alexisthetiny » Project 52

Project 52 – Week 25: I’m Always Angry at You Because I Keep Waiting for You to Tell Me You’re Leaving

Priscilla — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:54:34 +0000

Ok, I’m sorta back. And more cryptic than ever.

The whole be careful of stumbling sign on the bus. Probably one of the things I should take more seriously. My stumbling block in life. Or maybe stumbling blocks in life: 1. Either denying the existence of negative emotions in my life or when they’re too big to be ignored, processing them as only anger. Because anger is easier to understand and feel than anything else. 2. Refusing to believe that anyone will stay put in my life and behaving accordingly.

No 2. usually ends up in No. 1 because people walking out of your life hurts. Unfortunately, responding in No. 1 to everything can make No. 2 a reality.

This is why I still go back to therapy. Because I may be fine, dandy and not blacking out any more. But sometimes, you never see the stumbling blocks in life until you’re sprawled on the ground with a giant graze on your chin.

Project 52 – Weeks 22, 23, 24: FRUSTRATION

Priscilla — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:27:00 +0000

Turns out, its not just my glasses, the power in my contact lenses are far too low. The following photos are what can happen when you look through the camera viewfinder and everything’s bluurr. Jesus. Now I need to go ask the optician if he will change 3 months of contact lenses to a new power…

Week 22: Miffy and Friends

Remember Miffy and friends? That cute little bunny from the 90′s when we were all kids? I chanced upon this fabric while shopping at Arab street the other day. For some reason, it reminds me so much of being a kid and for some reason, Miffy and friends. Of course I had to buy it…

Week 23: CMC Confectionery

Remember Chin Mei Chin confectionery along Katong road? I walked past the other day and they happened to have egg tarts. I’ve never seen egg tarts that looked like that before so I bought a couple along with their cupcakes to bring home. I remember when I was little, my parents would take us there and for some reason we’d go through the back while they were closed. Even though I’ve discovered the world of Magnolia and Buttercup cupcakes, the ones from here are still more special to me. =D

Week 24: Haaaaaaate!!!

Oddly, this one photo is the closest to what I now see out of my viewfinder. I’m surprised the letter ‘a’ and the lady bug came out so clear, it was a bloody blur when I shot it. Shooting blind, how fun.

Ok, obviously, its time for me to take Chloe out for a photowalk. We’re running out of interesting things to shoot at home…

Project 52 – Week 21: Like Cats and Dogs…

Priscilla — Mon, 31 May 2010 08:36:05 +0000

As much as I’d have loved to give you a shot from Saturday night’s Mountain Bike Marathon, there’s nothing doing about it. Mainly because I was so bonked out trying to finish 12 laps by 5 a.m. shooting things didn’t even cross my mind. I will however present you with a momentous occasion in history. It being the one time when my cat, Greg-hiss Khan, who in his first introduction to a dog at the age of 8 weeks old, hissed at the poor dog so loudly it ran away from him. Sometimes, there are moments in life that does not wait for you to compose the perfect shot if you want to capture it. This would be one of them.

Buddy the dog came over for a stay over the weekend. And Greg-hiss was introduced to Buddy after two days of snuffling at each other through closed doors. Gradually, we could trust Buddy to stay calm while not leashed around Greg-hiss and Greg-hiss to not stalk Buddy while Buddy was walking around minding his own beeswax. The result? A harmonious co-existence of sorts. With Buddy occasionally making timid advances at Greg-hiss which are soon wilted by Greg-hiss’ evil looks and Greg-hiss being a big coward by running away everytime Buddy happens to be in the same room. They aren’t fighting, no one is injured, no one is mauled. They even decided to come take a nap with me in my bed while I slept off another nasty post-race headache. Together.

Good grief. Let the sky fall down, my dog-hostile cat is finally getting along with a dog.

Project 52 – Week 20: Of Wine and Castles

Priscilla — Mon, 24 May 2010 10:12:49 +0000

My dad has this giant bowl in the living room. Its so fricking huge, I could probably sit in it and fit. Then again, I might then crack the damned thing and he’d kill me because I think it’s an antique piece. Or at least a Very Difficult To Source piece from their days in Beijing. Anyway, once upon a time, that bowl held goldfishies. Until we got a cat and sometime later, the goldfishies start committing suicide. I will assure you that the two events are in no way linked. The cat was just not agile enough to try and jump for a bowl which contents it could not see and anyway, fish are just ornery like that. They like offing themselves for fun so that you can one day step into the bathroom at 6 a.m. in the morning and nearly smoosh a fish carcass and thereby be traumatised for the rest of your life. *AHEM* Not that it’s happened to me.

But anyway, the bowl now holds wine corks. Its another weird thing about my dad, he keeps wine corks. Which is all dandy and fine and who am I to judge anyway, I’d keep back issues of Mountain Biking UK without ever reading them for up to four years. Besides there are some pretty cool corks in there. Its all good as long as you don’t get it into your head to swish your hand through the corks because the dust bunnies hiding in there are pretty spectacular too.

A kid in school was playing dominoes with his Lego block today and I felt inspired to do the same with the wine corks. Then I found this one cork I really liked, it has a castle on the top. Don’t ask me why of all corks I decided I liked this one, its just the way I groove…

Project 52 – Weeks 17, 18, 19: Catching up…

Priscilla — Mon, 17 May 2010 06:49:58 +0000

Hi there. I’ve lagged on Project 52. Again. Seriously, my ability to shoot one damn photo a week seems to be deteriorating. Jesus. But never minds, I’ve trawled back in my archives and found photos I’ve meant to post but never moved them from Chloe onto the computer. Sad, right? Part of my trouble is that when I do see something truly spectacular that begs to be shot, I’m usually on the bike or running and Chloe is at home. I’ve been shedding stuff on my training rides and runs now to the point where even Amelie doesn’t go with me for any rides 50km and below, she only runs with me when I’m running home from work and that’s about a 6.5km run.

Anyhows, I will scrabble up and post. And maybe next week, I’d stop procrastinating getting the lomo’s film developed and post those. MAYBE.

Week 17: Gumby

At least, that’s what I think he’s called. He’s the window…thing sitting at Papa Palheta. Right next to a window scribble I love that consists of the first two words of William Blake’s poem ‘The Tyger’. I’ll post a photo of those words when I’ve figured out how to shoot them…

Week 18: Good luck charm…

Mountain bikers are supposedly notorious for changing their bikes. Except for the few times we meet that one particular bike. That bike is the equivalent of meeting Mr./Ms. Right. Sometimes, it even trumps Mr./Ms. Right. This is the decal on the headset of my Voodoo Hoodoo. The Voodoo is The One as far as mountain bikes are concerned for me. The frame and I have been through endless rides together and I even raced my first triathlon and duathlon on her. Sure, Electra is a beauty on the roads and take me far but Voodoo Sal and trail riding will always be my first loves as far as bikes are concerned.

Week 19: Pee-a-boo!!

I’ve been playing around with Chloe lately, learning to experiment with things to come up with photos that I like. This is a particularly fun one I took while being diverted from my task of cleaning up my desk. Somehow, the neat line of pins make me feel really satisfied.

Project 52 – Week 16: Obsession

Priscilla — Fri, 07 May 2010 18:09:39 +0000

There’s this…thing on my desk. It sits on my drawer at eye level. Its a little hourglass thingy I picked up at The Brooklyn Superheroes Supply Store which is also the NYC chapter of 826 National. If you have no idea what they do, please have a look-see at their website. In short, they provide free writing tutoring to children in their communities. This is a cause I’m extremely passionate about. When I was 9, creative writing classes saved some shreds of my self-esteem after 3 years of being labeled an underachiever in school. It became a thing I could do and I loved to do. It was that writing class that sparked off my love for reading and writing and years later, would get me into a poetry mentorship program as well as my college degree. I am currently working on a project that intends to introduce a similar concept to Singapore, free writing tutoring for children within communities. A creative writing class in a private school really saved my self-esteem and helped me finish college, it would be great to open that door to children whose parents can’t afford expensive creative writing classes for them and give them this tool to building their self-esteem and expressing themselves. The project is now on hold due to certain circumstances but if anyone wants to get involved with it, please let me know and I’ll kick the thing into drive.

But anyway, this thing is called ‘The Evil Blob Containment Capsule’. I have a fascination with blobs. I love then. My now deceased sourdough starter was named ‘The Blob’. Something about the word ‘blob’ just gets me. Blob, blob, blobby, blob. Equally fascinating is watching the blob in this houseglass, going from one compartment to another and back again, forming bubbles and lines.

BLOB!

Project 52 – Week 15: Something Old, Something New…

Priscilla — Sat, 01 May 2010 05:10:36 +0000

Last week was nuts. The closest explanation I can give is that I broke myself physically and ended up flat out on my back, sleeping 10 hours a day and more and just walking through treacle the entire damn time. Which explains why I’m posting week 15′s photo on week 16.

Sometimes in life, you need to let go of old things simply because they’re DONE. Like my Sidi cycling shoes. I’ve had then 5 years. Since I was riding my first bike ever, the blue GT. I’d keep them forever and ever but a couple of things made it clear that it was time to move on. Namely, those asses pinch my left big toe like nuts when I cycle for long distances and the sole has peeled off making it more than just a little bit dangerous when walking on wet or smooth surfaces. So I finally gave in and ordered a pair of white Shimano cycling shoes. The WM60′s or something, I dunno. I despise them because they have blue italic lettering on them and have FLOWERS on them. How much more enmasculating can you get? But Shimano doesn’t have another model that will do for both off road and road cycling so I’ll have to live with them. Anyway, the men’s models are no better, they’re still white and blue. Sigh. Aside from being aesthetically displeasing, I don’t have much complaints about these shoes. The rubber soles are grippier and walk safer. They pedal well, my left toe is blessedly given more space and well, they just work. So I guess I’ll have to wait for the grease, scratches and mud to take care of the sissy flowers and lettering naturally. Which should not take very long, really, I give them until the Singapore Mountain Bike Carnival.

Project 52 – Week 14: Papa Palheta and All Things Vintage

Priscilla — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 08:22:20 +0000

Loves, Chloe has been sadly neglected lately. I’ve been so busy with everything, Amelie has been snapping all the interesting things I see because there’s simply no time or space to drag Chloe out. Anyway, after yesterday morning’s exercise in masochism, Alex and I ran out to meet Pat and the ever adorable Buddy at a coffee place off Hooper road. Papa Palheta is everything I dream of and love. Its a coffee place in a little back yard along the back alley of a row of shop houses. They make terrific coffees and they’re obsessive enough to have a tasting bar. Let me repeat that Papa Palheta has a coffee tasting bar. That sort of obsession about anything food is kinda rare in Singapore if you ask me. And I love it. Another thing to love about them? They have all manner of adorable, quirky vintage things. Like a vintage radio that really works! A vintage toy car!

The thing that really got my goat was the vintage typewriter sitting in the corner. As a kid, I grew up in my grandfather’s shipping office and my favorite thing to do when I got older was to mess around on the old typewriter in the back room. It was a manual thing which keys would randomly get stuck and you’d have to pry it off the paper and back into its place. But I loved it and years later, when my grandfather gave up that office, I asked if I could have the typewriter but apparently, they gave the thing away or something. This typewriter is much, much older than the one I used but it still brings back those memories I had as a kid.

If you’re interested in paying a visit to Papa Palheta, here’s their website and address:

Papa Palheta
140 Bukit Timah Road
Enter by Hooper Road

Project 52 – Weeks 10, 11, 12, 13: Yes, I Realise I Deserve to Have My Ass Kicked.

Priscilla — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 03:28:11 +0000

Alrighty, I’ve caught up with my Project 52 shots at last. Yes, I realise that I am very late, missing out three whole weeks of Project 52 and I promise I will make a better effort to not do it again. But seriously, hereabouts, when it rains, it freaking pours. Anyway, I’ve gotten my act together and finally uploaded pictures I took over the last three weeks for Project 52 on Chloe along with the picture for this week…

Week 10:

Pretty Potatoes – I had some red potatoes cut up for cooking on the kitchen counter and decided to snap them. They do look pretty nice especially with Chloe’s reddish tinge when her white balance setting is for indoors. I love the reddish tinge, can’t get enough of it.

Week 11:

Bowls, bowls and bowls! - Went to Ippudo with friends to celebrate Alex’s birthday. The bowl display behind our table was awesome but someone took the memory card out of the Leica that I’d brought along to get snappy. Thank goodness for Amelie…

Week 12:

Fun with Straws - What happens when you put one bored girl and her pack of ‘Halloween straws’ and a DSLR together? She tries to be funny. I love this shot, it looks like one of those hay things but the colors are so fun. I love Ikea straws even if I’ll never actually use them for drinking.

Week 13:

Chilling out on a Wednesday – On Wednesday, after a long, long ride, I hauled home and went to make another Frangipane Pear Tart. I like snapping photos of food, in fact, one of Chloe’s first functions was to snap food photos for my food blog. Here is the final picture after snapping and discarding many and shifting the tart around for optimal lighting in my kitchen. Pity I didn’t really do much in the way of food styling for the tart, the surface looks a little boring.

Project 52 – Week 9: The Calm Before the Storm

Priscilla — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:05:50 +0000

Chloe and I headed to watch the OCBC cycle thingy because Alex had gotten a slot last minute courtesy of an extremely serendipitous visit to the pub. While hanging out by the track with someone a friend had introduced to me earlier on, Chloe did some snappy snappy and got her first taste of sports photography. Which she (and I) decidedly does not like.

Ok, I’ll admit, I don’t like sports photography. Maybes its just me but I think my life is fast moving enough and the camera is a chance to slow it all down and catch the slow moments. In other words, my skill level isn’t there to capture people moving above 30km/h with any kind of decency at all.

But, Chloe got this one shot and while its not too terrific, I love it because it was the very moment of silence before the assorted race hoopla and finally, the riders came through.