Saturday, July 10, 2010

All the Excitement Surrounding the W.C. (otherwise titled Don't Shoot Me)

Facebook's pages are filled with comments about the "W.C."

Honestly, at first, I had no idea what that was!

Oh. It's the World Cup season, of course. So much excitement, or boredom, elation or disappointment surrounding it.

For some, the W.C. evokes all kinds of emotions. The W.C. provides inspiration. The W.C. makes them break out in song! The W.C. makes them break out in a sweat. The W.C. makes them not want to leave the room. The W.C. makes them want to stay til the end!

(c'mon guys, I did say for
some)

For me, a diehard American Idol follower, my season is over (that's why my title said Don't Shoot Me, W.C. followers)

I do want to talk about the W.C. I am familiar with! Yes, so exciting! (And that's what I honestly thought "W.C." stood for, when I first read it on facebook)


W.C. - (Water Closet)

- as known in France, Netherlands, Mexico (now you know where
this is going...hee)

retirement room - in India

comfort room - in the Philippines

loo - England

lavatory - the term often used on commercial airlines

jacks - Ireland

House of Office - 17th century England (I like I like! "Teacher, may I go to the House of Office, please?")

john/s*ithouse - America (slang)

latrine - US Military

Other names: toilet, washroom, restroom, vin, crapper, netty, dunny, bog

So, my W.C. (downstairs) looks like this....no, wait wait..I'm supposed to show before photos first:
(yawn yawn)



completely bare walls...



And now for the after photos:












These are the walls, handpainted with black and white emulsion paint
..


This is the guitar wall..






This is the dancers' wall




This is the drummer's wall






This is the keyboard wall




These are the tiles (alternate tile handpainted with black enamel paint)



First tape straight lines around each tile..





Mark the tile to be painted or it's very easy to make a mistake and paint the wrong one!



Paint over each tile, then remove the tape.






Q: What inspired you?

A: I'm convinced a lot of people get their deepest thoughts and inspirations when in the
toilet/bathroom. So do I. That's why I wanted to paint my toilet...different?



Q: How long did it take you?

A: Well, I only remember the guitar wall took me four evenings to paint.







Q: Was it difficult?

A: If you consider pencil drawing the pictures on large pieces of paper, tracing it on
the walls, then my hanging for dear life from a ladder that could barely be spread in the tiny space, painting in a difficult colour (black-try cleaning off enamel paint drips with turpentine), scraping and wiping off spills and blotches, taping around each tile, painting them with a hand brush (a roller didn't seem to work), removing the tape, touching up mistakes with a tiny brush, shooing off people who needed to actually use the House of Office..
umm...what was the question again?



imagine if I had done this! just looking at it gave me a headache...




Q: Were all the drawings your own?

A: No, I got them from here and there and made changes here and there...


Q: Did you at any time regret starting this?

A: Actually painting the walls was fun but then when I got this idea of painting the tiles (yes, I painted each.black.tile)...I started regretting that just about the time I was doing the 29th tile (there are 195 black tiles altogether).


And then one thing led to another and the black-framed mirror needed to be painted white




and then the water tank was off-colour and needed a coat of paint too, then the tap (it was green!).......




and the horrid windows needed to be covered with a curtain....


(I know, I know, I'm supposed to take photos where curtains billow in the wind and the sun's rays are shining through, but gimme a break, man!)



Q: What did it cost you?

A: About 40 ringgit of black, emulsion paint (I had stock of white), 2 itsy cans of black enamel paint for the tiles and water tank 10 ringgit, tailored curtain 13 ringgit. Total 63 ringgit (about US$18). This is not counting the tube (okay...3 tubes) of backache gel


Q: There are so many details...like the thin long cymbal stands, the guitar strings...


A: Do you think I have OCD (Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder) tendencies?

You're tellin' me!


Q: Are you done with it?

A: Not yet. Budget (that's read "Back") restraints. I really don't like the floor but haven't decided what to do with it.

Ewww...



And the light!



Do give me ideas!




But for now, my W.C. season is over.


My husband, who wanted in on the action, placed his mark on it (geez, suddenly that doesn't sound right).

He had found a label from whoknowswhere and stuck it on the door...





My husband, (I'm guessing), is mighty pleased with our toilet.

Why do I suspect that? Well, you know, how we usually greet guests in Malaysia? "Come in, come in, let me get you a drink.."

Well, he's taken to greeting them with,

"Come in, come in, come to my toilet."

-_-


On another note, I came across a recent blog post on how the writer's brother decorated his bathroom. He calls it his Man Cave. It made me laugh (not true). It made me cry (very true).
You have to read about it. Forloveorfunny is a blog I faithfully follow cos the writer, Lynn, is brilliant.

Click this.


Something I have to painfully learn and keep learning and my children keep telling me to learn and I haven't learnt yet!...we all have different ways of looking at things, we all have different tastes. So after seeing that Man Cave, I cried silently to myself (not true). After reading that post, I knew I had to fast-forward my originally-intended-for-later post. Because I don't know when I'll ever finish my toilet. And I'm sure there are some also who will be crying silently to themselves after they see my toilet. And yet there will be others who will sound their vuvuzelas! (because I like that word)

Still, eventhough the W.C. (World Cup) and my W.C. (water closet) are not done yet,

For me, my W.C. evokes all kinds of emotions. My W.C. provides inspiration. My W.C. makes me break out in song! My W.C. makes me break out in a sweat. My W.C. makes me not want to leave the room. My W.C. makes me want to stay til the end!




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They go through the writer first, then are published.

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21 comments:

  1. I LOVE YOUR WC!!! it's the coolest WC i've ever seen and been.. :) oh oh oh!! u finally draw the strings?? :)
    aunty, maybe u can put vuvuzela there as well?? ;)

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  3. Good job, aunty Val! Get one of those nice lampshades which look like a disco ball la. Hehe. I was thinking of black carpet for the floor. But we Malaysians are so not used to the dry toilets. - Sheila

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  4. okay, okay...I know who will win tonight? Spain for this WC but then YOUR WC you won lah.
    but you ask me, ur WC... its impressive and it paid off all your years of training with me ....ie to be patient.For this years world cup I present you the throne.

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  5. Bwahahahahaha! You had me laughing ... all the way to the jamban! You can come and paint my WC, loo, outhouse, any time! BTW ... will you be painting your bathroom? Can't wait to see it! Bet there'll be lots of 'nudes'! Bwahahahaha!

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  6. gaby, love the idea of the vuvuzela!

    sheila, thanks for suggestions. considering all options.

    anonymous, i get a throne? wow.

    pattieboo, -_-

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  7. You did the walls! Should have visited the Studio Room the other day I dropped by.
    We shall teach the kids to say "Aunty/Teacher may we go to the Studio Room please?" Uncle Paul will be mighty please to hear that, won't he. Btw Uncle Paul's name sure has been in the limelight this WC season. VuVuZeLa Val ....

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  8. Hey! You can get those black & white anti-slip mats for your Studio Room or just totally black, since its not a Shower Room, you wont really have to worry about 'mouldy floors' cos your floor wont get sooo wet ... but wow i can get vertigo being in the black & white checkered Studio ...

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  9. huda, yes, uncle paul....High Eight!

    Anonymous,you are definitely:
    1. female - cos only we think of mouldy floors
    2. above 40 - cos only we will use such words as vertigo
    3. a mother - cos only we know about anti-slip mats.

    hahahahaha! but seriously, i have been looking for those mats. I want a different colour and one that will match the lamp I'm gonna get.
    3.

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  10. from facebook: 13th July 2010

    Theresa Wong
    i like your blog...v.much...keep up the good work....yeah you got it ...keep cool....love your toilet........black/white

    Allana Yap Chew Lan
    You are so creative! Great job!

    Thanks Theresa and Allana!
    So when are you visiting me? We're in the same city you know! tree-shades

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  11. Wow it's about time I visited again and revelled in your handywork!! Love the creativity, but when have I not? You are an AWESOME woman and I love hearing of your escapades!

    BTW is your back better :D

    Tony

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  12. After reading this i want to come visit your the walls, i think u should do a post for me to put on my blog
    by the way who did all the paint??you or UnkLe PauL??

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  13. tony, i can't remember when you last visited..
    my escapades?! ahem.

    pepe, no, no, uncle paul does not do stuff like that....no, no...i can't imagine if both of us were at it!

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  14. That is one cool loo! You are so creative, should make a career of it, fancy doing up my loo? As to the floor, my husband says you can tile on top of it, if you use big tiles it will be easy (that's according to him, Me - I have no clue to DIY jobs). Well done!! :)

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  15. What a fantastic transformation! Bravo!

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  16. HAHAHAHA!!!! That is SUCH an Uncle Paul thing to do lah! I can totally imagine him saying those lines in his excited sparkling white teeth framed by the moustache grin. LOL.

    Really impressed by your W.C. any hoos! Although the immense black and white contrast would probably send me into a hypnotic state rather than inspiration... but then again, the beautiful guitar pattern & other instruments play their parts well.

    Great job An. Val! And for the light... simplicity is key I think. =)

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  17. michelle (Three Men and a Lady), I am the one who is honoured cos i love your home and what you do with it.

    sarah - see how my toilet already has a hypnotic effect on you...has any other toilet ever done that to you? hahaha! yep, checking out lights...

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  18. You are sooo talented....love the paintings on the walls!

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  19. theresa sacket: thank you! I've always loved arts and crafts.

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  20. Aunty Val you're so creative! love the guitar pattern! the cymbal stands would have driven me crazy. (and see? i am no longer an invisible reader!!! :)

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  21. Wye,ok, now for the next step. be a good girl and sign up as a follower :)) most of my- age-group friends are followers but they do not know how to sign up! they try once then give up. hahaha!

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