Silhouette madness

Despite having gone for several press checks since I started working, somehow last week’s (to check the December issue before printing) was most exciting. Maybe it was because it was going to be the final issue of the year. Maybe it was because the cover was partially my idea, from a copycat spark to parody Mac stuff. As in, to poke fun at all the crappy hype surrounding its identity, but much to my annoyance, Wired Magazine went and released a similar cover right about the time we had finalised our idea, making us look like copycats of them, instead. A most unfortunate double whammy, since I can’t decide which is worse—apeing Wired, or apeing the Empire of Dancing Macheads.

Perpetuating the stereotype of the “poor little rich girl”, the newspapers featured the Samsung heiress, Lee Yoon Hyung’s suicide over the weekend. A result of severe depression, they say. No kidding. Reminds me of someone I used to know who was similarly privileged (you know, the millions, the looks, the youth). The tragedy of her life, with the suicide of her father and brother, leaving her heiress to a large fortune too, seemed a little much for her to handle, with her seeing several psychiatrists concurrently in the countries she frequented.

I was close to her for a brief moment, before it all got helplessly askew, and since I failed in my recent attempt at wishing her a happy birthday, I’m going to assume it’s goodbye forever and all that melodramatic stuff. I admit, I was a little slighted when she cut me off suddenly over a most slight misunderstanding, refusing to let me “help” any longer, so to speak.

But that’s the irony of our extension of ourselves to help people, isn’t it? Up till then, I had thought myself a giving, large hearted individual. Her cutting my “help” off, however, highlighted the unconscious, self-gratifying purpose of all that help. I hate to admit it sometimes, but once, when she told me how much happier she was, as a result of “me”, I felt really, really good.

Now I’m wondering: was I happy for her, or happy for myself?

The bag before opening

In less moody news, the love affair with the Jin Ping Tang continues, because Pam brought a new bag with three extra super fun colours! The extra colours actually have some taste to them, so I feel their inclusion is greatly justified.