tight tweeds and secret needs

It’s another Zebra Day. Bleary eyed in the morning, I tumbled out of bed and got changed. One of my research mates said she managed to get the car. Another would be late, so we zipped off for a breakfast of banana prata and teh-cinno.

Nanu decided she’d lie down and laze around. .

And I, too, decided to lie down on the bench like a homeless vagabond at the zoo.

Ultra dressed-down because. . I always laugh and secretly photograph mad people who wear high heels and knee-high boots to the zoo. Hadiha.

Being researchers means. . we get free meal coupons. Like those Chinese takeaways in Western movies.

tee Nichii, shorts some factory outlet in Perth, WA, sneakers North Star; handbag Chloé; earrings Six; hairband beaded by friend

The past two days I’ve been scuttling and running around. Today, though, I finally have about two hours to spare. Back from the derm’s, hopefully he’ll kill all my acne and then I can save some money.

The earlier part of yesterday was spent buying essentials for my trip. Like power adaptors, travel-sized contact lens solution (and of course, testing them out for today), tightening my eye glasses at the optician’s, etcetera. I realized something. It’s only before I’m embarking on a travel that I will buy a pair of flats. Like this gorgeous golden pair that has since spoilt because one of the dogs at the pound chewed off the straps. My fault for wearing it to the pound.

On Saturday I found a dress at the jumble sale. It was a tad too long, so yesterday morning, I haphazardly snipped it off before going out in it. . Anyway, it’s only forty cents (or is it thirty!?) so it doesn’t really matter.

Belted it up with my Mango belt before leaving. I swear it’s so bloody hard to take self-shots, I had to balance this on the steps, cross my fingers and hope it turned out well. I’m kinda sick of the same backgrounds I have in all my photos, but ever since that macaque I was doing research on chased me everywhere and I dropped my camera, I’ve been pretty wary about taking it out. Yes, I seem to be doing research on alot of animals for my schoolwork, and then on weekends I’m counseling at the pound, I suppose it’s some sort of self-compensation for not having sufficient money to enter vet school.

At Miss Selfridge’s, I found this triple-buckled belt. And you know my penchant for buckles and belts and leathers. So this had to come home with me. Immediately after paying, I wore it. Shopped and read a while, caféing and planning some work stuff before heading off to The Best Friend’s place for chocolate fondue over chick flicks. Heavenly. Hopefully she sends me the photos soon.

dress vintage; shoes Charles & Keith; belt Ms Selfridge; earrings vintage; handbag Chloé; ring Aldo

*******

On Monday I received my researcher pass at the zoo! Wheewy. Which means I’ll be spending about two days a week there researching on the . . zebras. Oh God, how do I love those creatures. Every zebra has got its unique markings that constitute its fingerprint. And I love their tails, which look so ingenious; the serious scientific aspects of the one-year study I’m embarking upon aside, I could create quite a few fashion ranges just getting inspired by zebras alone.

The upside is that I can tell all six apart now. This one’s Nanu, the alpha female. The thing about doing animal research is that you sit there doing focal and ad libitum sampling, it’s relaxed and very Zen-like. Kinda like meditation. A time for No-thought. I like it. A throwaway from an otherwise fast-paced life that makes my friends call me Sonic The Hedgehog.

Quite obviously, I had to dress down. The top has cute little ruffles at the bottom hem, and a lace-fringed neckline. It’s nice and loose and purrfect for hot days. The belt is actually one of those floral ones from my mother’s collection of tea dresses. I’ve been stealing them all with a vengeance.

And whilst locking my house doors, I saw my father’s shoes. And had to wear it. Ho ho ho.

Threw in my brother’s cuff for a leather-and-lace look (a subtle one that only I know about, that is

The cheetah at the exhibit where we took shelter from the rain seemed to love me. It bounded over to the glass and pose there as though it was my cat.

top Mango; shorts some factory outlet in Perth; cuffsome random store; bag some random bazaar market; ring Forever 21; shoes Bata (my father’s)

*******

Off to work now, for an algorithm and chemical-equation filled five hours or so. Before a good dinner. Maybe I’ll do a shoe post tonight. Ciao!

The better part of Monday afternoon and the late morning was spent at the reserve and reservoir area doing some monkey research. The walking and trekking is insane, when I first began I decreed it’d replace all my feeble attempts at weekly exercise. Although running might be more high-intensity for the abdominals. Long gone are my Gym Rat days; I’ve upgraded towards being a Lazy Cat. It’s Wednesday, my lower body is still aching immensely.

So lazy to dress up for the evening, I made myself sing a clashing song of pink and blues, wearing clothes I don’t wear anymore. Most of the time I dress whilst grabbing random stuff here and there. And therein suffer from Christmas Tree Syndrome.

take a bow tie, safety-pin the elastic connectors and thread your chain into the same safety pin to create a one-minute necklace.

oh God, my hair’s so messy. if there’s any consolation, I finally conditioned it yesterday.

top: Calvin Klein

skirt: Osmose

Mary Janes: Charles & Keith

bangles: Aldo

chain: Aldo

pearl necklace: Forever 21

belt: vintage

eagle necklace: Sportsgirl (@ Perth)

bow-tie: Akon

This morning’s quick extremely quick snaps.  Shock-horror, I’m in denim jeans again

yeah?

gangster girl

love the printed tee

ballerina earrings

gold-rimmed bangles on the Mac

cuffing up and spoiling for a fight. lol

i love the messiness of the backyard and the piping. makes for fun arrangements.

tee: Mango

drainpipes: Warehouse

earrings: Wish You Were Here

hairband: River Island

patent stilettoes: Pazzion

handbag: Mollini’s (@ Perth, WA)

bangles: Aldo

Rest of pics, later!

Yesterday, I trudged down to the country club to meet my cousin so we could semi-finalize the details of the trip. Like where exactly to go, how to be as cheapo as possible as save money especially since I’m still studying and all, what to do, and what to wear. It’s a lovely thing she’s about my size, meaning we can pack light(er) each and double our outfit choices. Too bad her feet are smaller than mine, though. Winter in Melbourne means I can finally wrap up in gorgeous coats and wear my boots. I might be mad with a thing for cold-weather wear, because the weather here is hot and sunny almost all year-round.

“You have tights and all to wear there, right?”, she asked.

“Yup, I’m pulling out all my stockings, turtlenecks, pullovers, socks, boots, berets, scarves . . ” I replied.

And she looked at me with a OhGodYouHaveAnEntireWinterWardrobe expression already. Luckily I didn’t add in ‘mufflers and gloves’.

A lazy afternoon means dressing down. So I threw on my flower dress over a t-shirt, hurriedly slipped on some accessories, gathered my MacBook and left.

We sat on the big couches, had some sandwiches and drank some chocolate and latté, laughing insanely at the things we’re gonna do. It’s a good thing the vacation coincides with the Brisbane Arts Festival and The Melbourne Film Festival. Wheewy. I suspect it’s going to be yet another one hell of a mad holiday. I also wonder how we’re going to pull them off.

t-shirt: Mango

dress: from Patong Beach, Phuket

necklaces: Aldo; Accessorize

bangles: Dorothy Perkins; the zoo

“But I want to sleep” I mumbled and protested into the phone. It’s Sunday, I’m tired and want to roll in bed. Anyhows I got my ass dragged out. In the most casual of casuals– a sign of protest– and to my shock horror, I went out in denim jeans. The last time I wore any pair of denim jeans was nowhere near the second half of 2007. Twisted-up hair. Eyebrow pencil, concealer, a loose top, a pair of earrings, skinnies, a bangle, a bag and a pair of wedges. Minimal for once. Couldn’t even be bothered to change laundre– I realize this lazy-to-change-laundre habit is fast becoming a Sunday Pattern. Bleah

Some of my favorite pathetic faces.

top: Arithalia

drainpipes: Warehouse

earrings: Live (@ Perth, WA)

bangle: The Zoo (yup, and I mean the zoo where you visit the animals)

wedges: Charles & Keith

handbag: Roccobaracco

Narcoleptic or otherwise, it’s almost scary how I can fall asleep almost anywhere. Today the first thought of going for skin treatment given the really bad acne outbreak a few months back made me think. . Hmm, purr-fect. I can sleep there. My follow-up treatments involve this procedure known as Cooltouch. This involves a laser gun shooting out cold gas. But it bloody hurts after the second round the numbing gel ceases to work, I practically lurch up from where I’m lying down. Imagine if there wasn’t any gel applied? So the gel has to stay on for half an hour, after which the face is cling-wrapped to prevent oxidation. The waiting time is the time I take to sleep. Sleep, therefore, involves comfortable clothes.

As for how much I’ve spent there I could practically cry. Enough to buy me a few pairs of brand-new Manolo Blahniks. I blame my horrid hormones and acne-prone genes and tropical weather here that clogs up every bloody pore. And now I hafta work like a bastard to recoop my loses. Imagine what I could have bought if I had perfect skin and therefore have no need for treatments?

t-shirt: Nichii

drainpipes: Victoria Beckham for Rock & Republic

handbag: Guess?

pumps: Delicious

ring: Forever 21

shades: Mango

headband: Cotton On

The daytime part of yesterday was so sweltering 15 minutes on the piano yielded as much perspiration as body conditioning with weights. That bad. The deal with lazy days like that where I have to pop out for a few hours makes me think I don’t want to dress up nor wear much makeup nor bother to match the proper laundre etcetera. The mish-mash concept, therefore, becomes my best friend.

The modus operandi:

1. throw on a t-shirt and some skirt.

2. throw on some random accessories

3. a pair of shoes

4. any clutch

5. randomly twist up the hair

I reverted back to my old habit of taking photos in black-and-white.

and the good ol’ 11-year old Mickey Mouse t-shirt that I wear from time to time. .

absolutely adore the layered chain with two boots. one is gold; the other studded with rhinestones.

t-shirt: Disney

faded dark grey denim skirt: Mango

long pearls: Forever 21

layered gold necklace: This Fashion

clutch: Guess?

shoes: Charles & Keith

earrings: vintage

“Aren’t these the kinds of shirts that construction workers from Bangladesh like to wear here!?”

“My point exactly”.

Well, I like this plaid flannel shirt because it’s so preppy and so. . strange. I like strange things, because I’m known as The Strange Girl by some. Therefore, I decided to clash it with army green– okay, I clash everything with army-green. Those are clash-and-burn days, in my defense. Savage Garden had Crash And Burn, the hunter-gatherers practised their swidden cultivation known as slash-and-burn and I’ve stopped making sense. . again.

This time, Mary Janes with a skirt

shirt: Ralph Lauren

skirt: Mango

handbag: Roccobaracco

bangles: vintage; Forever 21

mary janes: Charles & Keith

necklace: Sportsgirl (@ Perth)

shades: Mango

belt: Aldo

In response to a friend who insisted that I trek in 5-inch stiletto heels, I decided to document the evidence photographically. Just to show how ratty-tat I look.

Everytime I go monkey-watching, I have to trek into cordoned-off areas of the forest. The vegetation here is of tropical rainforest variety, which means dense leaf litter, obscenely huge leaves, monitor lizards crawling on the ground, thorns of about 8cm poking out of tree trunks, so much so you practically have to hack your way into certain areas. Some of the palms are so old and so large here– a rare find in my concrete jungle of an urban country– they’re about 1.5 meters in length. As I was joking with my research-mate, if the bloody leaf stalk fell on us, we’d be dead meat.

It is therefore no surprise that I show up in clothes I don’t really wear. Like the fisherman’s pants I bought when I was 15, the red mini-backpack I last wore when I was 12, and the Superstars which were my shoes in junior college. Today, though, I was fed up with the protocol of a long-sleeved tee. And being the girl who has no large t-shirts except for the hole-infested ones she wears to bed, I asked The Brother for his. And so, voila. An extremely unglamorous look. Hah.

A relatively new friend asked me “Just what the hell do you work as”, obviously confused because he says I seem to do a lot of jobs. And so I realized maybe that’s why my friends are always trying to squeeze the details on my schedules out of me. It got me thinking, just what the hell do I do.

Let’s see.

Once or twice a week I do field research on macaques. In part to watch their social exchange in the mating market. Also possibly for management plans to lessen the human-macaque conflict over here since certain residential areas are in breathing-close proximity to monkey territory.

If all goes well, I’ll be off to the zoo more than once a week to do my graduation project on social relationships in zebras. Starting August, I’m in my Honors year as a Psychology major, having completed my second major in Sociology. And then it’s post-grad here I come. .

Twice a week, I do cognitive neuropsychology-related research in my university. I get to write programs, design images for stimuli, conduct testing on people, etcetera on visual memory. At present, I’m working on my first paper for a conference. My only gripe is that it is all on Windows platforms. But because I’m traveling so far to school– a good one-hour-and-a-half commute– I might as well dress up. Which comes in handy because I normally meet people after that.

-in my lab-

Almost everyday, I tutor kids from 13 to 18 years old in their schoolwork and prepare them for their major examinations. Mostly for Cambridge’s O’Levels & A’Levels, but also for foreign english entrance examinations, the IB syllabus and Australian High School syllabus. It gets quite fun sometimes, because I get to help them with drama prep work, do some Mandarin-English translation, and exhibition-related project work. This is my primary source of income, and it pays well enough to keep me well-clothed and happy.

If that’s all I have for the day then this is where t-shirts, headbands and drainpipes come in.

On Saturday mornings, I counsel in the animal shelter and train new volunteers. Now, technically this is not work because I’m not paid for it, but because it de rigeur every weekend, it falls under ‘live to work’ rather than ‘work to live’.

Given the mandatory polo tee– thank Christ I can carry off red– all I get to is to vary my choice of shorts.

Once in a while, I do freelance makeup for people going for D&Ds and for proms.

Also, when recommended, I do makeovers and styling for people. From skincare to makeup to scents to the right undergarments to the right outerwear. And of course, tailors. Now, I can walk around in safety pins, but not these people. Just in case. I’m pretty good at male scents and male style. It’s the most fun. And it pays extremely well.

Although most of the time I love to make my family over, and then my friends always call me up, “P I need help with clothes!”

On most nights, I write, although not on this site. Sometimes I’m so acrid and go heavy-duty into political stuff it’s unwise for the general atmosphere here. Otherwise, I muse or swear too much. One day, I want to publish some academic stuff and a chick-lit number. I’ve had academicians express interest in future writing collaborations, so fingers crossed. All I have is my trusty ol’ MacBook, affectionately christened MacB. How uncreative. Bleah.

At a friend’s seaside home.

Sometimes I sketch. Nudes, fashion and interiors.

When the mood strikes I draw birthday cards for friends. I love receiving hand-drawn cards as well.

I used to give crash courses on the piano. But my piano’s damper pedal has spoilt. I’m dying for a baby grand, though. Donations to the Buy-P-a-Baby-Grand fund are now open.

this Steinway is gorgeous and to-die-for.

When I was 18, I worked as a private investigator for seven months, handling domestic and overseas cases. It was one of the most memorable times of my life, I call it my Sleuthing SpyGurl Days. Of course, everyone was extremely worried for me, but heck I’m still in one piece.

I ran that office and did its accounts system as well. I also did some lesson planning and relief teaching for a new program in my junior college after I completed my education there. And then I worked a while selling discount cards for a restaurant. I made quite a bit of money, but I felt guilty because advertising is a surefire way to trick people by creating imagined necessities.

And then most of the time– which arguably according to others, is little time left– I’m just me. Doing what I do, and being around those I love.

Like. .

1. Food. I delight in food. Here we had Middle Eastern cuisine, which I absolutely adore

My favorite M&S raspberry tartlets. It’s called Eating Air since it’s so light.

Trying to clean up my diet and ensure my 10th meal of the day is at least healthy.

And I love having (great) guests because then do I get to plan the entire dinner menu. From setting to food to cooking. Lovely. The rare occasions I become domestic.

2. Men. But their faces change.

3. Well, the occasional bit of time spent on shopping. .

4. Traveling. I try to fly at least once a year. For now, on a student’s budget.

5. buying textiles and designing my own clothes

6. reading till I get blinder and blinder. I love my bookpile, which is an entire wall of books all stacked up. I call it my Junkie Bookstore

7. loving my music. Bring it *all* on

8. loving my shoes

9. taking random shots

especially near sunset

10. capturing the full moon at 7 in the evening

11. some flower-lovin’, plucking them from my garden.

12. going for runs and capturing photographs

in essence, me. .

Lazy dressed-down day to the skin doc’s means minimal accessories, the same ol’ pair of red stilettoes, the same ol’ bag and a large pair of earrings.

top: Chomel

headband: Chameleon

drainpipes: Mango

shoes: Pazzion

bag: Nine West

earrings: Accessorize