Kindness Card

A card that made my day

Just before I left home from work today, Prof Cai passed me a little present. It's "After Dark" by Murakami. Inside was this kindness card with a nice little message and the paper yellow gerbara flower that is a little art & craft with the postcard. I had mentioned that I am thinking to read the book after reading some good reviews & knowing he was a Murakami fan, I asked if it was any good.

I wasn't expecting the book so it's a really nice surprise.

I guess Prof Cai's the really kind one!

Thank you!

The Elves & The Shoemaker

Today, S told me that she love J-Shoes which I think I had seen the shoes before and they reminded me so much of the shoes I saw when I was really little with my mom reading to me 'The Elves & The Shoemaker'. That must have been about 23 years ago or so!

That made me search for the book and its illustrations.

This is the exact same cover. Nostalgia galore!

But my all time childhood favourite was 'Cinderella'. It's another 'shoe' story for another time.

Meanwhile I hope S will find the J-shoe that fits :)

Intepretation of body & objects

Alice De Visscher

I came across this blog by The Substation and there were articles and reviews on performance art in Singapore. I found out that I have missed out quite a bit of events since I got very busy in the last month. 

This picture really caught my eye and when I read how this Belgian artist got herself into the position as she had and the events that followed, it was no less intriguing. 

This might be absolutely contrary to the artist's intention but it reminded me of fitting in perfectly or making oneself fit in. It also reminded me of the obsession my company has to place everything in its right place & one of my colleague actually cut foam in the shape of his belongings so that they will slot right into their respective positions.

When something makes one relate to many other things, it's worth a second look :)

Iconic

Afgan Girl by Steve McCurry

If there is one representative picture of National Geographic, it is the picture of the Afgan Girl for me. I was mesmerised from the first time I saw it years and years ago and I still find myself drawn into her soulful eyes. There seem to be so much clarity and truth in this picture. This month's Nat Geo article on Afganistan women by Elisabeth Rubin opened like this:

Twenty-five years ago an Afghan girl with green eyes haunted the cover of National Geographic. She became the iconic image of Afghanistan's plight, a young refugee fleeing the war between the Soviet-backed communists and the American-backed mujahideen. Today the iconic image of Afghanistan is again a young woman—Bibi Aisha, whose husband slashed off her nose and ears as punishment for running away from him and his family. Aisha fled to escape beatings and other abuse.

Follow Aisha's story here, I hope it does something for you as it did for me.

Winner of Nat Geo Contest 2010

Nat Geo Grand Prize Winner

This is the winning picture of 2010 National Geographic Photography Contest. It was taken by Singaporean, Aaron Lim. I've always known we've got some hidden gems of world-class photographers within our shores.

Read more here.

Autumn Poetry

By Equinox

It will be too selfish not to share this poetry.

Let's walk down this road together.

自强不息

When I first started my working life, I felt like I could barely cope. I had the best mentor one could have - P, but I guess I was simply not good enough to catch on as fast as I had wished. I cannot deny that there were many points at which I almost gave up but somehow I did not.

I wrote phrases and stuck it around to keep me grounded.

One was from a calligraphy work found in the Chinese Library at Central Library where I always studied for my exams, It is the simple phrase of '自强不息' & '力争上游'.

There other one was to put things in perspective. It was a part of the poem 'Auguries of Inocence' by William Blake.

'To see the world in a grain of sand,
And heaven in a wild flower
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour'

These days, as much I wish P is around when I run into a block, I now have to be independent and find the answers myself. And perhaps it is time to be a mentor to someone too.

This is a taste of life (이게 바로 '사는 맛' 이다!)

Huh Young Man - 허영만

Passed my TOPIK Beginners Test.
I barely did, but I did. That meant a whole lot to me. I received my certificate and I am really happy about it. But I have a long long way to go before I can fully understand this book that Neighbour gave me today.

It is about a famous illustrator - Huh Young Man (That's really his name! but he is young no more) and a group of friends who took a yacht and took trips to islands around South  Korea intermittently between June 2009 to May 2010. The book is peppered with his illustrations and pictures that makes me want to pull off something similar.

Such is the taste of life.
Who will have courage to taste of it?

(Thanks Neighbour!고마워~)

Solitary

It is good to be solitary, 

for solitude is difficult; 

that something is difficult 

must be a reason
the more for us to do it

- Rainer Maria Rilke

By Gao Xingjian

Autumns are made of these

Is there anything more beautiful?

His autumn's tale will be out soon.
Follow it from here

Keong Saik Twins

I had a beautiful morning with Xin today.

We had breakfast at The Plain after tennis.

I am amazed by my capacity to talk when I am with her,

she's a dear dear friend

(yes, you are!)

We explored Keong Saik Street and

found this pair of twins free drawing outside a craft school.

 I did not immediately notice

but the similarities were pretty strong.

I asked them if they were and they confirmed it to be so.

They spoke with amazing clarity for four year olds

and did really adorable things.

The Keong Saik Street Twins

Older Brother

Younger Brother

 I wanted to kidnap them home.

Especially the older one.
He was more serious about his art.

The younger one was more comic.

But both really stole my heart.

If only men kept their child-like heart through life...

The Plain

It's the great P&S company again this national holiday. 

We (or at least I) had a lovely time drinking nice hot tea & 

chilling at The Plain. 

Below picture credits to author of Sarah's Loft.

Nicely taken pictures & post from here.

We sat at the table nearest to you

S & myself had one of these each

It is a wonderful place - the company of friends.

At long last

Read more here

Burma's national heroine and Nobel Peace Prize laureate - Aung San Suu Kyi has finally been released from house arrest. Placed under house arrest since her landslide victory at the 1990 general elections which should have seen her assuming the role of Prime Minister, all attempts to have her released had been sadly futile.

At long last, she has been released. 

Is this a sign for change in Burma?

Lovely Andre & her love

Albert & Andre

A flight delay has never been more of a blessing than it has been last night. I managed to see Andre and Albert before they leave to start their lives together in another land.

Life is strange in the way where I had just found time to reconnect with this dear old friend after leaving Level 23 that we are to part again.

But she is leaving with someone to love and to hold, for better and for worse.

For that, I take heart & my deepest wishes follow them.

An Autumn's Tale (秋天的童话）

A dear friend introduced me to this little gem of a story.

Set in 1987, it's a classic -  true to form.

Leads - Cherie Chung and Chow Yun Fatt

Another friend is now in Korea documenting his autumn's tale. 

I have seen some preliminary pictures and 

I think it is going to be a good one.

I am patiently waiting for my autumn's tale to come.

I believe it will - someday.

Star

O how everything is far off

and long deceased.

I think now, that the star

whose beam reached me

has been dead for a thousand years.

- Rainer Maria Rilke 

(Diaries of a Young Poet)

Wanton

Minced meat, water chestnut and spring onions

Wanton skins plump and pregnant with (yummy) fillings

Lovely creases and folds of cooked wanton

'Wanton' anglicised from ‘雲吞’, a popular dish here. You can find similar versions in Malaysia and Hong Kong.

And personally, there is nothing better than tucking into a bowlful of home-made ones.

Two are better than one

'Two are better than one; 

because they have a good reward for their labour.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: 

but woe to him that is alone when he falleth;

for he hath not another to help him up.

Again, if two lie together, 

then they have heat: 

but how can one be warm alone?

And if one prevail against him, 

two shall withstand him; 

and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.'

- Ecclesiastes 4: 9 - 12

Meet me at Mike's

By Pip Lincolne

I hope to buy this book and make some lovely crafts to share!
Hopefully find time to visit the shop itself for a real treat.
 X Cross your fingers for me X

A blessing

Golda Meir with Pinhas Lavon

'Not being beautiful was the true blessing. 

Not being beautiful forced me to develop my inner resources.

 The pretty girl has a handicap to overcome.'

-Golda Meir

Israel's fourth Prime Minister

To dance like Giselle

Picture by Jean-Pierre Maurin from here

'Dance like no one is watching

Love like you've never been hurt

Work like you don't need the money

And live like its heaven on earth'

- William Watson Purkey

Architour '10 - Domesticity

 Jalan Siap - embracing the 3Rs

Protect the castle!

 Beautiful imperfections

 Looking out inside

 I shall not want

It's crowded at this home today

A happy-looking house in Jalan Siap's neighbourhood

Next stop - Jalan Rukam

A pond within the house

A tree within the living room

Other side of the living room

Go down

Go up

Much to learn and admire

A piece of your sky

Living inside a botanical garden

Continue discovering

Great weekend with great friends

 Miss S.

Mister P.

Had a really great weekend with P & S. They are completely responsible for The-Great-Day-Out. P saved me from a potential disaster because I left my wallet at home and happily went on my way to meet them. He took a cab to my place to pick me up in time for the National Gallery guided tour (and loaned me the SD card which I also forgot to bring, and money too)

Yes, I do feel quite ashamed of myself.

S booked the ArchiTour for the afternoon and we had such a great dinner at Ootoya!

Let's go out more!

L'Empire des lumières - René Magritte

L'Empire des lumières  (Empire of Lights)

My Polish friend, Slawek introduced me to this work by René Magritte. If I did not remember wrongly, it was one of his favourite. Magritte was famous for his pipe painting where on it was written "Ceci n'est pas une pipe" ("This is not a pipe"). 

I like this picture very much too as it alludes to many things in life for me. 

I hope you enjoy it too and find out more about Magritte and his pictures here.

霜叶红于二月花 (Autumn leaves surpasses spring flowers)

Picture from Chaemii's

I attended a Chinese concert '霜叶红于二月花' with my mother last night at the Saint Andrew's Cathedral. It was a free concert with tickets from my piano teacher. The concert was organised for the elderly and I thought the theme - 霜叶红于二月花 was beautiful and apt.

How often the beauty of the those in the autumn of their lives surpass the youthful ones. During the concert (all performed by the autumn ones) I was particularly impressed with a very old lady from China. She took to the stage in a stately blue gown and walked slowly to the grand piano on account of her age. But once she got herself settled, she was transformed as I was transfixed. Her agility, grace, and poise at the piano put me to complete shame. As she played, she did not appear to be playing, but willing the ivories to her touch and drawing the loveliest voice out of the the piano. It was nothing short of astounding.

She has definitely set the bar for me and I can only hope that I keep to the beat and in the years to come -  grow into a beautiful 霜叶too.

Breakfast at Cluny's

Idyllic breakfast at Simply Bread -Cluny

Pictures from here

Breakfast at Simply Bread with Neighbour last Saturday was really great. I love the long windows where the morning sun floods in. Neighbour like the white decor. I have yet to have had a better plate of scrambled eggs.

Scrambled eggs on buttered fresh toast, cinnamon buns and raspberry buns. I can feel my salivary glands going into overdrive even now.

I am going to discover more breakfast places!

Day and Night - Gao Xingjian

Taken from here

The exhibition on Gao Xingjian's works at Singapore Art Museum years ago was one of the best I had seen. I found out later that he was a Nobel laureate for his literature work. I had seen one of the interviews with him by Channel 8 a few years ago and if I did not remember wrong, he said something to the effect of, 'Where words end, painting begins'

The stark solitude of the characters in his paintings echoes deep.

Spider Lily of my morning

Spider lily at 7.20am