Mission ImPauseable

Created this little banner to publicise my shop. Was hoping to embed it as part of an invitation email but don't seem to be able to do that.

Long Before Your Time

I am fascinated by a collection of postcards from the Qing Dynasty, mostly dated in the early 1900's. It is almost odd to see dates signed off such as 28/05/04 when the year is actually 1904. A hundred years ago, imagine.

Here are 2 samples.

I think this porcelain shop looks almost like one of those modern, designer shop you can find today.

The notes for this postcard points out that the barber-chair also serves as a storage unit. Neat!

Look What the Mouse Dragged In

I love the illustration and the website of Adam Koford. Among other things, it is just wonderful to watch him create his great illustration by hand. What a good mix of the masterful use of traditional and technology tools.

And then I stumbled on one of Jim Henson's old film, Trapped in a Cube. He is the creator of the Muppets and this was done prior to his Muppet production. A deceptively simple premise but a rich and interesting story. Gives a new spin to thinking out of the box maybe?



Lastly, for those of you with kids (not the meh-meh kind) and when they get the cold and have a stuffy nose, don't you wish you could help them clear their nasal passage quickly? But would you consider this device?

Chic-ky Sign

I wanted a shop sign that reflected the nature of the shop and yet was not so expensive (cheapo that I am). So, I explored putting up zinc sheets (metals are expensive), acrylic (not cheap either) and even carpet grass.

Then I remembered coming across this shop that sells woven bamboo chick blinds. It must be really rare to find a shop in Singapore selling something entirely handmade, and at a reasonable price too. Today I collected my hand-woven and hand-painted blinds.

First, a little detour. I had a bowl of rochor laksa. I like the quaint and nostalgic look of this dish, much like how I wanted my sign to be.

This is the fabulous George Bamboo Chick Centre at 120, Jalan Besar. Great service!

And here it is - my black-and-white-bungalow inspired, bamboo chick, cheeky, chic (??) and cheap signboard.

Photo Opportunity

Well, here we have them, focused or otherwise, photos of Pauseability. Click on the photos to see more.

www.flickr.com

Nothing like the real thing though. So come on by soon!

Twist on Track

Here are 2 interesting finds on the web.

Watch this subtle advert. Try guessing what it is about after the first few seconds.



It is all for a good cause and I am sure the shock would embed this ad into your mind for a while to come. Quite clever don't your think?

Next, in the mood of celebrating Singapore's clinching of the F1 race, how about taking a look at the world's fastest sofa. I kid you not; there's a photo attached to the report. Since our race is at night, perhaps we could have the world's fastest bed. Anyone?

Here We Go!

Today, 17 May, Pauseability starts business. Went early to do all last-minute arrangements, rushed through my lunch, and officially opened the doors to customers 5 minutes late at 11.35 am.

It was a relatively quiet start, except for the noisy renovation going on next door and also the heavy downpour just after the lunch hour.

At around 5.30 pm, I had my first paying customer (in between a number of friends and relatives dropped by). She came by to make something for her boyfriend.

Also completed decorating the windows with Wink decals.

Took photos but they turned out off-focus. So, I will post better photos soon.

Bushed ... ready to collapse into bed.

Motherly Love

Last night, I had a lovely dinner with some wonderful teachers. It has been a few months since we last met and it was good to catch up.

One thing that I noticed about the way they talked about their work was that it inevitably ended up on the students. And even with the most trying of them, there is always that loving amusement over each child's unique traits (even if they sometimes drive the teachers up the wall), a firm believe that they are making a difference for each child and most importantly, that the child will make it good somehow. They were clearly overflowing with motherly care and concern even in the midst of the overwhelming amount of work they have to handle. It's just so heartening to feel and know that.

This too is also my simple tribute to all mothers, and to the mother in each of us. Happy Mother's Day!

Quick Time?

If you have not already heard, Singaporeans have come out tops in walking speed in a British research. So, we literally have a fast pace of life here. I am known to walk fast, and now knowing that I live among fast walkers, that must mean I walk way too fast. According to the head researcher Prof Wiseman (I am not making this up! Wise man!), "This simple measurement provides a significant insight into the physical and social health of a city." That should stop us in our tracks even if only for a minute.

Well, I also tried my hands at creating simple video from still shots of my handiwork with angel clay. Do give your comments.



When my shop opens, you must come and try out this clay. It is smooth, clean and light - absolutely delightful to play with.

Oddities?

Just some interesting nuggets from the news.

At the dinning table, it is usually a taboo to talk about hospitals and toilets. Yet, in Taiwan, there is a Hospital-theme and a Toilet-theme restaurant. You get your drinks by squeezing the nozzle of an IV tube at the D S Music Restaurant, served by nurses. At Modern Toilet, you sit on toilet-seats and your food comes in toilet bowls. The patrons that appeared in the news looked like they truly enjoy their experience. Would something like that work in Singapore? When I first saw it, I imagine that there was a certain gritty-ness about Taiwan that could possibly make it more accepting of such out-of-box ideas.

In China, there is an imitation Disneyland. You need to see it to believe it. If imitation is flattery, then Disney must feel most flattered. Look at the photos here.

Ride Starts Here

1 May 2007 - officially jobless, and by late morning, I have registered my business online at a fee of $65. Pauseability is officially here.

Someone had earlier wished me an exhilarating time - I think that is how someone would describe a roller-coaster ride. So here I am - I have put on the safety gear, took in a real deep breath, listen attentively to the cranking sound of gears, and pray that I am ready for the ride. Anticipcating the moment I would scream my lungs out, and the times when my heart is going to be in my mouth.

How do some people become coaster fanatics?