One year

One year. (If you were expecting a deep and thoughtful blog post after looking at the title, sorry to let you down. This is the emotional whirlwind experienced by a 'fangirl' put into words.) It has been a year since i met the person I adore the most.  I don't use the word 'most' lightly. Taylor Swift's songs have the power to connect to me emotionally and it makes me understand every situation that she faces even though I've never been in that situation. I've actually learned a lot of things from her and sought solace in her songs. Plus, from what i can see for the past seven years being her fan, she is truly passionate about the people around her and is assiduous to her huge fan base, not forgetting to mention that she is very charitable. 

This time last year, I was so ecstatic about going to The Red tour that I couldn't sleep for several nights. Actually, the word 'ecstatic' is an understatement. Now, before you give me that weird look, understand that I've waited for YEARS for this moment. I remember the feeling of sheer disappointment and sadness when she went to Singapore and skipped Malaysia in her previous tour. However, that's not the worst part. The worst part was when I almost didn't get my concert tickets after queuing for hours. Right when it was my turn to purchase the ticket, the cashier told me that the tickets were sold out. I was stunned for a moment and tears clouded my vision. It felt like my dreams crumbled right in front my eyes. Finally, after pleading the cashier to try again he managed to get a ticket for me. 

Since it was my first concert, I prepared for The Day before hand so that im ready emotionally. I even made a placard (which I didn't even hold it up during the concert). Taylor's is known for sending her team out on a hunt for concert-goers that captures people's attention. Concert-goers that got selected will get to meet her. Naturally, I wanted to get picked, so I went all out planning my outfit. I tried to imitate her signature style, satisfied with my choices but clearly the outcome was just mediocre. At the stadium, there were fans who truly redefine the term 'all out'. Extraordinary costumes and placards with flashing lights and tons of glitter instantly captured gazes. Oh well, another round of letdown.

The perpetual wait finally came to an end. When the doors opened, I couldn't contain my excitement and ran to my seat. After the opening band finished playing their set list, the iconic red cloth flashed in sync with heartbeat-like sounds. I could hear my heartbeat clearly, as if they were amplified by the sounds. And there it was, the silhouette of Taylor formed on the red cloth. And at that moment my 'fangirl' heart felt complete. She started the show with the first song off Red, which is State of Grace. Halfway through the show, I managed to squeeze to the front row. The fans there were too kind to allow me and my friend to squeeze in with them. First concert with front row view, not bad eh? Taylor gave her hat to the guy next to me. I died. 

Anyway, here are some photos I took during the show to help you understand my situation better.  

The atmosphere in the stadium was indescribable. Everyone was danced like there was no tomorrow. Taylor smiled when most of the us in the front row held up a sign that read 'long live Taylor'. I thought one of her outfits that read 'I ❤️ KL' was very adorable and thoughtful. Overall, the concert was amazing. Taylor looked flawless, as usual. It is truly an eye opener and dream come true for me. Hands down, best night of my life. 

Even up till now these images still come back in vivid flashes. Being a fairly capricious person, these pictures inundate me easily and I will break down in 0.5 seconds. Thank you for reading and remember, Taylor Swift is love, Taylor Swift is life. 

Just kidding. 

Fear is an emotion induced by a threat perceived by living entities, which causes a change in brain and organ function and ultimately a change in behavior, such as running away, hiding or freezing from traumatic events. Fear may occur in response to a specific stimulus happening in the present, or to a future situation, which is perceived as risk to health or life, status, power, security, or, in the case of humans, wealth or anything held valuable. It's almost impossible to go through life without experiencing some kind of failure. People who do so probably live so cautiously that they go nowhere. Put simply, they're not really living at all.

The wonderful thing about failure is that it's entirely up to us to decide how to look at it.

We can choose to see failure as "the end of the world," or as proof of just how inadequate we are. Or, we can look at failure as the incredible learning experience that it often is. Every time we fail at something, we can choose to look for the lesson we're meant to learn. These lessons are very important; they're how we grow, and how we keep from making that same mistake again. Failures stop us only if we let them. Most of us will stumble and fall in life. Doors will get slammed in our faces, and we might make some bad decisions. But imagine if Michael Jordan had given up on his dream to play basketball when he was cut from that team. Imagine if Richard Branson had listened to the people who told him he'd never do anything worthwhile without a high school diploma.

Think of the opportunities you'll miss if you let your failures stop you.

Failure can also teach us things about ourselves that we would never have learned otherwise. For instance, failure can help you discover how strong a person you are. Failing at something can help you discover your truest friends, or help you find unexpected motivation to succeed.

Often, valuable insights come only after a failure. Accepting and learning from those insights is key to succeeding in life.

China: "Through the Looking Glass"

Snapchat is an awfully wonderful app that not only allows people to send a plethora of  self portraits and convey their message across in 40 words or less, it allows users to have an idea of what is happening around the world daily. For example, users are able to see other snapchat users' life from around the world. In other words, snapchat provides a 'live' coverage on the daily happenings around the world as well as special events like the recent election in the UK and and the infamous music festival, Coachella.

Apart from attending tuition classes right returning home from school, I always check my snapchat app to see what will be in store for me to discover that day. Last tuesday, I checked my snapchat as usual and there it was, the live coverage from this year's Met Gala. Excited would be an understatement to describe my feelings at that moment. Pieces and pieces of beautifully designed outfits worn by influential people flashed before my eyes and at that moment, after waiting for so long, I was satisfied.

Okay, so what is a Met Gala? 

The Met Gala is fomerly known as the Costume Institute Gala aka the Met Ball. It is a annual fundraising gala for the benefit of Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City that serves as an opening celebration for the Institute's annual fashion exhibit. The Gala is widely regarded as one of the most exclusive social events in New York and one of the biggest fundraising nights in the city with nine million dollars raised in 2013 and a record of 12 million dollars the following year. The Met has been held since 1946 and is attended by personalities from the arts, fashion, high-society, film and music. It is considered to be the fashion industry's premier annual red carpet event and the outfits there are widely photographed, reviewed, critiqued and emulated. I admire the people who show up at such events because it must take a lot of effort to prep yourself physically and mentally to show up at an event only to be judged.

This year's Met Gala's theme is China: Through the Looking Glass. However, in my opinion, most designers misinterpreted the the theme wrongly. Most of the guests who showed up at the event did not match with this years theme. I felt rather shocked and disappointed (Beyonce and Miley ya). For example, have a look at Lady Gaga's dress. Yes, it is a kimono. Kimonos are from JAPAN, not China.  As a designer of a major label, shouldn't you research more on what China, one of the world's top leading country's culture is like?

Anyway, here are some of the outfits that I think matched the theme.

H&M

Erdem

Giuseppe Zanotti

Roberto Cavalli

Valentino

Balmain

And of course the winner of the night, THE iconic yellow dress worn by Rihanna which took 20 months to construct.

Guo Pei

5' 7

One of my childhood goals is to reach a height of at least 170cm. I would be able to see the world better at 170cm, or at concerts at least. People often say short people or fun-sized people have more fun. To them, short people appear to be more 'adorable' and more outgoing because of their short stature. I beg to differ. Not sure if blondes have more fun, but being short is definitely not fun, for me at least. At a height of barely 5''2, I'm at a disadvantage. I cannot reach the top of shelves, I can't see the concert act properly and I cannot sit on some of the rides in theme parks.

Ok, I know that we should all love our body for the way it is, no matter how big or small. I've read countless body positive posts/articles, telling me that I should accept my body and that I should not compare my body with other people because this body is MINE. If I had a dollar for every time i come across a post like that, I would have been able to pay for my college fees on my own. Don't get me wrong, I don't despise my body and I certainly do not conform to the unrealistic expectations of society that every lady must have a pretty face, bodacious body, long legs and a slim waist. I just wish that I did more things like jumping or swimming to increase my height to make my life slightly easier before my lateral growth stops permanently.

In my opinion, tall people look better in most clothes compared to short people. Maybe its their long legs that enhance their body silhouette. For example, tall men look much leaner in slacks compared to shorter men. Midi skirts can make a tall person's legs appear much longer, but it can make a person with short legs appear much shorter. Fashion talk aside, I find that people usually take tall people more seriously. Unless you're short but you're vocal and are able to captivate someone. Maybe it's because a short body frame resemble a child in the adult world.  Maybe it's because a person's tall stature appears to have more authority or appear to be more intimidating. Women wear high-heels for many reasons, one of them might be to look taller and more powerful, especially in an office environment dominated by men. Maybe I'm wrong. 

So here I am, stuck in 5''2, wishing that there are miracle leg lengthening pills that can elongate my legs. I can only rely on high-heels to compensate for my lack-of height. Please don't take this post seriously. I apologise if I've offended or hurt you. We all have to learn to accept our body because if we don't, we will never be happy, including me. I don't want to live my life unhappily. Do you want to live your life unhappily?

I'm A Mess Right Now

PCD also known as Post-Concert-Depression. The name itself is pretty self explanatory. I have PCD and its eating me alive. Thank you, Ed Sheeran.

Ed Sheeran, otherwise known as ginger Jesus, is the way to most girls' heart. You want to express your undying love to her and make her heart melt? Serenade her with Ed's songs. You want her to marry you? Sing Ed's songs. Its something in the lyrics of his songs and the way he sings it that makes everyone have a soft spot for him (I'm talking about his sweet mushy songs like 'Autumn Leaves' and 'Photograph') On the other hand, when he unleashes his rapper side, his songs will get you really pumped up and make you want to dance, for me at least. 

Ed is on tour for his second album, X (read as multiply). Recently, he performed in places like Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Singapore. His last stop for the tour's Asian leg is Kuala Lumpur. When I knew that he was coming to KL, I was beyond ecstatic, so much so that I couldn't sleep. If I'm not mistaken, the tickets were sold out last December. I feel so fortunate to have bought them in time, thanks to my friend who kept bugging me to buy them quickly. After getting our hands on the tickets, we played the waiting game.

Day after day, the number of days our countdown app displayed got lesser and lesser. It was a tough game to play. Finally, March 16, the day of the concert came. The concert, held in KLCC was a free standing concert, so whoever lines up first will be closer to the stage. Based on my past concert experience, I suggested to my friend to make our way there before noon. We took the LRT and managed to reach there at noon. Upon reaching the lobby, our jaws dropped when we saw the queue outside the hall gates. The queue extended from one end of the lobby to the other end. We were one of the last ones who managed to wait in the air- conditioned lobby. Latecomers had to sit outside in the sun. I heard that some avid fans who are in front of the queue came at 6 a.m. And we thought we came way too early!

The doors will only open at 6.30 p.m, so we had a lot of time to spare. Denise Chan, former Hitz.fm announcer kept us entertained with games and giveaways. I would show you a picture of the long queue but I was trying to preserve my phone's battery. Sorry! Also, we struck up an acquaintance with a girl who was patiently waiting in line as well. It was so sweet of her to reserve our spot while we went out to buy lunch. We learned that she, too, was a SPM candidate. 

Security opened the doors at the designated time and everyone filed in quickly in hopes to get the closest to the stage as possible. In no time at all, the audience were all packed like sardines in a poorly air-conditioned can, especially the audience in the front row. The smell of sweat wafting through the air made me feel suffocated. I cannot imagine how the audience in the front row breathe when I'm struggling for a gasp of less pungent-smelling air even though I'm standing approximately 3 rows of people behind them. Lazy country/blues music bled out from the speakers while we wait for the clock to strike 8.30 p.m. I wish they played more upbeat music to keep our spirits up while we wait for 2 hours till Ed comes out. Not gonna lie, the slow music made me a little drowsy. Thankfully, halfway through the 2-hour wait, Faizal Tahir, a talented local singer sang some songs including one of his hits, 'Assalamualaikum'. His delightful presence lit up the hall and brought back our spirits.

Finally, the moment we've been waiting for came. A mop of ginger hair came around the corner of the stage and the strum of guitar rang throughout the hall. And there he was, my inspiration standing right before my eyes. Ed started the show with one of my favourites in X, which is 'I'm A Mess'. The atmosphere in the hall and the rush of adrenaline as Ed performed was indescribable.We were all so enthralled by his singing and by the the way he played his guitar.When he sang less upbeat songs like "Thinking Out Loud'  and 'Tenerife Sea', it was truly a sight to see. Firstly, he calmed the crowd and asked the crowd to sing the songs softly as the song progressed. With his eyes closed, he played the songs. Verse by verse, my heart turned to mush. Ed also took a picture of the crowd halfway through the show and posted it on Instagram later on.

Personally, my favourite performance was when he sang a mashup/medley of 'Dont', 'No Diggity' and 'Loyal'. I'm so astonished that Ed does not need any backup singers, dancers or fancy props to put on a good show. It's truly amazing how he only needs his voice, his trusty guitars and his pedal to wow everyone in the room. Its the raw factor in his performances that makes his shows more intimate. Enough talk now, you probably won't even read this far, but if you did, thank you for reading my Ed Sheeran concert experience. Here are some pictures I took that night. Enjoy!

Tenerife Sea ; now you know what I mean

Photograph

Ed posted this on his Instagram

Love is in the air, so is the smell of CNY food

Valentines day and Chinese New Year. The two days that people either look forward to or dread. Personally, I am still quite ambivalent on the idea of V-day (okay, maybe I do dislike it a little), but I LOVE LOVE LOVE Chinese New Year.

Let’s start with Valentines Day.  Ah, a where men have to fork out their savings to please their partner/person of interest. A day where florist, chocolate stores and little stores which sells stuff like teddy bears have profits flying off the wall. Ah, valentines day what a lovely day.

First things first, I want to dispel the notion that everyone who dislikes Valentine’s Day is just bitter or jealous or single. I am not one of them.  One of the many reasons why I am not so fond of this day is because of pathetic singles who won't stop whining about not having a valentine. What's so great about having a valentine? So what if your friends all have valentines and so what if practically every store is decorated with pink and red hearts? Life is too short for pesky little things like this put you in a bad mood. In fact, to me, having a valentine is a liability. In modern day society, it has become mandatory for couples, especially men to buy extravagant gifts like chocolates or a candlelit dinner for their valentine. So, during V-Day season, both partners will have to spend more on unnecessary gifts. Other than that, most restaurants will be packed. Your overpriced candlelight dinner might not even taste as good as you thought it will be. In the end, both partners will end up staring at their bank statement or wallet with furrowed eyebrows whereas the retail shop and restaurant owners will be counting their profit happily.

Next reason is the mere fact that we have made it a point that just one day we have to express our love for the person. Why do we have to prove how much we love a person based off how many teddy bears or roses they get? Why do we have to prove to people that we love them from little novelty gifts? Are gifts supposed to make up for lost times in an unfaithful relationship? We have 365 days a year and it is yet set by us that we have just one day to shower them with materialised 'love'. That is ridiculous.  Love should be celebrated everyday not just with your love interest, but with your family and friends as well. Simple gestures like listening to them, helping out with house chores or making them laugh is equally, if not more valuable than lavish gifts like a Tiffany & Co. necklace. 

Valentine's day has strayed away from its true purpose and has risen expectations for women and men. People will be anxious on what gifts to buy for their partners because if they do not impress the other half, the other half will be let down and be angry and as time passes, expectations have risen. The media adds fuel to this fire. People will compare and measure their self-worth based on what they got as a gift and what the rich and famous got from their partners. People do not think cards/flowers are amazing anymore, it has risen to jewelry, expensive electronics, expensive gift cards etc. Isn't Valentine's day a day for us to appreciate each other's presence and love? Where is the sense of appreciation in modern society? Without appreciation and gratitude, we will never be happy. You will never know the true value of something until it becomes a memory.

Moving on to Chinese New Year. Have I mentioned before that I LOVE CNY? I mean, the food, the atmosphere, and the deafening sound of the firecrackers? What's not to love about this festivity? Well, its okay if you're not on the same page with me, I am Chinese after all and its no surprise that I'm so pumped up about it. Chinese new year is a lovely time for families to reunite and celebrate togetherness. As for youngsters, it is an occasion to receive money and eat our face off. As they say, every rose has its thorns. I feel like the reasons that I'm about to delve into on what are the things I dislike about Chinese new year are kind of absurd and vapid, but I have to cough up something for this assignment so please bear with me.

Absurd reason number one: spring cleaning
Spring cleaning is a must every Chinese household before the new year comes. I'm not too sure about the real reason why we must do it before the new year, but I think its because by cleaning our house, we will get rid of the bad luck from the previous year. I'm sorry I let you down, ancestors for I have not been a good descendant. I'm not too fond of cleaning nor am I good at it. Ironically, I like my house to be clean and tidy. I know some people do like to clean, but cleaning is not my forte.

Absurd reason number two: scorching sun and unforgiving weather
Here in Malaysia when CNY approaches, the weather becomes extremely hot. The sun will continuously fry you for at least a month before it decides to let you cool down. In this crazy weather, you don't even need to turn on the water heater to take a shower. As the water beats down on your body, it feels like Satan is giving you a seductive lick on the back. The temptation to eat of CNY cookies makes the worse. Typically, festive cookies and delicacies are 'heaty' in nature. When consumed at a slight excessive amount, you WILL fall sick. So, hot weather + heaty food = recipe for disaster.

Now, I know most youngsters' complain that their relatives are being too nosy or try to pry into their life. I beg to differ. When my relatives ask me about my life, or even the most unnecessary things, I know that they are trying to look out for me. Sometimes, their advice may seem too blunt or even insulting but I know their critiques may act as a guide for me so that I don't have to learn life the hard way like them. I try to filter out their criticism and use what I think is their form of constructive criticism as a guide for me to be a better person. 

Time is a precious thing. I hope to learn and create as much memories as possible on my roller coaster ride of life.I try to savour and live every moment to the fullest because you never know how much time you have left until your roller coaster ride comes to an end. 

'We never go out of style'

If you have been keeping up with the latest fashion news, you most probably know that New York, London and Milan, some of the major current fashion capitals held their iconic fashion week. Major designer labels like Pucci, Fendi, Moschino and Prada exhibited their new clothing collections to audiences around the world. Usually, I don’t keep up with the latest fashion news. I only got to know about it when I stumbled across Snapchat’s live feed from the event.

Fashion is a popular style or practice, especially in clothing, footwear, accessories, makeup, or furniture. It is a distinctive and often habitual trend in the style in which a person dresses. Although aspects of fashion can be feminine or masculine, some trends are androgynous. Fashion is an industry that generates good profit (British fashion industry is worth £21bn a year as of 2009) but it is highly competitive. What comes into my mind when I see the word 'fashion'? Something that makes modern-day society judge a person based on their clothing choices or style and completely disregard a person's personality. *cough TV show Fashion Police cough* Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to be pessimistic. I enjoy watching fashion shows and I do get excited when a certain label launches a new collection. It’s just that I get quite agitated when people, especially fashion critiques condemn one's 'bad fashion sense', but if a designer label were to do so, their perspective changes and suddenly that style becomes 'high-fashion'. In my opinion, fashion paves a pathway for the media to create a highly materialistic society and instills the idea that one can fit well into society or rise above the rest if they have the latest fashionable goods. It’s no surprise that fashion; a powerful hand in society has caused many to become a victim of it. Fashion victims are often flooded with unsettled bank statements but a closetful of unnecessary items. I have to admit that fashion is not that bad either. It promotes change and distinguishes different times or era. For example, kitten heels were popularised by Audrey Hepburn in the 50's whereas bold colours/prints were a fashion staple during the 80's. As we all know, first impressions are crucial in the corporate world. As the saying goes ‘you never get a second chance to make a good first impression’, fashion acts as a guide for people to dress appropriately so that he/she can present themselves well.

Believe it or not, much of our most iconic fashion was developed in times such as early man and medieval times. Thanks to the evolution of the human brain, we have been able to change and tweak some of the earliest fashion items into trends that have found eternal popularity. Here are some facts mind-boggling facts about fashion.

1. Heels

Ah, something that most women drool over, especially the ones with the iconic red sole. Women have a love hate relationship with it as it enhances one’s posture and figure but also causes one to cry ‘ouch’ after wearing them for a long time. High-heels actually has roots in early Renaissance times, but they were worn by men! Why? By elevating themselves with a heel, they could show off their social status. Heels were also seen as functional when it came to horseback riding because it locked the shoe into the stirrup. Women started to don heels in the 16th century, when a rather short noblewoman named Catherine de Medici started wearing heels to compensate her short stature. In the 1950s, Roger-Henri Vivier re-popularised the high heel with the invention of the stiletto.

Audrey Hepburn in dons a pair of kitten heels.

2. Bikini

On July 5, 1946, Louis Reard unveiled a daring two-piece swimsuit at the Piscine Molitor, a popular swimming pool in Paris. The bikini was the first of its kind to show off a woman’s midriff along with her butt and cleavage. Western countries immediately ban the bikini from beaches and pools. The Vatican even publicly declared it sinful. Marilyn Monroe immediately took advantage of the controversy associated with the bikini and decided to pose in photos wearing it. By the end of the century, the bikini had become one of the trendiest beachwear worldwide.

3. Sunglasses

Sunglasses have early roots dating back through centuries as the Inuit wore glasses made out of walrus ivory to help block out the sun! Today, sunglasses have multiple uses from protecting our eyes from the harmful UV rays to being a trendy fashion item. Designers have made their millions from sunglasses, such as Ray-Ban, when they developed glasses exclusively for the military that eventually turned into a hot fashion trend. Pair your aviators with a leather jackets and you’re the coolest kid in town!

4. Air Jordans

Since its introduction into the sports market in the 80s, the Air Jordan evolved from being basketball shoes to high end footwear. Michael Jordan created a buzz when he wore his signature shoes to NBA games, which was against the rules at the time. However, Nike was happy to pay the $5000 fine he racked up every game. The jumpman logo is now an iconic symbol in popular culture.

5. Miniskirt

The miniskirt, one of the most poignant fashion items found its birth in the mid-twentieth century. Mary Quant created the miniskirt in 1965 and named her design after her favourite car: The Mini Cooper. She wanted to create something practical and liberating. However, when the mini skirt came out, women protested the garment because it was believed that it made a woman more vulnerable to rape. The miniskirt became a symbol for women’s freedom of expression in the late 60’s.

6. Leather jackets

In the early 1900’s leather jackets were worn by aviators and members of the military. In the later-half of the 20^th century, it gained its popularity as it became a trend in Hollywood films. A leather jacket was used to shape a character, providing an important ingredient used to define the very essence of ‘cool’. Many famous characters like James Dean and John Travolta will always be remembered sporting a leather jacket.

James Dean

With so much that has happened with fashion items of the past, there’s no telling what is ahead of us for the future.