Wendyness.com :: Journal

London, Day 6: streets

// May 21st, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Everyday, Video Blogs

I’m starting to feel lonely here in London. Mostly because I’m working during the day and don’t really have anyone to talk to that I know fairly well.. So I’ve been keeping up the “meet new people” persona and it’s getting tiring. Luckily, I am going to Paris tomorrow and will be having 5 fun days with Tim, Bastien and Victor :)

On the streets where you live

// May 20th, 2010 // No Comments » // Everyday, Photos

No video today because I did nothing interesting (read: I was busy shopping Oxford Circus), but here are some photos!

Arsenal stadium!

At Beach Blanket Babylon in Nottinghill Gate

One of the necklaces I bought today.

London, day 4

// May 19th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Everyday, Video Blogs

Day 4 in London. It feels more like day 10. I panicked briefly this morning wondering if I would be able to stand being here for so many days, but remembered that I’m going to Paris on Saturday and that will be a nice change from working in London.

I can see myself living here (or any big city, really). Big cities have always been my fancy as I like efficiency – being able to get so much done in a morning with widespread public transportation and surrounded by bustling life. I have always been a go-go-go personality and suburbia does not match my pace. Not having to drive my car everywhere is an attractive idea; not owning a car could be viable.

Sure, I could try to live this life in San Francisco; carless, relying on public transportation and foot to get me places, but San Francisco is so small. 7×7 miles of space to explore is terribly unexciting. The surrounding Bay Area is difficult and timely to reach and really not that interesting. I want to be dwarfed by 30 story buildings, I want to have to shove my way on and off trains during rush hour, I want to live in the silence and calm of my mind, deafened by the noise of the city.

When I was younger, the only image I had of me as a grown-up was in my twenties, living in Hong Kong and in love. I don’t think that romantic ideal has escaped from my head yet, so I can still dream.

London, Day 3

// May 18th, 2010 // No Comments » // Everyday, Video Blogs

Conducted a bunch of usability studies today and balanced that all out by hanging out with a friend! Yay. Awesome video below.

London, day 2

// May 17th, 2010 // No Comments » // Everyday, Video Blogs

I’m exhausted in the best way. I always forget how much you can accomplish living in a real city, whereas the haze of a lazy suburbia can just consume your day. Today was full of work and Tube’ing it between offices. I’d show you the magnificent office in which I work, but I don’t want to share my workplace here. Just imagine it.

Trying to keep to my promise of a video a day while I’m in London and Paris, here’s a very brief video of the non-work part of my day where I had a proper Kir Royale and shepards pie! Delicious! I was also convinced to try the apple and rhubard crumble with custard. It was nice, especially since it’s rhubard season and it’s coming fresh.

London, day 1

// May 16th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Photos, Video Blogs

Discovered I have an amazing ability to stay up for almost 36 hours with very little sleep. I think it mostly has to do with the fact that I woke up at 6am on Saturday morning and arrived in London on Sunday at 7am, so my head is operating like it’s Saturday and I’m trying hard to stay up until a “normal” bedtime so I don’t have jetlag. I slept a little during my flight, but that was while Twilight: New Moon was playing. Every time I’d come to again, it’d be DRAMA! Werewolf! Vampire! Expressionless girl! Zzzz.

Had a fantastic and busy first day where I fit in brunch with my gracious co-worker Jill, Tate Modern, walking some bridges and checking out St. Paul’s Cathedral. A few photos I like from today.. And yes, it is that grey and dreary here. Really similar to San Francisco, in my opinion. Not colder.

Some time in the sun

// May 7th, 2010 // No Comments » // Everyday, Photos, Video Blogs

Back in San Diego for a few days to see my family and celebrate Mother’s Day. It’s nice to be back in sunny, warm weather that isn’t full of lies (yes, Bay Area sun is a lie) ;)

Some ultra-compressed footage from La Jolla Cove today:

I’m enjoying the miniature effect on my new camera!

Seals at La Jolla Cove

Sillyness in the park

I went hiking!

// April 27th, 2010 // No Comments » // Everyday, Photos

If you know me well, then the following recap of my weekend will make you laugh and wonder if I’ve finally gone crazy: I woke up at 7:30am on Sunday to go on a 2 hour hike in Muir Woods. Hahaha. I’m serious though. It’s a fairly impressive feat to convince me to wake up that early, much less to go hiking, but it was really enjoyable and with very pleasant company. The still silence of nature and the chill of mid-Spring were refreshing. The day was long and we also went through Stinson Beach, Bolinas, Marin Headlands and a beach in Marin Headlands.

Been a little tired and uninspired lately, but my inspiration came back in a spark today and I churned out some UI work pretty quickly. I think I’ve found a muse..

It’s everywhere

// April 4th, 2010 // No Comments » // Creations, Everyday, Photos

There have been things making me smile everywhere. Beauty has been everywhere these past few days.

A heart in Union Square, given more texture from the rain

Lucite cube earrings I made today. I loved wearing them!

I was wearing a shirt with a large sequined heart on it and in the afternoon sun, it made everything facing me shimmer :)

Life is art

// March 28th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Everyday, Photos, Relationships, Stuff I Like

Lately I have been very much inspired by Amber Rae. I have been quoting or re-blogging her Tumblr posts almost daily! Today’s post inspired me to not give a damn about who is reading my blog or tweets and just let it go. I honestly haven’t been blogging that much text lately because I don’t want to share how I am feeling with you, my anonymous reader. Mostly because I don’t really know who you are, since my Google Analytics show that I have regular readers, but I only have two regular commenters. I was worried about things like, what if my emotions are boring? What if my thoughts are inane? And I also have a hard time sharing my feelings about other people because I know those feelings are apt to change at any given moment.. I feel like putting them down on the internet will forever etch them into history and possibly haunt me in the future. So I’m going to let go of this fear and blog like no one’s reading. I have this confession I have been holding in the last few days and I want to tell wendyness.com.

I became very emotionally burnt out recently. A combination of high job stress, life stress and relationship stress. I noticed immediately when I started building up walls around myself again and I didn’t like it. I wanted something that felt free again, no matter how ephemeral. Then I found it.

I made a new friend who came with a one week expiration date. I proposed we just live like the world is going to end and it has been fucking fantastic. He is sarcastic, dry, blunt, doesn’t give a shit about most things and secretly nice. In other words, a facet of me. We’ve been having fun. This was exactly what I wanted and could handle. Everything is absolutely peachy.

So why? What? Huh? This is so not like Wendy! Yeah, it’s not. I’m so completely obsessed with the long term details of things that I sometimes forget to enjoy things for the moment. It took my mum telling me to stop worrying about long term everything and enjoy things while they happen to stop worrying myself sick and just enjoy the last two awesome weeks of visiting friends. I think her words were life changing for me. I feel like a good balance of compulsive, indulgent Wendy and responsible, rational Wendy. And I feel alive. I feel interesting. I feel creative. I feel beautiful.

So here’s to you, J. If the last two weeks helped me regain my peace of mind, then the last week with you helped me regain my self – my Wendyness – and you probably won’t ever know. At least I told Amber Rae! :)

“I think everything in life is art. What you do. How you dress. The way you love someone, and how you talk. Your smile and your personality. What you believe in, and all your dreams. The way you drink your tea. How you decorate your home. Or party. Your grocery list. The food you make. How your writing looks. And the way you feel. Life is art.” – (via)