Noir

A new theme to go with a new post! I have a big thing for film noirs. I just love how dark, sexy, compelling, and intense they are - and I have a thing for real manly men and in that, they never disappoint. The leading man is usually sombre and strong with a brusque and gritty charm that strangely attracts women ... and not just any kinds thereof. The femme fatale. The gorgeous lady with deep red lips, a body people can't stop staring at, and smouldering eyes you can't read. I just can't get enough of them! They just make me swoon and want to go to the bar and order a bourbon on the rocks and light up a cigarette (despite the fact I don't smoke and rarely drink) and drown my sorrows with all the rest of them in the films. But enough of that. On with the post ...

GILDA

"You do hate me, don't you, Johnny?"

JOHNNY

"I don't think you have any idea of how much."

GILDA

"Hate is a very exciting emotion. Haven't you noticed? Very exciting.

I hate you too, Johnny.

I hate you so much I think I'm going to die from it.

(they kiss)

Darling ... I think I'm going to die from it."

"How could I have known that murder sometimes smells like honeysuckle?"

"Stealing a man's wife, that's nothing;

but stealing a man's car, that's larceny."

"You'd better watch out, McPherson,

or you'll finish up in a psychiatric ward.

I doubt they've ever had a patient who fell in love with a corpse."

VIVIAN

"I'd say you don't like to be rated.

You like to get out in front, open up a little lead,

take a breather in the backstretch, and then come home free."

MARLOWE

"You don't like to be rated yourself."

VIVIAN

"I haven't met anyone yet that can do it. Any suggestions?"

MARLOWE

"Well, I can't tell 'til I've seen you over a distance of ground.

You've got a touch of class, but I don't know how ... far you can go."

VIVIAN

"A lot depends on who's in the saddle."

"I see Bud because I want to.

I see Bud because he can't hide the good inside of him.

I see Bud because he treats me like Lynn Bracken

and not some Veronica Lake lookalike who fucks for money."

LAURA

"Who is this?"

BRENDAN

"I won't waste your time. You don't know me."

LAURA

"I know everyone, and I have all the time in the world."

BRENDAN

"Ah, the folly of youth."

Elizabeth Taylor: "A lifetime full of days"

Just wanted to pay my respects to one of my favourite classic actresses, Elizabeth Taylor. Out of respect (since she apparently disliked being called Liz) I'm not going to use the nickname I normally do. For most (in my generation anyway), she became an icon later in her life less for her wonderful performances or kind and honest heart, but more via a kitschy image of a kooky-looking old lady who just had a lot of husbands. But there are still those of us who have seen her beauty and grace (which transcended her youth still into her old age, I think) that persisted through the years and always sparkled through those bright violet eyes of hers that were the envy of so many. Including yours truly ;)

She was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood to ever grace the silver screen. With her beautiful face, curvaceous body, and smooth flowing voice it should come as no surprise that she won the love of many audiences around the world. And as if it weren't enough, she was a talented actress from since she was a little girl. OK, I never did get to see her as a child in movies like Jane Eyre or Lassie Come Home, but I do vividly remember watching a young, teenage Elizabeth Taylor prance onscreen as Amy in the WONDERFUL 1949 film adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" (which is still one of my favourite books ever - I'll have to do a post on it one of these days), shocking viewers like me when abandoning her jet-black hair for a blonde wig and playing the vain, but well-meaning and lovable youngest March sister.

Another favourite movie of hers for me is "Giant", with Rock Hudson and James Dean. It's a long one, but my gosh, it pulls you in and never lets you go. Her performance as Leslie Benedict - the passionate, caring, strong, but feminine female lead was so believable and endearing, her chemistry with Rock Hudson so perfect, it made the 3 and a half hours fly by.

I could go on for hours about the many many MANY wonderful movies she's done that I've enjoyed. I could cover the exoticism of "Elephant Walk", the depth of "The Last Time I Saw Paris", or the sweetness in "Father's Little Dividend" ... or even the raw and un-pretty realism of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

But the most special movie of hers to me should come as no surprise to those who know me ... "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof".

It's a personal favourite I can watch over and over again and for some reason never get tired of. It's not the most gripping of storylines - there's no big thrilling adventure or a gruesome murder or a fantastic love story. It's a simple story of a woman who's found herself lost in her marriage to a man who's become as hard and cold as his namesake, who seems to hate her but whom she genuinely loves very much and tries to draw forgiveness from. The glory of this film isn't really in the writing or the plot or the setting or anything like that (Tennesse Williams apparently LOATHED this adaptation ... undoubtedly because of its key removal of -- well, you'll have to read the play.) ... it's driven by the performances. Paul Newman (my favourite actor ... again, must post) is perfect as the impenetrable Brick Pollitt, who, despite being undisputably tough and jaded, is able to make you still believe he's human, that there are cracks in him from his past that he has taken great care to hide. And then there's Maggie the Cat ... the equally important force who makes you care about the characters in this incredible film. Elizabeth Taylor seems to effortlessly portray the desperation of an almost broken woman who, despite all her charm and beauty, can't get the one man who means the most to her. I have little doubt a large part of her gripping performance is due to her incredible real-life tragedy at the beginning of the production - she lost her husband, Michael Todd, in a plane crash the first day of shooting.

OK, got a little carried away there but ... I think you get the gist. Dame Elizabeth Taylor was a captivating woman, not only in her beauty but in her poise, charisma, elegance, and her giving heart. She was a gift to audiences everywhere and the last of the greats. It figures that just as I was getting over Paul Newman's passing only a few years ago, the other half of the dynamic duo that I had so loved watching would also be gone. At least now they'll be able to meet once again past the pearly gates, where I know all of Old Hollywood was waiting for her just before she left us, streamers hanging and champagne glasses in hands, waiting to welcome her back among friends. Rest in peace, Ms. Taylor, and thank you.

Brick: "What is the victory of a cat on a hot tin roof?"

Maggie: "Just staying on it, I guess. As long as she can."

beautiful british columbia, part 1

photo cred: travel-van...

I'm a big West Coast girl. Grew up there almost my entire life and was part of the whole shebang. Even as a self-proclaimed city girl, I have very fond memories going trout fishing with my dad up at one of the ten zillion lakes and rivers there are, or crab catching and clam digging with the whole family at the seashore. We kept the clams for cooking later, but normally only kept one or two of the crabs and let the rest go - it was more for fun than anything else. But I have to say, there's nothing like eating food you caught fresh yourself.

you honestly can't be that grumpy being dragged out of bed at the crack of dawn

when you've soon got this looking back at you

photo cred: dhall218

The Canadian West Coast is a lot different than what most probably imagine the American version as being. Personally, for the latter, I quickly imagine long, sunny boardwalks with gorgeous scantily clad and tanned people chilling, Baywatch-style, by the beach where the sparkling water is speckled with pro surfers and sailboats and all sorts of other images of southern Californian beauty. Don't get me wrong, we have touches of that too. You'll definitely find your share of beautiful people in swimsuits down to English Bay or White Pine beach during the summer, soaking up the long-awaited sun after a long rainy season ... and head up to Tofino and you'll definitely see some great surf life as well.

photo cred: Getty

But there's something more natural about things here. Not to put down SoCal's nature(ness?), of course. But when you're in all the special places that fill the nooks and crannies of this great province, you feel at one with nature - you feel what you imagine the original Native Americans might have felt all those years ago before the land was littered with highways and skyscrapers and automobiles. Maybe that's just me - I've always loved our rich Aboriginal history, and the fact that we were always educated about it. I remember taking field trips up to Haida heritage sites and seeing all the beautiful totem poles and weavings they had and hearing all their folk tales centred around wild mystical characters like the Raven and Coyote and Heron. It was all just ... magical.

photo cred

Oh man, I can't even think coherently at the moment. I wish I could find exactly the right pictures that represent the images that are flooding my mind right now. Memories of looking out my backyard window and seeing coyotes and deer (not at the same time of course ;)) just behind our fence, or going to Victoria and looking out at the water and seeing otters playing, and that unforgettable feeling of excitement shared with friends and classmates when we saw a great bald eagle fly overhead (I think I've only seen 2 or 3 total so far so the few times I did it was always a treat). But, more than anything, I miss the mountains. Waking up and going to school and always seeing them up ahead wherever I was. You know, I always kind of assumed all mountains looked like the Rockies or Whistler and took them for granted cause they were so present all the time in my life, but it wasn't until I moved that I realized ... nope. These were special.

Anyway ... I just had to do a quick reminiscing post about the one of a kind, gorgeous, wondrous place I call home. Splendor sine occasu.

Consumer Goddess

So I've reached my spending cap for the month already in terms of indulgences and beauty products, and I thought I'd share! I already did a post on my new perfume and nail polish, but I've also got a couple other things that make me happy, so here I go!

A friend of my mom's works at a Korean beauty shop and she always gets us samples of the various skincare lines they have. I've used the pink IOPE moisture lasting emulsion and such but when I received her latest batch from LANEIGE, I was sold. I haven't fallen for a skincare line so quickly in awhile, but once I used up my sample set I knew I had to get the full-sized products. So, my latest daily skincare ritual will be deriving from this "Ultimate Care Set" from LANEIGE ...

photo cred: meeee! haha

I don't normally take photos like these so I did my best to make it look pretty/the way it does in real life but I'm not sure how good a job I did. The little rain(snow?)drops around the set are a bunch of other Essence samples she gave me. I love her very much hahaha.

I spoke with a relative in Korea about the brand and she told me it's actually one of the lower-quality names in skincare over there ... even though I thought it was really good! I guess generally speaking it just fits my skin better because of my ethnicity - they're used to treating Asian skin. Now, I'm no scientist and don't know how biologically correct that is so don't hold this as absolute fact ... it's just a silly theory I have. Either way, it has been much more satisfying than the various North American brands I've tried. I even dished out $50 on Philosophy's Hope in a Jar b/c I heard it was supposed to be ahhh-mazing, but it actually kind of made my skin worse. So, lesson learned.

The other indulgence I fell prey to the other day was this adorable lip gloss from Korres at Sephora ...

photo cred: Plaisirs

Not only is the colour the cutest thing in the world (the picture really doesn't do it any justice - it's like a milky peachy/pink colour. SOCUTE!) I like this product already for a couple of reasons. First of all, as I researched when getting home, Korres doesn't test on animals, and is free of paraben (which has been linked to breast cancer as well as damaging your skin when in direct contact), mineral oil (which plugs your pores), silicone (which has all sorts of risks), propylene glycol (a skin irritant, among other health risks) and ethanolamine (another irritant)! But testing on animals is the biggest concern I normally have when buying beauty products and that's why I normally don't stray far from Benefit, Stila, and Urban Decay and others that I know safely are ethically tested. But anyway, the other reason I like this product is the fact that it isn't as sticky as other lip glosses I have and feels lighter and more moisturizing. I don't think it can quite top Hourglass's Extreme Lip Gloss (which is a must-have favourite I always keep in my bag in Origami, shown as follows), but it nevertheless does a very decent job.

photo cred: Dermstore

But that's it ... for now I have to reel in the spending because I've already chipped away at my savings and it's not a habit I want to get into. Money's tight, and until I can get another job I'm going to have to be very frugal and careful with my spending. It can be hindering on the social life, but ... sacrifices sometimes have to be made. Bah. Adulthood.

A case of the blues

photo cred: Neutrality

I know I've said I love the colour pink, and I do, but my favourite colour ever is probably blue. Zooey Deschanel described it best, blue can convey so many different moods and emotions - it's the most malleable colour. And it's just SO pretty in almost any shade!

photo cred: Jin

I bring up blue today because I recently bought two blue products, almost totally by accident. Explanation following ...

I've never been a perfume girl. I thought, for the most part, they all smelled too heavy and thick. For the longest time in high school the only tolerable one I came across was Clinique's Happy because of it's fresh citrusy scent (which is one of my most favourite things to smell EVER ... I love the smell of freshly peeled oranges or lemons or grapefruit in the morning. And napalm ;)). But I had the chance to smell it again recently and it was very different than I remember, in a not-so-good way. With this, I had also kind of warmed up to the idea of investing in some real perfume for myself (which my mom, who is a firm believer in the philosophy that every woman needs a scent, was adamantly supportive of). So the other day I found myself in Sephora checking out the perfume section. I browsed for a good half hour, spritzing samples and wrinkling my nose (sometimes in disgust, sometimes in confusion, sometimes because I just sprayed too much and it tickled) while trying to find "my scent".

photo cred: CountryLiving

After awhile of searching I found one that I pretty much fell in love with. It smelled like summer, though something you could easily wear all year-round. It transported me to Europe, walking down the Mediterranean coast again, soaking up the sun with a light bouquet of wildflowers in my hand. I could smell the fresh seaside, hear the gulls overhead, and feel the splash of water by my feet. I finally found what I had been looking for. And guess what it was? None other than Dolce and Gabbana's Light Blue fragrance.

The bottle is elegantly and deceptively simple. The scent has many layers to it, described by D&G as having a

Top note with an invigorating Sicilian cedar that melds with the crisp vibrancy of apple and the guileless charm of bluebell to evoke the essence of a South Italian summer. The Heart note is the freshness of bamboo nestles amid a gloriously feminine bouquet of decadent jasmine and delicate white rose. All this lies on a Base note of redolent citron wood entwined with voluptuous amber and a suggestive caress of musk.

Sephora also describes it as

surprising and colored: the liveliness of Sicilian citron, the happiness of Granny Smith apple, the spontaneity of bluebells. Feminine and resolute: the intensity of jasmine, the freshness of bamboo, the charm of white rose. Deep and true: the character of cedarwood, the fullness of amber, the embrace of musk.

Suffice to say ... I adore it.

But I said I bought two blue products. The second was less extravagant and even more simple than my new bottle of perfume, but it gave me just as much joy, if not more. You see, I had bought THE cutest baby blue nail polish from The Face Shop a few years ago ...

not the right package, but pretty much zis one

Bar none, it was my favourite. I loved how it blended both a pastel-y shade with a vibrant and clear tone of blue. I bought - and used - it immediately. So you can imagine how upset I was when I eventually ran out just before I moved and could not for the life of me find the same colour elsewhere. I still haven't, unfortunately. BUT I did find one that got satisfactorily close enough to make me excited.

"Havana Dreams" from Sephora by OPI's collection. I internally squealed when I saw this colour on the display in the store and you can bet I got it as soon as I could. Unfortunately I've already applied nail polish recently that I'm fond of so I haven't applied my new indulgence yet, but I did on my sister and it looks so so pretty. I can't wait to try it on myself! One of these days I'm going to put both it, and the Light Blue perfume on with a blue outfit and just have a gloriously blue day! Paahahaha.

Joie de Nourriture

photo cred: vanillahph

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."

VIRGINIA WOOLF

"Strange to see how a good dinner and feasting reconciles everybody."

Samuel Pepys

photo cred: Elena

"Once in a young lifetime one should be allowed to have as much sweetness

as one can possibly want and hold."

JUDITH OLNEY

"I don't think I've ever drunk champagne before breakfast before.

With breakfast on several occasions, but never before."

BREAKFAST AT TIFFANYS

The world's first unmanned flying desk set

"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, 'O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life? ... Answer: that you are here. That life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse.'

That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse.

What will your verse be?"

"Boys, you must strive to find your own voice. Because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all. Thoreau said, 'Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.' Don't be resigned to that. Break out!"

"This is a battle, a war, and the casualties could be your hearts and souls."

~ John Keating, Dead Poets Society

♥ my favourite movie, second only to Gone with the Wind ♥

Bond girls are forever

Can I be a Bond Girl one day? Like Sophie Marceau or Eva Green, the gorgeous women who played my favourite Bondettes?

On the subject of Bond ladies, I have a confession to make ... I have to get a new phone because my plan is ending soon, and the ones that I'm considering at the moment are those that remind me of Vesper Lynd's cell phone in Casino Royale.

The phone on the left is Vesper's phone (the Sony Ericsson M600i), the top right is the Blackberry Torch in white, and the bottom right is the Blackberry Bold 9780 in white. The thing I like on her phone that neither of the Blackberrys have is the little touches of aquamarine/blue on the keyboard and other spots. But what I like more than anything is the white colour of it; it looks sleek, feminine, professional, and unique. I want the Torch more than the Bold because I don't think I've seen anyone on the street have it in white yet, and I love being one of the few who has a special phone. But the Bold is also pretty, and it's a hell of a lot cheaper. So I'm still deciding. I've been a Blackberry user for the last three years so I love it very much and definitely want another BB Smartphone. Especially since the new Sony Ericsson phone (the Xperia X10) doesn't appeal to me much. I don't like all touch screen phones. I like keys. :)

Anyway, that's my silly nerdy post of the day. Now to go off to class dreaming of sailing the Mediterranean coast with my dream James Bond ...

I wish you love

"I push away the ones who are right in front of me.

But one man I can never meet ...

him, I would like to give my whole heart to."

"She's more real to me than anything I've ever known."

~ The Lake House

I left my heart in ...

It's days like these I miss the west coast and it's temperate weather. -11 degrees/feeling like -21 degrees in March is very very wrong to me. I thought we were supposed to have all four seasons felt out here? Where's my blooming flowers and greenery and allergies? Nowhere in sight!

photo cred: Kristybee

I really do miss home though. Loved the rain - it's different than the rain out here. When you get caught in it here, you feel dirty and like you need to go in and shower. When you walk in it out there, it's totally opposite - you feel cleansed, pure, refreshed. Beautiful. Sure, there are days you get sick of it, but there are days when you can't get enough of it too.

photo cred: Noriko Ohba

And the beaches, oh man ... can't forget those. There's nothing like dipping your feet in your own corner of the ocean and watching the sun set in the bay ahead in a blend of colours you'd never seen before. Or gathering with the rest of the city in the warm evenings to see the fireworks in the summertime, huddled on blankets, or maybe standing leaning against people they love ... all are priceless moments of the past.

summer memories at the beach

♥

So why ...

~ * * * ~

. . . 멋진 남자를 만나는게 이렇게 어려운건가?

~ * * * ~

Beginning

After many failed attempts at reconnecting with my writing, I'm going to give it one last try. It really is something I used to do every day but in the last few years, with the move and university and everything in between I've lost both the time and urge ... but mostly the urge. The time I'm sure I could scrounge up.

photo cred: .il Nulla de Me.

I guess I should familiarize myself to the void (or noisy mess?) which I'll be speaking into. So, where to begin ... well, I'm a blood type AB, which is the rarest form in the whole group. Weren't expecting that, were ya? Ha! For those who believe in blood type personalities (which are a lot of Koreans; it's like their equivalent of Western astrology) it's the "crazy" one that is supposed to be the combination type of all sorts of opposites. I believe this, more than anything, sums me up the best. A walking juxtaposition. I like things done a certain way and generally won't accept things short of perfection. But, at the same time, I'm pretty chill; I can understand the room for mistakes and human folly and that these add their own flawed beauty to the workings of the world. I'm ambitious; I want to do great things and see as much as I can. But I'm lazy; I like nothing more than taking a relaxing nap or watching a good movie.

photo cred: Leena Holmström

I'm one of the girliest girls you'll meet. Nothing makes me happier than romantic old movies, the colour pink (especially a light pearly pink), pretty things, and getting dolled up. At the same time, I'm usually also one of the guys. I like to read Green Lantern and Flash comic books just as much as I do Keats' poetry or a Hugo novel. I'm just as likely to go out on a lunch date at a cafe as I am to later grab a beer and watch a hockey game (lifelong 'Nucklehead) at the nearby sports bar. I'm addicted to PC games but they range everywhere from first person shooters like Team Fortress 2 to old school mysteries like Nancy Drew. I can handle my share of superficial death and gore on the screen (and love it if it's zombie-related), but when my favourite character in a book, movie or tv show dies or leaves I cry like a baby.

photo cred: PhotographyPhilosophy

I've been told by people that they admire my outgoing personality and confidence, but I don't know if they all realize (they probably do) that this comes out only when I'm around people I feel comfortable around. If I'm with friends and good company I'll be the silliest person there, but I can be the most shy and quiet person in the room if I feel alone (I'm sure that's the same with most people though). I'm pretty open about myself and wear my heart on my sleeve, but I still have trust issues. I'm open, but I'm still a pretty private person. Can't you tell by my writing in a public blog? ;)

photo cred: Philipp Klinger

I think this is where I'll end for now ... Maybe in this blog I'll be able to rediscover the girl, who couldn't stop writing if she could help it, who got lost somewhere along the way as she stepped into the future. I hope I can, because I miss her quite a bit.