Normally I don't change gadgets as often as people thought of me, but this year I had a rewarding experience converting from Olympus E-P1 to Panasonic GF1, both micro four third cameras.
Lucky me got a Korean friend's help to get an Olympus E-P1 20% off from retail, I even made a leather strap for it myself, but soon I found the sex appeal of this PEN died off fast because of its lack of built-in flash, electronic view finder and slow focusing speed. Having tested Panasonic's GF1 from a colleague, I decided to switch. I sold my white PEN at a good price over Yahoo auction just when Olympus announced an upcoming E-P2.
An ex-colleague happens to work at Panasonic so I managed to get discount again while most other people are still waiting for stock to arrive. GF1 exactly won over E-P1 for features I thought I didn't need. Then, a few days ago Panasonic GF1 is awarded "Best of What's New" in gadget category by Popular Science. So smooth.
In case you want to know, that leather briefcase from the first photo is from Saddleback Leather and I love it. If you need something more modern, 78% released a series of handsome leather/canvas briefcases.
via Bloomberg, Nov. 25 -- Kokuyo Co., a maker of stationery and desks, will buy the rights to operate The Conran Shop home-furnishing outlets in Japan to expand beyond office products. Details here.
Well, so much for writing more often. I guess the occasional post is better than no post at all. Anyways, I know in my last post I mentioned we were going to be having a baby in March. Well, that's changed. We are still having a baby. Just won't be in March. It will be April 9th. The health unit was off about 3-4 weeks. I will be 21 weeks this Friday. We found out on the 19th that we are having a little boy. A precious, healthy baby boy who will be named Landon Scott. We couldn't be happier. We are so excited. Not only that it is a healthy baby but that it is a boy. It's what we both wanted. He has just recently started to kick. Bryan finally felt him kick last night. He looked so happy when he felt the kicks. He is going to be such a great father. I can't wait to hold my baby boy in my arms. Just a few more months to go. Anyways, I just wanted to fill you guys in on what is going on now. :)
Finally Mr. Spring-Tree-in-a-Village's book came out in Chinese. I was kind of waiting for the English version, you know Murakami thinks in English when he writes, but I need to get away from my world badly lately, so I got 1Q84 today anyhow.
While Aomame was listening to Janáček's Sinfonietta in an almost sound proof taxi, I was shielding myself from the disturbance of quietness with spa music playing through my over-the-head headphone. I was stuck on page 3 because of the most long lasting and satisfying sensation of scratching an itchy spot over my lower left leg. To be exact, it is where the anterior tibia muscle is, exactly 12 inches from the bottom of my left foot, .... ok you don't want to know but I'll continue in another direction.
This itchy spot started to appear a few years ago, doctor said it was not caused by fungus and its temporary, he prescribed antibiotics ointment, the itch keeps coming back however. One day I had an epiphany, the spot appeared for a reason perhaps psychosomatic. Suddenly I remember in my boy scout days I always hurt this area of my leg during outings. In one particular instant, I was crossing a river stream over large rocks, I slipped and my left leg was stuck between two rocks under water. That exact spot hurt like hell for almost a year. Even though fully recovered, I carry the pain and shamefulness of not being fit enough for activities so common for young boys. I didn't give up though, eventually became a troop leader and instructor.
That itchy spot now was the "painful" spot so light and seems insignificant yet lingering. Today that spot lingers as a sign of distress and at the same time a relief mechanism I can make use of. I use it to reduced brain activity in areas associated with unpleasant sensory experiences and memories, I made it a bodily chronic itch for the benefit of scratching away problems, scratching to the point of drawing blood to relief.
1984 was the year I began the transformation from self-doubt. 3 pages of 1Q84 brought me back to the parallel realms I was so good traveling across.
(google "why scratching feels good" and go deeper)
We've been wanting to produce a Moleskine gift box for Xmas for a few years now and this year it became a reality. Xmas in our stores are so crowded people have difficulty choosing products, our purpose has always been trying to reducing the think-time by creating gift sets good enough for gift exchange and proper gifting at various price range.
- For Him: HK$280
- For Her: HK$280
- Artistic: HK$380
- Traveller: HK$380
- Luxury: HK$580
Your kid can't read because you don't care. because everything, and anything, is more important that getting him to his FREE, one-hour tutor session which is held at your place of business, which is also his after school program.
This is where model making, stationery and craft meet. Gakken's Otona no kagaku (大人の科學) magazine volume 25 is all about twin-lens reflex cameras, you get to make one yourself and read about their history and shooting techniques in 98 pages all for HK$300 ( and even cheaper in Japan at 2,500 yen), what a bargain comparing to the inflated prices of typical toy cameras! I was surprised to find this being sold in 7-11 last Thursday and immediately grabbed one. I had so much fun this weekend assembling it, customizing it and play with it.
The kit also comes with two stickers in different styles so you can customize its look instead of settling with a black camera. I decided to use MT masking tapes to do the trick though. Assembling the camera takes about 30 minutes but I slowed myself down to enjoy the whole process more.
If you've bought this but you don't read Japanese, fuzzyeyeballs' ndroo made an English interpretation of the assembly based on his experience doing it. You can probably make it by just reading the diagrams but there are a few places you may get stuck so reading his guide helps.
The best thing with Gakkenflex is that it has a real viewfinder which allows you to focus accurately. You don't get a hot shoe, a film counter, a film advance knob which stops winding when next frame is reached and an aperture control, as you would find from BBF. But the true viewfinder made a big difference and impression on me.
After the assembly, I chose to customize it right away with MT masking tape. This is a relatively inexpensive way to customize anything. The washi paper is easy to cut after its being put on the camera body, just use a cutter, follow the contour and 20 minutes later its done.
Next I used Uniball Signo white roller ball to draw some flora patterns around the knob. Signo ink doesn't stay strong on surfaces other than paper, but I love the fact that it will soon give a distressed look of the camera. Besides, if I want a new pattern I can just easily put on some more masking tapes and draw again.
Lastly, this light weighted TLR deserves a thin leather strap so I added with ease. I took this lovely camera out for the day but because of the rain and poor lighting, I only took one photo. I'm expecting to see some awesome vignettes and lensbaby like effects. Visit Gakken flex / 大人の科学マガジン付録二眼レフ flickr group to see who the photos look like, or my Gakkenflex Customized flickr set for more photos of the finished camera.
Boy doesn't it look great with my Saddleback Leather briefcase? You don't have to tell me.
I ran two half marathons, on consecutive saturdays.
Crash: hug
for you
me: gahhh i'm so fat right now Crash
132
do you believe this
i was 125 like 6 weeks ago
i want to die
Crash: is it muscle?
me: no it is HIDEOUS FAT
Crash: baby katzen, no! omg how did it happen!?
me: my clothes are tight
Crash: mine are, too
me: i want to hurl self off bridge
just need a bridge
Crash: i think i am up to 140
me: why isn't there ever a BRIDGE when you need one
Crash: so i'll probably fall faster than you
lol
me: LOL
well we're screwed with no bridges
Crash: this is true. at least i refilled my meds today, tho.
me: and i'm in day FOUR of the same anxiety attack
mmmmmmeds
Crash: damn!
that is so not good
me: considered getting back on, today
took a benedryl instead
;-)
Crash: i don't blame you
me: poor man's narcotic
Crash: i keep popping cyclobenzaprine and xanax
cos i ran out of paxil for 3 days and no time to refill it because of evil evil job
me: mail order!
Crash: ooh good idea
me: oh i'd be lost without mail order
funny, in tthe middle of an anx. attack, the LAST thing i wana do is run out to the drugstore
Crash: i should look into that
yeah, no doubt
did i tell you about my nervous breakdown this week?
where i yelled at people at work?
me: you told me you cussed some bitch out
Crash: omg. i so did.
i did not get in trouble.
:)
i even said "fucking" in front of a little kid. at work. and i am not fired. whew!
me: b/c you're rad
Crash: and very, very lucky
hehe
but then i got mad again today at work
but didn't say any naughty words
so i think i'm ok
just a fat ass
with a sore throat and cough
and broken out skin
from being freaking overworked and overangered
me: i am also broken out
bad
stress and candy
ok well i'll have my 7 lbs gone by. thnxgiving
hopefully
i just have to pick a limb to hack off.
Crash: lmao!
i have eaten almost an entire large bag of peanut m and ms today
then i got sick. surprise, surprise.
i find feeling ugly makes me homicidal instead of suicidal anymore. it's weird.
me: at least they taste the same on the way up
Crash: or maybe it's vaguely both
me: HAHA
me too
it also makes me buy stupid shit from mall kiosks
Crash: we should write a book together
like proactiv? hehe
me: i'm that girl, the one they target to buy their dead sea salt shit b/c i look like i have low self worth
I AM THAT GIRL
Crash: ohhh the dudes that want to put crap on you as you walk by
me: yah lookin like 'i just wanna be touched'
Crash: lol!
me: 'can't you see how needy i am? due to my huge ass and my acne right there?'
Crash: i said yesterday i was going to make a new magazine about how girls who have low self-esteem get all the men
me: 'touch me for 40 seconds and i will buy two of your packs of salt shit
Crash: you are hilarious
me: it's TRUE
i'm going to blog it right now
Crash: i know, but it's so funny
you should be on snl
me: lol
Crash: yay!
me: actually i'll just paste this into vox
i'm so lazy
Crash: awesome
me, too
me: as well as fat and pimplehaving
Crash: fat, lazy, broken out assholes
that's us
me: we suck
Crash: but damn, we're witty
me: we have that going for us
Crash: i feel so much pressure to be the funny one
to make up for the ugly
me: me TOO!
Crash: it's like everyone lvoes me b/c i'm hilarious, and i entertain everyone, but then i go home and want to put a gun in my mouth
it's a sick cycle
me: is it better than putting a gun in someone elses mouth?
i suppose it depends on the mouth
and the someone
Crash: i just updated my boyfriend.
i call my blog my boyfriend, btw
me: haha did you paste my blog!?
Crash: nope
but if the feds find mine i'm effed
me: nice i'mma have to read that
Crash: yay!
ok now i have to go
love you. and don't worry, someone is fatter than you today. xoxoxoxoxo
me: love you back, thanks for the sage advice
Thanks to Mr. Wang from MT, last week I received a package of masking tape samples which are limited editions only to be sold in their very own new shop near Waseda University in Tokyo.
Kamoi's beautiful washi paper made masking tapes are getting so popular, many end user inspiration just keep coming in as evident from MT's web site. These new patterns and sizes you see here gives a hint about MT's development, more applications built-in to the tapes, like labels, wallpaper, wrapping paper and Xmas versions.
Check out MT's blog and you'll see how the shop looks like, can't wait to be there next year. If you can imagine it, Kamoi can make it, so don't be shy to send mail to them to suggest new product ideas.
