Sabbatical - The Madrid Edition

Has it really been almost exactly 3 months since I've left Spain? I figured I have to finish writing about my sabbatical in Spain before more time has lapsed and more trips have passed me by.

Madrid was all about creative street art, and lots of interesting murals on the walls and shop fronts/gates/doors. I am still trying to figure out what a mannequin propped up in a balcony mean? I noticed that in at least 3 balconies in different areas. It was too much to be a coincidence. Was it code for some illicit business that takes place in that particular flat? Or just that some really cool artist lives there and nothing more nefarious?

Madrid was also about beautiful blue skies and puffy white clouds streaking across the azure. Gorgeous patterns in the dazzling brightness. I could never get enough of how beautiful and interesting the sky was every single day.

And lastly, the huge flea market and the laneways on the slopes with all the shops selling antiques and vintage ware. There we were, most aptly located in our Airbnb apartment with the biggest flea market on our doorstep. We loved checking out the little shops even if that mean trudging up and down the hills and wandering around the flea market and trying to score a bargain at the market stalls. And now back in Singapore, I wear the lovely reversible skirt I bought in Madrid, and as I finger the pretty fabric, I remember my time under the sun, under the dazzling blue sky, under the puffy white clouds.

Home Improvements - You Win Some, You Lose Some

After installing blinds in the living room, I lost the free form hanging wall (aka window grills) for my various artworks. That was a lot of space that was surrendered and there were many pieces of work which are now missing a display spot. 

So when my new Zhu Hong watercolour was delivered, I had to find somewhere to hang my new treasure. I decided to swap out my own red masterpiece. I love being able to enjoy my new purchase while I sit in the living room surfing, or watching tv. I like how the black frame makes the orange pop.

I don't know yet what I am going to do with the other pieces that no longer have a home. Should I create a salon wall, if so, where? Or should I put them into the store room and have the discipline to rotate them on a quarterly basis?

I like home improvement projects. I like the fact that every step makes me love my home even more.

Hand Made

I have always liked arts and crafts since young. When I was ten, we had to pick an extra-curricular activity and mine was the arts and crafts club. I remembered making a macrame pot hanger back then. Since then, I've upholstered wooden stools with cow print fur covered foam, made myself a yoga bag for carrying my mat and also recently a handbag from old vintage Japanese obi belt, sewn several placemats, soft toys, beaded dangling things on everything from shirts to bookmarks!

Recently, I've been inspired to make felt phone cases and particularly, superhero phone cases. I've made Batman & Robin and Superman. Then I broke from the mould and couldn't resist an owl. But I think I'll go back to making another Batman and also a Captain America. I need to go buy some more black felt first.
The other item which I have been making a few of is this origami Christmas wreath. Once I got the knack of it, I was really quick if I focused and didn't get distracted by the TV. I was making a wreath in about 16 minutes. I like the 3-dimensional form and it makes such a simple but lovely holiday decoration.

There is something deeply satisfying in making something with your own hands. We connect with the output and feel a sense of achievement, even self-worth. And that is why the hand made movement is making a comeback. People are willing to pay more for something hand made by an artisan. And artisans are willing to make things for sale, even though if you take the time put in, in some cases, the hourly rate is very low. As for me, I will make the things I like for myself and my friends and family. I don't think I will put them up for sale because the hourly rate will not be worth my time, but the ability to give my loved ones something hand made will be priceless.

An Urge Came Over Me

I have this inexplicable urge in me tonight to buy another piece of art. It's not that I got a raise or a bonus or sold some shares and made a profit. It's not like I had a hard time at work and needed to reward myself. It's just something that crept over me, that I just needed it.

I am not sure what it will be, but I am leaning towards another Ling Yang Chang (the Herons & the Waterlilies on the extreme right) or a Zhu Hong (the Geylang Night Scene, which is second from the right). Or to buy a piece from an artist I have yet to own, like an Anthony Chua Say Hua. Perhaps something small, something which will be easier to find some precious wall space to hang. Or something very big as we do have that whole blank wall in the holiday room.

I am viewing that as my way of contributing to the arts, support the artists.

Your Heart Will Tell You Good Art

Credit: Lotus Series by Singapore artist, Ling Yang Chang from Cape of Good Hope Gallery

How do you tell if a piece of art is good or bad? How do you know if you should buy it? Some of my friends who are interested in art and are contemplating buying art, have asked me this question.

I think you know from your gut or perhaps, more accurately, your heart.

A good piece of art will speak to you. You walk away and come back to it again. If you still have the same buzz or ring in your heart, then this is it. A good piece of art grows on you and you will not tire of looking at it. It says something to you, sometimes you don't have to be able to verbalise what exactly about it that you like. You just do.

I remember learning at my first painting class, an epiphany of sorts that came to me - that art is both science and art. I recall my teacher being rather impressed that a novice student pointed that out to him at a first lesson. Telling if a piece of art is good or bad is a lot like that too. There are technical aspects you can consider - the science part of it. But for the art part of the evaluation, your heart will be able to tell you.

This painting from Ling Yang Chang's Lotus series was one of his first works I encountered by chance one morning of wandering around the art galleries. It definitely spoke to me. Even after 2 months, I think about it. Your heart is never wrong when it's like this.

What I Buy When I Travel

I have a long-term love affair with all things fragile and breakable when I travel. There is never one trip where I do not come home lugging back some glassware or china. Why can't I love wood or plastic? That would make life so much easier! 

I love the look of mismatched china, I love drinking out of tea cups and saucers, particularly vintage ones, I love laying out my sweets and savouries on cake platters and stands. And I like eating and drinking tea a lot. I love taking afternoon tea. I love having tea parties at my house. I guess that explains a lot!

The Scent of My Memories

Our memories which we keep tucked away deep inside, can be triggered by a picture we see, a song we hear, a perfume we smell, a food we eat.

A visual trigger is probably the most common. One thing reminds us of another and leads on to our memories, a bamboo basket like a cake tin but made of woven bamboo strips that I chanced upon in a retro shop reminds me of the steamed egg cake that my mum used to make when I was a child. I remember there weren't any bakeries near where we lived. I can see in my mind's eye how she would beat the eggy mixture by hand, and it had to be one-directional for many, many times to ensure that the cake rose. She would line the basket with tracing paper and then pour the mixture into the basket and then steam it. We would eagerly await the cake to rise, for the satay stick to be poked in, to test whether it was done, and then for the cake to cool before we could have a slice.

But to me, the most powerful trigger is the one of smell. It is more subtle than sight, and you often forget about the sense of smell and its power. I think it is more overwhelming when triggered. It brings back memories that you don't remember you have and takes you right back.

I was recently in Penang, and the first night in Georgetown, the Boy and I wandered down into the area where grandma's house used to be, looking for dinner. We ended up at this coffee shop. When this bowl of koay teow thng (rice noodle soup) was brought to my table, I could already smell it, the distinct smell brought me back to when I was perhaps 8 years old, spending my school holidays in Penang. Every night, we would go across the street from grandma's house, to the koay teow thng stall and order a bowl. My first recollection was it cost RM0.60 or RM0.80 then and by the time I last ate it, it was RM1.60, I might have been 14 or 15. And then I stopped going to Penang with my mum until the recent few years when we have been visiting again almost annually.
My tastebuds confirmed what my nose already told me, this was the same stall even though it is some 30 years down the road. The taste seems to have been imprinted in my memory despite the long lapse of time since I have last had it.

I finished the bowl of deliciousness and as I was leaving, I stopped to chat with the stallholder who looked to be in his 30s or maybe early 40s. I told him I used to eat this koay teow thng a long time ago and was it his father who had this stall about 30 years ago? Oh more than 30 years ago and the stall was at the small lane by the side of the current coffee shop, he said. I told him how the taste was still exactly the same, it hasn't changed and it was excellent. He was all smiles, even though he was busy, I think he enjoyed this brief exchange where we walked down memory lane together.

About Shanghai

  There are a few things I really like about Shanghai on our recent trip. Normally work trips to Shanghai are an in-and-out affair. But this time, we combined it with a weekend since both G and I were coincidentally there the same week for work.  

So my love for Chinese calligraphy and painting combined with a dress into wearable art. Here beautiful lotuses handpainted on a charcoal grey linen dress, the cut is simple and doesn't need much more when you have art. Oh yes and that's Snowy peeking out, he is my usual travel companion because he is small, cute and compact. He's not too pleased to be seen in a dress though...

 
 The little individual shops in Shanghai are a delight. As I always say, a mall is a mall is a mall. No matter where you go. Hence I try to avoid malls and hit the little individual shops. This was a Chinese teahouse on an old Shanghainese street. We were slghtly doubtful that it was actually a teahouse because it did appear too funky and modernised and (especially because) it had that capitvating mural of dollies in cheongsams.

 Architecture in Shanghai is an amazing affair. Taller, higher, shinier! The modern buildings are pretty awesome but the old Shanghainese buildings are as interesting if not more. I have walked down the Bund admiring the beautiful colonial buildings, and stopped to read every plaque affixed, telling its history. But this was my first time to the French Concession area which boasts also of the largest concentration of Art Deco buildings. Lovely.

 Cool little bars and cafes on this hip little street we tried so hard to find, and were almost giving up after much "discussion". Yong Kang Road is where all the white people congregate. On that street, you can almost believe you aren't in China. This little bar, with its vintage interior and very clever use of repurposed, upcycled egg cartons for papering over the ceiling for acoustics and aethestics, vintage luggages propping up the bar, definitely won us over easily.

 A slice of local life, unpretentious, every day living is always interesting to the outsider looking in, even for a brief moment. Here, residents set up little folding tables and chairs and pass time playing a game of Chinese chess. Others sit or stand around observing, as with this man probably mulling over a move. You see sights like middle-aged men with their singlets rolled up above their bellies sitting around in easy chairs on the pavement outside their houses. I think that is their strategy for keeping cool. Isn't this fun?

Finally, we close with a dress since we started with a dress. Shanghainese tailors are renowned for their skills. The fabric market is another wonderful place to spend many hours, wandering around, fingering beautiful fabrics, flipping through design books, talking to the shopkeepers and tailors. For the price of an off-the-rack shirt or dress at home, you can get gorgeous, tailored outfits. You just need to ensure you have enough time to try, give clear instructions, check the finished outfit, wait for revisions and then you will be the best-dressed person amongst your friends when you get home.

Shanghai - we will definitely be back for another leisurely trip.

Our Retro Armchairs - Second Lease Of Life

Some months ago, we got inspired by an exact same armchair we saw in one of my fave rehabbed furniture shops. Mum has offered me her two 1960's teak armchairs with the sad and tired lumpy cushions. I never thought much about those "ugly chairs" until recently. Wow, there is a lot of life in these chairs once you give them a wipe down, a light sanding and a polish. Then get some new cushions made with snazzy fabric.

I checked out people who could do the sand and polish job and found a man who would do them for $50 a chair. Next we checked out cushion makers and cushion cover makes. These cost an awful lot for really boring fabric. We then decided we would outsource the job across the border, actually quite far up north up the border, to Penang actually. It helped that we have got relatives who were resourceful and knew where to get everything and anything. They found us a cushion maker and a seamstress and with the exchange rate so favourable, we saved about 50% by getting these done in Penang. We bought the fabric we like from Ikea, had them brought over by a cousin who was in Singapore on holidays, with the exact measurements and hand-drawn instructions. Then voila! They were made in a few weeks' time.

Collecting them took a bit longer. We had to wait for our next trip to Penang because the 4 cushions were heavy and no relatives were driving out to Singapore. In any case, as we haven't got the chairs transported over to our new place, we didn't really need the cushions yet. We finally collected them last month while on holiday. Today we finally completed the second part of our move and the movers brought the rest of our stuff over from mum's place. It wasn't as much as we feared.

The cushions finally met the armchairs. All was well. We are happy.

Vintage Book Shelf

I heart this vintage book shelf even though it seems quite short for most of the books I own. The cookbooks would never fit. But there is the possibility of removing a shelf and hence having a double height for tall books. Give me enough time and I can talk myself into buying it!

Another Treasure Unearthed

I love, love, love Rozelle Markets in Sydney. It is one of the last real flea markets left in Sydney, not one of those touristy type of markets which churn out stuff for the tourists. But it is a true-blue market. And it never disappoints. Every visit is a success. I come back hugging some treasure close to my chest, hardly believing my luck. This time was no different. I scored this lovely, genuine snake skin vintage clutch for only A$5. Although it is not in an excellent condition, it is good enough for me and looks just so beautiful. The leather is gorgeous and the size is large enough to pop in my long wallet, blackberry, lippy and gloss, keys and tissue paper. Did I say I love Rozelle Markets?!

Sssssnake Sssssskin

I have been nursing a snake skin fetish the last month and a half. Not sure how this happened suddenly seeing as I get the shudders just thinking about those slithering, hissing creatures. But snake skin fetish saw me trawling pages and pages of Etsy trying to find a clutch bag and then when I lost out by seconds to my friend, C when she spotted such a clutch at the Rozelle Markets, Sydney for a very reasonable A$30, I was more than a little bit disappointed. It was a lovely vintage find in excellent condition.

After that, I found a pair of peep toe faux snake skin pumps in a shop near work and I was really pleased with the design, price etc that I went back and bought 2 more pairs for mum and my friend S's birthday.

Finally, last week I went back to the shoe shop and saw these snake skin ballet pumps in a myriad of colours on sale! Oh happy day - these had actually caught my eye the other time I went in but at that time, they were new arrivals and had a price to match that. Now with 50% off, time to get them. I got them in blue and red. Why stop at one pair when you're onto a good thing?

To Outsource Or Not To Outsource - Decor Dilemmas

Two nights of back-breaking efforts at getting the curtains sewn and I'm technically still not done. Only the 2 side seams and top and bottom of each panel have been completed, we are holding them up with clothes pegs (hence not shown) and I have to sew the tabs. It's the sitting on the floor, bending over and pinning the folds down, ensuring that I've got them all consistent that is back-breaking. Why the floor? Because it's the only surface large enough.

And after all that, G is regretting his choice of fabric. There is just no pleasing everyone. I think IT'S FINE!

We got the new Queen bed delivered today, it was an online purchase. My regret is I didn't discover this earlier and we could have saved a bundle if we had ordered our European size bed from the same place. Anyway, once the bed went in, we could see how big our spare room actually is. I mean we knew it was a good size but with the placement of the largest piece of furniture in the room, the proportions became clearer. We have the 70s closet in there already, and my green tile top 70s table has also gone in and there is a lot of space for a standing lamp and perhaps one of the teak armchairs which we are repolishing and have got new cushions made. And we are off to Penang next week for a short holiday and to collect our precious cargo. And I am now thinking of sanding and varnishing the armchairs myself because it doesn't seem like too much work and is much easier to do it at home than cart it to the shop and back. (I guess when I have back aches and laments, I will regret I did not outsource the job. But till then, I am confident I can do it on a weekend.)

Alternative Favourites

We have discovered 2 areas in Singapore that are cool in the heat.

Haji Lane is our number 1 fave and we have been revisiting ever so often. It is an alternative, bohemian area with little boutiques selling stuff that you don't find in all the ubiquitous malls. There are lots of lovely, vintage finds including a ice-cream parlour/cafe in one of these little shops and a really cool furniture shop selling replica retro mid-Century furniture that we like which has just started a cafe/bar as well. There are loads of young people toting cameras, snapping away along the little street, street art murals such as this black & white one appear on the walls. We like the whole feel of the place.

The other area is Ann Siang Hill which we have just visited and have not spent as much time there as we have in Haji Lane. So there is a lot more for us to explore. There is a really cool cafe cum photo gallery which serves decent but pricey coffee. There are many really interesting shops such as a picture book store, a Swedish design shop and another book store which also stocks retro knick knacks. The architecture of the old Peranakan shophouses are mostly retained and there are art deco buildings in the area too.

Things are getting more interesting and unusual in Singapore. More alternative areas please!

A Disappointment - Resolved

I had been patiently waiting for my Etsy goodies for almost a month. A ring with greeny-blue stone, a jadeite vintage brooch and a later purchase, a 1960s carpet bag.

The jewellery arrived first, almost 3 weeks after I've bought them.

Lo and behold when I tore open the package, the ring which was in a jewellery box, was broken. The box was heavy-duty and would have protected the ring quite well. It looked to me to be either broken before being packed, or it might have been wedged against the lid of the box and it snapped it off when it was closed or pressed on. Anyway I emailed the seller and she was really quick to reply and refund my purchase price back to my Paypal account. As she had been on vacation, that purchase had been packed by her daughter, whom she thinks was to blame for the poor packing.

I am a little disappointed of course, but happy that my jadeite brooch is intact and that is the better purchase actually. And am happy that the seller was so prompt to take responsibility and refund me. I love Etsy.

Vintage Shopping

I love old things. Some people call them junk. Some people turn their noses up at them because they aren't brand new. Some people wonder where the branded label is. I don't care what these people think, I just love vintage stuff.

My shopping preferences have continuously veered towards trawling weekend markets for unique stuff and thrift shops for treasures. Holding an unexpected find, in the midst of dusty racks of clothes and bags, or turning over an interesting bit of pottery and finding a special potter's mark - all priceless experiences. I've had the fortune of having those experiences and love the thrill of the find, the search that goes before the find.

Now that I've left Sydney, where my flea market shopping can be indulged to the maximum, I've turned to the virtual flea market online to feed my passion and it's grown to be a bit of an obsession. I've spent hours trawling the various shops, the next best thing to being physically present and turning a cup around in my hands, feeling the fabric, opening bags up and looking into them, trying jackets on and looking at myself in the mirror... But the virtual vintage shopping experience has been great. It's yielded many items which I covet. In addition to the jadeite brooch and a ring that I've bought and eagerly and patiently waiting the arrival of, I've been debating which of the vintage bags I should buy. There are 3 or 4 that I have been thinking about, but I have been in love with this carpet bag as soon as I've set eyes on it. After mulling about it for 3 days, I decided I had better get it before some other discerning vintage lover beats me to it and then I would have to live with regrets.

So now I just have to sit back and wait for my purchases to arrive. And try to control my vintage shopping and not let the obsession grow too large, especially when online shopping is so convenient and I have been paying for my purchases with PayPal, in support of the new job that I start in 4 days' time!

My Etsy Obsession

I've been nursing an Etsy obsession for the longest time but it seems recently that I've been more obsessed than normal. I don't know what it is, maybe it's because I'm moving to a new job in a week's time and it heralds in a whole new horizon. So I think I should be getting more new (vintage - yes irony observed) stuff. Or maybe it's because I'll be earning a wee bit more money so I should treat myself a little. And whatever the reason, I just love Etsy and have been trawling for leather clutches, any other bags and the occasional vintage jewellery.

My current top faves are the 1960s brown carpet bag and the baby blue Samsonite carry-on bag (the one that is slung on the model's shoulder below).

I am still looking for a leather clutch that really speaks to me. And oh, I want a vintage bowling bag too. Why, I do not know and I guess that doesn't really matter, does it?

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade bobogal.etsy.com

Vintage Armchair

This is inspirational and timely as I've just checked the cost of restoring a pair of 1960s teak armchairs which are similar. G and I have decided that we each get to choose the fabric we want on each of them - separately. The restoring which involves sanding down and varnishing would cost $$50 each and I need to get new cushions and covers done and that would definitely cost more than $50 each chair.

This armchair is from www.likethatone.com and I am in love with that store. This is going for $350. This is the store I want to own!

All Packed, Ready To Go

Our Cammeray apartment has been packed up in 3 hours by the movers. The things that we are shipping over to Singapore will apparently arrive in 3 months' time. In fact if they take 5 months to arrive, we would be even happier as it means no storage and our stuff would still be in transit and hence, insured. Fingers and toes crossed that my retro glassware and ceramics arrive safely. Particularly I am praying for my 2-tier glass cake stand, the little ceramic Kiwi cake stand, my Steve Sheridan bowl, those hollow-stemmed champagne glasses and my English tea cups. I hope to see them safe and sound for the afternoon teas I am planning to have in the second half of the year.

Christchurch Treasures

This trip to Christchurch was a combination of relaxing (going to bed Kiwi time, waking up Sydney time is how I describe it), day trips to interesting little towns, retro/vintage shopping with the MIL who has kindly kept an eye out for wonderful little retro shops and cut out information on them for me, (over) eating yummy stuff at restaurants, cafes plus delicious home-cooked meals.

I scored 2 lovely items. The first is a brown, crocodile-skin handbag made in the 1940s, still in an extremely pristine condition for something that is half a century old. It is a beautifully-made Kelly bag, very sturdy and yet very feminine. I love it to bits. And the fact that I only paid NZ$10 for it at my favourite vintage shop there, Foragers. I can't wait to use it.

The second item is a wee cake dish with a green leaf and rose painted on. Just nice for one person, I can see myself using it and enjoying my little cakes and biscuits on this little treasure, with a cup of Earl Grey tea.

I love the fact that I've spent so little and got so much. The feeling is priceless.