weave it to believe it

sunday night i only got four hours of sleep because i was hypnotized by 'good hair' a documentary narrated by chris rock about the multi-billion black hair industry. it premiered at the toronto international film festival this year, but i of course watched it online via grainy ninjavideo style at 2am.

i've always known there is a special bond between black women and their hair: i know about the wonderful world of weaves, wigs, extensions, braids, 'rows and relaxers and i've seen enough episodes of ANTM and tyra to know black manes are hiiiiigh maintenance. however this light doc uncovered some unbe-weaveable facts and i shall now share them with you because they are integral to your growth as a person:

- children as young six year old go to salons to chemcially relax their hair which is basically a strong corosive product that can burn your scalp. it is the only way to make naturally nappy hair into sleek smooth western or asian hair.

- weaves can cost $1000- 3,500! some women would rather spend their money on their weaves than their rent.

- a code name for hair relaxer is 'creamy crack' by women in the know

- black men can judge if they can afford a woman by the quality of their weave (after all they are going to be the ones paying for it...)

- there is an annual black hair dresser competition in atlanta called HAIR BATTLE ROYALE where hair artists use gimmicks like cutting hair underwater to make good show

- more than 80% of the black hair business is owned by non african-americans such as ASIANS specifically koreans
(READ: koreans make more $$ on afro-american hair than afro-americans)

- indian hair is the preferred source for weaves and are imported from temples in india

and that's that. go downlo- watch it!

heartbreaker

first prize

i forgot this one. now shinee isn't a new boyband but this is their latest come back single which was released the same week as the other two.
even though i have an extrmely high tolerance for shitty kpop, i could barely get through this video/song. so if you can, i will give you a prize. seriously. i warned you

oh no

it's been awhile, i'm sure you've been itching to know the latest in the wonderfully manufactured world of kpop. here we are:


i find it abnormally fascinating(?)disturbing(?) that the korean entertainment industry mass produces adolescent boys with perms and plastic noses to seduce the public every few months. they usually come with alot of hype, a catchy hook and more sequins and studs than a cher concert. there's nothing quite like peeping rock solid abs on a 6 foot 130lbs pound seventeen year old.
_so are you blaq or a BEAST?

c'était un vendredi après-midi agréable

"pizza hut pour le diner?"
"oui oui oui!"

i design_SDO 2009

so i missed the seoul design olympiad last year out of shear ignorance so this year i made sure to zip on some flat shoes and make it out to the jamsil stadium for a full afternoon of exploring. this year's theme was i design! encouraging everyone to be designers and design conscious.



as the h1N1 flu is still very much alive and kicking in korea, all spectators were greeted with a double assault of anti bacterial spray upon entering the stadium. it was slightly jarring and felt like we were about to enter a highly sensitive domain...


SDO is an annual event that provides four components of design awareness: an exhibition, conference, competition and festival. i was only able to explore the exhibition which was further broken down into sub tangents like design market, tech and materials, enviro-design and student exhibits (among others). here is my limited narrative of my viewings.





there was alot of space dedicated to innovative product, industrial and packaging design from mostly korean designers. products ranged from kitschy cute (recycled fabric and wood dog stools and benches) to the practical- the all in one table/carrier work office for all your apple products (above).

the most frustrating aspect of the exhibition was the lack of english text to help decipher intriguing products. if they took the time to print out an english map/guide and signage why wouldn't bilingual labels of some sort be mandatory for the exhibitors as well? i mean they throw around konglish like no one's business anyway but when it comes to using english as a communication tool...

like the product below. at first glance it looked like some type of electronic speaker but it turned out to be a toothbrush sanitizer that can be plugged into a usb port (thanks to my co-teacher's translation).



there was also an auction of industrial goods up for bid to support a charity (can't remember which YIKES) which is always a nice pinch of social awareness for good measure. i love these shark fin shakers. in my own mind's eye they are killer whale fins. imagine them on a midnight blue glass surface...

the design brand market was for mainly small designed products for sale from independent vendors or small scale businesses. i think these photos are a mix of auction goods and commercial products but you get the idea. at some tables the designers were still painting or cutting out their one of a kind goods.



am i the only one that loves these goldfish plastic bags? maybe because i've never carried a goldfish in a baggie before thus this product creates an artificial bubble of nostalgia for me.

seen it done but still fun. and a little dirty no?

definitely the most tactile section of the exhibit was the future materials and technology section. this area was aimed at designers who were looking for material/tech suppliers. almost like a breeding ground for long lost soulmates: cool tech with no direction and designers with ideas and nothing tangible. let the mating begin!

there were lots of enviro-friendly materials on display as well as a balance of hi-tech and traditional materials. it was inspiring to see and feel fabrics and textures that were in their rawest froms, just waiting for the right designer to transform it into a little piece of ingenuity.




something about polyuralthan gel makes my heart melt! the possibilities! or maybe i just really enjoyed prodding it.

next was index: design to improve life. this branched into design for the workplace, community, home, body, environment etc. this area showcased innovative concepts and prototypes from all over the globe, of course all introduced in korean.


the hi!light were the post-its that were supplied to provide feedback for any of the products. with my limited korean i read notes that said "really cool idea!" "wow, i like it!"

i thought this type of indirect feedback system melted away a bit of the barrier between the viewer and the coldness of most industrial products that were behind glass cases. it created an open dialogue, further solidifying the year's theme as idesign! anyone and everyone being the i.


one of the winning concepts was PIG 05049 by a pretty blonde european designer (i took a photo of her board but too small to see her name-shame) who basically created a plethora of products from obscure parts of a swine that is normally wasted.

pigskin was made into gelatin leaf that can be used for baking, the bone marrow was made into fine bone china jewelry and the the fatty acids and bone fat was made into a make up foundation. packaged like pork chops sold at your meat market, the concept and execution deserved whatever prize it won (shame again on me T.T)



and next, design grad exhibits!!!!

by this leg of the tour, jums and i were fading away. since this section was outside, as we walked through it got colder and colder. this area was set up for all the major design/visual/communication departments of all the major korean universities/colleges.

from fashion, architecture, industrial, metal work, packaging and motion graphics, it was a nice sampling of graduate projects from the year.

this impressive granite, glass and mirrored maze housed a half dozen design projects by sukmyung women's university's enviro design grad students. read it: 11 girls totally kicked the shit out of all the other schools' exhibits with their manmade design funhaus.

*in the photo above you can sort of see one of the girls. she and her fellow colleagues were huddled around a small table beside their structure casually munching on kimbap. how my heart longed to join them (photos of their projects below)


*sidenote_ alot of the packing design which i didn't photograph used shapes that are seen in traditional korean paper folding. it was interesting to see those techniques applied to modern projects like packaging for oranges or cosmetics. it is always inevitable that the traditional sneak into modern design. i've never seen this technique in canada product design on the market or otherwise

amazingly accurate archetypes of korean youth, especially in hongdae...


this was a little cringe-worthy, especially since on a different sign in the same vicinity it was spelled correctly. see what i mean about the liberal sprinkling of useless konglish..





the end is near!
finally, there were haechis strewn around the grounds. read it for yourself:






this was painfully long and i commend you for getting through it, but truly truly worth checking out. on till thursday october 29 + it's free!!! b^.^b

hooked on a feeling:

seoul's answer to recycling


near hakdong station
-looks like a tin android toting its groceries

cybersex

the internet is like a 24 hour-service network of multi-disciplinary whorehouses. whatever you crave you got it.
on standby to give you sleazy dirty pleasure whenever you so demand it.

cheap thrill? how about pay by the hour celebrity junk site. updated every few hours, get bang for your buck. want something a little kinky? how about cyber-ogling the photo diary of a sixteen year old fashion blogger from bondi beach or scrolling down uploaded polaroids of a bleary eyed party girl from brooklyn. what's more of a turn on than the girl next door? if you want to kick it upscale, you can browse the high class shit, luxury online shops are always at your service, reminding you what ultimate fantasies are made of.

don't worry the internet pimpmachine won't cost you anything, just your time and space for critical thought. but as long as the vital organs are being well stimulated, who's keeping track of the other stuff.

well im spent. been serviced all night, time to take a rest i suppose, don't want to be out of commission for tomorrow's scheduled romp.

**note:
-whatever you do, don't get attached, don't fall in love. you're not the only one. remember its servicing every single person that gets a hold of its address. that could be millions a night, more than one at a time. so be safe. use protection. and never forget you are the client.

lobbeh me, lobbeh me

quickie

i've been back in korea for a full week and the extreme high from being home and seeing friends has finally worn off, like a layer of residue peeling after a ten day drug binge. i'm trying to stay focus on my goals here, but looking at these toronto photos give me a sense of longing again now that i'm sober. during a high you are too focused on staying alert that you forget to digest the experience, you're more concerned about just keeping up. now that i've had time to let it settle and absorbe i think im ready for another hit. preferably for everyone to come here though...YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE







____ago, cats, brunches, wine in a box, homebaked nachos i want it all!!!