Who is Messy Girl?
The girl – I mean, woman – behind Excuse The Mess.
I have been the rudest of guests.
In my three – almost four – years of residing in Adelaide, I don’t think I’ve ever properly introduce myself to her. I’ve known almost everything there is to know of this historic city even before I’ve uprooted myself from the motherland and yet, other than my intentions to call her the place of my alma mater, I don’t think she knows much else of me.
So, here I am extending a long-overdue hello to Adelaide.
My name is Asirah. This is not my first time being made a guest of your charming, quaint city. I’ve known you since I was 10, when I would visit my sister who was studying here. This is what I look like now, 12 years and an embarrassing amount of eye prescriptions later.
You might’ve remembered that I was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, too? I miss it dearly.
I used to live in your inner eastern suburbs. I moved away two years ago but haven’t quite moved on from the romance and idyl of Rose Park. So much so that I’d take the 141/142 bus on my days off simply to drive by those leafy streets and historic mansions with neatly trimmed, towering pine trees.
See the “romance” in question below:
Naturally, I gravitated towards the East End during my tenure in the eastern suburbs because you guessed it, that was the edge of the city closest to the east. I don’t venture out there as much anymore but I still loiter around occasionally. Usually with the intention to shop at my favourite places like Pound Puppy Vintage (good vintage stuff!) and Fox on The Run (also good vintage stuff but a totally different vibe).
On that note, I’m a shopaholic – walking in and out of stores is my cardio and reaching for a pair of jeans from the top shelf is my pilates. I won’t discriminate between thrifted pieces, vintage pieces, new or custom; if they look pretty, I’ll try them on. I could spend hours just brushing shoulders with complete strangers down clothing isles and trying on clothes.
Exhibit A:
Exhibit B:
Though I must say, in today’s financial climate, I’ve had to sober up from my shopping addiction a little bit. That also applies to my bubble tea consumption following the price increment of $2 at my local boba shop.
What else should I tell you? I love books as much as I love clothes, or maybe it’s more accurate to say I love the warm and cozy feeling of browsing a book store. My favourite one to date is Matilda, up in Stirling – it’s small but the world that exists on its shelves is vast. I’m also cultivating a growing collection of book store and library bookmarks, and so far I’ve got some from Perth, Melbourne and Adelaide.
Current reads ft. book mark collection:
When I’m not scouring bookish places for bookmarks, I’m at hotels collecting notepads and pens (I never really write on them; I have my journals for that) – an interest that finds its roots from my love for stationeries and visiting places.
I think that’s all there is to say for now. I don’t know how much longer you’d want me as your guest but whatever that time frame is, we shall get to know more of each other then. See ya!
