No Middle Ground

          Three days before Clinton's graduation, the We Love Bankruptcy crew (there are only 3 of us) reunited at Namwan's for lunch and a Hannibal marathon. Well, it was originally planned out simple like that, but we ended up consuming hours by watching funny stuff on Youtube and our now favorite Pirate Radio too. It should also be mentioned that we spent a significant amount of the day indulging on imported chocolates, cuddling with Namwan's stuffed animal friends, and talking about our feels and the future - wow that sounded so girly... But okay, perhaps that was a very one sided description. We were watching Hannibal after all. And to clarify, we greatly admire the title character, a disturbing fact which led us to Googling "psychopathic traits" after there were no more episodes left to watch. In case you are curious, here's what we looked at:

If my memory serves me correct, we also crossed-referenced psychopathic traits with "professions". It was found then that I am most likely to be a psychopath out of the three of us... go figure. As with the stuffed animals, I have to note how misplaced they seemed in a room with metal band posters on the walls, screamo/rock music as ambiance, and three kids who look very questionable if seen outside together. And it so happens that Namwan, besides being into rock concerts, piercings, and shaving her head, is really talented at making cupcakes and has a stockpile of exotic chocolates. It also so happens that Clinton and I are talented at appreciating cupcakes and chocolates...
           The simple point I am trying to communicate is that the three of us are just very strange individuals. But that makes us so compatible as friends. We are actually very different if you take a step back and examine. We don't have the exact same music tastes. We each have a different preference for cute animal characters. We excel at different things. We look nothing like each other. We don't all have the same chances of being a psychopath - ha! But it's the commonality of being quirky and not what society expects that brings us together to celebrate cannibalistic entertainment, soft plush toys, and no middle ground. 

And now I hand it over to photography:

This is what I call Yin Yang.

Three's a party.

Party Playlist

One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other.jpeg
^actual file name

No party is complete without a Totoro, right?

Polaroids From My Recent Return To ICS

In threes.

My Feels Over The Phantom of the Opera, Last Night in Bangkok

NO SPOILERS, don't worry.

          I expected the show to captivate - as the telling of the story of the Phantom always does - but not surprise me since I am so familiar with both the story and the stage adaptation. But literally 10 minutes into the 3 hour opera, my emotions found a loophole in my certainty. Before there was even enough story to be affected by, the opening score gave me pangs of nostalgia for the years in middle school and high school that I was Phantom-obsessed. Understandably because of the inescapable impact of the symphony, the first thing I was reminded of was playing the Phantom medley in school band concerts a little more than once. I remember having so much joy in practicing what was really a simple, simple percussion part because as a whole the piece sounded so epic, so dynamic, and I was a part of the makings. I thought about the people I used to discuss or sing Phantom with. Jinsol. Nina. Richelle. Nathan. Kestrel. Mostly band geeks like me. I remembered buying the VDC of the movie (yes, it was back in those times) and watching it twice when I got home. I remembered the soundtrack of Phantom being permanent items in my mp3 player. I remembered being amazed, lying in bed at late hours, by how much additional thrill the original book could offer. I remembered the first and only choice that came to mind when Auntie Fumiko asked me what show I wanted to watch in Vegas. And lastly, I suddenly remembered how at 14 years old, watching the Phantom of the Opera live for the first time, that my breath was taken away just as early on at this very part.   

         For the rest of the show, I continued to be at disbelief at how despite knowing what enchanting effects, stunning choreography, and comedy sketches were coming up (and how sleep deprived I was at the time) I remained at the edge, and even barely, of my seat with eyes wide open. By the end, I was standing with my eyes were bulging from an extra layer of salty water. Not from sadness. Or happiness. But from how beautiful the entire composition of live sound, images, and motion was. And the beauty of appreciation ringing through the Rachadalai Theater Hall. 

I wonder how many more times I have to have this experience before I feel like "I've seen it all". 

But I hope the number is infinite. 

  "Softly, deftly, music shall caress you.

Hear it, feel it secretly possess you.

Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind,

In this darkness that you know you cannot fight.

The darkness of the music of the night."

COMING SOON: "No Middle Ground"

Officially one day in... my summer's pretty awesome so far.

Stay tuned. =]

What to do with Excess Safety Pins, Stretchy String, and Mismatched Beads

So if you have these:

Around 50 safety pins of the same size
About 1.5 feet of stretchy string
And a whole lot of beads

Then you can make this:

Optional Step 1: Dye The Safety Pins

Look through your vandalism stash for a can of black spray paint (or a color of your choice).
Go outside and protect the floor by laying out some newspaper.
Spread out the safety pins on the protected area.

SPRAY EM! (Don't forget to wait a bit for one side to dry and then flip all the pins over and spray the other side.)

Step 2: Bead the Pins

Once the paint is completely dry, adorn each pin with beads by "threading" beads through the sharp point.

Step 3: String the Beaded Pins (The Slightly Complicated Part)

After every pin has been fancied up to your liking, it's time to string them.
Each pin is strung through the clasp and the loop.
Make sure each pin's beaded side is facing the same direction but that clasp/loop orientation alternates between pins.
It is recommended that you begin at the center of the string...
Important: don't stretch the string. Leave enough stretching potential between each pin.
Tip: if you struggle with stringing through the clasp (as I did), string through the hollow section of the pin first and then drag the string into the clasp... you'll get it.

Step 4: Tie Up

In my excitement over finishing up the bracelet, I forgot to photograph this step, so bare with me. 
After you've strung all your pins (and checked if the length makes a good circumference for your wrist), 
tie up the two ends of the stretchy string separately to the their respective beginning points.
Double knot the two knots. Chop off the excess string. 

If you're successful, you should end up with something like this:

Step 5:...Wear Fashionably.

Peace.