Finally, 1Q84

I am behind in a lot of cultural things around me, but particularly in reading (I am not just behind, but also incredibly slow in reading and fast to put down books). I picked up 1Q84, 3 years after everyone else did in Japan, and just finished reading Book 1 in Japanese (but at a record speed, at the speed of reading Harry Potter).

Bizarre and beautiful. It is almost like another book of his, After Dark, which is probably the easiest, lightest book to read in the world, but this time with a topic very similar to The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo. Does anyone agree?

Right now I am debating whether I should read Book 2 in English, or will that be too bizarre? I heard the English version is very good too...

Wonderful European Bee-eaters

I mean, seriously? Maybe my previous post of elephant infants lying in that manner is not so far-fetched.

Photo credit: Jose Luis Rodriguez, Wild Wonders of Europe

Some weird elephant art

Some weird elephant infants were lying on the floor at the Gothenburg Museum. It's borderline not scary and not beautiful, but somehow I thought befitting to share...

Beautiful snow

One beautiful night, I woke up in the middle of the night, and there was so much snow in Gothnburg... The next day everything looked just like how snow-capped houses would look like in a romantic children's book.

Best ever cinnamon rolls

We made cinnamon rolls again, and they were the best ever... (out of the two times I have ever made.)

Sweden in ice

Icy Sweden for one week (but not as cold as I thought)...

Transferring in Istanbul now

This blog is quickly turning into an airport lounge blog... I just arrived in Istanbul for a 6-hour layover, and it is the nicest, most healthy bar looking place ever. Clearly an east meets west themed gigantic lounge, it's spacious and gives a hotel breakfast feel. It reminds me of the Siem Reep airport in Cambodia that looks like you arrived at the Ritz when you reach the visa-on-arrival counter. Ok, now some work...

World Subway Map at scale

Have you seen this World Subway Map? It's at the same scale from one city to another, so you can see how dense and large the subways go. I took out all the cities I've been to below (below is not at the same scale). Do check the original website to fully enjoy - it's really fun, especially how Paris and Tokyo look at the same scale! I also like Moscow, and find the the bottom tiny ones funny (Brussels and Budapest!).

Can you guess which one is your city?

From top row: Berlin, London, New York
Second row: Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul, Paris
Third row: Moscow, Chicago, Beijing, Osaka
Fourth row: DC, Barcelona, Stockholm
Fifth row: Hong Kong, Munich, Oslo
Sixth row: Hamburg, Singapore, Guangzhou, Nagoya
Seventh row: Philadelphia, San Francisco, Delhi
Eighth row: Montreal, Buenos Aires, Boston


Original Website: World Subway Map

Continuing to knit...

I'm finished with one yarn (quite contently), and I'm only up to the width of half my neck... I wonder how it will become a loop scarf with one more yarn? Maybe it will end up a neck warmer after all. Anybody up for making a quick run to the basement of a department store in Oslo (for an extra yarn)?

Anyone still looking for the Givenchy panther skirt?

There's plenty at Lane Crawford in Hong Kong right now!

I couldn't stop observing and taking a photo of the sheer skirt with 4 panthers from the 2011 collection, right after which the shop person came to stop me of course... Same with Christopher Kane's galaxy dresses, it's really border line National Park souvenir and not (but even Christopher Kane is easier to wear than the sexy panthers?).

Photo credit: Givenchy