Mirror Mirror

Featuring androgynous beauty Li Yu Chun.


I mean... she makes you drool, no?

Volunteering = Satisfaction

Seriously, I was going to write a complaint post about my exhaustion for the past 2 days. I signed up to volunteer to create some graphics for something on the weekend, got replies back on Monday night, received additional information regarding my responsibilities during the day of Tuesday, and then they needed me to show them stuff by Wed afternoon (meeting is at Wed night). Woah. Really really short notice here - aka bedtime at 1am for a normal work day doing stuff not work-related and also forgot to post a blurb or a pretty picture on my blog. Great.

Anyway, what I want to say is even though at that extreme moment you are pissed/mad/angry/annoy/miserable/whatever on why you offered to volunteer for something, ultimately the result is giving yourself satisfaction. Like really good ones too. So think past that little bump and release out your energy at maximum power with lots of strength!

Ex-straight

The term ex-straight is invented after the creation of ex-gay, hah. I mean, if you think about the population, for sure the number of ex-straights would exceed the ex-gays exponentially.

Read the original article here: http://www.fridae.com/tc/newsfeatures/article.php?articleid=1553&viewarticle=1

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前異性戀者
Song Ge, 04/17/2009

標題是拿一幫子恐同症患者，發明創造的一個反同恐同的特有名詞，開涮。

這個特有名詞，是甚麼呢？容我細細嘻嘻道來。

這幫子無可救藥的恐同症患者，多半也是一些宗教的原教旨主義者，他們宗教經典上的字字句句，統統是他們食古不化的信仰準則，一板一眼，萬萬不可做任何其他的解釋。

嗯哼，地球饒著太陽轉？經書上如何如何，地球上神創神定的宇宙中心，豈有繞著小小太陽轉的此理？所以不信伽利略，所以燒死哥白尼。

甚麼，人是猴子變的？經書上說了，先亞當，後夏娃，沒猴子啥事體呀？所以不信達爾文，還得奮起反擊，極力維護神創的權威。

他們奉行他們自己心目中，他們的上帝旨意，這會子輪到女女男男的人之大慾了，自然是一心想把俺們彎人扳直，反正是東看西看，怎麼看也是女愛女，男愛男地，不順眼，不順心，不合他們異性戀者心目中的心水，千辛萬苦，朝思暮想，挖空心思，日打主意夜想方，要將俺們同志們，扳成他們心目中，符合上帝旨意的「亞當愛夏娃」。

每逢遇到個把同志意志不堅定的哥兒們姐兒們，每逢他們的無處不在無所不能的上帝，感召，召喚，喚醒一個兩個「迷途的羔羊」，從此發誓，再不做同志，做了同志陣容的逃兵，男同志發誓再不對美男帥哥靚仔酷哥型男，想入非非，女同志發誓不再理會裊裊娜娜美嬌娘。

一旦他們萬中挑一，遇到這樣一個兩個例子，根本就還顧不上去驗證真假，反正是個如獲至寶，立馬宣佈，看看，上帝的威力無比，上帝的旨意不可抗拒，這些迷途的羔羊，總算是歸隊，回歸他們上帝的羊圈，改邪歸正，痛改前非，洗心革面，重新做人，成為他們宗教信奉者的美滿一員。

他們給這一個兩個不知真假的「治愈了」的同性戀者，取了一個可笑之極的專用名詞，叫做「前同性戀者」，ex-gay。

既然他們口口聲聲號稱，治愈了同性戀者，讓同性戀者，變成了「前」同性戀者，變成了響當當的「現」異性戀者，好啦好啦，就算是承認你們這一回，邏輯是說得過去吧，那，可不可以，讓俺順著你們的邏輯，也借來一用，以其人之術，反其人之身，且讓俺給你們，嘮嗑嘮嗑，擺擺龍門陣，講講閑白話，這人世間，不知幾多「前異性戀者」！

不錯，百分之九十九點九九九九點幾率，吾輩同志，都出生在異性戀母父之家，這表示，我們出生的第一天起，就是在一個異性戀的環境下，被異性戀者的母父撫養長大成人，學著老爸做男人，學著老媽做女人。

如果是中國大陸背景，得假設我們生於大約20年前，有幸逃過「一對夫婦，只准生一個孩子」的天條，有幸擁有知心貼心的姐姐妹妹，有幸跟頑皮搗蛋的哥哥弟弟，打打鬧鬧，一起長大。這兒又冒出另外一個百分之九十九點九九九九點幾率，那就是我們的兄弟姐妹，也非常可能會是異性戀者。

如此這般，我們就還有得一學，跟著哥哥學著溝女，釣馬子，拍婆子，全是異性戀男子的勾當，跟著姐姐呢，裝淑女，拿捏架子，扮演矜持，全是異性戀者男性，強加給女性的社會角色。

有了這樣純正異性戀者的背景天幕佈景，我們同志長大，我們同志成長，我們同志探索，我們同志摸索，我們同志自我設問，我們同志自我學習，哪怕是，我們同志隱隱約約自己知道，讓俺怦然心動的，其實是跟哥哥的馬子不同，不是豐乳肥臀的艷女，而是隔壁上房揭瓦的禿小子王二，可異性戀的爹媽，異性戀的哥哥，我們能跟誰訴說？

我們的第一個人生導師，我們的母父，是異性戀者，我們的榜樣，我們追隨模仿的角色模型（role model）,有時是我們的同年同學，有時是我們的年長學長，更多的時候，是我們同一個鍋吃飯的兄長，他們呢，也是如假包換的異性戀者。

所謂「男大當婚，女大當嫁」，姑且請容許俺略過同志朋友中，覺醒得早的，知道得早的，有清晰認同的，有尖銳矛盾的，有清楚痛苦掙扎的，有隱瞞，有欺騙，有違心，有順從，有孝心，有家族榮耀，有傳宗接代之人生大義，男同志最後不得不跟個一點感覺也沒有的女人結婚的。

我就先跳過這一群。

我只說有還有一種情形，是「大家戀愛，我也戀愛」，「大家男愛女女愛男，我也得照此辦理」，「大家水到渠成結婚，我也結婚」，「大家說豐乳肥臀是性感，我也找美艷女郎」。這些朋友，他們跟異性戀愛，他們跟異性結婚，他們追求異性，他們沒有衝突，他們沒有矛盾，他們沒有意識到壓力，他們順其自然，他們渾然天成，他們的人生，一步一個腳印，走得穩妥妥當。

也許也有怦然心動的男男動人一刻吧，不思量，不會意，也會給自己一個解釋，不過是青春期的迷茫，也許有銘心刻骨的女女思念吧，不追問，不深究，也不過是閨中密友，姐妹情深。

反正就這麼言正名順地，結婚，甚至生子，萬丈紅塵中的普通人生，柴米油鹽，尿布奶瓶，忙也是它，煩也是它，享受也是它，沉溺其中，也是它。

直到某年某月的某一天，因為一個地點，一個時刻，一個人物，一句話，一個眼神，一個笑容，一次字眼，一次玩笑，一種觸摸，一種暗示，一個時機，一個緣分，一個命運，說不清，道不明，不清不楚，不明不白，不知不道，反正，總歸，總而言之，九九歸一，一道閃電，劃過心靈的天空，天龍地虎，乾柴烈火，對上了眼，對上了暗號，對上了密碼，對上了鑰匙：

一個願意為自以為「百分百」的異性戀者，心中埋藏了九千九百九十九年度那枚男愛男女愛女的種子，有了陽光，有了空氣，有了水份，有了溫度，春雷一聲響，發芽了，不認不認，還得認，壓著壓著，還是壓不住，豁然開朗，雲開日出，罪也好，恥也好，病也好，惡也好，你是你是，你就是，是甚麼？是一個「女愛女，男愛男」的同性戀者。

而這個日子之前的那所有的人生，生你養你的異性戀者母父，帶你一起長大的異性戀者兄長姐妹，你渾然不知結婚的，你的異性戀者婚姻，你的異性戀者老公或老婆，你的異性戀者兒子或女兒，你在老板同事朋友鄰居面前的異性戀者好太太或好先生形象，就統統是過去時來，就可以叫你是一個「前異性戀者」。

奉勸那些恐同症患者，以為同性戀者如同傳染病一樣，會被教唆，被引誘，會被學會，被墮落，被腐朽，被敗壞，標簽由憑你貼吧，高帽子由憑你戴，遊街示眾的牌子，由憑你掛，我只想輕聲問上一句：

你們費了九牛二虎之力，才勉勉強強磕磕碰碰地扳直了一個兩個，滿世界尋找，也才找到寥寥可數的幾個未知真假的「前同性戀者」。

而在人類社會的異性戀汪洋大海，滔天巨浪中，隨波逐流中，悠哉悠哉享受老婆孩子熱炕頭的女人男人，這麼多的社會資源，擁有全社會的資源支持，一統天下的郎情妾意，一統天下的情郎情妹，當著女男雙方所有家庭成員社會交往的朋友的面，吹吹打打的民俗婚禮，或者肅靜莊嚴的教堂婚禮，有些並且是兒女雙全，不知幾多的同性戀心目中的好太太，好丈夫，咋就一眨眼，成了「前異性戀者」？

同性戀在你們心目中神憎鬼厭，同性戀被你們詛咒，同性戀被你們謾罵，同性戀被你們強制電擊，強制灌藥，強制閹割，強制壓抑我們自己的情慾性慾，駭人聽聞的種種迫害手段，都讓你們使盡，為甚麼，依舊阻擋不住，前異性戀者，赴湯蹈火的腳步？！

Sculpture of Origami

Geometric shapes and surfaces are attractive, especially being applied onto fragile materials.

Origami Surface Vase by Rosenthal Creative Centre
photography by Karl Lagerfeld

The Androgyny Trend (in ENG)

Okay this isn't an extended discussion of yesterday's post. It's just I've translated the entire article into English (please excuse my non-professional translation - I realized I can't and will never be a translator), for those of you who are interested in reading it yet has no or little knowledge of Traditional Chinese.

Also, please acknowledge that the original article was written from a Taiwanese's perspective, and Taiwan is a relatively liberal and open place (in terms of LGBT movement). Nonetheless Li Yuchun and other androgyny celebrities do make people who dress differently than the society's gender role expectation to pass by easier in Asia.

Check out my previous post on The Androgyny Trend here: http://threequartertranslation.blogspot.com/2009/04/androgyny-trend.html

See the original article with images here: http://castnet.nctu.edu.tw/view.htm?ar_pk=1303

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Intrusion of Androgyny! Challenges To Your Aesthetics
Text by Hsu Pifen (translated by alpha grid), 03/29/2009


Since the start of history, gender and sex are hot topics in discussion among the public. However in today’s media or culture, including manga, movies, performances, tv shows, foreign theatres and others, androgyny is blossoming; genders are not so clearly divided into two categories anymore. From China’s Supergirl Contest’s Li Yuchun to Taiwan’s Super Idol Zhang Yunjin, the trend of being androgynous in entertainment is brought out. Dressing in “handsome” outfits is no longer an opportunity solely belonging to the boys; this raised the gender-related discussion to a new level.

To classify gender/sex in today’s terms, most would categorize based on sexual orientation and gender, for example male/female homosexuals, male/female bisexuals. Outer appearances go beyond one’s gender identity; it is also the aesthetics identity of one. According to traditional aesthetic values, dress or suits, and short or long hair, are people’s instinct tools to classify gender. Yet in today’s liberal sexual/gender era, when certain individuals found themselves being different from the society’s “gender role expectation,” as their first steps they would dress themselves in self-identified genders. Due to the success of gender/sex education, the boundary of gender becomes indistinguishable – teenagers and young adults’ dressings and outfits are heading towards androgyny, making it hard to identify gender based on their outer appearances. The numerous combinations with different fashion items provided people the opportunity to dress in any gender.

As the topic of sexuality are being discussed in a diverse and openly manner, the general public are gradually accepting those who are ambiguous in gender identification, or those who feel different between their outer appearance versus their born anatomy. Also, due to the extensive spread of the popular androgynous trend, people are less likely to use pejorative terms like “fag/sissy” and “dyke.” Males, who carry soft and gentle qualities, are now described as “elegant and polite”; tough and strong females are described as “bold and outspoken.” With examples of metro men and unconstrained women together as hot couples, the new generation of androgynous males and females are gaining confidence progressively, especially in the territory of love and relationships. Back in the days, parents would have to scorn their androgynous kids on being “unable to marry off (or get a wife),” but now the elderly must grant acceptance.


Virtual Art Raises the Cosplay Trend

To talk about the start of our contemporary androgyny movement, it would have to relate to recent movies and soap ops. Currently the trend of “guys dressing as girls” or “girls dressing as guys” is hot – for example the popular tv drama Hana Kimi revolved its plot on a girl who dressed as a boy in order to stay in a boy school, and eventually she was able to capture the boy’s heart even though she dressed androgynously. Other than the Taiwanese drama Hana Kimi, which was later developed into another Japanese drama series, there was also South Korea’s Coffee Prince. South Korean movie The King and the Clown also boosted the “pretty” idol-actor Lee Junki to stardom. Chinese period films Farewell My Concubine and Mei Lanfang were noted examples as well. The character Qiu Rubai in Mei Lanfang once said, “Men disguising as women are sometimes more beautiful than women themselves.” This testified the idea of “being feminine-masculine ambiguous” and “sexuality alteration” are agitating our aesthetics.

On top of the androgynous tread in entertainment business, the circle of manga and animations fans should also be considered as a group that is under deep influences of androgyny. Many male characters in manga have pretty face features; their bodies are slim while containing elegant female qualities. Meme, a cosplayer, said “I think only the boys in manga are considered as pretty. Being bony is aesthetic to female manga fans!” Her manga recommendations included Nosatsu Junkie, W Juliet, Penguin Kakumei, Ouran Koukou Host Club, and others; the male leading characters are all slim weak pretty boys, while the female leads are mostly smart bold girls with lively and outgoing personalities. The manga listed above were all very popular among the group, with a solitary fan base comprised of both males and females. This showcased people’s aesthetic values are slowly transforming – the engagement in idle theorizing had metamorphosis into contemporary trend in reality.

At the moment androgynous idols are stylish; in order to capture both male and female fan base successfully, male celebrities need to have pretty and well-groomed faces, while female celebrities are required to have smart and cool dressings. Other than Zhang Yunjing who was mentioned earlier in the article, there are Ella from S.H.E. and Ueno Juri, the androgyny representative from Japanese drama Lastfriend. The trend is being widespread among teenagers and young adults; they are following the idols and stars, dressing in androgynous style fashion. However, this trend is seen as rebellious in the eyes of the elderly.


Trend of Androgyny Defeating Traditional Values

Chiao Tung University Girls’ Residence 2’s attendants mentioned that this trend of androgyny had given them some challenges. Following the traditional concept on gender, most people would identify others with their outer appearances – so the attendants would not permit guys to enter the girls-only residence. They would often focus on the security camera screen capturing activities at the front entrance, keeping out male students from entering. However in recent years, the attendants are having some trouble identifying. One of them commented, “as soon as I saw those short-hair girls, I would questioned them. But after I checked their student id card to confirm they are in fact girls, then they are allowed to go in.” Actually due to this sort of ambiguous outlooks, many attendants are less alert in their determination, indirectly affecting the security in various aspects. They also pointed out that last winter at Tsing Hua University, a guy wrapped himself up and utilized the fact that everyone wears wool hat, scarf and winter coat, entered the girls’ residence along the stream of people and went on negotiation with his girlfriend. This incident stirred up some issues – residence attendants are worried yet unable to do anything as the population of androgynous girls increases. They said they can only “memorized those who often dress masculine, to avoid confusion.”

Essentially no matter how far the current trend would go, the transformation of fashion among the genders can be fully accepted by the modern era if gender prejudices are abandoned; but of course the traditionally-rooted ideas, of male/female representation and socially-acceptable gender roles, bounded in the elderly minds will take some time to get minimized and adjusted. Modern men are more into beauty, and the definition of being fair ladies are shifting bit by bit - this is an undeniable fact. A society that can bring up the trend of androgyny is an indication of advancement of the era; it can possibly lead to the unification and integration of gender-based fashion culture in the future, which will introduce another brand new vogue.

The Androgyny Trend

It seems like the trend of being androgynous had spread out in our society. Hmm... is this a good thing or bad thing?

Also, I find it really funny when school residences only allow same gender students to enter the residential hall or even sneak over for the night. I mean... this rule would stop hetero kids from doing "inappropriate" things (according to "traditional" values, of course), but we can still work around it, ya know? (:

See the original article with images here: http://castnet.nctu.edu.tw/view.htm?ar_pk=1303

To read the translated version of the article in English click here: http://threequartertranslation.blogspot.com/2009/04/androgyny-trend-in-eng.html

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中性正夯！挑戰你的審美觀
記者 徐苾芬, 03/29/2009

一直以來，兩性是社會大眾相當關注的重要議題，但現在的媒體或是文化產業上，不論漫畫、電影、戲劇、電視節目、國外影劇等，都刮著一陣「中性風」，性別似乎不能再是以前的二分法。由中國超級女聲的李宇春延燒到台灣超級偶像的張芸京，帶起了一股偶像中性風潮，酷裝打扮已經不是男孩的權利，讓性別議題又增加了更多的討論面向。

現在的性別分類上，早已不只兩種類別，大部分會以性向（該性別受何種對象吸引）再細分性別，例如男(女)同性戀、男 (女)雙性戀等。裝扮不只存在於性別認同之上，也是一種審美觀認同，以舊有審美觀來說，裙裝或是西裝、短髮或長髮，是每個人第一眼用來分辨性別的方法，然而在這樣性別開放的時代來說，當有些人發現自己與一般「社會期待的性別認同」有所不同時，以穿著表現他們所認定的自我性別往往是第一步。正因兩性教育的成功，性別界限模糊化，於是時下年輕人的外表打扮開始較中性化，難以由外觀區分一個人的性別，不同服裝的配搭，都有機會是任何一種性別的可能穿搭。

在各式各樣的性別議題上有了開放式的討論，社會大眾也越來越能夠接受那些對性別認同較模糊、或是打扮與本來性別相異者；於是延伸出現在相當受歡迎的「中性」風格，所謂的「娘娘腔」、「男人婆」已經是較少人使用的貶抑詞；陰柔的男性可以形容為「斯文」，而較陽剛的女生則形容為「豪放」。尤其現在美型男以及豪放女的組合相當熱門，這些走中性風格路線的新男女也漸漸有了自信，尤其是戀愛方面的自信更是提升不少。因為舊時父母親可能對於這樣中性打扮的孩子嘴邊總會掛一句「這樣怎麼嫁得掉（娶的到）啊？」，但現在許多長輩也必須給予認同了。

虛構畫風帶起扮裝潮流

若談起中性風的起源，許多電影以及戲劇節目，現在出現一股「男扮女裝」或是「女扮男裝」為主的潮流，例如著名的電視劇《花樣少年少女》正是女扮男裝混入校園內，雖然是打扮成中性女孩但是卻依然能獲得男孩芳心的喜劇。除了這部翻拍成日劇、台灣偶像劇的《花》劇外，還有韓國撥出時相當火紅的《咖啡王子一號店》，而電影《王的男人》更是捧紅了美型偶像李準基。中國古裝電影《霸王別姬》、《梅蘭芳》也是有名的例子，『男人扮女人，有時比女人還美。』一句出自《梅蘭芳》裡邱如白的台詞，驗證了現下「雌雄莫辨」、「性別錯置」的一種審美風潮。

除了演藝圈刮起了中性風，漫畫界可以說是中性風格影響最深的一個領域。許多漫畫內男生除了臉蛋好看之外，身材也都瘦弱並有女孩優雅的氣質，化名Meme的cosplay狂熱者表示（cosplay即是一種動漫角色扮演的實裝秀），「我覺得漫畫裡的男孩子那樣才叫做美，骨感美是現在漫畫界女孩子對男孩子的審美觀吧！」她介紹的漫畫諸如《色誘中毒》、《真假茱麗葉》、《企鵝革命》、《櫻蘭高校男公關部》等等，男主角們不外乎是瘦弱或是俊美的奶油小生，而女主角也多是帥氣活潑的率真豪放女。它們皆是相當火紅且同時擁有兩性粉絲的著名漫畫，由此看出現代人的審美觀其實已經慢慢在轉變，紙上談兵的功夫如今成了當代潮流。

目前中性偶像風潮燃燒，除了男明星們臉要粉嫩俊美外，女明星們則是要有帥氣清秀的打扮，才能夠成功地贏得兩性粉絲的支持，除了前面提過的張芸京之外，還有S.H.E裡面的Ella或是在日劇《Last friend》裡面的中性風代表上野樹里。尤其是這樣的風潮，讓時下年輕人也跟著這些明星開始流行「中性風格穿搭法」。但是這樣的流行，在許多長輩的眼裡卻是叛逆且一時無法接受的打扮。

中性風潮　傳統觀念受衝擊

交通大學女二舍的宿舍管理員阿姨便表示，這其實造成他們不小的困擾。依照舊有的性別概念，大眾依然會按照打扮來判斷性別，所以阿姨為了管理女二舍不讓男生進入，常常會盯著監視器螢幕監看大門口，以防有男生混入女生宿舍，然而近幾年來卻有越來越多阿姨無法判斷的例子，阿姨說：「一開始看到那些頭髮剪的短短的女生，我還質問她，後來我看過學生證後確定是女生他們才可以進去。」其實就是這樣模糊的打扮，讓許多既有的判斷標準漸漸降低，間接影響到許多事情的安全性。宿舍阿姨表示，去年的冬天，清大便發生過一名男子利用人人都會戴毛帽、圍巾、穿大衣的這個習慣，把自己全身包起來，且趁人潮的時候混入女生宿舍，找他的女友談判。該事件引起不小震撼，於是阿姨對於打扮中性的女生越來越多這點深感困擾但卻也莫可奈何，「只好記住有哪些女生是打扮得像男生的，才不會搞錯。」阿姨無奈地表示。

其實不論現下的流行為何，只要改掉性別偏見便可以接受時代對於兩性打扮的變遷，只是要將根深蒂固的男女形象與應有的打扮從長輩心中消除還是需要一段時間的適應。且現代男人越來越愛美，而淑女的定義也漸漸改變，這是不可忽略的事實，社會能夠吹起一股中性風可看成是時代進步的一個象徵，甚至未來兩性穿著文化的互相融合又將掀起另一種時尚。

Story | Four

It had been four years since I first started architecture school which brought me here.

It had been four seasons since our first encounter.

It had been four months since I last met you.

It had been four weeks since I last received your contact.

It had been four days since I found myself wondering about the future.

It had been four hours since I last saw something that reminded me of you.

It had been four minutes since I last told myself to stay strong.

It had been four seconds since I last though of you.

.
.
.

What is next?


2009/04/24

The Left-over Pieces of Rice

During lunch today, I couldn't stop wondering about the last bits of rice and dishes while I was finishing my meal. I remembered since I was a little girl, my mother and grandma used to scare me with the two stories if I have any left-overs, including tiny pieces of rice, after each meal.

The first story was told by my mother - it was about this girl never finishes her entire meal, having bits and pieces of food left over in her bowl and making the table messy. Of course, she grew up and acne had popped up on her face continuously.

The second story came from my grandma, which had been passed on verbally through her maternal family. Obviously, the story was about this girl never finishes her entire meal, leaving bits of rice behind. She ended up marrying a husband with broken teeths.

As I was trained to not have left-overs (yes, by those "horrible" stories), so now I rarely leave any pieces of food behind. But I can't stop wondering why do acne and marrying an teeth-less husband would freaken a young girl? What are the beauty standards of today's world? Why do a girl have to marry, and does theat person has to be a man? How about scientific explaination on the creation of acne, as it is produced by the over-reactive testosterone hormone which doesn't really relate to the left-over rice pieces?

Kyoto Box

It's such a smart idea to invent a cheap solar-powered cardboard-made cooking box! This Kyoto box was made with 2 card boxes and an acrylic cover - with Jon Bohmer as its inventor. He designed this product for areas and locations which are less fortunate to have safe and clean cooking facilities. Also the cardboard cooking box is said to help a family to prevent 2 tonnes of carbon emission per year.

As for the design, the Kyoto box consists a layer of newspaper or straw in between the boxes acts as insulation, with foil on the outside and black paint on the inside of the boxes absorb and capture solar heat. And the cost is only about $5, and can be produced at almost any cardboard factories!

Doesn't she look adorable?

Let's say awww... together.


And very nice scarf and coat too.

Warhol Beauty Philosophy

How can one live without knowing Andy Warhol's philosophy on beauty? Andy knows everything, from art to business to beauty. (All quotes came from The Philosophy of Andy Warhol: From A to B and Back Again.)

Weight isn’t important the way the magazines make you think it is. I know a girl who just looks at her face in the medicine cabinet mirror and never looks below her shoulders, and she’s four or five hundred pounds but she doesn’t see all that, she just sees a beautiful face and therefore she thinks she’s a beauty. And therefore I think she’s a beauty, too, because I usually accept people on the basis of their self-images, because their self-images have more to do with the way they think than their objective-images do. Maybe she’s six hundred pounds, who knows. If she doesn’t care, I don’t.

Be proud of yourself no matter how your body is. You are you. Believe in yourself. If you have the confidence, f*ck the other people. They have their problems. You can see it in the next quote too:

Beauty really has to do with the way a person carries it off. When you see “beauty” it has to do with the place, with what they’re wearing, what they’re standing next to, what closet they’re coming down the stairs from.

But then one's beautiness also can affected by other variables...

Sometimes something can look beautiful just because it’s different in some way from the other things around it. One red petunia in a window box will look very beautiful if all the rest of them are white, and vice-versa.

This is very true in a way. The surrounding does provide a backdrop that either compliment or disturb one's beautiness. (okay this kind of contradicts the first quote...) And here comes the last quote of the day:

If you’re naturally pale, you should put on a lot of blush-on to compensate. But if you’ve got a big nose, just play it up, and if you have a pimple, put on the pimple cream in a way that will make it really stand out — “There! I use pimple cream!” There is a difference.

This is meant to poke fun at people including myself - many thought the use of make-up (without proper skills and materials) would enhance one on how others would perceive them, but really they are just self-comforting.

What is your beauty philosophy?

Wonderfulness

As usual, the title explains it all.

Creativity vs. Self-destruction

The best and the most passionate art are often created at the peak of emotional times. We are more sensitive and prone to the delicacy of feelings. As we experience deeper bond or separation with another, our art would also reflect the sublime at the moment and spread like an uncontrollable forest fire. The deep passion experienced at the moment would transform and burst out as creativity. However, if emotions are going strong towards the negative direction, depression and various forms of self-destruction would happen on the artist likely. Creative people are always on the edge on tipping over the being-conscious-and-rational line. Some sort of beyond the typical or normal state experience will bring in new things and ideas.

For further reading regarding the topic of creativity and self-destruction, I would suggest Live Through This: On Creativity and Self-Destruction, edited by Sabrina Chapadjiev. It collected stories from multiple creative female contributors describing their own self-destruction and how they dealt with the challenges. See more information here.

Feminism and Architecture

What brought me into writing this article is the number of toilets/urinals required in the bathroom for males and females. Seriously, the Chinese building code doesn't make sense at all. Also I get yelled at a lot by my supervisors just because I put too many toilets inside the female washroom (and by that I mean 4 toilets in the women's and 2 toilets plus 4 urinals for the men's) when I plan out the tower core or just washrooms for a shopping mall. I mean, really? WTH?! That gives 6 toilets for men in total while there's only 4 for women! That is just stupid, plus very inefficient too. Imagining all those time when your male accompanies have to wait for you as you have to wait in line and then finally pee? The best ratio is to have 1.5x the amount of toilet in the females and then reduce space yet satisfy the code requirement by having reasonable number of urinals instead of toilets for the gentlemen's (I know I know, some men prefer toilets, but still the majority just pee standing up with urinals).

Regarding women and space, I do feel much of the time architecture and spaces are designed especially for males, and designs are based upon patriarchal culture. Literally "men-made" environment. For example, my mom would love to have a huge kitchen (don't get me wrong here, I didn't mean females should stay inside the kitchen cooking – my mom just loves to make food and she can spend an entire day in the kitchen!) so she can spread all her stuff over the counter. However, obviously many others would disagree – they would prefer a larger living room or dining room or whatever (this applies to mini apartment homes in cities especially). If you think about the number of women who are designated to be the chefs of the house according to our current "trend" or even "norm" (as in female cooking for the household), doesn't it make sense to design a comfortable and pleasant space that the women spend their time in to be somewhere they enjoy staying in? I personally doesn't like to stay in the kitchen preparing big feasts, but certainly I would love to have a decent spacious kitchen so I feel good while I'm in it.

As for professional writing and researches, I did find an article through web search that briefly touched the topic of having women pioneers as architects and interior designers (which are professions that men dominate traditionally). However it was focused on gay and lesbian architects and their designs during the modern period rather than feminism in architecture. If you still want to check it out, click here to read the article on Architecture by GLBTQ.

There are a few books on feminism and architecture too – but I don't have my hands on any of them yet, so I won't be able to comment. Nevertheless have a look on them here:

Architecture and Feminism by E. Danze

Discrimination by Design: A Feminist Critique of the Man-Made Environment by Leslie Weisman

Gender Space Architecture: An Interdisciplinary Introduction by Jane Rendell

There is also a project related to the topic that seems interesting:

Matter in Motion, The Cinema Image, Feminism and Architecture by Dorothea Olkowski

Pattern times three

With 0.5 brown and 0.4 turquoise ink pens.

What Art Movement Are You?

Take the quiz here:
http://www.blogthings.com/whatartmovementareyouquiz/

My results are too predictable.

You Are Pop Art

When it comes to art, you're definitely not a snob. You can appreciate the mainstream aspects of culture, even if you need to twist them a bit to make them your own. Whether you're into comics, retro pinups, or bold colors, you embrace what's eye catching and simple. As far as most other art goes, you consider it a little too elitist and high brow for your tastes!

Yes I do like to modify things and ideas and theories so I can adapt and apply it to myself...

Pretty Lamp!

The title explains it all.

E' Lamp by Ferruccio Laviani

Bottles for you

From a while back. (If you are bored you can try to find the date on the image.)

Shoes for spring and summer

They are awesome!

Converse Pink Floyd Chuck Taylor

Nine West Ulfred

Marc by Marc Jacobs

(sorry don't know the name of specific design)

To Make A Pleasant Day

Here's a list of 10 things that would make a more pleasant day:

1. Din at your favourite restaurant, or make your own yummy food. Nothing can be better than having a great meal.
2. Buy some milk and lime green cream soda. Mix 2/3 of milk with 1/3 of cream soda. Drink and enjoy.
3. Get a new haircut, or restyle if you prefer to keep your current length.
4. Acquire a new scarf or accessory, one that gives you super powers.
5. Redefine your own rainbow of happiness. See here for an example.
6. Mail postcards to others; ask them to do same to you.
7. Draw, draw, draw. Especially on grid paper.
8. Relax and don't take things too seriously.
9. Connect with friends, or make new ones.

And last but not least:
10. Love yourself. Yes, you can define "love" in any way you want.

Egress Stairs

With Agyness Deyn.

Very attractive.

How Boyish or Girlish Are You?

Take the quiz here:
http://www.blogthings.com/howboyishorgirlishareyouquiz/

As usual I'm not surprised with my results...

You Are 50% Boyish and 50% Girlish

You are pretty evenly split down the middle - a total eunuch.
Okay, kidding about the eunuch part. But you do get along with both sexes.
You reject traditional gender roles. However, you don't actively fight them.
You're just you. You don't try to be what people expect you to be.

I have to say this is very true though - "You reject traditional gender roles. However, you don't actively fight them. You're just you. You don't try to be what people expect you to be."

16 Stories

Each box is filled with a story:

(top, left to right)
1. someone eating lollipop
2. eye staring among a pair of lovers
3. honey scooping out of a jar
4. house with smoke
5. checkered pants around the zipper
6. people on glazed travelators
7. scissors cutting on coloured paper
8. hourglass with poem

(bottom, left to right)
9. plan view of a shower room
10. a patterned blouse
11. knife with tomato on cutting board
12. matches in a box
13. outlets on a wall with tiled floor
14. toaster with 2 slices of bread
15. macbook screen/keyboard
16. phrase of the day

As for the creation of this, I started with some random shapes and lines on the double page, then divided the spread into 16 pieces, and drew something in each box in various scales and point of view integrating the existing shapes/lines. Pretty fun to do this I would say. You never know what you will come up with.

(high-lighted lines are the initial random shapes/lines)

WTF????

I'm seriously very mad when I read this article on HK Yahoo. This is b*llsh*t - both the specific school principal and Equal Opportunity Commission.

What's wrong with wearing dress pants to school, especially the school rules allow it? It's not like the teacher is wearing unappropriate clothing or birthday suit to school. And since the school authorities love teachers wearing skirts and dresses, why don't they make male teachers wear skirts to school too??? That will be so cool! I don't get it.

As for Equal Opportunity Commission, I'm wondering what do those guys do? Hmmm... I guess day dream all day long? If this kind of cases are refused, what would they accept? And what's the point of having and calling themselves 平機會 (Equal Opportunity Commission), if they chose to ignore unequal opportunities situations? Funny.

The original article is posted here: http://hk.news.yahoo.com/article/090406/4/bjwt.html

* * *

不滿被迫穿裙 女教師求援被拒
明報記者 何素文, 04/07/2009

香港中國婦女會馮堯敬紀念中學前女教師鄺小姐，2007年向平機會投訴，指她依校規規定穿整齊西褲回校，但校長卻要求她一定要穿裙回校，更拿出聘書暗示如繼續穿褲回校，便會裁掉她。07年至今因校方拒絕出席調解，去年她向平機會申請法律協助被拒，年初在教育界立法會議員張文光協助下，她獲平機會主動接觸，稱會再考慮申請。

張文光介入 平機會稱再考慮

香港中國婦女會馮堯敬紀念中學校長孫莉華否認有關說法，但她指自己不想回應及詳細交代，以免引起罵戰。

07年起在該校任教的鄺小姐透露，首天回校即被叫進校長室，校長指她要尊重校規，穿裙回校，但她當時反駁校長，並指校規規定可穿西褲回校。

她翌日再穿西褲回校，但再被召入校長室，「提醒」她如果每日要穿褲子，就要穿整套套裝，鄺小姐答允，但校長隨即拿出聘書，朗讀條文「中止聘任」的一欄，但就指現時不能裁走她，「還要看你的表現」。鄺小姐指雖然校長沒表明不穿裙就要裁走她，但她感受到校長的用意。她指出，事件已拖了兩年多，身心疲累，但校方一直不肯出席調解，最後她只能申請訴訟解決。

團體指勝算高仍不獲批

香港人權監察主席莊耀洸表示，一直由07年協助鄺小姐，就《性別歧視條例》這是一個很好的案例，如果上庭相信勝算很高，但平機會卻不批出法律協助。

My Postcard Family

Since the lovely sibling of my poster baby (read story here) arrived a few days ago, I decided to take a picture of the current family of two.

Baby #2 is Salvodor Dali's original Persistence of Memory (1931, oil on canvas), before it got disintegrated (see it here).

Baby #1 is a snapshot of the wall in Anne Frank's room.

Let's hope my family will grow soon!

Hair cut cut!

The act of hair-cutting can be interpreted in different aspects. People do it for various reason. Here are some:

1. I just simply want a haircut. period.
2. Summer is here so it's time to dash away the winter blues.
3. The current long length of hair is getting annoying.
4. Getting bored of life. Need a change.
5. Coming in terms with a new identity.
6. To fit into certain stereotypes.
7. To shock people around, hah!
8. Because other people cut theirs. I should cut too.
9. It's cheap.
10. Symbolic act of dumping away certain memories.

Feel free to add more. And what do you think of my new haircut?

Rainbow of Happiness

The rainbow flag is most commonly known as the pride flag/symbol of LGBT group. Gilbert Baker had defined meanings for each of the colour on the rainbow flag. The original version, which consisted of 8 colours, was introduced in 1978. Pink referred to sexuality, red for life,orange as healing, yellow as sunlight, green for nature, turquoise for art, indigo for harmony, and violet for spirit. Now of course, the flag is being reduce to 6 colours for the ease of production, with red as life, orange as healing, yellow as sun, green as calmness, blue as harmony, and purple as spirit. Also, the different colours on the flag represent and celebrate the diversity within the community. If you want further information regarding the history and everything else of the gay rainbow flag, click here to read more on Wikipedia.

Paint colour and finishing testing strip for a
project, which happened to be rainbowy

For me, I like personalize the colours to expand my own happiness. Here's my version of the colour meanings:

RED - motivation and passion
ORANGE - faith in positivity
YELLOW - strength and power
GREEN - sustainability
BLUE - simplification and reduction
PURPLE - emotion

May all of you have your rainbow of (queer) happiness too!

P.S. Absolut Vodka had invited Gilbert Baker to design a rainbowy bottle for them some time last year to celebrate 30 years of the rainbow flag. See it here: http://www.absolut.com/colors/

Facebook is funny

Hmm. I thought facebook is hip enough to be understanding and respecting regarding gender identity issues within its applications. I mean, do I have to choose? Of course if you make me, I can pick "her" just to make you happy - but I REFUSED and clicked cancel because this is my little protest against you. There are others in the world who do get offended or uncomfortable with this little pop-up window. What happen to the facebook users who want to be called by something else other than the two available choices of his/her? Maybe they prefer to go without a pronoun but to be called by their names instead?! How about you let people insert their own stuff? Or maybe disable the entire "making-you-choose-one" pop-ups at all.

(The screen shot was actually taken early January this year - you can tell I was still using my old laptop with Windows XP and it was the vintage facebook layout.)

Story | The Purple P-line

I feel like replying you no more. Chop chop chop. With those big chunky Chinese "vegetable knife". Trim those x-lines and break all the polylines. I'm so freaken tired of you flash up suddenly with a ray or two and then return to invisiblilty for months and years. Balloons has their maximum stretching point, or elasticity value or whatever you engineers called it, you know? Once they break and air gushes out and bye bye lovely plumpy balloon.

But but but but but... even if it popped, the pretty piece of ribbon that ties to the balloon knot would try to find that little girl who once held its satiny dress with her warm hands. Can't someone just wipeout the memory of the balloon and the ribbon? Sigh.

Wait, balloons have memories? I thought they don't hold stuff but gases.

03/25/09

Manipulation or Not?

It's funny that I let things that I don't care, or I'm not interested in, to manipulate me. I guess that relates to the fact that I am a perfectionist. I need stuff to be done perfectly, with no mistakes or accidents. If I'm into certain things, I would have it go straightly according to my w ay under my tight supervision. If not, screw you. Yes it seems like I get manipulated - but really I just don't care.

The control of me is in my hands. The decision are made by me. If you are good enough then you can contribute your input into me and maybe influence my choices. Do you ever have people or things that altered your once firm decisions? And how did it turn out, with regrets or not?