anywool

'No Way As Way' - Enter the Dragon 40th Anniversary | Facebook

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:39:04 +0800

'No Way As Way' - Enter the Dragon 40th Anniversary | Facebook:

SHOW U GUYS THE KIND OF THINGS THAT GETS ME EXCITEDDDDDDDD….

Bruce Lee on Self Mastery. A single human being can bring about a phenomena change. How to? Get the documentary ‘Enter the Dragon’ from Bruce Lee’s online store.

What defines simplicity?

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:57:00 +0800

Recently, one of our good friends, Ruiping, got married. You would have seen pictures on her wedding on my Instagram.

Anyway, Ruiping is one of the most easy-going, sweet girls around. She is very very simple… Looking at her wedding makes me think that simple bliss in life is all that is. And that in itself is a blessing.

I told my girlfriends that I am also simple… and before I could continue further, one of them cut in, “WAH Cat, you are not simple.”

“HOW am I not simple?”

“You want to achieve a lot of things at work.”

“But that is about it? Other than that, my life is go home and sleep, meet friends and eat, read books and think. I don’t even shop a lot like a normal woman….”

How does one define simplicity?

I admit nothing makes me more emo than underperforming at work. I cannot help it. I am just like this. But that is all that is? I believe one day if I become a mum, my focus will shift (seriously you cannot just give birth to kids and not take the responsibility of providing them with the best you can). But until that happens, I have all the rights to be emo for work. This does not make me any more complicated than maybe say.. your dad. I just cannot accept knowing that I am not dying for something or doing my best at something or excited about something… Is this too much to ask for?

Maybe bcos I feel Design is a way of life. It is like my entire life so obviously if I don’t do well at life, I have a right to be emo right?!

By the way, my good friend, Sabbynana, has started to blog and her thoughts are hilarious. You may want to read some of her bathroom thoughts… here.

Warning: We are very different. Haha.

Recently, I met a lady who is a designer at my client’s...

Sun, 19 May 2013 02:07:00 +0800

Recently, I met a lady who is a designer at my client’s office. When I first entered the office, I just took my laptop and did what I was supposed to do in the office. A few days passed, one day, this girl knocked on my door and offered me a box of sweets.

“Want some?”

“Oh.. so nice of you. But it’s okay.”

I returned my attention to my laptop but I noticed she was still standing beside me.

“….Yes?”

“Oh, I am S. I have been wanting to know you.”

“Huh? Know me?!”

“Yes, the office has told me about you for a long while.”

“Errrr.. like how I am a total rebel that caused everyone a lot of headaches?”

“No no, good stuffs. I hope to learn from you. That day when you came into office I wasn’t around.. the next day, my colleague said you were HERE!! And he said you looked damn cool - you have no hair on one side” (Wah these people are too kind.)

-______________- “NOOOOO.. I am as ordinary as you. Nothing much you can learn from me, but I can share some stuffs with you if you want.”

So yesterday I had a chance to chat more with her as everyone had gone home from my client’s office except for the both of us. And it was a real eye opener to me.

This lady has such an accurate observation about people just by looking at the way they dress/act, she can deduce the person’s character from a single encounter!

I mean, this is not to say I am not an observant person. I think I observe different things, subtle mannerisms, subtle behaviour. I won’t think so much about what kind of person anyone on Earth is. I seriously just like to think everyone is generally nice (I still have this child-like naiveness in some ways). And more focus on thinking about… actually I don’t know what I think about now that I am trying to think about this qns but I do think a lot every day (WHOLE LOT OF GIBBERISH).

So she was telling me that when she first saw me, she was guessing I am a girl who is very independent because a reliant girl is more likely to dress more girlish and that actually everything we do/say/wear is linked - a direct presentation of the character that we are. After all, they are all a form of self expression.

I got curious. So I probed further. “So what else did you guess about me on first glance?”

“More concerned about work than general ladies out there, because you like to wear unisex stuffs when you’re at work, so there is a sort of masculine in you. But your face is very pretty and lady (pls don’t puke, I am just quoting her, I also wanna cringe and die when she said that) so you must have a part that is very lady and gentle, so I guess it takes a certain kind of man to admire it. You should be a direct person, won’t beat around the bush. You have a lot of character. But I feel most designers have that because there must be something they cannot compromise - that is how they can be a designer for a long time. (Referring to my work that she has seen) You do not belong to a detailed kind of person. Your stuffs are always more conceptual, make people think or blow their minds with your thoughts.. belongs to more clean, westernise kinda designs because in China, a lot of graphic designers are about detailing.”

“Hmm, but I can be very detailed when I do certain things…”

“I do not think you do that because you’re detailed. You do that because there is a certain idea you want to present and you will carry any task to the very end - so long you want it enough. It is always about the idea behind it. Oh, and you’re a very cheerful girl.”

“….. CHEERFUL? Then can you tell me how should a depressed person dress like?”

We burst into laughter together.

A Design Film Festival Singapore 2013

Sat, 18 May 2013 18:28:55 +0800

A Design Film Festival Singapore 2013:

Presented by Anonymous, A Design Film Festival is a celebration of films on design, architecture, technology, fashion and its subculture.

Hi my dear fellow Designers,

There is a screening of various films on Art&Design that you might be interested to check out. All screenings will be on 15th/16th June (Sat and Sun).

I’ve purchased tickets to

1) Design As One

2) The Naked Brand

3) Sign Painters

And I hope to see you there! ;)

Love,

Cat

I FINALLY KNOW!!! WHAT I AM GONNA DO!

Thu, 16 May 2013 20:53:00 +0800

I am about to do the craziest thing I HAVE EVER DONE or AM GOING TO DO.

I finally know what to do! At least for a near future. Till that point. (Seriously no one knows what they are doing, this is FOR SURE)

I AMMMMM going to travel the world, DESIGNING. And I am going to document my adventure in each country, in a video.

I just have this crazy, CRAZY idea. I somehow know I am not contented staying in a country… designing. Life must be more than this.

Life must really be more then this.

I think travelling alone as a girl may be the craziest thing I am ever gonna do.. But I feel that the craziest things we have ever done are always decisions made impulsively.

Don’t overthink. As to the full story behind my decision, I guess I will never get another chance like this in life again.

I just wanna utilize it. And on my travels, I am just going to bring very bare essentials for survival.

Ok!!! I AM GONNA DO IT! I’m such a crazy girl. Whoever marries me really needs some guts.

KIDDING! I can’t wait to share all that I have seen or am going to see with my future husband. I think he is gonna find me so interesting :D I am confident that someday, I will meet him. Somewhere, somehow. But I can’t waste my time waiting, I am going to live out my own adventure.

Some stuffs that may interest you:

Fluentin in 3 months - 29 life lessons (Traveller post! - Janis you may be interested to read this)

Everybody Wears Sunscreen on YouTube (I heard this song when I was 16, studying last min for my O’s before a radio into the late night, but I didn’t think much about it, now that I hear this song again, it has made more sense than ever, time has made its presence on my growth)

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be
it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
than my own meandering experience… I will dispense this advice now. Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not
understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and
recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before
you and how fabulous you really looked…. You’re not as fat as you
imagine. Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that
never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
on some idle Tuesday. Do one thing everyday that scares you Sing Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with
people who are reckless with yours. Floss Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind… the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself. Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how. Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements. Stretch Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life… the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t. Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone. Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body,
use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people
think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.. Dance… even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room. Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them. Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly. Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future. Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young. Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel. Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders. Respect your elders. Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out. Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you’re 40, it will look 85. Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth. But trust me on the sunscreen…

Life do have miracles

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:32:00 +0800

I had a sudden realisation about all the “lucky” encounters I’ve had in my life thus far, that I am lucky because I first LOVE.

1) I am lucky to have supportive clients because I first love what I do.

2) I figured that “luck” is overrated. Hard work and Love increase your chance A LOT MORE.

Several things I do have to write/question are (not what I would write to myself five/ten years down the road, seriously I have so much thoughts in my head every day)

1) Nobody is too intelligent for mistakes. Knowing this fact greatly humbles us.

2) To how should we use our intelligence? This is a question that we must ask ourselves. From making this world a better place through what you love most or do best to simple things like.. writing a witty blog post to make someone laugh. Life can be really simple.

3) I have not much for material needs. I want to lead a simple life and just work and enjoy time with family and friends. I do not hide my desire to be recognised for my talent because it is only in this way that I can continue to do bigger and greater things to form a lasting (+ve) impact on some values that I feel are important. Anyway, this is a work-in-progress and I am patient for it.

4) Social media is a lot of noise and if you are not aware, you will get lost and not realise, what truly is important in Life.

5) I have been reading a lot of news (seriously I read books and I read news and I read and read and read. How nerdy I can get I have no idea), been thinking a lot about the incredible resilience of human spirits. Sometimes all of what you contain only comes out when you are pushed to the edge and you have to give all you’ve got to stay sane or alive. Never ever give up hope in Life… it is truly important to have hope and to have faith.

What am I talking about?

You would have heard on the big Cleveland case where 3 missing women were rescued after a decade in captivity. Other notable kidnap + sexual abuse cases include Jaycee Lee Dugard’s (she bored two daughters during her 18 years in captivity) and Elizabeth Smart’s.

You can Google and read about their cases + interviews on YouTube.

What really inspires me is how these women go on to lead the lives they truly want after their ordeal. How they refuse to let what happened to them define who they are, how they steadfastly hold onto hold and faith and optimism.

Seems like things we can all learn and apply in Life. I truly believe nothing beats the School of Life.

One more thing.. a mother’s love is truly NOBLE… It’s like these kidnapped victims who bored their captors’ children love their children ALL THE SAME and want nothing but the best for the kids. They don’t love the men (of course), but they will do anything to protect the children.. JUST HOW???? Rachel was saying that she imagined what she would do if she was captured and had the same things done to her and how she would react. I mean, I don’t imagine myself in such situations but omg… imagine having a child of the rapist. HOW, YOU ALL ANS ME? How would you deal with it?! I guess, just have to deal with it lor (like how Sabby would always say).

Makes me really scared thinking of being a mum sometimes. I know it will be a beautiful encounter but to imagine that kind of love coming out from me is something I still can’t quite figure…. yet.

I guess some things you will only get to understand when you become a parent yourself huh? That is what they always say.

Dear Catherine

Tue, 14 May 2013 22:18:52 +0800

Today is 14th May 2013.

What would you write to yourself, five and ten years down the road?

Give it some thought.

Ji Lee is Creative Director of Facebook Inc. But before that, he...

Tue, 14 May 2013 19:43:00 +0800

Ji Lee is Creative Director of Facebook Inc.

But before that, he is a human being, most likely a perfectionist, just like me.

I have been wondering what Life is truly all about. I have had this question since I was 16 and struggling with following my heart to do the arts/design or trek the norm path of achieving academic excellence.

I delayed on listening to my heart. For 4years after that, I continue to trek on this social norm path but as the years rolled on, each step got heavier, harder and in the end it became unbearable.

After I got into Design, the path did not get easier! Surprise surprise.

But there is a difference.

No matter how tough it got, I am still here. I enjoyed the tough times. I celebrate the good times.

One thing for sure, I learnt that human beings are never meant to complicate anything. We are meant to focus, to simplify, to declutter.

Besides work, I also learn about compassion, kindness, trust, bonds, human relationships, etc.

I am not perfect. I make mistakes. Sometimes I screw up. Sometimes I’m not so nice.

I get impatient with people who walk too slowly in front of me. I have zero patience for people who are FICKER, INDECISIVE, WISHY WASHY (seriously no one can release my inner medusa more than this genre of people, since I believe in the law of attraction, I will write it in a positive form: I appreciate all the firm, decisive, appreciative people I have met. Thank you. May you all continue to come into my life). I underperform, sometimes I just don’t get it. I get lost, I do not know what is best for me.

I have to learn to forgive myself. And stop being critical with myself.

It is okay to screw up, as long as I learn to correct it. I have to make mistakes in order to be better. I am my only obstacle.

I have been shown not by words, by clear example of others who have trekked the path before me.

Today I declutter.

I cut away things that do not matter, or rather, they seem to not matter. So until they prove their worth, I will not spare them any attention.

Instead. I return to the ones who have shown me unconditional love. I mean, I have always known. But the time has arrived for me to take a stand.

I am not perfect still. But like Lee, I have to learn to accept my imperfect self.

Do everything you've ever wanted to

Mon, 13 May 2013 16:36:08 +0800

One check off my bucket list.

I don’t think I will stick with it, I get bored too easily.

Nice try.

Gist is, do everything you have ever wanted to do or say. One day you may wake up being too late for anything.

Fanfare

Sun, 12 May 2013 03:11:00 +0800

Wow, my return to blogging has been greeted with fanfare! Totally unexpected.

I actually regret deleting the blog before this because there were so many funny entries… :( When I first deleted it, I told no one. A few days later, Rachel and Janis commented, “OMG YOU DELETED YOUR BLOG?!”

“Yeah, but no one reads anyway. So I think nvm la.”

Rachel, “HUH? I read it every morning on my way to work. It’s like my daily entertainment… :(“

Janis,“Who says no one reads?? I DO!! Just that you cannot expect people to comment on every entry ma.”

So when I return to blogging, I also didn’t inform most of them. They found out themselves. Or unless you’re on my Instagram.

Ok, since my return has been greeted with a warm welcome, I want to get this entry off my chest.

I WANT TO WRITE ABOUT THIS PERSON:

Brian Chan aka Chosetec

If you do not know, he is the lesser known sibling (but totally AWESOME) of this guy right here:

Wesley Chan, co-founder of Wong Fu Productions.

What? I think the whole world should know about him! Not that the whole world reads my blog (…yet, muhahahaha I am ambitious, one can dream right) but you know, I can contribute in what little ways I can.

Brian Chan aka Brain Chan (I self-christened him this name, I don’t care) is a maker of anything.

I mean, seriously anything. From complex machines to musical instruments (what the…) to complicated origamis:

When I first discovered this guy, I HONESTLY felt an epiphany, that my childhood wish for a Doraemon has finally COME TRUE in human form! OMGAHHH, I instantly felt ashamed of touching my computer all the time and I just wanted to MAKE MORE THINGS with my hands! It is like you can request for anything in the world and he will return to his little workshop, work his magic and go “TADAH!!!! Here you go!”

PS: Kids, dreams do come true, do not let anyone tell you otherwise.

I mean look at how happy this lucky guy is with a Doraemon brother:

Btw I think the whole world should stop questioning who he is dating. The answer is pretty obvious: An alien.

I tried to make something I had never imagined being able do too, but all I could manage was maybe half of Brian Chan’s awesome:

It’s kinda girly. Eh wait. I AM a girl. Btw I wonder how this little guy is doing too. Hope he’s fine cos he was so hard to make.

So I didn’t think much about anything until one day someone passed me a book that is written by…

THESE TWO guys’ father. My eyeballs almost rolled out when I read the credits page because when I first held the book, I jumped straight into the contents and it was a lot of days later that I took notice of the snippet of dedication.

I literally went, “This is a household of humanoids! Can their dog also do some extraordinary stuns that I do not know of?!”

More interestingly, I wanted to ask Mama Chan what did they feed on growing up because I also want to be smarter. She must have concocted a magic formula of milk powder. Then after a positive turn out of Brain Chan, the milk powder underwent some more improvements:

NEW AND IMPROVED formula. Able to make most girls lose all their senses since 1984, may take some years for you to see the results, but you will see it hun.

Btw I had a funny thought when I saw Wesley’s baby picture (which I honestly thought is SO CUTE! mainly because of the smile), I thought that all kids can sing “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, my two front teeth” except for him that year. Because he had his two front teeth and not the rest instead. HAHAHAHAHA.

I had written an entry that I remember fondly in my old blog that I want everyone to have the pleasure of reading now. It all came about when I stumbled upon an article of an elementary schoolboy in Singapore with an IQ of 143 and it is reported that the average person’s IQ is 100-103. I almost flipped cos I took an IQ test before and mine is 129 and I had always thought I AM AVERAGE.

Anyway, doesn’t matter.

I started to wonder what is Brain Chan’s IQ!!

*Mad scientist strips an IQ test machine onto Brian Chan’s head to measure his IQ*

Beep beep beep beep beepbeepbleepbleeep!^@%&!@%#@!!!!!!!

Me,“Err… I guess it doesn’t have a range for humanoids…” *turns to mad scientist* “Don’t cry, I will get you a new one..”

Me, “Are you all hungry? Let’s all tuck in.” :D

Brian Chan, “But I want to wait for my brother.”

Me, “Nah, he doesn’t need that. His fan girls will feed him.”

Dear chicken, you can now rest in peace. Nobody will ask you why you cross that road anymore.

Jokes aside, friends, do check out this guy. He is really quite awesome, kinda like the unassuming guy living next door to you and one day you knock on his door to borrow a bottle of ketchup and when he answers, your jaw drops from seeing the awesome that is in his house. Just like in movies (link opens up to a day in Brian Chan’s life. I know they edited the part where you borrowed his bottle of ketchup. Don’t cry, I will get you a new one too).

The ketchup aka extra tomato aka jaw-dropping scenario will be somewhat like this:

Brian, “Look what I’ve made here, bro!”

Brian, “Look what I’ve made this time, bro!”

Brian, “BRO!!! LOOOOOOOOK ATTTTTTTT….”

Now you know where Wesley got all that training for this facial expression from.

Check Brian out at his official Facebook Fan Page.

Yeah. And this is what happens when you have a Doraemon brother. I really love watching creative pple do their thang!

PS: Dear Brian, if you love my entry, do send me something. Anything that you’ve made. I AM A FAN of yours!!!! To prove my dedication, here’s a picture:

I stumbled upon this tee at Adidas a few weeks after making that entry (Run for your lives) last year and I thought, “WHAT ARE THE ODDS?” So I bought it. And if I ever meet you in real life one day, I am going to wear it.

Cheers. I am freaking cheesy.

I bought a treadmill

Fri, 10 May 2013 19:20:00 +0800

That is guarantee to make me a better designer.

How you ask?

I think recently the lack of exercise is causing more fats to reside in my body and because they have ran out of space to reside, they decided to travel to my brain and caused BRAIN BLOCK. What is clogged artery now you tell me? Seriously I give new meaning to everything I touch.

So my dad drove me to the mall and after hearing the salesperson say a whole lot of gibberish which I do not care, I chose a treadmill that er, felt right. My decision was fast but we ended up at the shop for close to an hr because…

For some reason my dad really can chat up a storm with everyone and I just do not understand why he has so much words to say!!!

WHY am I so different? I just sat in a corner and rot. I think I walked out of the store with some cobwebs on my head.

The salesperson was a chubby guy who said a lot about exercising things to me… I think after 15mins, he also began to feel guilty with all that talk. I mean… I am someone who question a lot in my head. Let’s call him, Nice Chubby Salesperson (I didn’t ask for a name) aka NCS

NCS: Well, I am the way I am because I am so busy from work..

Me: (Wa, wait a min, I didn’t even say anything…) Actually you can start to get active. I mean if you are lean and healthy and you sell a product to me, even if it is just an ordinary looking stationary bicycle, I will buy it. Simply by sharing with me how you have used it to lose weight, I will believe you. I will think you are bloody convincing lor, because you walk the talk. I think very soon you will be the best salesperson around. Products will be flying off the shelves!! (sorry just realise you can’t fit a treadmill on the shelf)

NCS: Oh.. what is your occupation?

Me: You don’t have to ask, but think about it. I do make sense.

Anyway, hopefully my works will get sexier with my new purchase.

HAHAHAHA.

Courage to be who you are

Fri, 10 May 2013 02:24:00 +0800

Over lunch the other day, the contractor I have been working with casually mentioned that a girl like me would have trouble finding a boyfriend because, according to him, I am

1) Too intelligent

2) Too ambitious

3) Too capable

In short, I seek challenges and few guys can take it.

Excuse me?

It’s like if you’re stupid, people lament that you are dumb but if you’re smart, they have a problem with it too! We can never win man.

Interestingly enough, there has never been more topics about Love in my life than now. It is like they all come in the same period and they come when they want to.

In the past, I would be affected, but I have never been more comfortable with being who I truly am. Like I had written before, I have fully accepted I am created to be the way I am for a purpose only I can fulfil so I will not allow anyone to make me feel inferior.

I replied him,”The world’s population stands at 7 billion and there will be a guy who is more capable, more ambitious, appreciates intelligence and challenges and HE is looking for someone just like me. Why the hell should I pretend to be

1) A damsel in distress

2) Fake dumb

3) Fake nice (I know I AM nice but being nice doesn’t mean praising someone all the time. It can come in DIFFERENT forms.)

Just for a guy to love me? Worse, he is gonna love someone who is not the real deal. Imagine signing up for something and after a while you go, “This is not what I sign up for!”

How can we hide our true selves for a lifetime? What is the point?! I rather be myself and not be loved than to not be myself and be loved because I cannot upkeep the facade which means I will be setting myself up for a heartbreak and because I value relationship a lot I’d rather be alone than to experience emotional loss again.

The contractor, either convinced by my answer or finds no point to argue with someone who is secured with herself, simply smiled and nodded.

What is this age already? Should girls act dumb to be loved? I cannot live with it. I believe in taking the back seat with someone I love. I can be freaking intelligent, but I do not have to show the entire world. By supporting him it is enough. I can be freaking romantic, but of course I only show it to someone who matters! But pls. No acting dumb to be loved in my dictionary and I will burn yours if that is in your definition.

Ultimately, it is the need to recognise we will never be the best in something and the recognition that there is always someone better and the continuation of wanting to be better that greatly humanize all of us that is MOST IMPORTANT.

None of us can be where we are without others. No matter how capable or intelligent I am, I have no grounds to show it if I had no been given opportunities by others. We owe a lot of things to people around us.

There. I think having a rationalised brain still rules.

Sabby was telling me to write a wish list.

1) I truly believe there is a guy made just for me and he will be freaking grateful I exist like how I am for his existence.

2) I will be awarded the President Design Award. I want PM Lee Hsien Loong to hand the award to me in his OWN HANDS! I love you PM Lee! (I still do not forget my dreams!)

3) I will be freaking famous doing what I love most and do best and I want to inspire the youth that ANYTHING in life is POSSIBLE.

Nothing makes me happier faster than..

Thu, 09 May 2013 16:15:00 +0800

.. playing with my dog. It is always very effective. I have never regretted adopting her some seven yrs ago.

After this period of madness, I need to get several things of my own up.

I also have this idea for a mini “Round-the-world’ tour next year I have to work on.

One life. One dream. Live it.

I am not born to be mediocre.

Joycelyn had asked me to do some 20 things people might not know about me some time back but I never got to doing it till now. Because… I am bored.

1) I think I am both left-brained and right-brained. I can do Math/Sci but I can do Arts too. More interest and enthusiasm in the latter, which explains my life now. I also begin to hate Physics later on in life because I find them very dry. No talent.

2) My family and secondary school classmates are the only people who call me by my Chinese name (which you will never know), the rest address me as Cat, Cathy or Catherine. Whichever works for you. Catherine is my real name. Kaka (Karen) calls me “ah mao”, which means Cat in English.

3) My dream is to work from any where in the world. I am not suitable to be a regular white collar. I might murder someone by accident. And that person may highly be my boss. Kidding. 4) I have a sense of humour.

5) I’m not a girly-girl and I am allergic to anything pink.

6) I have an irresistible urge to hug/pat any dog I meet.

7) I used to be reallllly scared of crying babies. I don’t know. And also rowdy kids… pls stay away from me. I think I am better now because too many friends around me are having their own babies and I can’t be running away from my friends’ babies…

8) The only sports I enjoy are running, biking and hiking. I have tried many others but I find myself consistently doing these three. I tend to be very loyal to whatever I love. I do not mind trying Muay Thai though. I like to think I can pack a punch.

9) I believe in True Love but I do not believe in lingering in anything unreciprocated. I will not lower myself or pretend to be someone I am not in order to be loved. I believe in having courage to do, to try, and to walk away, all when necessary. I also value honesty.

10) I struggle with sleeping at the correct hours. I get very creative at night but I also love the feeling of starting work early and after working for hrs, I realise it is only early noon. The feeling is awesome. But I still tend to stay up late. So that means, my bio-clock is all over the place.

11) I am always in deep thoughts. I have long forgotten how it feels like to have nothing in the head. When Sab told me when she has nothing to think her head really has nothing, I am amazed yet envious. How does that feel like?

12) I do not set out to dress to impress anyone. My reasoning is being a designer, I am naturally sensitive to aesthetics. What seem like forever-to-put-together to others may take me only 5mins. I do not believe in impressing people - takes too much work and I cannot be bothered. I enjoy putting things together and I am like a canvas. Helps that I only like very unique things.

13) I am very ambitious but I know I have to learn to chill. So these days, I am a go-with-the-flow kinda person.

14) I am hungry now.

15) I am meeting Sabby & Ben for Skinny Pizza and none of us are skinny!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!

16) …………

Peace ensued

Wed, 08 May 2013 17:26:00 +0800

My life is back to normal and I am loving it!!! Yayyyyyyy!! Woohoo! *light fireworks which burst brilliantly into the night sky and killed a flying crow which then fell and hit a clueless guy dressed in black who then fainted and had no idea what had happened because everything was so dark* muhahahahahahahaha

PS: He was left in the dark…… *cold sweat* NO ONE LAUGHS and I KNOW. I just like to be punny, you got a problem with thattttt?

Girl in the mirror

Wed, 08 May 2013 14:03:04 +0800

Girl in the mirror

Another project of mine.. Brand concept + Interior Design +...

Mon, 06 May 2013 19:08:00 +0800

Another project of mine..

Brand concept + Interior Design + Through the line brand communications by me.

Opening in May 2013.

Share with you guys what I have been busy with! Brand concept +...

Sat, 04 May 2013 13:36:52 +0800

Share with you guys what I have been busy with!

Brand concept + Interior Design + through the line communications by me.

I have never been more delirious from the lack of sleep… Looking forward to seeing through this project.

Luxury property developer, SC Global’s website is live....

Fri, 03 May 2013 01:15:00 +0800

Luxury property developer, SC Global’s website is live. www.scglobal.com.sg

New website is fat-free, trimmed and lean.

This is everyone’s favourite picture and it made it on the landing page! When I was thinking about the art direction/concept, I was looking at the pictures the client had provided of this apartment fully decked out in Hermès furnishing. I like to look at/focus on a part of a picture instead of the entire thing and I felt it would be cool to juxtapose a child’s innocence against such a luxurious backdrop. Recognise the horse?

Art direction, Concept and UI Design by anywool

Done in collaboration with Tremendousness. Photography by Chad.

Marriage is not "Marri" + Age

Thu, 02 May 2013 23:26:00 +0800

There is a qns that has been bothering me since forever.

I just do not understand why girls look forward to marriage. This is not to say that I have a phobia towards marriage. More like I leave it all to.. fate? When it happens it just happens!

I have girlfriends around me who go.. “Well we have been dating for yearrrrrrrsssss.. WHEN is he gonna propose…? :(” and they say it’s ‘normal’ for girls to want to look forward to marriage?

What? Am I an alien now? Wait, I don’t need a telescope ley!

And they spend a lot of time thinking, hoping and planning.

The thing about such expectations is… if it doesn’t happen, disappointment sets in and it can cause a strain in the relationship.

Why can’t people just chill and enjoy each other’s company?

I believe if a guy wants to marry you, he WILL propose. No need you to rush him.

“I want to marry so that it is official and we can stay together forever.”

Whattttt. If a guy wants to leave, marriage will not keep him and if he wants to stay, he will stay even if you have 6 kids on board without a cert like Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie.

Marriage is a lot of work and constant work-in-progress. What is forever in this age?! Work does not stop after marriage, in fact it is more.

If he loves you enough, he will want to make you his and take responsibility. He will want to build a family and have children with you.

Just let nature take its course lah.

Why the rush?

I is no understand.

No wonder I is no husband because I do not think of marriage. He also takes his own sweet time to arrive in my life. Dear future husband, although I is no need to rush into marriage can you rely more on modern technology like take a plane (I don’t expect you to be rich and ride a rocket), but at least don’t crawl ok? That skill you mastered it since baby and IT IS NO KICK ALREADY.

Sincerely,

Cat

Confusion and Chaos: The Seduction of Contemporary Graphic Design by Paul Rand

Wed, 01 May 2013 19:09:00 +0800

I had a wonderful 3-hr-tea with Ziqq today about our thoughts about critical thinking behind Design. The problem widespread these days is many creations are done without thought, yet they are tremendously aesthetic pleasing.

This is not to say that aesthetics is not important. It is a very important part of Design. But what about the thought behind it? Where Design truly takes on value? Are we solving a real problem? Or are we catching on trendiness?

I can write more on this topic but because recently I have been so pressed for time, I have no time to really sit down and pen a thoughtful article on this issue.

Not surprisingly, Paul Rand had written a similar article with “Thoughts on Design - Seduction of Contemporary Graphic Design” with the exact questioning. He and Charles Eames had often stood by their stand on what Design truly encompasses. Good design stands the test of time, classic solutions; not bubbles which burst with the passing of each trend.

I had no idea I will be one of those to fight this battle but since I began to work as a Designer, I have always had this inner voice telling me that something is very wrong with the circumstances I was experiencing.

Ziqq, while interviewing many Designers, also gained particular insight that we are causing our own downfall as most Designers do not spend time questioning, nor reading or improving their knowledge outside of work. This is why Designers are rarely valued, often abused, and subjected to clients’ own tastes on what is good.

I am having my braces now and my dentist has never allowed me any question. He always gave me the “I know what I am doing” look and “If I say no, means no”.

Why can’t Designers command the same kind of stance? I am not referring to Designers with the likes of Karl Lagerfeld. More like local Designers.

I’m not sure if Singapore being a young country and relatively new history can be stated as one of the reasons. But there may be a chance. Samantha Lo (SKL0) is making her stance as a local artist, not without a price to pay for it — she was charged, subjected to public opinions, etc, yet she is fighting for her belief. All for love for what she does. True respect and with each committed individual, we are inspiring more people to stand up for their beliefs and improve the scene together. One love.

Artists and Designers truly have it hard in this expensive, young country but we are not about to give up without a good fight.

We have to look deep into the system - from school (how is the curriculum structured?), to the leading agencies in society (what are they really doing?), to the government bodies that promotes Design —or so they claimed (what are they spreading?). It is a chain reaction.

What kind of minds are we hoping to groom in schools moving forward? Ultimately the future in Design lies in these new generations of Designers.

People with critical thinking, understands real world, real problems, who addresses consumers’ needs, who questions enough, who places substance over trendiness, quality over quantity, core values over fame.

What are we all really doing? How are we going to contribute?

We believe that Good Design can Change the World for the Better.

Ziqq raises a fundamental point that even I need to apply to my life. We all know that change starts from self. Design your own life, before you intend to Design other things for the better.

What kind of change do I need AND want to apply to my life?

I left the talk with a lot of questions in my head but an eagerness to set myself up for this challenge. I know exactly what kind of change I want to see in my own life.

I have a very clear idea of where I would like to see myself in 2yrs and 5yrs down the road.

And I know these change includes returning to my alma mater here and then and share with young minds, about what Design truly is. Lecturers have been keen to have me back and I want to be back, when I have prepared my stuffs.

From the moment I began work as a Designer, I know I am married to this discipline. Whoever my future partner is, he has to understand and be supportive of my cause to impact the world in a positive way, in a way that I can.

Other reading references: Charles Eames’ thoughts on Design on Brainpicking

Before I go, here’s the article by Paul Rand, it is very heavy, may not be suitable for everyone to digest:

In the torturous history of painting and design, from Cimabue (1240-1302), to Cassandre (1901-1968), communications between artist and spectator — even if one disagreed with what was being communicated - was rarely a problem. Today, with emphasis on self, on style, rather than on content or idea, and in much of what is alleged to be graphic design, communication at best, is puzzling. Order out of chaos, it seems, is not the order of the day.

The deluge of design that colors our lives, our print, and video screens is synchronous with the spirit of our time. No less than drugs and pollution, and all the fads and -isms that have plagued our communities, the big brush of graffiti for example, has been blanketing our cities from Basel to Brooklyn. Much of graphic design today is a grim reminder of this overwhelming presence. The qualities which evoke this bevy of depressing images are a collage of confusion and chaos, swaying between high tech and low art, and wrapped in a cloak of arrogance: squiggles, pixels, doodles, dingbats, ziggurats; boudoir colors: turquoise, peach, pea green, and lavender; corny woodcuts on moody browns and russets; Art Deco rip-offs, high gloss finishes, sleazy textures; tiny color photos surrounded by acres of white space; indecipherable, zany typography with miles of leading; text in all caps (despite indisputable proof that lowercase letters are more readable); omnipresent, decorative letterspaced caps; visually annotated typography and revivalist caps and small caps; pseudo-Dada and Futurist collages; and whatever ‘special effects’ a computer makes possible. These inspirational decorations are, apparently, convenient stand-ins for real ideas and genuine skills. And all this is a reflection, less of the substance, than of the spirit of graffiti - less of the style, than of the quality.

That these cliches are used repeatedly, irrespective of needs, is what defines trendiness. The ‘Memphis’ fad was also based on cliches and on outrageous, kitschy notions. (Occasionally, however, some potentially useful ideas seeped through — only proving that it takes talent to make something out of nothing.) The huge investments involved in the manufacture and storage of Memphis products have probably helped speed its demise. Trendy printed ephemera, on the other hand, which involves less capital, may take a bit longer.

There is something about graffiti and graffiti-like design that smacks of WW I Dada. But that was a revolt against the lopsided conventions of the time. The participants were often great artists and reformers: Arp, Grosz, Heartfield, Duchamp, Ernst, Schwitters, etc. And the work was not, in any way, trendy; it was serious, often amusing, and always interesting. Today’s Dada, if it can be called that, is a revolt against anything that is deemed old hat. Faddish and frivolous, it harbors its own built-in boredom.

‘I feel that the ideas I tried to outline…will strike many of you as consisting too much of the atrabiliar grumblings of a disgruntled elder,’ is how Roger Fry,(1) the distinguished British critic, expressed the fear that his message might be falling on deaf ears.

Most of this ‘new’ style of design is confined to pro bono work, small boutiques, fledgling studios, trendy publishers, misguided educational institutions, anxious graphic arts associations, and a few innocent paper manufacturers, who produce beautiful papers, but then spoil them with ‘the latest’ graphics, and who, undoubtedly, see themselves as the avant-garde - and are comforted by the illusion that this must be progress. Unhappily, this is infecting some of the graphics of the corporate world: annual reports, identity programs, direct mail, etc. Trendiness is seductive, especially to the young and inexperienced, for the principal reason that it offers no restraints, is lots of ‘fun’, permits unlimited possibilities for ‘self- expression,’ and doesn’t require conforming to the dictates of reason or aesthetics. ‘… Self-expression isreal only after the means to it have been acquired’,(2) comments the author of a brilliant commentary on the foibles of education, ‘Begin Here.’

Lack of humility and originality and the obsession with style, is what seem to encourage these excesses. The absence of restraint, the equation of simplicity with shallowness, complexity with depth of understanding, and obscurity with innovation, distinguishes the quality of work of these times. The focus on freedom is just another sign that suggests a longing to reject the past — ‘the infinite greatness of the past,’(3) is how Walt Whitman put it. All this, of course, carries little weight with critics who, out of hand, reject the styles of their predecessors, and respond to reason with disdain.

Added to this is the obsession with theory which, instead of being fuel for action as it was at other times, during the Renaissance, for example, is merely the vehicle for fathomless language, variously described as ‘extravagantly obscure, modish, opaque verbal shenanigans - and the authors as masters of impenetrability’. (4) Although these descriptions are aimed at architects, they seem equally appropriate for graphic design theorists of the ‘new’, (a buzzword often seen in advertising sometimes preceded by the expression ‘amazing’.) Reaching for the new is tilting at windmills; the goal is not what is new (original), as Mies put it, but what is good.

Twenty-eight years ago, my friend Charles Eames (1908-1977) spoke at the Pasadena Art Museum, concerning a growing preoccupation with the problem of creativity. ‘This preoccupation in itself’, said Eames, ‘suggests that we are in some special kind of trouble — and indeed we are.’ A look at graphic design today suggests that, perhaps, we are even in greater trouble now than we were 28 years ago. As a matter of fact, design today, is reminiscent of the trials of an earlier era in which Edward Gibbon, author of The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1776), astutely described the arts in theatre, music, and painting, as ‘freakishness pretending to originality, enthusiasm masquerading as vitality’. (5)

Eames would probably turn in his grave if he knew what was happening even in academia today. ‘It is no secret,’ asserts the author of Tenured Radicals, ‘that the academic study of the humanities in this country is in a state of crisis’…’Every special interest — women’s studies, black studies, gay studies, and the like — and every modish interpretive gambit — deconstructivism, post structuralism, new historicism {postmodernism}, …has found a welcome roost in the academy {and in many studios}, while the traditional curriculum and modes of intellectual inquiry are excoriated as sexist, racist, or just plain reactionary’, (6) ‘It is also necessary,’ adds another critic, ‘to remind oneself of the dangers that ensue when metaphors substitute for facts, when words lose their meaning, and when signifiers and signifieds part company, with the deconstructionists’ blessing’.(7)

Today, the popular sport is to put down whatever isn’t perceived as change — the very latest — subjects like: the classics, the curriculum, Modernism, functionalism and, for example, the Bauhaus, into whose history is woven the very fabric of Modernism, is seen as a style rather than as an idea, a cultural manifestation. Socially aware, and like neoplasticism and constructivism, it harbored a strain of the ascetic. To say that the Bauhaus (1919) and its ideology are defunct is to cast aspersions on its antecedents: on Ruskin and Morris, on the Arts and Crafts movement, on the Secessionists, on Hoffman and Moser, on Muthesius and the Werkbund (1907), on Behrens, on the predecessor of the Bauhaus - van de Velde - the director of the Weimar Academy, on Gropius, Klee, Kandinsky, Moholy-Nagy, Albers, Mies, and on outsiders like Malevich, Mondrian, Van Doesburg and Lissitzsky. Cubism and some of its progeny, suprematism, neoplasticism, constructivism, futurism, were its aesthetic foundation. The Bauhaus Archives in Berlin, the refurbished building in Dessau, and original products now available to all, are stark evidence that the Bauhaus is breathing vigorously.

‘There are two principles inherent in the very nature of things…’ writes Whitehead, (8) ‘the spirit of change, and the spirit of conservation. There can be nothing real without both. Mere change without conservation

is a passage from nothing to nothing. Mere conservation without change cannot conserve’. Elsewhere, he says, ‘Mere change before the attainment of adequacy of achievement, either in quality or output, is destructive of greatness’.

Interminable disputes about whether or not design at the Kunstgewerbeschule of Basel is focused too much on form at the expense of other goals is to deny what Mies espoused: ‘Form is not the goal but the result of our work.’ Fads are governed by the same immutable laws of form as are other visual phenomena. Wishful thinking will not make them go away; and one can no more escape from the exigencies of form than from one’s shadow. To poke fun at form or formalism is to poke fun at Roger Fry, Clive Bell, John Dewey, and the philosophy called aesthetics. Ironically, it also pokes fun at trendy design, since the devices which characterize this style of ‘decoration’ are, primarily, formal. Furthermore, it denies what the great historian, painter, and architect of the Renaissance, Vasari,(9) had already stated about design (form): ‘It is the animating principle of all creative processes.’

The quality of teaching in the university and art school is rarely taken to task. To teach in a university, practical experience, it seems, is not one of the prerequisites (at least, not long-term experience). Experience in the work place, and a thorough knowledge of the history of one’s specialization is indispensable, both for imparting information and for one’s well being. But such experience, with some exceptions, is rare among students as well as among faculty. Absence of these disciplines can only help perpetuate mediocrity, and insure the continual flow of questionable work in the marketplace.

But for the familiarity with a few obvious names and facts about the history of painting and design, history is a subject not taken too seriously. This does not imply that just because some work is a product of the past it is privileged, willy-nilly, to join the ranks of the immortals. The historical process is (or should be), a process of distillation and not accumulation. In a certain sense it is related to natural selection - survival of the fittest. Furthermore, to shun history is to reinvent the wheel — the probability of repeating what has already been done.

Gutenberg, Picasso, Cubism, Futurism, Lissitzsky and Tschichold are among the historical facts and figures that a student or teacher may be aware of. But what about the history of art pre-Renaissance, which is so well documented? What about the history of design, largely a product of journals and a few isolated books, which is not so well documented?

Even though artists of the 1890s, like Lautrec, Bonnard, and the Beggarstaff Brothers, may be familiar to some schools, designers of the 20s and 30s are little known. If the artist happens to wear two hats — a painter as well as a designer — more time is spent discussing the relative merits of ‘fine’ as opposed to ‘applied’ arts, than on intrinsic values. Mention of some of the Europeans (not necessarily linked with the avant-garde), whose work appeared in periodicals like Gebrauchsgraphik and Arts et Metiers Graphiques (before WW II) will probably be greeted with silence. With few exceptions, a blank stare is the usual reaction when some of these names are ticked off, from students and teachers alike.

This, by no means, is a complete roster: Ehmeke, Parzinger, Klinger, Arpke, Schulpig, Bernhard, Dexel, Buchartz, Leistikow, Zietara, Deffke, Mahlau, Goedecker, Ahlers, Hadank, Fuss, Koerner, Gipkens, Boehm, Corty, Garetto, Brissaud, Benito, Renner, Depero, Schleger, Koch, Schwichtenberg, Trump, Colin, Martin, Satomi, Scheurich, Boutz de Monvel, Berzny, Kozma — designers, illustrators, fashion artists, and others too numerous to list. And among Americans, in the 30s and 40s, there were Jensen, Trafton, Bobri, Sinel, Switzer, and others like McKnight Kauffer, who spent most of his life in England. Designers like Dwiggins or Gill occupy a different category.

The purpose of listing these names should not be seen as mere pedantry; rather it provides an opportunity to learn by example, by studying the work of an extraordinary number of out-of-the-ordinary talents.

Both in education and in business graphic design is often a case of the blind leading the blind. To make the classroom a perpetual forum for political and social issues for instance is wrong; and to see aesthetics as sociology, is grossly misleading. A student whose mind is cluttered with matters which have nothing directly to do with design; whose goal is to learn doing and making; who is thrown into the fray between learning how to use a computer, at the same time that he or she is learning design basics; and being overwhelmed with social problems and political issues is a bewildered student; this is not what he or she bargained for, nor, indeed, paid for.

‘Schools are not intended to moralize a wicked world,’ says Barzun, (10) ‘but to impart knowledge and develop intelligence, with only two social ends in mind: prepare to take on one’s share in the world’s work and, perhaps in addition, lend a hand in improving society after schooling is done. Anything else is the nonsense we have been living with.’ Further on he continues, ‘All that such good samaritan courses amount to is pieties. They present moralizing mixed with anecdotes, examples of good and bad, discussions of that catch-all word ‘values.”…and finally, he admonishes, ‘Make the school a place for academic vocational instruction, not social reform…’ (11)

This does not suggest that social or political issues are mere trivia. On the contrary, they are of real significance and deserve the kind of forum that is free of interference. Even though common decency implies continuing concern for human needs - social issues are not aesthetic issues, nor can they be the basis for aesthetic judgments. Where, for example, would Caravaggio, Lautrec, or even Degas be if work were judged on issues other than aesthetics? And where, today, would so many schools, studios, and advertising agencies be if important decisions depended on aesthetic priorities?

Coping with the problems relating to the understanding of design in business, depends a great deal on how well informed, genuinely interested, and experienced a businessman is. Managers responsible for design are chosen, not for their aesthetic judgments, nor for their impeccable taste, but for their administrative skills. Few, if any, understand the intricacies of design, or even the role, beyond the obvious, that design and designers play.

Most see the designer as a set of hands — a supplier — not as a strategic part of a business. Their background is primarily that of marketers, purchasing agents, or advertising specialists, not of connoisseurs of design. It is their uninformed, unfocused preferences or prejudices, their likes or dislikes that too often determine the look of things. Yet, much of the time, they are not even discriminating enough to distinguish between good and bad, between trendy and original, nor can they always recognize talent or specialized skills. In the field of design theirs is the dichotomy of being privileged but not necessarily being qualified — after all, design is not their business.

Bureaucrats largely responsible for the administration of design spend endless hours at meetings allegedly about design, in which miscellaneous subjects are discussed; and in which marketing, production, and administration problems are treated as if they were design problems. Whether or not the participants really understand the nature of the problems, or the implication of design, is questionable. If quality, for example, is the subject for discussion, it is dealt with only as an abstraction, with participants assuming the other person understands what is being discussed, when, in fact, nobody can be sure. Since perception is so intimately a part of taste and design, it is the experienced designer who might possibly point the way to meaningful solutions, and smooth the path for an administrator’s needs.

Even though there are comparatively few experienced and really innovative designers around, there are regrettably, even fewer administrators who are receptive to innovative work.