Lil's real Real World

A few weeks ago, I got myself a personal digital camera. My family digital camera was getting a bit too cumbersome to take along with me everywhere I wanted, so I decided I needed to get my portable little self a teeny tiny camera (and a teeny tiny tripod!), to go with my teeny tiny laptop, to go with my teeny tiny life in this big, big world. As we all know, I'm a camera-whore and a life-documenter. Anyone involved with my life is subject to the lens of my camera and discussion on my blog (if one were so worthy). LOL. Can you say, "Lil's own little MTV's Real World"?

I already have albums and albums of pictures documenting everything from kindergarten, to high school ups and downs, to random events of just hanging out with friends.

I guess I have an obsession with having to try to remember everything that goes on because I tend to put a lot of things in the back of my mind and focus on the present. Also, I don't think I can quite possibly regret the obscene amounts of time and money I spend taking pictures, printing, scrapbooking and uploading, in the future. This is a worthy investment, I think.

~~~

So I went downtown again this weekend, this time with my other girls, Kathy and Mel. Since I was in search of looking for a book for my Phil class, I figured I may as well take people who wouldn't mind welcome embrace live for being in bookstores. So what do you do? You take along two of the most 'bookish' people you know.

I led them to a few used book stores that I knew of downtown and it was like taking kids to a candy store. Books to the left. Books to the right. I sometimes get a bit overwhelmed at huge shelves stuffed with books (random books, at that). It's hard to imagine that there is quite possibly billions of published works in this world (a third of which seemingly lives at Eliot's Bookstore on Yonge and Wellesley). Needless to say, I didn't end up finding the book I needed at all today (and I think we hit about eight stores). Kathy and Mel found a few 'treasures' and seemed pretty content on their finds.

They actually intend on each starting up their own little library, which I think is absolutely ludicrous because... well, my family has our own library and all these books that I will never read take up so much space in my house. Oddly enough, once upon a time my father once had a vision to create his own little library as well (ahh, so that's where Mel gets it from; so she's not adopted) and to this day, it is still growing to my dismay. Like father, like daughter (but not the older one), I guess.

Somehow in the midst of all the bookstore-hopping, we managed to hit an Aldos and I got a pair to add to my own collection: my shoe collection. So, none of us left the city empty-handed, thus making the trip somewhat not too lame.

^In Dundas Square, aka Times Square-in-the-making

^Kathy and Mel doing a crossword on the subway

^OK, I admit I was involved with the crossword, too.

^The New York Times crossword is not for the weak at heart

While we were trying to get our picture taken at Dundas Square, the guy first accidentally took a video of us, instead of a picture. Kathy thought it would be humourous to upload it for some reason...

I just read Kathy's entry on our little bookstore excursion. I am utterly amazed that someone can be so deliriously happy about bookstores, although it's probably comparable to plopping me in the middle of a really great sample sale and a wad-ful of cash. All I remember is myself standing in the bookstore holding Darwin's Origin of Species for Kathy and idly tried to read the first page. I couldn't even get past the first line. Ugh. I applaud and admire those who have read, or even attempted to read half, this book. You deserve a Nobel prize.

A Poker Rant for the Saturday Morning

I had a delightful read from the Manolo this morning. I so agree wit him, because I hate long denim skirts. I have hated them ever since the first year of college when I had this girl in my class and all she wore were long denim skirts. *Swishswishswishswish* was the sound she made when she walked and you could hear her a mile away. Not to mention how freakin' difficult it must be to wear them. Ugh. Yeah, I know, I'm a bitch and I shouldn't hate because it is her choice. But seriously, it's so heavy and not practical at all (BAD JUDGMENT) for any season!

And, yes, you read that right. I was up in the A.M. on a Saturday for once, on about 6 hours of sleep. Gah, my aunt from the Far East called me at 10:00 am (it was 11:00 pm over there at the time) and now I'm tired, but I can't go back to bed.

Last night, Dev debuted his homemade poker table. I wish I took pictures but I was distracted because everyone was totally peeving me. Yeah, that's right. Largely because I was made to sit in front of the open window (for the smokers). I even suggested we just shift around (not change spots, just shift around the table) so that the smokers could conveniently have the window and ashtray and I can be warm. But, no. I don't know why, but everyone was bitching at me for everything (even almost-bitched at for fanning the smoke away from me. WTF) and I then remembered why I hate playing Poker. Like, I love playing the game, but there's just a love-hate relationship I have with it. For one, it's a fun game. For another, it brings out the absolute worst in everyone (although everyone says I am the one who brings it out) competitive- and greediness-wise. Whatever. I guess you have to take the best and the absolute worst with everything (and everyone).

And as usual, whenever Poker stops being fun, I'm probably going to take a break from it for a little while (good news for the smokers!) and *gasp* perhaps pick up a book or two for my Friday/Saturday nights. I understand that it is just the way the male species is and I wholeheartedly accept it and I will tolerate it (I have to, if I'm going to have mostly male friends). However, there is a certain extent to how much I think I can take and I guess if I leave a game feeling 'furrowed' and yucky (aside from the smoke. Okay, last time I'll bitch about it), it's a sign that I need to take a break.

HAHAHA, I'm gonna be like those nonsensical couples who don't break up but take 'breaks' from their relationships to 'find themselves' (translation: find better things/people to do). I don't want to break up with Poker, because we've been together for two years and to break up would be a waste of two years (ahh, another nonsensical thing couples do) but it's time for a break from each other. I love you, Poker, but it's not you, it's me. You need to find yourself and see if perhaps if I am worthy of your soft felt surface and shiny cards. And I need to (most definitely) delve into other interests like, um,... hmm,... Strip Poker, anyone?

Is Beauty in the eye of the Beerholder?

Man, already the first week of school and already I have an assignment due next week. I now remember why I liked working full-time at one point.

Actually, this first assignment is not so bad. It's for my Philosophy class "Theories of Beauty". I honestly would probably not have chosen this class to begin with. I didn't even read the course description and just registered for it automatically online because I had read Wendy O'Brien (a notoriously 'wacky' prof who says "Yo!" instead of "Excuse me") was teaching the class.

The assignment she asked us to do is to write a 1-2 page report on "10 things we consider beautiful". Easy peezy, right? I've narrowed down my list and it's more tedious than difficult to come up with my Top 10. To make this assignment more 'grade-worthy' she asked us to explain why. Oh, joy.

For some people, it's really easy for them to identify what is beautiful and what is not. However, most people tend to think that there are 'obvious' things that are beautiful (Jessica Alba, anyone?) and obvious things that are not (Umm, I really can't think of anything at the moment that is obviously not beautiful). Once, I was having an argument with a friend over suped up cars in Japan (which are, by North American standards, outrageous and ridiculous because of the 6-ft spoilers). He made a comment that the Japanese people supe up their cars awfully and ugly and had 'bad taste'. I pointed out that it is ugly to him but obviously not to them if they are driving it around and showing it off (I actually thought they were kinda neat). Their perception on what is good-looking is different from yours but it doesn't mean it's the wrong perception/bad taste.

And so, many tend to think that their opinion (which is largely the opinion of the majority of people) seems to determine the good, bad and ugly. A pet peeve of mine is when people make a comment about something you like and say, "Ew, that's so gross. What's wrong with you?", as if to imply that my taste is somehow 'wrong'. This brought me to the conclusion that it may be presumptuous to call one's taste 'bad' (or 'good). Taste should not be determined good nor bad (it would be like calling one's mama ugly). However, that is not to say that people do not make the wrong choices.

There is such thing as wearing the 'wrong clothes' (i.e. appropriate attire for the appropriate occasion, like a job interview) or choosing the wrong car (a car with an intake engine, although makes the car sound loud and fast, is a waste of money if it is driven in a place that has a chance of frequent flooding). The conclusion? There's no such thing as bad taste, just poor judgment. So if we go back to the Japanese version of suped up cars, a 6-ft spoiler and 4-ft lip is not in bad taste, just poor judgment because you can't safely and realistically drive that thing on the road (and we can all agree cars are meant for driving, right?).

Someone, please try and rebut this little theory of mine because I need to know that what I'm saying has at least some merit. As far as I've pondered this statement, I can't really think of a reason why it can't be true. I've seen many guys, who in my opinion were good-looking, with girls who I thought were 'fug' and had to wonder where the attraction was. Of course, that part is really none of my business and it really is to each his own (oh, how the single life can be so unfair). However, how does one explain a guy who drunkenly takes home a random chick and takes off the beer goggles and regret it the next morning?

So with that said, let's go back to my assignment. I've come up with a couple for my list, in no particular order (yet) and perhaps it may change over the next week as my definition of 'beautiful' tends to be interchangeable with 'eccentric' and 'oooooh, shiny thing!'. By going over my choices, would you say I have bad taste or poor judgment?:

- as most of you already know, I love love love weird-looking models. The weirder, the better. I'm especially digging this 'wide-set eyes, alien chic, dwarfism' look. It's a nice change from the generic-looking pretty girls and more power to us strange and/or unique-looking chicks!

^Daria for Chloe

^Daria and Gemma for Chloe (just because they're some of my favourites)

^Gemma for Lanvin (I WANT THAT JACKET)

-if you didn't know this before (who, honestly, doesn't?), I used to be a big, fat, huge Hanson fan about a decade ago. For one, I was madly in love with Taylor Hanson, who was notorious for being mistaken for a girl. I have a thing for feminine-looking men. Sue me.

^Taylor Hanson

^NOT Taylor Hanson, but Kevin Zegers (they look strikingly similar, no?)

-Acura RSX, my future car. 'Nuff said.

- The Kaulitz Twins of Tokio Hotel. There is something oddly fascinating and awe-inspiring about these guys. They are identical twins but they obviously have very, very different styles (hip hop and emo/rock star) and personalities (masculine and even more masculine, although they are equally slutty). There is something beautiful about that, I think.

-Paul Walker's face.

-Paul Walker's body (yes, it does deserve a different point. Look at it!)

Chubby in the Clubby part 2

For those who care (no one, except for those who were there), I forgot to upload these pictures earlier from Corey's birthday:

^What's up with my meaty arms?

^I like this picture because I don't look like the shortest

^Ahh, yes, the sideways model-y pose works!

Hmmmmm, I miss clubbing. I'll see the hard partying soon enough, though (someone's turning 23 soon and she's so ready to forget about it through heavy drinking and/or dancing)

Time, space; all over the place, whenever you're near me

Today I started my first day of school of the semester and I really don't know how I made it through the day without dropping dead.

An 8am class on a Monday morning again this semester? What was program coordinator thinking when he put the class schedule together this semester? I also start work again part time. This semester I'll be working 4 days a week (OMG) between classes.

As soon as I got home I pretty much dropped dead for about half an hour and now I want to curl up in bed with some ice cream and a book (currently but slowly reading "Children of Men" by P.D. James) and sleep till next week. Oh, it's that time again. That time where I need to start cherishing more sleep and sacrificing time to do other things like breathe.

It's also that time where I am due for a hair trim. That is, if I'm to maintain short hair, which I still haven't decided on whether I want to keep. Short hair was fun, but I still can't figure out if it suits me (perhaps 3 months isn't long enough to decide if it suits me). The hair is starting to get long and 'scraggly' in the back, something I will have to solve by wearing my hair up for a couple more months to overcome that period of growing out hair where it just looks awkward.

I don't even know why I'm contemplating making the effort of even getting a trim because I barely have time to even do simple tasks that need to be done like paying bills and doing my brows.