A paused moment to look back

It's started from at first sight of two strangers.. Nothing seemed to be real as this was not the first time that it happened to me. I kinda get used to with this emotional flow so I've never expected something that last. Actually, it always paid me a visit every holiday time.

And there was a moment.. when every surrounding was blurry, I thought it was just a dream. "Really? It's definitely real to me" he said. If it was the way that a person could create a first impression through a plan not one's emotion base, I think this plan is very thoughtful and incredibly influential. If you want to know how it feels.. youtube "The way you look at me" by Christian Bautista, it's what happened when we first met and for some reasons he sent me this song.

"cause there's somethin' in the way you look at me
it's as if my heart knows you're the missing piece
you make me believe that there's nothing
in this world I can't be
i never know what you see
but there's somethin' in the way you look at me

if I could freeze a moment in my mind
it'll be the second that you touch your lips to mine
i'd like to stop the clock, make time stands still
'cause, baby, this is just the way I always wanna feel"

This says pretty much enough I guess..

As they say "Time will tell" but in my case distance is also another factor for this greatest prover I've ever experienced. Miscommunication became a common issue we faced and was ended up with missing each other real bad when things were sorted out and we found another person was not around. You would never know how cold it was if you've never wanted to hug someone who was living 7 hours difference. Also, you would never experience how warm it could be if you've never cuddled somebody real tight when the one was back home after a month away. Never ever thought I could be this patient.

I've learnt so much so many.. understand the reasons why a person reacts this and that. Many times that I also felt the same but just acted different or kept quiet. He taught me, to express them was not always bad instead, it strengthened our relationship.

To live is to learn and I still have so far to go along this journey.. a very first trip that makes me feel like I don't want to change the route anymore.. which is really odd. I keep moving forward as usual in the same velocity but this time I'm not running alone. Funny how we're walking hand in hand but I always feel he's one step advance and when I pulled his hand a little to slow him down.. he gave me a comfort hug, just like I was once gave it to him while whispering in his ear.. baby I'm here.

New Label : Head vs Heart

As I'm so busy on design projects these days, I can hardly find time to update my blog. However, it doesn't mean that I stop writing yet I still write something everyday. It's kinda personal writing and I do with someone only.

Actually, I've just gone through some emotional moments and they didn't really encourage me to write a word. Now, things seem to be more settled and I slowly found something within me. I'm learning how to love somebody bit by bit, learning how to wait, how to care for him very much, how to make long distance relationship possible for the first time and how to compromise while still keep a balance.

To feel home you probably need to build a house first. It's a house that we need another person to build it together - from 2 strangers to become house owners who share the same key.

To love is to allow yourself to get hurt is pretty much true. Though it's not go beyond kinda 'head over heels in love', it's powerful enough to make me worry, happy, miss somebody, smile to myself, cry, feel vulnerable or be empowered. You feel like you wanna slow your clock down a little bit when you're together or want each day to run faster when he's not around. Haha funny how a person who try to be strong like me can experience things so much so many.

I used to write in this blog that I not gonna write emotional stuff but now I realised, sometimes it's not what you have to shy away from it. Being a designer is pretty much emotional base and it will have a great power when your put your feeling and your heart into your work.

I still keep question myself everyday what I'm doing now and what I want to be in future - still don't get a clear answer. I have been doing so many new things lately, everything started from scratch. I starred in a film, now about to be a business consultant for spa biz.

I'm studying Master Degree but found out that maybe it's not what I'm expecting for. It's very good really and I've learnt and been developed a lot but just it's not what I believe in. It's too real and commercial somehow.. I discovered that I prefer something more artistic and gives me chances to express myself - not rely on somebody else.

Talked with mom lately that I need half a year or one year off since I've never had that. Will travel and work around. Escape to small towns. Mom said.. why not.

She always reminded me one of my fave song by Corrine May says :

"You can fly so high
Keep your gaze upon the sky
I'll be prayin every step along the way
Even though it breaks my heart to know we'll be so far apart
I love you too much to make you stay
Baby fly away"

Quick Post

Life is short! Break the rules!

Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly!

Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably.

And never regret anything that made you smile :)

Sweeter than this?

First design of 6 light boxes for the pink shop, my client. Really enjoy working on my fave style of French Vintage Romance!

Where journeys met

“I am going away with him to an unknown country where I shall have no past and no name, and where I shall be born again with a new face and an untried heart.” -- Sidonie Gabrielle


Sometimes I just want to travel without any idea where the journey would lead me. The only things I always planned besides boring document work (visa, insurance, etc) were plane ticket and bed – the least to make sure I would get there with warm shelter waiting. All the rest, I left it in the hands of my destiny :)

Dear my Sahar,

I have a story of the moon and the sun. The moon is writing a letter to the sun telling how much she misses him though they hardly meet. Like two people who are living distance perhaps. To me, I think "Sahar" is the time when their journeys are connected.

Your Sahar

Note : Sahar in Persian means a fresh and nice time before sunrise.

Revival :)

Just back from a trip, the best little holiday ever! Had a perfect remedy for all - heart, body and soul so I'm ready for the next life battle :)

Didn't take many photos in this trip, which is very weird but I just feel like there is nothing can capture the good moment better than our eyes.. And oh, with a big smile in our heart :)

Even though I found myself can't stop working still even in this holiday, I can sense that my world spin slower so that I enjoy life more. As they say "Life is more beautiful in a slow lane".

Here come the blue salon

From the pink shop where customers can enjoy shopping for choices of their beauty treatment, La vie en Rose - the blue salon, another business of my client, offers them an express beauty service. This project is pretty much challenged so far as I have to maintain their key identity while also need to shift their image in order to separate the product for customers to experience the least repetition.

The Pink Greetings

World is never too big since communication keeps shorten distance between us. Working on a collage of self-introduction for the pink shop in Sydney, which they are going to use it to spread their words in Thailand and some hotels in the city. 40% to go as this is just the front page.

Always love the fresh ink that is crafted to be handwriting, smiling, dancing, crying or missing somebody on a postcard - a piece of breathing memories..

Or it's time to change design paradigms?

Think it's a documentary that creative people worth watching. While fashion, trends, design or style are discussed as the "drive" of society in many ways, we, designers are brainstorming on how our disciplines can change people's perception. How can we use design to find a solution? How can our messages be persuasive? How can we raise social awareness on issues around us? Can we become a leader? Can we use design to educate people? How can we use design to make the world the better place?

Art & Copy



ART & COPY is a powerful new film about advertising and inspiration. Directed by Doug Pray (SURFWISE, SCRATCH, HYPE!), it reveals the work and wisdom of some of the most influential advertising creatives of our time — people who’ve profoundly impacted our culture, yet are virtually unknown outside their industry. Exploding forth from advertising’s “creative revolution” of the 1960s, these artists and writers all brought a surprisingly rebellious spirit to their work in a business more often associated with mediocrity or manipulation: George Lois, Mary Wells, Dan Wieden, Lee Clow, Hal Riney and others featured in ART & COPY were responsible for “Just Do It,” “I Love NY,” “Where’s the Beef?,” “Got Milk,” “Think Different,” and brilliant campaigns for everything from cars to presidents. They managed to grab the attention of millions and truly move them. Visually interwoven with their stories, TV satellites are launched, billboards are erected, and the social and cultural impact of their ads are brought to light in this dynamic exploration of art, commerce, and human emotion.

Love the quote "What you can do is manufacture any feeling you want to manufacture" umm.. something more than just consumerism?? If you are a designer, what do you care about?

Spin me round and Slow me down

Currently into this kinda breathy songs. Perhaps, I'm very busy and really exhausted these days and sometimes I feel like I hardly breath. About to give myself a short break next week.. will travel hours away from here!

Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap



spin me round again
and rub my eyes,
this can't be happening
when busy streets a mess with people
would stop to hold their heads heavy

hide and seek
trains and sewing machines
all those years
they were here first

oily marks appear on walls
where pleasure moments hung before the takeover,
the sweeping insensitivity of this still life

The second song.. my love at first listen. Sorry the original MV is not available to be embed so I could get only this edited version. Still, beautiful and dreamy :)

Slow Me Down by Emmy Rossum



Sometimes I fear that I might dissapear
In the blur of fast forward I faulter again
Forgetting to breathe, I need to sleep
I'm getting nowhere

All that I've missed I see in the reflection
Passed me while I wasn't paying attention
Tired of rushing, racing and running
I'm falling apart

Tell me
Oh won't you take my hand and lead me
Slow me down
Don't let love pass me by
Just show me how
'Cause I'm ready to fall

In us all, there is fear

Someone asked me about things that I fear of.. and I bumped into a fear that I kept for years and years. I feared of the sea..

It's not a kinda phobia but I just felt uncomfortable swimming or even walking into the water along seashore. Why? you may come up with this question, reading the first sentence. Everything has its own reason and so does it. In my very first experience going to beaches(kindergarten or something), I always suffered from pain or sting when seawater touch my skin because I usually had some cuts/wounds on it - some of them were got before but also many that underwater rocks left me the marks. Later, I no longer waded more than knee-high. BUT with a huge twist, these days, I have no fear swimming in deep blue sea..

I used to really really fear of ghost and darkness also. Now, I have no idea when and where those fears faded away. I used to fear of being alone and I couldn't even stay overnight at my cousins' or friends' place (I would call mom in the middle of the night to pick me up every single time). Unbelievable, I'm now living on my own, more than 4500 miles away from home.

After the question was raised, I couldn't answer what I really fear of.. What matter for this is all about an issue that we're widely discussing in class and also in design world, the term of "Dangerous ideas"

Or in fact, I clearly know what my fear is.. but just I think it's too harmless to be scared of. It's a bit personal and intellectual. I'm challenging myself against this bête noire and planning to do something by next month ;)

"Dangerous ideas are dangerous not because they are assumed to be false but because they might be true.." -- Steven Pinker

We're afraid of things that we think they are likely to cause harm or injury either physically or mentally. But once we've experienced the moment we're able to cross that boundary - stretch ourselves beyond our internal sanctuary or 'the comfort zone', it will take you to new heights!

"Comfort is not always the best tactic to adopt. Dangerous ideas and uncomfortable thoughts hold the seeds to the future"

Here's an upcoming even for those who wanna explore "Dangerous ideas"


More info : Sydney Opera House

Pink Shopping Bag

An old design successfully got good feedbacks and now it's time for an improvement. Never thought that each of my design was a perfect solution as things need to be developed through time.

De l'amour

One thing I'm so in love at the mo inspired by a potluck dinner last week, when it was the first time that I made Toffee Banoffee pie with some instant ingredients(Whipping cream and toffee sauce). Then I realised it didn't taste the same. Even though I've never made any measurement on my recipe, it still kept its unchanged quality. Perhaps, what industrial products never ever have/contain.. is Love.

So I just ended up crafting my own carameli toffee sauce.

Banoffee pie is an unusual dessert combining the flavors of bananas, toffee, and coffee. This relatively new pie originates from England. Even though it requires a long cooking time, the indulgent taste and unique blend of flavors that hardly find in many desserts make it an unbearably heart melted menu :)

A second love tonight, I came across this cute French film from the year 2002, Le Papillon (The Butterfly)



Sorry that there is no English subtitle, however I feel like we can understand all beautiful expressions from the wordless messages, communicating through their eyes and that super cute killing smile! Eight-year-old Claire Bouanich is so talented. The cameras love her, and so will you. Watching the film and mv makes me even miss my grandpa more n more.. awww~

My Design Manifesto

First project for Design Communication and Criticism subject : Present 5 qualities I use for judging a design in Branding and Communication Design area. Was chosen to present in class yay!


Thank you for all images from gettyimages.com :)

Dear Mai-Dtree

Our perception keeps changing through what we've experienced in our lives. Even though I'm not racist, my perception on people from other countries based on what media had presented or what majority of people felt with them, back in my home country. Traveling and living in a multicultural country completely distorted my misunderstanding.

How weird.. when it comes to the time of happiness, always feel as if the clock spinning faster. Life is short and sweet maybe. Actually, I think we've spent our last bit together too late.. or perhaps, it's good being this way. If we extended those good old days, it would be harder on our last moment.

One of my very best friends is leaving Sydney for good. He's getting married with a girl he has been in love with for 5 years. So turtle. He's from Iran where I used to know through the images of gun, war and demonstration. Looking back.. not a big different from Thailand in last few years huh?

He gave me a Persian name, "Sahar" means a fresh and nice time before sunrise or dawn. With a perfect coincidence, told by my dear russian friend, in her language means "Sugar" haha and this is exactly the same meaning as my Thai name. Soo... it's my fav Persian name ever! Thanks! In return, I gave him the name "Mai-Dtree" or friendship in Thai.


PS. I will never say good bye to you my friend. See you then either in Sweden or Iran :)

Sydney Design Fest 09 : Play Late

Be an integral part of a Sydney Design event – one that will fire your imagaination and tease out your creative talents. At Play Late you can see and create projections on the outside of the Powerhouse Museum with Western Australian video artist Jerrem Lynch. Join in a collaborative session of comic making with Matt Huynh, plus Sonny Day and Biddy Maroney of We Buy Your Kids.

Experience the very latest in interactive multimedia technologies with Dr Bert Bongers from University of Technology, Sydney. Or settle in for guerilla knitting with Denise Litchfield and add your piece to The Knitted Convenience project.

7 AUGUST, 6.00pm-9.00pm
COST: $10
POWERHOUSE MUSEUM
500 HARRIS STREET, ULTIMO

Book Ticket

Checkout this vdo for a sample work from artist, Jerrem Lynch

Gallop into the woods!

One of my crazy trips ever! Planned about going to a mountain for weeks but just called and made a booking for the horse riding yesterday and called a travel buddy after had made the payment haha. "Omg! I'll kill you!!" She said :P

8.30 : arrived at Central Station

9.00 : my friend just jumped into a taxi. She was really late! grrrr!

9.17 : too late.. the train left a minute before we reached the platform. Passing us with a sound of the laughing engine. Next train was an hour later but would arrive at the destination at 12.35pm, which meant we were about to late for the ride at 1pm

9.25 : caught a taxi. Head to the 3rd stop. Full with hope that we could get into the train.. too late still.

9.35 : nothing to do with this.. so better enjoy the spare moment of 45 mins

12.40 : arrived at Blackheath Station. A bit delayed cause of track work. No taxi in service so I walked down to a garage. A super kind driver offered us a ride to the campsite in the middle of mountain


1.05 : up 'n up. from bushland to rainforest to rocky mountain to the campsite. Again, we popped into the reception counter just in time. The guy was giving me a call

1.20 : we were ready!


Me & him

The reflection

Through the sun

There is no boundary in the wilderness

Galloping! Galloping!

As time stayed still

Hello stranger :)

Damper & Billy Tea

Good old days and a perfect relief

Time to say goodbye

The friend said "I need moreee!" and "It was really gooddd" :)

7.30pm : back to the city. Completely different world!

This time we made only 1 hour and a half mountain ride. Thought next time we should stay overnight and make it full day ride into deep gullies plus abseiling or canyoning on the next day. See you again soon!

Interview with AVSS

Although most of my work is technology-based, I prefer to be the one behind the scene especially, on video camera haha. I'm totally a nervous interviewee with the excess use of 'umm..'!!

Interview UTS(University of Technology, Sydney) student by Avss Sydney

On vacation!

People I'm off this weekend!(I mean really really off) Going somewhere.. planned but unplanned!! Will review the trip later :)

Hope you enjoy the song and don't forget to give yourself a vacation!

Just Go!

I've exchanged "My Views"(photos from our trips worldwide) with someone and received these beautiful shots taken by the person attached in emails with the song 'Just Go'(move down a bit and let the music play while you enjoy these pics like I did k?). These really really encourage me to set off for a trip already haha.

Central Oz

Iguazu Fall

Berlin Sky

House Mist

Rio De Janeiro

Trang Thailand

Turn the music on and enjoy the journeys =)

'Cause there is no rush for you to come back and face the rain
Cause there is plenty sunshine where I'm taking you
And I’m here to reduce the pain

I know you like to get away, go away, far away
To a place where there’s just us two
Got a busy day, everyday but not today
Cause I’m Here to take that stress from you

So you can just chill and clear your head
And let me do everything for you cause you deserve it
Prepare your meal and make your bed
Well let just first make this with you cause you are so worth it

I just want us to go go go
Drop everything and just go go go
I just want us to go go go
Drop everything and just go go go



I have a big trip waiting at the end of this year both biz-related and relaxed with family and friends. Going to many countries with sis and travel buddy probably for business opportunities then celebrate a lil special new year in my hometown. Soooooo many choices for xmas, have the least 3 countries and 3 different groups of people to join for now.. gosh!

Anyway.. Just go go go!