The View From The Top

Yesterday was such a long day.

Somehow, I awoke abrupty at an unearthly time of 6.30AM. Yet, I felt fresh and energetic. Most probably because of a particular phone conversation the night before.

Anyways, it was a really great start of the day for me. Illustration and story-telling class scheduled at 9.00AM, so I was pretty much early. Despite being such a great day, I cannot escape the fact that I was broke AND hungry at the same time. To financially complicate thigs, I craved for the teh-peng from Ah Mei Cafe at IOI Plaza.

While I was queuing for my iced milk tea, a colossal egg sandwich caught my eye. How could I let myself go hungry on a beautiful day like that?

However, I ended up with only 3 bucks left for the day.

I brought my breakfast to the studio, to be greeted by Daniel's sarcasm. But then, of course, I was sarcastic also lah! I told him, after sitting down beside him, "Sitting beside you doesn't mean I like you,"

Haha!... On a random note, I'd really love to have at least one bitchy/sarcastic lecturer.

For class, I was supposed to submit 10 A3 drawings of the school, but none of which I've done. Neither did Daniel. I just told Suang Suang that I didn't do lor. But that Daniel came up this whole verbal essay on why he didn't manage to do the drawings.

After Suang Suang's class, we were basically free, so my project group got together to discuss our project, 'The Egg Task'. Trust me, it's very lame and it was kinda like a surprise GROUP presentation by Hidayah. I've to say, she's so far one of the fun-ner lecturers. But seriously, how bitchy can you get wearing a tudung?

So I was with three girl classmates, just talking creatively (see: talking cock), then we realised, "We're all different nationalities!"

I'm the local SG boy. I swear I'm bloody local. I don't like it when people ask for MY English name, when there's obviously NONE. I love my name as it is. "Oh, an English name is better for networking," some people say. Fuck you, I'd say.

On Wednesday, though, I heard Ida, classmate from Sweden, (MAN, I LOVE THEM SCANDINAVIAN DESIGN!) call out my name in PERFECT PRONUNCIATION. Very impressed. And proof that there is nothing difficult with my name. Some people just don't make the effort lah, huh.

But being the magnanimous person I am, I'm okay if people call me K-Y too.

Jessica is from Taiwan. Man, I love the accent! It makes me wanna speak Mandarin with the proper intonation and cadence and all. Plus she's all chatty and vocal. Well, in Mandarin at least. Maybe I can improve her English and she can improve my Chinese.

Vonny is Indonesian. Something I really just found out because I've always thought she was Vietnamese. That's why I found it strange why she don't really hang out with Jin, who's Vietnamese.

And I would assume Jin understands Mandarin, until I asked her yesterday and she said she didn't. She's just got that glowy fair complexion that misleads you into thinking she'd understand Chinese.

After our meeting dispersed, we decided to go for lunch. I was quick to stress that I was broke. No money for good food, or so I thought.

Jin left first, so Jessica, Vonny, ShenYong and I went for lunch: CHEAP, HAWKER FARE!

Fuck all the food courts! I hate food courts! Just the words food courts brings to mind the generosity of uncultured 'chefs' in flavouring their 'gourmet' dishes with MonoSodiumGlutamate. MSG sucks big time! Furthermore, food courts charge too much for way too little.

With hatred comes love. Therefore I completely love the food at Casa Bom Vento! Peranakan-European fusion cuisine. Famed for their BBQ stingray. MakanSutra featured it too. I've been there twice only so far. Both times really good.


First time at Casa Bom Vento.

Signature symptom of excessive MSG intake is the dryness in the mouth with extreme thirst. Symptoms non-existent after the mean at Casa Bom Vento. Flavourful food WITHOUT excessive MSG. Instant impression on me.

What's more, it's located along one of my favourite streets: SEAH STREET!

Back to my lunch hour, I spent only S$2 on a big bowl of meepok. Frankly, I didn't know big bowls of noodles still go at $2! I only remember 2 years back when I was in Singapore Polytechnic and one of the canteens had this fabulous noodle stall. I could get a big bowl of meepok at $2 too! But they closed down some time later.

After lunch, I went back home, grabbed my camera and drawing materials and headed back to school. I decided to be diligent for once and do the work for Suang Suang's class.

I started by taking photos of the campus. I needed to map out a route, so I ended up doing a lot of walking just around the school. Inside, I realised how much of a labyrinth the school resembled.

I found myself very drawn to the structure of the stairs because they're set at oblique angles and forever so artistically staggered.





Specifically, I'm attracted to the half spiral staircase. But I just don't understand why such an interesting feature is nestled between the IT department...

In doing this assignment, I realised that it's my first time truly exploring the campus. Back in NYP, I've never explored the campus. To date, I still have no idea where the stadium or the swimming pool is! But it's not that important anymore, is it?

I love exploration, I suppose. It's been so long since I went on one of these don't-think-just-walk trips. Will there ever be a shortage of things to discover?

I stumbled across a dark corner on one of the top floors. It looked like a torture chamber from a Quentin Tarantino film, minus all the blood and gore. Looked quite interesting, so I looked for a light switch.



No, it's not a torture chamber. It's the jewellery-making workshop. The idea of craft instantly excites me. Yet I was a little apprehensive because I'm really not too sure if I was supposed to be there.

I did a bit of wandering some more, then had a fabulous idea. I remembered once just laying on the pseudo grass patch, then seeing people walking atop the fibreglass roof. I MUST check out the roof top!





I climbed up the stairs, quite certain that the door to the roof will be locked. But decided to try my luck anyways. A very lucky day, eh??

This time round, I'm really sure I'm NOT supposed to be there. I was a little nervous amidst feeling glorious. I was half expecting security guards to charge out from the stairs. But they didn't, of course. I mean, I wasn't there for long anyways.

I also feared that I might get locked out on the roof too, so before I stepped out, I doubly made sure that the door would open both ways. Haha!...

I did a very quick survey of the surroundings. Snapped some photos nervously. The most nervous photo of all:



It was a bloody bad composited photo, but after some major cropping, I think it's still not too bad. I couldn't handle another self-timer shot. I hastily left after that. Really didn't dare to hang around longer.

But I was wearing flip-flops anyways. I NEVER wear slippers. Not to art school, at least!

Decided to do it anyways because I wanted the 'artist' look. It's the Art School Ah Pek look. Cropped pants hovering at the ankles. Damned Ah Pek right? Bloody cool siah! I was thinking, since I'm tall, I wouldn't mind having my legs 'cut' by the length of the pants right? Plus the pseudo straw hat...

One of the most fun outfits so far. I should experiment more...

So after all the photo-taking, I went down to the drawing. Combed the campus, settled on a few spots to do in situ sketching.

I was about done with my spiral staircase sketch (it was really bad. Hadn't handled my charcoal pencil for some time.) when classmate Louise stumbled upon me. She was off for a toilet break from her work at the Shaw Foundation Library.

I didn't know you could work at the school library!

It was Hui Yi's birthday yesterday, so Happy Birthday, Hui Yi!

Didn't get to meet her yesterday. I think they had their girls' night out or something. But did get to see her a couple of weeks back at Yayin's 21st celebration. She brought her laptop along, which was gargantuan, and it was slipped in this blue-striped sleeve that uncannily resembled a PILLOW. She looked like a wandering vagrant with only her pillow. Well sad...

She complained, "So long never see you, then get to see you only you disturb me like that,"

Haha!... I did call her last night to wish her well, even though I couldn't make it for their cosy dinner. But as with any other Kalis-antics, Hui Yi didn't get to pick up the phone.

I went, "Hello, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

And all I heard was this screeching cackling laughter. Which I later found out was Kalis. I heard she's changing her attitude from being hostile to being more friendly. Maybe work more on the friendly than frenzy part?

Haha!...

So, I owe Hui Yi her present too. Here's a hint:



I found this nice floral pattern that I thought went very well with Hui Yi. I FOUND it. I didn't draw it. Sometimes it's just too much a hassle to have to come up with original floral motifs.

With the photocopy machine, I embarked on a mini-project for Hui Yi's birthday gift.

Later into the night, I met up with Ghani. One of those ultra last minute type of meeting. Rather like a surprise, actually...

Then I realised, not that I'm a smoker or anything, but when people go for smoke breaks together, they have a lot of things to say. A smoker deprived of a smoke, hence, probably wouldn't talk much, I guess. Smoking relaxes people lah, huh. And according to some hot smoker's madcap theory, smoking relaxes the tongue too.

I know, suggestive... But let's just leave it at that eh...

Somehow, lost all sense of time and realised that there wasn't any public transport in service. May I remind you I'm at the same time BROKE??

12.20AM: Stuck in Ang Mo Kio with no bus, no train, NO MONEY.

No money literally means NO MONEY. No money on oneself, no money in oneself's BANK ACCOUNT. But hey, as a designer, we should all be resourceful. And nothing calls more for resourcefulness than in desperate times like that.

It's time to go undercover. You see, technically I'm cashless—Singapore currency cash-less. But I DO have 65 Malaysian Ringgit with me! :)

So, I have money for a cab ride home! Desperate and shameless, I went up to the taxi driver, asked if he would accept Ringgit in Mandarin. I threw in subtle intonation differences in my Mandarin that would make me appear Malaysian. The uncle immediately panicked, as though I wanted to cheat him of his money. No just say no lah!

Pressing on, I moved on to the next cab in line. This uncle was more receptive. Plus he believed I was Malaysian!

Got home in a jiffy. My first cab ride paid in Ringgit in SIngapore! I had to pay a bit more, just to make it up to him for the inconvenience lah, huh.