New Blog

Dear All,

Due to recent messages received on Facebook, I was made aware that people STILL read this even though it has been defunct for over a year now. Please visit my new blog at Fried Rice Connoisseur to abreast of my latest blog posts.

My twitter is now changed to @frconnoisseur and my instagram is now @friedriceconnoisseur. My email is also friedriceconnoisseur@gmail.com.

Best,
Joy

I MOVED!

After calling this space home for the past 2 and a half years, I have decided to move. I’ve already stated my reasons for leaving, which is because of the responsive design that the Tumblr theme can offer me. I pride myself on being up to date with technology and it bothered me greatly not to have something that would be compatible with the way that people are consuming technology nowadays. I am made all the more painfully aware due to the nature of my work at my internship now. Though many of you are still reading this blog via more traditional formats, rather than on the mobile devices, I am sure soon many of you will eventually adopt such technologies one point or the another. I personally could not stand the look of it on my iPad! 

Moreover, I’m saving up for an Google Nexus 4, so I hopefully I can finally join Instagram (which will sync all the easier on Tumblr). I know Tumblr is notorious for offering unoriginal reblogged content, but rest assured that the same kind of ramblings you see here will be seen there. I hope the domain will already redirect you there. So here's to new things ahead of us: I can’t wait for the new Of Stranger Sensibilities.

(click banner to site)

Things of Note, May & June

It’s been a long long time since I’ve done this sort of post. I shouldn’t be surprised that June has already rolled around here but I am. Fashion has been quite low on the scale of importance/need of wants so I guess I would just be sharing some things on my mind at the moment that are not necessarily related to the wardrobe per se:

• Sicilian Dreams by Tom Craig for Vogue Russia. The best summer holiday themed editorial I have seen this season thus far. I have to admit I have a strong Arizona Muse bias. See the rest of it here. 
• Lomzynianka. I didn’t even know I had a taste for Polish food until I came to this place in Brooklyn Greenpoint. It’s BYOB, so I brought one of my favourites, Weihanstephaner Hefeweissbier. Most recommended. Website here.
• Black tie formal wedding this Fall. I just received the invite for my cousin’s big splashy society wedding come September—ughhh. I am happy for her to be sure, however it does add considerably to my budgeting woes. The most fancy garments that I currently own are cocktail dresses at best (yeah I was that girl who skipped prom in high school) and I’ve been sternly told by my aunt (my cousin’s mother) that as part of la familia that won’t cut it. GREAT, JUST FANTASTIC. I should just count my blessings that I was not made a bridesmaid. *dodged that bullet*
• Still on the fence about the navy blazer. Yeah I’m still drooling over it in my sleep and I understand it’s probably truly worth it; however there is a part of me that wishes it would be so hot in D.C. (and it probably will be) that a navy blazer would not, understandably, be required. I’ve decided the best course of action would be to follow Kali’s advice that I should just wait and see what my senior colleagues wear. Should I feel too underdressed, I will get it.
• Housing woes. Just when I thought everything was set in D.C., I received a surprise email saying that I could no longer sublet from this alum due to a change in management rules. I suppose nothing can ever work out too perfectly for me, eh?
• Falling out of love with fashion, but still in love with style. I’ve been thinking about my recent waves of ennui regarding fashion since I last wrote about it and comparing it to Amanda’s latest post. I’ve come to realize that I falling out of fashion again (ceasing all contact with bull$hit fashion news etc.), which has happened to me before during the tail end of my high school years. That being said, I can always appreciate good style, which is often easily confused with fashUN but in reality are two very different things. If you were wondering whether I would still talk about fashion style, then this is the latest update on it.
• American Vogue on Youtube. Having said all of that on fashion just before, it’s a bit of contradiction to say that I’ve been enjoying most of the content uploaded the Youtube channel of Vogue US. If they put Hamish’s new show (called “Vintage Bowles”, I kid you not) then I will watch it. It’s still a few steps behind the kind of videos that Mr Porter puts out regularly, but it is by far superior to the content offered by Net-à-Porter. 
• New haircut desperately needed. I hate this mop that’s sitting on the top of my head that passes for a hairstyle. It’s long overgrown but per Chinese custom regarding the recently deceased, I can’t. Cut. My. Hair. For a month. It’s hot in Montréal these few days, so it’s been hell. I suppose I should learn how to braid my own finally and attempt those heidi milkmaid-ishy hair braids. Yodeling and the Sound of Music comes to mind...is that the name for it???

Look Out for Me in D.C.

Enough of general malaise, sadness and melancholia around these parts (at least for now)! I have finally finalized my summer plans and I will be in living and interning in D.C. this summer. How exciting! I feel like D.C. and I were meant to be: I fell in love with the city after visiting for this past spring break and it’s now my favourite city in the U.S. by far. First, I will be in Montréal for my sisters’ high school graduation but after that it is to D.C. I go.

I just realized I haven’t shared zip about my spring break trip to D.C. so here are some pictures of Oyamel, a Mexican restaurant that has come highly recommended by Aurelie. Thanks for the rec! This place probably has some of the best guacamole and ceviche I’ve had ever and you can bet I will be back this summer. I can’t wait to hang out with my greatest blogger pal Jada, whom I had met through the blogosphere and more, but if anyone needs a buddy for new eateries/concerts/galleries/museums/festivals/outdoor adventures in either D.C. or Montréal this summer, be sure to hit me up!

At Into-Mind

Anuschka of Into-Mind (I have talked about her previously here) has just published the guest post I wrote of my own personal style profile. In many ways it’s similar to my earlier post on basics, except in this one I write a lot more on my background and how I have developed aesthetically speaking over the years to where I am now. It was so much fun collaborating with her — go check it out now.

Here are some of the outtakes that were shot on the same day with my friend A at my school’s botanical garden. I really should go more often. Have a great weekend!

The 411

I haven’t been thinking too much about fashion lately, hence so little long form type pieces on curating as of late. I couldn’t bring myself to give a fffffffffff about Coachella. I bought flowers (for the first time ever, see above) for my friend, who was the piano soloist for my college's spring concert this past Saturday. 420. I started to hit the gym again. I bought tickets to a Youth Lagoon concert next month. I am seriously indulging now that my favourite TV shows are now back on air, namely Game of Thrones and Mad Men. My friend just introduced me to Misfits (how can I hate Ramsay Snow now that I know it’s Simon???) and now wants me to start Netflix’s new show, Hemlock Grove. Trying to stay on top of my school work is going to be a challenge. One that I will readily accept of course.

It hasn't all been fun and games chez Joy. I haven’t settled on an internship yet for the summer. I have been sidetracked by the insane (alleged) Boston Marathon bomber manhunt at the beginning of the weekend. The recent massacre in Syria. The restaurant bombing in Iraq. So much human casualty and blood shed all round.

Sigh. The complete fashion media fast (blogs, videos, magazines alike) this past few days has helped put things into perspective for me. I appreciate the clarity it lends me in my thoughts and opinions about fashion in general, regardless of how depressing some of the news can make me. Thank god the weather is beautiful outside. The effects are much like the experiences gained from imposing a shopping fast on yourself. I strongly encourage you to try it, even if it it means not reading my blog :P

I am slowly picking up the pieces again, first by reading interviews on Jenna Lyons and Tavi Gevinson. I am sure I will later move on to my long list of unread posts on Feedly next. Has anyone else “unplugged” from fashion before? 

Indulgent Mornings

I went out east this past weekend to visit some high school friends. It’s slowly becoming an annual tradition since I visited during the marathon weekend too last year. My friend overslept due to the Yard Fest this past Saturday, so I bought some magazines to read along the Charles while I waited for her. Out of Town News in Harvard Square has the best selection of international fashion magazines in Massachusetts. It felt particularly indulgent to sit by the river reading alone, with only runners, Canadian geese and the odd rower for company.

The wind picked up and my friend was finally ready, so I turned and headed back towards the Square for brunch. I wouldn’t mind spending most of my weekend mornings like this.

This was written originally for publication Monday morning but then, of course, I fell asleep. I hate to be so US-centric on the blog, but I just want to give my condolences to all the Boston Marathon runners and supporters who were either killed or injured during the explosions.

Notes from March

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS. 

I trolled you!!! MUAHAHAHAHAH. Of course, I can’t say I timed it too well. I should have posted it earlier in the day for maximum troll-age, however I had underestimated the amount of work that I had to do so I couldn’t post till the end of the day. In hindsight, it was probably more believable. :P 

To be honest, I had no idea what to do for April Fools, until I remembered that I took some pictures of my baking sesh with my friend. I did have a première birthday bash (I called it “The Party Beyond the Wall”) so it was grounded in reality. When the comments first trickled in, it was damn satisfying but after seeing how people were genuinely bummed (save for Jess) actually made me kinda sad. Sorry! *Internet hugs* 

Mashable made a great list of all the pranks pulled yesterday. Yesterday I was most fooled by HBO Watch's announcement that Peter Dinklage will be replaced in Season 4. I was also rickrolled through a link to the announcement of the release of the next book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series by G. R. R. Martin later this year. GOD DAMNIT.

Other things I've found of note last month:

• The Prada Candy perfume promotions (as seen above). Directed by Wes Anderson starring Léa Seydoux, it’s so cute and actually fun to watch.
• An article on ‘Gucci Addiction’ at GQ. I can’t wait to write about this more in depth on a later date.
• Bernard Arnault got knighthood. What has this man done to deserve such recognition? (The same can be said for Sir Philip Green of Top Shop fame.)
• Slate Magazine on Minimalism.
• Style Terms Every Man Should Know at GQ. Definitely something I do know from years of reading menswear blogs. It's sad to know that I probably know so much more than actual male friends. 
• A “Talk Ivy” interview at Ivy-Style.com. ABSOLUTE DIVINE READ for reasons you know why.
• The opening of & Other Stories by the same folks behind H&M. Is this the rise of what I term, “smart street” (as opposed to the current “high street”), or no? 
• Farewell to Fung Wah by The Newyorker on Youtube. SO FUNNY. I will miss it only because I never got a chance to take the perilous bus journey to NYC and always opting instead for the much safer (more expensive) Peter Pan. I'm a wuss like that. 
• Reinventing Fashion Criticism by Final Fashion. Such a good critique on the current (or rather the lack of) fashion critique within the industry. Meta-critique?! I don’t “cover” fashion week anymore unless it’s something truly worth saying/noting, or if you’re my favourite brands ever (MHL or Carven), but even then I don’t find fashion week in general is all that relevant to what I’m trying to discuss on the blog anyway? I don’t know. Again, mayhap more about this later.
• Brand Attachment and Judging Ethical Behaviour by Jess of Empty Emptor. Definitely something to keep in mind as I do more research into Uniqlo's practices as promised.
• Sterling Archer as a Style Icon. Of course he would be, turtle necks and all. Get it, get it, GET IT?
• Something to note about LA and fashion labels, especially after all the hoopla over Sledi Hedi Slimane's abominable collection for YSL Saint Laurent Paris. 
• To end on something economic-y, China surpasses US as the number one global trading power. Not surprising at all if you ask me.

The reason for so much posting is 1) the guilt from April Fools and 2) I'm hitting second midterm season in the semester and it's time to get down to business (to defeat the Huns duhhh). I know posting will slow to a bare trickle if any so I'm compensating for it now. I know I'm behind on replying to people's comments so I’ll get on that. Meanwhile I can’t wait to plan for next year's epic prank.

Sansa's Favourite

Did anyone else also catch the première of Game of Thrones season 3 last night? Freakin' epic as usual. If only they were like Mad Men in airing two episodes back to back for their season 5 première. What's novel about watching HBO's hit TV show this time round is that I know completely what's ahead for the most—I finished A Dance With Dragons over spring break earlier. My knowledge of what's going to happen hasn't dampened the suspension and tension of the show much, but it is just rather strange to see story lines still unfolding before you on screen when the books are already deep in discussion on the consequences of said plot lines. I have to admit that I do, on occasion, go on the forums to talk about different conspiracy theories and the interpretation of certain prophecies. You can say I'm perpetually under the nerd glaze.*

For my birthday/première party, I made Sansa's favourite dessert in the books and the show: lemon cakes. These babies are seriously lemon-y. For someone who only ventures into the kitchen on the rarest of occasions (this being the one of them), I'm glad these turned out as well as they did. My friends all gave more than two thumbs up. Wash it down with a good pint of mead or ale and you're all set for a perfect night of epic TV watching (the GoT Blond Ale aren't shipped to my area until next week).

I have said previously that I don't feel all that much different after turning the big 2-0, but now that I've thought more about it, along with so much success in baking, I have decided to stop blogging about fashion and will turn my attention towards writing a food blog. After turning 20, developing my own style and mastering the art of curating my wardrobe, I no longer see a point in talking about curating anymore. I am done with fashion and I plan to retire style blogging. The old style/fashion posts will remain, but otherwise the categories will be revamped to reflect the new direction in content. Thank you so much for following me for the past two years!

The recipe originally appeared on The Inn at the Crossroads.

The Big 2-0

I have officially entered my third decade of life and am finally out of my teens!!! I can still remember when I was 13 in high school and thought that some of the 19 year old seniors (and some almost 20 year olds if you were either a Chinese or South Korean student) were impossibly old. Now come to think of it, I really don't feel all that much different than when I was 13.

If it’s possible, I think I was quite possibly even more “mature” then than I am now. I was this angsty, bitter, cynical teenager, who in an effort to escape the WASPy conformist atmosphere of her boarding school, delved into the arts and sought refuge in fashion. The campus was big enough that I could wander off into the woods, away from human contact and much of civilization, to pore over magazines and books that none of my peers seem to be interested in. I have to thank fashion for taking the edge off of what could have been the darkest and bleakest hours of my adolescence. The things that I have witnessed when a lot of money, lack of parental supervision and teenage hormones are involved! It doesn’t seem all that bad now when I look back on it retrospectively, but it all felt too RAW and REAL for me to deal with it then. I survived to tell the tale. Perhaps this explains my utter distate and avoidance of drama and desperate attention seekers alike (and yes, fashion peacocks included).

To turn the conversation back to style, while I still at times don’t feel internally all that much different than I was 13, externally stylistically speaking, I have finally settled into a groove. I am finally more or less comfortable in my own skin, and thus have very little desire to upset this happy balance I have found for myself by experimenting beyond my comfort zone. It’s not being complacent as much as knowing what works and doesn’t, through mistakes both good and bad over the years. I am glad that I can afford to be lazy as my body shape hasn’t changed all that drastically throughout my high school years, save for my height.

Since people seem receptive to more personal style photos in the Curating + Collecting series, maybe I could also share more personal anecdotes and vignettes, lending more context and flavour to the discussion of wardrobe curation. While more empirical and analytical blogs are absolutely important and are utterly vital to the conversation, the atmosphere can seem a little cold at times were we to rely on that entirely. We are but two sides of the same coin. Maybe I’ll eventually find my own happy medium in talking about wardrobe curation, in the middle ground between the two. To the beginning of my 20something years ahead (which will hopefully not be ANYTHING like the girls on Girls *shudder*).

+ BIG WET KISSES TO JADA WHO CELEBRATED MY BIRTHDAY EARLY IN DC AND TOOK THIS PICTURE FOR ME.

Hello Spring Break

Can't believe it's already spring break! It's ridiculous – the whole past week was a blur between midterms and re-watching Veronica Mars since it broke $2 million on Kickstarter in one day! What's crazier than realizing Veronica Mars premiering almost ten years ago in 2004, are the actors that I recognize from other projects and some of which are now stars: Paris Hilton (well not so much but I forgot she was even on the show), Max Greenfield who's in New Girl with Zooey Deschanel, Leighton Meester who was in Gossip Girls, Jonathan Bennett who was Aaron Samuels in Mean Girls, Amanda Seyfried (no explanations needed) and of course Aaron Paul who's now on Breaking freakin' Bad. Booyah! And that's all just in season one.

Back to the fashion and spring break talk. Guess where I will be for spring break? Hate to disappoint but no GGW in Florida for me. I'll be going to DC! I have quite a few things planned, being the Fieldmarshal that I am (courtesy of the MBTI test I took on The Nife): visiting museums, concerts, places to eat etc. – but I would love to meet up with anybody who's in DC from the March 18th to the 24th. I hope they have last minute student ticket sales at the Kennedy center as they do in Lincoln center. I'm pretty much down for whatever. Please let me know if you have any recommendations for things to see/hear/eat/do in DC!

Winter Essentials+

I neglected to mention in my last post is the blogging is truly the ultimate therapy. The ability to upload and share your unfiltered thoughts helps relieve the stress and tension of everyday life. It’s a suspended fantasy we live in on the interwebs. 

Now that we’re (hopefully) in what will be the final stretches of winter to spring, I thought it would be fun to share a little something other than clothes for once. Amanda’s Beauty Regime post was the inspiration here, though this particular post of mine is nowhere near as exhaustive.

Spring Cleaning the Mind

+ FIFTY SHADES OF WHITE BY MIKAEL JANSSON FOR WSJ MAGAZINE MAR '13

How does one even begin again after my last post? I spent most of the weekend before the post moping, not doing much, save for the odd shower. I sent an email to my professors and excused myself from classes that Friday. From past experiences though, constant sleeping in and not having a schedule is one quick track to depression. So I forced myself up as the week started again and resumed my normal schedule of classes. I also made my way to the gym for the first time in the semester to get my fair share of endorphins. Boy am I unfit.

My friends were incredible. They took me to Petco (my first time ever). Apparently it was a vaccination day so there were a ton of adorables doggies of all different breeds around for me to play with. Pet therapy is the bomb. That wasn't just it though. They also brought me to the mall to visit dun dun DUN, Forever 21. It must have been over two years since I've been to a Forever 21 store. Honest. And I cringe as I type this: I bought three items of clothing. The quality is shit (to be expected) and rather slutty (therefore not fitting in with my existing wardrobe at all), however they were purchased under extenuating circumstances and I really needed the extra retail therapy.

I had originally planned to stay away from the blog for at least 2+ weeks. What made me really snap out of it though was learning that my professor's wife gave birth over the course of the week. Literally witnessing life moving on before me was surreal. Classes were cancelled (yay) but geez were those giant spoonfuls of perspective pie! Since, I've recovered from a bad cold (the things you contract when you visit your boarding schoolmates at Lena Dunham land Oberlin) and managed to complete two midterms and problem set. Woot woot.

Bet you guys thought I would forget to say one big giant THANK YOU to the Internet. You people are supposed to be creepy and scary. The numerous kind and sweet tweets and emails I received were anything but. You guys know who you are! Even others who did not send me a personal message per se, thank you for continuing to read this blog and giving me a platform to share all sorts of random fashion-related thoughts I have on the spur of the moment.

Grief

For the longest time, I've debated whether I should broach the subject of the recent death of a dear friend on the blog. To see one of my favourite bloggers, The Epicurean Dealmaker, do so so eloquently on his has given me the strength to attempt to begin to find closure through the blog.

It is not the first time I've talked about death on the blog. Way back in the spring 2011, I touched upon briefly how the post had been inspired by the passing of my grandfather then due to old age. This time round however, marks the first time that somebody I have known might have passed due to foul play. We still do not know why or how yet. The results from the autopsy were inconclusive. Police investigations are still ongoing. My dear friend shall remain nameless here as her death has already been thoroughly dissected, discussed and scrutinized more than enough times by the public. The reason why I wanted to acknowledge her on the blog, is because is it through this very blog you are reading that I got to meet her.

It started out with a few comments back and forth, which resulted in a series of exchanges of tweets, e-mails and Facebook messages. This all culminated in the most illuminating and rewarding four hour long chat in a coffee shop downtown Vancouver last year. This blog has succeeded above and beyond by allowing me to connect with wonderful likeminded souls, such as my friend. I count myself as one of the fortunate few who had the privilege of knowing her during her tragically short life.

I have spent the past weekend in utter shock. Surely they've misidentified her body? Perhaps they've gotten the wrong picture? All her e-mails and messages from when we last spoke are still there. I could almost will myself to imagine that she would be there to respond back to my messages. It is only now that news of her death – the brutal finality of it – has begun to sink in. If you are reading this from above (or anywhere for that matter) dear friend, know that you are sorely missed by friends and family alike. Rest in peace.

Please excuse my absence from the blog for the time being. I will return soon.

Post Nemo

According to Gawker, I really shouldn't be calling it "Nemo." What the heck. After frolicking in the snow and eating a good hearty breakfast, today is the perfect day to finish up reading for classes beside the window with a good cup of hot chocolate in hand. It's also a great day to browse through Cereal, a new Kinfolk-esque alternative from the UK. In comparison it is by far more food and travel oriented. I first found the magazine with Sam in Hong Kong. I didn't get it then because it was seriously overly marked up. Check out parts of it on their website or get it yourself for just £10. It'll be interesting to chart the progress of the magazine and see if it'll make the same kind of waves Kinfolk did here stateside on the other side of the pond.

P.S. Happy Lunar New Year to all! 新年快樂. There's no lai see for me to collect YET AGAIN this year. Harrumph. That's what you get for studying in a small town in the middle of nowhere I suppose.

This is not a sponsored post; I was not compensated in any manner.

Psss...Blog Secret #1

Sometimes I wonder if I went to the right college. Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying my time here, but I think it's always good to question yourself a little now and then to not get complacent/too comfortable. I have say I love my school now...after discovering that they got a campus license to Lynda. HOW FREAKING AWESOME IS THAT?! After discovering Lynda through Katrina I've always been dying to learn HTML/CSS and everything else properly since everything you see here is self-taught from Xanga days (oh how far I have come). 

In honour of my blogniversary I've decided to share a few tips of the trade I've learnt through the past two years of blogging. I know there are some VERY good sites that are already offering such coding tricks (like Katrina's Pugly Pixel) but I want to share things that are so basic you'd be hard pressed to find them easily. I learnt the hard way by digging through a lot of sites before I found the stuff I'm going to share with you guys. 

Happy 2nd Birthday

THE BLOG IS TWO NOW (as of yesterday)! Isn't this so crazy?! I believe this is the first time I've stuck with a personal project for this long. EVER. It's awesome to how the blog has developed over the years – at first I was just sharing random stuff/ thoughts about things – I never intended to actually write longer detailed pieces. What further boggles my mind is that people actually read them, let alone leave such thoughtful and insightful comments.  The blog has become a full blown creative outlet in terms of making me push my boundaries as a writer, amateur web/graphics designer, amateur photographer and most importantly, as a consumer. Maintaining the blog has at times been taxing and even grueling on top of academic responsibilities, but it feels incredibly rewarding every step of the way.

Writing about the curating process and the general economics of retail and luxury goods has fundamentally shifted my entire perspective on fashion. I pay much more attention to the 'how' and 'why' people around me shop as oppose to what they bought in the past. Similarly, it consistently surprises me to see how drastically different my shopping habits have become not only in relation to myself before but also to the people around me. Learning their motives behind their purchases and comparing it myself is utterly fascinating. It's not about how I am better than thou by accumulating less things; instead, it's more of observing and documenting the huge variety of what makes people tick, of what trickles into the mainstream subconsciousness in the realm of retail and fashion. What makes ME tick even: the constantly yapping about Uniqlo, find the perfect basics, classic pieces, the Ivy/Trad (PITA) aesthetic rah rah rah...two years later and I'm still hopelessly obsessed with all of the above. Beyond this, it's also interesting to this play out on the larger scale, in the context of modern day globalization and in terms of ecological impact.

My brain is awash with topics to add to my much neglected series of "Curating + Collecting." If only I could find enough time and energy to pen them as fast as I can! Future topics I can't wait to write about very soon: the change in the pace of consumption pre- and post-curating, mall culture in Hong Kong, basics vs. classics (or if there is a difference at all), how the womenswear industry is friendly (or unfriendly) to curating the wardrobe, whether high fashion is shifting away from regurgitating trends from the runway etc. etc. Apart from this particular series, other topics include researching and writing about Uniqlo (I have already downloaded all the relevant PDFs from their parent company Fast Retailing Co.'s corporate website), talking about Chinese luxury goods market and more. So many topics but so little time. Let's not get ahead of ourselves shall we by tackling things one at a time...starting with sharing some blog tips of the trade I've picked up over the year(s) for this week. It's my way of giving back to the blogging community and to my lovely readers ;)

Thanks to everybody who has been reading the blog, no matter how long ago or recent (that includes you mum and dad), from all over the globe. I've been slowly coming out of the blogging closet (so to speak) by sharing my blog more with people I actually know in real life, which is pretty scary but at the same time, at least now they know why I need to shut myself off from the rest of the world for hours at a time. Thanks again for the great two year run so far and let's toast to a great third round this time eh? I hear the third time's the charm!

*clink*

Adventures at the Bookmill

Yesterday my friend's brother came up from New Haven to visit his sister (aww) so we decided to spend MLK day at the local Bookmill instead. I have never been to the Bookmill before myself and I absolutely adored it. I could have spent the entire day here. There's amazing food (the brie, jam + apple sandwich above was divine) with great coffee and huge array of books for you to pick from and read. It's a hipster/nerd paradise. I left my DSLR at school and didn't bring it back with me to HK so I truly enjoyed rediscovering it again. The weight of it feels good in my hands.

I feel bad for not having any HK updates even though I had a great time. Those just require a little more writing and I'm feeling a little lazy as of late. :P