I'M AT THE FASHION PARTY

I recently met my step sister. She is 21 and a model for some agency in Manila and I was invited to hangout with her for some super crazy fashion show for a new mall. Apparently they broke a world record for "most models in a fashion show" or something along those lines by having 300 models of all sorts display the products and merchandise of the various clothing stores that inhabited the newfound emporium.

After about an hour of wandering through the mall, passing by all sorts of different people who definitely looked like they had something to do with something I think is called fashion, I met up with my sister and she took me behind a large holding area in the middle of the mall for all the living, breathing, manequins that would be walking in an hour or two. It was crowded to say the least, and cursed with a lack of seats for all the shuffling and moving bodies back and forth from stylings and make up and bathroom breaks and other stuff I would assume to being associated with the model lifestyle. 

There was this girl who was signed to the same agency as my sister and they chatted a bit after just meeting, stuff about "what's the pay" and other girly stuff I wasn't too keen on. I found myself a seat on a plastic table and did what I did best in situations where I'm surrounded by an abundance of strangers, immediately inserted my headphones and went straight to the djay app on my iphone and proceeded to turn up. 

I must make note of several observations that I made however, first how incredibly awkward the whole fashion and model scene is, at least to me. This is from someone who you could say, appreciates "fashion" and things of that nature but I believe it to be more of a byproduct of the value I put into things with good aesthetic execution. The whole concept of a bunch of people gathering to show off how "fashionable" they are and more importantly the fact that these people must consciously acknowledge what they're doing seems so cripplingly awkward. It just appears a kind of ironic and funny theatre in which the whole idea is to look cool but how cool can you really be by trying to look cool? 

Also the variety of models they had was insane, they had children, european models, asian models, exotic looking models, borderline (or just straight) anorexic looking models, gay guys, probably straight guys, and then straight guys (I would assume). Well they needed 300 so I suppose the amount of variety is not surprising and there definitely were some very beautiful ladiez in da house. 

And as I sat in the chair, I would sometimes stop listening music to read my new book (Oblivion by David Foster Wallace a book of short stories) and I was unpleasantly close to these guys that had come to sit next to me. I was informed that they were male models form the same agency my sister is in. They were styled horrendously, I recall a sweater and a collared shirt with some rolled up pants and some retarded colored loafers that I had no idea why people still think are cool. 

DU WEARING LOAFERS?

Anywho, about after an hour and a half, most of the chairs in the holding zone had been cleared as most of the models had made their way to the main stage to part take in the record breaking event, it was finally my sister and her stores turn to walk, so they made their way to the stage as I followed. It was outside of the mall in some sort of a gated surrounded by tons of people trying to get a glimpse into the exclusive fashion scene of Manila which looked like this.

What happened after was probably the most unintentionally funny thing I've seen in a while. Amongst the fervor of people strutting on stage (showing off all sorts of clothes, sportswear, menswear, womenswear, childrenswear, hip hop ware, and douchebag ware)  the people who organized this event thought it would be a good idea hire a singer who proceeded to do acoustic songs as well as really below average pop songs and I didn't know his name nor did I care to but he seemed like he was doing his thing and enjoying it. Watching the outfits and models (some of whom obviously were doing the first time in their lives) was hysterical  and just thinking about what others think about as being stylish and of good taste is frustrating and comical. I don't say that condescendingly but just as a point to think about when it comes to different cultures and styles of thinking and how it changes how you behave. I mean the same things I thought were terrible are the same things others behold to be relevant and stylish. This is often something I seem to be dealing with but I'll perhaps write about it another time. 

TODAY I ATE DUMPLINGS AND LOOKED AT BOOKS.

Not even a fan of the whole dim sum scene to be honest, but I can properly devour about 30 of these if given the chance. Soup dumplings are the wave and if anyone tells you otherwise ignore them and push them into a bush if possible.

Then I went to the book store and saw a large book with Mini Homes encircled in a white line and was definitely vibing with it at that point. So I pick it up and settle in at the nearest sitting sitting device I can find (a small chair). It could be said that I have amongst my many obsessions, a particular interest in micro and functional living environments that are efficient and aesthetically worthwhile at the same time. Definitely adding this to my "books to buy in the future in the event I own a coffee table" list.

I'VE BIG UPPED NINJA TUNE ENOUGH

IMA READ

So I read a few books recently. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time is about a 15 year old autistic nigga in the trap out in the UK area just tryna make it (he wants to be an astronaut and pass advanced courses). The unique thing about this book is that it's written in the 1st person through a kid who is devoid of what many of us find to have at all times. Things like articulation of emotions and complex human relationships this boy cannot grasp. He makes up for this with his incredibly enhanced command of logic and understanding the world through facts and reasoning. So you get to see how he sees the world and the awkward situations that those traits might bring.

It's supposed to be a mystery book, which is one of the reasons I bought it because I usually don't enjoy reading fiction (in fact this has been the first fiction book I have bought or even read in quite a few years I reckon) and I had encountered it before in my senior english class in high school but never got the chance to read it but the premise sounded intriguing and when I flipped through it had a whole bunch of pictures and diagrams which I was thought was keen to being a fun and refreshing reading experience. They merely serve however to illustrate and help communicate what the boy is seeing in his mind.

By the middle however it become obvious that it's not really a mystery, more so a book on how complicated and fragile human emotions can be and how weird and laughable it might seem from an objective point of view. Overall however, it was a decent and short read. Definitely had some funny bits and heart touching moments towards the end and is quite an active reading process in terms of just comprehending the way the boy is comprehending and comprehending that comprehension.

Conveniently enough Blink by Malcom Gladwell includes a section about how Autistic people can't perceive human relations rapidly (or even at all) and focus on entirely different things when observing humans interact. This is what the whole book is about, the ability that your unconscious brain in funneling in information and making decisions based off that gathered information. It highlights the power that you brain has in taking tons of data at once and quickly sorting it all out unconsciously and, and how at times it can be used to your advantage or detriment. This is quite a good read I must say, having lost his other best selling book The Tipping Point about 3/4 of the way through reading it when I was in Thailand I'm a big fan. Luckily I had this book in case and it turned about to be truly fascinating.

Malcom Gladwell is a fantastic writer and does a great job using real stories and scientific studies that help display the lessons he has to offer about an extremely valuable capability that our brains possess and how we can tweak our environments to foster it. Definitely a must read for anyone interested in the mysteries of how our brains operate.

#ART

Album art is interesting to me. One of my best friend thinks he's a rapper and asked me to make a cover for one of his mixtapes (that hasn't been released yet) so I made a few. This is one that he didn't like but I rather enjoyed making. I think interpreting a body of music and expressing it visually through text and other things is fascinating and I can always become a recluse and make album art for albums that don't exist or ones that already have it.

Below is a photo of above mentioned rapper taken by me with other stuff I did in photoshop.

Last night I had dinner with my dad and a friend of his and his wife at a chinese restaurant known for their use of utilizing the hand pulled style of noodle making at a mall. I should provide some back story I suppose. My dad is quite an interesting character, having been born in Beijing but moving to Taiwan when he was 3, then moving to California when he was about 13 and then going on to graduate from Cornell and then to joining the army. What is interesting for me to observe is his strong bond with his Chinese heritage. I haven't lived with my dad in about 3 or 4 years so watching him speak chinese reminded me just how he loves and feels chinese culture is a part of him.

Just seeing him articulate things in chinese you can tell he is content, the hand motions the passion in which it is spoken in is something I perhaps have missed or have forgotten. The Chinese culture is quite fascinating too, in that it's very traditional and rooted in long standing beliefs and principals. It is a culture that values honor and manners and serving tea to everyone before yourself and paying for the bill and things of that nature. The language itself is also very traditional, being written in characters and is incredibly elegant I would say. Sometimes I can imagine being transported back to a setting not too different from movies such as Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and so on.

The reason I am typing all this is because I am supposed to be going to Taiwan next month, only having been there once before maybe when I was about 6 or so. I still have some vivid memories of spending a summer there, including raising an abandoned duckling for a few days until it died mysteriously while I was taking a nap in the afternoon, and getting attacked by wasps who located a nest conveniently next to our window.

The video above is something is a mini series being done on vice hosted by chef and writer Eddie Huang as he visits Taiwan. In this concluding episode he is shown with his dad as they eat a meal and visit the ashes of his grandfather (respect for the dead is quite significant in chinese culture). I quite envy the relationship between Eddie and his father and the comfort that exists between them. It's quite enjoyable to watch.

I think I'm just writing this as all this stuff seems relevant in my head, and hopefully I'll get in touch with the chinese side of me when visiting Taiwan and maybe even re learn to speak mandarin which I learned as a kid growing up.

DRAKE SUCKS

FOOD VIBES

I'm a big fan of vice and a lot of the video series that they put out. I'm also a big fan of all things food and culinary and for a while now I've had the idea, if everything hit the fan and I had to drop off the face of the earth I would travel europe learning how to cook and work in restaurants. Maybe the answer to this culinary gene stems from my upbringing in a restaurant environment that my dad owned in San Francisco embarcadero financial district. I remember wandering around the kitchen stealing food and making my own little creations out of the ingredients they had (Throw away focaccia crusts with pesto mayo and cucumbers plus freshly made croutons before they were baked were amongst my favorites).

So growing up I was always watching the Food Network in it's prime, I'm talking the original Japanese Iron Chef and Emril Legasse and Alton Brown. Anthony Bourdain has become somewhat of an inspiration and just an individual I admire in terms of philosophy and humor . I have yet to read his book but I've heard him talk about and it just sounds like fun. Joining a restaurant was for the misfits and for people that couldn't get work anywhere else.

Cooking is also such a invaluable tool in terms of living a balanced and enhanced lifestyle, I think the ability to cook someone a good meal with any sort of ingredients just because you know how to cook is a nice thing and I can't count the number of good meals I've had from people. So one day I'd like to maybe find work at a restaurant, maybe start some sort of culinary micro portable food station, and learn how to prepare tasty items of sustenance.

In the video above is a couple of restaurant owners in brooklyn showing you their daily routine which to me seems very noble. Working to feed others good food and enjoying yourself at night with the good food of others just seems like such a vibe to me.

CHANEL CHORTY

Anniken from Richard Eriksen on Vimeo.

GAKKEN from Richard Eriksen on Vimeo.

WORK THE MIDDLE

sk8

Blue Line (extended) from Brian Lotti on Vimeo.

BLACK IS THE NEW BLACK

HYPEBEAST WE KNOW ABOUT YA

TNF

Over the past month or so, I have acquired several items from the outdoor brand The North Face. I'm quite fond of them as a company, and I take joy in a lot of the products that they make. I have somewhat of a micro obsession with staying prepared and having functional equipment on me (which stems from my style mantra of functional aesthetic dominance). Here are is a bum bag (UK slang) that has proven quite useful during travels.

Quite useful for storing things such as notebooks, maps, film rolls, writing utensils, and other things. There's a main zipper in the front (as displayed) as well as a zipper in the back which is useful for keeping important things such as your passport and fake ID's.

These are liner gloves which are useful for insulation and I assume they can be worn beneath The North Face's more rugged and weatherproof gloves. I quite like them because they are simple, but the North Face logo is subtle but still aesthetically pleasing. These are useful for any sort of nippy environment, and I personally found them handy on airplanes and other overly air conditioned environments.

NOT TRAP

LET ME PUT A SINGLE RIGHT IN BETWEEN MA

THANKSGIVING

In the spirit of the holiday and in attempt to become relevant here is a list of things I am thankful for in no particular order. Traveling the world has put things into interesting context.

• Running water
• WiFi
• The internet in general
• Hot water
• Electricity
• Soft bedding
• Friends & Family (duh)
• Having a place to call home
• Air conditioning 
• Hospitals

I hope you all have good holidays. 

MUSIC 2 BACKPACK 2

Below is a sample of music that occupied my ears during my 30 days journey in Thailand
+ Cam's Purple Haze album as well as this mix by Cedaa

AITOR

One of my favorite designers of the past few years has been Manchester's Aitor Throup. His work is absolutely fascinating and I enjoy observing the universe that he has created for it. Aside from his incredibly unique and innovative clothing line, I'm obsessed with the sketches and illustrations that he does. His style is absolutely all his own. Observing sketches from artists is a favorite of mind as it helps to define the artistic vibes that exist in their minds. Aitor's are quite exceptional.

They can all be viewed here. 

~

Around a year or so ago I had long hair. It was pretty wavy I must say and I've been in the mood lately to grow it back. I've been quite fond of jun takahashi's style. Hopefully I'll be have some length in a few months.

(here are a few images illustrating that period of my life)

(me at a christmas dinner with my sister in seattle)

(me with one of my best friends sitting next to his bunk bed)

GUCCI FOR LRG

As far as streetwear goes LRG is probably at the lowest echelon, however I must say their new lookbook for their collaboration with Gucci Mane is quite entertaining (for obvious reasons).

(eating)

(fishing)

(pondering)

clothes

some past things I've worn over the months.
as you can see I only have 1 pair of pants..

THAILAND 2

tunes

A few I've been enjoying as of late.

'

THAILAND

I recently went on a 30 day trip through Thailand. Here are some photos from that experience.

the rest of the photos can be viewed on my flickr