Where did the time go?

How is it that we are now approaching the second quarter of 2011? Where did the time go?

30 Day Song Challenge - #11 A song from your favorite band

Tegan and Sara - I've got you

Today's song challenge is a no-brainer. Did you not know about my deep deep love for T&S? Did you not see my button on my ukulele bag, or hear about the two times I flew to Australia to watch them play? Or not see the five band T&S shirts I have?

But that said, I realise I'm not the extreme-est fan out there. Heck, I'm not even a big a fan compared to this other T&S girl I know in Singapore.

That said, I love this band for so many reasons, but the biggest one is probably because their songs resonate with my emotional core. Like this really really old T&S song, for example. Once I told Dave that this was our song because of the line 'when I wake up/ so do you/ when you wake up/ I sleep right through'.

Small things like that.

30 Day Song Challenge - #10 A song that makes you fall asleep

Yo La Tengo - I Feel Like Going Home

Finding a song that matched today's song challenge was a little bit tricky. What do you mean a song you can fall asleep to? For one, I've stopped my teenage habit of leaving the radio on while I sleep because I find that very distracting. And also, falling asleep is something that is entirely separate from the music I listen to. Also, if I choose a song that fits today's theme, does that mean the song is so boring that insomniacs will fall asleep on the first play? Questions questions.

So basically I took today's challenge as a 'night time' song, a song you want to play just before getting to bed and not having to deal with loud and fast music.

I love Yo La Tengo. For me, their songs basically swing between the loud, noisy guitar songs (which is something for a three-piece band) and quiet and introspective ones like this. They also played this song at their Esplanade gig couple of years ago and I loved it so much.

3 minutes early for the meeting

Sitting in the meeting room again, but this time with the not-a-procurement-person-but-not-really-sure-what-he-does. Waiting to see how late the agency and designer will be today, as they normally are. Sigh.

Song Challenge - #09 a song that you can dance to

Zero - Yeah yeah yeahs

Or should I say, a band that I can dance to? YYYs put on incredible shows, ones where you're basically dancing for two-hours straight and your legs start to cramp up because you haven't jumped continuously like this in like, ever.

Also, this was the song where the girl in the seat in front of us dropped her MASSIVE fart bombs during this song that made Dave, Melody and I look at each other worryingly. But for fart-girl, she seemed oblivious to what was going around her because she carried on dancing anyway. Even while farting.

Good times.

30 Day Song Challenge - #08 A song you know all the words to

I Know - Fiona Apple, live at the Largo.

I've always been very bad at memorising lyrics. I can listen to a song a gazillion times but still only come out of it being able to sing two or three lines.

So I've always been very pleased with myself for being able to sing this song without having to look it up on the internet, especially since there are no repeated verses or choruses in this song. Every line is unique.

Also, this song is great to listen to when you're hopelessly pining for a person who is unattainable and into someone else. Still content to wait and be the doormat for that person? Then this song if for you. Good song to cry to as well.


So be it, I'm your crowbar
If that's what I am so far
Until you get out of this mess
And I will pretend
That I don't know of your sins
Until you are ready to confess
But all the time, all the time
I'll know, I'll know

And you can use my skin
To bury secrets in
And I will settle you down
And at my own suggestion,
I will ask no questions
While I do my thing in the background
But all the time, all the time
I'll know, I'll know

Baby-I can't help you out, while she's still around
So for the time being, I'll be patient
And amidst this bitterness
If you'll just consider this-even if it don't make sense
All the time-give it time

And when the crowd becomes your burden
And you've early closed your curtains,
I'll wait by the backstage door
While you try to find the lines to speak your mind
And pry it open, hoping for an encore
And if it gets too late, for me to wait
For you to find you love me, and tell me so
It's ok, don't need to say it.

30 Day Song Challenge - #07 A song that reminds you of a certain event

Little Joy - Next Time Around. This really doesn't revolve around an event per se. But I just sent an email to Angeline detailing some of the things she should do in Paris (superjealous!!), so thinking about the Cannes/Paris trip of 2009, this song popped into my head because I was listening to that album on loop then.

This song has got that summery feel, which I really love. And if places could have theme songs to it, this song would be it. It really feels like Cannes - all happy, warm and sunny, eating pizza outside in the sunshine but not worrying about perspiring because it's not too hot yet.

Subliminal advertising

30 Day Song Challenge - #06 A song that reminds you of somewhere

The Rembrandts-I'll Be There For You

Gold Coast, circa 1999 (i think)! Was a trip that I took with Joie and my family after our PSLE exams. We were a little obsessed with this song, and couldn't stop singing it everywhere we went - on the plane (now I kinda feel bad for other passengers on the plane), in the theme parks and even in our rented apartment.

Fun times.

30 Day Song Challenge - #05 A song that reminds you of someone

Neutral Milk Hotel - King of Carrot Flowers.

I can't listen to this album without thinking about my friend Varun. Before he moved to Melbourne years ago, we'd hang out in his room, talking about music, dissing Muse (this was when Muse had only its 1999 album Showbiz, and was basically Radiohead-lite), counselling him on his relationship problems with his girlfriend and gushing over the awesomeness that was indie music, usually focusing around bands like White Stripes, Radiohead, Elliot Smith and Neutral Milk Hotel.

I remember that I'd usually end up falling asleep by the foot of his bed, only to be woken up by his mother who would ask if I wanted to have dinner.

So yeah.

Just like I predicted

24 hours. That's how long the designer has gone without sleep for.

Blogging from a cold, empty meeting room

I hate it when the meeting is called for 2, but I'm the only one in the meeting room at 2.14pm. Where is the designer? Rawr.

Also, I bet that when the designer waltzes in, he'll make a casual mention to how he didn't manage to get any sleep for the last godforsaken number of days.

Come on come on come on. My tome is precious too. I could be home working on other projects, watching Dexter, reading GoogleReader or playing Angry Birds.

If the meeting is called for 2pm, then you jolly well show up then. Especially when you're the only one with the design file and everyone else is dependent on you to start the meeting.

Argh

Managing your friends is hard. It is especially harder when they don't submit their work on time! Rawr. 

Song Challenge - #04 Song that makes me sad

Elliot Smith - Twilight. Also a song I was listening to a lot when Dave and I weren't together yet, so this was a song I moped around to. Also, Dave was the person who bought me this album - having sent in a letter all the way from Australia. So depressing song, but good backstory?

30 Day Song Challenge - #03 A song that makes you happy

Freelance Whales - Generator 1st Floor.

If I did this song challenge a couple of years ago, I might have chosen a song by Architecture in Helsinki, because their songs are pretty happy and preppy too. But then Freelance Whales came along and became my de facto "happy band". So there you go.

30 Day Song Challenge - #02 Your least favourite song

James Blunt's You're Beautiful. More like You're fucking annoying and your songs make me want to stab a pencil in my eye.

Sick to the bone

It's 12:09am right now. Just received a bunch of files from the designer and will probably work through the night to get them ready for the presentation tomorrow. Not that this is anything new. But somehow its the final FTP deadline and I didn't know about it? Miscommunication, being left out of meetings, I hate working with this agency, but at the same time I'm worried that if I don't work with this agency, then what am I supposed to supplement my income with. Things like that.

Just had a talk with Dave earlier, who says I stress myself out unnecessarily. That may be true, but until then, work beckons. 

30 Day Song Challenge - #01 Your favourite song

Death Cab for Cutie - Soul Meets Body

Not my favourite song per se, but just one of those songs I don't think I could ever grow tired of. When I saw them perform this song in concert, it felt like my heart was soaring. Love. so. incredibly. much.

You can learn more about the 30 Day Challenge here.

Everyday we fuss and fight

sara quin featured in fences’ my girl the horse:

Fences: My Girl The Horse (feat. Sara Quin) from shoottheplayer.com on Vimeo.

"



Such an incredibly soulful song. One of Sara's better recent features lately, as opposed to her feature on Theophilus London's song - Why even try?. That was a wreck. Eurgh.

Misery Bear Goes to Work

It's okay Misery Bear, a lot of people hate their jobs too!

How To Be A Writer « Thought Catalog

How To Be A Writer « Thought Catalog

Food for thought.

100-day repetitive projects

100-day repetitive projects: "

For the past five years, Michael Bierut has taught a class for aspiring designers where students have to record the results of 'a design operation that [they] are capable of repeating every day' for 100 straight days. Here are some of the results.

Zak Klauck: 'Over the course of 100 days, I made a poster each day in one minute. The posters were based on one word or short phrase collected from 100 different people. Anyone and everyone was invited to contribute.' The perfect exercise for a graphic designer.

Tags: design   Michael Bierut"

Since returning from Europe, I've been on a 'practise everyday to get better' mantra. I guess it's a way to keep myself focused on certain personal goals, since I don't have an office job where I get feedback from colleagues and supervisors anymore. Also, I don't get any training, because there is no training budget in a freelancer's work. Also, it makes me happy when I see myself getting better at

Essentially, I spend 15 minutes each on the following items:
- Ukulele practice
- Writing my 750 words @750words.com
- French (this is really flexible. Sometimes I listen to a podcast and I call it a day. Sometimes I work on my Rosetta Stone, other times I just read a couple of pages of a book.)

Some days are harder than others. Some days, I end up only completing two out of three tasks. Some days, all I write for my 750 words comprises of 'How many words more till I finish this entry? How many? Four hundred. Now three hundred and ninety four'. Some days, I don't even spend the entire 15 minutes fully concentrated on the task at hand.

But the thing is - I've only been doing this consistently for 30 days (although Dave has a really long writing streak on 750 words. He's consistently written entries for 100plus days and counting) and already I'm pretty tired out.

And also, I have no point to make.

okbye.