Pidato.

Pidato: meaning 'speech', in Indonesian.

22 and acing life - including this rather boring but most expensive paper I've earned in my life and it is entirely the most beautiful thing *tingles*

30.09.2014 LDN - I'M DONE WITH THE CITY. BUT, SO NOT DONE AND OVER WITH ALL OF YOU INSANE AND LOVABLE HUMAN BEINGS I'VE EVER MET.

I guess to recap the one year, I learn that I have to introduce myself like:
My name is Rice, short from Raisa.
45 years old mentally and going 46 as its less than 6 months away (the internal joke between a 36 and a 50 year-old classmate there), 24 - Korean age, but 22 internationally.
I have an Indonesian citizenship but to answer your beffudlement shown on your face, I'm second-generation Chinese from pops side.

But more than that, SOAS was the other world I couldn't wait to get through because of the challenges thrown to ask about my existence and sanity...

No. 46

 46. Only know Yoshitomo Nara to visit London the day before - Contact PR rep for interview - Nab a schedule - Attend his sold-out artist talk

This bucket list number is totally new, unexpected, and mission accomplished on the day itself (technically it was worked out from the day before, waiting for a response).


Who said that the artist's audience cannot be as manic and eccentric the artist and to what they are presenting? I digress the idea. Herein, proven. Ha.



I will admit I've activated press power in order to snake through the event's sold out - in two hours about 600 waiting list names have been in - and to get a reserved seat, while everyone else was on the floor. I didn't get to use it for No. 32 - no outlet for it :(

But, but, but, it's Nara. (see right)

And for this new exhibition, I am ever more obsessed the way he paints his character's eyes. With the fact that he has shared with us the process, his layering technique with ever more beautiful colors are just beyond words.

So yes, I would like to own a piece of him one day (not just postcards). And no, he doesn't sign signatures. Moreover, during the long queue for the artist talk (see it here) there were that weird odds from the universe to place me behind an Indonesian girl talking to her mum-now-I-know-she's-her-aunt in Indonesian (so I know) and casually asked her if this was the right queue. Was I to queue or to skip them all through and go to the desk's guest list? To my spectacular amazement she said that she had no idea how because she was invited, because her aunt is the artist's friend. Let me translate that to you in English: Her aunt is a friend of Nara. One simple reason that happens is because her aunt is an artist herself, confirmed by the girl who I now know as Robyn, studying at Imperial. Sweetness.

Did I tell you I'll be visiting Tochigi next year? This comes in very handy


While I didn't nab an interview schedule, I was pleased to have asked him 3 questions during his talk. That will be saved for a Dear exclusive exhibition coverage for the London special I'm now trying very hard to collate within one month.

See and reblog my favourite artworks from this exhibition here.



  Statistically, 1 out of 100 of your friends will stand out as the weird one. I'm that one weird friend of yours - here goes!

 Finally, about the dress.
Megumi-san couldn't contain herself when I posed.
I said, "it is politically-correct layered dress and the attitude I'm suppose to give - it's all a fake"

This was the quickest OOTD decision with careful thought ever and the subliminal message I fold through is the best yet. I could drop in a 2K essay on theories of dress, but in a nutshell, this is what today's dress meant: I layered a metallic pastel dress, a color scheme the artist uses so ever often. Above it is a shirt, peeking collar on top. Where usually one wears inside a dress, I wore it out. Shows the abrupt layering and forceful show of being a slackety-slack girl.  I wore 'yakuza-like' mermaid stockings, which I DID NOT DRAW MYSELF BUT designed from a lovely friend in Hong Kong, RI by Carrie. Go buy. It was particularly white and the mermaid has geisha-pertaining make-up, which is somewhat the geisha's way of powdering herself complete.

While my question to Nara, or rather a stating point that his works are mukokuseki, it's hard not to delve that he's still a Japanese artist, hence the get-up that has that 'Asian kawaiiness' to it you can't help but dote or pacify... But to package it, a cream top with bold black slogan that states 'FAKE'.So, no. I bite, just like Nara's characters. We're angsty young beings.


Cutesy, kawaii, slackety, we're really just going against the world, really, and it's all just fake.


The shoes? Of course it meant something. Having similar resemblance to roses stuck in a bush, I'm only being a fake and getting the world's slaps by walking on thorns.

We are living in a bitter world or sweet world, and it's a reality that it's bittersweet. It's only how you make it, really. :)

Thank you Megumi-san for accompanying this nut head today! Www~

The full artist talk lowdown, snippets of the artist's holiday, more speeches and drawings and everything from His Heart will be on www.dearzine.com *promo, promo, I'm trying to revive it while I'm at it*

Plug-in promotion in 10 words or less...

Bored of art exhibitions? Enjoy it your way (see above)

Wednesday.

There was that infamous Monday, then it was a famous Friday. Yesterday, it was a wonderful Wednesday . The days that somehow worked for me like magic.

My closest friends in London pointed out, "Networking really does work for you like a charm" whereas I said "I still really don't know how to network in a networking event to just 'hello, what do you do?'"

But somehow, on cue like an actor who approached K and I yesterday out of the blue, he came behind us and said, "Are you involved in the media by any way or from the press?"

If we said no, then he's ask, "what do you do?" and then we'll politely answer what we do which is a start of a short or long conversation on how you bring it. How things work, very interesting.

So it was the time where I was in the cinema and I knew who I would be sitting beside with. Somehow he lost his phone somewhere and I offered him to key in his mobile (with a ready +81 but that was Japan and Korea is +82, ding dong) to call and somehow hope his phone to light up and for him to trace where it is. Smooth gesture and a quick introduce and the card's in my hand. That's my first and best gesture yet, it pays off being a specialist in the countries I aim to work in. Feat!

Even Y only told us yesterday the first time she met J while waiting for the radio, in the next 5 minutes of saying hello and talking they were on the topic of depression and suicide. She ranted, "To talk to a stranger about suicide! Literally!" Now that works wonders.

Wednesday was wonderful because of a catch-up lunch meeting at the Strand and new ideas are pushed forth and more forces are combined to have the opportunity for project collaboration, in LOOOOOONDOOOOOOOOOON.

Technically, there is some job happening! And if it really goes well with the plan then it fits perfectly for me to actually attend my graduation which I'm too lazy to drag myself half way around the world for and start working on more creative pursuit. Oh boy! So exciting (can drag on).

The night ended with meeting Yang-kangdongnim. Creator of IRIS drama. And he's so amicable.
One thing I knew now is that there's no problem for SK to make dramas/movies about NK, and portray it however they want. Now that's, one enlightening and serious tidbit.

Yeah, we look like we're bloodshot killers in this light.

Monday.

These days happen to become on the month of "Miracle May" (how I dubbed it). The particular Monday 2 weeks ago needs its own personal post I haven't wrote in the longest time to say my thanks and gratefulness for the whirlwind I'm currently experiencing.

Monday was a bank holiday in London and I was still feeling under the weather, until 2 days later after this Monday.

Monday was when I checked my e-mail and it was there, the person who has been such a nice person I don't know how else to emphasize how nice and wonderful it is even though I have never met the person.

I'll be meeting the first time in person next week as of writing in Tokyo because he has given me the opportunity. And properly saying my gratitude and thanks. 7 days to go...

Again and again I say, he's one of the very rare and few people within the music/ent. industry that is just down to earth, nice, and strong in faith. Plus, he speaks English and is from Japan. How else could this be ever so 'lucky' for me? A-san, mata raishu!

Songs on repeat you should support and do. Because of this song (below) it has been the very element to where I am today and what I have received. Like his page and

Of course, listen to all his stuff!