The Chaos Butterfly strikes!

ruanna @ 2009-11-26T05:51:00

2009-11-25T21:51:45Z

I suspect it has been two long years - I finally caved in and transferred my music from my ipod into what was supposed to be a temporary laptop. Hmm. Off to KL for long weekend, where I plan to spend way too much money on l'occitane (it has to be cheaper there right?) And then off to China on the 10th, back 17th. Shanghai, and other bits - I have no clue, just tagging along with the parents on tour. I should be sleeping. Sadly am tired. But awake.

Oh! Yes there was a point. Somewhere. Anyone want a google wave invite?

wurk

2009-10-05T14:43:45Z

WIP - logo for a theatre company.

Isn't this book?

2009-09-07T15:08:44Z

Scott Lynch is releasing free chapters of a online serial novel called Queen of the Iron Sands. Sigh. As much as I am happy that you are at least writing, I can't help but wish you were writing Locke Lamura faster, Mr Lynch. :( To his credit he says that it's already written, and just waiting to be put online. And that the long dry spell was due to personal stuff. The first two chapters are up, and it's about a WWII WASP named Violet who mysteriously ends up on Mars. It's not very long, and a light easy read so far. (I am still not fond of first person though)

Wheel of Time is finally going to hit the shelves again! Two years after Jordan kicked the bucket, replacement writer Brandon Sanderson is almost done! We can expect book 13 to hit the shelves before the end of the year. But wait, that's not all - in the true spirit of Robert Jordan, Sanderson is writing not one, not two, but THREE new WoT books to finish the series. Oh joy. He's even said that he needs to take a break before starting on book 14. I couldn't help it, I just had to google Sanderson to check if he was in any danger of going belly up before he finishes the series. (Fingers crossed, he's only 31!) But well, TOR has released the first chapter for download on their website here. Woohoo. A self confessed Jordan fan has a glowingly positive review of the book up - and the first chapter looks promising, even if I couldn't remember reading just about all the major events they remind you of. Little hint of happy nostalgia, and really I just WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS ALREADY. Ahem. Sorry. I suspect I will be 30 before I see the end of this series.

Free books! HERE. Wow. This is the real deal, people. These aren't nanowrimo unbetaed books by bored engineers, these are real proper books from real proper writers. I haven't gone and downloaded any yet, but the front page alone has Terry Brooks Magic Kingdom for Sale and China Mieville's Perdido Street Station. I spot a few romance novels as well, for the so inclined.

As much as I am a fan of old school paper books, there's something to be said for ebooks. I will be even more appreciative of them once I figure out how to upload books onto my handphone, something which I know people have been doing for at least what, 7, 8 years now? Sigh.

links (and rechts)

2009-08-28T12:38:33Z

Rock Band Crowdsources song creation. Anyone can make a Rock Band song and release it for purchase! Well. By anyone I mean a person who owns the song recording and publishing rights, who has experience with multitrack recording software and is willing to fork out $100 a year for the right to create tracks. Also a major bummer, the new network is only going to be available on Xbox 360, with Sony 'working on' a version for the playstation. Oh well.

Summer Glau joining Dollhouse! Whoa. Summer Glau, Jamie Bamber, Alexis Denisof are all joining or guest starring on Dollhouse season 2, which is rapidly shaping up to be ten kinds of awesome. If you've been following Dollhouse and haven't caught the unaired 13th episode, Epitaph One, RUN don't walk to catch it. If you haven't, I suggest you ignore most of season one and jump straight to this coda. Whedon says the 2nd season will follow from the crazy cliffhanger of episode 13, and if it lives up to a fraction of the awesome it will still be great. Also, Eliza Dushku looks super hot in the link. Can almost forgive her for all the mediocre acting.

Mmm and yes, i AM working. For like, a month or so - just another temp job. Also working on some graphic design stuff. I begin to wonder if I should just do a part time course or something while working instead of running overseas. Meh. Despite my post-holiday resolution of 'no more shopping for the rest of the year' I find I've already spent over $100 on clothes I just HAD to get. Bad Grace.

I guess this is growing up

2009-08-24T14:26:01Z

Strange, but I feel like I accomplished something today simply by holding a conversation with the lady who washed my hair at the salon. (in chinese!) I have to point out that I've never held a conversation with a hairdresser that wasn't ten ways awkward, and that I've been looking for a decent place to get haircuts ever since I moved and stopped going to that guy at holland v who made my teenage years infinitely better by giving me halfway decent hair. She asked me about my scalp psoriasis (as they always do) and she was very nice and didn't try to sell me hair product for dandruff but instead we talked about eastern medicine and ended up giving me the the contact for her chinese doctor guy. When I have time I think I'm gonna try it out, the itch has been getting worse and I'm starting to consume way too many antihistamines again.

I haven't been blogging in ages, I know. It feels a bit like I've lost a bit of myself, I was much more introspective when I was using macjournal and keeping a personal diary on top of occasional blogging. Interesting bit of gender talk going on at acsian85's blog over here and here, also interesting - Asian Women Carnival - collection of essays on themes relating to feminism, racism, all by asian females. Might have a bit more to say besides 'interesting' another time, but sorry I'm kinda sleepy now.

Long weekend. Crazy busy and I'm sleepy all the fucking time these days. New books, no time to read. Lots of stuff from the job fair, also no time to read. I really want to start blogging regularly again, and I have ideas (ooh). Things are getting done. I'm getting back into the groove. I'm gonna try and be a better friend too, I promise. No more standing people up and shit like that.

Life is random and unfair

2009-08-24T13:23:41Z

A few thoughts on approaching 24.

I think the older I grow the more I long for stability and routine in life. I'm a little behind on the curve when it comes to most things in life, I think I have trouble with change and tend to resist stepping into unknown territory.

It's strange, when all my classmates were still in school and I was out, I steadfastly resisted getting a steady job, the very idea was depressingly terrifying. Yet somehow a year later nothing has changed in my life - yet everyone else is moving on. And the prospect of entering the working life is now less daunting.

I guess if this is my quarter life crisis, then we're easing back down to yellow. And it was indeed a crisis, even if the full extent is only apparent to me. Things change, you adapt or life goes on, with or without you.

Down With Borders

2009-08-13T15:52:41Z

A line has been crossed, Borders. For a while now I've noticed (as I'm sure most of you have) that books in Borders tend to be tattier and more worn than those at Kino. But the last few times I've gone in looking for a book, they've never been in stock. And yet I still keep going back and looking and asking the staff to check. This time I was looking for China Mieville's latest book (which I'm about a dozen pages in, and it's actually first person and reading like a crime/detective novel, very odd for an author who normally writes fantasy) and surprise surprise they don't have it in stock. Considering it's a relatively recent release (May) I'd really expect it to be stocked. But that's not the whole problem. Placed at the side of the shelves (where you'd stack new books) was Naomi Novik's Victory of Eagles which was released last July. I point out that the last time I came looking for this book it wasn't in stock at Borders. Neither was PTerry's Nation, and they had Gaiman's Graveyard book but not with the cover I wanted. What on earth is the point of bringing in a huge number of hardcover books a year after even the paperback has been released? Honestly.

To add insult to injury, they've started putting the paranormal romance books with the scifi/fantasy sections. WHAT??? If you're not familiar with the genre, think True Blood (HBO TV thing based on books by Charlaine Harris) or like Twilight but targeted at adults instead. (Twilight's a bit more towards YA) WHY are these books taking up SHELVES of space in the scifi/fantasy sections? (no really, SHELVES) WTF, Borders. Bad vampire/werewolf romance does NOT belong in scifi.

As usual I found the book I wanted after wandering over to Kino. Annoying female staff directed me to the wrong shelf too - book was still on the new book tables. -_-

ruanna @ 2009-06-30T02:15:00

2009-06-30T00:44:24Z

So I got pickpocketed in London.

I keep thinking about the theft - and it is quite silly of me really. To not have been suspicious of the people hanging around behind me. To not have moved away earlier. To have chosen to carry that bag, with just a clasp and clicky things instead of a zip. To imagine that it would be hard to open it. To sling it on one shoulder instead of across. To have kept the spare cash in the wallet. To have left my ic there when my parents told me to take it out. I think i owe them an apology for that.

Isn't hindsight a bitch?

At the end of the day though, I know I tend to be unaware of my surroundings. If I'm in an unfamiliar place. With unfamiliar people. I'd be more likely to be careful. But in general I seem to live with my head in the clouds. And i'm not really sure how i would go about changing that. I spent a lot of time in London on my own being lost. I would walk, and think, and suddenly realise that I had been wandering aimlessly. I had no clue where I was going, but my feet were just operating independently.

It's the longest holiday I've been on, and it doesn't quite feel like a holiday anymore. But then this is 3am Grace speaking. Undoubtedly 11am Grace will be much happier.

ruanna @ 2009-04-06T04:39:00

2009-04-05T20:42:41Z

if all your emotions are chemical then surely it is possible to regulate them? i would happily sign up to get 'fall in love' injections with another person and live simulatedly ever after jabbing each other daily. i wish life could be that simple.

ruanna @ 2009-03-31T02:35:00

2009-03-30T18:37:05Z

i have something 1000x worse than asian redness. Two sips of alcohol and my ability to spill things (already v high) magnifies tenfold. :(

BSG S4E20

2009-03-26T17:06:49Z

It was cathartic. I feel very mellow now. It's like i know there are things i shouldn't be happy about but i'm just not feeling them. It wasn't perfect but i am not angry about it.

Spoilers under the cut. Warning for random disconnected thoughts.

What worked for me

Adama and Roslin. In many ways this story came full circle. It was beautiful, it was touching, it was inevitable. I cried and cried and cried. And then i cried more. It is the most refreshing love story ever, told subtly and beautifully over four seasons.

What didn't work

I didn't like the final goodbye for the Admiral. Why would they never see him again? I would think he would go off, maybe mourn for a while alone. But why wouldn't you go back to the rest of the people you love? Why lose everyone else as well?
I was fine with the chief going off by himself. I think as a character, he's just received a huge dump of information. Not just with Cally, but also (i assume) memories of the thousands of years he's lived. As an extremely old, old person - he decides to play the hermit and get some alone time. It makes sense to me.
Roslin in the sick bay didn't cut it for me either. They were trying to get somewhere with that, i think it got shortchanged due to time issues. A deeper look into the horrors of a wartime triage would have added to the drama of the final battle.

What worked

Final goodbye for the Battlestar. It felt right, poignant. It was like the coup all over again. I loved the moment where you see all the people you care about checking back in with the bridge. To me that was like the final walk through the school halls in Buffy. It's a reminder of where we came from, why we love the show so much. It's a final battle for the galactica.

What didn't

Kara Thrace. Seriously? From the beginning of that scene I kept saying to myself, she's going to disappear, look at her she's glowing, she's going to disappear, she's going to disappear. And she did. What a complete anticlimax. And the i see angels talk from Baltar. I wanted them to be something else. Something different. Anders said Kara Thrace was the 'end of the line' something like that, made me think of production lines, machines. And the harbinger of death stuff. If the damn waterbath toasters keep talking about her why isn't she somehow related to them??? Something not religious claptrap. I am sad. The Kara/Lee storyline peaked, ran its course ages ago. (I also kept seeing Dee at the bridge)

What worked

I liked the scene with Roslin and Athena chasing Hera. Cutting the dream sequence with reality was trippy and great. We normally see the dream from Roslin's point of view, repeating it and cutting it with reality reinforces the fact that she's totally high on drugs. Artistically = yay. BUT my impression from the dream sequence has always been that the Six is purposefully taking Hera from them, shutting that out - I wish that were still there. Not this wishy washy didn't see them nonsense, whoopsy daisy door closed and won't open again. I almost expected Baltar and Six and their new baby to go off and populate a new world in their happy projection matrix universe. The dream sequence leads to the Six taking Hera away - they fail to catch her, fail to protect her. It would have been better if it led straight into Six taking Hera and falling into Cavil's hands without the Opera House bits in between, I thought that muddied things up too much.

What didn't

Why wasn't the prophecy fulfilled? One of the saddest things to me is the idea that Roslin never sees the new world, Moses in the desert for forty days and nights and never seeing the promised land. If you're going to do the religious thing anyway why ignore that? I honestly thought that as Adama flew the final raptor from galactica she had died on the ship already. And that we wouldn't know it for certain for a good ten minutes or so, almost like that moment in Garp when you realise HE'S DEAD? I wanted him to bring her body down and bury her in the Earth she so fervently believed in, and lost hope in. I like that, the retelling of an old story. Not using religion to explain things as an easy way out.

We never really get a real sense of how old the final five are. There's so much history and backstory there and I don't really expect all of it to come tumbling out, but I wanted more from the five of them. More than standing in the light like statues. Sorry, not good enough. I think what might have worked is giving them a moment when they see into each other - seeing them in the past creating their children together, flashing back to the relationship between them all - and then follow that with the betrayal. The moment where the chief realises was amazing though. Again, flashbacks used beautifully. Loved that.

I thought the end that Anders got was a bit rushed. As a character, I don't really know anything about him. He's a love interest, period. He's the third wheel to create tension between Kara and Lee. I wish something had happened when Kara leaves her dogtags with him. I wish the mystery of Kara Thrace had something to do with the hybrids. And talking about Lee, what was that final scene with the pigeon supposed to be about anyway? I read an interview with Moore and he basically says 'we couldn't figure it out, i imagined someone in a room with a pigeon flying away and that sparked everything else coming together.' i say, what?

And the final epilogue. Mmmm. It was kind of... too obvious. A slap in the face. Why state it so explicitly? Why not hint and leave it to the watcher instead? Again Moore indulges himself, says he had another 'vision' of Six in her red dress in Times Square.

There's never a finale that everyone loves. In a way, the finale of a show is as much for the writers and creators as it is for the fans... As much as I wish I had more from the last two hours, I still loved it. I bet it's all those hormones from the damn crying.

ruanna @ 2009-03-25T00:10:00

2009-03-24T16:13:32Z

just got home from rehearsals
i'm off work tomorrow

FINALLY I HAVE THE TIME TO WATCH THE BSG FINALE

ruanna @ 2009-03-23T23:50:00

2009-03-23T16:14:43Z

Crazy two days... painting, painting, painting. By Sunday I was aching so badly i was walking like a zombie. First day of work - followed by more painting. Pictures of the set tomorrow.

I got ANOTHER work offer. Oh man. It's a design thing, graphic design it sounds like, freelance, I'm hoping I can wing it while still working here 'cos i really wanna do this, it's for michael c. At the same time he seems to want me on board long term. and okay I haven't quite decided on school but computing is a nice sensible option - if i apply to rmit masters in computing and get in i'll be starting school in middish july. And in australia. At the same time I DON'T KNOW - just when I'm about to give up on this design thing people are offering me stuff I wanna do.

I'm sure I could still do design stuff even if i do the computing masters. Right? I could hold a dayjob and do other stuff on the side. On the other hand, i could do an archi job and do other stuff on the side too. I could do a masters in public space art. I could do a grad. diploma in graphic design. (all my options are in rmit because im a terrible, terrible lazy impractical person who fixated on one university) Both would give me a portfolio that would allow me to get jobs in the respective fields, open up more opportunities, graphic design being slightly more practical. I worry about pay though. And am I just leaning towards this because of the new work offer? Previously I wasn't so keen on graphic design, I was worried about career paths and long term prospects.

I can feel the line on the graph rising, but i'm worried about the next drop. Is computing truly a better choice long term?

HELP

I AM A USEFUL MEMBER OF SOCIETY!

2009-03-18T11:48:29Z

I have a job! I was wary to proclaim the news once again after the multiple MULTIPLE false alarms of employment i have claimed over the past months, but for the first time - I am starting work on Monday! It's just a temp position at a governmenty type place until May, but i am happy :)
And of course when it starts raining it POURS (i like rain) because I'm not only trying to finish up a set design thing (unpaid, boo) by this weekend, I also have another freelance job to draw some 3d things (paid, yay) AND the same guy who was supposed to employ me before this called to ask if I could help out with an upcoming interior design project (declined, already have job)

2009 is finally looking up. :)

ruanna @ 2009-02-17T18:57:00

2009-02-17T10:59:10Z

Hah. So did anyone else watch the latest episode of BSG? I kept thinking HI PC! WHEN IS MAC GONNA TURN UP?

And wow, another punch to the gut. I was totally not expecting that ending. I kept thinking that either Sam would lose his memory or that Ellen would have gotten the resurrection ship back online and that Sam would die but unbeknownst to everyone on galactica resurrect – great opportunity for an angst fest, surely? I was so convinced I knew what was gonna happen that it took me a while to get it – I was all Huh wait will he resurrect if he’s brain dead? Oh WAIT no ship! WHAT? I can’t believe he’s gone, wtf. And also, random nurse lady – talk about a harsh way to tell someone that their husband is brain dead?
Okay I was sort of expecting it at the end of the last episode anyway. I figured first Dee and now Sam – it paves the way to resolve the Kara/Lee thing – especially with the renewed connection between them in the coup episode and everything (was that not the best episode ever???) Also, the whole episode was a pretty well done job of covering a HUGE amount of exposition with good teevee.

I just have to also say that BSG is kicking the asses of everything else on tv these days, especially House. HOW much do I hate the current loooove subplot? I know House(and all tv really) is barely believable in terms of real life logic, but it’s the job of the writers/director etc to suck us in and make us forget all that. These past few episodes are all FAIL.

ruanna @ 2009-02-04T11:35:00

2009-02-04T03:38:10Z

Antihistamines are like magic pills. Woo.

ruanna @ 2009-01-25T16:49:00

2009-01-25T08:53:01Z

I really hate organising parties, yet i like having them. Honestly it's such a pain to pick the right day so the most number of people will come and then you gotta ponder who to invite and who won't come if you invite who and who needs to be invited if you're inviting that other who and then you know everyone's gonna be late and why is the damn group of people so big anyway.

ruanna @ 2009-01-07T20:50:00

2009-01-07T12:55:10Z

Hullo. Just posting to say that my port folios have been updated, and so has my tumblr. Also, new icon. Showing good progress on cycling, unfortunately also showing more bruises.

ruanna @ 2009-01-05T18:28:00

2009-01-05T10:29:00Z

Exhausting and painful and yet exhilarating. Despite a bad start, with rain and mud and a slipper that kept breaking, i actually stayed on the bike for a fair distance, and that was really thrilling. Unfortunately when i stopped i actually started to see flashing colours and felt kinda woozy for a while. Ran into an old man who saw me struggling and came over to fix my gears, adjust my brake and give some advice. :P So i learnt how to brake, realised i'd been pedalling on super high gear - but i was kinda really tired by that time and i bailed out to go home. Oh well, maybe i'll see friendly old man in the park another day :) I love having random encounters with strangers.
(okay not that old, like my dad's age i guess but in really good condition - running topless in the park and doing multiple pull ups)

(omg so tired)

ruanna @ 2009-01-02T04:37:00

2009-01-01T20:48:54Z

The new year has started well, with happy shiny new ideas for personal projects, but i found myself checking out wine glasses on moss? I thought these $70 for two champagne flutes designed by Gropius were expensive?

And then i found a set of astoundingly beautiful mouth blown flutes - 6 for EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS.

Considering how easily wine glasses seem to get chipped, I can only covet from the safety of my computer screen. :(

ETA: Oh my. Among the other bizarre things sold by moss - gay marriage finger puppets, jade peace ring, panda chair (i assure you that whatever comes to mind when you think of a 'panda' chair, this will defy all expectations) and some pretty things, candy dish and a strip bracelet.

Err. Sorry for the large amount of clicky, but ctrl/cmd + click will open in new window and that's what tabbed browsing is for, right? :D

hullo 09

2009-01-01T18:23:33Z

THIS YEAR I WILL...

earn more than last year. ($500)

waste less time than last year. (did i do anything productive last year?)

spend less time gaming than last year. (must... resist... lich king...)

Honestly, as long as i achieve resolution no. 1 all will be well.

odd dreams

2008-11-28T01:29:03Z

over the past few days. People I haven't seen in years popping up in odd moments. One dream in particular was of a house - dreaming of rafters and mezzanine levels and stairs - i moved and designed and it appeared as i thought it. I woke up itching to pick up a pencil. It's strange, despite how much i hated school in my last year, 6 months later i find myself digging up my old projects to redesign. Hampered by the lack of Autocad.

i want to ride my bicycle i want to ride it where i like

2008-11-12T08:41:06Z

I took my brand new shiny red bike out for a ride today! Well okay I lasted all of maybe 15 minutes in the outdoor carpark before it started drizzling. And i was kind of tired so i went in. K says i am 'the most unfit person she knows'. I concur.

new bike! yay. K also says the basket is 'uncool'. i say the basket is PRACTICAL. I don't understand where bikers secrete all their stuff.

and here just 'cos my camera was out i took a picture of my room in messy reality

vs rendered image. Hah.

shiny shiny

2008-11-10T13:20:22Z

Hue Test
Haha it's a test to check your 'colour iq'. I think everyone i know should do this and post their results to see if the myth that guys have a worse sense of colour is true :D

Write or Die
Heh it's the perfect tool to finish your essays on time - you enter the number of words required and the time you need to finish it in. If you stop typing for too long it punishes you with an 'unpleasant sound' until you start typing again. Brilliant.

ruanna @ 2008-11-04T21:27:00

2008-11-04T13:28:24Z

how can you be in architecture and still use comic sans in anything??? just MSN, but still...