Lovely

I am a lover without a lover.

I am lovely and lonely

and I belong deeply to myself

- Warsan Shire

Dr. Emi Kiyota

From here

I am very much inspired by this lady - Dr. Emi Kiyota and her advocacy on 'Ibasho'.

Gets one thinking about the old, getting old and living in old age.

Oh now, what should I do?

Watch more here

Song

You don't love someone
for their looks, or their clothes, 

or for their fancy car, but because

 they sing a song,

 only you 

can hear

- Oscar Wilde

Jacob Aue Sobol X Leica

By Jacob Aue Sobol

Travelling via the Trans-Siberian Railway, Danish photographer, Jacob Aue Sobol, takes in some amazing black and whites and the shades in between, with a Leica, no less.

His style is a little too gritty for me, but I've shortlisted my faves.

Encounter more here

Trust

“Only trust someone who can see these three things in you: 

The sorrow behind your smile,

 the love behind your anger, 

and the reason behind your silence.”

Another year

It's been a year 

Yet another year again.

Deeply humbled and thankful to God.

What will the next bring?

I wonder.

Hang in there

\  \  \

With me

La Mer de Pianos

Via The Debonaire

Starting to play the piano again.

Someday

From here

A year ago, Neighbour planted caravan ideas into my head.
It has taken root and I can't get it off my mind.

Someday, indeed.

Tell

The things she most wanted to tell him 

would lose their meaning 

once she put them into words

- Murakami (1Q84)

Huskies

From here

Captivating.

Weekend

Sunday Soup

Weekends are the best time of the week.

Time to exercise well

Time to rest well 

(in all aspects)

Time to eat well

We tend to make this beef goulash soup on Sundays.

I call it our 'Sunday Soup'

It's good on a cold wet Sunday.

Very good, in fact.

Kafka Castle

Kafka Castle

Been fascinated by some architecture works of late. 

Realised I'm into the boxy style of architecture, with a bit of quirk.

Kafka Castle, is one example.

Completed in 1968 by Catalan architect, Ricardo Bofill.

Visionary.

Quiet

Something is about to happen

Do keep very quiet now

Shh.

Forever

"People come and go in your lives,
 but they never leave your dreams.

Once they are in your subconscious,
they are immortal."

- Patricia Hampl

Puppy ♥

From here

Someday, I want to have a little jack russel

Or beagle

Or both

♥

Off to lion-hunt

I'm off to lion-hunt, see you guys later~

Higher

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts

Neither are your ways my ways, Saith the Lord

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are my ways higher than your ways

And my thoughts than your thoughts"

+ Isaiah 55: 8 - 9

Pottery ♥

Ah, makes me want to hop right back to classes ^^

On the 3rd page of the book

Every year,

Seven years

Yet

He never forgets

It makes me happy

As

It makes me sad

Happy

Because of you

城里的月光

每颗心上某一个地方
总有个记忆挥不散
每个深夜某一个地方
总有着最深的思量
世界万千的变幻
爱把有情的人分两端
心若知道灵犀的方向
那怕不能够朝夕相伴

城里的月光把梦照亮
请温暖他心房
看透了人间聚散
能不能多点快乐片段

城里的月光把梦照亮
请守护它身旁
若有一天能重逢
让幸福撒满整个夜晚

Goodbye Sweet July

And in July
A lemonade
To cool you through
Some leafy glade
I wish you health
And more than wealth

I wish you love

Solitude

Hiding in a secret place

It is such a secret place, the land of tears

'Coincidence'

"There is a mysterious force which draws together those who constantly think of each other. Fools call it 'coincidence'."

- Cecil B DeMille

Happy midsummer!

Ever-bloom

Today is the longest day of sunshine

All nature is blooming and glowing

in its summer's best

So am I

^^

Wedding under the stars

Pao & Karen

xxx

An invite was laying on the table for me this evening.

I knew inside it was no ordinary invite

And it wasn't.

I was momentarily teleported to be among the stars

A wedding invite that was a hand sewn book

Fit for a Queen.

Queen Karen.

How sweet she has found her King.

An intergalactic union takes place soon.

And I shall be there

Dressed to linger among the trees

&

Under the stars 

xxx

Father's Day

Kelvin Aik & son, Jovan

The show stealer in today's Sundaylife was - no, not the opening article on custom made rings, and nope, not the usually mind-blowing recommendations of Ms Tan Hseuh Yun, but. A family. 

A simple family with father, mother and son. Father, Kelvin Aik, is paraplegic, mother is an occupational therapist and son, Jovan, is a 2 year old. 

The pictures and narration were by Nuria Ling. And she did it beautifully. There was so much love permeating through the pictures - and this one just did it for me. A lot of humbling thoughts came through which is only what a brilliant article can evoke.

Celebrating the extraordinary fathers (and mothers) - including mine!

Do take a look yourself: Wheeling with Dad

Sunshine, freedom, and a little flower

"Just living is not enough,

one must have sunshine, freedom, and 

a little flower"

- Hans Christian Andersen

Buds & Blooms

There is hope in a bud,

realisation in a bloom :)

Meeting

"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed"

 - Carl Gustav Jung

Le beau Jardin

Keep discovering :)

Tell me

I was having lunch at a huge table all to myself

and when I looked up, I saw this note.

It says:

Tell me about yourself -

Your struggles,

Your dreams,

Your telephone number!

Do tell me  :)

I should be so lucky

I came across this while book browsing. I can't recall the title and author (although I really ought to give due credit to this one) If only our math teacher made it this interesting for us. The lesson takeaway is?

Be lucky ^^

Glad that I am so!

When I look into your holiness

When I look into your holiness
When I gaze into your loveliness
When all things that surround
Become shadows in the light of You
When I found the joy of reaching your heart
When my will becomes enthralled in your love

I worship you
The reason I live is to worship you.

Evergreen

This is a place I keep falling in love with over and over again.

Heal your body, mind and spirit

Consider the fragility of a bloom

Rest together on a bench beside these flowers

There is always something new to discover

I want to keep discovering with you
Yes, with you

Insight into ♥

Have you ever wondered if it is possible to love someone you've never seen?

Insight

I have often wondered about it.

And today, I got the answer.

Got a link from P this morning
it's a heartwarming article on Cheil's Samsung Photo Exhibition.

Pictures were taken by blind students from Hanbit School.
I really like the pre-condition set by the principal.

Read it here

If the blind does not need to see to love,

neither do I :)

Faith

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

- Hebrews 11:1

Botanical gardens (night)

"Everything is blooming most recklessly,

if it were voices instead of colours,

there would be an unbelievable shrieking

into the heart of the night"

Rainer Maria Rilke

A place that is always magical.

Glowing last lights

Simply Good

There's a secret hidden inside this place.

It's called "Simply Bread"

Cluny Court

I love long windows

I love trees trying to peek in

Order:

Two Eggs Scrambled

With avocado side

+

Orange Pekoe Tea

Got any rivers?

Got any rivers you think are uncrossable?
Got any mountains you can't tunnel through?
God specialises in things thought impossible.
And does the things others cannot do.

Be lifted up

Everyone needs a lift, sometimes.

Take care P.

1 Peter 1:8

"Whom having not seen,
ye love;
in whom, though now ye see him not,
yet believing,
ye rejoice with joy unspeakable
and full of glory"

Peaches & Pink Guava

australian white fleshed momo

pink guava

I ♥ peaches and I cannot lie.

I could eat them all day and still want more.
And I got my parents hooked on it too :)

Supermarket is stocking pink guavas now,
they look like mini watermelons, do they not?

The flesh is soft and taste is rich.

Mmm..so good!

Alice in Wonderland

The quirky Yayoi Kusama has collaborated with Penguin to come up with her illustrations for Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland"

I really love those spots and dots and how well they come together!

Coming out twenty-fifth april twenty-twelve!

Stills from here via Blackeffiel

On understanding

不患人之不己知，患不知人也

- 孔子

Some time ago, I accompanied my mom to Confucius Institute to collect the results of some proficiency test she had taken, and check out the courses available.

As she was sorting out with the staff, I roamed around and there was on display a few calligraphy works of Confucius sayings. I like this quote in particular and it takes on a deeper and stronger meaning each time I revisit it.

 A rough translation - Take not offence if others do not understand you, but rather be concerned that you do not understand others. (It looks like a lot of words to translate for a mere 12 characters, but such is the beauty of the Chinese language)

First lights

Out of the kitchen window

Some gigantic trees live outside our kitchen window. 

As the first lights of each day hits its branches,

it's a sight for quiet contemplation.

Makes one want to breathe all that deeper.
All the goods in.
All the bads out.

Let's breath well, my friend~

C'est la vie, Mon Cherie~

People think it funny that my all time favourite HK actor is the quite un-handsome Lau Ching Wan(刘青云). It's probably all because of the classic & one of my all-time favourites - C'est la vie, Mon Cherie <<新不了情>>

Lau Ching Wan and Anita Yuen made a seamless performance that never fails to make me weep loads each time I watch. Just viewing the trailer gives me the waterworks again.

Sung by Wan Fang (万芳)

Black Beauty Watermelon

Refreshing~

I think I have an eye for fruits. 

Spotted some very dark green watermelon yesterday.

It's called Black Beauty -I suppose referring to the seeds.

Absolutely sweet and water-melony!

(But they are really heavy!)

Bowls

Blue & White

Beautiful pottery on sale at Isetan.

I love the design on them.

Beautiful women series - Jane Goodall

For some reason, Jane Goodall came into my mind today. Perhaps I was thinking about beautiful women - wasn't thinking appearance-wise, but they happen to be.

She's 77 this year and still active with her projects and initiatives. It's a passion that carries one through life that is so admirable & fulfilling.

She spoke on TED - It's a really good one, if you can spare about 30 minutes - view it here

And also just chanced upon Jane Goodall's organisation in Singapore and that there will be the screening of the documentary - Jane's Journey at the Botanical Gardens on 14th April. Mark your calendar~
More info here

What will you still be passionate about at 77?

Oh my! She's the bride!

compilation of ideas that caught my eye from blackeffiel & ohjoy

Jon proposed to Xin over their Bali holiday.

I can't believe my dear friend is going to get married!

That's so grown up!

We both just realised that we have been friends for a decade.

A decade, imagine that!

The best part about her wedding is

I get to appoint myself as her card designer

Am getting dizzy with ideas!

Congratulations my dear dear friend!
Jon's the lucky dude ;)

***

Buon giorno!

Beautiful sun-basked morning that greets!

Foliage drenched in honeyed sunshine

Yum!

All that glitters

Recently read an article by Ong Soh Chin titled "All that glitters is not gold"

For the longest time, I held suspicions of our local journalists' standard, but this lady is proving there is hope yet in our local journalism. A very well written article, aptly appearing in "Urban". I also love the way she weaved "The Great Gatsby" into her article :)

But really, the crux of it was the message it brought. Although there is so much talk about social mobility, I wonder if there are some of us that get caught in it unawares. Compared to a generation ago, most of us has attained higher qualification than our parents, secured decent paying jobs and having a certain standard of living comparable to our peers. What is seen as decadent before, hardly raises a brow anymore.

As I was having a leisurely tea and croissant with my parents at a newly minted shopping centre in Orchard, (an enjoyment that my parents previously frowned upon) - I wonder what has changed. I suppose we are slowly becoming more attuned to the finer things in life, but are we going on the path of bankrupting our soul? How does one stay level headed in this glitsy world that is constantly calling out to fill those insatiable wants?

I suppose it is an inward looking and awareness, that we are all, just but a flower that grows, withers and dies all too soon. As we experience more in life, are we getting desensitised towards the people around us? Was that just another waiter or waitress, cashier, or sweeper? I like to think everyone we encounter, no matter how brief, becomes an important part of our lives and deserve no less than the respect we might give to our boss (caveat: i.e. if you respect yours)

As we afford the better things in life (but not necessary to need to prove that we can), may we also find ourselves steeped in humility and find it not a hard thing to love our fellow flowers regardless of how well they glister.

Birthday wishes

Made with ♥

Xin turned 28 just recently.

(Nice age & nothing to be shy about, no?)

We celebrated at a cosy little restaurant near our office

with a simply little card filled with greetings.

My best wishes are with you, my dear friend~

Happy turn of 365!

(P/S: unfortunately the 'i' dropped off before it reached you, 

now you know how it was at first :D)