I want my salary in advance please

With the Dutch weather going awry, storm and torrential rains in the middle of June, I have been opting to exchange my flip flop and summer dress with something warmer. Still in denial I refused to budge from my "summer" feeling but find the need to necessitate it with a more reasonable apparel. I would love to get my had on this skirt from Dries van Noten and shoes from Irregular Choice.

I ♥ old school

I have alway been a fan of vintage style, from the 20's to the 50's. The time when the ladies came out looking so impeccable and pretty. Nothing is wrong with la Moss' out of bed style but I simply love dressing up with all those flowy skirts and cute pumps. Shame, that my lifestyle can't afford me to do it everyday, all of those running to catch the train and walking in the windy Holland make it impossible. Anyway I saw this really cute flowy dress in Miss Selfridge, and I would love pair it with these pairs from Irregular Choice.

Youth Tribes

Another interesting article that I read in Guardian. The teen editor Maude Churchill presents her own guide to today's England youth tribes. Apparently there are the new ten looks: the punk, the nu raver, the hardcore kid, the scene kid, indie boho, the scranner, wannage wag, the goth, and the skinhead. I'm not sure about this though. Should we categorize our style into certain tribe? How about some one as ecletic as I am? changing the mood and style like changing my socks. Read the article here.

Top Shop Rainbow Turban

If you like Top Shop's turban, now they have it in rainbow colour! The price tag is 10 quid. They previously offered in three colours.

New activities

I'm joining an advert company for this summer as an intern. It is going to be busy these days. I am giddy with excitement but I am also very nervous. Hopefully I can plow through this!

Quote of the moment

"I might've been born yesterday sir. But I stayed up all night."

Up All Night, El-P.

The Victorians

Spurred by my obsession with the ever dashing Mr. Darcy, I have been immersed with the paraphernalia surrounding Jane Austen's era, or the Regency overlapping to the Victorian to be exact. I find their fashion as intriguing since a lady is encouraged to put her asset (read: cleavage) to the best, while the man is closeted from top to bottom (even their necks were wrapped under their complicated cravats), then there is also the notoriety of the so-called Victorian's morality, and don't make start with the corsets as well as the piano legs. Apart from that I found a good website that answer most of my question, so if you are interested too, just check www.victoriana.com, there is also the website for the erotic diary of Henry Spencer Ashbee under the pseudonym of Walter: My Secret Life (it definitely destroys my preconception that the Victorians are prudes, too much repression?).

Traineeship

I'm going to spend my summer working under the traineeship of an international advertising company. I feel quite excited but anxious as well since I have no previous experience so I'm crossing my fingers that I can do my part. Hopefully they will like my work and employ me in the future.

Aerial advert

If you are landing through Gatwick Airport, you will have the opportunity to see this advertisement. Quite funny and creative I must, say but the planning officers and the Council to Protect Rural England think other wise. You can read the full article in Times.

The picture belongs to www.timesonline.co.uk

Braille on clothing tags

Fashion is not limited to aesthetic visual aspect but it is about how you feel. At least that is what Jaimen Brill and Asmah Abushagur believe. They are in the process of forming the non-profit organization White Cane Label to help the blind and visually impaired shop for clothing and coordinate their outfits. Next month, Brill and Abushagur will pitch their ideas to leaders of the fashion world during fashion week in Rome, soliciting the industry to include Braille labels on their garments. This is a brilliant idea, as this is a simple thing that most of people look over and never realize until they have the problem. I hope that they can also help those who are colour-blind. Read the complete reportage in First Science.

Quote of the moment

"Upgrade your grey matter. Cause one day it may matter."

Upgrade (A Brymar College Course), Deltron 3030.

Space Invader ala H&M

In the lighter note, I just bought this piece from H&M for 10€. It is actually a shirt but I purposefully bought it several sizes bigger than my usual number so I can turn it into a mini dress. In fact, I was simply going to purchase some shoes but when I saw the pattern, I simply can’t help myself. It is a rip-off from the 70’s alien game boy characters that inspired the French street artist, the Invader, whose shirt will cost you more. It is also a reminiscence to my geek past hobbies of playing games, tribute to all of my old Nintendo, Sega, and PlayStation.

Wimar's Discussion 11-06-07

Attended Wimar’s discussion on the future of Indonesian’s new generation in Diemen InHolland, the Netherlands. I came there not expecting much, apart from curiosity and that it was organized by a friend of mine, but I was blown away. As characterized by Indonesian’s habit, the event was late for an hour, but it was intentionally done by the committee in the invitation since they are expecting the audience to be late. We even have a term on this habit, budaya ngaret, a.k.a. rubber culture referring to the custom of stretching the time and hour, hence the rubber. It is expected for people to be half an hour to 2 hours late depending on which part of region you came from, so if you have any social engagement with Indonesians, please be aware. I personally dislike this very tendency, but as he, Mr. Wimar Witoelar, said that it can’t be helped for each individual to have their own quirk, habit, hope, ego, and ambition.

Back to the event, the star himself came from Groningen, quite a long train ride, and he looked haggard. No wonder there with his tight schedule and health condition, I heard that he was not in a good shape these days. If any of you wonder who this guy is, then you can check his perspektif website. In short, he is a famous political-social columnist who has his own communication company and telly show, in addition to being the public spokesman of President Gus Dur (then the 4^th president of Indonesia). He is also a professor of journalism in Australia, pretty illustrious I must say so I was unsure that he will be inclined to be patronising, as most people in his position tend to be. But in the one hour that we had, he was really down to earth, filled with humour, and bursting with energy. He is also very wide-minded, a liberal in a true sense, a champion of pluralism. This trait is rarely found among the people that I had the opportunity to talk to. During the discussion, I thought, “At last! Here he is, a man that is worth his salt! Finally someone with influence but still has the propensity to lower himself and listen to the voice of the younger generation instead of dismissing us as silly idealist.”

We were discussing that what should we, the students that study abroad, do after we graduate from our institution, should we return back to Indonesia or it is our prerogative that we stay overseas. It is a much questioned situation, many accusing those that refuse to return as a non-patriotic coward, but as human with selfish tendency, if we have the opportunity, why should we choose the lesser option (here as in working in Indonesia, with all of its problems of low wages, high corruption, etc.). He answers that such patriotism concept is the idea of the old regime, what we should think is what we can do for our future in Indonesia and in a way makes it a better place too. There is no point of living in Indonesia if all that you do is destroying it or simply fretting around. It is also your personal decision whether you want to return or not, don’t put your personal problem in the whole context of the nation. It is one big nation with 250 million people and its beauty as well as trouble. You don’t have to force somebody to follow your ideal, if you want to stay; please do so, if you want to return, do so too. Everyone has their right to make the decision and we can also contribute to the country by working abroad. Well said! He is putting all my swirling thoughts in a context. I can’t feature all of the discussion in the blog, but if you are intrigued please check in his website here.

Bargain from Paris

So far good food, good entertainment, and good looking people, unfortunately the fun was limited due to my financial restraints but o la la if only I have more money to spend in Paris. I managed to snatch a good pair of shoes for Da Fonz from Colette, really cute and reasonably priced. I was resigned that I was not going to be able to buy anything for myself but when we were walking around Marais (after a hearty lunch served by super handsome waiter, good lord, he is so out straight from magazine), we found this really cheap vintage (second hand, charity, whatever you call it) store. I procured a leather bag for 5€ and a nautical dress for 20€. Lucky me. I am definitely going to return to Paris.

Turbans

As it is a common secret, most of the high street stores copy their designs straight from the catwalk. If before you are in love with Prada’s turban but was deterred by its sky high price tag, now TopShop offers turbans for those with limited purse. At first, personally I was not buying it, it is too difficult. Catwalk doesn’t mean that you can do it in daily life until I saw this girl sporting it in Emmanuelle Zysman shop and she looked really cool. Shame I can’t get any picture of her. Anyway, I like the grey metallic one, the pink and the yellow turbans seem to be rather garish. What do you think?

Quote of the moment

"I am the first monkey to touch the monolith"

Collude-Interlude, Company Flow.

Discussion with Wimar Witoelar

Have been helping Lasoed preparing the event, nothing big really but seemed to be interesting. So people, if you are curious, please come and join the discussion.

Paris o Paris

Spontaneously went to Paris a few weeks ago with Viv and Beck but I was too lazy to post anything. It is a lovely city, very charming indeed and I'll go as far to say that the myth of rude Parisians is unproven. Perhaps they have improved their friendliness towards those ignorant holiday-makers (that kept on visiting their much beloved city, no wonder they are cranky)? Or because they are laughing at my pidgin French? Anyway I had memorable memories there. I had the opportunity to visit heaps of tourist destinations but also some really cool venues, you name it: Colette, Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Pompidou, the gigantic Louis Vuitton, Fauchon, etc. I walk, and I walk, and I walk, can’t say that I waste any of my precious time there. So far I really like the Saint Germain and Marais area, rather flocked with foreigners these days but still very refreshing compare to my usual haunts in the Netherlands. I can’t really say that I experience the atmosphere of the city because I only spent around 5 days there, however I am definitely returning there.

Fascinatingly, I must say that the famous metro stations are often smelly with human’ urines. There are quite a number of tramps too. I was really surprised because it is so clean here in the Netherlands and you can rarely spot a hobo here, but Paris (/France) is way bigger. Ooo and there was this drunk in the metro that touched my cheek and insisting on saying konichiwa and ni hao, gosh wish that I wasn’t so shocked that I can deck him or give him the finger. Anyway apart from that, I have never seen so many good looking people per square metre! They are très chic but they smoke like chimney too. This one of the good thing that I love about Europe, it is so diverse: the laid back Spaniard, the glamorous Italian, the funky Brits, and the experimental Scandinavians. I admit that I spent most of my time hanging around the centre area (left bank mostly) so I can’t really conclude it, but I must insist that the French has perfected the art of looking chic, always the understated groomed looks. Enviable indeed, perhaps when I’m older and less experimental I will do it their way.

Tell us your 5 style points

Joined an Indonesian fashion forum last week, hopefully that it can develop into an active and interesting forum. One of the popular topic is about our style points. I'm so afraid that I will end up giving a standard answer and becoming one of those boorish people still gotta give it a shot. To summarize my preference in 5 is kind of difficult for some one as vain as I am but yeah at least these are my style commandments. I always try to stick with them although sometimes they sound so patronising.

1. Fashion is not about wearing the latest collection from the catwalk, it is about looking attractive. It doesn’t hurt when those people stare at you (or me) with admirations (and a tad of envy). Everyone needs their vanities to be flattered and hey you have to be active in that one (spoken like a true narcissus). I don’t think that a 50 years old woman wearing a mini dress and a legging is stylish, not even if you have Susan Sarandon’s figure, unless you are Emmanuelle Alt. Please choose the one that complements your looks best. If you have curves, there is no point of copying Kate Moss, choose Drew Barrymore or Lily Allen instead.

2. Designer piece? Only when I can afford it and turn it into an investment a.k.a. the classics. Several classics that a girl must own: a little black dress, a sexy empowering pair of heels, a reliable bag, a string of pearls, a signature scents, a good tube of moisturizer, a blinding smile and a great confidence. The last one is most important one, look at Beth Ditto, it is most alluring like nothing else.

3. Models are models. They are models because they are the embodiment of the present society’s ideal beauty. And they are the ideal beauties because they have what the rest of the world doesn’t, so I stop begrudging their aliensque figures, if I don’t have it, I simply work on with what I have because no, I did not win that genetic lottery. To think of it, if some people enjoy eating bread with sambal and peanut butter, people also have different tastes on their partners. Actually based on the latest scientific research, human makes their choices of attraction based on the smell, guess that all of those primping simply go into drains. But in case those geeks made a mistake, it is not a bad thing if I still take a good care of my vanity; after all we already evolved from the caveman civilisation. Plan B people!

4. They said that au natural looks took the most efforts, and I thoroughly agree. I invest heavily in a decent moisturizer, a balanced diet and rest. My mom always says that there is no point of wearing heavy make-ups when you will only scare your bf/gf to early grave first thing in the morning. She is pretty wise so I will heed her advice. I supposed that it is definitely an essential investment when you have to start worrying for your wrinkles, unless you don’t mind doing some face jobs (I do because I am scared of needles)

5. When I don’t feel like it, I skip the first 4 points. I simply choose what I want to project from my inner self. I think it is ok to have mistakes, relapses (I still remember that ugly nu rave looks and brownies) or feeling lazy for once in awhile, it proves that I am still human and by no means Anna Wintour. Society pressures will always be present but it is all about enjoying my life, after all it is mine to control. If I have a big figure and happy, I’ll say it is better than being thin and miserable (and it makes you looked aged! Right?).

Kate Moss' one shoulder dress for Top Shop

I fancy this piece of dress from Kate Moss' collection for Top Shop, very cute but unfortunately it is not suitable for my type of body. Nope, no matter how much I wish to be 5 cm taller every Christmas, Mr. Santa is not giving it to me. So I have to pass this, better luck to another girl. If you are interested, please hurry, it will only set you 50￡ back and comes in black, white, and lemon. I wonder if they have Kate Moss collection in Top Shop Indonesia or they limit it to UK and the States.

Welcome

I welcome thee to the newly established Planet Hunky Dory. All shall be well as all shall be fine.

Moving

I've left my old haunt Inner Contemplation . If you asked for a reason, there is none but that I want to be more optimistic in my view towards life. Hopefully I'll be more dilligent this time :-)