Himachal Pradesh

Very early on, I decided I wouldn't travel to India. There are a few reasons as to how I came to this decision. And recently I decided I might just add it to my list of must-visit places. Only two reasons (so far) that changed my mind: The Darjeeling Limited and this retreat called Vaatalya in Himachal Pradesh, a state in northern India.

breathtaking photos taken from Vaatalya's Instagram

x,

D

Holiday Away

Swan River - taken by me, with my phone (it's so awesome)

I hope everyone had a good Christmas and soon, will have a good New Year's. I was away for Christmas. Went to Perth for my cousin's wedding and stayed for Christmas over there. Sad I couldn't spend it together with the boy. But two trips to the beach and my cousin's wedding pretty much kept me occupied. Damn, the waves are huge and the water is freezing! Amazing. Because most of the time you're baking under the sun, with max's of 34 degrees and then you go for a dip and it's ice cold. Which felt so damn good. Plus, it's a real workout walking on the beach. Yes, just walking on the beach is a task. And then there's the whole ride-the-waves part. It's actually a workout in disguise of a super awesome fun time.

I'll have to post some beach photos soon, definitely next year because I'm too in the mood for doing nothing at the moment.

Anyway I just wanted to do a quick list of stuff I need to get for the New Year.

-CD albums; Foo Fighters' Wasting Light and Adele's 21. (I heard most of Adele's songs on my flight to Perth and they were all so good.)

-a full-time job. (haha, but really though)

And then there are New Year's Resolutions (yes, I just wanna fit in sometimes.)

-lose the goddamn weight. (I have been eating non-stop since I got to Perth, it's crazy.)

-play more piano. Hog that thing.

-write more letters.

-make my house a nicer and cozier place to live in.

That's all I can think of so far.. Oh, and I got back my developed photos so I'll be scanning those soon too.

One more thing, check out The Decemberists' new album The King is Dead. I'm hooked on this song Don't Carry It All.

peace+love

Happy New Year!

 (if I don't check-in here in time)

Lovelong

My friends and family keep asking me, "How was your trip/holiday?" All I say is "Good! Great! Very nice!" But really, these few days (and also some days when I was in Hong Kong) I catch myself wanting to go back to Phuket. I keep picturing my friends and I on our rented bikes, on the road, trying hard to blend in with the locals (even in the way we ride), on the way to the beach. All I would want to do more of is be at the beach. Just sit there. I don't care, I'd just rent one damn umbrella. That's probably where all my money would go to if ever I went back to Phuket. I can't explain it though. My Phuket experience was fairly normal. I didn't think the island-hopping and the outdoorsy-adventure-elephant trekking tours were good but somehow I miss it. I guess it's the beach and the streets. I felt like I had everything I'd want there. Grocery shops in abundance, a shopping mall for when I feel rich, a beach. A whole damn beach. Walking distance. Walking. Distance. Everywhere is walking distance. I think that's what I loved about being there. No need to drive, if it's raining, take a tuk-tuk. Life is so simple. I wouldn't mind settling down there.
I'm such a dreamer I disgust myself. God, I need to get back to reality before someone shoots me down and then I bleed and die.

peace+love

Plane Ride

I love Singapore. I don't know if I can live there, but every time I take a trip down south, I decide for myself that I should settle down there. Stuff like this little skatepark just outside an MRT station across a shopping mall makes me feel like I'm in New York (though I've never been there). There are, however, too many malls but I'm sure there are nice quiet, secret, awesome places waiting to be discovered.

Okay my Singapore trip was crazy. It's my first time travelling by plane to a place for a few hours and then sleeping in the airport waiting for our early morning flight. But it was awesome. My feet hated me for it but it was worth it. I was just dead by the end of the day. I felt so dirty and was aching for a bath like a smoker aches for a cigarette in a no-smoking zone. But somehow I managed to survive not washing my hair. Just told myself to suck it and assured myself no one cared if my hair wasn't washed. Lucky for me I packed my facial wash. It felt so good washing my face and I will never take it for granted again.

That brings me to the subject of public toilets. I'm so lucky we went to Singapore for the concert and not any other place nearby because the toilets were so clean and there was enough space for me to imagine that I was at home in my bathroom brushing my teeth. It was awesome. I didn't even bother about people coming and going while I brushed my teeth (quite messily) with satisfaction.

And I think the trip would not have been as awesome if not for my two travel buds Adeline and Jonny. They kept me entertained (sometimes I just dozed off in my brain) and I helped avoid multiple time-outs (according to Adeline).

Lykke Li's concert was AMAZING! It's my first concert where I'm sitting down and far away from the stage. But it turned out damn well. The lightings and the stage setup played a good part of it. I learnt that Singaporean youth can also get a little unruly and unbecoming. Nice. A super fan actually got up on stage and freaked Lykke out abit. 

Good show. Also, I didn't know the lyrics to any of her songs, but mind you I know most of her songs. It's just that I can't make out what she's saying. So I usually make up the words. Probably not the best idea to do it at the concert, though.

Jonny took a nap during the opening song, Jerome. The opening song, really, Jon?!

peace+love

Rush much

Most unrelated photo for a blog post in the history of this blog. Because I just love horse photos. (source)

Woohoo I finished The Inheritance of Loss today. Just checked the dates and it's exactly one week. Awesome. Such good timing. I'm  not ready to start with Tolstoy's adulterous woman just yet so I'm just moving on to Sophie's World.

Kinda embarrassing seeing as Sophie is 10 years younger than I am but I'm only learning now what I should've learnt when I was 14. Quite sad but that's life.

Tomorrow I'll be off to Singapore for a day with Adz and Jonnyboi for a Lykke Li concert at the Esplanade hall. Should be amazing. Hope to get some fun photos. Should I lug along my Diana F+? Hmmm.

I can't believe though that I'm planning for how Adeline and I are going to get back to our place from the airport the morning after next. But it's all good. Now I know roughly how to get around town by bus. Not that I'd want to, unless I was insanely desperate. Woohooooo Diane's all grown up and more. *cue applause*

Okay I need to get packing. Need to wake up earlier than usual. Need to be super ready. Need to stay fresh. Probably gonna be the most tiring Singapore trip. Until the next, of course. Woohoooooooooo

peace+love

Just Move

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

This is my dream. But isn't it everyone else's too?

peace+love

Desire awaits

Oh God. I'm finally done and to commemorate that fact, I actually started my part-time job yesterday. Good way to let reality sink in. Deep. Anyway I was just bumming online and I stumbled upon this movie trailer, La Belle Personne by Cristophe Honoré.

Oh, also check out Dans Paris which Honoré also directed.

Watching these trailers left me in a state of withdrawal. I'm just dying to go back to Paris. But I guess right now I need to suck it up and save money since I'm starting to earn some. I need more jobs. More fun jobs. I wanna write for something. Maybe I'll start working on a short story. I think it's harder for me now because I feel like my vocabulary is somewhat narrowed down from lack of writing since I've been focusing on playing instead. It's a lame excuse I know. So I'm going to have to work harder now. Somehow I feel like I can. 

I always fantasized about how it'd be once I did my recital. But it doesn't come close to this. 

I'm still telling myself that I'm finally done with school. And I keep forgetting because it's a little unbelievable. 

These things take time. 

In the mean time.

peace+love

Some things are worth doing

screen-captured by yours truly. Michelberger Hotel

I don't know or remember why I didn't talk about this earlier. It's been quite a while I don't remember when I found this hotel's site on the web. I think this site is too cool and I don't wanna know how they came up with it (though I have a few guesses that might be right haha). It just shows that there is no limit to creativity. And that is just amazing. 

I don't think I would be able to afford staying there but I'd definitely check it out. It kinda exudes the lifestyle I desire. But doesn't everything else, these days?(Attn: Adeline!)

peace+love

Duplicity

This is what everyone does when they visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa:

{sorry, I lost the source for this image}

And that is exactly what I did too:

Kinda makes me feel like a bad cliche. For the record, I am so thankful for my lovely and dearest-in-the-world aunt Teresa who sponsored my Euro trip. I plan to go back to the same places I visited to experience it on my own time, and not on the tour guide's time (screw guided tours. no offence.)

Discovered: Bibio and Bon Iver

Decided: to live more in the present than the future. Because it's more worth it that way, really.

peace+love