25

i just celebrated my 25th birthday yesterday, the 19th of april. it was also freebird's 1-year old birthday. whoopee!

i started freebird a year ago when i turned 24, just to blog about my boring life which is really quite drama-filled sometimes. it was an avenue for me to put my thoughts into words, to share what i had to offer, and to update my friends and family from back home about myself.

i think i have quite a different take on life, as compared to other people. i get emotional about things, but i try not to take it too seriously. i bitch about stuff, but then by making a joke out of it, it lightens up the entire situation and sometimes, i manage to make myself laugh. heh heh. so i think freebird has actually been pretty good to me.

there are a lot of things i want to achieve with this blog, but unfortunately i haven't been able to blog as much as i would like to, ever since i came to new york. i guess life takes its own course and sometimes you just can't pre-determine stuff. but i'm finally getting better with managing my time, and yeah, i definitely have bigger plans in the future! (although i have to come up with the money for it. hmmmmm...)

so anyhow, it has been such a busy busy week. so much happened and there was no way i could really plan a real party, but i did want to have some dinner with friends. i was dead tired on friday the 18th. after all, i hardly got any sleep that entire week. i came back home and really just crashed into bed at about 5pm, and slept all the way till about 11pm or so. i woke up to shower and watch some tv, but crawled back into my glorious bed.

i mean seriously, when you're that tired, who cares if it's your birthday. all i could think of was my mattress, pillow and snuggalicious comforter.

however some friends decided that birthdays are not meant for sleeping, and called me on my phone till i picked up (even though i tried to put it on silent and ignore them for a while. hahaha!). i went over to their house for a few drinks at about 4am in the morning, before coming back home to sleep even more!

just in case you're thinking, "oh my god that pig slept through her whole birthday!", well, yeah and i loved it. sleep was the best present!

well, actually i crash into bed for hours every friday.

but anyway, some of my classmates and my roommate came to have a cheap dinner with me. i had invited some of them out for greasy fried japanese food and when i wanted to pay for dinner (i mean, there were just 6 of us and the bill was waaaay cheaper than i thought it would be!), they were like, "honey you're so asian! this is america, you don't pay on your birthday."

ahahahahahha it was so darn funny.

the cheap joint that we went to had a cotton-candy machine outside, and when we paid up, they gave us little cups with sugar in it to make our own. it was hilarious. two of my friends were making it for the 6 of us, but my guy friend turned out to be such a super pro at it, they all turned out perfectly shaped! we decided it was a career opportunity he should think about.

right after cotton-candy, i found out that they were so sweet! they had actually bought a little cake for me, so we decided it was best if they just came over to my apartment. we also pretended to be cool adults and drank some champagne. (hey! i AM 25 ok!) and from like 10 pm to 3 am when they left, we spent the hours bitching about parsons and other random stuff.

ooh it was so fun. it's amazing how much there was to bitch about. hee hee!

we've been so busy at school, this was the first time this semester we ever really hung out (besides all those group projects and stuff). this section has been really fun and i'm a little sad that we're all splitting up into different classes soon, but hopefully we get to hang out again during summer, when school isn't making us into zombies with bad tempers.

so! it wasn't a big birthday bash, but i don't like those, so i'm happy. it's nice just to get together with friends and sit down and talk. some of my other friends who were supposed to come, couldn't make it in the end. i got messages later saying they were so so so so so so sorry but they slept through the day. hahahahah i don't blame them; i can totally understand.

i wanted to sleep through my own birthday too!

so happy 25th to me, and happy anniversary to my little baby blog. i've made some friends through freebird, who i hope i manage to keep, and i want to thank those of you who constantly check back to see if i've made new posts!! i'm sorry if i've disappointed you on more than one occasion, but i promise i'll be posting more!

i want to leave you with this photo, which proves that even trash can be inspiring.

"become your dream, y'all!" (in a trashy, southern, britney spears sorta accent!)

life is beautiful

i spent the whole day sleeping today. but ah well, i've really been working really hard. we just ended our group project in school. we've been working on it for more than a month, with all of us doing 2 rounds of design croquis. we had 4 people in each group with 4 groups in our class. i'm sure you all know if but hell, group project was not easy at all. having to coordinate stuff ain't ever easy. plus sometimes you might get people who don't bother to give an opinion or don't even show up at school and you have to work extra hard for things to turn out right. you know what they say, whoever they are – "when you want something done right you've gotta do it yourself." that was exactly what happened. i was in charge of drawing the figures (and drawing 21 ain't easy peasy), but had to help with the painting to make sure the collection really looked good. thank god i had 2 other group members who were amazing and did their job well. phew!!

overall i think our collection was pretty successful! we got quite a good grade too. once i get them scanned i'll upload for you guys to see.

other than that, i've been busy but somehow, in the last few weeks, it has been a very exciting time for me. i'm happy doing what i love doing, and i guess that's what matters most.

i've also been watching a lot of japanese tv recently. (don't you love the internet?) i miss japan so much. how many times have i repeated that in the last year!! sorry if you're sick of it, but i do. i miss my friends, i miss the rabbit-hole apartment i used to live in, i miss the food, i miss the shopping, i miss the tv, and i really miss smap. i really do, as stupid as that might sound.

in other exciting news, did you hear that comme des garcons is going to be doing a collaboration with h&m??? holy crap, i was checking my mail on my iphone, while totally half-asleep in bed, and read it in one of my hundreds of fashion email. i can't even begin to tell you how big my eyes opened up and how wide awake that made me in an instant! haha.

i don't buy a lot of things from h&m because it isn't the best quality, but i do go in once in a while and get some stuff that are better made. when they did the collaboration with robert cavalli i was tempted to buy a leopard-print dress but decided against it since i have nowhere to wear it to anyway. but a collaboration with comme des garcons!?!? i'm gonna buy EVERYTHING. if you don't know how big of a fan i am, you haven't been seeing enough of my get-ups. (which reminds me, i haven't posted one of those in a while.)

in other exciting news, x japan is coming to new york in september!!!!! if you call yourself a music or a japan fan, and you don't know x japan, then seriously, shame on you. yes yes yes they jumpstarted the visual rock phenomenon in japan many years ago (and serious they looked quite horrid). but they dress like any other rocker dude now, and they have such amazing melodies, i can't even express it. x japan is a legendary band in japan. they broke up 10 years ago and one of their members had an accidental death after that. it was only just last week that they did 3 reunion concerts. everything that you might have seen or heard about japan's music, has probably had an influence by x japan. not just visual rock, but rock and manga and anime and all kinds of music. even the ex-prime minister, mr koizumi, was a fan and used to go to their concerts.

do yourself a huge favor and search for their videos on youtube. i am in love with yoshiki, the band leader as well as pianist and drummer. yes, he plays both those instruments in concert, and he is probably one of the most talented musicians of our time. i've never seen anyone playing the piano or drums with that kind of passion before. he's truly amazing. he's said to be able to hit the drums at like 800 beats a minute. i don't know if the reports are lying, but anything over a hundred sounds pretty amazing to me. he wears a neck brace during performances because his neck has been injured for years, due to the crazy drum bashing he does. and his fingers apparently always swell and when not playing the piano he has to wear a wrist brace because he's had injuries from over-playing the piano.

i can't express what a talent he is on either instrument. you've really gotta just watch it yourself.

they just announced like 2 days ago that they're gonna be coming to new york as part of their world tour, which they haven't really planned much on. they'll be playing in madison square garden on september 13th. i don't know if i would even be able to buy tickets, considering the number of fans they have worldwide. but you bet your ass i'm gonna try. ahhhhhh!!!

i'm like soooooo excited!!! i've always wished i could go to their concerts, and i never expected for them to ever reunite! holy guacamole!! please go to itunes and listen to their songs. my favorites are their ballads, "tears", "endless rain" and my favorite, "forever love". if you like rock songs, listen to "dahlia", "kurenai" and "rusty nail". oh but whatever, just "forever love" at least. it is so beautiful.

i could listen to it over and over again and find myself loving it even more.

8 good reasons to get yourself a new 'do

it's been a while already, but i love this not-that-new-anymore haircut of mine. i can't believe i cut it so short on a whim. my conversation with the stylist went like this:

him: "so what can i do for you today?"
me: "i wanna get my pink color re-done, and trim my hair. it's getting too heavy and i can't style it the way i want to." (note: i usually cut my hair every 4 to 6 weeks, because it grows out fast and i hate it when the layers start weighing down and my hair gets limp and flat. i have VERY fine and thin hair.)
him: "ok. so do you want to just keep the style or cut it?"
me: "cut it?" (the thought hadn't crossed my mind)
him: "cut it?"
me: "ok."
him: "huh? did you say ok? wah you decide really fast. so how short do you wanna go? about shoulder-length? or short like a bob? or "
me: "oh ok."
him: "hah? which one?"
me: "short like a bob. oh, but let's try something asymmetrical please."

i've since looked in magazines and see how some models dress their hair up and i almost miss my long hair, but heck, i'm totally living this short hair now! and besides, it's just hair. it'll grow back one day. but for now i think i like my hair short!! i get some odd power surge from it. weird!

i can never, EVER, understand how some people can go for months without getting their hair cut or at least trimmed. i can't! i just found out that i have a friend who only goes to the salon once a year and i was like, "WHAT?!?!?! ONCE! A! YEAR!.....??????????"

then i realise that this is the same friend who complains all the time that her hair is unmanageable!!

doh! (in a homer simpson kind of way.)

as you can see in my previous post, "10 ways to finding a style that's 'you'", a hair cut or a hair color, really does make a huge difference in the way you look. those 4 pictures there, were taken within the last year. and no, i'm not kidding. the bottom two were of me in almost the same cut, but one color was much lighter. i quite liked it though, cos i'd draw crazy eyeliner and walk around trying to be a rockstar. hee hee. then the hair became much longer and i dyed it a dark maroon purple (the official color name was wine gelare. how cool is that!!) for a while, then streaked it again, then it's pink and short now!!


eight bloody good reasons and signs, that you should get a new cut

1. you get mistaken for someone else
has someone ever tapped you from behind on the shoulder, and said, "hey! how've you bee... oh sorry, i thought you were someone else!"

is your hair style so common that just about everyone else on the street has it? take a look around you and count how many people sport similar cuts to yours!

2. your friends say "you're still the same."
this can mean many things. personality/mentally-wise, i think if you haven't changed and gotten stronger than what you used to be, this can also be a slight problem. looks-wise, it can be a real compliment if you look as young as you used to, and haven't aged a bit. but consider it bad news if you fish out a photograph from 5 years ago, to find that although you have 2 new wrinkles, you have the same haircut....worse, you're in the same clothes too!! (you need to upgrade your style and your wardrobe, just like you upgrade your computer!)

3. you have split-ends.
there is absolutely no excuse. in fact, stop reading this and go to the salon NOW.

likewise, if the ends of your hair are all dry and nasty, cutting them all off is your best solution. no amount of serum is gonna make you goldilocks. hair ends like that are a fire hazard beyond repair and you're better off snipping them off and starting over.

4. someone asked if you cut your hair yourself
there are people who
a. cut their own hair, and when people find out they go,"wow you look amazing! how do you do it so nice?"
b. cut their own hair, and people ask, "do you cut your own hair?"
c. don't cut their own hair and in fact, hadn't had anyone cut their hair for quite a while, and people ask, "do you cut your own hair?"
if you had to ask yourself, "is she talking about me?" to either b. or c., then yes, i am talking about you.

5. you spend more time on your hair than on your face
styling hair shouldn't take you that long, unless you're a fashion model who's about to walk down the runway, and even then, you don't have to style your own hair.

my regular hair styling routine goes like this:
step one: apply leave-in hair protecting lotion/creme/serum ... 3 seconds?
step two: blow dry and use fingers to style hair into shape ... 5 minutes tops
step three: stand a little distance from the mirror. stand too near and you can't judge the overall balance of your hair style! using one finger, scoop a bit of wax or rubber or mud (depending on the style i want), press onto palm of other hand. rub both hands together to spread and warm up the styling product, rub into hair. make sure to only give it a light coat and not apply too much. rub into roots, scrunching here and there.
step four: take a little more styling product if necessary. always apply a little at a time, then build up! if you apply too much at one go, your hair will just look oily and heavy and stuck together, and altogether very gross. style hair keeping in mind the overall balance. when done, twist ends of hair to form little spiky things.
step five: if extra oomph is needed, use a comb and tease hair. or if the wind is howling outside, reach for some hairspray and spritz it just a little, to keep style in place. if unnecessary, step back and look in the mirror. look left - check. look right - check.

and you're done!! the entire process should definitely not take more than 15 minutes, and if your hair isn't already wet, just 5 minutes should really do the trick. (of course, if you're adding pins or tying up your hair in a certain way, it's a different story.) any longer and it's a hint that you really aren't able to cope and manage your tresses anymore.

6. you're in a ponytail 24/7
do you find yourself pulling your hair into a ponytail, or putting it into a loose bun, or pinning it in a certain way everyday? is it because you like it that way, or is it because you're just trying to hide how dull it makes you feel? be honest now.

7. limp
a very fabulous, and very funny, and very gay hair and make-up stylist (my friend from bunka) once remarked, "limp hair, is just as bad a limp d*ck. you don't wanna go there dahh-lin', just snip it off." he meant the hair of course. snip an inch or two off, or keep the length if you want but layer like mad, then watch as your hair literally springs back to life!! "unfortunately, it's not so easy to solve the issue of a limp d*ck."

words cannot explain how hard i laughed. it was the way he said it, the expression on his face. god i miss my friends in tokyo!!

8. when you make new friends, they think you are (add your real age + 10) years old
then they get honestly surprised when you say you are really (your real age). seriously, there cannot be a better reason than this as to why you need a new cut or a new hair style!


it's a fact that shorter hair can make a person look younger, and take years off their real age. if you like your hair long, by all means, keep it long. but remember, long hair or short hair, please keep it in tip-top condition!!

oh, and if you've answered "yes" to any of the above 8 signs, take a photograph of yourself, and stare at it hard. then pick up your phone, call your stylist, and arrange to go in for a session. after all, it's the weekend!! i'm sure you can fit in a couple of hours at the hair studio! take another photo after you get your new hair style/cut/color/revolution!! isn't the difference just simply amazing?? send me your "before" and "after" shots if you want, and i'll post them up here so you can show off to the world. (or rather, the 3,000 or so people who see my blog. shucks. i wonder if i should be sad.) hee hee! <3

fabulousness

l3antha just sent me some photos of her new 'do. i've got one word: WOW!!!

before


after

how cool is that cut?? and best yet, she cut it herself!! she said, "i had been wanting to revamp the style for the past few weeks or so, and tonight, i finally grabbed the scissors and hacked away at it..." amazing. plus, i can so picture this cut in so many different colors!! besides this gorgeous orange, i think it'll look sooo cool in platinum silver, fire-engine red, brown with streaks, or super jet-black! i love it!!
go look at her blog and see more of her brilliant new cut!!

xoxo i love all 3,000 of you,
gilda

weekend lover [pink: it's the color of passion]

pink: it was love at first sight. i'm obsessed with pink now. well basically i've been in love with my haircut and color. i love it!! it's pink on the parts of my hair that were bleached, and red on the rest!!

it's amazing how a cut and color can make you feel good about yourself, and boost all confidence levels!!

i feel i can take on the world!!

in fact, in about 10 days, i'll be taking on new york!

yeah baby, here i come.

well, i am running around like a headless chicken trying to get things ready though. and spending a lot of money whilst meeting up with people before i go! yikes!!

by the way, i'm thinking of moving my blog to a proper url , but i'm almost clueless as to where to get hosted and all that. if anyone reading this has any suggestions or advice at all, please tell me all about it and i will love you forever. in honor of my rose-pink hair, i'm also changing the link color of this blog for a while.

and psst. unfortunately, i won't be updating as much as i would like to, because hey, i love my family and friends and need to spend time with them. well, i also need to spend time packing and stuff. quality time together... we have a good relationship, me and my darling boxes. don't worry you can still email me and tell me you love me.

god i'm so needy.

anyway, lovebirds, it's the weekend!! what are you guys up to? before you do anything, watch this video, pink by aerosmith.

i love aerosmith, and i really love that video. i love how all the people in the video are such individuals. they have their own personality, their own unique style, and it totally shines through!! i love how they look so confident and comfortable in their own bodies!! it's such a beautiful thing and because of that, they all look so damn gorgeous.

sing along with stevie!

pink: it was love at first sight
pink: when i turn out the light
pink: it's like red but not quite (this is totally my hair situation!)
and i think everything is going to be all right
no matter what we do tonight

so look in the mirror and tell your reflection "i love you". then call up someone else - a family member, a girlfriend, a boyfriend, a friend - and tell them you love them too. then go out into town together, and paint the town red. or pink.

weekend lover

it's friday, 10.45 in the morning, and i haven't slept all night!! i've been trying to settle my student visa to the US and there are only about 304829374 forms left to fill in. lucky me!

+ i'm bowled over by this gorgeous ring and rabbit brooch at tokyomade.com! they are super kawaii and i'm thinking of getting them for a friend.

+ i've been going ga-ga over these macaroon candles and cupcake bowls. they are like the cutest thing ever!

+ boring plain tshirts and singlets should be banished!! look at these!

+ watching the holiday brought back some really nostalgic memories. jude law's reel daughters had a gorgeous tent in their bedroom. when i was growing up, i had a tent in mine too. it was made up of blankets and all sorts of things, but it was cosy and my siblings and i spent many afternoons and nights in there. i loved the bedroom tent that i saw in the movie. very professionally done of course. and because i also love cath kidston (drool), i've been dreaming of buying a million things and making a tent in my bedroom when i get to new york!

+ i saw these plates and fell in love. they are just gorgeous!! i love those prints! all of them!

+ some time has passed since her death, but i'm still stunned that isabella blow has passed away. she was a great inspiration to me and i looked up to her and aspired to be like her one day. i bought my first red lipstick because of her. she wears the most amazing outfits, discovered 2 of my favorite designers, and sounds like an amazing woman whom no one has bad things to say about. you can read about her here.

+ i love these 2 taiwanese dudes. they are hilarious!


+ diet coke plus mentos = fucking amazing!!


+ one of my favorite tv shows: gaki no tsukai. a crazy japanese show about games, pranks, and punishment. i love it. in this episode, they have to do a punishment meted out by one of them, after losing to him in a game. it's a 24hour long punishment!


+ it's couture season and i'm in love with clothes all over again. here are some of my favorites! ooh i just love anything interesting and OTT (over the top)!!

armani prive

christian dior



christian lacroix


jean paul gaultier



valentino


givenchy

(photos courtesy of style.com)

i'm in a "i-love-cute-things" mode so send me anything you think is cute!! oh! and what are you doing this weekend?


with much love and blueberry pies,
gilda