Neo Nomadic Dreams
& Caffeine-Induced Reality

Reading List: 30.08.10

After a manic Monday I’m happy I get to sit down at the end of the day and write this.  Get your reading glasses out, kids.

• Monthly budgets haven’t changed one bit since I started working two years ago. Okay, maybe the only difference is that expenses seem to take a bigger chunk of the pie.  I don’t know about you but I sure as hell know that one cannot survive on a single income.  Not in these times, no.
• Also, after two years of working, I realize how sedentary my daily life is.  A desk job definitely put on the pounds.  I’ve decided to shed off the extra weight in the next few months.  After all, I have to be bikini-ready come November.
• I really adore taking photos with film and having started off with toy cameras, I can really relate with the sentiments in this article.  Even if you don’t like shooting with film, give it a read.  It’s very well-written to the point of eloquent.
• A new way of looking at shoes?  How about actually analyzing them?  There’s a lot of good things about this one, not just the words, or even the illustration, but even the over-all layout of the page.  Aside from a must-read, a definitely must-see.
• How do you like to enjoy your coffee?  To be honest, I like having them at home, sipping on a hot mug in my pajamas (not that I actually wear them – the pajamas, not the coffee).  These new coffee bars get a standing ovation quite literally.  In a very busy city like New York, I wouldn’t be surprised they need to shuffle people in and out as fast as they could.  What do you think?
• In what language are your thoughts in?  Mine’s in English mostly, although I’d like to be able to think in Spanish one of these days.  Isn’t it true that language does shape our thoughts?  I mean, how on earth are you going to be able to form thoughts without something to build them on?
• Speaking of thoughts and thinking, this guy really thinks big, not to mention a really big fan of Ayn Rand.  I’ve read Atlas Shrugged and it took me three months to finish it.  I know I have to mentally prepare myself if I ever want to read Fountainhead.
• Here’s something to chew on, if you play with yourself and win, did you really lose?  Can you actually fail in failing to fail?  Is it possible for procrastinators to actually accomplish nothing effectively?
• Is it really true, that muscles remember past glory? If that is so then the body of my former self shouldn’t be too far gone.  Just need to drop off eight more kilos.
• This explains anxiety so well; a feeling I’ve been having far too long now.
• How about we take back our Sunday to beat the Monday blues?  Actually, come to think of it, I don’t think anything can but we sure as hell can try.
• Looking at pictures of Nubby’s trip to Disneyland makes me want to go too.  Confession: I’ve never been.  Yes, please take me!
• Most days I just want to hide from people and I know just what to wear if I do have to go out.  You know what, after being enlightened to my introverted ways, I seem to embrace it a lot more.  Ta!

Reading List: 23.08.10

I have quite a few for this week that would make your eyeballs clap with glee. Read on.

• Poem-to-go?  NYC seems like just the place for this kind of thing.  Last time I had mine made (not in New York but here in Singapore) was two years ago from The Proletariat Poetry Factory.
• If you’re a Mac user like me, then you’ll definitely like this collection of productivity and office software for Mac.
• One of my plans post-university was to go to graduate school but now I realize that it’s best to channel that energy into getting experience from working instead.  What do you think?  Is higher education really overrated?
• I’ve come to know that there is no best job in the world.  There is, however, a best “job” for each one of us depending on our passion.  Making it a higher priority is, well, our top most priority.
• Have you got your booty read yet?  Old Navy has a Booty Reader!  I’m not sure about the accuracy but it does provide a few minutes of entertainment.
• I think I’ve said this too many times but I’ll say this again, I put the pro in procrastinator.  I’m not particularly proud of it, I know I can get off my ass when I really need to, but this timeboxing thing sure is something I’d like to try sometime especially if I need that extra push of productivity.
• We’ve all got bad days but you know what they say about ending on a good note?  It does work.
• What do you think is the barrier to creativity?  If there is anything that can free our minds to the possibilities, it’s the right kind of ignorance.
• One of my guilty pleasures is trailing through lookbook.nu  I like this one particularly because her outfit is nothing like what most people wear these days.  It’s simple, wearable, and I love the title.
• This one has definitely made its rounds over the weekend.  Frank Chimero gives advice to a graphic design student.  But there are good stuff in it for non-graphic design people too.
• The world is made up of ideas.  Maybe in between subatomic particles are ideas but who knows! Ideas, if not love, probably make the world go round.  So hey, let’s start with an idea.
• Speaking of ideas, Sharpie has one!  They have a new something that allows us to write with ink.  The brilliant thing about it is that you can erase it within three days but after which it becomes permanent.  Definitely an indecisive person’s best friend, no?

Scent Library

There’s a new online store in town and I could not be more excited. If there is anything I spend on most on a monthly basis, it would be bath and body products.

After a while, however, the selection available locally can be limiting.  So to have a local touch point like Scent Library that brings an array of products found abroad feels like I’ve stumbled on a treasure trove.

What makes it extra special is that Jodie and Lynn, two-thirds of the team behind Scent Library, have handpicked all of the products available.  Both are personal users of the products but were frustrated with always having to ask from friends to carry them back.  Setting up Scent Library became the most ideal step as now they can bring in the products for themselves and share the love at the same time.

Speaking of sharing the love, everyone gets a 5% discount by using the code NIKIPAL before check-out.  Mucho awesome, eh?  (Thanks Jodie!)

I’ve actually trawled through the site and I’m putting these on my wish list! (click on the photos to view more info on the items)

Bath & Body Works’ Aromatherapy for Stress Relief
Who doesn’t need stress relief these days?

Thurlby’s Herbal Clothing Protectors
Aside from needing a new wardrobe, I’d definitely need these. I swear I have pieces of clothing I haven’t worn in two years!

MOZI’s Casablanca Collection in Pomegranate
Basically I’m a sucker for cute packaging.