snow in spring
It was snowing at my place last night. Stacey and I were so delighted, we went outside and stood there for a while, just gazing at the fluffy things fall... Strange thing was. It's spring time, yet it's snowing??!? We did not even have a single drop during winter.. hmmm..
Anyway the weather today is no better. It was sunny then gloomy and rainy, then now it's pouring hail... Something's going on... mmm..
Good thing I stayed home.. heh .. :-P
Oh, and by the way, Happy Birthday Aa.. :)
Hope you have a blast!!!
Anyway the weather today is no better. It was sunny then gloomy and rainy, then now it's pouring hail... Something's going on... mmm..
Good thing I stayed home.. heh .. :-P
Oh, and by the way, Happy Birthday Aa.. :)
Hope you have a blast!!!
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conversations
You know, I've not stepped out of this space for almost a week now. And yesterday was the first day that I've actually spoken to someone. It felt really weird, like I don't know how to put my words together and speak it out properly. Strangely, I never realised this till yesterday. But I did not feel any sense of detachment or that I have not been 'active'. As all the while as I'm starring at this very screen, typing away, on my assignments, 'talking' to people online and watching anime, my mind is constantly having conversations. Thinking, forming words in my mind, putting them into actions in order for the sentences to appear in front of me.. It's a somewhat surreal feeling.. I don't think it's a bad one, just that it's mind-buggingly calming...* --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- *
ikea interactive
This is so good that I just have to show it to you...Swedish design shop; Forsman & Bodenfors
created this IKEA site.
Takes a while to load.. But it's all worth it! ;-)
Enjoy...
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yayoi kusama
Wise words from an old insane artist:"Think of breathing. You have to breathe so many times, and it's actually kind of a nuisance. Or food. Think if you saw all in one space the food you eat during a whole lifetime, how terrifying it would be, that you are eating your way through all that, and that you have to go on, every day, and eat. And drink. For me, I have so many further things like that, so many compulsions." Later, she explained, "I feel as if I am driving on an endless highway until my death. It is like continuing to drink thousands of cups of coffee served in an automatic cafeteria. I will continue to desire and, at the same time, to escape all sorts of feelings and visions until the end of my days. Whether I want to or not I cannot stop living and yet I cannot escape from death. The consciousness of living in continuation sometimes drives me crazy. It makes me sick before and after my work. On the other hand, I am terrified by the obsession crawling over my body whether it came from within me or from outside..."
"...It was not so simple, not so easy to come up with this way of living that I've had. I was given a sad life by fate, but I think I won a happy life. . . Not one day has passed when I didn't think of suicide, but I'm very glad to be alive now. Most people are so preoccupied with their illness, sickness, and they live a very ordinary life. I was so involved and so engrossed with painting, and knew from my childhood that it could help me to overcome unhappiness..."
A litte bit about her...
Born in 1929, Yayoi Kusama is amongst the most highly acclaimed artists in Japan. Since the age of 10, she had been creating her famous polka dots and netlike motifs. These repetitive patterns are so significant in her works that critics and curators have often associated them with her mental condition to try and explain her work. The fact is Kusama had never made her mental condition a big secret. Instead, she had allowed it to take centre stage in her artistic life. She embraced it and had repeatedly proclaimed that her illness was the major driving force in her art. No wonder rumours went around that her "mental illness" was merely a publicity stunt.
Kusama was first diagnosis of suffering from schizophrenia by Japanese psychiatrist Shiho Nishimaru in 1952. Then, in 1977, due to numerous negative life events while she was living in the United States, she had admitted herself into a mental hospital in Tokyo. Few knew the intensity of her loneliness and depression when she was living in America. Let alone, what kind of possible trauma, she could have endured during the troubled times of war in her teenage years, when she worked in a military parachute factory. Recently, Kusama's illness had been re-assessed. In accordance with the current findings, she was suffering from migraine aura experiences, anxiety, and depression. These may account for all known facts of her medical history as well as for the imagery of her artistic universe of dots, nets and accumulations. Thus, it is true that she is 'crazy'. Yet, amazingly, she had used this condition to her advantage and effectively utilised it to distinguish global issues of her time. Her obsessive and imperative desire to engulf everything in her works is a statement that speaks fervently of her desire to relieve herself while, at the same time to allow people to relate to her thoughts. Therefore, her works will always be a reflection of her condition and her constant battle with her inner self. It is part of her life; hence, it is to be an inseparable part in her art as well - to become obsessively obliterated infinitely.
(References were removed from text)
If you are interested to know more about her, go to her pretty neat official website
Some additional stuff. This clip is not in English but may be a good introduction to her works.
And this is an audio interview that you can listen to.
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ramen
Nothing much.Just didn't want to start working on my last assignment.
So ended up watching some Japanese cartoon and they kept talking about ramen!
So here's an interesting site that has got the weirdest combi of how to eat ramen! *hungry...
For better information about Japanese food, think this would be more helpful... Ta!
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tulips in my room
They had bloomed so beautifully that I had to show you... Spring.. Warmth.. Colours..* --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- *
wah cow
Cow (of cos not his real name) is one of my very best mates in my little life. He had just came to visit me amids all my crazy assignments. How delighted am I to finally see him after such a long time! He's still the same old cow that I knew. Well, maybe wiser, older, but still the same Cow... Crazy, corny and have always been pretty much a perfectionist and idealist.I am really happy to finally have someone who is willing to go crazy with me. I haven't had anyone to do that with for a long while. Someone to enjoy the sun in the outdoors and talk about life plainly. Someone to chat about the good old times and have a cup of cocoa under the stars while braving the wind.
Although Cow had specifically told me that he wants the hills and water, everything that we did this weekend was all in the spur of a moment. We called Leigh up and the very next day, we're out buswalking up the 1,270m (~4,000 feet) Mt Wellington. The day started nice and sunny, then it began to get kind of wet, but it didn't dampen our high spirit at all. As we're in good company. And we are just simply enjoying every moment of it. It felt like all our troubles have suddenly gone beyond the clouds.
After conquering the hill, we went to the weekend market and had lunch at the waterfront. Then salad came to mind, so we went grocery shopping and walked home to make our salad. We had such a great day that we just slept in and only woke up at midnight. We took a while to decide on what to cook, but everything that we had for dinner that 'morning' was beautiful. In cow's own words: 'Such comfort food... It's sooo yummy!' :-P
There's absolutely no reason to rush things. Why rush to embrace simplicity? Thus, we started our day late today. We went to Mummy's for brunch, but somehow, it felt incomplete. So we called for a cab and headed for Long Beach where we took a nice walk by the waves and bought some pizzas from the Sandy Bay Wood Fire Pizza place.
I don't get why good things must come to an end, but I do understand how good times always flies.. Cow left this evening, but I'm very certain that despite the distance, our friendship will remain ever stong and that we'll meet again in no time - more good times to come, good things do not need an end! It is truely a blessing to have a wonderful friend like Cow. And such a joy that I don't have to pretend, or be wary of my language when I talk to him. I can wake up with hair all messy and still feel fine to be seen that way. I'm grateful for these special people in my life...
And I hope that I had been a good blessing to him too. That he had found peace during his stay here. Discovered joy in the simple things again. Uncovered his passions, realised his true callings and had sorted his directions that he wish to persue... In all the craziness that life throws at us, I'm elated that we had paused time and had embraced a moment together.
This one's for you, Cow! Take Care... And keep smiling!
"A good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world." ~ Lois Wyse
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more bushfires Actually, this bushfire across the bridge started not too long after the one behind my place.. but I guess the authorities decided to clear here first, since it's nearer to lots of residential houses, plus a school nearby. Here are some amazing bushfire pics that Ade sent me.. Looked fantastic and beautiful.. Hmmm... is that a bad thought?
`No hope' in bushfire fight
Tasmania's top firefighter said the State faced the worst weather conditions in up to 40 years yesterday as bushfires threatened homes in the South.
Tasmania Fire Service chief officer John Gledhill said the worst fire started at Risdon Vale on the Eastern Shore.
"I've never had a situation as dramatic as what we've had today," he said.
Weather conditions were atrocious for fighting fires with temperatures in the high 30s, low humidity and wind gusts of up to 90kmh.
"It's almost explosive," he said.
"Firefighting is impossible - we haven't been firefighting as such, we have just been protecting property.
"We follow the fire as it moves. We have no hope of getting in front of the fire. Getting in front of it would be not only dangerous but futile."
The fire started at Sugarloaf Rd with residents advised to go home and prepare their properties to survive the flames.
Residents were told to use buckets of water, mops and rakes to put out any sparks and embers.
It was not clear how the fire began.
Up to 100 firefighters and 26 units were on the Eastern Shore.
Police closed the Tasman Highway near the Tasman Bridge on the Eastern Shore.
Aurora said up to 3000 homes and businesses on the Eastern Shore were without power due to the fires.
Up to 25 fires were reported on the Tasmania Fire Service's Web site yesterday.
Crews were called to the East Coast, where thick smoke from a large grassfire had closed the Tasman Highway between Beaumaris and Dianas Basin.
The fire that tore through 68ha at Mt Nelson on Wednesday was under control but the public was advised not to use walking tracks in the area as it would be unsafe for several days.
Two fires were burning uncontrolled at Currie on King Island while two fires were also burning on Flinders Island, one contained and one not contained.
At least one bushfire was deliberately lit.
Article taken today from: http://www.examiner.com.au/story.asp?id=365623
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bushfire
Well, just when my dear friend J mentioned that I should post some Tassie pics, how timely that this occured. Wahahha.. So here it is. The area near my accommodation caught fire yesterday. And very dramatically, we were being evacuated. Imagine I'm in my slack clothes of fisherman pants and t-shirt. I was just about to take my medication (yes I am still ill) when my housemate came knocking at my door, all ready to leave with their big bags, that they've forgotten to tell me that we need to leave now.
The thing was, the fire's right behind our place, but due to my very blocked nose, I didn't smell a thing. So I left in a hurry, thinking that surely, it wouldn't be that bad, rite? But this was the sight that I saw. Naked fire and strong wind, pushing nearer to us (you can click on the image for a larger view, hopefully you'll be able to spot the bushfire). Paul drove us down the hill despite the fact that he had just came back from the hospital after a surgery. All I had was my mobile, wallet, shades, watch and keys. I did not even had time to take my passport or the laptop.
Temperture here shot up to 36 degrees in the late afternoon and remained extremely warm till the following evening. Those dedicated policemen and firemen had worked through the night to make sure that the fire comes under control. Thanks alot!!
So I've spent the night over at Ade's place...
Thank goodness that everything was cleared by this morning... But now, I'm back to rushing my assignments again.. Sigh... I hope that my tutors will be understanding enough to allow me a few days' grace! AUGH!! ** (going mad!)
Well, I guess you can't have the best of all worlds..
As Dolly Parton had said: "The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."
The thing was, the fire's right behind our place, but due to my very blocked nose, I didn't smell a thing. So I left in a hurry, thinking that surely, it wouldn't be that bad, rite? But this was the sight that I saw. Naked fire and strong wind, pushing nearer to us (you can click on the image for a larger view, hopefully you'll be able to spot the bushfire). Paul drove us down the hill despite the fact that he had just came back from the hospital after a surgery. All I had was my mobile, wallet, shades, watch and keys. I did not even had time to take my passport or the laptop.
Temperture here shot up to 36 degrees in the late afternoon and remained extremely warm till the following evening. Those dedicated policemen and firemen had worked through the night to make sure that the fire comes under control. Thanks alot!!
So I've spent the night over at Ade's place...
Thank goodness that everything was cleared by this morning... But now, I'm back to rushing my assignments again.. Sigh... I hope that my tutors will be understanding enough to allow me a few days' grace! AUGH!! ** (going mad!)
Well, I guess you can't have the best of all worlds..
As Dolly Parton had said: "The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."
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coming going
Exams are coming!That means holidays are coming!
My friends are coming!
My parents are coming!
Then we're going..
Then I am going..
And we are going!
Then we are coming!
Coming and going... wahaha...
yes, it's confusing..
Things that I'm looking forward to... :-)
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