You have taught me to love my life

in peace

Spring is like a perhaps hand - E.E. Cummings

Spring is like a perhaps hand
(which comes carefully
out of Nowhere) arranging
a window, into which people look(while
people stare
arranging and changing placing
carefully there a strange
thing and a known thing here)and

changing everything carefully

spring is like a perhaps
Hand in a window
(carefully to
and fro moving New and
Old things, while
people stare carefully
moving a perhaps
fraction of flower here placing
an inch of air there) and

without breaking anything.


[Monet's Garden, Giverny, France]

Sydney

My first two rolls of black and film
and several last sets of photos before leaving Sydney
while i am a bit nostalgic about the environment,
i've dug out Robert Gray's poems
to remind me of the scent and appearance of Sydney
i remember buying it when i was in uni year 2
when i was in Sydney for a debating competition
thinking i would never be going back to Sydney
for further education, which happened to be totally wrong
i bought the book in Dymocks because
i wanted to keep something about Sydney,
about Australia
well, seems it's time to revise a bit what
Sydney weighs in my heart
the poetry book has been sitting on my shelf for some time,
it will be happy if i turn its pages

turned so red

the beatle was silvery
and one day
it turned so red
reigining over
the bell of affection
ringing up all souls

The best of life is but

What is life after all but a dream
And why should such bother be made?
Better far to be tipsy, I deem,
And doze all day long in teh shade,
When I wake and look out on the lawn,
I hear midst the flowers a bird sing,
I ask, "Is it evening or dawn?"
The mango-bird whistles, "Tis spring,"
Overpowered with the beautiful sight,
Another full goblet I pour,
And would sing till the moon rises bright -
But soon I'm as drunk as before

Original poem by Li Bai
Translated by Herbert A Giles
from Das Lied von de Erde (The Song of the Earth by Mahler)

Never say Goodbye

If I could take this moment forever
Turn the pages of my mind
To another place and time
We would never say goodbye

If I could find the words I would speak them
Then I wouldn't be tongue-tied
When I looked into your eyes
We would never say goodbye

If I could stop the moon ever rising
Day would not become the night
Wouldn't feel this cold inside
And we'd never say goodbye

I wish that our dreams were frozen
Then our hearts would not be broken
When we let each other go...

If I could steal this moment forever
Paint a picture-perfect smile
So our story stayed alive
We would never say goodbye

'Never Say Goodbye' was sung by Hayley Westenra in her first album 'Pure'. The lyrics are nice and the equally the music ... which is a tune from Ravel's 'Pavane pour une infante defunte' (Pavane for a Deceased Infanta 1899, dedicated to Princess E. de Polignac). Hayley's music is currently my study companion!

4 weeks and 2 days

my perception of a month has changed
no longer as rigid as January or February
it's now newly defined as from a
Tuesday night 4 weeks and 2 days ago

This is the A1 size poster for Hansun entitled 'What can be more amazing than the sparks of fireworks?'


In return for my surprise, I received a few surprises too. Thanks so much indeed!

A handmade ring of affection made by Hansun ... a brilliant attempt by soldering it together!

The message on this card is touching ... but i won't disclose it here!

Euphoria

[lava lamp casting light onto the Gallelio thermometor]

the glass of temperature
absorbs
the euphoria of lava
tossing its pink radiation

Macau

These photos were taken early last year before the some new casinos were in operation. I still disagree with how a city should develop and fully indulge itself in such a dangerous expedition. The news articles about how young people only focus on how to earn money quickly without appreciating the beauty of acquiring knowledge is just saddening. It's a silent suicide that greediness towards wealth slowly encroaches the city. Macau has its wonderful cultural and heritage assets. What is a government doing when it is simply pouring pestilence to the hearts of its people. How can it sustain?

This is an entry written last year about my trip:

I have just been to Macau over the weekend ... haven't been there for many years, if i remember correctly, that should be 5. There's a new slogan 'City of Dreams', echoing the springing up of casinos literally everywhere. Either they are being built along main roads or in new areas, causing great inconvenience walking on pavements. The flooding in of borrowed images denoting grandeur could be found when you just look around: huge chandeliers, lit up glass panes, biege coloured marble floors, Venetian styled appearances, musical fountains, you name it! I had this utmost absurd feeling when people stood in front of casinos and took photos as if they are new landmarks, worthy of remembering ... perhaps some had 'earned' great fortune? I did take some photos of casinos but I felt strongly people are wrongly inclined to this kind of 'activities'. The dream of earning by luck, the greater dream of becoming a millionaire in the city saturated with gambling opportunities. I don't know how sustainable an economy 'indispensible' of gambling could survive when the global economic waves hit in another cycle.

There was a very interesting conversation when our whole family was on the way to the pier, a taxi driver teased how Hong Kong's economy is dwindling, not as vibrant as theirs. He even said that if he had the chance of being employed he wouldn't consider coming due to the lower salary. Most ironically, he even said he could save up more because he simply evades tax in Macau, a widespread acceptable practice.

Though the trip was thought-provocative, we had so much Portugese food in just two days ... I quite like the old places there, especially 'Ma Kok', but just didn't have enough time to document these structures and happenings. The weather wasn't that fabulous, always cold and cloudy, so I guess the night shots are better!

Perhaps Love

Perhaps love is like a resting place
A shelter from the storm
It exists to give you comfort
It is there to keep you warm
And in those times of trouble
When you are most alone
The memory of love will bring you home

Perhaps love is like a window
Perhaps an open door
It invites you to come closer
It wants to show you more
And even if you lose yourself
And don`t know what to do
The memory of love will see you through

Oh, love to some is like a cloud
To some as strong as steel
For some a way of living
For some a way to feel
And some say love is holding on
And some say letting go
And some say love is everything
And some say they don`t know

Perhaps love is like the ocean
Full of conflict, full of pain
Like a fire when it's cold outside
Or thunder when it rains
If I should live forever
And all my dreams come true
My memories of love will be of you

well .... I sang this song for my dear Grandma on her April Fool's b-day! She loved it and enjoyed! I learnt this song when I was in primary school and I really like the lyrics as there are many wonderful metaphors and images of what love is and could be.