'TV's the best dad there is...'

This is a unicorn cloud. It's a cool picture I found on the internet. I like clouds, & I certainly like unicorns (squeeeeeeeee.)

Also, I'm spending way too much time watching telly. It's a guilty pleasure. Any more pop culture references or science-fiction series or NBC comedies, and I might end up morphing into a female Abed haha #community #sixseasonsandamovie #okbye (I also spend too much time on twitter)

Where people are casually lovely

Bare light
Circles around your shoulder blades
And as the coffee grows cold,
I escape

To a place where people are casually lovely

where travellers & lovers thrive

To a place where people live vibrantly,

die tragically,
but yet are still alive

There,
my heart brings me to places
my mind never brought me
There,
time will leave me alone

Then there is always the coming back.



To walls slick with years of touch and dust
Splintered rosewood & rubbed lavender
Shards of daylight dancing across the floor,
extravagant in its moves.
Somehow
it feels like, at home,
I am more away than ever


But then I see you,
the pillow ridges that lines your face,
And miles of skin & hair & dips & plateaus
& violet breath,
rising like steam

And I think, well,
He looks like someone I could learn to love
Someone that I could love
Someone that I would love

Perhaps here isn't so bad after all.
Here, we will flourish in broken places & still love
Ground our words to ashes & dust,
inhale...
There are always other days

Maybe I'll take you there someday

Food, fun & other things

What's been happening with you, recently?

Quotes from the Lesser-Known: The End

'The idea for this compilation came about like most ideas often do: while I was checking Twitter & Tumblr & the rest of the new-fangled social networking sites on an otherwise mundane afternoon. I don't quite know how it happened, but I was just suddenly aware of how much & how often we quote famous people. People, myself included, are constantly filling their blogs with verbatim from the influentials: authors, poets, celebrities, musicians, politicians, artists, philosophers, & the like... & for some reason, it got me a bit upset. Please don't get me wrong: it isn't bad to quote the aforementioned. They were, are, famous for a reason; if not for wisdom or advice or life experience, at least for being wildly entertaining. It does lead us to the question though... What is worth quoting? What is it exactly that deems a person 'quotable'? Surely it is not based solely on the worldly prominence or social status of the individual, but the weight of meaning in that statement that deigns itself worthy to be remembered. I'd like to think ordinary people like you & me say extraordinary things every day, that everyone in this seven billion population on Earth has something to say, simple or profound. 

So here we go, these are Quotes from the Lesser-Known.'

Prologue to the QFTLK compilation

Stacy T, 20

Too embarrassed to write a self-professed, self-praising, one-liner biography

___________________________________________________



It all started from a creative writing project final. I remember writing something like this in my journal, two weeks before it was due: 'Oh god I have no idea what to do. A blank slate. Nil nil nil. Gods of creative writing, HALP!' Excuse me, I was a bit deranged by then, starved of sleep & good ideas.

When I finally struck creativity gold (or at least, I'd like the think I did), the problem of the number of subjects came up. Who would help me with this mad prospect? I had less than two weeks, so I set my bar pretty low: at least fifteen people would be good enough to make a decent final project. But it was amazing, the amount of help that poured in. Family, friends, colleagues & even acquaintances, all of you amazing people. People set aside time for video interviews, long talks over coffee, phone calls (long-distance, mind you), random polaroid-taking sessions, answering emails etc. After two weeks of working, I looked at my scrapbook consisting of nearly forty interviews & a video compilation, & almost wept with relief. I was exhausted, but overwhelmingly happy.

There were so many more wonderful interviews, but the ones that were put up here best represented their respective fields & topics of music, photography, writing, acting etc etc. (You can ask me for the video or the complete book if you'd like a peek though, I'd be happy to pass it to you). It's a little late, but I just want to say that I loved every minute of this project, & that I enjoyed sharing all of it with you.

Here are the previous QFTLK entries:

(1) Claudia, Paris & Travel
(2) Lizzie M,Theater 
(3) Samuel, Running
(4) Jennifer, Books
(5) J.J, Music
(6) August, Photography & the Arts
(7) Myself, Love & Finer Things 
(8) Megan, Art & Happiness
(9) Nicholas, Music
(10) Swee Cheng, Travelling & Photography
(11) Samantha, Writing
(12) Alarice, Purpose
(13) Marc, Journalism
(14) Vanessa, Books & The Imagination
(15) Jayne, Dance
(16) Sheri, Art 
(17) Alex, Love
(18) Dylan, Music & The Beatles
(19) Tiara, Education
(20) Melanie, Fashion

Quotes from the Lesser-Known: Part 20

'Give a brief description of yourself.' 

'Melanie. Mel for short. I don't like my name Melanie, so call me Mel. I'm like a nanna. I think like one & behave like one. I like to do things that nannas do. Baking, cooking, rocking on my swivel chair & looking totally clueless when a teenager asks me to name three albums about desert island which I kept pronouncing as dessert island which I had to Google to find out that it was an actual island, but that is besides the point because this is supposed to be a description about me.' 

'Three things whilst backpacking around the world. Go.' 

'IPhone - It's basically your 3-in-1, except that it's more 3-in-1. Camera, writing, cell phone, music, internet, etc. Shitloads of cash - So that I won't have to live the life of a backpacker. I can check myself into a decent hotel & dump my backpack in there & start exploring in the most comfortable way. A companion - What? You're going to exclaim how great this macaron is to yourself? Get out of here.' 

'If you could live in any other place in the world, where would it be?' 

'Paris. There's something about Paris that makes it nostalgic. And also, I live for butter. No one does it better than the French.' 

'Why is fashion an integral part of our lives?' 

'Fashion distinguishes you from the rest of the people! You can go out wearing your pyjamas & be known as the pyjamas girl, that might set you aside from the rest (but seriously, is that what you want?). Fashion displays the amount of confidence that you have for yourself. What you wear is how you want people to see you. Impressions. Not to impress someone, but to leave an impression that could possibly inspire someone else. The needle pulls the thread & this could go on & on, & you're changing things with a mere impression.' 

'Talk about the fashion scene in Singapore.' 

'Well, 'fashion' in Singapore is overrated. Everyone is basically a clone of each other & the ones who are trying to stand out are basically trying too hard to be different. It's just baffling how people can don winter coats or unrealistic clothing for such a climate. There's too many people trying to be something else. Just be yourself & wear what fits & suits you best. That's the best accessory that you can put on yourself.'

Melanie Tang, 23

Fashionista, baker, & all-round foodie

In Broad Daylight

Believe me, for a moment, it feels as if you could step off the plane to walk & lie on the clouds. Beautiful, like a dream. More than that, it was the feeling of finally returning & sinking into what we know as comfort, no matter how wonderful the stint abroad was. It's a big part of travelling: the Coming Home.

Whisk me away

The first week of college was... okay, for the lack of a better adjective. I wouldn't hesitate though, to be anywhere else in the world, in this moment, in a breath. Then again, I always feel this way.

Certain half-deserted streets

Ghost Town (noun)
by Merriam-Webster

: A once-flourishing town, wholly or nearly deserted, usually as a result of the exhaustion of some natural resource. First known usage of lexicon: 1931.

Quotes from the Lesser-Known: Part 19

'Hey Tiara! What's a place you'd like to visit before you die?' 

'Africa! I want to be one with nature. And animals. I love animals.' 

'Let's talk about the local education system. Is there anything fundamentally wrong with it?' 

'I think the problem with the Singaporean education system is that there's just too much focus on results. It doesn't matter how you get there, but as long as you hit the mark, you're gold. Even if it means sacrificing sleep, or mindlessly memorising till you can't absorb anything else. Do kids even learn anything that way? Do they even remember half of what they've learnt once exams are through? I know I didn't.'

Tiara C, 20

Doodler. Has a cat. 

Cicada summers

Tomorrow will be the end of summer as I know it. Holidays are coming to an end! It's crazy. It feels as if the last exam of Y1S2 ended yesterday and I was just getting ready to relax with friends & a stack of good books. The thought of fourteen more weeks of assignments & stress... geez. Apologies, it's just the regular school blues. It's been a good summer though.

Every since seeing the scene in the movie Bridesmaids where Annie is handed a tall glass of pink lemonade by the classy waiter (so good that she had to stop & say, 'God, that's delicious.'), I've been trying to fabricate the summery beverage. God knows we need a drink for weather like this. The base recipe for lemonade is dead simple right? A mixture of water, lemons & sugar that you bung into the fridge to chill & twenty minutes later, voila! Lemonade. It's a bit harder than it looks though: the key to getting the perfect lemonade is to get the right ratio of ingredients to suit your taste. In my case, I like my drink more tart than sweet, the light pink shade that cranberry juice gives, & I love the extra fizz that soda water gives, unnecessary as it might be. Most of the time, the best things in life are the non-essentials.

I've been making this since summer last year, huge quantities at a time to last for as long as a week. It can easily be turned into an alcoholic party drink as well, just add a splash of schnapps or light rum, whatever you have in your fridge really. Garnish with lemon & orange slices, turn on a Beach Boys / Gold Motel album (or anything from this summer playlist), & sink back into relaxation.

Pink Fizzy Lemonade

You can halve, double or triple the recipe as long as you remember the base ratio (mine is 1:1:4). Remember that not everyone likes it as tart; you may have to add more sugar to make it sweeter, or more water to make a less-concentrated drink. Also, if you are serving this quite some time later, add the soda water to the mixture just before serving or all the fizz will be gone by then.

Ingredients

12 medium lemons (enough to make 2 cups of lemon juice)

2 cups of white sugar

8-9 cups of club soda

Cranberry / Raspberry Juice

Orange slices

Ice cubes to serve

1. Squeeze most of the lemons, leaving at least one to be sliced for garnish. Put lemon juice aside.

2. In a large pot, heat up 2 cups of club soda under medium-low heat, adding in the 2 cups of sugar slowly till it has dissolved into a thick sugar mixture.

3. Add the lemon juice, stirring constantly for about 3 - 4 minutes till everything has melded together. Allow to cool for a while

4. Pour the warm mixture into two large pitchers, and add the soda water. Add the appropriate amount of cranberry or raspberry juice to colour the liquid a light pink shade, while constantly stirring with a wooden spoon.

5. Put in the fridge to chill for about an hour. Add ice cubes, and garnish with lemon & orange slices.

Makes approx. two 1.5l pitchers 

Quotes from the Lesser-Known: Part 18

'Give a brief description of yourself.' 

'My name is Dylan (Chan). I'm 16 & I attend SOTA, a local arts school. I specialize in visual arts & even more specifically, graphic design (typography!). I consider music my hobby, an unprofessional art form. Both are things I'm highly passionate about.' 

'Do you have an artistic role model?' 

'I am not really a fan of any human being. Most of the time you develop your own taste & style. But one ultimate designer I look up to is God the creator of the seas & the sky. Like good design, everything has its function & aesthetics. From the intricate nephrons in your kidneys to the expanse of the milky ways, it is impossible to ignore all the beauty around us.'  

'Why do you love the Beatles so much?' 

'The mere mention of their name makes me smile. The Beatles are wonderful! They're legendary. I can say without a doubt that they are the best musicians in the world, although to some people their sounds are a bit outdated, coming from half a century ago... But their melodies, tunes, lyrics & arrangements are just so skilful & thoughtful. 'Foot-tapping beauty'. Some lyrics are frustratingly simple. Simple chords, simple lyrics, all add up to an enjoyable experience of music. Great arrangements credits to the fifth Beatle, George Martin.' 

'What is music to you?' 

'Admittedly, I get excited at the topic of it. Music is immensely powerful. It determines mood, emotion & atmosphere. By nature, it travels through air, which makes it formless & free. What I love about music is the fact that it is there to keep. Forever & ever & ever. Today's technology has made that even more so... Music is unique in form, it exists in sound. It is unseen, which makes it even more real. To me, it's a whole new sense.'

Dylan C, 16

Art student, musician, & clearly suffering from well-known Beatlemania 

Out of the ash

'We should meet in another life,
We should meet in air,
Me & You.'

Sylvia Plath

'Ariel'

_____________________________________________________


We visited a decorative cemetery one weekend, in Whiskeytown CA. We were on our way to do some hiking & swimming in the lake, & so we almost missed it, nearly driving past the trees & wooden gates. I'm glad we didn't though, because it was quite something: those graves furnished with stone plagues, garden gnomes, whole nativity scenes, clay rabbits, toy race cars & assorted knick-knacks.

People don't usually find solace in drab places like cemeteries, but over there, it felt quite different... It was a hint of life, happiness, and most of all, peace. If I had a choice, all cemeteries would be like this... & then visiting them would be quite a different experience.

Quotes from the Lesser-Known: Part 17

'What do you think of the idea of soul-mates?' 

'Soul-mates are real to a certain extent... There may be one person out there for you, but as you change, so does your soul-mate. I believe you can try looking for your soul-mate, and your soul-mate can try to find you, but it doesn't always work that way.' 

'Here's the hard-hitter: what is love to you?' 

'Love simply means giving in & being there when he/she needs you. Love means loving the person at her worst.'

Alex T, 17

Drummer. Specializes in being hilarious, & also, weird.

Quotes from the Lesser-Known: Part 16

'Give a brief description of yourself.' 

'I'm Sheri. I'm a graphic designer, Stacy's sister & an avid believer in originality.' 

'Team Peeta or Team Gale?' 

'Team Gale! But it's never going to happen. I don't mind Peetniss though. Even if it sounds quite like a southern male apparatus.' (The fandom changed it to Peenis soon after, by the way)

'What inspired you to pursue art in school?' 

'I just have a passion for it... I feel the need to communicate through the medium. I don't take my passion for it lightly. I'm very, very lucky to have my passion aligned with what I study.' 

'What do you think of the art scene in Singapore?' 

'Bad. So. Ridiculously bad. We aren't trying hard enough. We have the talent. We don't have the opportunities, or the determination to push ourselves to go overseas. We are complacent & comfortable here, & we will die if we don't change. Art is a central point of my life & I think people who have this gift need to make it the centre of their lives too.'

Sheri T, 18

Graphic design student, curiously aloof 

A Spritely Sky

This post will be written in hash-tag form, because:

a) It's easier,
b) There's no better way to emulate the bursts of emotion one gets from seeing a brightly-lit sky, even if it is only for a few seconds.



#night #fireworks #fourthofjuly #spontaneous #colours #lights #people #families #cities #barbecue #awe #love #hands #America #red #white #gold #snapshots #noisebutthenalsoquiet #independenceday #humanity #joy #hope #tears #goodnights 

Nature, my creator

 'My river runs to thee,
Blue sea, wilt welcome me? 

My river waits reply.
Oh sea, look graciously! 

I'll fetch thee brooks
From spotted nooks, - 

Say, sea,
Take me!'

Love XI

Emily Dickinson