syncopation

Contrasts and Constants

Beep went (window) shopping with me many times, and sometimes suggested/picked out things that he thought I would like for me. After a few failures, he gave up, simply because my taste is to difficult to understand:

I love solid jackets that could possibly stand up on its own.
But I also love cardigans that could be smushed into a ball and rolled out flat.

I love black, grey and white.
But I also love all the sharpest colours you can name.

I love super clean modern cuts.
But I also love vintage stuff.

Yet, there are always a few rules that are constant:

I hate pastel colours.

You have to give me very good reasons to make me wear lace.

I don’t buy things that doesn’t go with anything in my wardrobe.

Quality trumps quantity…

Miss shopping with Beep!

champinjon

I have never seen mushroom growing out of a non nature context… Dalia what kind of mushroom is this?!

Happy Australian Day from Google!

On top of Australian Parade, wind pipes, soaring fighter jets, and flying Australian flag, we also have…

Australian Open 2010

There’s no doubt that you have to be a brilliant tennis player to play in the Australian Open.

But you also have to be very persistant to survive the Australian Open as a spectator, battling the ever-changing weather: being drizzled on in the late morning, being incubated by clouds in the early afternoon, being fried by the sun in the late afternoon, and of course, it would never be a perfect day in Melbourne without being froze in the evening.

Yep. I’ve done it all in one day.

Can I have this in my bedroom?

It’s called Spencer Secretary… coincidence??!?!!!

4-orm by Paul Guzzetta

Melbourne is not on the list!

I was looking for a Moleskine City Notebook of Melbourne so that I could document all the places I love in Melbourne before I leave – and apparently I have thought too much of Melbourne as a city important enough for Moleskine to publish a city notebook…

Interestingly, neither is Sydney important enough or any cities on the southern hemisphere..!

But I thought I am pretty good at going to important cities :P

And yeah, I know, I know, Moleskine is an overpriced piece of crap.

HK tram in the global context…

Old news, but apparently Hong Kong tram’s were elected last year by National Geographic as one of the top ten trams among the 500 world’s greatest tram ride, the following is not in particular order:

I love trams in Hong Kong :D

BUPD thesis – Cycling and Women – check!

Okay, time for me to reactive this little blog before everyone thinks that I am dead. This also leads me to tell you… I am done with my thesis!!!

For those of you who don’t know my thesis topic, it is on Cycling and Women: a comparable case study of City of Bayside and City of Hobsons Bay. I chose this topic mainly because of my exchange in Lund, Sweden where biking is life and everyone cycles (including toddlers, skinny men and women, big men and women, and old gents and old ladies who all bike faster than I do…). But when I came back to Melbourne, the scene is completely different. Majority of the cyclists are men in lycra who race for their life. Therefore I decided to investigate the underlying cause of this phenomenon… and have it completed today:

I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to:

By extension, I would also like to thank Vic who taught my how to bike before I went to Sweden when I was 21 years old… and everyone who had involved in a bike crash with me, especially… Simon. You all made me a better cyclist. :)

Lastly, I would like to draw your attention to the beautiful cover which the main picture is not my work but Marc of Amsterdamize.com. Marc granted me the permission to modify and use the picture for my thesis. I picked this picture because the mother was teaching her daughter to cycle which symbolises a sustainable future which could only be achieved if both men and women help minimising the carbon emission by adopting non-motorised transportation; and we can ride in casual clothes as oppose to lycra! In my eyes, this picture is exactly what I want for Melbourne’s future and is a magical fit for my thesis! Thanks Marc :)

Now, if Inner North Melbourne public transport planning assignment can get out of my way, I can’t wait to bike again!

If you are interested in the topic and don’t mind reading 15,000 word of academic writings…. please feel free to use the contact form and ask for a PDF copy – I’d be happy to share my findings with you!

thesis rant

Love this cartoon:

Source: www.westgatepunt.com

1. Governments (federal, state and local) say that they want to reduce pollution and protect the environment. Getting cars off the roads and riding to work is good for the environment.
2. Hobson’s Bay and Maribyrnong councils espouse sustainability in transport. (Both have appointed Transport Sustainability Officers.) Supporting the punt would be putting into practice both councils’
3. sustainability policy. Petrol is expensive. Riding a bike is cheap.
4. The State Government has earmarked $112 million for bicycling and pedestrian programs over the next decade. Punt funding (around $45000 for 6 months) is a tiny fraction of this. A commuter punt service is the missing link, connecting the inner west with the city and the bayside suburbs.Think of the punt as a bike path on water.
5. Alternative bike route through Yarraville/Footscray is unsatisfactory (heavy truck traffic is dangerous and fumes are unhealthy). Have you ever tried to ride along Whitehall St at 5.30pm!
6. Rather than axing the service, the stakeholders could plan for an increase in usage. (This would happen with better promotion and advertising.)
7. Cycling is good for your health. Cycling for 1/2 hour is better for your mental and physical health than sitting in a traffic jam!
8. A handful of pedestrians have used the commuter punt and then caught the bus down Lorimer St, thus showing how the punt can be part of the general public transport system.
9. The punt is a good way to meet people: how many commuters chat on buses and trains?
10. The commuter punt is unique and could become a very special part of Melbourne life.

Source: www.westgatepunt.com

Why am I still writing my thesis?

Skånemejeriers ‘New’ Design

I remember this new design of Skånemejerier was launched almost at the end of my stay in Sweden and I thought it was very unSwedish-like (As oppose to their clean and stencil-like old design) and hated it. Two year’s later I found that it’s actually designed by Amore, which also recently rebranded Tetra Pak.

Following are the ‘new design’ done for Skånemejerier by amore:

(Credit: amore)

But I did think the cloud pattern for yoghurt, latosfri and creme fraiche was very cute :) The cheese package is also a lot more polished compare to their previous design.

God, I miss Sweden’s dairy product – where the heck can I find filmjölk?!