Merry (belated) Xmas?

My cousin's blog kind of motivated me to blog about this... and heck.. as all of my blogs go, It's pretty much about how I'm feeling at this current moment and the thoughts that are going be streaming out of my mind...

side note: if i don't make sense, I don't really care. Figure it out lol

I guess i'll start with my xmas...

My family doesn't celebrate xmas. Nope, we used to have a tree when i was younger but my mom decided to not have it anymore because no one would initate to bring it down... and to tell you the truth, we are just a bunch of lazy viet ppl who don't really care. ever since then, we haven't celebrated xmas.
On friday after working, I went over to Joo's place. I little depressed the whole day because my friend was invited to this annual xmas eve party... but i wasn't. I was lil' embarrassed because the host actually called me out about it and told me not to be foolish so of course, (because by default) i was invited. whatever. i'll leave that behind me.
Our family's (j's fam) don't quite celebrate xmas so we (I) decided that we should just go out for dinner just the two of us. We ended up going to the Keg (not our first choice but everything was closed) and had a steak dinner. It was pleasant because we rarely get to out by ourselves on such a special occasion :)
After we ordered, I surprised him with his gift. He was utterly surprised that I got him what he wanted for so long (because I'm also utterly broke). he was grateful for it ... and i'm grateful that I gave it to him.
During the course of our dinner, I am still amazed that we can still carry on our silly conversations after so many years. It felt quite nice.
On xmas day, I really had nothing to do. I knew everyone had plans so I decided to dedicate that day to sleeping in and cleaning my (hurricaned) room. Yes, Re and cousin, you guys would be proud of me!!! It is quite clean and organized! Hopefully it will last when you guys can come over to witness this!! lol
I also did my nails, cleaned my washroom took a shower then headed over to j's parents house to spend some time with him and his fam. Even though I got there around midnight, it was pleasant to see J and his fam happy to just watch transformers from tv. We didn't stay long after that.
The next day, I was dragged to the mall by my younger sisters to go boxing day shopping. I guess they're at that age where they need to go boxing day shopping. regardless, it was fun and pleasant... tiring but spent some good quality time with my sisters.

I didn't really do much during my break. (I didn't know I had the Monday AND Tuesday off until the Thursday before lol so I didn't plan anything)

As I was reading my cousin's blog entry about her xmas break... I kind of felt the same way. Yes, I did. That lonely, no plans type of thing. That very day, I thought to myself what if J was no longer in my life. What back up plans should I consider to doing instead of sulking around and thinking about this and that?
I then thought about my sisters and family.
So i'm proposing to you cousin, that if you ever feel lonely regardless of the day, please do not hesitate to call me. I always look forward to seeing you and even though sometimes our schedules do not correspond, we eventually always make it correspond. So next year on xmas day or xmas eve or even boxing day - or whenever you do feel lonely - don't be. I am more than glad to spend your lonely day with you :)

Another note, (I'm not sure if i should disclose this on my blog but i'm going to do it anyway) I've been invited to a party next month in which I do not want to go. I think after this party and this whole thing that is causing this party, I've decided leave our friendship behind. When I say behind, I mean behind in 2010. 2011 will be a new year and fresh decade to start with (which reminds me that i will have to do another 2010 flashback posting and a 2011 resolution posting.. maybe tmr?) I think our friendship has seen its strains. Our common interests are slowly fading and I find myself kind of dreading to see you. I'm sorry to say this but I really don't know what to do?

Electric Car

Yesterday night I was going through my usual readings and came upon this article in the toronto star app:

Wanted: Electric car lovers
Toronto Hydro is looking for another 16 volunteers to try driving electrically for the next four years.
They’ll even pay for the juice.

You can find the article here & the official website here

I was quite interested in the article, especially because it's about electric cars. I've always wanted to try an electric/hybrid car. I told J about this article who advised me that I should apply for the program. The only problem is that, I can't afford it. Because I'm in school and only work once a week, my pay cheque all goes to the debt I've encountered through my visa. With this being said, my parents have decided to open an amex for me where they pay for all my gas. Yes good deal it is! My parents spend a lot in gas in a month. So i'm hoping that if i propose this lease to them, they're be convinced that I won't be spending a lot in gas! Especially when the charging doesn't cost me a dime and maintenance isn't too bad either!

I'm gonna ask them tonight and see what they think! Hopefully they agree! =D Wish me luck!

IMC and more

I really want to get into blogging again but been way too busy to update. With IMC projects - interactive, package, ads, POP etc etc - and with the annual report, I've been busying myself with design. Not to mention, I have a corporate identity manual to design for my healthy energy drink brand to work on as well. Flash class has been a mish mash of stupidness but we won't get into that.

Good news though! Our package design has finally been approved! I'm excited!
For the past 4 weeks, my group has been giving our prof a new concept and design each week and each week it kept getting rejected.
So with this new design approved, we can finally move on to the rest of our connecting projects for this package - web design, interface design (prob for the iphone app), social media, consumer & retails ads and finally our presentation. We have about a month to get everything done. This is where me and C work on the ads and J work on the interactive part. Time to hype it up! We have such a unique brand that we can seriously take all our toy to the next level.
On that note, I'm very happy with my group. I think we work very well together and all have a passion for design. A couple of our guys have even ignored their AR (because they've been illustrating our package since we started) to work on this package. I'm very proud of them and being the self-proclaimed group leader (aka the person who organizes and forces people to be on our deadlines), I think we work very well as a group. S & M, they've been incredible with the illustrations. Their talent has been a marvel to all of us! J has been managing all of our production and will be working on our interactive part. C's really good at photocopying (lol kidding) no, her feedback on everything has been essential. I'm looking forward to working with her in our ads which will be type based (but we'll see!).

I guess onto another note: My annual report for Adidas has been going very well as well! As of right now, I've already finished up finessing type and spatial relationships. Now, I'm currently working on the spreads that celebrate the brand, the cover, front cover, back cover and inside back cover. The most important spreads! Hopefully it all turns out well because I think this will be an important piece in my portfolio.
Another project I've been very excited to work on is my corporate manual for my logo/signature I've designed. I'm extremely happy with the outcome of my signature/logo for the brand elan (an healthy energy drink, targetted for the sophisticated crowd). Initially, we had to go into groups and all think of names for this new brand. I didn't quite want it to be named elan but meh. Out of all the brands i've seen for elan, I think mine is the most effective with a high concentration on abstract conceptual thinking. (I got that A+ for a reason, right!?! lol) I thought that corporate design would be weakness, just like illustrating, but I guess not.

Anyhow, I think that's it. I really want to post up my work but don't think I'll be doing it until the semester is done (hopefully if I don't get too busy with ft work and laziness).

My Birthday coming up!

As you may all know, my birthday is coming up. Like every other year, I'm really excited about it because.... I feel special :) And whatever goes, GOES!

I know that a lot of you have trouble getting me gifts. I really don't blame you because I don't even know what I want for my birthday. Every year, I always want one thing and that one thing usually just goes to Joo because I don't really want him running around doing stuff for me on my bday (he's got better things to do such as researching a really good resto for our dinner date).
And if you know me, I'm not the materialistic type of person. I don't really go shopping anymore and I'm not into make up. I don't care about designer shit (except for sunglassess in which I have two pairs already) and don't care for useless, decorative things. What I do say every year to those who ask me what I want for my birthday is to spend my birthday with me. That's all. I invite ppl for a reason and that reason is to build memories :)

However, this year, I'm not going to say that. I'm sorry for being selfish but I think after this semester, I'd really like to get away.... With this being said, here's my devious birthday plan.

I want to go to Florida

yep, I said it. I want to go to Florida. With this being said, I am officially accepting donations/gifts to the "Pauline's going to Florida" Fund. This fund will help me pay for my flight there (which is going to be the most expensive thing I have to pay for). I'm planning to go early January so if you're also thinking about getting me a xmas gift, this is it! =D

Anything would help.

Thank you :)

Day 03 - Your views on drugs and alcohol.

Since I've changed my layout, my pics don't fit into the fitted box. This is the thing about web design. I have no idea how these web master do it!!?? I can officially say that web design is definitely NOT my thing. On a good note though, (I know I'm a bit behind), I figured out that the InDesign in CS5 allows for interactive components. I can design a website/animation and import it into flash and/or dreamweaver.
[update!:] (sorry I wrote that earlier in class because I didn't want to listen to my prof ramble on about how to use the pen tool in illustrator. Goodness, you would think that after 4 semesters and one huge illustrator project last term, people in my class would be able to maser it! Anyway, my prof just showed us how to import a series of illustrator layers into an animation in flash! He practically did our flash assignment in 10 mins! lol it took my flash prof 6 WEEKS to teach us the same thing! wow!

Freedom March 2010

So my views on drugs and alcohol. This is what I have to say:
alcohol = good
drugs = meh

I know drugs in general are a big no no in our society. It's frowned upon yet there is a secret society out there where the most unexpected people do drugs. To me, different kinds of drugs have different kinds of degrees. The lowest grade drug, to me, is marijuana. I believe it's harmless compared to other drugs out there. And trust me, when I was a teenager, I tried drugs.
Not only marijuana, but k (horse tranquilizer) and e. I, personally, did not feel anything when I sniffed k. I have seen people on k and they tripped out to a point where they thought they were in another world.
E, meh. I took the emotional kind of e. You get really emotional, say things that you wouldn't normally say. It's kind of weird actually. I didn't like the buzz when I was on it because I didn't like the tired-hyperness of it (it makes you stay awake) and the grinding of the teeth pissed me off.
In general, I wouldn't want my younger siblings to do drugs due to the fear of them being addicted to it. In my last year at York, I took a course called "addiction & society." One of the requirements for the course was to read two books: one was about a doctor from Vancouver who treated a well known neighborhood that's known for their addicts; the other one was a collection of notes from writers who has recalled their memories of them being addicted to some sort of drug or alcohol. After this course, it really opened my mind to a lot of things. For instance, did you know that addiction is biological? Certain people are prone to addiction because of the lack of endorphins they have in their neurological system. All addicts have this trait because they're depressed. They don't realize they're depressed because all they want is to fill that void. And yes, depression is genetic. I mention this because my older sister has been diagnosed with anxiety and depression just a couple of months ago. Thankfully she realized this and seeked professional help. Others, not so much.
There has been a history of depression in my family. My uncle has died from alcoholism; my cousin in VN is addicted to heroin; and of course, my mother is addicted to work because it keeps her mind off things. Because of this, I fear that my sisters and brother will be addicted to drugs. Not only that, I fear that my children (with J) will be more prone to it because his family also has a history of depression and drug abuse.
So what's my view on drugs? I think every teenager should at least experiment with drugs. I say teenagers because they're the ones who do not have much responsibility in their life at the time. When I mean experiment, I mean, society itself shouldn't brush this taboo topic under the rug. Parents shouldn't hush their kids and restrict them from doing it. Supervision is key. If my kids want to smoke marijuana, fine. I'd rather them drink and do drugs at my house rather than doing it elsewhere where I don't know if they're dead or not.
I know, I have contrasting ideas. I think my last paragraph is most agreeable though. I say this because if my siblings wanted to do drugs, they can go ahead and do it. I just hope that they have good judgement when they continue it.

Day 02 - Where you’d like to be in 10 years.

I know it hasn't been a day yet... and yes I know... it hasn't even been 6 hours since my last post but I figured that I'd be wayyy too busy to update my blog so I'm gonna do it as much as I can now lol



But first, there are some few things I'd like to mention:

Yesterday, I spent the whole day eating lol I woke up with this massive headache followed by my stomach turning with hunger. I turned out that the night before (Saturday), I went out on a heavy drinking binge with the cousin and Re on an empty stomach. ouch. I know... Anyway, my point was that when JY and I went to meet his family for dinner, I was talking to his cousin's wife and found out that she has a blog. The thing that amazed me about her was that, well she's a mother of twin boys (babies, under a year old) and she still manages to keep up with a blog! I think she is really what inspired me to keep blogging. Anyway, enough of that.. on to today's topic...

Where'd I like to be in 10 years?

Well, that's a bit hard to say, considering that I have the tendancy to change my whole life around with one simple decision. It's hard choosing your path in life and i'm pretty sure everyone agrees with me (hopefully). I've come to the conclusion that i shouldn't plan my life because well, it really never works out! For example, 10 years ago, I would imagine myself married or having a house to call my own! What am I doing today, right now at this instance? Typing up where I'd like to be in 10 years in a crummy corporate desk, bored to death because this job is really going no where. Ok, i'll be a little bit more optimistic (for some sort of reason, I'm terribly cranky due to lack of sleep because of school stress). I guess this is where I'd like to be in 10 years:

Above is me and my twin sisters.

This was the day that Em won her a trophy for being the number 1 team in her league. And that's where I want to be: be #1 in everything I do.
I know, it's high hopes... and I know that I'll probably be disapointed on the way there but that's it. I want to be one of the top graphic designers out there because I know I have the potential to be one. I'm not sure where I would specialize in but for now, I'm really liking the idea of designing annual reports.

As for my personal life, I'd really like to be married and with child(ren). I'll be 34 years old and J will be over 35 (wow) so hopefully our biological clock will be working in the next 6-10 years for us to do so!

Day 01 - Your current relationship, if single discuss how single life is

Him&me - Halloween 2009

Firstly, I'd like to mention that I have changed my layout. I know, booorrrriiinnnnngggg, right? Yes it is. At this current moment, I have no inspiration to really make things pretty (even though it is my job to do so). I've been drained of all design stuff so please, do not judge!

Why does this have to start with a relationship status? As if I'm blogging to meet someone out there?! Anywayy....

Yes, I am taken. I haven't been single for almost 5 years. To some, that's a long time. To me, it really doesn't feel like it.
If you know me, you know that my relationship with my boyfriend is great. We rarely argue because we try not get eachother upset. And that's the best part about it. I'd like to say that our relationship is based on compromise and understanding. Nothing else.
I love my boyfriend and I can't imagine a life without him.
Actually, I lied. Sometimes, I do. Sometimes I wonder how my life would be if I hadn't have met my boyfriend? If I was currently single? I think it would be a very depressing one.
Before dating Joo, I was going through a rebuilding phase. A phase that allowed me to restart my life. When my ex and I broke up, it was horrifying. The only reason was because I really didn't have any friends to cry on except for one or two. But knowing me, I tried my best not to put my emotional state on their shoulders. I felt like I had no friends. And it was true, I didn't have any friends.. or a group of friends that I can go out with and leave my depressing state at home.
Anyway, my whole point was that, when I met my boyfriend, that was when my life re-started and that was when my rebuilding state has commenced.
I met friends through his friends... I socialized a lot more. The best part about my relationship with him is the fact that he allows me to go out and meet new people; to have fun with my girlfriends and just be me. That has never, ever changed.
He doesn't judge me for who I am. He encourages every thing I decide to do. And he's always there to support and help a lending hand to - not only me - but to my friends and family as well. He's a great guy and even though I get upset at the little things he does or lack of, I still love him for who he is and what he will become.

Yep, I guess you could that he's my number one fan :)