Sonnet

We were asked to read some poems for our coming Literature class, and one of them particularly resonated with me...

Sonnet
by Edna St Vincent Millay

Time does not bring relief; you all have lied
Who told me time would ease me of my pain!
I miss him in the weeping of the rain;
I want him at the shrinking of the tide;
The old snows melt from every mountain-side,
And last year's leaves are smoke in every lane;
But last year's bitter loving must remain
Heaped on my heart, and my old thoughts abide.
There are a hundred places where I fear
To go, - so with his memory they brim.
And entering with relief some quiet place
Where never fell his foot or shone his face
I say, "There is no memory of him here!"
And so stand stricken, so remembering him.

KL Performing Arts Centre, Sentul

I've long wanted to visit this place - KL Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) in Sentul ever since it kept appearing in various architecture magazines. But since Sentul is way out of my usual radar, I've never taken the trouble to go there on purpose. So when Priscilla said she was going to a play there, I decided to buy a ticket and take myself on a trip :)

Unfortunately, I'm no longer a student so I can only buy the ticket at normal price =.=''

The play was inspired by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The story is the same, except with change of characters and performed in traditional Mak Yong style. The actors even all spoke in the Kelantanese dialect (which I'm sure left many people in clouds during the whole play). It was rather hilarious too - cos they made references to the local scene - politics and H1N1 included.

The cast of Mak Yong "Titis Sakti" at the end of the show

And then, I proceeded to my main purpose of coming XD It was wonderful walking around the grounds and seeing the scenes only seen on magazines. There was a big park surrounding KLPac - the Sentul Park. I saw some children playing kites there too. Some were feeding the ducks (at least I think they're ducks) in the pond.

More pictures and fun are in my Facebook account :D

BreakOut performance

More performances from BreakOut, the Korean Extreme Dance Comedy group. There is a short and funny segment performed by them (prisoners and the cop). Then, they show off their dancing skills.





Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

Beatbox by BreakOut member

As mentioned earlier, one of the highlights of the Korean Embassy event was the Extreme Dance Comedy "BreakOut" B-boy performance. This is a beatbox performance by one of the members at the beginning. There were no audio on at that time, so whatever you hear was produced by this talented chap.

More videos when I'm done editing...

你只有一个

Was listening to songs by 范玮琪 (Fan Wei Qi). Came across this song, and the lyrics seemed to speak to me...

范玮琪 - 你只有一个

你看你　眉头都打结了
你熟悉的坚韧　到哪儿去了
别因时光而磨损

快找回那自信的眼神
不要因为爱错了一个人
就否决爱美好的可能

不管如何都不要忘记
你是最好的
要相信你绝对有幸福的资格

你只有一个　独一无二
他不懂珍惜是他太笨
有多少人等着
要做你最最在乎的人

你只有一个　那么独特
你值得你期盼的快乐
当你不再非他不可
他会知道　失去的多难得

一定会找到珍惜你的人
全世界就非要你不可

Why I read 橘子

I'm currently in the midst of reading 橘子(Orange)'s 不爱，也是一种爱。（Choosing not to love is my way of loving you.)

I have 3 of her books and have finished one so far. Truth be told, I don't think much of her stories. Unless one likes to read a lot of sentences expressing every detail in the story. There is a story, but nothing much happens in the book. I would say that she is an author proficient for writing emotions and those many passing thoughts one often has in the head.

Then you might ask, why do I have 3 of her books? Reason one being: her books have nice covers, which is explained here. Reason two: I am always attracted by the short phrases on the cover and in her book.

Like this book, 不爱，也是一种爱。 On the cover is this:

愛人不難，
Loving someone is not hard,
難的是不愛
The hard part is not loving.

不愛，也是一種愛
Not to love, is also a kind of love
所以，我才會感慨
Which is why I lament
我們，只能不愛以愛
That we, can only love by not loving
儘管，愛情，給我們一次機會。
Even though, love gave us a chance.

(English translation is done by me.)

Ah~ The words resonate with me. When I still wonder where the story is going, the short words before each chapter become my highlights:

開場白
相。遇
有些人相遇得太早，有些人相遇得太晚
而，有些人，則是一輩子都不應該相遇

第一章
失。眠
躺久了總是會睡着的
而人
愛久了，卻不一定就是你的

第二章
傷。害
越是懂愛的人，往往越是容易讓對方受傷害
就像是
她總是知道該怎麽精凖的說出我不想聼的話

第三章
孤。獨
我們都是孤獨的存在
而，不同的是
妳，孤獨的這樣自在

第四章
變
人，總是會變的
關係也是
愛，尤其

第五章
遺。憾
我們的遺憾來自於相愛時間的錯過
而，最遺憾的是
我們，連錯過也錯過

第六章
心。開
“怎麽樣才能把心打開來？”
[或許先試著別去想心關著的這件事情。]
我回答。卻，說不出口，我心關著的是，是妳。

第七章
殘。忍
愛情裡最殘忍的
或許不是遺忘
卻是否認

第八章
不。愛
不愛，也是一種愛
所以，我才會感慨
我們，只能不愛以愛

最終章
最。後
結果，到了最後
我思念妳的濃度
還是和最初相同


I would attempt to translate, except I have no wish to interfere with the Mandarin words.
I wonder, what does it say when I read a book for all these instead of the story. Hah. Maybe I'm just thinking about something that does not require thinking. Anyway, I think these short phrases are rather beautiful, and are the sort that I would like to write.

先試著別去想心關著的這件事情。
卻，說不出口，我心關著的事，是你。

And finally, I bought HP7

I have all the books in the Harry Potter series. Finally! Hah... I know that's not an accomplishment, really, so many people are the same. But, up until recently I have only had the 6 books and last week, I finally bought the last, and seventh book!

Why the delay, you ask? You see, though I like reading Harry Potter, and though I may remember most of what I read which will make me seem like a very devoted fan (really it's not something I try to do), I am not one of the fanatics who would line up in front of the bookstore the 1st day it was launched (I was going to say I wouldn't pre-order as well, but I seem to have done so with the 4th book). And I'm not one who would pay over a hundred ringgit for a book. Fiction, that is. And even the RM69.90 price offered then at the hypermarkets couldn't entice me enough.

So, when I entered Popular bookstore last week and I saw this book - hardcover - on promotion (!), going for RM49.90 with an itsy bitsy purchase of RM10 & above, I took action immediately. I went home feeling rather giddy with joy and satisfaction, I must say.

And though it's been a while, I have meticulously steered clear from all the spoilers everywhere. So. I sat one day when I didn't have to wake up early the next as I had determined I would finish it in one sitting. And god... I don't know if my reading skills have deteriorated or is it a testament to J.K. Rowling's writing, but the book took forever!

I suppose it had something to do with the content - that feeling of forever, I mean. It certainly isn't the thickest book, and yet it felt like the longest. The content was so heavy and so emotional that it had me in tears within the 5 chapters. And seriously, did so many characters have to die?? I think my dad suspected me of going a bit bonkers because I was holding two thick-ass books (I was reading a bit in HP6 for reference) and having teary eyes.

I finally finished it at 7a.m. I had gone to my room and sequestered myself there since midnight. And I had started a few chapters before dinner. So I think it took me about 9+ hours to finish, headache notwithstanding.

How to become a famous architect without building anything?

I found this very interesting site for the architecture community. For students, as well. The articles there tickle my bones and make me laugh in a "sewel" way. Especially this very interesting article - How to become a famous architect without building anything?

No offence to your architect idol, Jameson.

Just Let Me Love You

by Joanne Avanzado

Of all the people in this world, Why is it you that I fell for There could be someone better than you Someone that I can depend on If only I can teach my heart I’ll say I should forget you But even if I tried to My heart still beats for you I know it is wrong And I must learn to be strong Coz your heart is not free It’s with someone all along Let me love you silently Let me hold you in my dreams Just let me feel the way I do To love me back, you don’t have to…

~found from LovePoetry

The Rose

Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed
Some say love, it is a hunger
And endless aching need
I say love, it is a flower
And you its only seed.

It's the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
It's the dream afraid of waking
That never takes the chance
It's the one who won't be taken
Who can not seem to give
And the soul afraid of dying
That never learns to live

When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong

Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snow
Lies the seed, that with the sun's love
In the spring becomes the rose

~sung by Bette Midler

Generation

Recently, I've been impressed with the contents of a magazine by the name of Generation. The articles are thought provoking, even life altering for some... Especially for those in search for something worthwhile to read, and to keep, do visit:

http://www.gogeneration.com/

"...It is natural to suppose that a Being so high above us possesses no desire... According to our logic, how could a Being who is indeed complete and perfect possess a desire?... When we really stop to think, it makes sense that God has a desire. Attention to the world around us reveals an important principle: the more living a being is, the greater its desire. A stone, for example, is lifeless; as an inanimate object, it has no desire. Whether it rests in a park or is ground to fine powder does not bother a rock one way or another. Dogs possess a higher life and present greater desires; human beings possess an even higher life and demand even more. As the highest life of all, then, God must have an enormous desire."
-from Vol. 5 iss. 2 Generation Magazine

A Little Princess

In my continual journey through the magical, wondrous and sometimes unimaginable worlds presented through story books, it is always satisfying to find one story that stays in the mind indefinitely. Often flashes a phrase, or a dialogue, prompts my mind then to search for the title of the story, and book if I have it, then to locating it physically, and browsing straight to where I thought of.

This story, http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Frances_Hodgson_Burnett/A_Little_Princess/

is one that comes to mind often, quoted elsewhere a lot too.

I enjoyed it immensely, perhaps you would too! =)

Grammar In A Nutshell

Three little words you often see
Are Articles - A, An, and The.

A Noun's the name of anything,
As School, or Garden, Hoop or Swing.

Adjectives tell the kind of Noun,
As Great, Small, Pretty, White or Brown.

Instead of Nouns the Pronouns stand -
Her head, His face, Your arm, My hand.

Verbs tell something being done -
To Read, Count, Laugh, Sing, Jump or Run.

How things are done the Adverbs tell,
As Slowly, Quickly, Ill, or Well.

Conjunctions join the words together,
As men And women, wind Or weather.

The preposition stands before
A Noun, as In or Through a door.

The Interjection shows surprise,
As Oh! how pretty! Ah! how wise!

The Whole are called Nine Parts of Speech,
Which reading, writing, speaking teach.

-Anonymous-

Being A Princess

I took this from The Princess Diaries:

"Whatever comes," she said,
"cannot alter one thing.
If I am a princess in rags and tatters,
I can be a princess inside.
It would be easy to be a princess if I were
dressed in cloth of gold, but it is a great
deal more of a triumph to be one all the
time when no one knows it."


A Little Princess
Frances Hodgson Burnett

Are we really?

Yesterday, I watched "Mona Lisa Smile", a movie which I've been wanting to watch for some time. For people who have not seen this movie (or even heard of it, maybe), this movie talks about a lady, Catherine Watson (Julia Roberts) who sets out to a college, Wellesley, in a rural area, to teach art history. She goes there with a mission to make a difference. This is not an easy task as the professors there are all traditionalists, and the students (only girls) all studying until someone proposes and they get married. So all in all, it is a comparatively outdated society, as we would call it nowadays.

There is one point that made me think in the movie, that is when Ms. Watson asks her student, Joan (Julia Stiles) who is a pre-law student to consider pursuing her degree in law even after she's married. She tells Joan that she can make a choice, and gives her the admission form for the University of Yale. Well, Joan does apply and even gets accepted. But she does not decide to go in the end, a serious blow to Ms. Watson. Joan tells her that this was the decision she made, that she would regret not having a family than not being a lawyer.

It is quite clearly shown in the movie, I think, that this was clearly not the choice Catherine Watson expected her to make. What made me wonder was, we...we always think that there are some things that would be right for a person, certain things they should do, pursue. But what we think, is it always right? And even if we are right, is it what the person wants? Then maybe we say, that person doesn't really know what he wants, or doesn't have the courage to pursue it. But still, we do all the thinking from our point of view. In our consideration, did we miss out, on that person's ability to know what is right and wrong for them, or what would make them happy?

The movie ends with Ms. Watson leaving the post after a year, when the college's council could not accept her radical way of thinking and teaching. She could not compromise her principles and leaves for somewhere else, where maybe she could try to make another difference. But she did make the girls in her class think beyond the norm, and looking further into the future.

So, for those who would enjoy a movie with much depth and insight, I would definitely say that this is a must-watch.

Life...is a Journey

A song I like very much:

Journey – Angela Zhang

It’s a long, long journey
Till I know where I’m supposed to be
It’s a long, long journey
And I don’t know if I can believe
When shadows fall and block my eyes
I am lost and know that I must hide
It’s a long, long journey
Till I find my way home to you….

Many days I spend
Drifting on through empty shores
Wondering what’s my purpose
Wondering how to make me strong
I know I will falter, I know I will cry
I know you’ll be standing by my side
It’s a long, long journey
And I need to be close to you….

Sometimes it feels no one understands
I don’t even know why I do the things I do
When pride builds me up till I can’t see my soul
Will you break down these walls and pull me through?

‘Cause it’s a long, long journey
Till I know that I am worth the price
You paid for me on Calvary
Beneath those stormy skies
When Satan mocks and friends turn to foes
It feels like everything is out to make me lose control

‘Cause it’s a long, long journey
Till I find my way home to you

Oh – oh ~ to you….

I find this singer, Angela Zhang, to posess a very mesmerizing, clear, strong voice. And I didn't even know she could sing earlier. Anyway, she's definitely noteworthy.