Moved

I have moved to Life in Planet Hunky Dory

Quote of the moment

Frank Sinatra once said that " You better enjoy living because dying is a pain in the arse".

I lied and I am not sorry

Promised myself that I will be more active with the blog, and broke it myself. Not proud about it but yeah so far there has been lots of changes in my life. First thing is that I am finally free of the problems that have been haunting me a couple months ago. No more taxes to be worried about but still in financial pinch. Fair enough that I am a student and that is a daily part from student's life style. Second important point is that I have finally finished my thesis, did my final defence, and passed satisfactorily, though not with flying colours. And then went to Paris with Viviene and Beck, really charming and lovely city. Je t’aime Paris!

Plus Size?

This is one of Elena Mirò’s fashion show which is supposed to be targetting for plus-size market. They are beautiful and cute, but I do not understand why it is a plus-size collection. The models are gorgeous and look completely normal to me, the type of bodies that you see on the street. I am not into the size zero debate that is going on right now, forbidding certain BMI models to work are quite discriminatory, but encouraging anorexia and bulimia is plain stupid too.

When Claire Coulson, the fashion editor of the Daily Telegraph stated that, "In pictures and on the catwalk, clothes hang much better on very slender girls”, I was flummoxed. The idea of economy law was supply and demand influences each other, but in this case it is an anomaly. The majority of the women are not very slender and if the clothes only look good on very slender girls, how about the rest of us? No wonder it is so difficult to find complimenting clothes if you do not posses a boyish figure.

Please make wake up people, art and reality are different. Those models look ethereal because they posses the 1% look to the majority of humankind (which is getting more obese and unhealthy). I am not condemning that type of body, I admit that they look good on certain type of clothes, just look at Kate Moss. But it is not good if it is not your natural body, starving yourself to death (literally) is not a wise move. Personally I prefer a woman with more padding and curves than the stick thin one. More cushion for the pushing and hugs, but hey if you rather to be thin, it is your choice. As long as I can find pretty clothes in my size.

C'est La Vie

Just realized how many things have changed since my last publication of blog (referring to the letter of complain). Britney Spears is no longer married to K-Fed and now is in the rehab after her infamous breakdown of shaving herself bald and is said to have a post-natal depression which is believed as the cause of her erratic behaviours. The bombshell Anna Nicole Smith dropped dead out of the blue leaving tons of controversies and squabbles over her child and fortune. Bush is still being dished and hated by many people (hey his term is almost done, we have to find a new scapegoat to blame and hate). The much awaited Oscar came and went. Iraq is still in mess and no one has any idea how to solve it without the situation worsened (how many films/books/people/songs/miscellaneous things that say war is bad, but never mind eh, just do it!). Global warming suddenly became the latest cool thing, no pun intended. It has to be as the celebrities and the “haves” swapped their houses and cars into the environmental friendly one. I think that they only do it to keep Bono out of their hair. Anyway as much as this is the “hot” topic I admit that I agree we have to nourish our Mother Earth (and The Inconvenient Truth is quite fascinating although they dragged it waaaay too long). My home country was/is deeply troubled with natural disasters: earthquakes, volcanoes’ eruptions, floods, tsunami, and still counting. O la la life. Where is our paradise? Where is the limit of human? Do we have one? But never mind as the universe will be there even when the day of the Earth ends. Outside, the moon is blood red due to lunar eclipse.

List of stuff to tackle

1. Thesis draft √
2. Thesis revision: still have to wait for mentor’s accord
3. French assignment √
4. Organize tax: have to beg for a reduced one as the bank account is totally broke and currently can’t afford anything
5. Inquire over tax income return: prioritized, desperately in need of money
6. Becoming active again with the blogging project √
7. Building a healthier diet: errr need to increase my veggies intakes
8. Building a stronger (and sexier) body: uhm more yoga? Or should I choose other method?
9. Study for the last Frech exam: definitely in need of motivation injection.
10. Visit the dentist: desperate, but have to wait until the money to foot the bill is available
11. ….I think that I forget something….

An interesting (ex-)hippies gentleman

It was 9^th of February, this year’s winter has arrived several weeks too late but she came with vengeance. The temperature dipped quite low for Holland’s mild winter and everyone in vicinity bundled up in their thick comfortable coats and jackets. I was lucky that I did not have to go out that often as my part-time job only acquired my presence once a week but on the day that I had to go out, I saw this interesting old gentleman on the train to Utrecht. The usually dull trip became an observation time for me as I even stole a picture of him doing his meditation with my handy camera/phone. I truly was intrigued by him as I believe that if we have to have a conversation, it will be very fascinating.

He was wearing a short and light jacket while meditating in a train

When we were having snow…

His eccentricity is simply charming.

The (much awaited?) return

I am back.

After such a long absence, I am finally able to gather enough will to publish some of my scribbles and musings. The several previous months had been my blue period, coloured with extra laziness and lacking any motivation to do anything constructive. Da Fonz has been nagging me to write something, but I argued that I have no time, which was the truth a few months ago, and I have no idea what to write. Writing has never been my forte and I think that it will never be my favourite past time, as I have always prefer to draw or simply read someone’s pieces than mine. Realizing that, since I would like to think that I am an individual that always thirsts over improvement, whether it is in the term of knowledge or character, I decided that this will be my form of exercise.

Interesting point is that I am not sure what to publish. Personally I think that it is too much if I am turning this into a public diary. The idea that there is someone out there in this world to be privy to my darkest thoughts or feelings makes me feel uncomfortable. I am too much of a prude to do so. Just like the British would say, I have a stiff upper lip. O goodness, many said that I am still young and need to loosen up, but the very notion of wearing my heart on my sleeves appalled me. I am definitely not the type to bawl myself over my personal problems in front of national television. Sorry Oprah, but I simply can’t, my sheer dignity and pride will not allow it, but maybe as I mature, I will change my stand. Or not.

Apart from that, I am determined to be active once more. The latest update is I have finally handed in my thesis on January 2007, 3 months late from my personal deadline. My only defence is that it was my blue period, I felt so helpless and confused that I was disgustingly not productive. Da Fonz is going through that period right now, and I believe that everyone will go though it once or twice in their life, simply parts of the nature, like the painful high school time as a hormone enraged teenager or a midlife crisis. My blue period was a combination of seasonal disorder (as I thrive under the sun and Dutch weather is simply unbecoming of me), and the feeling of uncertainty towards my future as I will graduate soon and will be enter the real society as an independent (financially at least) individual. Add financial troubles and great homesickness, I was toast. Really bad.

After several episodes of tantrums and weeping to my heart content (thanks Fonz for your constant support and encouragement), I was finally able to move forward. Now I proudly announced that I have concluded my research and only have to wait for my defence date. Cheers. One down, other challenge is ready to be conquered. Or so I hope. O yeah, I finished my French assignment too after I ploughed over 8 French articles and one classic novel J For this I am indebted to Charles, thank you for checking my grammar mistakes. A beautiful language but it is so difficult and complex. Another point checked from the to-do list! And now this, my dearest blog, welcome me back now!

Complaints letter for Apple concerning mini iPod

Dear Sir / Madame,

I bought a 4 GB mini iPod on July 2005 for 250€€, I was very happy with the product: cute hardware, good audio and reliable companion for my daily commuting, until August 2006. On early August 2006, my mini iPod simply froze and refused to bug. It has happened to my friend'’s iPod before and the Apple store staff taught us how to reset it. I did it and it was doing fine. A few weeks later (late August), I updated my iTunes software, updated my mini, and it worked as usual. For a few hours that is. I was listening to my music when suddenly my iPod froze again. Thinking that it is the same problem I tried to reset my iPod to no avail, it simply refused to react to the touchpad! The hitch worsened, it started to emit strange suspicious noise and there was a "sad" iPod image with a caution to check on Apple support site. I did all of the steps which were recommended on the site. Still nothing.

The next day, I went to the closest Apple store and requested helps. They said that it is probably a battery problem but they have to check it first so I was to pay 15€€ as part of the procedure examination fee (I did) and be back there after 2 hours. If it is a battery problem I simply have to pay 20€€ for a new one because my guaranty expired last month. No problem I thought, I am willing to pay. When I returned for my iPod, I was told that they could not do anything for me, they have checked the battery and it couldn'’t solve the problem. That'’s it. They do not have other alternatives, only saying that may be it is a hardware problem or maybe there is a short circuit problem. They can not help me! Nothing. And they are from Apple store not other retailer. They did not even offer me a reduced price for a new one!

I am terribly disappointed with my iPod lifespan (13months) after all of my careful ministrations: I always kept it inside a casing, it was never dropped or spilled on. For a gadget with 250€€ price tag, I expect it to last at least 3 years not stopping to work out of the blue! I am merely a college student with tight budget; I had to scrimp from my cleaning job in order to purchase it. I also bought a charger from you which is now laying around useless along with my mini. I simply wanted to congratulate you for losing a future costumer, thinking that I have considered swapping my laptop for a new iBook. I would also stop recommending you to any of my friends, family, or even strangers. And I am not the only one, Apple should be more sensitive towards their customers or you will risk losing us. Simply type iPod complaints and you could easily find many blogs complaining your lack of assistance. http://www.consumeraffairs.com/computers/apple_ipod.html and http://money.guardian.co.uk/consumernews/story/0,,1783814,00.html are few from the many. I hope that you will start to pay attention to us.

Regards,

Y