In Watermelon Sugar

It’s been very hot in KL this few weeks and when the weather leaves you all sweaty, nothing is as nice as some ice-cold juicy watermelon.  When walking around Little Korea in Ampang on Friday, my friend Kio and I were excited to find a watermelon ice lolly. Fashioned like a watermelon slice, this ice lolly was made so realistic it even had seeds scattered all over.

This popsicle looked so good, it reminded me of a jumper I’ve had my eye on and keep meaning to buy. The handknitted jumped is from Dudua based in funtime Barcelona!

A quick research also led me to quite a few fruitwear (footwear) watermelon-inspired designs. These include socks from artist/designer Baron von Fancy , and at least 3 models of trainers/sneakers that Mike Perry had customised in watermelon including Nikes and Vans. Funnily enough Vans also released the watermelon themed collection for Spring/Summer 2009, giving Van fans quite a few different cuts of the fruit to wear.

Keep is also offering watermelon fans  plimsolls that will hopefully keep feet fresh all day.   I like the use of colour in their offering. Slightly more subtle than the crazy Vans version although I must admit I love the green soles.

The watermelon is a striking fruit. So round and so green with such vermillion flesh, dotted with black seeds. It’s no surprise that designers find it an inspirational fruit. This morning I had some watermelon with salt for breakfast and when I am back home, I will probably be digging out my copy of Richard Brautigan’s In Watermelon Sugar to read again.

Update: Fans of Joakim can get his mp3 Watermelon Bubblicious here.

Memory of Light

It’s funny how quickly the weather changes in a day. I woke up today to a beautiful Autumn’s day. Clear, blue skies. I remember stopping and pausing. Looking up and staring into the golden sun. I saw the slow and graceful fall of a yellow leaf. But I know not what leaf it was.

When it got dark this evening, I thought that it had gotten pretty cold. I wished I brought my mittens out. It properly felt like winter. And then it snowed. In October, it snowed. I remembered that it was only in April that it last snowed in London.

I felt like I’d gone through a year in a single day today. I found some beautiful photos by Cori Kindred, taken on her polaroid. I love how sunsplashed the photos are. This one in particular captured the loss I felt, that memory of this morning’s Autumn day.

I decided to put on the Resident Advisor podcast by Lee Jones. It felt right to sit here on the first winter day of the year, listening to beautiful cinematic music and admiring these images.