First Day of W'08 Term

I've been very busy throughout the holiday, but I'm actually kind of excited to be back at school. In a few minutes, I have to go to Linear Algebra, followed by Calculus and ending the day by 11:30 AM with Managerial Accounting, but I just thought I'd post these pictures quickly. I bought a lot of new clothes during the break and I can't quite fit everything into my closet(s).



I'm sorry for the blurriness of the pictures but I was in a bit of a hurry because I spent a lot of time fixing a sewing mistake that I didn't notice when I bought the top ($25). I think the new boots were about $55 or so and the black lace gloves were around $4. I believe the black jacket was about $35. I don't usually do anything for my hair, but the clip that isn't quite visible was $3.50 on average.

Update: I just got back from classes and I must say, the right boot is ridiculously smaller than the left one. I suspect it got labelled incorrectly or something.

Best wishes for year 2008!

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).

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.

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.

Shoes That Don't Fit

What I'm listening to: Lily Allen - Littlest Things

This song doesn't necessarily apply to me, but I really am listening to it on loop right now and have been for maybe the past couple of hours. I hadn't known there was a music video, but I think I'll post that instead.



She also has a video for Smile, her first single, which isn't bad. This one is probably the only mellow song on her album and I happen to like this one more. In case you haven't heard of Lily Allen, then it's probably because you don't use Myspace or you missed it by chance, but this is how she made her way to fame:


Because of the above article, it is now necessary for me to post PaxilBack by The Gray Kid. I was really pretty crazy about this video:



I was pretty crazy about this video and his music when it first came out. I hope he makes more videos soon or puts up music free for download like he did before.

Side Note: I just noticed that this is Post #50 and it happens to be May 10th. I thought I'd just share that today.

I hadn't really intended on posting today, but I'm feeling kind of melancholic, which might explain why everything has suddenly seized up and hurting. Where is the thunderstorm that was supposed to happen today? The hip itself doesn't usually ache, it's almost always the joints and parts connected to it. Today, the actual hip is really bothering me and I think I twisted my neck wrong or something. I got some Robax Platinum samples that I requested in the mail, so I think I'll take that now. Being a Thursday, I spoke to my GP and we've decided to discontinue Celebrex, because it may be causing cardiovascular problems in some people, mainly seniors, but I'm sure it will have ill effects after taking it consistently for a long time. It doesn't help anything, so I don't want to take it anymore.

I was going to finish up my latest bear and take pictures of the completed one, but I haven't gotten very much accomplished today. I've been trying to sort things out for credit cards and online payments, but it's not going so well for me. Haven't really felt too down for quite a while.

When I visited Taiwan a few years ago, I dropped by to meet with some relatives. My family can get to be kind of complicated, because my dad has three brothers and three sisters, all of them older than him. His oldest brother is 20 years his elder and his oldest son, who would be my cousin, is roughly one year younger. All of his children are older than me, but I still have the status of 'Aunt'. My dad's oldest sister-in-law is the aunt who taught me to make the peace ball and lotus flowers I posted about before. Her daughter, my cousin, came to visit me when I was in the hospital in Shanghai and brought me a lot of interesting books and Buddhist CDs to listen to. She's very environmentally-conscious and we chatted about sustainable development, organic foods, holistic remedies, and food properties, such as their vitamins, minerals and health benefits. Fascinating, common interests.

My cousin works at Texas Instruments as VP of Human Resources, so she was on a business trip and stopped by to keep me company a couple times. We used the TI-83+ calculators for AP Calculus, but I happened to have already bought the TI-92+ about six years ago for $300:



My calculator got discontinued almost as soon as I got it. Wonderful. At least I didn't have to buy another one, because a friend of mine lent one to me for about two years. Last year, I got a Casio fx-7400G PLUS-GY from my high school for being the top overall math student over the four years:


That's even more incompatible. Tell me, why would they give me one of those, especially a Casio calculator, when we clearly use Texas Instruments calculators? Answer: It's only $40. A TI-83+ currently costs about $130, but I'll bet it was more at that time. I tried selling it, but nobody wants it. It's still unopened, so let me know if you're interested, which I highly doubt.

When I visited Taiwan, her daughter was dating a guy whose family owned a Nike factory in China, but they're now married and had a baby. No, it was not a sweat shop. It was actually more like a small village. They provided accommodations and food by the truckloads. Nike would only let them make basketball shoes and sourced from a number of different factories for their other styles. However, they were also contracted to make baby shoes and they gave me two pairs, which have been sitting in the box and on my desk shelf:


I don't think both pairs are meant to be fit in that small box, but that's how they were given to me. I don't think I'd ever owned a pair of Nike shoes before these ones.


I like the white ones better, because they'd be ones that I'd actually consider buying for myself if they were my size. I really like the wrap-around velcro and the quality is pretty good. I think they have little dots and a Nike logo on the soles for a better grip, but I forgot to take a photo.


These shoes are pretty soft and I would imagine they'd be comfortable for babies to wear in comparison to those stiff patent leather ones. I don't think babies really want to wear shoes at all. These ones are pretty unique, because they're plaid. Have you ever seen a pair of plaid basketball shoes? Exactly.

My dad went back to visit them about a year later while he was on a business trip and he called back to ask for our shoe sizes. I got one black pair and another one that was really quite similar to the first red/white/navy blue ones if you can imagine. I know my brother got a pair of silver-grey basketball shoes, but I can't remember for sure the colours of the other ones. My dad got white and blue shoes. I don't believe my mom got any at all :(

Quite frankly, I don't really like Nike shoes very much. They're very obviously informal, as if I should be in a gym or running track. Basketball shoes bother me even more because they look very chunky, but I still appreciate the gifts. They were very exciting at that age and I think I might still have them somewhere, but I don't think I'll be wearing them anymore.

I also saw mini PUMA shoes on sale at one of the stores for athletic gear at Vaughn Mills. I think it would have been nice to own a couple, but I would have rather saved that money to buy a pair in my size. I now have five pairs. I'm still going to work on extending the life of the ones that I wear frequently, but I think I should stop buying them for a while.

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.

PUMA Shoes II

Again, I'm sorry for the lack of posts if you have been checking back regularly, because I haven't been feeling well again. The numbness is really getting worse and it kept me up last night. The chronic aches, pains and headaches aren't helping either. My x-ray results came back with obvious and blood tests were fairly normal, except for the genetic abnormalities, like high cholesterol. That happens every time and doesn't make any sense, because cholesterol is present only in animal products. I am vegan, this shouldn't be happening, but a lot of people in my family have cholesterol problems, so it's one that I've gotten with the package :(

As I'm writing this post, I'm skipping back and forth between the forms that I have to send to the Office for Persons with Disabilities at the University of Waterloo, where I'm attending classes in September. Unfortunately, the residence I'm looking at does not have air conditioning and I just realized that it doesn't have single rooms either, which is quite the disappointment because I kept thinking that it does. That leaves me with only Village 1, which was the one I was considering to begin with, until somebody recommended UW Place. Last year, I would have been living with three other girls in a suite style room at Mackenzie King Village. Neither are going to work out for me anymore. My OCD tendencies are continually getting worse and, I know it sounds weak, but I can't help it. I really can't stop thinking about all the things that could go wrong with just about everything that I eat, touch, wear, people I interact with, or places that I visit. Please. No physical contact. I don't think I would be able to concentrate very well if I had a roommate. *sigh*

I mentioned that I needed black shoes in a previous post. However, black stiletto ones probably won't necessarily work for all occasions; for example, a very casual one with lots of walking. Besides, my concentration is shot. I walk into things and 'almost' trip and fall (sometimes down or while going up the stairs) several times a day. Those strange panic attack incidents are happening more and more frequently. I feel light-headed, nauseous and dizzy a lot. I'm always tired and for a while I thought I just wasn't getting enough sleep, but I do and the fatigue persists. My doctor thinks it might be the Wellbutrin, but I've been on it for quite a while now and these side effects have just suddenly appeared. I really don't want to decrease my dosage.


Back to the topic at hand. I went to Markville Mall today to buy some maintenance supplies for my shoes, because I realized that my red puma shoes were actually a bit blue as my jeans must have stained it. The year before last, I bought the Sneaker Protector on the far left and the Suede & Nubuck brush on the far right. I was skeptical at first, but the sales associate showed me how the spray works on a piece of cardboard and the part that wasn't sprayed got all wet, but the sprayed area stayed dry when she sprayed it with water. How could I resist something like that? I also the brush and I'm really glad I did. Not only does it comes with an eraser to rub off stubborn pieces of dirt or whatever (shown standing on top of the brush) , but the brush works for everything. I've used it to remove lint balls on sweaters, the white residue from detergents or when someone forgets to take the Kleenex or paper out of their pockets before throwing it in the wash. They were $8 each and normally I wouldn't purchase such things, but it just comes to show my dedication to these shoes.

I found white shoe polish (second from the left) at Foot Locker, so I don't have to paint my shoes anymore. I also got a cleaner for my shoes (second from the right), which was what I really went to buy. It's really quite a product. The sales person asked me to take off a shoe and he pressed the button at the top and scrubbed it very gently with the brush surrounding the button and the shoe looked brand new. Amazing. I already have black shoe polish and the polishing sponge, so I didn't need to buy another sponge, even thought it really does work well. There happened to be a 'buy one get one half off' sale going on at both Foot Locker and Athletes World. Together, they came to a total of $12, but I couldn't use my SPC card to get an additional 10% off, which is typical for items on sale. I wish there was that promotion when I bought the first two cleaning products.

I actually went to Athletes World first and there were quite a few people looking to buy shoes. The most awkward part about buying shoes is when the sales associate stands there and stares at me while I'm trying them on. My hands kind of get shaky and fumble. If I were to rank pet peeves, that would rank pretty high on the list.

These are very similar to the one I painted and posted before, as it's also mostly leather, except for the part at the back that's suede. Another difference lies in the colours - the former pair was "White/Angel Falls Blue/Swedish Blue" and this one is "Black/White/Vapour Blue". I don't think it's blue at all. It's grey, but I suppose to some designer on this planet, it could possibly be classified as a blue-grey of some sort.


They were $120, which is the typical price for a pair in the Future Cat Low design. I'm not sure about the others, because these are the only ones I really like. The Speed Cat designs are somewhat similar, but of an older generation and not as sleek, according to the official PUMA site:

The low cut version of the Future Cat series will start a new hype for the motorsport business. Its sleek, sophisticated, but futuristic look features as many functional details as possible. Asymmetric lacing, split heel and new last construction give this product an unbelievable fit, which doesn't collide with the great looks of the dignified successor of the Speed Cat.

They had a size 7, but on the left shoe, the leather was kind of wrinkled. It really bothered me, so I ended up having to settle for a size 7.5, which could be described as "comfortably loose". I would have expected that my dad would say "nah, don't worry about it, it'll get wrinkled sooner or later," but he actually said "who knows if the leather's defective" and didn't think it was a good idea to just ignore it. Strange. I would have just given up if he said that, but now that my concerns were confirmed, there was no going back. It might also been the fact that he just wanted me to buy bigger sizes. He's always getting me to buy larger sizes, in the event that I should grow out of them and make him buy me more clothes.

It's funny that my dad is trying to gain weight to be able to keep wearing his clothes, while I'm working on losing weight to fit into mine comfortably. Of course, it's always been an obsession of mine, but it's much worse now with my lop-sided right hip. Sometimes I see girls with jeans that are too tight, which causes a bulge to form just above the waist band. Then they wear tight shirts, so it's very noticeable. I don't want to be one of those people. If it's too small, it's too small; admit it and buy a larger size. Or, one should work to either lose weight or get fit so that the bulge(s) don't form. Oh, right. My point is my lop-sided hip resembles a bulge and there really isn't anything I can do about it. I suppose I could continue losing weight so that everything fits loosely and the hip becomes less noticeable. It's only on the right side.


Anyhow, there was the same sale, so I had to find a second one. The colours really weren't very nice, so I think they're probably doing a clearance sale and keeping the new designs for maybe the summer at regular price. The one above is a lot like the one I bought before, except in "Black/White/Chinese Red" instead of "Flame Scarlet/Winter White". They're essentially the same colour, but what exactly is "Chinese Red"? I'm a bit annoyed that the embroidered puma at the front is black, while the one on the inside part of the shoe is red. Black doesn't stand out at all and there's really no point in leaving the back part black as well. I would have much rather had all of the accents in red, but all of them were the same, so it wasn't a mistake. I'm already getting a good deal, but it was also on sale for $80. Unfortunately, the smallest was a size 8 and it's loose but tolerable. I didn't want to get another white one with green or tan accents, but I don't remember what other colours they had - just ones that I didn't really please me and get dirty easily. I think having two black pairs is the best choice, since it's a colour that doesn't get dirty so easily, different from the other ones I have and also very versatile.

I think I'm going to wait for the acrylic paint to really come off the other pair before I try out the white shoe polish. I'm not sure what would happen if I just used it on top. I'd probably ruin both.

PUMA Shoes

PUMA Future Cat Lows

The PUMAs I were writing about previously were really starting to wear out and no amount of scrubbing or polishing would return the to their original glory. In fact, I've been taking very meticulous care of them. I bought a brush with a special eraser for leather/suede shoes, and a spray, kind of like ScotchGuard, to make it more water resistant. I've been spending time on their maintenance regularly. I love those shoes. They were my first PUMA shoes, one of the first purchases I made after I got my first paycheque in September '05. I was too overprotective to wear them very often at first, but I couldn't resist when Spring came around and I've been wearing them frequently, almost daily, ever since. They've traveled the world with me.

I have worn these shoes through all kinds of weather conditions, on a wide variety of terrains in many different establishments in a number of cities and locations and it has been reliable all this time. Naturally, the fine sparkling white leather at the front were somewhat scuffed at the tip, as if a little bit bruised. The beautiful, vibrant cyan suede around the heel and ankle eventually lost their glow due to its material and the way the my jeans move against it, which might have also caused the colour of my jeans to rub off on it. The only parts that managed to retain their original colour were the embroidered pumas on the leather - the cyan signature puma at the tip and the silver one on the arches of the shoes. I've used hand sanitizer on the front when I was desperate at the hospital and I think it worked temporarily. I was searching in vain for a white polish for the front, so I attempted to use an all-purpose shoe polish on it. To my horror, it actually disintegrated the white surface of the leather to the dull grey underneath.
I can't find the picture online, because they're of the previously brighter colouring scheme and I can't remember the exact names of each colour, so imagine these shoes in a blue theme, where the strip on the side is actually a light blue, the suede back and signature puma on the front are bright cyan. The box describes them as White/Angel Falls Blue/Swedish Blue, but I believe they have since changed the corresponding colours or they were misplaced in the wrong box, but I doubt that.

Since I've been working with my brother's white acrylic paints recently for some of my projects, such as the claws on the gloomy bear and the stenciled wings on my laptop, I resigned to making use of them again to restore the main leather body to its original bright white. I did one primer layer with my fingers and a finishing one with a flat-tipped paintbrush. While there was nothing I could do about the back as it was already wearing thin, I figured they would be covered by my jeans unless I wore shorts, which I don't; or a skirt, in which case, I probably wouldn't be wearing these with them anyways. Then I noticed that the shoelaces were stained. I removed them and scrubbed them in water, but the stains were stubborn; although, the water gradually started to become cloudy and I refilled the water before I used bleach, but there wasn't much of an improvement, so I plunged my hands in the water again and kept working at them. My hands smelled of bleach for days, but it hadn't improved very much. I poured in a lot of those As-Seen-On-TV Cleaners, such as OxiClean, Astonish, or whatever else I could find. It was only after that I thought I should put some regular liquid detergent in the water and the blue colouring, used purely aesthetic purposes, instantly turned a reddish orange. An interesting chemical reaction. I left them soaking in the concoction and went back to work on my shoes. Eventually, my dad found them there and pulled them out for me, so his hands ended up smelling like bleach, too. He asked me what I put in the bath for the laces that still weren't quite glistening.

It turned out that the parts underneath the laces were dirty, too. The areas weren't damaged, but it did take me quite a while to really scrub off the scuffs. It works on my face, so I tried using the facial cleansing toner and a cotton facial wool pad from The Body Shop, which helped a lot, and I followed up with the eraser that came with the brush to rub off the remaining marks. They also brightened up the back part as well, not entirely restored, but as clean as I could get them to be. I think the toughest part of the entire task was carefully painting around the embroidered pumas. I coated them in clear nail polish so that the white paint would come off a little easier. I'm not sure what to do to seal in the acrylic, as it is water-soluble, but I'm not about to use the spray, which would likely ruin all of my work. Call it obsession, but I like to think of it as TLC and cherishing my belongings.

I also bought a pair of these Future Cat Low Flame Scarlet/Winter White ones, but I've only worn them once to play badminton indoors, so they're still in perfect condition. I'm planning on wearing the first pair until they're really trashed.

PUMA Speed Cats

I can't remember, but I think they were on sale or something, because I never really liked this style very much. They're also of an old generation, older than the first pair with the colours that have been discontinued. It's very basic, all leather in white with 'chocolate' accents. not that I dislike them or anything, but I still haven't worn them at all. Again, I'm trying to prolong the lifespan of my current ones before wearing a new pair.


I have a long sleeved shirt, several T's, and a pair of pants that are way too big. I don't know why I bought them. They were incredibly overpriced, but I think it was part of the initial craze when I splurged on my first pair of PUMA shoes, which I wouldn't normally have done to begin with. Now look where it's gotten me. I bought a plain red t-shirt with the logo in white the other day fr $14, but my dad made me get a boys' size Large, because he insisted that those shirts were meant to be worn loosely, which I suppose is fine for running, working out at the gym or playing badminton, but I've never really believed in the 'gym clothes' that they make you wear in school. It doesn't matter very much because I have the shirts in number of different sizes.

I have the PUMA Red perfume, a sample package of PUMA White (for men) and the body lotion and sample perfume pacakge from their Creative fragrance line. I got the lotion only because it was $15 and 50% off, so I only paid $7.50 :]

In Boots

I've been meaning to make a post on these boots since I've gotten them, but never really got around to it, because I started to feel unwell promptly after that trip to Pacific Mall. I noticed that I didn't really have any suitable black shoes to match my clothing, aside from the old leather boots I've had since last Winter. While they're still in fairly good shape, especially since I've barely worn them this year as I've been wearing my PUMAs from the Fall before last almost all the time, those boots are more practical than fashionable. When I was hunting for the metallic red iPod shell for my black iPod with my dad at Pacific Mall, everything was on sale for the change in season. Very serious ones at that. Unfortunately, I had spent the entire day searching for the perfect case and didn't get a chance to really shop for anything else, nor did I have the opportunity to return anytime soon.

By the time I went with my Aunt Tiffany, which I suppose has become my informal Godmother, all the winter apparel and accessories had been sold or packed away. The thick, heavy winter coats and sweaters on the mannequins had morphed into bright whimsical short skirts and light, carefree tops. This time we were on the lookout for a pair of short boots. I already have a whole variety of other kinds of boots, but I was really missing the long black suede ones that had broken beyond repair last year.

I think I'm a fairly efficient shopper, as I would stand outside the store, look through the window and decide whether it was even worth going in. My aunt didn't know what I was waiting for so she was encouraging me to just go in and have a look around. I wouldn't have found these if I hadn't:



I also bought a few other articles of clothing, which is a very typical and mandatory for me. I ended up owing my aunt fifty dollars, so when she gave me a ride yesterday to get my blood work and x-rays done, I tried to give her two bills, but she wouldn't take both of them. On a side note, I could have walked and taken advantage of the occasion for exercise, but my mom was worried I might have another panic attack and/or faint under the unforgiving heat of the sun overhead. She's very kind to me and I went with her to the supermarket, since that was where she was headed next, so she wouldn't have to make a detour.

Back to the topic at hand, I really hadn't liked the chain when I bought it and was planning to take it off and put on my own, but the more I looked at it when I got home, it didn't bother me much anymore. Pumps aren't entirely convenient or safe, because I always have a feeling that I'd have a higher chance of falling or spraining my ankle with them. Besides, I've never owned a pair of boots remotely like the ones I wanted, but eventually managed to find after several leisurely hours. I'm pretty sure they're made of pleather, but the chain turned out to be rather fragile. One of the faux diamonds fell out not long after and I spent some time trying to match a new one of a similar size to replace it. Neither task was easy.

However, I'm fairly sure that I wasn't working on them on Thursday night, the night after that stressful day of appointments. I wasn't wearing them on Wednesday either, because I spent the day at the hospital and wore my trusty PUMAs, but it's entirely possible that I was trying to fix them when I got home. I hadn't touched them yesterday morning either before I went out with Aunt Tiffany, wearing the same running shoes as I usually do.

Why all this seemingly irrelevant information? The reason behind my motivation to make this post does not concern the boots at all.

I was pretty devastated when I realized that my iPod had vanished, just as many other things have been recently. I've managed to lose the card I had bought and specifically put in my stationary drawer and an entire bottle of Lamictal (lamotrigine) 150mg. I'm losing my possessions faster than my weight and it's no fun anymore. I haven't found either and I was beginning to think that my iPod would turn out the same way. I tried to trace back to all the possible places I could have lost it if it had fallen out of my white Chloé bag that I use when the weather clears up and my clothes are more vibrant. The Emily the Strange bag is part of a different style altogether. I'll take a picture of it some other time, so it might better explain how it's more likely for my iPod to have abandoned it, aside from the vast difference in colouring scheme.

I called my Aunt Tiffany first, because I couldn't quite remember if I had it with me that morning, but I was fairly sure that I didn't. She's very observant, so she was quite certain that I hadn't had it with me or she'd have seen it, but she searched for me anyways and it wasn't on her car. Then I called my uncle who drove me from appointment to appointment on Thursday, because it was entirely possible for me to have left it on his car. I know I had it during the last appointment, which was with my cousin, because I was listening to it to pass the time in the waiting room. However, I was sitting beside the aunt who had come with us for her appointment before mine, so if I were to have dropped it while making my way into the operating room, she would have seen it. It didn't turn up with them either. I was reluctant, so I made my dad call my cousin, who didn't find it after working on my teeth nor did the receptionists mention finding it anywhere else, but he said he'd ask them today. By the time he had finished, I was the last patient to leave, just as they were packing up for the night. He said the lab wouldn't be open until Monday, so I could check with them then. I knew I couldn't have left it there, but it was always a possibility.

Between all these phone calls and waiting for the search results, my parents were already repeatedly reassuring me that it wasn't a big deal and they would buy me a new one. I was really quite attached to it, had spent a lot of time organizing and uploading my music onto it (some of which I accidentally deleted promptly afterwards, thinking I had it backed up), and I was really unwilling to have to spend all the time, effort and money on it all over again. While the anxiety and feelings of hopelessness were building, I didn't actually feel as if I would break down sobbing uncontrollably, let alone crying at all. That's a first. We really must have finally found the right cocktail, but I was telling my GP this morning that I was feeling flat. I think it's just not remembering how it feels to be stable. It's very bland and boring. She thought I was finally getting to be in a relatively normal state, so there wasn't anything I should be doing just yet, because she has only observed this behaviour during just a few of the most recent appointments.

I called the dental office to ask the receptionists for myself today, because my cousin is forgetful, but they hadn't found one either. I checked my uncle's car on the ride to the GP's and it was nowhere to be found. I was trying to console myself by thinking that I wouldn't get it right away, as I'm usually at home and I have other inferior MP3 players to use while I waited for the price to drop, but I was still feeling down about it, but only every now and then when something triggered it in my mind today, just as if I had already given up and accepted its/my/our fate.

My boots sit outside my room on a shelf. I've been walking past it all day and I even stop to look at them briefly. I have no idea how it managed to get there even by tracing through my recollection of the past few days. I vaguely remembered putting it in one of the boots, but not why or when. I always take them upstairs with me so they don't get mixed up and ruined with all the other shoes on the doormats and racks, so maybe I had my hands full and put them in while carrying them. As I explained above, I haven't worn those shoes in a few days, so I really don't know how it got there when I've had it all along after the last time I even touched or had anything to do with them. As I was about to shower and get to sleep earlier tonight, as I went to sleep at 2 AM and I've been up since 7 AM, I just stopped and figured I'd put my hand in the left boot for some strange reason. In the distant past, missing objects would always turn up unexpectedly when I had stopped looking for it. I'm ecstatically surprised that it turned up at all.

Wings in the Sky with Diamonds

Once upon a time, a girl, who had diamonds on her tooth and wings on her back, went to the supermarket and wondered why people were looking at her funny. She wasn't even carrying her wand, because she knew it would get in the way when she would be picking grapefruits.

One woman struck up the nerve to ask her why she was wearing the wings. She didn't want to tell her that it was a part of her and that she had left her wand at home, so she told her it was just "For fun!" The lady didn't know what else to say and responded with "They're umm...nice" and quickly left to walk away to her car.

As for the jean shorts, she got them at Urban Behaviour, two for $50, but promptly ripped them just after wearing them for the first few times. She was in a rush to catch the bus, slipped on the ice, scraped and bruised the right knee with a few scratches on her hands, but worst of all, she tore the right knee of her new jeans. Those were stretchable jeans in the perfect wash and colour that she had wanted, but Urban Behaviour was starting a new line of clothing, so it was unlikely that she'd be able to find another one of a similar design. Disheartened, she returned home and may or may not have ended up going to school anyways. Probably the latter. However, this is only Part One of the story of these jeans...

Emily the Strange

I've been on the hunt for all sorts of Emily the Strange merchandise. I went to Pacific Mall with my 'aunt' Tiffany and after a long search and a lot of haggling to the point that I was dizzy and confused, I managed to decide between three bags, but picked this messenger bag in the end.


This is the back of the bag. I thought it needed a chain or something to make it look complete, so I added one along with a rape whistle.

I'm very impressed that all of the zipper pulls are specifically made for Emily the Strange.


While we were at that stall/shop, I noticed that the lady was also selling Emily the Strange wallets and change purses.


It bothers me a little bit that the change purse is slightly wrinkled and improperly attached to its clasp, but it's fully functional. While the wallet has two zippers for change, but if a few coins were inserted, it bulges and makes it difficult to close securely. It wasn't easy for the magnets to hold to begin with.


I like what it says on the inside of the wallet :]
It also has two layers to separate bills of different denominations or currencies. As well, there are several spaces for cards and a transparent vinyl window for ID.

This is a closeup of the tags before Emily the Strange was added to it:

front back

I've also owned a few items that have a space where you can stick a photo on it. My mom think I resemble Emily the Strange if I were a cartoon and since I'm collecting her paraphernalia, I thought I might as well do my best to add to the collection and the red and black theme.


These are the original items closed. I had purchased the mirror on the left in Hong Kong, but I hadn't really been using it. My aunt in Shanghai bought the four-leaf clover tags with pendent and chain for my uncle to bring with him to Canada to give to me. I've had the key chain forever. It bears the symbol for Virgo and flips open to show a photograph if it were attached. For a long time, it was just completely chrome.

This is what it looks like when everything is opened. There's me holding the camera in the mirror, a cartoon version of me on both the tag and key chain. Sometimes it worries me whether I'm just a little bit on the edge of being a narcissist, haha, j/k.

I've been trying to purchase the original comics and books, but I can't seem to find them anywhere. I attempted to order them online, but I was very disappointed after eagerly awaiting its arrival only to find that it was just an empty notebook with nothing particularly interesting or distinctive about it, so I had to return it, because it was most definitely not worth its price.

When I went shopping at Markville last week with my dad, we stopped by H&M to buy a pair of sunglasses for $7.90. They were the ones I've been searching for - one continuous lens without a break in the middle or rims.


The part that positions the glasses to the nose was really bulky and rubbery, which makes it very uncomfortable, so I took it off and just bent the metal posts inside of it to keep it from scratching my face and now it feels much better, but pokes the bridge of my nose on occasion.

I've taken to wearing bandannas around my neck to hide my tracheotomy scar. I'm not ashamed of it or anything, but it doesn't look very nice with everything else that I've put together.

The jacket isn't the pleather one from the previous post, but it's softer and thinner. I bought it at Urban Behaviour for only $10 and 10% off with my SPC card. I got the sweater in Hong Kong, but I don't like that it has something of a wider collar, so the bandanna comes in handy for that purpose as well. I bought it at one of the kiosks at Scarborough Town Centre with a deal of 3 for $10, so I picked out a bright pink one and a white one, all of the same design but they don't have diamonds on it like the red one does. The brand of the jeans is Miss Sixty and I bought them in Shanghai.