Stumbled upon this lost doodle in an abandoned notebook I used while on teaching internship last year. It was prompted by a huge book on art techniques my art teacher loaned me. It’s really interesting what mere lines can create. All art begin with the line.

Using a medium I always liked - the ballpoint pen! I love how it allows me to capture detail with much precision, more than the usual graphite pencil (or perhaps it’s just that I have yet to be in full control with the pencil). But like ink, it’s quite unforgivable towards mistakes. 

Anyway, this a doodle I snuck time out during work to do. I love my yellow highlighters - and it has to be yellow, it’s like, the classic highlighter colour. A very practical reason: when the highlight is crooked, the fluorescent yellow makes the ugly lines hard to spot as compared to other colours. If you’re particular about stuff like that, the yellow highlighter will truly be your friend. 

I forgot how unforgiving the ink pen is as a medium. I really look forward to spend more time drawing after the exams!

Lyrics from the song ‘Expectations’ by Belle and Sebastian (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H56B0Eslfs).

Lovely life-giving music :)

Sometimes I get all caught up in my notions and thoughts that I lose ability to accept alternatives. Those moments, I am inflexible and stubborn. 

Times like these, I can’t seem to tune into anyone’s frequency. The misunderstandings frustrates me. 

And to embrace your vulnerabilities.

That’s something which resounds in me as the year came to an end - as my time in London came to an end. It’s something which I never found easy to do - make mistakes.

There is nothing courageous in never trying, and true strength only lies in picking yourself up when you’ve fallen, and not in trying to prevent the fall.

After all, we all grow from mistakes, especially real ones, and not through imagined fears.

I was walking home from school during my second week in London sometime last year. The usual route to take was via Waterloo Bridge, then along Southbank and London Bridge.

The leaves of the trees lining Queen’s Walk were shaped like this. I sat down to do a quick doodle. 

Food in the UK is nothing spectacular, honestly. During my short stint there I was longing for my bak kut tehs and beef noodles :( Cheap and good.

But there’s something about their full english breakfast that is so satisfying and charming. As much as I love my kaya toast and teh si, I would not mind swapping them for a hearty homely english meal in the mornings.