The Long Run

Happy 2010! May a new decade bring positive changes and strengthen lasting bonds. I still can't believe that it is now Year 2010; it seems like one of those years in science fictions from long ago that would never arrive. We still use roads, fossil fuels, and don't around Jetson-style in pods yet, but technology has been developing on an exponential curve, so the fictional visions of the future may become reality sooner than I think.

A lot of people make New Year's resolutions, which is good--it gives some goals to work toward. Not all of them may be fulfilled, but we all need some impetus to get started. Here are a few of my resolutions (in no particular order), which I hope will last beyond just this year:

1) Become more financially savvy--I'd like to think I do pretty well in saving. However, there's always room for improvement, and it's important to do more than just save. Given the uncertain economic times, and unexpected expenses, it's good to have a good financial cushion around. It's not just enough to save put money into a 401(k), which tanked for a lot of people. In addition to the retirement accounts, it's important to build up savings that is readily accessible.

Once a particular savings goal is reached (say, a year's worth of living expenses), the next step is to learn how to make some of that money work a little harder. That's something I really need to learn to work on. A savvy friend of mine recommended Motley Fool as a resource to start with. Now that the markets are starting to recover, it is as good of a time to think or rethink investment strategies.

2) Evaluate and/or revamp habits and customs--it's easy to fall into bad patterns without knowing it, especially when there are competing priorities. It's important to notice what's been going on, what's been going wrong, why it's been going wrong, figure out the root of the problem, and replace the bad patterns with good ones.

In the last couple of months, I've noticed that my eating schedules and habits have gone awry, I've practically stopped exercising, gotten a bit nonchalant about getting things done/getting to places on time (which is really not me), just stopped caring about many things in general (like watering my plants), etc. Most of these problems stem from being tired, and sometimes sick, which eventually lead to laziness and apathy. A very basic way of fixing the problem is simply getting regular and comfortable sleep, which often went by the wayside on my quest to do as much as possible with what little time I have. Sleep is not a waste of time--it's quite essential. Without energy, discipline and willpower will eventually wear away.

3) Exercise--my Wii Fit is completely underutilized. I need to pop in fresh batteries and start getting on that thing again.

4) Learn when to take a break--this has been the hardest lesson for me to learn. I've always known one speed in life, and that's fast and furious. However, life is a marathon, not a sprint to the finish; there will be no victory lap if the tank is out of gas. Since there are no summer or winter breaks in the life after school, it's up to me to learn when to schedule in vacations and use them wisely.

5) Edit my wardrobe--the growth of my closet has finally hit the hilt of rate-determining factors called time and space, which seemed infinite until now. There's no more room to store things, and there is an inversely-proportional amount of time to look through all the stuff I have. This means I need to reduce my inventory of casual things that I don't wear much anymore (I'm not a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl anymore), be more selective about things I acquire, and replace worn-out clothing with quality, professional pieces that will last for a long time. Given my professional development, it seems like my style has changed permanently from "all kinds of crazy" to "subtly grown-up with a few funky elements."

Editing is easier said than done. I've been clinging to the idea that one doesn't have to choose between quality and quantity--which was fine and all until a certain point. I think the space factor pretty much disproves my theory, much to my chagrin. If my days as a law review editor taught me anything, it would be to preserve as much of the author's intent and underlying character of the piece as much as humanly possible, while tossing out excessive words or florid language that distract the reader from the main point. Translated into sartorial applications, it means figuring out what my style really is (which I've done), and getting rid of things that really don't fit the bill.

I've been paying more attention to the frequency with which I wear certain things to determine what the true closet staples are. Those are the ones I'll stick with for years to come and worthy of investment. Here are my observations:

-One can never go wrong with leather (or pleather)--my leather hoodie gets worn the most because it goes with everything. It doens't hurt that the jacket has garnered the most compliments of anything I've worn.

-One must also have a pair of well-fitting black bottoms--they go with everything. My black slacks get worn the most during the week, while my black faux leather leggings are worn practically all the time on the weekends during these colder months (ironic given the fact that I've eschewed leggings for the longest time). My black wool tights allows me to wear practically any sort of dresses, skirts, and shorts these last few months.

-Long- and short-sleeved T-shirts in a couple of colors, patterns, and cuts will do wonders. My fitted gray Gap crewneck t-shirt is perfect with cardigans and blazers for work, and goes with literally everything I wear on the weekends. A slouchier v-neck t-shirt in a lighter color is great for a more casual weekend look. A few graphic t-shirt breaks up the color-block humdrum. That's pretty much all I need.

-Signature accessories--in a professional setting, accessories provide personality to otherwise standard fare. I wear fairly bland colors because it's easy, safe, and classy to do so, but I don't think I ever look boring. In the winter months, scarves are my friends. My black and white Gap scarf with bold stripes, which I got as a gift, is one of my best assets; it keeps me warm and looks great year after year. I have a few vintage scarves for the summer as well. Patterned and/or colored hosiery, ranging from subtle and loud, definitely add a pop to any outfit. Various combinations of jewelry can make varying degrees of impact, whether in the form of a single statement piece, a stack of mix-and-matches, or a few simple pieces together.

-Great shoes--the importance of great shoes can never be understated. People do notice these things, as shallow as it seems. They don't need to be expensive at all (plenty of my shoes come from Payless or Target), but they have to look solid and feel comfortable. It's hard to go wrong with patent leather (real or faux), even for the cheap ones (at least initially; they look great until they get scuffed up). While the stilettos are sexier and more artsy, the real workhorses are the ones with the thicker but not too chunky heels.

On my trip to Hong Kong, I had to pack for occasions ranging from formal to casual, and I narrowed down the essential footwear to 4 pairs: a pair of black Marc by Marc Jacobs mary janes with a shiny star and martini heel (for the formal occasion), an old pair of black knee-high boots with a blocky heel (to go with practically everything), a pair of classic flats in white with black captoes (for a dressier outfit on a day that requires a lot of walking), and a pair of blue and yellow Nikes (for a casual outing). Ankle-length boots are also great to go with slacks for work or something shorter for play. Not that I'll kick my shoe habit anytime soon, but I do recognize that if I really have to limit myself to as few pairs of shoes as possible, these are the true "needs."

-A good shift dress is a must. My blue DvF wool shift dress goes with everything--blazers and cardigans for work, leather jacket, boots, and a funky scarf for weekends.

-One or two good bags--a chic bag in a medium size, with some structure (either a tote or a satchel), and solid classic color (black, something neutral, blue, or dark red), without bells and whistles, will carry you everywhere. If it has an additional shoulder strap that could be readily put or or removed, then all the better.

-A good coat, a few cardigans, well-fitted blazers, light-weight silk blouses (in solid colors, a few bold prints, and a couple with asymmetric details), and undergarments (of course) round out the true "essentials."


What are your goals for life and style, for this year and beyond? Any particular essentials you can't live without? Discuss.

Merry (Fifth Day of) Christmas, and Happy New Year

Since there are 12 days of Christmas (according to the song, at least), I figured I'm not too late with Christmas greetings. I hope everyone had a great time on December 25.

My Christmas season was rather hectic up to Christmas Day, when I actually left some gifts at home and had to run back and get it. Normally, I would have shopped all year round and got all the presents with plenty of time to spare, but this year things were different. Due to a number of circumstances this year--some unforeseen and unfortunate, others inevitable--I didn't have much time for gift shopping. Consequently, I was fitting in shopping here and there after work on some days, resulting in multiple days of driving and frustration. I was literally running around town on Christmas Eve up until the stores closed around dinner time in an effort to get all the presents. I haven't done any online shopping this year because it would require me to know exactly what I want for people, whether it'll fit, whether it'll get here on time etc., but I think I will try to do more online shopping next year. Brick and mortar stores have limited hours, but I can shop online in the wee hours of the night and have more time to find what I'm looking for.

Frustrating logistics aside, it was a fairly good Christmas for me because things went back to basics. The current economic recession affects everyone, and it also had its effects on gift-giving. For the most part, most gifts that I've seen passed around were smaller and on the very practical side (i.e. socks, nail polish, bath products). How much to spend, whether something is nice enough to give as gifts, etc.--none of that mattered this year, and I really like that. The important focus this year was simply to spend time with those we care for, to help each other get through the hard times, and hold out hope that things will get better.

Tough times like these make me see more of a silver lining in the stormy clouds--"problems" are really just minor annoyances compared to the real problems and difficult choices that many people have to make every day. A lot of things happened in the last month or so, and it's been tough to make time to deal with everything, but I am thankful that I get to be busy and gainfully employed. Although I didn't have as much time to scope out super-deals this year when shopping for gifts, I'm glad the end result was splurging a little for loved ones who couldn't afford to get themselves a well-deserved year-end treat. Although I'm grumbling about the troubles of having to save up and replace a big hunk of motorized scrap metal (which is currently sitting idly on a street somewhere), I'm just very lucky it managed to protect me before its demise and I'm around and able to deal with the aftermath, not to mention that it happens to be a time when there are very good deals abound.

How have your holidays been, and what are your wishes for the next decade? I hope that the New Year will bring all of us inspirations, motivations, felicitations, and (at least in my case) perhaps a new set of wheels that will keep on going round and round for years and years to come. The cautious realist that I am, I tend to be weary of prognostications of "everything is going to be OK," but I do believe that things are starting to turn a corner and will get better.

Enjoy the celebrations, and stay safe!

This Old Home (in the city)

"Busy" is an understatement when it comes to describing my life right now. I don't have time to do the fashion-oriented shoots at the moment, but there are other topics of conversation. I took hundreds of pictures when I was in Hong Kong. What good are those pictures if they're not shared? Here's another installment in the series; hope you'll enjoy it.

Because Hong Kong is such a tiny place, there is nowhere to expand but up. Particularly with public housing, older buildings get torn down, replaced by even taller residential towers. Even though the newer buildings are gleaming and modern, I do miss the character and soul of the older buildings.

During my trip, I got to see a mix urban architecture. Here's a selection of pictures of residential buildings that fascinated me, a comparison of the old and new:

Urban sprawl


Pastel trim



The Makeover (you just don't see this age-old setup of bamboo scaffolding in the U.S.)


Junior Mints


Not to Scale


Mean Green


Fading away
[Edit: Oops...after zooming up close and seeing some of the signs, I just realized that these might be light manufacturing units. I thought they looked residential because the layout resembles American apartment complexes.]








[Edit: As an aside, the car in the third picture has one of those incredibly expensive and hard to get license plates that allow the car to be driven around both in Hong Kong and in Mainland China; such plates are primarily for people who do business on both sides of the border, so getting through customs won't be such a pain. Even though it's now the same country, it isn't like the U.S., where it's OK for the short term to drive with California plates into other states, and vice versa, without going through special procedures.

Oh, the things I discover by zooming up close...I didn't even spot these little things when I was actually there, because it was too far away for me to see the details.]

A bit Gaudi


Out to Dry

Skewered and Askewed

The first week back in the States after travelling overseas felt awkward. I thought that by thinking, "Jet lag, what's that?", I'd be able to ignore the issue and feel completely settled in. Alas, that was not to be. I felt completely upside down all week. I've been busy trying to get caught up with the hundreds of emails (work and personal) and stacks of papers that piled up in my absence, and in doing so, there was no time to buy groceries and fix up a proper meal. Now that I want to cook to start the week right, I have to be out of town again; there's no point in buying groceries, not have time or be around to do anything with them, and let things spoil for no good reason.

At least I feel committed to cooking. As long as I have a particular dish in mind, I'll get motivated to work on it. This is the same situation as what occurred before I left for my trip--I somehow got fixated on the idea of making kabobs because it was easy, filling, and delicious, so even though I was tired after getting home from work, I went ahead and did it. This recipe is great for working professionals because the labor can be split into different days, and if the portions are small, less prep time is needed. Also, if you know in advance that you need to feed a small army on the next day, kabobs look great and are generally crowdpleasers.

The concept is simple--cut up the meat one night, marinate it, put it on skewers on the next day along with some veggies, and grill or broil. The process really is that simple. However, it can be a bit time-consuming. The bamboo skewers had to soak for 30 minutes before use (so that they won't burn), and while that was being done, I washed and cut up a bunch of veggies. Since the value pack of sirloin I got was a bit short of 2 pounds of meat, it took a while to get them all skewered up. It was pretty fun to try and come up with different configurations so that no two skewers were exactly the same:



Cooking was very quick and easy--drizzle some olive oil on the kabobs, broil one side for 5 minutes, turn, and broil some more until the desired level of doneness (another 5-10 minutes). It was delicious, and I had enough food for lunch and dinner for almost a week.



Now I have to figure out what to cook next time...