Mr Creosote got his name from a Monty Python character, from Monty Python's The meaning of life, who was repulsive and puked and ate and... you can watch the video on the youtube below. He drives me nuts!
hm... MINDER's Mr Creosote is different though, turned out that he is slimmer. But somewhat disgusting too. Kept the name as a little tribute, link, whatever. hmm... maybe he's a younger version of monty python's original, or a very distant cousin's very distant kid. Whatever. Been meaning to write this story since sometime in Sept/Oct, following USED II: MINDER - an introduction, but it was too hard for me to just keep working on the same story line just for the sake of it, i'll just end up rushing it and it won't be nice to write/read. So, apparently, USED shall be written as a series whenever the time is right.
On a personal note, the snot-falling-on-the-sandwich-held-in-mouth bit was inspired when I had a sandwich in my mouth and occupied hands and my nose was itchy. BUT i didn't eat my snot. Not that it's poisonous. or that I am against anyone who ever did eat their snot, but I personally did not.
Showing posts with label 2008. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2008. Show all posts
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Birthday treats - Kusudama Fairy
Kusudama Fairy is written for my good friend Lay Suan, who has the same birth day as me. I always find it very interesting how we became friends under the circumstances we met. We share a lot of similar opinions, e.g. we both usually count down to our birthdays, and that this year, we both didn't really. Anyway, she makes kusudama as gifts and gave me this kusudama.
Kusudama is well explained in wiki here.
Mio TSUGAWA’s site, features many diagrams and how tos. I find the following important points to improve skills of folding very good. It makes me want to seriously pick up origami.
Kusudama is well explained in wiki here.
The Japanese kusudama (薬玉; lit. medicine ball) is a paper model that is usually (although not always) created by sewing multiple identical pyramidal units (usually stylized flowers folded from square paper) together through their points to form a spherical shape.Paperunlimited features many pretty kusudamas, and this post in particular features a similar one from the one I received, saying that it's a traditional kusudama. Which fits the story well.
Mio TSUGAWA’s site, features many diagrams and how tos. I find the following important points to improve skills of folding very good. It makes me want to seriously pick up origami.
# Get the skills of deception.To do origami is continuation to make a margin of errors.To pretend that works are beautiful is important skills.Also, a lucid dream is when one is aware of being in a dream.
# Don't be much serious.
# If when you will complete the work, you must show it off to everybody, be proud of it , and boast about it.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
The Oct 06 Essays: IV - Environmentalism
Environmentalism is based on an idea that will dawn upon me once in a while. That is, all the development that we have, the computers and internet and pollution, is actually an extension of nature.
There's too much talk that it's machine vs nature. I feel sorry and sad for the trees and the trees that die. One day, in the Oct 06 Essays, I described how I decide that we're not against the environment, we're part of it. I still feel sorry for the dying forests. It's just another way of looking at it, I suppose.
Wrote Environmentalism when was walking in Orchard Road and heard the construction sounds. I thought that they sounded like screaming rocks. If rocks could scream of pain, surely it'll sound like the sound they make when they are cut with diamond blade. Screaming rocks or iron or whatever. If anything inanimate could scream of pain, it'll be the sound they make when diamond blades cut through them. Or the sound they make when they're burnt with a welding fire.
Not the first time I wrote about construction sounds. It's also mentioned in the Quality of life.
Nature and a Red Plastic Bag Abomination
At this point it is important I feel, to share with you a new point of view that dawned upon me only just, and I don’t know why it occurred to me so late.
One jobless day, a few weeks ago, I went down town to the busiest of the business district to watch the crowds rush around. I sat there in the middle of buildings and watched the shiny tall buildings and the giant television screen blasting advertisements. I watched them and listened to the noise in the wind, and heard faint rumblings of a road construction somewhere not too far from me.
After a while, I walked to the Singapore River to watch the ebbing of the water flowing from the sea or to the sea, I do not know. The ripples and the sunset soothed me, and I was calm enough to wonder about the dead leaves and red plastic bag floating on the water.
A grey tabby cat came to stand beside me.
On another jobless day, sometime two weeks ago, I was watching a documentary on li jiang, china. There is an ancient town in li jiang, where people still reside. This ancient town is built upon the network of the li jiang river that runs through the place. The roads are curved and bent to the river, and not parallel grids. The people respect the river, and drink from it in the morning and wash in it in the afternoon. This li jiang ancient town has a river, and this li jiang river has an ancient town.
As I was watching tv, maybe I fell asleep or for some other reason, my consciousness went out for a while. When it came back, I realized that li jiang old town was the desired piece left of my jigsaw puzzle of understanding what is going on.
Somehow, somewhere, at some point in time, we human beings came to think that technology is at odds with nature. Some person, full of awe or jealousy, marveled at the industrialist opposing the nature, or vice versa. Now by that theory, makes me feel that living in a plastered room with clothes hanging from the back of my door and typing into a computer I don’t understand how it works about typing, makes me feel unnatural.
Look at lijiang old town, and how she came by across the so many years from a farmer village or something. Look at me now, living in my town, and how I came about from a town like lijiang old town.
The thing is, I think everything is a actually natural progression of nature. We keep thinking that humans are violators of nature, like a superpower who exist sub naturally, like an abomination, but truly, the computer we type into, the ceaseless advertisement from the super tv screen, the literature that we read, are just natural progressions. Just as natural as the viruses that are sent to disrupt our physical body, and the computer viruses that are sent to disrupt our piece of mind, industrialization and commercialization are sent to disrupt the old nature.
The ebbing of the human crowds is as natural as the ebbing of the water in the river. The giant advertisements are like the sunset on the river. The road constructions are as natural as the wind that carries their voices. The fallen leaves in the river are, as the fallen red plastic bag, natural.
It is often awkward to realize though, after the long time of thinking about how man made we are. Yet, the truly, we are what happened and are happening. Maybe the ozone layer will mend itself, or humans will extinct ourselves before potable water runs out. Whatever way the natural progression of things will take us, we must humbly execute and stop thinking that we are above nature’s fate and recognize the greater forces. With recognition of the greater forces, we can once again reconcile with the world we live in, and love everything we love without feeling guilty.
There's too much talk that it's machine vs nature. I feel sorry and sad for the trees and the trees that die. One day, in the Oct 06 Essays, I described how I decide that we're not against the environment, we're part of it. I still feel sorry for the dying forests. It's just another way of looking at it, I suppose.
Wrote Environmentalism when was walking in Orchard Road and heard the construction sounds. I thought that they sounded like screaming rocks. If rocks could scream of pain, surely it'll sound like the sound they make when they are cut with diamond blade. Screaming rocks or iron or whatever. If anything inanimate could scream of pain, it'll be the sound they make when diamond blades cut through them. Or the sound they make when they're burnt with a welding fire.
Not the first time I wrote about construction sounds. It's also mentioned in the Quality of life.
Nature and a Red Plastic Bag Abomination
At this point it is important I feel, to share with you a new point of view that dawned upon me only just, and I don’t know why it occurred to me so late.
One jobless day, a few weeks ago, I went down town to the busiest of the business district to watch the crowds rush around. I sat there in the middle of buildings and watched the shiny tall buildings and the giant television screen blasting advertisements. I watched them and listened to the noise in the wind, and heard faint rumblings of a road construction somewhere not too far from me.
After a while, I walked to the Singapore River to watch the ebbing of the water flowing from the sea or to the sea, I do not know. The ripples and the sunset soothed me, and I was calm enough to wonder about the dead leaves and red plastic bag floating on the water.
A grey tabby cat came to stand beside me.
On another jobless day, sometime two weeks ago, I was watching a documentary on li jiang, china. There is an ancient town in li jiang, where people still reside. This ancient town is built upon the network of the li jiang river that runs through the place. The roads are curved and bent to the river, and not parallel grids. The people respect the river, and drink from it in the morning and wash in it in the afternoon. This li jiang ancient town has a river, and this li jiang river has an ancient town.
As I was watching tv, maybe I fell asleep or for some other reason, my consciousness went out for a while. When it came back, I realized that li jiang old town was the desired piece left of my jigsaw puzzle of understanding what is going on.
Somehow, somewhere, at some point in time, we human beings came to think that technology is at odds with nature. Some person, full of awe or jealousy, marveled at the industrialist opposing the nature, or vice versa. Now by that theory, makes me feel that living in a plastered room with clothes hanging from the back of my door and typing into a computer I don’t understand how it works about typing, makes me feel unnatural.
Look at lijiang old town, and how she came by across the so many years from a farmer village or something. Look at me now, living in my town, and how I came about from a town like lijiang old town.
The thing is, I think everything is a actually natural progression of nature. We keep thinking that humans are violators of nature, like a superpower who exist sub naturally, like an abomination, but truly, the computer we type into, the ceaseless advertisement from the super tv screen, the literature that we read, are just natural progressions. Just as natural as the viruses that are sent to disrupt our physical body, and the computer viruses that are sent to disrupt our piece of mind, industrialization and commercialization are sent to disrupt the old nature.
The ebbing of the human crowds is as natural as the ebbing of the water in the river. The giant advertisements are like the sunset on the river. The road constructions are as natural as the wind that carries their voices. The fallen leaves in the river are, as the fallen red plastic bag, natural.
It is often awkward to realize though, after the long time of thinking about how man made we are. Yet, the truly, we are what happened and are happening. Maybe the ozone layer will mend itself, or humans will extinct ourselves before potable water runs out. Whatever way the natural progression of things will take us, we must humbly execute and stop thinking that we are above nature’s fate and recognize the greater forces. With recognition of the greater forces, we can once again reconcile with the world we live in, and love everything we love without feeling guilty.
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Oct 06 Essays: II - The kite flyer
The Kite Flyer... expresses sentiments from when I went kite flying when I was picking up a new hobby thing, when I was more recently jobless. The photo was taken in Hang Zhou, on a bridge on the West Lake, around evening. Friend and I were on our graduation trip. We sat on a curb to watch the old man fly kite for a long time.
Then we were inspired by him, and his reel that had ball-bearings and was cool. So, we went to buy too.
Below, part II of the oct 06. The connections with the kite flyer are:
1) both written during periods of joblessness
2) about new pastimes
3) one of the kites I was recently flying is one of the kites I found in the description below (in red).
Maybe I should have bought more things on my graduation trip. Or maybe I should go for another one. *shrugs*
Germany’s Gateway to the World
About one or two weeks ago when I thought that I was about to be offered a job, I panicked and thought about the ideal time to start work. That was when I stopped forcing myself to send out application letters to stall the dreaded interviews. I think I did not yet come to terms with the not working and the start working.
You know how after a serious romantic relationship, you cannot immediately plunge into another serious romantic relationship? That is exactly how I feel. Yet another part of me, for fear of joblessness, kept on pushing me to go apply for more jobs. Somehow I was telling me that I should at least find a fling, a temporary job or something part-time. The other parts of me just want to stay home and watch bad tv.
So when I thought about the ideal time to start work, I did not have an answer. My friend told me that I should be expected to take up the job immediately, starting work as soon as possible.
“Really? I can’t say I want to start two weeks later?”
“What do you think? You think you can just say, sorry I need to clean my room first, give me a few weeks, thanks.”
Regardless of whether I had wanted two weeks, or if they would have given me if I was offered the job, I realized that I really want to clean my room.
Besides, I needed a new pastime. At least that’s what a lot of people have been telling me.
“Ju-Lyn, you know what, you should go get a hobby.”
Maybe I say I’m bored too often, though I say I’m bored because I am. But anyway, I thought, so many people can’t be wrong. So I decided to look for a hobby. I can’t swim, so sea sports are out, and dancing doesn’t interest me. I’m jobless so I can’t go for anything expensive, and I don’t feel creative about thinking up what new hobbies I could try out. So, one boring evening, I decided to pack my room. For the people who recall having ventured into my hostel room, you can try to imagine how bad my home room is. I’ve lived in here for 12 years and never had to move out of it. I was such a sentimental you know, pretty much everything that doesn’t rot, I keep. I even kept sweet wrappers. I seemed to like to stuff things out of sight and forget about them.
Anyway for the past few days now, I have been packing my room. It’s strangely therapeutic. I think I am beginning to understand now why some people want to do it every week or so.
When I was packing my room today, I decided to do something drastic. You see, for the 12 years that I’ve moved in, I did not quite ever try to remove the things underneath my bed. You see, when I moved in when I was around 12 years old, I had a lot of things, amongst which, an unframed completely assembled jigsaw puzzle of Hamburg Harbor, Germany. It measures somewhat 50cm by 75 cm. It’s the 1000 pieces kind, but one piece got lost on moving day. For the past 12 years, the 999 pieces of Hamburg Harbor rested underneath my new bed. I always knew it was there. It always knew I was sleeping above it. For the past 12 years.
So, like I said, I had decided to do something drastic, I decided to clear out the space under my bed.
Before I got to the jigsaw puzzles, which was close to the wall, and almost furthest away from me, I fished out:
1 box of book marks,
2 kites,
2 brand new babies’ milk bottles,
1 florescent green golf ball,
1 bag of old textbooks (including my Secondary 1 Science textbook),
1 pair of terracotta figurines with dried moss bits,
2 bricks of white clay,
And many other things.
However, the moment I felt like Steve Zissou was when I pulled out all 999 pieces of Germany’s gateway to the world. I stared at the dust patterns that collected over the years. The dust accumulated dust. I dare not breathe... for fear of the dust mistaking my breathing as a challenge to attack me. I beheld it, like Zissou would his son, Ned Plimpton.
Then I took 1 hour to coax to break up the 999 neatly in 6 stabs and laid them on paper and kept them away in a box.
I proceeded to remove the piece of paper Hamburg was on, and discovered that the moment I felt most like Steve Zissou was when I found a Mickey Mouse almost completed jigsaw puzzle underneath Hamburg. I had completely forgotten about it. Although upon seeing it, I recognized it. It is 700 pieces of Mickey Mouse, forgotten for the past 12 years. I beheld it with awe, and made a strange face, like how you would the crayon pony fish.
Then I took five minutes to break it up hastily and stuffed it into another box. At the end of that, with all the monsters underneath the bed either packed in boxes, or strewn around, or in the trash bag, I mopped as much of the floor that I could with a rag and my brother’s golf club.
Finally, I marvelled at how for the first time in 12 years there is nothing underneath my bed.
Then we were inspired by him, and his reel that had ball-bearings and was cool. So, we went to buy too.
Below, part II of the oct 06. The connections with the kite flyer are:
1) both written during periods of joblessness
2) about new pastimes
3) one of the kites I was recently flying is one of the kites I found in the description below (in red).
Maybe I should have bought more things on my graduation trip. Or maybe I should go for another one. *shrugs*
Germany’s Gateway to the World
About one or two weeks ago when I thought that I was about to be offered a job, I panicked and thought about the ideal time to start work. That was when I stopped forcing myself to send out application letters to stall the dreaded interviews. I think I did not yet come to terms with the not working and the start working.
You know how after a serious romantic relationship, you cannot immediately plunge into another serious romantic relationship? That is exactly how I feel. Yet another part of me, for fear of joblessness, kept on pushing me to go apply for more jobs. Somehow I was telling me that I should at least find a fling, a temporary job or something part-time. The other parts of me just want to stay home and watch bad tv.
So when I thought about the ideal time to start work, I did not have an answer. My friend told me that I should be expected to take up the job immediately, starting work as soon as possible.
“Really? I can’t say I want to start two weeks later?”
“What do you think? You think you can just say, sorry I need to clean my room first, give me a few weeks, thanks.”
Regardless of whether I had wanted two weeks, or if they would have given me if I was offered the job, I realized that I really want to clean my room.
Besides, I needed a new pastime. At least that’s what a lot of people have been telling me.
“Ju-Lyn, you know what, you should go get a hobby.”
Maybe I say I’m bored too often, though I say I’m bored because I am. But anyway, I thought, so many people can’t be wrong. So I decided to look for a hobby. I can’t swim, so sea sports are out, and dancing doesn’t interest me. I’m jobless so I can’t go for anything expensive, and I don’t feel creative about thinking up what new hobbies I could try out. So, one boring evening, I decided to pack my room. For the people who recall having ventured into my hostel room, you can try to imagine how bad my home room is. I’ve lived in here for 12 years and never had to move out of it. I was such a sentimental you know, pretty much everything that doesn’t rot, I keep. I even kept sweet wrappers. I seemed to like to stuff things out of sight and forget about them.
Anyway for the past few days now, I have been packing my room. It’s strangely therapeutic. I think I am beginning to understand now why some people want to do it every week or so.
When I was packing my room today, I decided to do something drastic. You see, for the 12 years that I’ve moved in, I did not quite ever try to remove the things underneath my bed. You see, when I moved in when I was around 12 years old, I had a lot of things, amongst which, an unframed completely assembled jigsaw puzzle of Hamburg Harbor, Germany. It measures somewhat 50cm by 75 cm. It’s the 1000 pieces kind, but one piece got lost on moving day. For the past 12 years, the 999 pieces of Hamburg Harbor rested underneath my new bed. I always knew it was there. It always knew I was sleeping above it. For the past 12 years.
So, like I said, I had decided to do something drastic, I decided to clear out the space under my bed.
Before I got to the jigsaw puzzles, which was close to the wall, and almost furthest away from me, I fished out:
1 box of book marks,
2 kites,
2 brand new babies’ milk bottles,
1 florescent green golf ball,
1 bag of old textbooks (including my Secondary 1 Science textbook),
1 pair of terracotta figurines with dried moss bits,
2 bricks of white clay,
And many other things.
However, the moment I felt like Steve Zissou was when I pulled out all 999 pieces of Germany’s gateway to the world. I stared at the dust patterns that collected over the years. The dust accumulated dust. I dare not breathe... for fear of the dust mistaking my breathing as a challenge to attack me. I beheld it, like Zissou would his son, Ned Plimpton.
Then I took 1 hour to coax to break up the 999 neatly in 6 stabs and laid them on paper and kept them away in a box.
I proceeded to remove the piece of paper Hamburg was on, and discovered that the moment I felt most like Steve Zissou was when I found a Mickey Mouse almost completed jigsaw puzzle underneath Hamburg. I had completely forgotten about it. Although upon seeing it, I recognized it. It is 700 pieces of Mickey Mouse, forgotten for the past 12 years. I beheld it with awe, and made a strange face, like how you would the crayon pony fish.
Then I took five minutes to break it up hastily and stuffed it into another box. At the end of that, with all the monsters underneath the bed either packed in boxes, or strewn around, or in the trash bag, I mopped as much of the floor that I could with a rag and my brother’s golf club.
Finally, I marvelled at how for the first time in 12 years there is nothing underneath my bed.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
The jobless 26 Oct 2006 arc & part III - Silverfish graveyard
Silverfish graveyard was written as part of a very large arc which I just found. It's a series of essays written from 26 Oct 2006. Just counted them and there are 10 essays in the 20 page document, some essays have sub sections. Silverfish graveyard is essay 3.
For the better informed, I am currently jobless again. Again, because I was also jobless when I wrote the 26 Oct 2006 arc. The essays had themes about joblessness and packing my room. Generally, they very much expressed confusion about whether working was important or not important, and whether I want to work or not. So, reading through the essays, I found that they were still very relevant to me. Over the next posts, I shall share them in parts with you, so you get a laugh or two; and mostly because some of the themes expressed were eventually distilled and embedded in my other pieces, which I shall try to draw the relevance; and partly because they're already written and they're readable. I write quite a bit that I didn't post up, though you'll find that they were written such that they were meant to be read.
Other than that, silverfish graveyard is largely autobiographical, or at least to a large degree more autobiographical than my other pieces. I really did find damn lots of dead silverfish in a corner of the room. They were grey flakes like dust specs. but they had feelers and wtf. The essay was structured loosely based on the scientific method.
For the better informed, I am currently jobless again. Again, because I was also jobless when I wrote the 26 Oct 2006 arc. The essays had themes about joblessness and packing my room. Generally, they very much expressed confusion about whether working was important or not important, and whether I want to work or not. So, reading through the essays, I found that they were still very relevant to me. Over the next posts, I shall share them in parts with you, so you get a laugh or two; and mostly because some of the themes expressed were eventually distilled and embedded in my other pieces, which I shall try to draw the relevance; and partly because they're already written and they're readable. I write quite a bit that I didn't post up, though you'll find that they were written such that they were meant to be read.
Other than that, silverfish graveyard is largely autobiographical, or at least to a large degree more autobiographical than my other pieces. I really did find damn lots of dead silverfish in a corner of the room. They were grey flakes like dust specs. but they had feelers and wtf. The essay was structured loosely based on the scientific method.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Man copy 26 Feb 2003 - Untitled
Untitled post on 25 Aug 08 features a picture (which I try to at least occasionally include on ChaMOTOM to break up the visual monotony of words) which I conjured in some photoshop in 2003.
Vaguely remembered not being much work, just playing with the brush and drew a couple of lines. Quite minimalistic, but so what. I like it. Not deliberately posted for any vague resemblance to the Olympic logo. Though perhaps relevance can be made if we stretch it a bit.
Any relevance can be made if we stretch things.
Just digging through my old files. Found interesting things. Maybe even about you. :)
Vaguely remembered not being much work, just playing with the brush and drew a couple of lines. Quite minimalistic, but so what. I like it. Not deliberately posted for any vague resemblance to the Olympic logo. Though perhaps relevance can be made if we stretch it a bit.
Any relevance can be made if we stretch things.
Just digging through my old files. Found interesting things. Maybe even about you. :)
Sunday, August 10, 2008
想你 series
The 想你 series expresses general insecure sentiments of missing and thinking of somebody. Sappy mandarin things...that are left deliberately vague. Because 1) my Chinese is not so good and 2) it's better for imaginations to fill in the rest of the details.
Though mostly not about, or inspired by ex-lovers or even persons, they're written like they're about ex-lovers or crushes. For example, 16 came about from how saying hi to acquaintances are troublesome, 15 was when I was trying to write 想你 and nothing came to the pen, 14 is about wanting to use the puns "海的浪漫" meaning the waves of the sea (海的浪) are slow (漫) and also the romance(浪漫) of the sea... etc.
12 is for my friend priscillia.
Hadn't written for a long time, but the recent surge (i.e. 2 entries in 2008) is because of my friend, Lee En. (hello.)
Though mostly not about, or inspired by ex-lovers or even persons, they're written like they're about ex-lovers or crushes. For example, 16 came about from how saying hi to acquaintances are troublesome, 15 was when I was trying to write 想你 and nothing came to the pen, 14 is about wanting to use the puns "海的浪漫" meaning the waves of the sea (海的浪) are slow (漫) and also the romance(浪漫) of the sea... etc.
12 is for my friend priscillia.
Hadn't written for a long time, but the recent surge (i.e. 2 entries in 2008) is because of my friend, Lee En. (hello.)
Mystery - There is Heidi
There is Heidi was written in 2007 loosely after my trip to the museum looking at the an exhibition of old greek (god's) statues from the louvre.
Frankly, I don't know what this piece is about. *shrugs*
Frankly, I don't know what this piece is about. *shrugs*
Monday, August 4, 2008
The leaf sweeper - Modern Rodin
Modern Rodin is just a picture of the leaf sweeper, in a curious posture. I did not ask for his permission for the picture. The title references to Rodin who is the guy who sculpted the thinker (as featured). Apparently, he was poor/working class.
There may be contemplation here as, the viewer may wonder at the photo-taker wonders at what the sweeper wonders at. blah blah. so much thought and wonder.
Did you zoom in to the picture to look at his expression? I like his coy look. Whose? Whoever.
Reference:
1. On who is Rodin's Thinker?
There may be contemplation here as, the viewer may wonder at the photo-taker wonders at what the sweeper wonders at. blah blah. so much thought and wonder.
Did you zoom in to the picture to look at his expression? I like his coy look. Whose? Whoever.
Reference:
1. On who is Rodin's Thinker?
The eye - The false mirror
The false mirror is also the name of a 1935 magritte's painting as featured.
" 'The eye is the mirror of the soul within' according to one version of the proverb. Magritte is playing his game of reversal again here, one of questioning what is outside, what inside. THe overdimensional human eye, instead of providing a view into what lies within, into man's soul, reflects what lies without, namely a sky with clouds in it."
Paquet, Marcel. (2006) Magritte. Germany: Taschen GmbH. p.10.
" 'The eye is the mirror of the soul within' according to one version of the proverb. Magritte is playing his game of reversal again here, one of questioning what is outside, what inside. THe overdimensional human eye, instead of providing a view into what lies within, into man's soul, reflects what lies without, namely a sky with clouds in it."
Paquet, Marcel. (2006) Magritte. Germany: Taschen GmbH. p.10.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
The search for main character - A lonely long legged fly
A lonely long legged fly was originally loosely based on a day flying moth which is a type of tiger moth, I think. I saw the fly/moth land on my windscreen and had spent some hours searching for the actual name, enlisting also the help of a friend, who sent me the link. In my memory, the body of the moth was black.
In the end, I decided that it would be more apt to use a fly instead. I kind of decided too that a moth would not feel that inferior to a grey butterfly.
But it cannot be just an ordinary fly, I thought, as he also feels somewhat good enough to want to be like a butter but not the grey not so beautiful one. The ordinary fly doesn't look like the type who will be so complicated. And the ordinary fly has friends. In my research for the identity of the fly/moth, a long-legged fly is more unique than a normal fly. And more comical. Apparently, W.B. Yeats wrote a poem called "a long-legged fly". Though quite different, his long-legged fly can be interpreted as a symbolising thought processes. Which is somewhat...relevant, as this piece is about a thinking fly.
Wind, of course, represents the wind of change. But the fly...doesn't want to see how all are subjected from the same forces and sticks to his perspective and but he cannot as his thoughts are changing and blah blah...
I dunno why the setting is at a coast, other than that I wrote the story near a coast. I am thinking of changing the setting for it to be by the stream, or by the coast where the mouth of a river meets the sea.
References:
1. On punctuating dialogue (and thought)
2. On the definition of comic
3. On differences between butterflies and moths
In the end, I decided that it would be more apt to use a fly instead. I kind of decided too that a moth would not feel that inferior to a grey butterfly.
But it cannot be just an ordinary fly, I thought, as he also feels somewhat good enough to want to be like a butter but not the grey not so beautiful one. The ordinary fly doesn't look like the type who will be so complicated. And the ordinary fly has friends. In my research for the identity of the fly/moth, a long-legged fly is more unique than a normal fly. And more comical. Apparently, W.B. Yeats wrote a poem called "a long-legged fly". Though quite different, his long-legged fly can be interpreted as a symbolising thought processes. Which is somewhat...relevant, as this piece is about a thinking fly.
Wind, of course, represents the wind of change. But the fly...doesn't want to see how all are subjected from the same forces and sticks to his perspective and but he cannot as his thoughts are changing and blah blah...
I dunno why the setting is at a coast, other than that I wrote the story near a coast. I am thinking of changing the setting for it to be by the stream, or by the coast where the mouth of a river meets the sea.
References:
1. On punctuating dialogue (and thought)
2. On the definition of comic
3. On differences between butterflies and moths
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Of life and death - Of Supreme Importance
Of Supreme Importance... is mostly about life and death.
Regardless of how we spend our lives, we all just die in the end?
But because we all die in the end, how we spend our lives is important?
So, what is of supreme importance?
==
Some References:
1. On the usage of "neither...nor..."
2. On Dian Fossey's life
3. On Dian Fossey's death
Regardless of how we spend our lives, we all just die in the end?
But because we all die in the end, how we spend our lives is important?
So, what is of supreme importance?
==
Some References:
1. On the usage of "neither...nor..."
2. On Dian Fossey's life
3. On Dian Fossey's death
Saturday, July 26, 2008
A confession - The bear with the biscuit face
The bear with the biscuit face is written with automatism and I didn't know what the story was going to be like until it was written.
I wanted to write a story about a bear with the biscuit face, an image that occured to me. SO I put down the working title of "the bear with the biscuit face". The biscuit part linked me to the hansel and gretel story of the biscuit house, so I researched a bit on the witch who tried to eat them, thus Frau Totenkinder was referenced to. I decided to start with Frau.
To confess, I dunno where the rest of the story came from... (perhaps from the back stories of hansel and gretel...?) and I think this is the scariest story that I've ever written. And it scares myself.
My bear was a big black bear with a huge ritz kinda biscuit instead of a face. What was the bear like in your imagination?
---
13 Aug 08 update.
Wen wrote a continuation to this piece. Check it out here.
I wanted to write a story about a bear with the biscuit face, an image that occured to me. SO I put down the working title of "the bear with the biscuit face". The biscuit part linked me to the hansel and gretel story of the biscuit house, so I researched a bit on the witch who tried to eat them, thus Frau Totenkinder was referenced to. I decided to start with Frau.
To confess, I dunno where the rest of the story came from... (perhaps from the back stories of hansel and gretel...?) and I think this is the scariest story that I've ever written. And it scares myself.
My bear was a big black bear with a huge ritz kinda biscuit instead of a face. What was the bear like in your imagination?
---
13 Aug 08 update.
Wen wrote a continuation to this piece. Check it out here.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Epidendrum - Global Warming
Global warming was posted in late april, approaching may. According to me, May is the hottest month, weather wise.
The featured is the epidendrum, a.k.a the crucifix orchid, thus named because of the cross shaped lip of the flower. See the cross shape clearer in the following picture, taken on a different occasion. (There are raindrops in this one. Doesn't look so hot.)
The featured is the epidendrum, a.k.a the crucifix orchid, thus named because of the cross shaped lip of the flower. See the cross shape clearer in the following picture, taken on a different occasion. (There are raindrops in this one. Doesn't look so hot.)
Friday, July 18, 2008
姜太公 - Mr Jiang
Mr Jiang is written by automatism regarding a man from old China, jiang tai gong. He fished with a straight hook and with the hook 3 inches away from the water surface.
The idea behind this is complex.
In a nutshell, it is somewhat like "if the fish wanted to be caught then he shall be caught and I will not, need not, go out of my way to go and catch it." So, to be able to catch fish (some accounts said he caught a lot of fish) he must be some genius or a man with extraordinary calibre. In this way, he caught the attention of some king who hired him to be some strategist.
I recall reading about Jiang tai gong's fishing's and why the fish is caught... I try to transpose some of the learning here to the best of my ability, maybe it's not so accurate... (here's the original passage in chinese.)
1) The fish is no ordinary fish who would want to be caught because they would want to get near the extraordinary person, it's good for the fish to be close to the vitality or energy of extraO persons (implicates karma and such).
2) If he can catch the fish in such an incredible way, he must be an extraordinary person. An extraO person must do something incredible to show that he is extraO. Thus, he would fish with a straight hook.
3) He wants to catch the fish and the fish wants to be caught, so, it is a win-win situation.
The original is better. I tried to summarise. Anyway, hope it's fun for you to know.
The idea behind this is complex.
In a nutshell, it is somewhat like "if the fish wanted to be caught then he shall be caught and I will not, need not, go out of my way to go and catch it." So, to be able to catch fish (some accounts said he caught a lot of fish) he must be some genius or a man with extraordinary calibre. In this way, he caught the attention of some king who hired him to be some strategist.
I recall reading about Jiang tai gong's fishing's and why the fish is caught... I try to transpose some of the learning here to the best of my ability, maybe it's not so accurate... (here's the original passage in chinese.)
1) The fish is no ordinary fish who would want to be caught because they would want to get near the extraordinary person, it's good for the fish to be close to the vitality or energy of extraO persons (implicates karma and such).
2) If he can catch the fish in such an incredible way, he must be an extraordinary person. An extraO person must do something incredible to show that he is extraO. Thus, he would fish with a straight hook.
3) He wants to catch the fish and the fish wants to be caught, so, it is a win-win situation.
The original is better. I tried to summarise. Anyway, hope it's fun for you to know.
Bird of prey - Steller's Sea Eagle
This picture was taken at Jurong bird park. The words are quoted from the descriptions on the panel in front of the aviary that is smaller than those for parakeets. The world's largest eagle, caged. It to eats arctic foxes for breakfast, man.
Frankly, it makes me feel much better about my life.
Go figure.
Frankly, it makes me feel much better about my life.
Go figure.
Existential angst - R.A.P. 4 - Television is a trash bag is a black hole
R.A.P. 4 is inspired by existential angst, or in the simplest of ways of putting it, a feeling of pek4 chek4 (irritation of sorts) arising from the state of things in life.
Sure, I was making a controversial and absolutely reckless generalisation. But I recognised, and was deliberately capitalising on, its potential.
Lately, I have been feeling existential frustration and realised that this piece sorta tests this new theory that I am apparently developing: If one is feeling existential angst or frustration and picks a senseless existential fight or argument with an imaginary opponent (preferably with an empirical approach) and win it regardless of what beliefs are required to be suspended, the angst will likely be divisible by itself and reduced mere to anxiety.
In other words, if you're feeling pek chek, pick a nonsense fight and win and you're likely to feel better.
So, this time I picked on a random nose with the world by blaming the television for its stupidity. It sorta worked for me.
Had written other R.A.P.s before (1: I need a new alarm clock, 2: The song for dead millipedes, 2.2: dead millipedes, 3: The cure for self pity) before and I remember they sorta worked too. Let me know if it has worked for you. If there enough of us, someone could be moved to do some empirical study and it could SAVE THE WORLD we love so much.
I can be so emotional.
On a fairly irrelevant note, I read somewhere recently that facts are supposedly everlasting, but non-fiction gets revised every five years. Non-fiction usually become obsolete but good fiction may remain very relevant.
Relevant links: Wiki on black holes, existential despair (like angst).
Sure, I was making a controversial and absolutely reckless generalisation. But I recognised, and was deliberately capitalising on, its potential.
Lately, I have been feeling existential frustration and realised that this piece sorta tests this new theory that I am apparently developing: If one is feeling existential angst or frustration and picks a senseless existential fight or argument with an imaginary opponent (preferably with an empirical approach) and win it regardless of what beliefs are required to be suspended, the angst will likely be divisible by itself and reduced mere to anxiety.
In other words, if you're feeling pek chek, pick a nonsense fight and win and you're likely to feel better.
So, this time I picked on a random nose with the world by blaming the television for its stupidity. It sorta worked for me.
Had written other R.A.P.s before (1: I need a new alarm clock, 2: The song for dead millipedes, 2.2: dead millipedes, 3: The cure for self pity) before and I remember they sorta worked too. Let me know if it has worked for you. If there enough of us, someone could be moved to do some empirical study and it could SAVE THE WORLD we love so much.
I can be so emotional.
On a fairly irrelevant note, I read somewhere recently that facts are supposedly everlasting, but non-fiction gets revised every five years. Non-fiction usually become obsolete but good fiction may remain very relevant.
Relevant links: Wiki on black holes, existential despair (like angst).
Friday, July 11, 2008
The dog star - Untitled (July 01, 08)
This snippet is based on the dog star, Sirius. It is the brightest star in the sky and it was discovered that it has a faint white dwarf companion i.e. a small star that follows closely to it (see wiki for more information and picture).
The photo was taken from my room's window with very extended exposure. The star in the sky is the dog star (as recognised from the rest of the canis major constellation). The moon is not the moon, but a reflection in the window glass.
The photo was taken from my room's window with very extended exposure. The star in the sky is the dog star (as recognised from the rest of the canis major constellation). The moon is not the moon, but a reflection in the window glass.
A rat who climbed a tree - A rodent's tale
"A rodent's tale" is based a rat that would scurry out of a drain that ran behind the bus stop whereby I used to wait for my bus. The rat would then try to climb this particular tree. And then it would fall. There is a newly developed condominium estate behind the busstop and there are some security guards who would check the work permit (I presume) of the foreign workers who arrive in the morning to do some construction. The security guards would point and gawk at the rat and its attempt.
That helped affirmed that I wasn't hallucinating.
Of course I could have hallucinated the security guards' reactions altogether. 7-ish am is pretty early in the morning to be waiting at a busstop you know.
Frankly, I only seen the rat for a few times over a span of a few weeks and I haven't seen the rat for a long time.
That helped affirmed that I wasn't hallucinating.
Of course I could have hallucinated the security guards' reactions altogether. 7-ish am is pretty early in the morning to be waiting at a busstop you know.
Frankly, I only seen the rat for a few times over a span of a few weeks and I haven't seen the rat for a long time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)