangling earrings, wrist cuff, rings, new phone (I'll make a post about that sometime), both jackets, sunglasses, stockings, boots, the stripes on my shirt, Emporio Armani watch - all black. I get very much annoyed when I get a run in my stockings, doesn't matter what kind. I finally found one in good condition this morning (that's why it took me so much time) and guess what? By lunch break, I got a run along my left leg. I'm not sure how it happened. Last time, the zipper on my boots got caught on my fishnets and I couldn't come up with any feasible way to fix it, so I was rather disheartened. Today, I decided I would layer them and neither of the flaws would be very visible and I'm happy to say that my plan worked fairly well :]

I'm not sure why the quality of these photos are so poor, but I will look into it and try to adjust the settings. The "House Mom", Mary, who is in charge of cleaning our building was hanging around and that made me really nervous, as you can see from the strange expression on my face...

My brother picked out the silk stripped shirt when he was home for Thanksgiving weekend, I had bought the blazer for DECA competitions but I've had the pleated skirt for quite a while now, but I didn't really have the audacity to wear it. I got it at a store for little girls...just making up for lost time...

I bought the lacey gloves and the pyramid-studded cuff yesterday at Ardene's at Conestoga Mall and it counted as one of the 3 for $10 items. I am wearing the chrome spinner ring and the four-leaf clover one at this moment. I forgot to take a picture of all my earrings, but they're not very exciting, so maybe next time.

It's gloomy and rainy outside today, but I wore my sunglasses because I'm trying to be optimistic ^^
I was wearing that star pendant and chain this morning, but when I got to Davis Centre just before Economics, I saw that there were some local vendors and took a look at what they had to offer.


I managed to bargain the price for the two pins and the ring to $45 altogether.


I was wearing the chrome star cocktail ring this morning and it had occurred to me that I do not own a diamond ring - yet. I've been playing with the idea of getting a brilliant diamond-cut ring for the past few days and I told my mom about this one night when I called home. Keep in mind: my father was asleep on the couch during this conversation on speaker phone...

Me: You know what's completely off-topic and just occurred to me?
My Mom: What?
Me: I want a massive diamond ring.
My Mom: Real or fake?
(Before I got a chance to reply)
My Dad: Plastic...
Me: Isn't he asleep?
My Mom: I think so, looks like it.
Me: So he's talking in his sleep?
My Mom: I don't know if he's actually awake, but we shouldn't talk about him anymore when we think he's asleep...

The next day, my mom called to tell me that she bought me a Russian diamond four-leaf clover pendant. I promised my mom that we'd go shopping for diamond rings this weekend and I'd buy one for her. We don't need some guy to get them for us XD

I am really, really looking forward to the weekend :]

"Wine" & Cheese

Sherri, the Don of my building, is hosting a "wine" (most of the people in this building are underage) & cheese night. We were invited to dress up, but I was pretty much the only one who put any effort into it at all. I never miss an occasion to dress nicely :]

I have to go submit my assignment now and it's about 3 degrees Celsius outside right now, but it feels so much colder, so I'm going to have to change out and switch shoes or risk a very embarrassing fall on the slippery wet ground. And yet another bruise...

(Sorry about the poor posture and lighting, that assignment was some seriously back-breaking work. The other pictures are even worse).

Halloween at E3

For this month's East Cup, we had to decorate our lounge for Halloween. I dressed up a bit as the undead, but my camera is out of batteries, which also explains the lack of posts. Luckily, Simon took pictures of the pumpkin I carved. Unfortunately, we didn't win because E4 went all out, so we tied for second place. I ended up stabbing it with forks, knives and scissors, but they're not included in this picture. I also added red paint to its innards for a more grisly effect. I forgot to take off my watch, so it got a bit wet, but it still works.

The Tudors

I am currently watching The Tudors, for the sole reason that Jonathan Rhys-Meyers stars in it. My hearing is very poor, so it is difficult for me to follow it sometimes, but I think I manage alright.


In honour of the show, I am wearing my elaborate red shirt today. Again, I happened to bump into my Algebra instructor who commented on my absence yesterday (I slept in because I wasn't feeling well), as well as the high collar that he expects would be uncomfortable. Actually, this one actually feels better than the previous shirt I had on last time.


I got the shirt at Pacific Mall, I can't remember for how much exactly, but I really doubt it was expensive. I got on the wrong bus on the way back from Grand River Hospital last week and ended up at Conestoga Mall, so I called up Gregory to keep me company and help me find my way back. We wandered around and I got the pin at Le Château for $4.99. I've been searching for a cameo pin, but I really like this one, even though it's not quite what I had in mind. Good price, too. I have a whole collection of metal rose earrings, necklaces and rings, and I thought the red rose dangling earrings and the ring would go well with my outfit today. I got the pants for $10 with 10% off, so it was about $9. :]

I'm a bit annoyed today because I think I've lost my Computer Science course notes. I brought them with me to the exam yesterday and I think I forgot to bring them back with me. I hope it turns up soon.

UW Style (or lack of)

I took these pictures in the full length mirror in the washroom here at residence this morning before I put on makeup because I forgot. I started editing them during Accounting, then I got to Economics and tried to upload them, but blogger was having some kind of problem, and I had to wait until after Algebra and Calculus to get back to writing this post. I have an Algebra midterm tonight at 7-8:15PM and I really should be studying but I'm taking time out right now because I just got out of class.

Hmm, my face looks really round in those pictures. I think it's the collar that does it. :(

I got the top half of my outfit during the shopping expedition my brother and I went during Thanksgiving weekend and we had a blast. The white shirt was $30, the white blazer was $40-45 or something like that and the vest was just $20 less 10% with my SPC card, so about $18. I made a post on the skirt last time and it was purchased as part of a combo, so I can't really say how much it was. I've been waiting for an opportunity to wear my fishnets. I 'm a bit annoyed that the zipper on my boots got caught on the other leg while I was walking and so there's a hole, but I'm not too upset because I don't think it cost me very much at all. They'll be on sale again this year after Halloween. XD

I would have worn different boots, but I had four classes today and involved a fair bit of rushing around, so these were my safest bet. No PUMA shoes for this occasion. I need to buy proper semi-formal dress shoes. Without really high heels. Not PUMA. Not running shoes. Not long boots, because I already have several pairs. Short ones would be okay.

In general, people here at UW dress rather poorly, in my humble opinion. They can't be bothered to switch out of their pajamas before getting to class. That is, if they bother going at all. It shouldn't be that difficult! Even if they don't go to class, a lot of these people don't even have the decency to dress properly when wandering around in public, across campus.

My Algebra teacher asked me if my shirt was uncomfortable because the collar seemed really high. I don't know, I don't mind it too much. I think it might have been in comparison to what everyone else was wearing, or rather, the baggy clothes he was wearing.

The following is an excerpt from the conversation I had with Gregory during Economics class today. I hate that class...

Gregory: "[UW is] dork central. There are more guys who at least try than girls. Any Asian girl who can't get an Asian boyfriend easily without trying can get a dork white guy, so nobody tries. And for dorks, fashion is only about getting in a relationship. Then the track pants come out."

That's a very accurate description of how things are around here.

Tragus Attempt #2

The first time I tried piercing my left tragus it tore out when I was changing clothes after a few days. I was working on catching up on Financial Accounting when I had an overwhelming urge to mutilate or harm something this morning. I tried a number of things to distract myself; some made it better, others worse. I debated and discussed it and decided that I wanted to pierce something, so I chose the tragus again since it has now healed. I feel so much better now.

I have another picture from a year or two ago and I had more piercings then. A lot of them have filled up since then, except for the seven loyal ones (5 on along left, 2 on right lobe).

I'm in too much pain and I have too much work to go on that road trip today which is a shame, so Sherri, my don, is going all by herself because everyone canceled on her. I think I might do my laundry today and maybe go to the lab to do my CS assignment. Maybe meet up with Gregory. I should also start working on the Algebra assignment.

I got a chance to chat with a number of my friends, some of them whom I haven't contacted in a little while, like Grant and ES, which was very pleasant.

I hope this Ear-Clit piercing is secure enough not to tear out again. Not fun. My tragus really isn't very big, so there's not a lot of space for it. I also left my proper earrings at home, so I'm just going to settle for these studs.
Maybe I should try the mall around here and see if they have Ardene's or somewhere that sells earrings for cheap. An industrial bar would be nice. I'd do new piercings for that. I also want a tattoo, but one thing at a time...

Prozzäk's Hot Show

Prozzäk was really 'kewl' in the late nineties with its state-of-the-art animation and highlights on futuristic information technology trends, such as ICQ and websites (www.nevergetoveryou.com) I had no idea they were "still around". Remember the "Incoming Contact," "User is Online," and all the UH OH's?!?



I'm kind of disappointed that www.nevergetoveryou.com isn't an actual site anymore. I think they might have only been popular in Canada though, I'm not sure. However, Prozac is quite popular everywhere ;)

Ring Ring

I've had Life in Cartoon Motion by Mika for some time and I never really got into it until late in the middle of the night. I haven't been sleeping properly for over a month so I lie in bed awake and listen to my iPod. Playing solitaire in the dark used to work because it'd get my eyes sore, but I think they've adapted since I've been trying that every night and I'll bet I've damaged them. Ring Ring is definitely my favourite song by far, so I wonder why he released it as a 'bonus track'.

A Sorta Fairytale

I just thought I'd post this video I saw so many years ago (2002) and I've kept the song on my mp3 players and iPod. It was the video by Tori Amos with Adrian Brody that really made an impression in my mind. You'll see why...

Impulsive Skulls

This post is dedicated to Grant, the only reason why I'm writing it. The pictures aren't very good because I wasn't feeling well. When my mom got home, she commented that I looked so sad and it was only after she mentioned that I noticed that I really was. I don't know why. A busy day with a lack of sleep, plenty of anxiety, hunger with nausea and a stomachache would do it, but I don't think that was all.

I was at Pacific Mall on Sunday, where I bumped into Francis who was killing time until his Casino Rama bus arrived, so we wandered around. I hadn't really intended on buying very much. Really, I didn't. Somehow I was missing $200 when I left and I was still owing $60.

JCY House was having a "sale", like they always do at any given time. They just tag everything in the store with ridiculous prices then offer 70% off. If you so much as stop to look at something, the sales ladies are immediately hovering around you, reminding you that there's a sale and if you're really interested, they'll "see what they can do."

I've been pining after this jacket for a long time now. The first one I saw had a purple design and they claimed that they didn't have it in anyother colour, while trying to convince me to buy it anyways. What's wrong with purple? It's one of my least favourite colours, next to green. After calling all of their ubiquitous stores, they found that they had one left in the warehouse that was closed on Sunday, so they'd call me when it arrived and I'd have to go pick it up on Monday. That turned out to be a lie. They had actually just gotten it transferred from the Times Square branch, but they didn't want me to go personally or else they'd lose their commission.

The collar and belt can be left open or they can be fastened.

On the back, there's lovely pinstripe design and a pocket on the left arm.

There's also a removable hood and there's a second smaller collar underneath it.
There are two pockets on the front, as well as two extra ones on the inside. These clothes aren't very typical of JCY House, because they usually just carry a lot of casual, brand name clothing and apparel, such as those of PUMA, Emily the Strange, True Religion, Paul Frank, and Miss Sixty sometimes. Did I mention that everything is tagged at unbelievable prices?

Yes, I know my hair is getting rowdy. I'm going to get a haircut soon. It's always in my face. I once chopped off a lot of my hair in an effort to lose weight. There was one point when I had seriously thought it through and was ready to shave my head bald, but that's a story for another time. I should probably dye it black again, because I kind of fried it so it looks brown and damaged. I wish I still had my bright red hair, but it fades into a glowing orange too quickly and I used to have to keep re-dying it all the time. Auburn or maroon are both very nice, but they have a tendency to fade to brown very quickly. I like it very unnaturally black, even for a Chinese person, to the point that it's very shiny and almost has blue highlights. Of course, that's hard to maintain for very long, but it's the least fussiest of all the colours. Because I'd have to wash the dye out in the shower, I'd better wait until my *ahem* wounds heal.

I had really only wanted the jacket, but since they thought that they only had the purple print jacket, the lady started to push me into buying the matching skirt in grey. If there was a grey skirt, then wasn't there a grey jacket? It was sold out and I should have come earlier. But I did and it hadn't existed at that time. After the incredible discount on some outrageous sum, she said it would be $110. That is definitely over my allocated budget, but if I really wanted it, "we can talk about the price later."

I have to admit that it was very appealing. It's laced up with ribbons on each side of the outer skirt made up of numerous ruffled layers. It has lace at the bottom of the inner skirt. Pinstripes. Shiny silver buttons. Silkscreen-style prints. Gothic lettering. All of my favourite things :]
I couldn't resist. It also came with a hilarious detachable suspender/hood. The hood is huge. My head disappears when I put it on. In the photo of the two skirts separated, there's a flap at the waist of the outer skirt, which is placed below the inner skirt. The flap is used to fasten the two rings of the suspender straps to the outer skirt. There was also another set with shorts worn underneath in the place of the skirt. Shorts? I never wear shorts. Skirts are infinitely better :]
Say no to "skorts". Just. Say. No.

At first she was telling me how the skirts were independent of each other and so I could wear them separately - the top one shown above on its own and the lower one over anything, such as jeans. She asked me for my size and since they vary from brand to brand, I really didn't know. Plus, my size is always changing. She took a look at me and guessed far below what I expected would have fitted me. How flattering ;)

She picked out a pair of True Religion jeans, but they really didn't look nice with that shade of blue. I had to rummage through my closet before taking these photos and I was delighted to find a pair of jeans with a dark brown wash from Buffalo Jeans that suit the outer skirt. The top shown above was purchased for $25 the last time I was at Pacific Mall. I like lace and ruffles.

Since she failed to demonstrate that the skirt would go with any pair of jeans and it didn't fit with the dress pants I was wearing when I went in, so I was pretty convinced that it wouldn't match anything else and I wouldn't be able to wear them separately as she claimed. Then she pulled out the matching pants. Unlike the skirt that I was persuaded to buy as a replacement for the jacket, I had absolutely no intention of buying the pants. She made me try them on, just to show how the skirt could still be versatile.

Just as I was about to refuse to buy the pants and insist on just the skirt, another sales lady came to say that they found a grey one. That's when she pulled out the calculator and punched in a jumble of numbers to tell me that the original price was close to $500. That's my cue to gasp and say that I couldn't afford it. But wait! Guess what? I get a special discount. Even more if I bought them together. How much is each item on its own? That wasn't important; they would be sold as a combination so they couldn't really tell me.

I didn't get a chance to say that I didn't want the pants. It just got added up with everything else and I'd have to take them if I wanted a special deal. But if I didn't buy it all, I'd save even more. She told me I "should" buy it as a set - it just made sense.

I can't remember, but I think after my discount, it was going to be $335 or something like that. There was no way I was paying that much. They gave in and said the best they could do would be $285. I don't think so. They asked me how much I was willing to pay. Maybe $220 - $230. That was unreasonable. That was only the beginning of the negotiations.

I started going on and on about how I don't have much of an allowance, how long I had to save up, etc. But it's from Japan. How about $250? Studio Tokyo is a brand name. Really? I've never heard of it. She showed me a picture of a Japanese girl wearing it in a magazine. It was the most I had ever spent on just three articles of clothing. $280 was the lowest price. I don't think my parents would approve, they're very conservative, they'll get angry at me, etc. They couldn't lower it, they really couldn't. I don't really have that much in savings. How about $250? Absolutely not. $255? No, $280.

I was starting to get anxious because I was worried that I was running out of time, but I wasn't willing to just give in. Come on, $255. Fine, fine, $275. That's still too much, I think I might only be able to afford the jacket and skirt.... After much more bartering, we finally arrived at $265. While she was getting her invoice pad out, I asked if we could just even up the number. She seemed appalled and there was absolutely no way that they would charge $250. No, no, I meant $260. She reluctantly gave up on the $5. No tax if I paid cash. Of course.

I only had $230 on me. I wasn't lying when I said I was pressed for cash. Since I wasn't getting the jacket and I still had another article of clothing I was planning on buying from another shop, I paid $200 with part of it being a deposit. I left my name and number but also wrote all of that information down - how much I paid, how much I was still owing. She wrote me a receipt and told me that she'd call me as soon as it arrived. She gave me a plain plastic shopping bag, and because I collect bags of any kind, I asked for a paper JCY House bag - "umm, to advertise for you" - they were more than happy to give me one.

While I was waiting for my dad to arrive, it finally registered that I had spent $260 on three articles of clothing. I usually choose to have more items at a bargain price. I started convincing myself that it was okay because I really liked the clothes and I kind of got a good deal. It's all just a scam. The customer is supposed to feel a strong sense of satisfying achievement. I was wondering how I would get to the mall again tomorrow. I started making my way towards the bank to use their ABM machine, so I wouldn't have to ask whoever might be driving me to make a stop at the bank. I was rather annoyed when I was halfway there and remembered that my dad had told me to leave my ID and all of the other important items in my wallet at home. That included my debit card. I had taken out the cash and put it in another wallet, because there really was a good chance that there might be pickpockets in the crowd. It wasn't such a big deal because I wasn't intending on returning to the store to pay the remaining $60, so I'd have to find another way to the bank. Maybe I could drop in on the way home.

The next day I ended up calling them a couple of times because they didn't call me. My mom started to fret about whether they didn't actually have it in stock after all and kept bothering me about what I would do. That ended up getting me anxious. She wanted me to start bargaining to try to get as much of my money back as possible and we were debating how I should phrase it; for example, the pants and skirt should be worth around $150, so they should return $50. Maybe if I didn't get my jacket, then I'd refund everything. No exchanges, no refunds. I hate it when she does that because it makes my head spin. Eventually, I pulled out the receipt and it stated that the jacket costs $88 and so my deposit was $28. Great, but what if I didn't get my jacket? I'd only get $28 back. At around 6 PM, I called again and she said she'd call me back after checking in the back room. Yes, my jacket had arrived. Why didn't they call me if they had already received it? Then I received a phone call not long after I hung up and was informed that my jacket had arrived. I guess I got my phone call.

My dad was not at all happy to see that jacket. He didn't like the skulls. I hadn't really noticed them when I was trying them on. He said I was already down on my luck and black wasn't such a nice colour - but skulls!! He wanted me to just give up the deposit. I didn't even want to say how much I had paid and my dad didn't know that I also had a skirt and pants that had skulls all over them. My mom thought the articles were unique. I was a bit worried that it might give off the 'wrong impression', but if it did, then that's part of my image. I told my dad it was my birthday gift for myself. He said it wasn't a matter of birthday presents or not. He didn't like the skulls and black background. I paid and left as quickly as I could.

Do you really want to hurt me?

Boy George sure does. He's been haunting me all day. The strange thing was that I forgot that he sang "Do you really want to hurt me?" with Culture Club. Good old New Wave. I just kept seeing his face and hearing the song but couldn't make the connection. Strange.

Then I came home, turned on the television and there he was, singing that very song while they were talking about how Boy George dressing in drag was what really made Culture Club stand out and gain popularity. I've never even seen the video before either and I still haven't as I'm writing this post, so here it is:

Cherry Blossoms

I spent almost 9 hours today at the hospital and I was debating whether or not I should make a post at all today. It's very warm in my room and I have a lot of ideas. I'm afraid if I really get into it, I won't be able to stop, which would likely take me all night.

I think I'll just make a quick post about Spring in Canada. I heard it was 28°C today, but I was inside for almost all of it. When I was out it was stuffy and humid. I was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and a warm jacket, but I don't know why I didn't take it off. I bought a gel ice pack for Friday, because I checked my messages this morning there and I was surprised to hear that they had already replied. Dr. Freilich had wanted to speak with my GP yesterday at 5 PM, when she was getting off work, and I guess everything went alright, because the receptionist gave me a whole bunch of instructions and answered even more questions that I had. If I...uhh...don't post anymore...you'll know that either those estimates were inaccurate or I was just lucky.

There's going to be clouds, sun and a thunderstorm tomorrow with an average of 23°C tomorrow, when I'm going to see my GP, and it'll reach 25°C by Friday, which is fine because I have to wear a t-shirt for them to take my blood pressure and everything. I'm going at 2:30 PM and the procedure will last 1.5 hours, but there's always a delay, so I'm expecting to be done at around 5 PM. She wanted me to pay a $200 deposit and I wanted to see if I could pay all of it over the phone at the hospital with my dad's credit card so I wouldn't have to carry the remaining $1000 in cash on me, but she didn't think it would be a good idea if I did that. She will, however, keep my dad's credit card number on the computer, so she'll bill it and I won't have to worry about that.

I had to cancel the appointment with her on Saturday, because it's quite likely that I won't be feeling well or really need to go. That also means that I might not be able to make it to see HUE perform at the 'Unique Talent Show' at Pacific Mall during the 2 to 5 PM time span. I'll see how I feel, but I'd really like to go.



I took this picture of my backyard from a window in my kitchen. The apple tree is on the left and the cherry tree is on the right. On the far right, is a tiny maple tree, but it's difficult to see. There's a mulberry tree to the left of the apple tree, but I couldn't fit it in from that window, as you can see from the bricks framing the window on the left edge. The mulberry tree has been faithfully bearing a lot of fruit every year, while the apples and cherries only started to grow last year. My mom brought me a small apple when I came back and was staying at Markham-Stouffville Hospital last September. My dad found a bird's nest containing three tiny eggs high up on the maple tree on the front lawn. How did he know there were three eggs? He climbed up on a ladder to see. Nice.

On the apple tree, my dad decided that he wanted to put up a bird feeder, so we bought a very large bag for $3.99 at Bulk Barn. Most of it gets eaten by squirrels, who spill a lot of it on the ground so the rabbits come to clean it up. The plastic has been really chewed up, because the squirrels latch themselves onto it and gnaw away at the small hole intended for birds. There was one day when I was standing inside watching a fat squirrel eat, then it jumped deliberately down on the ground and faced me. It started to dance by moving its arms, gleefully shaking its body, and rapidly twitching its tail. Repeatedly. It didn't seem particularly friendly. It skipped back onto the fence where it continued to wave its tail mockingly at me, but finally dashed away when it finished making its point. It thinks it's clever. I think I'm scrutinizing this too much and I'm not angry or anything even though they finish off a full container of bird seed in a day, because I believe all of these creatures are eligible to live comfortably without hunger. However, these squirrels are hogging it and keeping birds from getting their share, so now I know why Martha Stewart was talking about the assortment of bird feeders she uses on her enormous plot of land, and also why people make/sell bird feeders specifically to keep squirrels from abusing it by making it almost impossible for them to climb on because they keep slipping off. I think the repelling and trapping techniques for squirrels described on the site are a bit excessive. My dad is thinking about getting more of them, so hopefully none of them have to go hungry.

Clothes for Spring

Yesterday

My mom woke up early that morning and said she wanted a McMuffin from McDonald's, so we went to fulfill her craving. My dad went and we got two combos, which came with a hash brown and a small drink. Both breakfast sandwiches contained a slice of cheese and my mom had the Sausage & Egg with milk, while my dad had tea and an Egg McMuffin that actually came with a slice of ham. My mom didn't want her hash brown because it was fried, so my dad had both with ketchup. My mom took a bite and realised that she had actually wanted a McGriddle. This happens every time. Another reason why I don't like eating in restaurants, especially with my parents. My mom finished half of her sandwich and announced she was full. Then we went home, but I stayed dressed as I'm going to describe below.

Felix was finally united with his roommate when he and I met up yesterday at Chapters and wandered around First Markham Place. I bought some sketchy DVDs, picked up a whole bunch of take out menus for my mom and looked for eyes and flesh...

Safety eyes for dolls, which they don't seem to sell in most stores, and flesh-toned yarn for Le Petit Prince that I'm planning to crochet as a big project that I'm going to work on when I have more time. I didn't find either, but I think the "Buff" yarn I already bought is kind of close enough. They don't have "Young White Boy"-coloured yarn. No, the Indian, Chinese or African colours are going to work, nor is "Drunk Red-Faced & Flustered" going to work. I forgot to look for beanies that I'm thinking about adding to the polyfill so that my dolls will be nice and squishy and have some weight to them. I think that adds to shipping and handling costs, but I'll see if they're worthwhile or suitable to add.

I had said that I didn't know what to wear in this sort of weather, but I've taken pictures of what I wore yesterday. This took a lot of deep discussion with myself, which always seems to happen to me as I stand in front of my closet. Some days, I feel like there's nothing to wear and I end up wearing something I always favour over everything else, which is how it got to be that way. Other days, there are too many garments to choose from, too many possible combinations, which reminds me of permutations, combinations and probability. "How many outfits can Katherine put together if she wears 2 layers? 3 layers? How about 4? With jeans? A skirt? Trousers? Colour and length? Formal or informal? And to what extent? How about accessories? Bandana? Scarf? What kind? Is it warm or cool today? Not sure. Belt? Ornamental belt?" I don't even want to think about jewelry combinations, because I have a lot. Too many piercings, arms, fingers to take into account, in addition to a neck. Pins for clothing, too. Oh! Make up possibilities and colouring schemes!! I better stop now. At least I don't have to think about socks. All of mine are the same, ankle socks from Old Navy. They don't slip and I don't like socks that are visible above the top of the shoe. I wore the leather PUMA shoes, which are sitting on top of the bathroom counter. I kept the jacket on with the buttons undone for the entire day.

Back to the topic at hand. In the picture above, I'm wearing the new pinstripe jacket I got. They were having a 15% off sale, but I have the Prestige card to save me an additional 10%, plus a $5 Summer coupon for Suzy Shier. I believe the jacket was $75 but came with a free pair of coordinating pants. The problem was that they didn't have my size and my dad is always in favour of rounding up. Guess what? Those pants don't fit anymore. I bought a pair of pants that matches the jacket the week after, so that it's barely noticeable that they're not from the same set. I never wear them together if I can avoid it. There's something very unappealing about matching perfectly from head to toe, in my opinion. Same purse I can't remember the price or the promotion for that.

Anyhow, I really wanted to post this jacket because I love pinstripes. It's got a very cool front closure, because the two sides overlap and are secured with two buttons on the exterior, but actually has an extra button on the inside so that the bottom layer lies flat. I think that it makes it worse. I had a picture of me wearing it buttoned, but isn't very clear and not worth posting.

There's a strap on the back with two false pockets on the sides, which are pointed longer in the front. The cuffs are very nice, too.

I feel ridiculous for posting this picture. That's why I almost never smile in photographs. I'm immortalized with a fixed smile until it fades or gets destroyed/deleted, usually by me. I'm wearing a tank top from Urban Planet, two for $20 with a 10% SPC discount, but they didn't have a good selection of colours, so I only have black and white. On almost every shopping trip my dad would mention that lace showing below the bottom of a shirt looks nice every time we see someone dressed in this way. I've always wanted to get a shirt like that and now I have one in both black and white. On top of that is a grey-purple 3/4 length shirt that I got at Buffalo jeans on a shopping spree at Vaughn Mills when my brother had come back from Montréal, so this must have been December 2004, before we went to Europe. Writing it out, it seems like a long time ago. I'm wearing the Miss Sixty jeans and the chrome Rado watch I got in Shanghai, as well as the tags my aunt got my uncle to bring me from there when he visited us. I'm also wearing a bandanna I got for about a dollar at a small shop in Vaughn and it makes me a bandit. The sunglasses were from quite a while ago, when the Urban Planet outlet first opened in the same plaza as the one I was at, across the parking lot from Chapters. There was a 'buy one get on free' promotion and it was $9, but I can't remember what I got with it, so it makes it pretty much $4.50 plus a 10% SPC discount on top of that. I like bargains :]

Today


I didn't know what the weather would be like, because it's not always how it appears through a window. Dressed as shown above, I took a step outside and it was windy, so I got my pleather jacket, but it turned out to be very warm in the car. In both pictures, I'm wearing the bracelets that ES sent me, as usual ^-^

As always, I'm wearing the necklace that someone had given my mother and had given it to me in turn. I rarely ever take it off and it's been very reliable for me. I must have worn it for 7 years or so. It's made of white gold encircling a genuine diamond with some small ones on one of the points.

Same tag as yesterday and another watch I got in Shanghai on the hand behind me. Can you tell that my hip is dislocated? I got this shirt that is like a thin sweater and the tank top to go with it a couple years ago. I have the exact same sweater in white and the tank top in pink, because the tank tops were sold at a bargain price in pairs and I like the embroidered design on the left that isn't visible in a photograph taken with this camera. It's subtle as the thread used is the same colour as the sweater, but has a slight sheen to it. I think I might also have a white t-shirt with the same design in pink, but I don't think I knew that when I bought it afterwards. Because I'm not wearing a bandanna or scarf around my neck, since it wouldn't go with a v-neck shirt, hence Dr. Freilich was able to see the tracheotomy. It's difficult to see, but I'm wearing the pinstripe pants that look like the ones that are supposed to match the jacket. I like the stripes because it makes me look taller without having to be taller with extra inches. Don't ask me why I don't want to grow taller, but the hem was too long and I never get them altered, because...what if I do grow taller? and I can always wear higher heels. Because I'm not that tall (yet), I wore the short boots and they were just the right length. That's one reason for why I don't want to grow taller.

Ugly Things Ahead

What I'm listening to: Fiona Apple - Paper Bag
I've liked this song for a long time. I used to listen it on loop 239843247 times on the bus, while working, running laps outside, to try to get to sleep, etc, and especially at the gym. It has that line that a lot of people love and it's motivational. Did I ever end up sending this to you, Intensecure? I can't remember, but here it is for everybody to download.

I can tell this is going to be a long post already. Sometimes I wonder whether I should just do a voice post instead, but I'm not really good at speaking. *Deep breath*
I hope you're reading this, ES!

I just got back from my consultation with the specialist (I'm not getting paid for this) who is going to remove my wisdom teeth, all four at the same time. I got there very early, as usual, and had to fill out two forms, so it wasn't too bad. Waited for a bit and had to go in to do a panoramic x-ray. I think I already did one not too long ago, maybe October, but I didn't have time to go get it from my cousin's office, so I figured I'd get a new updated one done, just in case. Nothing exciting, I just had to take off all jewelry and metal items, wear the lead armour which is a little heavy, put my chin in the space, and bite on a piece of plastic. Went back to the waiting room, which is beautifully furnished. Picture a nice hotel lobby or Troy/McNamara firm in Nip/Tuck. There were a number of rooms and they were very bright and spacious. They were well equipped with a computer, a very organized set of tools in cupboards and drawers, and a large flat screen television, but it just happened that the computer wasn't connecting properly to it to show me my x-ray today. It's fine because I've seen it before and I was going to bring my camera to take a picture, but I probably wouldn't have done it anyways. The doctor had a lot of diplomas and certification documents framed on the wall. All of it was very impressive and he lived up to it in person, too. Dr. Freilich was patient and thorough when asking me questions and explaining all the details, risks, outcomes, additional medications, whether there were any contraindications of the anesthesia with my medications, reports I needed to submit and why I need it done at all. He wants me to come in only when a professional anesthesiologist is working because of my medications and to be extra careful. Very considerate and observant as he noticed my tracheotomy and asked appropriate questions to go along with concerns about head and neck fractures.

"Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is the specialty of dentistry that treats surgical problems of the mouth, jaws, teeth, gums, face, head and neck. Practitioners of this specialty graduate from accredited dental schools ("Doctor of Dental Surgery" or "Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry" degrees), and then complete hospital-based surgical residency training programs that range from 4 to 6 years to complete. To be licensed in Canada as an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, practitioners must pass a credentialing examination that is administered by the Royal College of Dentists of Canada, and be eligible for licensure by their provincial College.

Dentists who refer to themselves as "Dental Surgeons" are General Dentists, and are not specialists in any aspect of dentistry."

The doctor also wanted me to either get a blood test done, which as you may recall I did not too long ago, so he wanted me to give him a copy. I had to pay at the front desk and my dad had given me $100 at the last minute as an afterthought this morning, but I ended up having to chip in $60. I'm lucky that I keep a decent amount of cash on me, because the consultation on its own was $100 and the x-ray was an extra $60. I got the appropriate receipts and hopefully we can get reimbursed from the insurance that my dad's company pays for. I had to sign a release of information form, so that the receptionist could fax it to my GP to get the blood test results. I insisted on sitting there to watch her do it, I'm not sure why. It took quite a while, but all the paperwork and the faxing were completed properly.

This is where the fun begins. While waiting for the fax to go through, it suddenly occurred to me that I should make a trip to the GP's on the way home. Her original receptionist was AWOL, while her husband the pharmacist was still working at his pharmacy, but she was replaced by a younger girl, who was...kind of difficult to deal with. I arrived and it was still that girl. I asked if they received the fax and they did, not too long ago. I was a bit worried that I might show up after she already faxed in my blood report, so I'd seem very pushy. That wasn't the case today. She was talking on the phone, for a long time. When the doctor came out to make an appointment for a patient, she hung up and I told them what I needed done. My GP gave her approval and told her to pull it from my file. After a long search, she still couldn't find my file. My GP continued with her appointment, so I kept waiting as she looked for it until my GP came out to sort something out again. It turned out that the file was actually with my GP, because she had to make a CT appointment for me/my head. She thought it was strange to use the one from February and I reminded her, so we got out the proper one done in April. My GP left again, telling her to fax it. She said she'd do it right in front of me. Of course, I wouldn't have left if she didn't. She puts it in the fax machine and we wait forever. I had a feeling she dialed their own fax number, which she did. *sigh* I'm glad that I had a couple of the Dr. Freilich's business cards in my pocket, which had their fax number on it. I kept standing there until it went through, but halfway through, she told me I could leave. I waited for it to go all the way through, but thinking back, I'm not exactly sure if it was my report at all. She might have faxed the requisition from the specialists' back to them. I got home and gave them both a call, but no one picked up, presumably because they had gotten off work or were close to being done for the day so they didn't want to have to deal with a call that might make them stay a few minutes later.

Dr. Freilich had mentioned getting a night guard for my teeth, because I had said that my jaws hurt, either from the way the wisdom teeth are growing in horizontally because there isn't enough space, from grinding/clenching my teeth at night or both. I already have one, but I don't wear it as often as I should, because I have enough trouble getting to sleep as it is. In case you've never seen one or you're going to get one, and it seems like there is an increasing number of people who need them, I'm making this post as a product review.


I took a picture of all of these things that I had to make a mould for. I didn't include my retainers because I've probably lost them. I didn't actually need them, but an overenthusiastic orthodontist made me get them. She wasn't nice at all and her personality wasn't the greatest, so I really didn't like her. I've made a post about the trays on the left that I had to get for the bleaching process. I got my first night guard, which is on the right, but I never really wore it because it's very uncomfortable. It had the same yellow case.

As I've already said, it's not comfortable enough to allow me to sleep, but it's an improvement. It's glossy on the underside as my cousin didn't have to adjust it by shaving pieces of it off, because it fit quite well. The colour is a lot nicer, too.

It's difficult to really tell, but this is the inside of it where I fit it on to my top set of teeth. I have to immerse it in hot water for before I put it on, because it softens it up a bit. The grooves get to be sort of gummy, which isn't the right word, but it's the first one that comes to mind. It has a plastic taste to it that almost seems like a synthetic fruit flavour.

I think it's a bit thinner than before and felt as comfortable as something like this could get for the first few times I wore it, but that feeling passes pretty quickly. After a night of wearing it, my teeth felt very different and foreign when chewing. I think it would have been more effective than my retainers if they shifted the grooves around a bit, but that's very difficult to perfect. When I got sick of using it, I went back to using those trays for bleaching, but that was bothering me a lot last night, so I left them next to the abandoned night guard on the desk beside my bed. Imagine wearing that in the daytime as well, like I was told to. I guess it could be used to prevent overeating sheerly out of boredom.

My Old Home

I was using Google Maps today to locate the place I'm going in a little while to get a consultation for the removal of my wisdom teeth. It's supposedly just down the street from my dentist's place, but the reception called me a few days ago to give me very obscure directions. She told me a few times that the route I would be taking would take much longer and gave the impression that I wouldn't be able to find it. Look, it's on the same road and about 700 building numbers away, but that's not a lot, considering each individual office building and house gets it's own number. According to the map, it's 4.8 km away and a straight line to get there.

Anyhow, I've been looking for this picture, but couldn't find it and would have been too lazy to scan it, because I don't like my all-in-one. Since I now have a satellite image of the location of my house, I figured I might as well make a post of it.

This is the actual house. It has a white sign next to the garage from when it was tagged by the builder and we hadn't removed it yet. I like the colour of the garage here much better than the awful pumpkin colour that was supposed to be beige. It gives an idea of the distance between the houses, because it's wider than it looks in the satellite image. My room is directly above the garage, but I usually sleep in my brother's room, which is the room on the right, because he's away. The centre window is just part of the hall. The front door is almost directly below it. We have interlock paving and it seems that this picture was taken before we did the landscaping and everything. I'm not too concerned about posting this picture, because a lot of these suburban houses look similar, but they did make an effort not to put identical ones next to each other.


This is the image of it from above. Yvonne lives directly across the street. The compass isn't actually pointing North; it's more North-East. North is approximately parallel to road on the left, but I'm used to drawing vertical compasses for world maps at school, so I forgot and it's already been uploaded. It's a nice day outside today, about 17 °C outside with some wind. I might post what I wore yesterday, because I did take some pictures while I was photographing some other items, because I never know what to wear for this kind of weather. It can change quite dramatically and I feel cold easily and when the air-conditioning is on. My mom is the opposite, but recently it's become even more unpredictable, which in turn affects the temperature inside. Most of the time, I'm freezing, but I'm already used to that.

Suki

I made this a while ago, but never had the motivation to set up the background to take photographs, transfer them to my computer to edit, then upload them online. The first one I made was grey and rather silly, but I'll make a post on that another day. I made another one that was very similar to this one, but I promptly sold it for $30 to a friend. I think I probably should have charged more, because this one is actually practical. Someone offered to sell it in her shop on Unionville Main Street, but I didn't like the terms and conditions of the proposed agreement.


Do you remember that hideous iPod case I crocheted one night when I couldn't sleep? I think I put it away somewhere, but I never explained the "trinket for its closure - a silver metal 'M'. Why the 'M'? For Music! For Mania! I don't know. To be honest, it was just what I happened to have on hand, because I had used all the other letters in the word DREAM (you'll see how and why in another post to come)." As you can see, I have rearranged the remaining letters and I had the option of choosing either DARE or READ. Would I really want a bag that was commanding me to READ?


Just now, I had the compulsion to name it Suki. No, not Dare, that would be redundant. It's gender is still to be determined and I suppose that name could be a unisex one, but I can't seem to decide on it. What makes Suki special? You may have noticed that it appears rather flat. That's because it's a cat bag - a hungry one, it is running empty. The silver stars happened to come with the letters and I can't begin to describe how difficult it was to find attractive, suitable buttons. I didn't want cute, plastic pastel daisies.


The buttons fasten quite securely, yet they are relatively easy to open, unlike the other red and black bag I had made first. I think its stripes were wider, maybe doubled. It's quite spacious inside and fairly sturdy, but I wouldn't recommend carrying a brick around, because either the strap would come undone or it will get stretched out of shape.


To illustrate its actual size, I've slung it over my shoulder. I had taken pictures of the grey one, but it just didn't turn out well. I had hung it from somewhere and the strap looked more like a noose, which is why I haven't posted those pictures. I don't like that photo of me either, because it looks like I'm hugging myself in a warped position, but, really, I'm not. It just looks that way because I had to hold the camera. I gave up on using the timer today so that I could take more pictures before dinner and it's much easier. However, the mirror seems to be a bit streaked and speckled, so I'll have to clean it when I have time and I might replace some of these photos later. Taking pictures in my brother's washroom is really much easier because of the way its set up and doesn't include the laundry chute. I've always wondered what it would be like to slide through it, but the laundry room floor is tiled, so I'd crack either the tiles or my skull if I went head first.

Alright, lurkers. If you've made it through to the end of this post, I think it's only fair that you make your vote on my poll, especially since I went through the trouble of making it...

How much should I charge for Suki?
$40 - $50 $50 - $60 $60 - $70 $70 - $80 $80 - $90 $90 - $100 $100+??
	Results

The amounts are in USD and I have to pay for listing fees, etc. Please ask your friends to have a look and cast their vote to help me out. As well, have a look at GourmetAmigrumi's Etsy shop to get a better idea of the price ranges. I consider my designs quite different from hers, so we aren't really direct competitors. Feel free to comment with a more specific amount and whether it should be including shipping and handling or if would be separate. Keep in mind that I have to use the profit to buy more safety eyes, especially cat eyes of different sizes and multi-coloured ones in a variety of styles online.

Please let me know what you think! Thank you!

Driving

I didn't get a chance to take a picture of it, but this is the colour and model of the car that I was using.

As means of getting to the gym, my GP’s solutions are to take public transit or maybe I could drive there, to which I said I could go with my dad when he gets back from work. The problem is that it would be late, about 7 PM and when would dinner take place? Indeed, maybe it would be best if I drove there, which is what I thought in the beginning, but my parents don't trust me driving. Neither do I. My uncle learned to drive and taught driving lessons in Japan, where he says the standards to pass an exam are enormously higher than Canadian ones. He very kindly offered to give me free lessons, but even when I'm driving in residential areas, I'm nervous out of my mind with his older Toyota Corolla and him beside me. It's also hot, the sun is in my eyes, and, well, my reflexes are very slow. On a side note, his car used to be my mom's car until we sold it to him at a very good price, because his either broke down or was completely crushed, but I can't remember. I'm not good at parking and his instructions are incredibly vague. He only tells me when it's too late. Instructions like, "No, no. Turn it a bit more." and "No, no. Let it go. Turn the steering wheel back. Earlier!" He keeps talking and pointing everywhere so that my head spins, as if it weren't spinning enough when I started, and I don't hear what he's saying or know where to look, so I'm backing out while looking forward or vice versa. I think the worst part is how he selects the parking spots, and I'm not talking about the actual ones he picks - he tells me far too late and says I missed it. Did anyone else's instructor say that it was okay to be in the 'opposite lane' of the parking lot? Even for 'just a moment'? Mine really put a stress on that. After maybe fifteen failed attempts and a few that he made me get out of the car to examine and discuss, I said I was tired before he was able to choose another spot. I feel pretty bad about complaining, because he is taking the time and paying for the gas. In all fairness, he's quite nice about it, even though it's rather difficult to read him. I just can't tell, but at least he's not yelling at me. As I'm writing this, I have a growing suspicion that I'm more poorly coordinated than I had thought and his instructions would probably work on someone else. My former instructor had formulas for where the car had to be, how much to turn the steering wheel, how much to move forwards or backwards, and repeat for every new exact position of the car. I had trouble remembering all the steps, but I think I like that better than having to freestyle. I don't think my judgment is good enough for that.

Watching DVDs

The rental place I have a membership at started renting out a number of dramas, such as Grey's Anatomy, LOST, Desperate Housewives, Prison Break, 24, Six Feet Under and Nip/Tuck. I don't understand all the hype about Grey's Anatomy, because it has a very simple storyline and there really wasn't anything exciting about it at all. Six Feet Under didn't have such a big reputation and I found it rather boring, so I wasn't surprised. I haven't rented Desperate Housewives, because I have a suspicion it'll be pretty much the same. I don't know about Prison Break or 24, so I didn't rent them and I still haven't.

LOST was the first one I watched and I enjoyed it, which is how I ended up renting all the other ones. It was not very convincing and I remember spotting some glitches, but at least it was suspenseful and intriguing enough to continue watching for entertainment, instead of feeling obligated because they've already been rented. I never get to see them while they're playing on TV, but I think the reason I started watching these TV series programs on DVD was because I was looking up Ian Somerhalder's filmography after watching The Rules of Attraction, the film adaptation for the novel by Bret Easton Ellis that I had read first. He played Boone in LOST and was my favourite character, because the other ones were a bit exaggerated and stereotypical in my opinion. Then he died and got cast out, which is one of the reasons why I didn't want to rent the second season anymore. For the series to continue as it is described in the summary doesn't seem reasonable at all, but I attempted to rent it anyways at first and only managed to get one of the DVDs in the middle of the season. Great. I watched the first five minutes of one episode and had to stop it, because it didn't make sense and I didn't want to ruin my impression of the series from what I had seen in the first season.

In my opinion, Nip/Tuck has to be the best I've seen so far. Very graphic, extreme, provocative, and entirely fascinating. A disturbingly perfect drama indeed, but not because of its sexually explicit content. I'm waiting for the fourth season to come out for rental on DVD, because I always miss it when it does come on television and I don't like watching them out of order either. I find it strange that it only comes on once a week on Saturdays at 10 PM and never repeats, but I was surprised to find that a lot of these series are available to watch online without downloading.



I watched Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain), also known simply as Amélie on Friday. I've borrowed that DVD from the library several times but never got a chance to watch it and I think I even got an overdue fine for it once. They've shown it at school on movie nights and I keep missing every opportunity to see it. I finally downloaded it, in fact, quite a while ago and finally got around to watching it. Twice. In the same day. I'm not joking when I say I have difficulty concentrating. I had to rewind many times, much more than usual. Then I went out on a few errands with my mom and Aunt Tiffany, but by the time I got home, I couldn't remember most of the film. Even during the second viewing, I had to rewind several times because I kept missing out on entire parts - not just the small details I absolutely have to check or else it'll keep pestering me. I'm glad I did watch it, regardless of how many times it took me, because I loved it. It's a very creative and adorable story ;)


I like watching movies again after a while, because I have a tendency to forget them. I remember enjoying The Machinist but couldn't recall very much of it. Every time Christian Bale is mentioned, I keep thinking about the above picture and his dedication. It's an interesting movie and I like the way all the details end up fitting together in a way that makes sense. For movies starring Christian Bale, I watched American Psycho fairly recently, also an adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' novel, and I own Batman Begins, which I'm thinking of watching again, and Harsh Times, which I have yet to see.


Christian Bale lost more than 60 pounds for his role as Trevor Reznik in The Machinist, then gained exactly 100 pounds, as well as 20 pounds of muscle, in six months to become Batman. You have to admit that it's pretty impressive, but I'm not sure that it's altogether healthy. However, he did take on the role because the script “intrigued” him, and it helped him cope with his depression. I'm just glad it worked out alright for him.


Christian Bale starved himself for over 4 months prior to filming, eating one can of tuna and an apple each day (approximately 275 calories) , as his character needed to look drastically thin. According to the DVD commentary, he lost 62 pounds (28 kg), reducing his body weight to 120 pounds (54.4 kg). Bale wanted to go down to 100 pounds (45.3 kg) but the filmmakers would not let him due to health concerns. He later regained the weight, plus an additional 40 pounds (18 kg) due to weightlifting, in preparation for his role in Batman Begins. - www.wikipedia.com


From Batman Begins, my favourite character was Dr. Jonathan Crane / The Scarecrow: A psychiatrist who works at Arkham Asylum and has developed fear-inducing toxins. He takes on the persona of the Scarecrow to intimidate others and he was portrayed by Cillian Murphy, who starred in Red Eye, which is another movie I watched again, almost right after watching The Machinist.


Cillian Murphy as Dr. Jonathan Crane

A signed card by Cillian Murphy as The Scarecrow.

Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes: A childhood friend of Bruce Wayne who works as an assistant to Gotham City's District Attorney and fights against the corruption in the city with Dr. Jonathan Crane, played by Cillian Murphy.



With two of my favourite actors in it, I definitely have to see Batman Begins again. I always liked Scarecrow as one of the Batman's villains.


And this is what I saw today...


This morning, I watched 父子 (After This Our Exile), starring singer/actor Aaron Kwok (郭富城). Literally, the title actually means Father Son, as in father 'and' son, and the movie doesn't really have much to do with an 'exile'. I believe it received several awards and was critically acclaimed, but I didn't like it very much at all which seems typical of HK movies these days. There isn't a very substantial plot line with a lot of character development or anything of that sort and it doesn't even have a worthy ending.

Update: Movies have completely replaced cable television. I'm seriously considering canceling that altogether, because it's an unnecessary expense. I just watched Blood Diamond. Excellent movie. Obviously, infinitely better than the one above. It's on the edge of being a bit long for someone with a short attention span like myself, but still very good. Doesn't beat Little Miss Sunshine or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but they're of completely different genres and this one isn't really a distinct favourite. My head, neck and spine hurt, so I'm going to sleep now.