Crime Passionel

I had three hours sleep last night. I rocked up to work today early and on time but had to wait for 1 hour for the next girl to come in because i had no key and no one decided to fucking tell me about it. I was so pissed off. I'm getting sick. I'm reading this really interesting book, The Greatest Crimes of Passion. It's real well written. I indulge myself in the characters and imagine how I would react in a situation like that. Crimes committed for the sake of love or marriage back in olden day France we're treated with leniency. They called it crime passionel.

'If an outraged husband, shoots his wide's lover he may secure a complete acquittal. The assailant is seen as defending the sanctity of his marriage and the law is prepared to be flexible.

These kind of murders can expect to walk free other wise it is a death penalty. If a woman was found guilty she would rarely be sentenced to death.. and if so the public may protest for you (especally if you appeared to be physcially or mentally weak or attractive) and you can escape the death penalty.

The things they let us get away with back then. How times have changed.

My new books

I love this film clip. Too gangsta.

M.I.A. - Bad Girls

Scar Tissue

By Anthony Kiedis

It took me about 1.5 weeks to finish the book. I read it intensely for the first half, the second dragged on and I found myself skipping chunks of writing. There is A LOT of drug and sex references in this book. I didn't know how much it sucks being a dope fiend, and I underestimated how easy it is to get over drugs once dependent on them. Anthony Kiedis is impulsive, lacks regard for consequences, personal health or health of others around him. He's escaped multiple drug related death. I am amazed at how much the human body can handle. And here I am treating my body like a temple.

I usually have a pencil handy when reading books. I highlight quotes, make notes, because I learn things.

Anthony Kiedis Quotables

There's a concept in recovery that says "Half measures avail us nothing." When you have a disease, you cant take half the process of getting well, you're not going to get half well. You'll go back to wear you came from. Without a thorough transformation, you're the same guy, and the same guy does the same shit.

You're feeling like shit? Go get out of yourself and do something for someone else, volia, you don't feel like shit anymore. You're confused and you're driving yourself crazy? Go call a guy who's got three days sober and has no clue what to do. The minute you get out of your self-centred mind-set, you're instantly freed of your own pain.

"It's always important to give things away; it creates good energy. If you have a closest full of clothes, and you try to keep them all, your life will get very small. But if you have a full closet and someone sees something they like, if you give it to them, the world is a better place.'

I had come from a school of hard knocks that my philosophy was you don't give things away, you take whatever you want.

Greedy little people in a sea of distress

Keep your more to receive your less

Unimpressed by material excess

Love is free love me say hell yes

Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Give It Away

So Flossy

What do you do for a living? Oh I feed people unnecessary items to satisfy their hunger for possession. And if they can't decide whether they like the Milly Emerald Suede more than the Milly Sky Chicago, i tell them its okay to buy both.

Gluttony. You can't take these things with you to your grave.

I've started a new book without finishing my jay z book. I have a habit of ditching things when they get boring, tossing it to the side..

like a sex crime victim. Underwear inside out.

Bound with electrical tape.

- Fight Club

I use Michael Tran's business card as a bookmark. I have Scar Tissue by Anthony Keidis, 'the only man who gets hotter with age'. Its real interesting an the book engulfs me on the train. I'm not even one chapter in but already the drug references make me shiver. Im told it will only get worse.

I watched Aladin at James' house for the second time in my life. Aladin taught me "You're only in trouble when you get caught". And then life goes on.

Life always goes on.

Fight Club

Fight Me.

Worth contemplating:

• Learn more about yourself through self destruction. 'It's only after you've lost everything that you're free to do anything'.
• After fighting, nothing matters. 'Most guys are at fight club becayse of something they're too scared to fight. After a few fights, you're afraid a lot less'.
• 'Getting fired is the best thing that could happen. We'd quit treading water and do something with our lives'
• This is a dog eat dog world. 'We appreciate your contribution to our success'
• Disregard for authority, social hierarchy and people controlled by this and material possessions. We have the power to control history and control the world. 'Remind these guys what kind of power they still have'. 'I see the strongest and smartest men pumping gas and waiting tables'.
• Faced with the threat of death forces us to realise our dreams and the value of tomorrow. Just do it. 'We are all going to die, someday'. 'I'd rather kill you than see you working a shit job'
• Not all about money. 'Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes we don't need. Generations have been working in jobs they hate, just so they can buy what we don't really need'.
• 'Every time you fall asleep, I run off and do something wild, something crazy, something completely out of my mind'
• Fight predictability, order and expectation. 'I am the all-singing all dancing crap of the world'
• Getting bored with your life but dont see how you can change things, only end them. 'I felt trapped. I was too complete. I was too perfect
• Cease trying to make things perfect. 'And your one perfect moment won't last forever'

Themes:

Nihilism, freedom, redemption, rebellion from the social norm, breaking of social class barriers, attack on authority, self destruction, enlightenment, mentality

Way of life:

Self destruction and lack of regard for personal well being/health, fight the 9 to 5, achieve your dreams no excuses, feeling free only happens after you reach rock bottom, every moment and experience is fleeting dont try to prevent or save it.

So?

Get out of here and do your little life

Why I like this book:

• Quick wit, sarcastic, morbid humour
• A full circle story and style of writing, subjects mentioned in chapter twenty relate to something said in chapter one for example
• Concise but sometimes long sentences
• Themes, messages and alternative logics of life
• Quotable lines
• Definite decision making, its either black or white, you do it or you don't, and for the decision you make you do it with 100% certainty
• Disregard for emotions and emotional attachments to material possessions

White Nail Polish

& shiny silver rings on my fingers. Dickies Girl Baby Chino pants. T-shirt says Unruly. Timberlands for stomping on people. Man I am so bored. I have wasted an entire day. Here me ramble. Tmrw I get my dads car. It's nothing cool but it will get me from A to B and back. I'm gonna take my baby girl (vince) out for a St. Albans meal. Crispy skin chicken.. i dont know how you compare after so much pho. How about we try Quang Vinh? I'll be lucky if I get a thick black hair in my soup and not a cockroach. So I dont like wearing bra's during hot weather. But during this cold weather, it is an absolute must. Extra warmth.

Here I am listening to the Dance & RnB anthem compilation i was listening to when I was in year 8-9.

t-boz Little Kim

Fat Man Scoop's one hit wonder Mary Mary - Shackles Prophet Jones - All I Do (cannot find on youtube - classic sing-a-long) Kelly something - Good Love

Jagged Edge - Let's get married I watched Crocodile Dundee today. What a sexist movie. But I do love Crocodile Dundee's rough and rugged style.

Oh take me, I'm yours!

That's what she needs. A man to protect her. Look at her facial expression. She's helpless. I wonder if these fruit chews are still safe to eat. They've been here for about 1 year. I ate a melon on. No side effects as yet... So the Summer Dayze promotional flyer is still attached to the back of my notebook. It matches the pink front cover. And purple was one of my favourite colours, year 7 it was. I remember Mrs Conner asking me. Whats your favourite colour? Purple. She was delighted. She ruled the Purple House. I realised the $318 gold hoop earrings I bought in Dubai's Gold Market/Souk was a waste of money. I could've got those D&G sunnies I wanted. Gr. I need me a pair of oversized you-cant-see-that-im-sizing-you-up sunnies. I also need me a new pair of black denim high waisted shorts since the zip on my old ones insist on exposing my crotch to the world.

I want a new haircut. I am itching for change. Itches need scratching. Its gonna be stage 2 of the extreme hair style. an assymetrical hem line. extreme factor 3.5. Anio reckons i shouldnt since i got this job at myer, not at the basement but the ladies shoes department. I needed to look professional he said. Oh, did i mention, i cut my fringe today. i cut it assymetrical :) Helen is trying to speak more like an American with words like cancER, watER and ASS. She says she's trying to be more like me because I'm so cool. I understand the effect I have on people. Little Kim is playing. She's rapping about 'tony, he was italian." how many licks does it take? I googled a Little Kim image to post but then re-thought. They weren't appropriate for my blog. She changes so much i dont even know what she looks really like.

Joey. My Jwow dad. When he smiles he looks like a chineeee man. The lady sitting across from me in the tram must've been 30 years old. Judging by the way she dressed I would put her in the subtley cool category. She had her knuckles tattooed.

STAY

GOLD

Okay lady you're cool. So i've decided to get my middle back tattooed and my upper thigh. ouch.waxing the upper thigh fucking kills. imagine a tatt. I poked my self with a sewing needle the other day. that killed. Gr. Pain. Gr. PAIN.

My Ex's. Where are they now. Shawshank Redemption. Gerard Butler from 300. I met him for the second time yesterday. He came into Jwow and demanded I do a shot with him. I told him I had already vomited so no shots for me. He asked me what I had to drink. I said Hungry Jacks and all the oil. Joel walked gerard butler out. Joel came back with gerards number written messily on his hand. What, no autographs? Hook ups.

Whats on my wall?

• Pink rose lanterns
• Postcards of exotic places courtesy of Corona
• Summa Dayze promotional flyer (yes also in my wall its so damn funky)
• St. Kilda Night Market flyer
• Birthday card from Phuong Tran
• Farewell card from Kirra
• Artshow flyer with an interesting black/white/red watercolour and hand drawn image
• Vmans kawawa baby picture
• Polaroid of me and adult vman courtesy of Nai Zi
• Picture of a skiny girl in a leotard, denim vest and black sunnies
• Pretty transparent paper sample
• Framed Egyptian inspired illustration
• Tianamen Square tank man poster (me vs. mum)
• a mark of 94% ~ High Distinction for am assignment started 1 day before the due date - something that tells me IM AWESOME

that will come in handy for this assignment. 6 weeks of work in 5days. FUCK.

I miss this room. Its full of inspiration. Books and images. Natural light from a 180 degree bay window. The option of spying into my neighbours lives. My music collection is here. I should come here when I want to create.

Jean-Dominique Bauby & France

I just watched an incredible movie about well-known French editor for Elle Magazine - Jean Dominique Bauby. The film was called The Diving Bell and The Butterfly. Jean-Do lives an eventful, luxurious and high roller life with lots of girls and money. He suddenly suffers from a stroke that leaves him mute and paralyzed from head to toe. The only physical movements of control was that of his eyes. He's right eye ends up getting 'sewn up' since it wasnt functioning properly and was at risk to disease. The camera films from Jean-Do's point of view, so you gradually see the doctor stitching up the eye, until it is only blackness. The viewer feels Jean-Do's frustration and fear as he screams

'Go away! Don't touch me!'

but of course, no one hears him and he can't move.

Exercise

It seems life is pointless and recovery progress is slow. A speech therapist teaches him to communicate: she recites the letters of the alphabet (the most frequently used letters first). Jean-Do blinks when the desired letter is said. The therapist will write it down and continue with the next letter. Soon a word will form, then sentences and paragraphs. This process is very slow and frustrating for Jean-Do who has to keep his eye open for the whole time - even when he naturally feels like blinking!

Repeated letters

This movie doesnt focus so much on the negative effects of locked-in syndrome, but more on his optimistic point of view. Jean-Do acknowledges that he still has his imagination and memories in tact and often uses these to escape reality.

Where should i go for dinner today?

he closes his eyes and imagines he's at a fancy restaurant dressed in his sleepwear. He is eating delicious food, then smiles at a pretty lady across the room. He signals for her to come over, and she does. He feeds her some oysters and drinks some wine. He says to her

"Fancy seeing you here.."

Jean-do's body in a 'diving bell' submerged under water, an image frequented in the movie, symbolises his physical state of immobility while butterfly images symbolise freedom in imagination and thoughts.

The viewer feels more comfortable with Jean-Do's ease of his condition and it is easier to see this movie as inspirational and comical. When pretty lady's are in his presence, he looks to their exposed flesh and we hear his naughty thoughts. its funny bceause these girls have no idea what his thinking.

Pretty Girls everywhere

In the 2 years that he suffered from lock-in syndrome, Jean-Do writes a book. The 'feminine' version of The Count of Monte Christo. It will take him 3hrs using the communication strategy of his therapist to write 1-1.5 pages. The book was published and 2 days after, he passed away from pneumonia. He dedicates the book to his three children, and wishes them:

Many butterflies

Its a touching story. I want to buy the book. But would i would i still buy it if it didnt have a happy ending? I realise people only want to hear about real issues if they have positive aspects to it. Sad but true. This is the fourth french movie i have seen and i will say that I love them. There is some kind of sweet charm to the french, i love the sound of the french language, and the gentle humour they seem to have. There is a touch of cheekiness, subtle and usually innocent. And when the topic is not so innocent, there is a twist that convinces you that it is. This kind of charming and cheeky humour makes me smile, unlike the 'laugh out loud' crude and 'in your face' humour of the Australians or English, or the immature 'not so funny' humour of the Americans. Four French Movies

1. The City of Lost Children
2. Tais-Toi
3. Amelie
4. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

I am now in love with the French and anyone who can speak French. I want to go back to Paris. French movies communicate that 'love knows no boundaries'. I associate my favourite french scenes with the gentle tickle of the autumn morning sun. I wish i wasnt so intimidated by the French when i was in Paris. I want to see the side of France that i see in the movies. I wish i was still in Paris.

Clearing my Mind

I don't sleep comfortably on my bed. It's a notable difference ever since i re-arranged my room the way i did. perhaps bad feng shui. last night i had a dream that one of my ex's sister pissed me off by cutting up my jeans. i wanted to kill her. i had a knife in my hands, and i swear to god i was doing a 'stabbing in the chest' motion in real life. i stabbed my pillow. i know i did.

so i moved my tables around. made more space to clear my mind. maybe now ill feel motiviated to start drawing.

i went wg's with mum. im pissed off because i went to the hair dressers today, they recommended that i buy this Kerastase product for my extremely damaged hair. it was gonna cost me $80+ dollars. and in Dubai, the hair dressers recommended that i buy the same product, except it was only gonna cost me $40 there. and i told him that was too expensive. argh!

anyways, i bought two Stella McCartney items today. a black bag, large, extremely light weight and collapsable, with gold studs for $19 down from $99. And a cream clutch with interesting Art Deco gold rimming also for $19 down from $69. the clutch is beautiful. i cant stop looking at it.

Black Stella McCartney Bag

$99 down to $19

Beautiful Stella McCartney Purse with Art Deco inspired gold edging $69 down to $19

i spent a fair long while in the library today collecting books of interest and inspiration. the books ranged from pattern/ornaments to DIY crafts to hanged prisoners in Australian prisons. I also borrowed 5 documentary DVDs on travel. i want to travel!!

it 2:07am. im gonna do sit ups instead of having a late night snack of salami. mmmm yum salami.

My Family Celebration

it was awesome. so much food, you wudn't believe. everyone was there, even 'luangpucde'. even my friends kathy + jason and phuong + josh came a bit later. Vman's final bday surprise came today. he woke me up at 11:30am and told me his brother and family are coming over. Ate Donna had baked me a cake, on vman's behalf, and wanted to assemble it here!

The cake was an Eiffel Tower, and indeed it towered. The cake was made of ube, icing and nata de coco. 7 layers all up! it was incredible work. You could tell by the weight of it, the complexity of the icing, the thickness and compact layers, and the intricate detailing of the Eiffel Tower exterior lines. This was indeed a work of art. There was even a small figurine of me at the bottom, complete with blonde hair, eyelashes, red lips, toes and fingers!

'Happy 21st Jen

Love Vince'

Seven layers of Ube and Coconut

Thick icing around it

Thats me

I still have the entire top half untouched and a few slices of the bottom. i must consume as much as i can.

Ate also baked me a cake. She offered to make a cake for me, i requested chocolate and coffee. On the day on the party she we had a conversation on the phone:

Ate: Don't expect it to look nice

Me: Don't worry Ate, as long as it taste good

Ate: I don't know if it tastes good..

Me: Oh, okay. As long as its chocolate and coffee then

Ate: .. coffee??

Me: ... as long as its chocolate then

haha! so there it was, it was just chocolate, and it was covered in chocolate swirls. It was very pretty and pleasant tasting - not too sweet, crumby or compact.

Dark and white chocolate swirls

My 21st cake

You know its a special occasion when there is lechon at your party. This was the first time in my 21 years of life that my parents have ordered a lechon. $300 for 37kgs, the meat was plenty, juicy and tender. It was so good and so big. Before all our guests arrived i was pigging out on the skin, which i kinda got full on. mmmm crunchy skin. I had the honour of cracking the lechon with a large knife, starting at the ass. The lechon was so big, we couldn't even get to half of it. We gave each family a large plate of lechon and still we had 5 large containers full of meat.

You can't see it here but I shoved a red apple in its

mouth for the sake of tradition

Everyone was enjoying the food,

including vman

The gang by the end of the night

After everyone went home, it was present time. =D

Phuong surprised me yet again with this inspiring little arty book. It was titled 'Jen11'. It listed 11 designers and artists around the world with the name of 'Jennifer'. This book was highly thoughtful and unique. I'll look at it whenever I feel like shit designer.

All my presents from my family

Din din, one of my cousins bought me this pink iPod Shuffle. Kathy, crazy kathy got me a hand full of presents, individually wrapped in red love heart paper and tied with metallic ribbon. Each present had a message hinting what could be inside. She made me wear a stupid pirate hat, apparently she's going to make it a habit since last year she got me a 'Thirst Aid' hat.

Pirate hat with Bling Bling ring (contrasting ideas)

worn whilst opening Kathy's presents

A lucky dip where I could have

EVERYTHING

'Hellllooo' *creepy voice*

Ironic for this present contained underwear

'Superman that hoe, now watch me YOUU!'

Kathy had written on the Lonsdale undies price tag

'Don't look at the prices!'

'These remind me of you'

Astro Boy Children's book and the

VB Can in the form of a coffee mug

'The original GN'

Wooden letter blocks for display

This is for when you go on your study tour

A walking tour of Paris and Paris PJ short shorts

@ ze movies

I hate going to the movies simply for the price of a movie ticket. remember the days when they used to be $5 every tuesday? now they are as high as $14.50 for a student ticket, $16+ for an adult and $19+ for a 3D movie ticket. fucking full of shit that is when u can rent 5 weekly dvd's for $6.95 at VideoEzy.

anyways, vince has always loved paying a rip for movie tickets so today i agreed to go. he was always raving on about watching Prince of Persia and Robin Hood in cinema. i have rejected this idea as a possibility until i found out Prince of Persia was directed by the same guys who did Pirates of the Caribeean. WOW! i love that movie. so off we went for the 7pm session at Village Cinemas, Sunshine.

we had to stop by for some toasted kebabs at Ballarat road 1st, then get some drinks at Safeway.

The movie started off good. Really suspensful and kept me on the edge of my seat, lifting my scarf to cover my eyes and mouth when the scary/violent parts were happening. but towards the middle i found the plot unbelieving. How and why would the young king believe Dust'an so easily after Dust'an was accused of killing their father?? and how and why would the princess fall in love with Dust'an within minutes of meeting him?? I wouldn't. he's not even that hot. i wish they got someone else to play the main character.

Overall the film was OKAY. but meh, i couldve waited for it to come on dvd.

Yesterday i spent 2hours+ in Borders, Melbourne Central reading up on France and London and searching for bargain books. I have learnt a couple of phrases in french:

• Good day - Bonjour
• Good evening - Bonsiour
• Please - Siv'il plea
• Mr./Miss - Misour/Madame

here are some facts i learnt yesterday about france:

• almost all businesses close from 12:30pm - 2:30pm for a lunch break
• 1AUD = 1euro
• a cost of one crossoint is 1.20euro
• the french find it arrogant of tourists who dont acknowledge the french language e.g. if you speak to them in english
• majority of french people are not vegiterians
• it is illegal to smoke in public
• it is highly recommended to book accommodation in advance when visiting Paris
• Gypsy pick-pocketers distract you while they take your belongings and tend to appear near tourist destinations like the Effiel Tower and the Lourve
• graveyards are regular walking places, almost like parks
• catching public transport into the city from the airport is much cheaper than catching a cab
• there are few nightclubs in Paris due to the tendency for people to have house parties
• Paris was 1st establised in the 13th century (i think) by a group of people called Parisii

i skimmed through 3 Paris travel books. i bought a book $3 titled 'Death and Celebrities' a true crime book telling the stories of celebrities backgrounds, families, successes and deaths. and a lonely planet book listing all the countries in the world complete with photographs, trademarks and a to-do list for $13.75 from $54.99 =D

Sheila

So steve wants me to blog about salsa. I dont understand why if my blog is so 'gay' in the first place.

Tita grace left for home today. i woke up at 840am to watch mum, tito boy, tita grace and tita cell pacing the floor downstairs. i watched from the stairs and leant sleepily on the rails while sheila just smiled at my drowsiness. today is the day i plan to take out sheila but 1st i must go back and get more sleep. i spent the whole night watching Taken, and a bit of Old Dogs and Sex in the City which i did not find interesting. i snuggled in my fluffy bed surrounded by puffy pillows until my alarm rudely woke me up at 10:10am. quickly got dressed pressured anio to hurry up! he was gonna come with me and sheila to the city.

we were meant to catch the 11.09am train from wg's but after much delay in getting ready we ended up catching the 11:30something from albion. Anio parked the car there and the 3 of us travelled to the city together. the weather was horrible, cold then windy, then it rained, and then the sun shone, and then this cycle was repeated the for the whole day. it confused me and sheila as we repeatedly took off and on our jackets.

our first destination was QV Market. it was the most ideal place for sheila to buy australian souvieners. i wasnt sure as to what the opening hours were on a wednesday, so we took the tram up anyway. it was closed. so we took a photo of the opening hours for our next visit.

We made our way to Melbourne Central by foot, where sheila spent the time comparing melbourne recommended retail prices and dubai recommended retail prices. apparently, here in melbourne we get ripped off hardcore. I took sheila to eat at my favourite Japanese resturant, Ito where we both had eel and rice. i dont really like eel, it felt crunchy in my mouth when i ate it. half way through i realised the eel had bones! what kind of eel has bones?? i thought they were spineless.. i divided the eel from my rice and continued eating the rice. i dont think ill be eating eel again. i dont like eating bones. sheila bought helps of australian souvieners from random shops on swanston street, and also a philosphy book in Metropolis.

Time went by quickly and it was time for salsa classes at Syn Bar. This will be my 2nd time, but sheila's first time. Vman did overtime at work an couldnt make it. this time we had to wear name tags, just for fun, sheila's read 'Jenn' and mine read 'Sheila'. if anyone was to ask, i would tell them i was from dubai, visiting my family for a cousin's wedding. Salsa lessons are so much fun. quite easy too. we danced with almost all the guys in the room (you had to). it's funny becoz there are guys there who think they are so pro with the salsa steps. i find it annoying how they swing my arms from right to left, please. i also find it cringeworthy when they try to improvise with their feet or dance steps, instead of stepping infront with their toes, they will step with heels and wiggle it a little.

No.

Bourke Street, Melbourne