what i'm beginning to find fascinating..

An empty room is loaded with meaning, and with possibilities. The principles of design govern the life of the simplest room and transcend all style labels. When well understood and judiciously applied, they can transform blank space into a cherished abode…
SPACE: The first principle of architecture is space and how to set its limits in a way that expands our experience of openness rather than detracting from it. Accurately estimating the exact amount needed rather than simply requiring the maximum amount of space possible has become the most urgent requirement in the proper management of our personal environments. PROPORTION: Proportion is to architects what perspective is to painters: a way to create impressions far deeper and more experientially resonant than the physical world allows. Proportion is the geometry of space, and as such, its principles must be understood in order to take advantage of the full benefits it promises. LIGHT: Good lighting is a revelation. Through lighting-whether it is natural or artificial- the constant transformation of space is possible. The first step is to consider all the moods that come with the hours of the day in nature and then bring that richness to the interiors of the home. FUNCTION: Function is often deemed synonymous with modern design; and yet long before the American architect Louis Sullivan dictated that form should follow function, architects understood that function, in fact, has to do with many more operations than the merely mechanical. Emotional satisfaction is equally a function of good design. TEXTURE: In the most expanded sense of the word, texture defines the psychological depth of a room, its contrasts, and its richness of mood. Far more than the sum of materials used to cover furniture, texture is about combining visual experiences with tactile ones. COLOUR: Colour requires confidence and caution. It makes an immediate and lasting impression on the eye. It is the easiest—and least costly—way to transform a room, and the most daring. Before splashing a room with colour, remember that white is all colours blended in one and comes in its own wide range of shades. MEMORY & WIT: Few classic tomes would think to include memory and wit in their principles of design. And yet in the world of today, where individual personality is often lost to mass-produced convenience, expression with a sense of humour and generosity is perhaps one of the most important new principles of contemporary design.

and so it is..

I received my official letter yesterday. from nus.

“….Withdrawal From The University

I refer to your intention to withdraw from the course indicated below. This is to inform you that your withdrawal took effect from 6 January 2006….”
etc etc etc
no more nus email add. that was rather cool.
it is finished. i can officially move on. though i already have, this just closes that chapter. cleanly.
i've been wanting to go back to school and see some teachers who are now teaching my lil sister.
been afraid. how do i own that i've stopped my university education. that i could'nt keep my scholarship. specially after that speech i gave to my juniors after spm results.
funnily. the ones i had to tell were more than understanding. i felt that they knew me for more than that. that they didn't think i was in any way a failure. moreover, being teachers i thought they'd be like...WHAT?? WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU??
they weren't. and i'm glad. it is rather exciting having my lil sister go through the same school, same teachers, same activities as i went through, in an entirely different way, of course and an entirely different perspective.
i watch her and imagine the years between us, how similar our paths may be and yet how very different. good for her=p. she'd better not be like her big chi chi, she's got too much pizazz of her own...

a rose by any other name

Humungous arrays of bouquets, all wrapped up in layers and layers of coloured tissue wrappers, happy cutesy faces of miniature stuffed toys (teddies, doggies) peeking out from the bouquets.hmm, almost popping out from the heart of the bouquets. All laid out on the floor, waiting for valentine’s day to have their roses stuffed in and delivered.
I’m usually rather averse to Valentine’s Day and the whole idea of it (though I am a hopeless romantic) but these were really really cute.
Sheesh.
and this a day after i whine to my mum how silly people make valentine's day out to be. on radio they say, "valentine's day is just around the corner, you have to prove your love."
and the rest of the time?
it's just a day like any other. any day's just as good. to prove your love. or whatever. besides, with all that hype and expectation, someone's bound to get stressed out, or disappointed, to do too much or not enough. too much hype.

but the bouquets with the teddies were really cute!