A re-read

So I'm home earlier than most of my friends and I have been spending a lot of quality time with my family...whether it be the normal fistfights, bickering, tears...we stick together because that's what being a family is all about. Anyhow, it's been great winding down and thinking about what I want to do after this break, goals I want to achieve in this time off. I crept back to my favorite shelf in my bookcase and found amongst my favorites, one of THE favorite. Need I say more about my adoration for this book?

The Things They Carried
by Tim O'Brien

I know, it looks like one of those typical books about war, and I won't tell you that it's not but I just want to recommend it to readers...because it is truly a special book.

It consists of short anecdotes...short stories with intensely raw emotions woven through them that triggered something inside of me that I didn't know was there. I did not understand war from this novel, because I haven't experienced it...and I live a life far from that described in this novel. Yet, I have had these emotions described in O'Brien's stories...the feeling of regret, the weight of responsibility and love, fear to see those around you leave...disappear...die.

The vulnerable side of the human creature when we are so stubbornly entangled in the love of others is exhibited in the most heartbreaking way under O'Brien's pen. As predicted, the idea of death allows the actions of his characters to be justified under that context. I especially feel gravitated towards how O'Brien uses the human capacity of remembering and the power of our memories to illuminate why each character stands where they are today...

This quick re-scan and re-read of some of my favorite stories from this special novel made me see again, why I stick to what I believe in. In this world filled with shifting values and numbness towards life&dedication...it is important to re-track your WHYs...
why you do what you do and most importantly, why you are what you are today. 

Grab a copy of this book and you may find a story that speaks to you like how some of them spoke to me.

The Value of Creativity

Sir Ken Robinson delivered 2 of my all-time favorite talks on TED. His talks surround the nurturing of creativity in education. Which I must say, is not vital to the development of the human culture but scarily relevant to every individual...because the presence of creativity defines our identities.

His British wit and smart way of delivering a message allows his ideas to be absorbed effectively and I hope that if you pass by my blog and have not heard his talks that it'd be a wise decision to do so-- it will be one of the best-spent 20~40 minutes of your life!

His 1st Talk- Schools Kill Creativity


His 2nd talk- Bring on the learning revolution!


"Human communities depend upon a diversity of talent, NOT a singular conception of ability, and at the heart of the challenge is to reconstitute our sense of ability and of intelligence..."
--Sir Ken Robinson

Moved by movement

My friend shared this link today on Facebook and,
This is Billy Bell and his choreography, his heart--put out there in movement.
I've gone through the debate of the "language of the arts" countless times with individuals specializing in different disciplines and despite my belief to acknowledge and understand the validity of both sides of an argument, this is the one topic that I stand my ground for...

Movement is a language of our body, every single choreographed moment is a word our body wants to speak. When choreographers move with a message in mind, muscles that are connected to the blood that pumps from our heart...SPEAKS. So even if you may not understand the language, acknowledge its existence and the heart behind it.

Moments

So John Lennon once said that "Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans", I'd hate to think that my life is defined as such. Instead, we must live for moments. Life shouldn't be an accumulation of the bland events that happen while we wait for more...no, life should be the sum of all the moments that make us laugh in the most vulnerable and childish ways... touching moments that are genuine and heartfelt and moments with our treasured soul mates that wash all your worries away.

Don't let life pass by without feeling your breath being taken away or your heart pounding like a dynamite. 

It's a precious one.

Sharing someone gorgeous from the down under...

Perfection and beauty, all in one.

Miranda Kerr

Our necessity for the Un-necessary.

Women and shoes....

simply...

inseparable

.

xo

HAPPY

So I am up blogging at 3 AM again. I guess life has taken a toll on itself and now...I don't feel empty anymore...that spot is filled in with everything beautiful about life-- joy laughter and love. What else can I do but smile most of the time?! Exams are over, summer is here, going back home soon to see my family and friends that I miss sosososo dearly!

best friends do exist...

Time passed so fast! I still remember packing my bags for Australia and not really knowing what is expected of me in that world down under... it's been an amazing journey and I can't wait for more!

Energy, Movement & Life

What I live for.

So much inspiration HAPPENED in this dance studio...

There was a certain synergy about that dimension which allowed me to..

breathe. move forward. direct my energy.

Can't wait to find more spaces of inspiration! 

想太多.

要愛上一個人很難

但我覺得更難的是時機

要愛上一個人也很簡單

只是適不適合又是一回事

有的時候我們感覺好像很愛對方

但又常常在心裡懷疑..."我愛他嗎?"

或是會常常想起初戀

自以為的說那時候的愛才最真

但仔細想想

好像又不是那麼一回事

又自以為的說

那時候我根本不懂甚麼叫愛

人就是這樣

好像一直在做一樣的事

一直在想一樣的事

就這樣一直反反覆覆

人也很奇妙

有時候明明已經沒聯絡

卻又可以突然搭上線

然後又消失

有些愛，留不住 

但會一直住在心裡最深處

但那代表甚麼?

也許只有自己明白

而且是只想和自己分享的

或許是說只能和自己分享

對!就是這樣

所以就是這樣了!

你懂嗎?

Reposted from http://www.wretch.cc/blog/oo00zzzz

Enchantingly beautiful

Comtine D'un Autre Ete L'apres Midi
By Yann Tiersen

This piece of music has an unbelievable amount of life and endearing moments...
It pulls me in and out of an enchantingly beautiful world that is not the one I belong to.
It makes me want to be part of it
I feel the tugs of heartstrings as I trespass into its magical presence.
Simply, a beautiful piece of music...
Enjoy and experience its wonders.

The Search Continues

So I was looking through my favorite quotes page on Facebook...and this beautiful quote from Grey's Anatomy, the vow Dr. Burke never said to Cristina still makes me hold my breath:


"Cristina, I could promise to hold you and to cherish you. I could promise to be in sickness and in health. I could say, til death do us part. But I won't. Those vows are for optimistic couples, the ones full of hope. And I do not stand here, on my wedding day, optimistic or full of hope. I am not optimistic, I am not hopeful, I am sure. I am steady. And I know that I am a heart man. I take them apart and I put them back together and I hold them in my hands. I am a heart man. So this I am sure, you are my partner, my lover, my very best friend, my heart, my heart beats for you. And on this day, the day of our wedding, I promise you this: I promise you to lay my heart in the palm of your hands, I promise you me."


This quote was from Season 3(?) So almost...3 years ago since I've been touched by the existence of "a heart man". After 3 years I am still equally touched and maybe this feeling is intensified by a tint of remorse now as I reflect upon my futile search amongst the relationships I've built, destroyed and regretted...

A few amazing people have crossed roads with me in my short lifetime so far...
Some, I'm simply thankful for their graceful presence at the intersections of our fate.
Others, I treasure to this day as soul mates...those rare individuals are the needles of the haystack in this planet. Their presence in our lives means more than that first relationship established; that relationship grows into a more complex figure and these people have a special impact on us...an impact that transcends time. 


Often, I think back at "what went wrong?" "why couldn't our relationship stay the same?" "what if he was the heart man?" Maybe because it's just not meant to be that way. 

This always spurs infinite amount of reflection and thought-

Found this piece of writing when I was about 12?13? Around that age, the age of complete ignorance of the world beyond my pre-mature mindset of boys,puberty and awkwardness. Oriah's words are an inspiration that transcends age. I love looking back at this piece every now and then. My reaction, reflection and trails of thoughts are always different...and it always spurs me to look upon my tiny existence in a fresh perspective. I hope you can also relate to it in your own way and hopefully, this will also inspire you to think differently about..everything.

THE INVITATION

Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me 
is true.
I want to know if you can 
disappoint another 
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life 
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone 
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

Dare to go beyond

"I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all the kinds of things you can't from the center."


- Kurt Vonnegut

Graduation is in 3 hours

A pivotal point my life? An ending? Or a new beginning? Graduation symbolizes a transition into another stage of life...and so I suppose I should reflect on this stage called childhood that would be ending...in 3 hours. A native here in Taipei, Taiwan...I am part of this city and its people. In kindie here in Danshui, I was part of a proud group of kids that call ourselves the "Penguin kids" what made us happy was winning champion for field day or being able to nap peacefully in the afternoon or winning the stuffed penguin home for a day in honor of being "the best penguin kid of the day". How much things changed from then...change is the only constant matter in this world and because of this, I wish I can savor every moment here and there.

Someone once told me that "now" is only an 8 seconds time frame..these words I'm typing are part of my past now. Things happen to fast and too quickly for the human mind to process and...savor. We cannot perceive everything and that thought saddens me, what if I missed something along the way? I don't want to. I want to remember everything. I want to remember everything that made me happy...sad...angry but memory is such an  unreliable source, yet it is our only key into the past. But why is the past so important to us? Most people would agree that the past makes us who we are. I know people and have heard stories about people that spend their whole life digging from the past to discover who they are. It is true that the past is part of our identity...but so is our future that lies ahead.

As unknown and mysterious it may seem, it will also soon be a part of us. Thus, we must embrace it and occasionally say "Screw the past, focus on the present and onwards"...because sometimes we forget how important it is to live the now, live for what lies ahead. But I also learned from my 18 year journey that the past must remain to be an integral part in the self too...in the light of commencing towards the future, you must never forget where you came from and how you got to where you are.


So at this point in my life, I am grateful to say that I have nothing to regret from the journey life took me through...as a child stepping into the unknown realms of my own future, it is these memories I hold, the people I love, my family, my friends, that will help me through these next steps I take and embrace what is next...

1st post

Wow HTML with &)^#)$^#)$#>><<< symbols are really making me confused, the hectic coding makes lazy me rethink my decision to make a blog on blogspot...but then again, conforming to underclassmen chicks' rage over tumblr is not something that I, as a soon-to-graduate-senior, should pursue anyways. The old school route always prevails.

What made me want to pursue blogging at this point in my life? Well I feel like blogs are actually a perfect medium for expression. Expression does not include all my emotional tid-bits in life, such as the way some very sensitive male friends I have that 'express' by updating their fb statuses in an amusingly-frequent manner about their imaginary blossoming love lives...no, not that at all. I'd love to share ideas about observations I make in my daily life about people, myself, friends or maybe inject ideas every now and then about events and dilemmas in this world, cos God knows what weird phenomena exists in our world today...we've got crazes over a singing fetus, girls fainting at the sight of glittery pale bloodsuckers, morons counting to 20000 on FB, illegal immigrants and fish-eyed faces appearing in my high school yearbook?! and all sorts of crazy things...

Besides that, I'm just gonna spill everything I feel that will be worth seeing, reading and thinking about...it may be food porn, thoughtful quotes, eyegasmic dance performances, epiphanies, or immediate reactions about the latest mediocre American Idol Season 9 Finale, whatever the case... I WILL SHARE! :)