Maria Celina

Story Design: Life of Pi (2001)

Maria Celina — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:57:30 +0000

Design in Books

This post may contain spoilers and large images that may compromise slower internet connections. This post also contains disturbing images of blood and gore in illustrated form. Read at your own discretion.

Just recently, I started examining the aesthetics of books. From cover and sleeve design, typography, book binding, page spacing, and the many other elements make up the art of book design. Rather, the elements of story design, particularly when including creative interpretations of certain extracts of a plot.

Doing a bunch of story design jotter posts is an idea I’ve been entertaining for a while. I particularly enjoyed the process of compiling design samples for the inspiration posts I’ve written so far, and I would like to extend that effort to other disciplines wherein design has intimate involvement. For the first post of this series, I plan to start off with one of my favourite books of all time, Yann Martel’s Life of Pi.

Existing Book Cover Designs

The most popular cover design is the first edition illustrated by Andy Bridge: blue, offering an aerial view of the sea, the lifeboat, and the title character(s) occupying polar ends of the device. Some may have orange spines and some are solid blue. I own the orange-spined paperback edition, and it also has discussion questions at the back, presumably for academic use. When the book was re-printed and re-hashed into illustrative form, a series of new cover designs have emerged.

Both of the above covers incorporate symmetry to a large extent. If I dare analyse the design, the symmetry could be associated with the novel’s use of allegories in tandem with the literal — two ways of presenting the same story. Using allegories — something Martel is familiar — is his way of daring the reader to pick “the better story”.

Below is a book cover design that has broken away from the mould of symmetry, the cover of the illustrated version. Unfortunately, I could not find an image of the entire spread. I would have liked to see how the rest of the cover appears.

The Life of Pi Illustrated Version

Published in late 2007, the illustrated version of the novel showcases a brilliant balance of typography, texture, and colour. After taking a glimpse at the visuals created by Croatian freelance artist Tomislav Torjanac, The ‘Life of Pi’ Illustrated Edition became a quick personal wishlist item. Torjanac’s style is wispy yet rich in texture and colour. It is a technique apt for such a vibrant story.

An outstanding trait in the above illustrations is that Torjanac paints in an empathetical manner, adhering to the first person narrative of the novel. The scenes are painted from the eyes of title character Piscine “Pi” Molitor Patel, keeping the reader to focused on Pi’s perspective alone. Neither his face nor explicit descriptions of his appearance are shown, save for indications of a dark complexion and lean build betrayed by the occasional limb.

Yann Martel’s Life of Pi by Tomer Hanuka

New York-based cartoonist and illustrator Tomer Hanuka is one of the shortlisted candidates in a competition Martel held in order to find an artist for the illustrated version of Life of Pi. The competition, which took place several years ago, entailed $10,000 and potential royalties, something that winner Tomislav Torjanac (see previous) managed to avail.

Hanuka’s works are detailed and bright, yet maintain a distinctive colour scheme with each work. The subjects are drawn with such fluidity, almost moving that they seem to almost float off the page.

Pi by Joanna Barnum

Those who are of pastel persuasion may be able to appreciate the following piece. Maryland-based illustrator Joanna Barnum interprets the scene a young Pi Patel running among the cages of his zoo home at Pondicherry, India.

The giraffes, deer, bison, flamingos, peacock, and hippopotamus are delicately brushed with spots of watercolour, resulting in a dream-like atmosphere. The golden hues are particularly striking. It is a quality appropriate for the title character’s brokenness towards the end of the novel when trying to remember the India he and his family left behind as well as the childhood that gradually fades from his memory.

Re-Hashed Book Cover Designs

Should there be another re-print in the future, the internet is teeming with artists and designers equipped with brilliant ideas for cover design proposals. One of my favourites is from graphic designer Chelsey Scheffe. Scheffe presents sleek minimalism in her book cover design: white with a tiger illustrated in black. Classic. Elegant.

The following two cover designs — student projects at the time they were made — incorporate a seamless concept, save for the line depicting the location of the spine. The lower left book cover’s illustration marries the typography to the Richard Parker’s stripes in such a graceful manner. The tiger is also portrayed to be the stronger figure in contrast to Pi’s slumped, submissive posture. The boat is seen as the constant subject that carries through the back to the front cover.

On the lower right book cover, the sea is seamless, and the line marks of the cover’s illustration resemble that of an engraving or screen-print.

Why I Love Life of Pi

I bought Yann Martel’s 2001 novel about six or seven years ago at the prompting of a friend, who said it is a book that will “make you believe in God”. It was quite hard for me to believe that a story about a 16-year-old Indian boy, who finds himself trapped in a lifeboat for almost a year with a hyena, orangutan, Bengal tiger, and zebra with a broken leg, would strengthen my belief in God — unless he survives. (He does.) Later I learned the claim of Life of Pi being a faith-reinforcing story had been repeated from a book review from a renowned publication, but never mind.

Reading it initially had little effect on my belief in God, but in terms of its story, I was immediately blown away. I have probably read the novel about a hundred times, and every time I pick it up, I experience the it in a different way. During my college years, I kept the book under my pillow as my personal safety blanket, and gradually took to the tell-tale God element referenced by that book review.

I have discussed Life of Pi with people, and have encountered a handful who weren’t fond of it. Fair enough. The extreme detail in describing the mundane routine of a boy stranded at sea can be a taxing read, but aside from it being part of Yann Martel’s writing style, I feel the overload serves a purpose beyond literal. Written in first person, bits about tying ropes and adjusting the lifeboat’s tarpaulins is Pi’s way of avoiding complete insanity. Such jarring loneliness can send anyone into a frenzy. Besides getting strength from the three faiths that he practises at once, I don’t think Pi would survive otherwise.

Another thing I learned upon picking up Life of Pi is that Canadian author Yann Martel is an adult third cultured kid. Born in Spain, he grew up in North America, South America, and Europe, and as an adult, spent time in Turkey, Iran, and India — the latter providing the experience to conceive the initial workings of Life of Pi. Martel’s own background inspired the cultural exposure for title character Piscine Molitor Patel. Being an adult third cultured kid myself, I found personal joy in seeing that most of the story takes place at sea, a place unbound by the confines of national borders.

Unrelated: 2010 Eid ul-Fitr Vacation

From tonight up until the 14th of this month, I will be on holiday. I suspect that I may not be doing anything of incident — a good thing, mind you. Many things happened during this year, and I could use a temporary plateau in happenings. But I do hope to use some the ten to eleven days to catch up on reading, watching films, listening to good music, and looking out for design inspirations as substantial content for jotter posts upon my return. Those who wish to contact me, I will have online access, though kindly be patient, as I will not be answering website-related emails until I come back.

To all Muslims celebrating the month of Ramadhan, I would like to extend a happy and blessed Eid in advance.

(All images are credited to their respective owners. Click on any image to go to its source.)

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Comedy with A Cause

Maria Celina — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:59:58 +0000

Humour and Laughter

I firmly believe that while laughter is universal, humour is not. Those in the field of medicine can correct me if I am wrong, but laughter seems to be a physiological reaction to something funny, a condition mostly inherent in humans. The question lies in what exactly is the trigger — hence, humour — behind the reaction. In fact, I would put it right up there with cohabitation and traveling to a foreign place as effective ways of gauging one’s true character. The latter sentiment that may or may not be shared by others, depending on one’s level of exposure and liberalism. Or lack thereof.

The type of humour I enjoy is an amalgamation of absurdism, pop-culture references, irony, and puns. Yes, I’m a punisher. (Wahey!) But it is irony that made me deduce the universality of laughter, and not of humour. Some time ago, I browsed through a Catechism booklet written contextually and comprehensively in a level directed for children. Having grown up Catholic, there was very little surprise to me with regards to its contents. Whether or not I found my personal beliefs to align with that of the Church (Read: I’m rather liberal.), I amused myself with the hand-drawn illustrations that flanked every page. Then, I reached the part that stated irony to be a sin. I paused at that page. I disagreed, every moment of disagreement being all the more vehement. It bothered me greatly.

Irony, a form of expression that veers from the literal, involves an extra ounce of thinking in order to grasp. When funny, it is a form of intelligent humour. Those who appreciate its art know how to read into the humour at just the right depth without falling into either trap of overanalyst or fundamentalist interpretation. I shall refrain from stating where the book was written and published, but the illustrations and examples in the booklet catered solely to a culture that does not use much irony in its collective humour. To me, I feel it is the “foreign” impression and misunderstood notions of irony felt by the writers of that booklet that led it to be wrongly demonised. After all, Catholicism is a religion that reaches many parts of the world, including devotees coming from cultures that do see irony as a social reality. As sad as it is, it’s easier to fear what we don’t understand.

Cultural Humour

Having a third cultured upbringing makes one develop an extra sensitivity to people, the fear of offending in tandem with the endless fascination with one’s personal history. Things like death and separation are approached delicately, and as much as possible, not conjured in public discussion. Even in private discussions, that sensitivity is still present. It is an unspoken code, seldom written down but adhered to with the loyalty akin to that of a gladiator.

But within a close circle of diverse personalities, there are times when a certain understanding has been established. It is an understanding that grants the allowance to poke fun at certain aspects of someone, but in a playful and endearing manner. It is no coincidence these people who have such an understanding are also intelligent enough to know how to make fun of themselves. It’s a special bond, or a complicated type of agreement that cannot easily be formed with just anybody. It is also difficult to explain in words.

In the name of explaining this unique understanding, I have compiled a list of YouTube videos of comedians who focus on culture-related issues. Cultural comedy is one of my favourite types of funny. A prime example would be Russell Peters, but I wanted to focus on the other names within that particular comedic ilk. Ranging from recollections of childhood experiences to humour that makes one ruminate long after the punchlines, light-hearted in character or appeals to extra sensitivity to issues, it is comedy with a cause.

Omid Djalili: The “Hasan” Game

If one isn’t familiar with his name right off the bat, it is understandable. But I am sure a barrage of memories and laughter would return if I were to mention that British-born Iranian Omid Djalili portrayed Gad Hassan, one of the central villains in first installment of “The Mummy” back in 1999. For further recollection, Gad Hassan is the constant butt of jokes, particularly at the mercy of Brendan Fraser’s character.

This actor is also an accomplished stand-up comedian, with a show to his own name. The following segment, entitled “The ‘Hasan’ Game”, is taken from one of Djalili’s stand-up bits. He recalls one of the most embarrassing moments he experienced when with his father and uncle when partaking in a tradition specific to his family.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiQwLd4fiGQ

Not only is this five-minute segment brilliantly animated by Djalili’s trademark voices and facial expressions, but with the hilarious absurdity of it all, it is hard to believe the experience — though surely heightened for comedic effect — is based off something real.

Adam Hills: On Language

In this segment, Australian comedian Adam Hills recalls an experience ride a train from London to Paris. Being one of the few people in the train who speaks English, he overhears an English woman speak on her mobile phone, and realises how foreign the language sounds to people who do not speak it natively. He proceeds to make what I believe is hilarious and spot-on impressions of various accents.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kcv8tXZKrqk

What I like about Hills’ comedic style — aside from, ahem, being physically attractive — is that based on his many travels, he touches upon social issues that are in dire need of addressing. He calls bluffs or corrects misshapen thinking. For some of his shows, he has been known to have a sign language interpreter with him onstage as an effort to accommodate both the deaf and the hearing. Hills is a man who builds bridges.

In fact, there is a strong underlying message in his imitation of accents. It is that the concept of foreignness is a matter of perspective. The intensity of feeling foreign depends on where one is and how one feels, and whether one finds being the “different one” a comfort or a burden. For many with a third cultured upbringing, the foreign feeling is pretty much a safety blanket, for it is repatriation that some find profoundly frightening.

Steve Hofstetter: Racism

To echo the sentiment of one of the comments: cerebral humour, this one. New York-born columnist, author, and comedian Steve Hofstetter touches on the futility of racism. While it is true that we all have our own prejudices, Hofstetter focuses on the bigger picture.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkQNRSFTGKs

His deadpan delivery is genius. Whether not we have an adopted sibling of a different race, Hoffsteter points out that the true eradication of racism does not start with censorship of shameful phrases, but rather with the awareness and education to choose the better and dignified path.

Rhod Gilbert: Luggage

When I first happened upon this Welsh comedian, I had no idea who he was, yet my midsection ached from laughing so hard at this sketch. Modified in accordance to the location of his shows, the following segment parodies the frustrations undergone by a traveler when they lose or receive mangled luggage. His frustrated style is charming, because it is intellectual, descriptive, and… okay, sometimes crass.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OISGykO6Z7U

In fact, if I were to pick between him and Lewis Black, another comedian who I believe incorporates a rather similar style, I prefer Rhod Gilbert. His articulations when building up a joke is much like that of the lost art of traditional storytelling, images practically coming alive. Besides, Lewis Black constantly looks like he’s approaching a heart attack at every comedy session, and I fear the very day he does actually keel over.

Jotter with A Cause

The too many recent unfortunate events that have unfolded had me ruminating the existence and the damaging effects of racial, religious, and ethnic hatred. For the most part, I kept most of my comments away from social media outlets, but have discussed them at some length with some of my contemporaries — in particular, fellow adult third culture kids. It brought out the third cultured sensitivity — third culture kids technically a minority in itself — seeing groups of people being targeted for being different or are seen as guilty by association. That being said, the one recent event that is closest to home for me would be the Ground Zero controversy in New York.

I was born and raised in a country with a large Muslim population. I grew up seeing churches built next to or across from mosques, and on special occasions, seeing the other provide extra parking for the devotees during feast days and special events. I’ve been included in fast breaking meals during the holy month of Ramadhan, and I do the same by inviting them over during Easter and Christmas. My friends and I give each other greetings during the appropriate times of the year, and we all mourned, unspecific of creed, when New York was attacked in September 2001. As a Catholic, I have long admired the humility of my Muslim sisters and brothers, and I try to incorporate it into the way I live my own life. Reading news of a Protestant church planning to burn the Islam’s holy text in commemoration of 9/11 makes me sick. It is barbaric, too, considering it is currently the holy month. We should overcome the myopic effect of hate, and I firmly believe the moral bankruptcy of a small group of people do not reflect the community — and humanity — as a whole.

What gives me a glimmer of hope is that the previously mentioned fundamentalist group do not represent the sentiments of the general Protestant — and Christian — population. We’re not all soulless cretins, and I’d like to believe that humanity is still inherently good, and the good can be exercised when we are made aware. We just need reminding now and then.

What About You?

What type of humour do you enjoy? Do you believe irony is a sin? Feel free to plug any videos or pages of funnies, and let us unite in the good name of healthy laughter.

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The Swan Thieves (2010)

Maria Celina — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:01:15 +0000

Rating: ★★½☆☆

This post may contain spoilers. Read at your own discretion.

Overview

In spite of my flagrant disdain for anything Stephenie Meyer has conceived with a pen, American author Elizabeth Kostova is probably the only living author wherein I am willing to view the classic figures of the undead world with modern lens. It is through her debut novel, The Historian. I’d like to note that one of my problems with Meyer lies in her fluffing the undead, rather than the undead themselves. After all, two of my favourite works of classic literature is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I like the former for its exploration of human engineering — a value much maligned by my religious upbringing — and remember being thrilled when finding a copy of the 1818 text in a used bookstore in Singapore. I also like the latter, because of the unrelenting imagery of the horror novel it is, while also fascinating. Edgar Allen Poe, too. Whether or not they were immediate sensations during their times of release would hold for an entirely different dialogue, and to be fair, it does open a similar question to the Twilight saga.

Five years after the release of her first novel of The Historian, Elizabeth Kostova reveals her second novel in the beginning of the year 2010. I generally enjoyed Kostova’s first project, and was thrilled to hear that The Swan Thieves does not neglect the inclusion of various formulae apparent in The Historian. It also spotlights art, one of my passions. Instead of fraternising with the lore of Count Dracula, The Swan Thieves tackles another type of immortality: the timelessness behind certain works of art and one man’s obsession with painted beauty.

Storyline

Psychiatrist and painting hobbyist Dr. Andrew Marlow is an ageing bachelor during the time he receives an unusual case from his colleague, Dr. John Garcia. Marlow, who admits having admiration for Garcia aside from working alongside each other in Goldengrove, is slightly puzzled when Garcia defers the case to his care. According to Garcia, it is due to a creative commonality between he and the patient. The patient is Robert Oliver, a well-known artist recently arrested for attacking a painting with a knife in the National Gallery of Art. When apprehended, he is cooperative with authorities, even so when admitted to Goldengrove. No formal charges were to be made for his outburst, because there is no evidence of harboured intentions to cause bodily harm. However, Oliver remains under the care of Goldengrove. Brutishly and silent, it is clear something is amiss, and in order to repair his mental state, Marlow needs to deduce the motive behind such an unusual interlude.

Up until this point, Marlow has long been accustomed to a life in which he is in control. He is successful in his medical profession, can coax conversation from a stone, and is able to provide himself regular intervals in which he can devote to painting. He confesses to being a naturally atheistic product of two religious parents, an individual who gravitates to the visibility of science and fortunate to have their approval. One cannot deny his life is blessed with order. But the price of such a balance is the tell-tale isolation that is often associated with artists, a path that paves the way so easily to loneliness. Marlow admits his bachelorhood no longer appears to be any more glaring a reality to him than any other day. Instead of single, he considers himself unmarried.

The painting in which Oliver is standing near when he is arrested is “Leda” by Gilbert Thomas. Leda encounters the Greek god Zeus, who pursues her in the form of a swan, and the painting is a traditionalist depiction of their sexual encounter. Although Garcia does not bother to make further enquiries about the details of the painting that had been attacked, Marlow’s attention quickly diverts to Thomas’ work, studying it during a visit to the National Gallery of Art, in order to pick up a clue or two from subtle hints of its history.

Marlow’s increasing curiosity — and later, attachment — towards the case moves him away from his sensible life and onto a mission to give Oliver the chance of another shot at his own. Retrieving old letters written in French from Oliver, Marlow reads of an affair and later blackmailing incident between young Impressionist painter Béatrice de Clerval and her husband’s uncle, Olivier Vignot. He loses himself in a world of languages, translations, art works, painting techniques, and the anguish of those who know and knew Oliver in order to grant him a voice to quench his silence. Granting Oliver his much-needed gift would eventually be reciprocated, and Marlow is presented with a new order to his own life, an opportunity he would never think to ever be within his reach.

Verdict

The Swan Thieves is almost six hundred pages thick, and the two stories felt so disconnected they may as well have been entirely separate novels. As much as I respect Elizabeth Kostova as a writer, I am sad to report that I reached the back cover unsatisfied.

The modern tale involving Dr. Andrew Marlow and crew far outweighs the thought given to the olden written correspondence outlining the affair between young Béatrice de Clerval and treacherous Olivier Vignot. A pity, because the two stories individually hold much potential as concepts. However, the failure to launch is not foreign in Kostova’s works. A grand plot build-up leading to a botched ending is a complaint I commonly hear, and the written substance that is supposed to hold The Swan Thieves together leaves a bit to be desired.

Fortunately, it’s not all bad. What Kostova lacks in the weight of words compensates in the beautiful tapestry that is her construction of fictional souls. Character-wise, Kostova outlined figures almost as three-dimensional as what is said of Robert Oliver’s paintings. Dr. Andrew Marlow is shaped in my head to be an attractive man who is seasoned just perfectly by the events of his life. Robert Oliver manifests as a towering — godly, almost — yet damaged soul, his curls almost swaying with life whenever his character is mentioned. Kate, Oliver’s former wife is far slighter in stature than Oliver himself, yet is much more composed in spite of the anguish bestowed upon her by the failing mind of her then husband. On the other hand, Mary Bertison, the flame-haired “other woman”, gives off the impression as overwhelmingly beautiful, but still betrays indications of being previously broken by something — or someone. I wasn’t able to form a clear picture of Béatrice de Clerval or of Olivier Vignot. But, between Dr. Andrew Marlow and Robert Oliver, Oliver is the more physically imposing figure. For Kate Oliver and Mary Bertison, Bertison takes the feminine counterpart of Oliver’s title.

Having said that, I can’t help but notice how it is the characters that resemble the elevated human image often depicted in art who hold so much pain, whereas the ones who appear to deviate from that ideal are the ones who appear to have adjusted to their respective circumstances. This is not to say the ones who at greater peace with their situations have lost less. All of the major characters in The Swan Thieves, to a certain degree, are victims of theft in their own right. It is much like how Zeus — a character not particularly known for asking permission from anyone — has his way with Leda. Ironically, when the case gets solved, it is revealed that Zeus is not the source of Oliver’s rage.

For those who enjoy Kostova’s previous work, The Swan Thieves has the potential to disappoint. Kostova manages to put together a great story with her second novel, and create almost tactile characters, aspects almost appropriate enough to compensate. Though falling short in its execution, it encourages the reader to delve into the parallel stories and immerse themselves in the gripping power art that lies beyond the painted surface.

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Inspiration: Josephine Kimberling

Maria Celina — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:55:47 +0000

Josephine Kimberling, Surface Designer

This post contains large images that may compromise slower internet connections.

There are times when inspiration comes softly, and there are instances when it hits with the vibrancy of a million colours. The latter is precisely the effect Josephine Kimberling‘s fabrics had on me. Known her for use of candy sweet colour palettes and cheerful patterns, Kimberling honed her trademark design elements starting off as a textile designer for young girl’s apparel at Nordstrom and then later, as a graphic designer for stationery and gift-wrapping at Hallmark. In 2008, she ventured out to form her own brand.

Josephine Kimberling currently lives in Seattle with her husband, but she grew up in California. Kimberling found a fascination with vintage shopping at a young age. Scouring for these gems fed her fascination for things colourful and eclectic and did little damage to her wallet, since the brightly hued beauties in vintage shops were irresistibly affordable. She attended the Art Institute of Seattle, where she graduated with a degree in Graphic Design & Illustration. Her work experiences in Nordstrom and Hallmark are a couple of her numerous achievements in her design career.

Kimberling’s inspirations derive from virtually anywhere, unspecific of the source’s candour or subtlety. Fashion designs, and pockets of creativity in the world at large have managed to trigger many ideas, but some have even emerged from her own interpretation of beauty. According to Kimberling, examples of these personal inspirations would be “a beautiful flower, sunset or frozen tree in nature, a genuine smile or heartfelt talk with a good friend”. The colourful prints and patterns can induce a smile or the warm, content feeling that manifests from the personal intimacy of appreciating the little things.

Textile Designs

Kimberling’s fabrics are a visual treat of colours and intricate patterns. Her two collections, “Hot Blossom” and “Glam Garden”, are an eclectic combination of bohemian and chic. What I enjoy about Kimberling’s designs is the uninhibited use of colour to make such a fun yet dignified pattern. The patterns and colours properly complement each other, and the general concept is not lost in translation. Designs as complete in itself as Kimberling’s collections hold enough presence to be used more than sparingly.

Hot Blossom

The “Hot Blossom” collection adhere to the concepts and colours detectable in nature. Yet it is further brightened with contrasting hot hues, such as firey pink, bright yellow, and cyan. These selections maintain the collection’s youthful concept, a feel akin to spring.

I find myself drawn to first photograph on the second row, featuring the brown and red number with the yellow belt. Not only does it feed my current fascination for the colour yellow as an accent colour, but the dress itself is so vibrant yet the dominating brown manage to keep the entire ensemble earthy and rooted to the colours of nature.

Glam Garden

“Glam Garden” is designed for Robert Kaufman Fabrics and is her most recent collection to date. Veering primarily to warm hues — almost candy-like — “Glam Garden” is an explosion of colour.

Out of the two collections, “Glam Garden” is my favourite. I particularly enjoy the captures for this particular collection, because there is much focus on how the fabrics can be used for other uses than fashion, from surface designs on walls and plates to pillow covers. Not to mention, I also find the garden party product shoot to be well-executed, every element working and within context to that theme. Much kudos to photographer Natalie Grummer and whomever art directed the shoot.

Check Out Josephine Kimberling’s Designs!

Aside from fabrics, Josephine Kimberling also designs rubber stamps. Her official website is heavy with wonderful content, ranging from a portfolio of her fabric designs, to free downloads of original patterns and project ideas that could be made from her fabrics. Her weblog is a fun read, and gives a glimpse into Kimberling’s own design inspirations and creative process. Stumbling upon Kimberling’s online presences made me profoundly happy, and I will be keeping track of her work from here on out.

(All images are credited to Josephine Kimberling’s official website and Flickr photostream. Click on any image to go to its source.)

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What’s in My (Weekend) Bag?

Maria Celina — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 16:22:49 +0000

More Than Just One Bag

In order for me to be able to answer the question, “What’s in my bag?”, I would have to answer it in more than one part, in support for the many others who change their bags during the course of the week. I am one of those who has a bag designated for weekdays, and have other bags outside of those days. In fact, I take personal joy in matching bags with my outfits. However, due to the timing of this post, I’ll be concentrating on one of the bags that I bring around when I let my hair down for the weekend.

The Weekend Bag

My 26th birthday was a couple Tuesdays ago, and decided to get myself a present. This little treat is a grey-blue leather bag from a band whose name fails me at the moment. I bought it for — upon quick conversion — around USD30.00.

Design-wise, this is one of my more subdued handbags, if not, the most simply designed handbag I own. The grey-blue colour that attracted my attention, a rare gem among the other more common solid colours, like black, brown, tan, or bright pink. Since working, I have taken a liking to bags with solid shapes and understated designs. Not only are they good for matching a large array of outfits, they give the impression of appearing strongly built when the bag stands alone. I don’t know what says about me as a person, but I look forward to the possible interpretations. But this a criteria that is more applicable during weekdays, because I would not hesitate to break out a more whimsical bag in times of festivities.

The bag has undergone some minor modifications. Bags of this particular brand usually come with a hanging embellishment on one of the bag straps, a letter “M” fashioned in metal. I took the embellishment out and replaced it with a square scarf with a relatively matching motif, a quick purchase for roughly USD2.00. I’ve also bought several more scarves with various designs to mix and match. Tying a piece of cloth on straps of the bags is a trend that I’ve seen when browsing in the malls around the city, and I decided to add a soft custom touch to my own purchase. Besides, should I need an extra scarf for my outfit, I’d be prepared.

Inside the Weekend Bag

For someone who is a stickler for organising things, I use a bag organiser. I cannot throw my belongings into my bag in a haphazard manner. Within the bag organiser, I use smaller bags to categorise the smaller-sized objects so they don’t get lost in the bag’s Big Black Nowhere. The Big Black Nowhere is a very familiar limbo, the very blackness that would drive any person to tip their bag upside down out of frustration, just to retrieve the house keys that have made themselves conveniently out of reach. We’ve all been there.

However, if one were to empty out the contents of my bag in one fell swoop, reaching for any particular item would involve a search process as layered as a Matryoshka doll — or better yet, the storyline of “Inception”.

This weekend, based on the previous photo, I brought the following items — from left to right and top to bottom (as much as possible):

Smaller bag number one: This small bag stows two gadgets I cannot leave home without, both being gadgets that I can thank for being perpetually connected to the internet. For further details on the gadgets, refer to the second and third points.
32GB iPod Touch: A recent acquisition, the iPod Touch is a long over-due upgrade from my previous iPod. So far, I have managed to upload all my music onto the device, as well as configure my primary Google email and this domain’s webmail. I have yet to connect and avail of the goodies in the iTunes store, which I can only imagine could lead to much more amusement. So far, it has brought me much ease browsing the web while lying down, a far cry from the inconvenience caused when trying to use — but end up appearing as though I’m spooning — my MacBook Pro.
BlackBerry Curve 8900: The very first thing I do upon waking up is check my email, replies to tweets or Twitter direct messages, Facebook notifications, and BlackBerry messages that have been sent overnight. Sorting through the messages and responding to the necessary ones take place later in the day.
Long leather bag strap: This provides the option of wearing my handbag like a shoulder bag. So far, I haven’t considered the option yet.
A paperback copy of Collum McCann’s Let the Great World Spin: Collum McCann’s novel Let the Great World Spin has been hailed by the late Frank McCourt, not just as a cursory statement an Irishman can do for another. After all, to be hailed by someone as renowned as McCourt is an achievement worth engraving into stone. So far, I have procrastinated on finishing the book, but it’s only because I need a solid block of time to plow through a something with a relatively heavy plot.
House keys: One of the most elusive items in my bag, these keys are perpetually difficult to find, thanks to its affinity for the Big Black Nowhere. I had to resort to hooking it up to a rather noisy keychain in order to lessen the frequency of misplacements. The Swiss Bell keychain the keys are attached to is a present from several years ago, and I only started using it recently.
Grey Hana clutch-style wallet: If there is anything messy in my handbag, it would probably be my wallet. I unwittingly collect receipts, coins, and paper bills in rolled up form, usually due to being in a hurry to leave the payment counter out of courtesy for the person behind me. It is when I cannot connect the clasps when I realise clean-up is in order.
Smaller bag number two: This pouch from LeSportsac stows the few necessary toiletries I have, like the very few make-up I own, disposable toilet bowl covers, and a toilet bowl cleaner.
Yellow Post-its: Those who know me well are aware of my need to bring around one or twelve Post-it notes of various hues. Due to the size of this weekend bag, I kept the Post-its to one block at a time, but I have been far less merciful to my weekday bag.
Black ballpoint pen: Another quirk of mine is that I prefer black pens over blue pens. I also prefer the ballpoint pen over a rollerball pen, or gel pen, or fountain pen, to write with. However, when it comes to drawing or inking in architectural letters, I’m far less picky and will resort to convention.
Brown hair tie: I seldom put my hair up, because whenever I do, the hair tie just slips out. But no harm in having one on my person in case it becomes necessary.
Clinique Long Last Soft Shine Number 27: Number 27, or “Soft Bloom”, is the only lipstick I carry in either of my bags. If I am not mistaken, I bought this colour in the airport in Singapore some years ago, and it still has a long way to go before it needs to be replenished.
Lip shine: I bought this little tube while on a trip to Guangzhou, China towards the end of 2008, and is an approximate shade of the lipstick I own, give or take a few shades towards pink. (Additional make-up not pictured: The Face Shop Eyebrow Pencil, The Face Shop Eye Liner, an additional tube of lip shine that is also an approximate shade of the same lipstick, but gradates towards a brownish shade.)
Chromed metal business card holder: My business card holder stores my personal name cards, my work business cards, and the cards given to me by various contacts I meet during projects. Which reminds me: my personal cards are due in for a complete re-design.
Citra Hand & Body Lotion: The combination of honey and Himalayan goji berry (wolfberry) flavouring on this particular brand of lotion is so heavenly that I own more than one bottle at a time.
Smaller bag number three: This pouch is a colourful beaded beauty that I found when scanning the shelves of an airport souvenir shop. In terms of its purpose, the pouch stores… feminine essentials. Yes.
Reading glasses: Despite being fun in appearance, I don’t wear these enough, though I know I should. The frames are tri-coloured: brown in the front, pale yellow at the back, and the handles are chartreuse. Its current casing, not the original, is a gem I picked up when scouring the items of a night sale.

Coming Soon: The Weekday Bag

The weekend bag is just a selection of what I carry during week days, just without all of the work-related paraphernalia. As a result, the bag that I use for weekdays is far larger and is built appropriately for ease in mobility. It is very likely to provide far more details for the next bag-related post.

What About You?

What’s in your bag? Do you use a one bag in the weekdays, and another on the weekends?

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Inception (2010)

Maria Celina — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:21:56 +0000

Rating: ★★★★½

This post may contain spoilers. Read at your own discretion.

Overview

It took me the entire two hours or so of the film’s running time and a couple of weeks to realise I have no idea how the hell Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” works. Much to my relief, this lack of understanding is not an isolated case. Instead of analysing the film and coming up with theories behind the story, I’ll stick to what I’m able to ruminate to some relative depth.

I remember seeing the teaser trailer long before the hype behind the film reached deafening proportions, and being excited then. At that time, I had less than absolutely no idea what it was about. Facts that I picked up prior to watching the film is that it stars a few former 90′s teen heartthrobs and a handful of the names that brought the 2008 box office hit, “The Dark Knight”, to life. With collective talent as viscous as molasses, it is unsurprising that “Inception” was nothing short of mind-blowing.

Brief Storyline

The main character, Dominic Cobb (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) wakes up at a beach, the context of his arrival not provided at this point in time. While struggling to regain consciousness, guards scrutinise his body and find him armed. He is brought to the quarters of an elderly man, one who Dom later reveals is someone he intends to meet. The scene switches to the dream of his current client, Saito (played by the dashing Ken Watanabe), where Dom reveals the nature of his job as an extractor. An extractor is someone who infiltrates a sleeping person’s — or target’s — subconscious and takes information from them. In the words of Dom, he specialises in “subconscious security”.

But he doesn’t operate alone. Dom has a point man, Arthur (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and a dream architect, Nash (played by Lukas Haas). Arthur is also responsible for researching the targets prior to infiltrating their dreams in order to ensure the success of the mission. Nash, as implied by his title, designs the dream’s space. Everyone involved in the mission should be asleep within close proximity to each other, and their biggest threat is the target’s knowledge that their subconscious is being burgled or waking up before the mission is complete. Pain can be experienced in dream state, but death in the dream will throw the target back to consciousness. In the name of abusing puns, it’s the job of their dreams.

Shortly after that mission, Nash gets taken away, and Dom’s team is left without an architect. But that’s not his only predicament. Dom is not without internal conflicts of his own, and his conflicts that are so haunting they have been elevated to become an intregal part of his identity. His dreams are consistently disturbed by the manifestation of his wife, Mal (played by the mesmerising Marion Cotillard), for reasons that Dom refuses to discuss. It is also revealed he is a fugitive of his passport country, preventing him from seeing his children. His secret remains unquestioned until he takes on a new mission, which will be his ticket home.

The mission, called “inception”, is one that is commonly known to dream specialists as impossible and dangerous. To “incept” is to infiltrate a target’s subconscious and plant an idea, with the intention of said idea coming to fruition when the target awakens. The particular idea in question is to enter the dream of Robert Fischer (played by Cillian Murphy), the son of Saito’s business rival, Maurice Fischer. Maurice has long been a threat to Saito’s investments. However, already being terminally ill and near death, the fate of his empire hangs on his last mortal actions and whatever stipulations lie in his last will and testament. Saito knows his problem will be eradicated by the destruction of the empire, and asks Dom to plant the idea of disintegrating Maurice’s life work into Robert’s mind.

Though accepted as impossible, Dom manages to convince a number of people to assist him. Dom recruits new members to carry out the operation: Eames, Yusuf, and Ariadne. Eames (played by Tom Hardy) acts as a forger who can enter dreams and change his appearance in order to resemble people familiar and intimate to the target. Yusuf (played by Dileep Rao) is a chemist who provides potent sleeping agents that assist in achieving dream states of varying degrees. Ariadne (played by Ellen Page) is a student who is recruited as the team’s new architect after gaining Dom’s approval by creating successful and mind-blowing dreamscapes for the mission.

Ariadne’s presence turns out to be crucial to the team, as she provides more than just designs for the mission. She also becomes the agent who unites Dom with the solution to his anguish.

Verdict

One word: mindfuck.

Prior to watching the film, I have been advised to approach “Inception” without harbouring any assumptions — advice worth taking. Being an adolescent in the 90′s, it is impressive to see former teen stars take on roles that they probably couldn’t imagine accepting when they were all sporting bowl cuts, plaid shirts, and a seemingly simpler type of angst. Namely Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Allow that name to sink in for a moment, because if he continues in this upward direction, his name will carry quite a lot of weight in the film industry.

Joseph makes the film for me. Rising above the push-over he plays in “500 Days of Summer”, he is clinically methodical, concocts explosions, and kicks lots of ass. He is one of the people involved in one of my two favourite scenes: the anti-gravity hotel corridor fight sequence. (My other favourite scene is where Dom manipulates Ariadne’s coffee shop dream. The shattered scenery in non-violent suspended animation is breath-taking.) Joseph has been noted for wanting to grow beyond the mould of his teenage career. From his re-emergence into mainstream film, he appears to be maintaining his word. Funnily enough, my interest in “Inception” is rooted in Leonardo DiCaprio’s involvement.

Leonardo is an actor who has become attractive to me recently. It is not just physical attraction, though I will happily admit as someone unfazed by him during his teenage heartthrob days, age seasoned him very well. I find the man talented, his resume plump with experience dating from as early as his childhood years. However, I have now grown to respect him because he still chooses roles that continue to foster his career as an actor. I also appreciate his activism. Unsurprisingly, his performance as Dominic Cobb does not disappoint.

Likewise, Marion Cotillard’s performance as Dom’s wife, Mal, is sufficiently beautiful as it is scary. Ken Watanabe shows poise with every fluid movement, although his character has to endure injuries during the inception mission. “Juno” sweetheart Ellen Page’s performance as the young cornerstone to the team swells beyond her petite stature. Of course, this is to name a few.

“Inception” is a film worth watching not just once. Perhaps additional rounds at the theatre are necessary for some to catch the details one may have missed on the first run — or because it’s worth paying for another powerful dose of a Nolanian masterpiece.

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Ed Kowalczyk: Alive (2010)

Maria Celina — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 09:08:55 +0000

Rating: ★★★★☆

Overview

Though I first discovered them at the age of twelve, Live has defined the first half of my twenties. Their spiritually-charged lyrics move souls unspecific of creed yet remain ambiguous enough to keep them from being branded into some contemporary religious musical genre. Live has been famous for portraying and celebrating life, both spiritual and mortal, using the image of water as a recurring theme in their songs. Their albums have been successive explorations of spirituality seen through the lenses of different religions, an act of embracing the general notion of belief. Of course, the topic of spirituality is ultimately a question of taste.

Unfortunately, the celebration of spirituality through their music said little of the band’s spirit. Following a stint of radio silence, what was meant to be a two-year hiatus for the purpose of pursuing other projects turned into a permanent and ugly split. Former frontman Ed Kowalczyk went solo, whereas the other members collaborated with another big act from the nineties to form The Gracious Few. Though now completely separate acts with distinctively different sounds, it’s hard to put aside the fact that they were once part of a band that contributed significantly to post-grunge music.

As a long-time fan, this review was relatively difficult to write. In fact, I deliberately put off posting about Ed Kowalczyk’s first solo album because of the musical politics that surround Live and the subsequent acts that emerged from the split. Not to mention, the politics itself is extremely obvious. It’s hard to separate the artist from the art with so much sentiment floating around. I won’t say that I was successful at it myself. However, I feel that I am doing the album a disservice if I am not honest about what I think of it.

First Impressions

Based on first singles alone — “Grace” by Ed Kowalczyk and “Honest Man” by The Gracious Few — I preferred Kowalczyk’s single. “Grace” sounded more reminiscent of the Live sound I’ve long loved, and it carries on for the rest of his summer release, “Alive”. Live, Alive, A-live — no, the irony in the album name is not lost to me.

Live has long spent dodging the spiritual label. But this time around, Kowalczyk, a baptised Catholic, has openly embraced Christian-based religiosity when approaching the materialisation of the album. Not that he hasn’t done it before. Live’s 2003 release, “Birds of Pray”, easily betrayed the band’s gravitation towards Christian imagery at that time. Unsurprisingly, “Alive” has been picked up with much fervour from various contemporary Christian music outlets, branding it as “Christian” or “contemporary religious”. Though my own religious upbringing is pretty similar to Kowalczyk’s, I still hold a pretty traditionalist suspicion towards contemporary religious music in general, so I don’t know what to feel about this categorisation. Perhaps time will allow me to solidify my stance, especially with regards to how and where Kowalczyk will take his new solo career.

Track List Run-Down

Drive: The first track is a solid introduction to the album that starts off softly. Just like the title implies, it calibrates the gears and sets the speed for the entire record.
The Great Beyond: Quickly accelerating, this number is catchy, with fast drum sequences that guarantee toe tapping right from the first few seconds.
Grace: The first single was presumably hinted, however subtle, when Kowalczyk asked his Twitter followers what they individually defined as “grace”. Openly religious in approach, the charismatic song “Grace” is about faith and gratitude in times of tribulation. Based on the emotion behind Kowalczyk’s voice, the single seems to have been chosen strategically as a response to people’s questions over Live’s demise and the new musical directions undertaken by the other members. Though a strong song lyrically and a great listen, it is unfortunate the music video is dreadful.
Stand: Aggressive drums and guitar riffs characteristic of the post-grunge genre are evident in this track. It coincides with the song’s theme of allegiance during moments of difficulty. Though it feels more personally connected to Kowalczyk’s experiences and — though just conjecture — an appeal to his fans not to abandon him in spite of recent events, this is one of my favourite tracks in “Alive”.
Drink (Everlasting Love): Water imagery galore. Once more, I stumble upon an album in which Chris Daughtry is involved. However, instead of singing alongside one of his musical influences, Daughtry gives the musical kiss of life as a songwriter. Melodically beautiful, this song can be comparable the song “Heaven” from their album “Birds of Pray”.
Zion: Though slightly zen-like with the background singing, Kowalczyk’s singing in “Zion” is a nostalgic throw-back to the raw sound of Live in the early nineties.
In Your Light: A song about counting one’s blessings, “In Your Light” quickly reverts back to the anthem-like yet radio-friendly sound Live left behind before the band expired.
Just in Time: An up-beat number, “Just In Time” is loaded with religious imagery, focusing primarily on the transformation of ordinary objects into meaningful artefacts.
Rome: If there is another theme aside from water that encompasses this album and much of Live’s musical output, it is woman. Unspecific of their perceived image, the presence of a woman in major religions is undeniable. In the true Live-sian way, the woman is revered as a source of strength and life. It doesn’t take much extrapolation in looking at the song title and making a wild guess on who that woman may be. But perhaps Kowalczyk is much more indirect about it in this instance.
Soul Whispers: This number is almost meditative, if it didn’t sound so haunting at the same time. “Soul Whispers” begins softly, but crescendos towards the later part of the second half, just loud enough to portray to what seems to be the purging of personal demons followed by an exodus from the past.
Fire on the Mountain: “Alive” ends on a hopeful note. A serene end to the album as evidenced by the mellow guitar and drums, “Fire on the Mountain” is a neat closing number. This is probably the only track of “Alive” in which raw emotions take precedence, as though Kowalczyk is implying that with all the events that have transpired, he has made peace with it all.

Verdict

A lot of the media coverage and reviews about this album like to emphasise on Ed Kowalczyk’s musical re-birth, but I think the verbal play on the album title “Alive” has been long exhausted. But “Alive” does not disappoint. Live fans grieving over their split and are still pining for the comfort of their trademark sound will be able to find exactly that in the album.

On a design note, I do hope that the art direction of his merchandise improves. Unless this is a deliberate move by Kowalczyk himself, I firmly believe that aesthetically, his album covers and music videos deserve an upgrade in design quality. This is an area where The Gracious Few currently have the upper hand.

All in all, “Alive”, with enough merit as it is, carries more than enough potential for mind-blowing successive albums. Kowalczyk put a well-placed step in the right direction.

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FIFA World Cup 2010: A Reflection

Maria Celina — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:00:47 +0000

¡Viva La Furia Roja!

It’s been about four days, and my body clock is still out of whack. I can still almost hear those blasted horns.

Those who have been keeping tabs on the World Cup, or at least caught sight of news headlines would know the context of the previous sentence. This year, Spain claimed the title of World Cup Champions, a historical first. It was a night of emotional outpouring and a day of lethargy, especially for the football fans who had to adjust their sleeping schedules due to the match taking place during an ungodly hour. Although the winner has been decided, the afterglow of the victory — or loss, depending on the side — still gave out a healthy gleam long after the blare of the very last vuvuzela.

How I Chose Which Teams to Support

My previous post outlined my support for a Netherlands-Germany showdown come the Final. It didn’t happen, so I focused on a different set of jersey colours. Let me reiterate that I supported that combination due to a historical and political reason, not so much as the individual teams. After all, the previous teams that I supported earlier on in the tournament have been eliminated, and I started to consider aligning my support on a match-to-match basis.

For me, it was not a question of trying to back the winning team from the beginning. It wasn’t a guessing game; I felt no more validated supporting England (who lost in the round of sixteens) than I did Spain in the Final. I made my selections based on discussions with friends who were also watching the tournament, what I remembered from previous World Cup tournaments, the purported reputations of each teams, team line-ups, and putting previous performances of each teams in context. I supported popular and unpopular teams, popular and unpopular players, watched teams I supported win and lose, and listened to people who agreed and disagreed with me. I immersed myself in football politics. What made the learning process easier is that I enjoyed myself.

My support for Spain developed shortly after Brazil was defeated by the Netherlands, and was affirmed after Spain continued their streak and beat Germany in the Semi-Final. I had watched the Brazil-Netherlands match with at least twenty other people, and the mechanics behind the result brought on a very interesting debate. The Brazilian team, culturally known as a passion-driven nation, as it is with many Latin countries, juxtaposed the almost zen-like performance of the Dutch team. The debate was whether playing with the directive of emotions (heart) or playing with methodical calculation (head) makes for a better team ethos.

In any good game, there should always be an appropriate balance of both the head and heart. Emotions without the structure of mechanism precision can only spell chaos, and nothing is more futile than rigid execution without the boost of morale. Regardless of preconceived notions, both the Spanish and Dutch teams were emotional during the Final. Even though it triggered the onset of player-kicking than maneuvering the ball, the presence of the emotions are justified. Aside from the factors that triggered their emotions — such as the referee or even that octopus, Paul — I guess it’s safe to assume that both teams knew precisely what is at stake.

With that said, I wasn’t fond of the debate, seeing it as did nothing more than make swift generalisations of what is realistically supposed to be a balance of both. But upon deciding between Spain and the Netherlands — heart or the head — in a rare moment of romanticism, I sided with the heart.

World Cup Social Media Outreach

My outlet of choice when reacting to the World Cup matches was Twitter. During the World Cup month alone, the amount of tweets I composed inflated exponentially — which means a lot if, as a regular user of that website, one’s tweets have not reached the thousandth tweet mark in more than two years of use. In the World Cup month alone, I managed to compensate for about half of the tweets I have done for the entire time I’ve signed up for my account. If that’s not talkative, I don’t know what is.

Twitter has taken over the semi-archaic concept of “live blogging”, and even though I never did any live blogging during my years as a website design and personal website enthusiast, I took to the whole idea of tweeting during matches. Based on the timing of when Twitter became widely known, it was the first time the World Cup has been broadcast that way. The exchanges have been lively, and those who have resorted to fraternising in same online social outlets are also painfully aware of the frequent appearances of Twitter’s Fail Whale that month. I can guarantee that it affects the World Cup fans who likely caused the server overload as much as those who did not bat an eyelash in the general direction of the tournament.

Post-World Cup Facebook Reactions

Having been born, raised, and currently living in a place with a very strong support for the Netherlands — all the more considering there is Indonesian blood pulsating in the team — really put me out of place, a red amidst a swarm of orange. When Spain won, I opened Facebook, only to see red-hot fury (Ha!) coming from the Dutch supporters. I don’t blame them, however. Had the situation been reversed, I would have expressed my outrage too — though less ironically.

As a whole, I thought the emotional output from these people was both great and engaging. Even the anger, assuming no one brought up clenched fists or let the conversation lose focus from the controversies of the World Cup. I’ve been taught to see anger as a passion that can become a positive force when channeled constructively. I don’t want to imagine the deterioration of my state of mind if I were shamed for every instance of anger I experienced. It would take a couple days before the first utterances of conciliatory words would be heard. After all, we are all human.

In Defense of Paul

Aside from the tournament-appointed tiger mascot, the 2010 World Cup had an additional mascot that brought even more life to the entire month. In fact, the following in which this unwitting creature has gained has probably reached those of the non-football persuasion. Even those who were not fond of Paul’s mere existence followed him.

With forks and knives.

Paul, a two-year-old octopus living in an aquarium in Germany, has allegedly correctly predicted all the World Cup matches involving the German squad. An animal oracle, smack dab in the middle of Europe. Paul’s apparent method of prediction would be through the selection of one of two boxes, each containing food. Each box would have the flag of whichever two teams were to play against each other. Whichever box Paul picks first is said to be the predicted winner. Strangely enough, he’s been right, and his record accuracy has captured the attention of various media outlets worldwide.

Sadly, even in the animal kingdom, fame — or infamy — has a hefty price. The welfare of Paul became an issue of concern towards the Final, when he predicted the defeat of Germany, and then later the defeat of Netherlands at the hands of the Spanish team. Both had come to pass. Instantly, Paul had effectively become elevated above his animal status. With the magnitude of the collective spirit behind the tournament, people became emotionally invested in this creature. Those who did not agree or were not happy with Paul’s predictions threatened to take him one a one-way trip to paradise through the kitchen. There were even those who depended on Paul to be correct, because they paid more than just emotional investments. Investments that involved, let’s say, money.

Team biases aside, does this creature deserve that much abuse? Personally, I didn’t buy the whole octopus phenomenon. Any references I made to Paul were purely satirical, and those who know me well know that I enjoy a healthy dose of humour. Perhaps it’s because it will take more than just ten consecutive box selections to convince me of the connection between the outcomes of the matches and the instinctual actions of a tentacled creature. I don’t mean to channel Chris Crocker for this instance, but leave this multiple-legged beauty queen alone. It was just hungry.

However, I did spend some time contemplating the post-World Cup dramatic increase in orders for octopus in sushi places and various seafood restaurants, particularly in the Oranje-strong areas.

What About You?

Is the influence of the World Cup prevalent in your culture? If you are a football fan and caught this year’s World Cup, how do you feel about Spain’s victory?

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Design in the World Cup

Maria Celina — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 16:36:33 +0000

Why I Watch the World Cup

This post contains large images that may compromise slower internet connections.

First and foremost, I watch football.

Whether that be a relief or a warning to the reader is up to the individual reading this post. I was born and raised in a country that is football-insane, and I am an unapologetic fan of the sport.

Every four years brings on that one particular summer event that pays homage to what is possibly the world’s most popular sport: the FIFA World Cup. It is a month where malls are out of football jerseys and pretty much every imaginable social gathering is completely congested with football fans watching the game from big screen televisions. Between matches, timezones of one’s current location and the city where the football tournament is hosted are carefully calculated, the resulting value determining the amount of sleep they’re willing to lose for a match or the amount of hours of nap time they should take before matches. I admit participating in this chaos, and I love it.

Most of all, my love for football is triggered by the global outreach of the sport that resonates with me particularly due to my third cultured upbringing. Football is a great example of a third cultured sport. I have not yet seen of another sport that can gather such a huge following and collective spirit in so many corners of the world. Even though the teams are that of nations, it is a sport that goes above and beyond the exclusivity of nationalism. The underlying message behind the World Cup is the continuous effort to eradicate racism, and even for the nations whose teams did not qualify, it is a sport where many strangers converge in front of a television and instantly become comrades in the interest of a common support for a team.

Another Reason I Watch the World Cup

I have recently grown to appreciate the various aesthetic aspects of the World Cup. Preparing for a world-wide sporting event involves the effort from various disciplines, especially that of design. Promotional material, interpretative collateral, team uniforms, and even the stadiums are dependent on these creative minds. So in between matches, I’ve been scouring the internet for various World Cup-related material that I feel offer an interesting insight into designing for sports events — or at least caught my attention over the course of the season.

The World Cup Predicted by Section Design (Paul Butt)

This impressive infographic, called “The World Cup Predicted” is designed by Paul Butt of Section Design. It is a visualisation of the mathematical formula that tries to prove there is a closer relationship between a country’s performance in the World Cup and a country’s GDP, than a country’s performance and formation on the field. The graphic may not reflect the exact details of the remaining competing countries in current World Cup, but this publication design is both aesthetically pleasing and a refreshing look at team performance in this football tournament.

“The World Cup Predicted” was published on the June 2010 issue of WIRED UK.

South Africa 2010 Mosaics by Charis Tsevis

Visual designer Charis Tsevis of Tsevis Visual Design conducted a personal experiment to explore the use of patterns and mosaics inspired by African culture. He takes a particular look into the art of the South Ndebele people, who have very strong artistic roots.

The above two mosaic portraits are that of USA’s iconic player Landon Donovan and South African midfielder Steven Pienaar. Donovan’s portrait consists of a colour scheme inspired by the Ndebele mural house decorations, whereas the vibrant portrait of Pienaar proudly displays the colours of the South African flag. There are a lot more portraits of the same motif on Charis Tsevis’ Flickr photostream set, “South Africa 2010″.

2010 World Cup Radial Bracket Poster by Hyperakt (Deroy Peraza)

The designers at New York City-based studio Hyperakt made a poster to document the outcomes of this year’s participating teams. This poster is part of a creative funding initiative called Kickstarter, in order for the design to gain enough funding through donations for printing and distribution. Unsurprisingly, due to the global outreach of football — even among the design industry — the quota has been reached.

However, prior to printing, the poster design will continue to be updated based on the match outcomes. I assume the design has already been updated once. Towards, the end of June, the poster flanked the presumption that Argentina would bag the Cup. But due to their defeat of 4-0 against Germany last Saturday, more favour rests on Germany as champions this time around.

This project will be funded on July 25.

Spanish National Football Team’s New Away Kit

The Spanish National Football Team’s newly designed away kit has been creating a buzz among some World Cup fans online. Most of the reactions that I have read are quite strong, whether they be for or against the new design. My own reaction is not exempt of the same intensity, but I am definitely one of the people who is impressed by the new threads.

Designed by one of my favourite sports brands, Adidas, the away kit deviates from using the flag colours as dominating hues and instead uses dark blue with red and gold trimmings. The result is understated yet classic and regal, the long sleeves add a unique additional accent to the ensemble. I was immediately impressed when the Spanish team walked onto the field with this new uniform during their quarter-final match against Paraguay last weekend, and though not featured on this post, I am also a fan of the presentation kits worn by the benched players.

“Quest” Commercial by Coca Cola

Though not strictly design, I feel this needs to be included, too. Between halves in matches, I constantly see an advertisement called “Quest”, and am once again impressed by the giants that are Coca Cola. World Cup after World Cup they make successful advertisement campaigns, and this year’s production is phenomenal. I like the story behind it: a simple South African boy who comes to realises the value of his own potential in order to fulfill his dreams.

The animation of the commercial is exceptional, and the colour scheme chosen emphasises the warm and fuzzy yet encouraging underlying morale. But it’s precisely the type of feel-good I enjoy. (The commercial is available on YouTube.)

Six World Cup Days Left!

This coming Wednesday will be the match between Germany and Spain, and tonight — well, early Wednesday on my side of the world — will see the Netherlands and Uruguay go head to head. For tonight, I’m hoping the Netherlands emerges victorious, and for this Wednesday’s match, I’m torn between the two. I like both teams very much, but as I write this post, I am supporting Germany for this Wednesday, only because I am looking forward to seeing a Netherlands-Germany showdown for the World Cup finals. (Nothing like a match becoming both historical and political, no?) Nonetheless, I am very excited for what’s to happen as this tournament comes to a close.

What About You?

Do you watch football? If so, what teams do/did you support during this year’s World Cup?

(All images are credited to their respective owners. Click on any image to go to its source.)

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Little Ashes (2009)

Maria Celina — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 19:55:17 +0000

Rating: ★★½☆☆

This post may contain spoilers. Read at your own discretion.

Overview

Before author Stephenie Meyer revived the vampire craze, Robert Pattinson landed the opportunity to play one of history’s most well-known and immensely disliked pioneers of art. The title derived from one of Salvador Dalí’s paintings, “Little Ashes” is a film about the passionate relationship between poet Federico García Lorca and artist Salvador Dalí and is set during a time when extreme social conservatism still had a vice-grip on Spanish society.

Storyline

University commences for the intelligent youth of Spain. Federico García Lorca (played by Javier Beltrán), followed by his friend film student Luis Buñuel (played by Matthew McNulty), saunters to the supervisor of the university dorm with a copy of his new book. People appear to react in awe to their presence, hinting at the idea of a high status in the institute.

Arriving on campus is an eighteen-year-old Salvador Dalí (played by Robert Pattinson). The moment he steps out of his car, it is revealed he is wearing clothing considered very peculiar to the rest of the university students. He is shown to his room, and for the initial part of the academic term, he keeps to himself by drawing and painting. However, there is already apparent attraction — or mutual curiosity, at least — between Salvador and Federico.

His self-imposed solace is broken when Luis walks into his room while he is painting, introducing himself shortly after sizing up Salvador and interrogating him about his name, academic major, and other areas of interest. Luis yells for the other members of this elite circle of unique thinkers — including Federico — to enter Salvador’s room. It is act of initiation into the group, and the two central characters are formally acquainted.

Salvador rapidly changes his physical image to become accepted, and the result is positively received by his new peers. In spite of his pressed clothes and carefully oil-slicked hair, there is an inner filth in Salvador. In a society where etiquette is highly valued, inconsistency with good manners was met with condemnation. Federico, though a writer with a published work to his name, has a lot to hide. Spain, during the twenties and thirties, various forms of social conservatism had a stronghold on Spanish society, and modern ways of thinking is viewed as dangerous. Federico harbours many of these thoughts, and to further malign himself with his conservative Spanish Catholic upbringing, he is also gay. An extremely closeted one, at that. During a social gathering, Salvador abruptly outs him, so to speak, by making him recite one of his poems that casts a blanket of unpleasant silence to all those partaking in the meal. The rush of that open rebellion causes Federico and Salvador to become closer, and they begin to spend more time together. They share their bizarre ideas and aspirations for the future.

In time, Federico and Salvador’s close friendship causes Luis to become intrigued. Feeling that he is becoming the third wheel of this friendship, he takes off to search for his ambitions. During the holidays, Federico goes to Salvador’s hometown, where he is embraced by the family, and the two continue to hone their respective skills in total isolation. One night, the friendship escalates to another level.

Their relationship ends as quickly as it becomes intimate. Salvador, frightened over the one night they almost consummate their relationship, flees Spain for Paris to find his niche as an artist. He leaves behind a hurt Federico with many unanswered questions. In order to heal from the heartbreak, Federico proceeds to follow through with his travelling theatre idea to promote his liberal ideals. His project is a success, and while on tour, he reconciles with Luis.

Federico gets back in touch with Salvador after some years, and decides to visit him in Paris. The one who answers the door is a different Salvador Dalí than he remembers — and in the worst way possible.

Verdict

There isn’t not much to spoil about this film, because it is based on people who did exist. “Little Ashes” is a film that particularly interested me because the Federico García Lorca and Salvador Dalí are pinnacle figures of my IB Higher English class and my college freshman Art History class, respectively. It is through this film where I learnt of their association. Though writer and director of the film may have taken some liberties in certain parts of that pocket of history, it is an interesting take on the battle of Spain’s freedom from the shackles of intellectual, political, artistic, gender, and romantic oppression.

I’ll be honest: I am not a Robert Pattinson fan. He does not capture my attention as Cedric Diggory in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”, and I’m still nursing the mental wounds I sustained from being dragged by a guy to see “New Moon”. (You know who you are.) But I also don’t hate him. He has consistently given me the impression of an actor who happened to capture the appeal of fans from various age groups, particularly those with an overly romanticised notion of the undead. The latter is clearly a question of taste, but he moves the bar slightly upward in “Little Ashes”.

In general, I think Pattinson’s performance is not half bad. But his attempt at the Spanish accent is not only inconsistent, but the most successful instances pass as dreadful. On the upside, there is one scene where I found Pattinson’s acting noteworthy.

The scene takes places towards the end of the film, when the execution of Federico has been confirmed. Federico and Salvador’s friends have gathered in one of their old haunts and are listening to the official statement on the radio. Magdalena is the first to openly react to the news, and the scene shifts to Salvador combating with his own. Holding a paintbrush dipped in black paint, he proceeds to fill his canvas with a grievous flourish, going over the same areas obsessively in almost and ironically like that of Piet Mondrian until his emotions can no longer contain himself that he sinks into the wetness in tears, staining his pressed clothing in the colour of mourning. Back in Madrid, their friends drink to their fallen comrade. Salvador is then summoned by his wife, Gala, blissfully unaware of the tragedy that just unfolded, to meet a guest. His clothing and face, now bearing the inverted print of his painting — such that his mustache almost looks like part of the black mess — remains unclean. He grabs his cape, and in the true Dalí-an manner, proceeds downstairs to meet the visitor. (To watch the scene, it is available on YouTube.)

This film comes off more of as a coming-of-age film that explores homosexuality between two men in unversity, and does not do enough justice to the characters as figures of our history. I love the roaring twenties fashion used during the film, and the acting in general pans out as average. If anything, “Little Ashes” reminds me, as someone in the creative industry, of the many who made hefty sacrifices to give artists not only the freedom to be creative but also the freedom to live.

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