*657 - icing

Maybe I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted to make a living out of decorating cookies ...

*656 - home sweet home

Arduous 36 hours of non-stop travelling: 1 am bus to NYC, shuttle to JFK, flight to Narita, flight to Singapore.

Nothing beats being home! :) I'm so happy.

Day 1 of being home:

Making snowflakes


And baking cinnamon swirlies






Day 2 of being home:

- Rollerblading at ECP
- Infecting my eyes very seriously
- Eating frog's legs and kangkong and tau hua and butterfly buns at Geylang

Day 3 of being home, ie. today:

- Wrapping presents to put under the Christmas tree
- Massive photoshoot with aspiring professional photographer, ie. the sister, which yielded cool shots like the one below (more to come)
- Possibly a nap now before heading out (too tired to Jitterbugs and to go shopping as planned)

Extreme mohawk


The days have been packed a bit too full for my jetlagged body to handle, but with only 1 month here, I'm packing 'em in as tight as possible. Friends, let's meet up!

*655 - the countdown begins

In the past 3 days or so, apart from tearing my hair out over final exams, I've watched about 5 entire cycles (14ish episodes each!) of America's Next Top Model. The show has come a long way since cycle 1. But Elyse is still my true love because she is probably the most intelligent and hilariously witty model out there and I'm mildly miffed that they kicked her out of the top 3 because of arrogance and not wanting badly enough to be a model (both indictments being rather true, but still).

I now wish I could get a makeover ala ANTM, where I would hypothetically chop all my hair off pixie-style, dye it bright red, and look stunningly modelesque! Alas - my chubby cheeks would not allow for such a look and I'll have to be content with my boring, cookie cutter hair.

I usually go to hair salons back in Singapore and tell them calmly (while bubbling over with hidden excitement/fear) to "do whatever you want!" and the result is always nothing much more exciting than a two-inch trim.

-



Only Tina can take a picture of a teeny little jump and make it look spectacular!

(I like how Mouleena looks as though she has 3 pairs of arms and legs.)

-

Obviously, I'm procrastinating. ONE MORE PAPER. Come on.

*654 - 321

From the world's cutest Mum:

"yes, I remember Tubby, the one who doesn't eat cheese." (For some reason, this amuses me ... a lot.)

"God be with you for the next 2 papers. Take care. Thinking of all the food I'm going to cook for you when you come home."

:')

2 papers down. I'm halfway through. Thank You God for carrying me through.

*653 - exams

Gurgle.

I am not prepared.

*652 - 2 days to finals

I've been listening to jazzy Christmas songs on pandora.com (best music site ever, for use in the US only, I think). They make me feel like cavorting around the room. At the same time, Christmas songs actually make me rather homesick. Allen's occasional dramatic piano renditions of Christmas songs during dance technique classes had the same effect. Except, perhaps, for that one time we were doing plie's and ronde de jambe's to a very evil-sounding minor version of Jingle Bells.

-

Why Hotelies are better than you: we have complimentary hot chocolate, marshmallows, and huge platters of 5 different cookies (sugar, snickerdoodles, oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip, double chocolate) in the student lounge every day, just because it's the exam period.

We have been sitting at the table right next to the food for the past few days, which means that all of us have been eating at least 5 cookies a day. Omg gross please.

-

Why? Why not?
Why not? Why?
It's funny how the little things affect me.
I like to pretend to be nonchalant.

-

Finals begin in less than 2 days. I just finished all my projects and homework today and started studying (punctuated heavily with online shopping, emailing, blog-hopping, general needless web-surfing, etc) a grand total of 2 hours ago. It seems to be the trend that by the time the most crucial period arrives, I will be burnt out and obstinately not studying.

-

Just one for now.



Happy Chinkos outside a Chinese bakery in Chinatown in Boston, where we bought an egg tart (toxic yellow but very good) and bubble tea.

*651 - comments on my piece

Most interesting comment tonight directed to me from the post-show discussion with the audience went something like this:

"I don't mean to offend you" (my heart sinks at this point) "but I really liked your piece" (I cheer up considerably) "because it reminded me of a movie about aliens where their legs bent in the wrong direction which gave them the illusion of being able to run very fast."

Which I take as a compliment because that imagery is just ... groovy.

Which, also, makes me wonder in which direction those aliens sit down and what their chairs look like.

*650 - waltz of the snowflakes

My final project for my composition class: inspiration by Eiko. We performed it outside by College Avenue while the audience watched from a full-length window on the 2nd floor of the Schwartz center. I feel like the choreography was a tad weak, but feedback from the class & Joyce was excellent, so I guess I'm happy enough :)

Practising in the Schwartz lobby before heading out.


Spot the Evelyn in white and the Moujaes in black.


And this is a shot of Meredith and I waiting to perform my piece in ZigZag, the fall concert! (Mark's idea of an artistic shot: slanty, subject unprepared.)


Yes, this actually sort of happens in the dance. I know my choreography is odd.


This is what dancers do while waiting for the bus.

*649 - the usual ramblings

It's a funny sort of nostalgia when you check the weather and think gleefully to yourself, "It's above zero today, hurrah, which dress shall I wear with my lightest winter coat?"

I think Winter got up a little too early, hit the snooze button, and will be up and about very soon, but not just yet.

Meanwhile, I'm relishing the relative warmth.

*648 - bag man

It's the last week of school before finals. While most people are burying their noses in books (I assume), I've been running around like a crazy lab rat (reference to Meredith's piece) dancing non-stop after classes. 3 days of rehearsals from 6.30 to 11 down, and 5 crazy days left to go.

Tomorrow: Jim's technique class, perform final piece for composition class, and then the Schwartz show at 8.
Friday: Schwartz show at 8, sprint for Kristen's practice at 10 (if I can make it).
Saturday: Michelle's practice, Kristen's practice, Pandora dress rehearsal, Schwartz show at 8.
Sunday: Pandora rehearsal, Pandora show at 8.
Monday: Jim's rehearsal, informal showing at 7.

That's what's on my dance calendar. Let's not even get started with classes and homework and final projects and final exams which start 2 days after my dance madness is over. The past week has been pretty harsh because I've been literally double- or triple-booked every single day, and each time I have to make a decision to cancel out on something, I feel intensely irresponsible, but there's nothing I can do.

-

I'm really happy about my piece in the show, though. I've certainly never choreographed anything quite as provoking as this piece. How often does a dance make an audience have to suppress their laughter and eventually force them to laugh out loud?

It was even funnier when I showed my piece in composition class, actually, because Meredith accidentally drooled just because it's physically difficult to keep your mouth wide open for such a long time. Mr Stage Manager specifically forbid us to drool, though, so that the dancers in the next piece wouldn't slip ...

The only problem is for me to keep my deadpan face going. I nearly cracked up today because I caught Jim grinning in the audience and everyone in the back row was tittering.

Anyway. Next challenge: to bring a tear to someone's eye through dance. Hm hm hm ...

*647 - christmas party

Guys, I give up facebooking all of you one by one.

Christmas Eve party at my place (in Singapore)!!

Mummy organized it so it will be very cute indeed. We're going to have good food, gift exchange, a Christmas skit (Mummy has taken out my Cabbage Patch doll and assures me that she will wrap it up so noone can tell it is a girl), and probably something like an atas wine-and-cheese chillout session on the roof after that.

Friends, I would love to see you there! Let me know :D

*646 - Can't sleep?

Count sheep!



Elisa and Evelyn

*645 - this is how we rock

So this is how we rock down Collegetown in sub-zero temperature: in awkwardly hand-stitched tops & little shorts to match, with (Jacob's) hairy legs and mismatched socks proudly on display.



(It was more funny at that moment; I guess we look sort of normal from afar.)

*644 - modern art in nyc a month ago

Since Thanksgiving break has started and I'm leaving for Boston in 5 hours (at 6 am), I figured it was time to post some pictures of last break before they pass their expiry date: Fall break in NYC.

Museum of Modern Art pictures for now, courtesy of Earl's beautiful camera.

Artist outside MoMA.


John Cage's musical work.
(I'm particularly interested, solely because of his connections with Cunningham.)




I found the shadows more intriguing than the actual object.


One of my favourite exhibits: yarn and mirrors.
You can't really tell which is which.


I love "blank" canvasses.
(I'm actually not being sarcastic. I really do.)








My favourite exhibit.
She's so still but she's always dynamic, because of the reflections in her face.
(And spot me in the photo!)


My second favourite exhibit.
I choreographed a dance based on this.


Third favourite "exhibit", perhaps.

*643 - birthday at stella's

Inshi's birthday dinner from some time back. A quick meetup after our respective dance performances turned into a 5 hour dinner. There probably aren't many people I could talk to for 5 hours straight and not feel, at the least, mildly pained. Hehe.









These few days have been difficult. Today, I had Schwartz Concert tech rehearsals starting at 1 pm. Followed by Meredith's rehearsal till 6.45. Followed by Marketing group meeting. Followed by Pandora rehearsals from 9.45 - 11.30 pm.

I'm covered with bruises, but I've always liked dancer bruises. I'm also perpetually sore, but that feels good in a way. I'm also happy because I've never had the opportunity to direct a dance piece in such a professional way - working with real lighting designers and getting critiqued by real ex-company dancers. Everyone actually knows their stuff. It's great.

*642 - fabric studs!

Studs galore. Lovingly handmade. One of a kind.
Elisa and Evelyn

*641 - it's always about the weather

-10 degrees C??? NEGATIVE TEN?

That was the temperature of a regular wintry day last semester. It's not supposed to be so cold in November. It wasn't even properly snowing till after Thanksgiving last year!

Tonight, Inshi and I stood at the bus stop, freezing our asses off and doing pseudo tap dances to warm up, first missing then 9.45 bus because we thought it came at 9.48, and then waiting 20 minutes to catch the 10.45 bus instead of the 10.27 bus because the 10.27 bus didn't come at all. 20 minutes in -10 degrees is no joke. Brr.

*640 - would you change?

If you knew that you would die today,
If you saw the face of God and love,
Would you change?



Awesome photo taken by the awesome Tina ;)
"Change" - Pandora's guest performance at Fall Step! Much fun. And I think we looked great :)

*639 - at three in the morning

Confession: I would much sooner drool over pretty girls than hot guys.

Result: I now feel like a biological mistake. I wish I had better genes.

I'm so superficial nowadays. Shut up and go to sleep.

* 638 - online shopping

I've been pretty parsimonious (hee hee always wanted to use that word somewhere after memorizing it for SATS, even though it has a bit of a "stingy" connotation) in my spending this semester. I think. I could be kidding myself, though, by classifying everything I buy as "essential". Coat rack and pretty rug for my room? Well justified. Two new pairs of boots? Of course, it's winter. Cute dress? Definitely!

I'm particularly proud of the order I just submitted at Urban Outfitters. Saved >$100 thanks to the heavily discounted sales rack. Plus a panda combo (shower cap & toothbrush holder) for Val just because she's in love with pandas. Heehee.



Also discovered that they have fabric studs, much like those on Elisa & Evelyn, except that ours are prettier and don't cost US$12.

Sneak preview of new studs to be up on Elisa & Evelyn as soon as I get all the photos done:

*637 - winter

All it took was a couple of hours of snow showers today to cover the trees in a blanket of white.

I think the first snow accumulation means that you have to accept the fact that winter really is upon you.

I'm considerably less excited now. A year ago, I was dragging J outside to prance in the snow, inappropriately dressed in a miniskirt and my little red bubble jacket. Today, I took the bus instead of walking, refused to leave school till the snow stopped, bundled up, ducked my head, and charged home as quickly as I could.

-

Mummy's email about Christmas trees cheered me up considerably, though :)

"Finally I found the trees. I think they're lovely ... They look very real and nice. We will get one on Sunday.

One more month and you will be flying home."

One more month and I will be flying home.

*636 - clouds

Little cloud-like sheep I drew specially for Jenny during a particularly unexciting Managerial Accounting class. I'm going to be producing a new bunch of cutesy earring studs soon, hopefully in time for Christmas! Stay tuned :)

(If anyone has any requests for designs on plastic earrings of any shape, email us at elisa.and.evelyn@gmail.com, and I'll see what I can do!)

*635 - mirror mirror

I think it's funny how we occasionally leave post it's on the bathroom mirror that say things like "Is there finance class today?" or, like above, "Could you turn in my stats hw for me? (...) kinda want to sleep in."

*634 - eiko

Just the other day, I spent an entire dance class sulking in the corner, scrawling angrily in my journal about how I was uninspired and refused to show my piece (these mood swings are all deemed acceptable, or even normal, I feel, under the excuse of being an "artist").

But today! I am inspired again! By Eiko Otake, postmodern choreographer and performer. She danced in alternative environments, like in rivers or on sand. So, for my final project, I've decided to set my dance on the street along Collegetown, on the little island in the middle of the roundabout (next to the stop sign), with the audience watching from a window in one of the dance studios that overlooks Collegetown. It will be cold (just about 0 degrees at that time), it might be snowing, it will be dark, there will be cars going by and pedestrians in our way. Everyone and everything will be part of the dance, but they won't know it.

I'm excited.

Also, despite being reprimanded by Jim last week for showing him incomplete work (oops), it turns out that he chose my piece for the Fall Show after all, so I'll be showing my piece at Schwartz at the end of the semester. Cool beans. It's a study of chance and counterpoint. Chance: I choreographed my upper body separately from my lower body and put it together, resulting in a very lovely and bizarre kind of awkwardness. Counterpoint: between music and movement, and between movement and movement.

Also, I unearthed a new talent today: I can make modern art with my feet! I discovered this in the middle of composition class, when doodling in my journal with my right foot. Hahaha.



Also, I made mini-heart-shaped-lemon-oreo-cheesecakes the other day for a dinner party, which were gobbled up instantly and produced rave reviews. Very pleased. Also, I made raspberry creme brulee when Jasmin was over, which turned out surprisingly delish, and pretty cute-looking too.



Also, all my friends are crying over the amount of homework and projects and quizzes we have over the next few days, so I figure I should begin studying now instead of blogging. Hehe.