Friday, December 31, 2010
O Mio Babbino Caro
Maria Callas, 1973. "O Mio Babbino Caro" from Gianni Schicchi (1918, Giacomo Puccini).
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Gardener of the Artificial Landscape
I just watched 展覧会の絵 (Tenrankai no E) or Pictures at an Exhibition, 1966, an animated short film by Osamu Tezuka. He's most notably known for Astro Boy... but I realized that he's actually extremely unconventional and, just pushing boundaries with his stuff (see here for description of some of his short films)
Anyway, I came across this particular film while reading about Pictures at an Exhibition, a famous musical suite written by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky in 1874 in remembrance of his friend Viktor Hartmann.
The film has this segment called "Gardener of the Artificial Landscape". A grasshopper was flying through a city at night with his belongings on his back, thirsty and tired, and wanting to find some water to refresh himself. But, he could not find a single drop. All the flowers were artificial, even the dew were glass beads. Not a singe organic thing was in sight or reach. Daybreak came, and the 'gardener' came out together with the pedestrians... and the gardener pruned the artificial plants and perfumed them and admired them; the other people also admired them. He then put a flower in his shirt pocket then admired his own reflection in the glass of the artificial pool. Then he saw the grasshopper lying dying on the ground, picked it up, looked at it, and flicked it away with disdain. It ended up outside that perfect artificial city, in the dirt, underneath a dirty-looking weed-like plant. As it lay there dying, a drop of water slid down the plant's leaf and landed on his head, and he closed his eyes.
Anyway, I came across this particular film while reading about Pictures at an Exhibition, a famous musical suite written by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky in 1874 in remembrance of his friend Viktor Hartmann.
The film has this segment called "Gardener of the Artificial Landscape". A grasshopper was flying through a city at night with his belongings on his back, thirsty and tired, and wanting to find some water to refresh himself. But, he could not find a single drop. All the flowers were artificial, even the dew were glass beads. Not a singe organic thing was in sight or reach. Daybreak came, and the 'gardener' came out together with the pedestrians... and the gardener pruned the artificial plants and perfumed them and admired them; the other people also admired them. He then put a flower in his shirt pocket then admired his own reflection in the glass of the artificial pool. Then he saw the grasshopper lying dying on the ground, picked it up, looked at it, and flicked it away with disdain. It ended up outside that perfect artificial city, in the dirt, underneath a dirty-looking weed-like plant. As it lay there dying, a drop of water slid down the plant's leaf and landed on his head, and he closed his eyes.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
City Connection
Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1!!!!!
I've been searching for this since forever... I played this game when I was a little kid, on an old dusty nintendo console... the background melody has been haunting my mind ever since, and I was just thinking about it recently...
You can play City Connection here
Monday, December 27, 2010
3 = π = √10
When you see √125 in your life, solve for √121.
- Charles Bailyn, Thomas E. Donnelley Professor of Astronomy and Physics at Yale
Open Yale Courses
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
sunt lacrimae rerum et mentem mortalia tangunt
"These are the tears of things, and our mortality cuts to the heart"
The term comes from line 462 of Book I of The Aeneid, an epic poem written in Latin by Virgil, one of Rome's most distinguished poets, in the 1st century BC. Aeneas, while crying, says, "sunt lacrimae rerum et mentem mortalia tangunt" as he gazes at one of the murals found in a Carthaginian temple, which depicts battles of the Trojan War and deaths of his friends and countrymen. - Lacrimae rerum, Wikipedia
Sunday, December 19, 2010
“Think about how powerless a mayor is,” West says. “They can’t tell people where to live or what to do or who to talk to. Cities can’t be managed, and that’s what keeps them so vibrant. They’re just these insane masses of people, bumping into each other and maybe sharing an idea or two. It’s the freedom of the city that keeps it alive.”
A Physicist Solves the City, The New York Times
Monday, December 13, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Maybe a New Year Resolution
Whenever I see photos of crit sessions, the students definitely look tensed, or worried, or frightened. Me too. I don't remember a crit session where I was relaxed and eager to learn. It was just frightening, the thought of being critiqued and possibly insulted. The possibility of cherished ideas being crushed and thrown away like trash. And humiliated in front of your peers.
I want to be a happy student. I want to be a happy student in a crit.
It's definitely not easy, but I want to work towards that. There's just no point being stressed and frightened. I know it's not easy, but I dislike feeling like that enough to want to try going the other way. Hopefully. Hopefully, I will be able to try it out, come next September... I want to genuinely get into it, not to take it like a farce or a disconnected event, but as part of a whole structure of learning. I know it's not easy.
I want to be a happy student. I want to be a happy student in a crit.
It's definitely not easy, but I want to work towards that. There's just no point being stressed and frightened. I know it's not easy, but I dislike feeling like that enough to want to try going the other way. Hopefully. Hopefully, I will be able to try it out, come next September... I want to genuinely get into it, not to take it like a farce or a disconnected event, but as part of a whole structure of learning. I know it's not easy.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
祈ってます
Ah! It seems like Gintama will be returning next April!!!
Hopefully, at that time, I will have another reason to be happy...
Hopefully, at that time, I will have another reason to be happy...
Thursday, December 2, 2010
grateful
It's a thunderstorm outside right now
I'm really fortunate to have a roof over my head
and three warm meals a day
I'm really fortunate to have a roof over my head
and three warm meals a day
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Dust-filled sunny days
Like I said, I've been hit with waves of nostalgia these past couple of days... even when I'm brushing my teeth, washing my face, or doing anything seemingly ordinary.
I wonder why. It might be because of my period. In the past, I always had this 'homesick' feeling before my period. Not really missing my home as I had it too when I'm already at home, but something 'like' it. Nobody understood what I meant, of course... it's just this feeling.
But this time, it's slightly different... not really the 'homesick' feeling but full-out nostalgia. I could recognize this feeling... it's like something I would feel when I step into my old high school. I could even smell the air... the air of days gone by. Especially sunny, warm days. The kind where you can spy specks of dust twirling in the thick, balmy air.
And also, the smell of the air when the exams are almost over... Almost, not quite but almost there, just a few papers to go, and those that you're confident of doing well in too... I get a little of this kind of feeling. Maybe... maybe it's because, I'm nearing the end of the current 'exam' I am facing?
And because of these feelings that I have been having, I've been recalling a lot of things from all over my life... Judo days, the smell of the dojo, after training, school days of course, and the exam period, and then sometimes university, the clueless afternoons, warm sweet milk tea, then sometimes the days in Japan, and sometimes those in America, and sometimes, and quite strongly, the days in Europe... There really is something so romantic, so romantic, about Europe... I recall the cloister corridors, Monticelli and Van Gogh while wandering in Marseille
I remember also, the secondary school days when I was fourteen and sixteen, triggered by a letter I found at the back of the drawer, safe from the 'purge' I subjected my room to during one my my zen moments when I felt that I didn't want anything anymore. That was when I just returned from New York. I tore up and threw away almost all the letters I have kept from that time. After reading through some of them, one last time. I don't have that sharp an image of what I was like back then, but I could recall roughly. Some of the letters were hilarious. Many were written in classes. I still remember we really had a hell of a time not paying attention in classes. I was not a model student from year 2 onwards. Copying assignments was a way of life, and cheating in tests was a normalized skill. Nobody bats an eyelid over that, or at least among the people I knew. I was intensely scornful of 'good' students. Anyway, I made it through somehow...
In some of the letters, I was told that I wrote really well... I remember one where Serene told me I should make use of this talent and make Singapore proud, and someone else told me my poems were much more interesting than those in literature class. And the way I bound my own out-going letters were pretty creative, I couldn't recall them now but I remember I tried to always make it different. I couldn't stand normal things back then.
And many of those who wrote to me told me that somehow they could open up to me and tell me things that they don't reveal to other people. Somehow, I looked like I would understand. One told me about her family troubles and her dad having a mistress, one told me about how she is really depressed because it seems like she isn't good at anything at all, one told me about friendship troubles... well, in general secondary school was rife with friendship troubles.
Somehow, we all made it through... didn't we? I hope so... there're so many that I haven't met since then... I hope they are well.
I feel a little regret at throwing everything away... so as atonement and some sort of final note, I've written this down... hoping to remember a little of the spirit of those letters.
I wonder why. It might be because of my period. In the past, I always had this 'homesick' feeling before my period. Not really missing my home as I had it too when I'm already at home, but something 'like' it. Nobody understood what I meant, of course... it's just this feeling.
But this time, it's slightly different... not really the 'homesick' feeling but full-out nostalgia. I could recognize this feeling... it's like something I would feel when I step into my old high school. I could even smell the air... the air of days gone by. Especially sunny, warm days. The kind where you can spy specks of dust twirling in the thick, balmy air.
And also, the smell of the air when the exams are almost over... Almost, not quite but almost there, just a few papers to go, and those that you're confident of doing well in too... I get a little of this kind of feeling. Maybe... maybe it's because, I'm nearing the end of the current 'exam' I am facing?
And because of these feelings that I have been having, I've been recalling a lot of things from all over my life... Judo days, the smell of the dojo, after training, school days of course, and the exam period, and then sometimes university, the clueless afternoons, warm sweet milk tea, then sometimes the days in Japan, and sometimes those in America, and sometimes, and quite strongly, the days in Europe... There really is something so romantic, so romantic, about Europe... I recall the cloister corridors, Monticelli and Van Gogh while wandering in Marseille
I remember also, the secondary school days when I was fourteen and sixteen, triggered by a letter I found at the back of the drawer, safe from the 'purge' I subjected my room to during one my my zen moments when I felt that I didn't want anything anymore. That was when I just returned from New York. I tore up and threw away almost all the letters I have kept from that time. After reading through some of them, one last time. I don't have that sharp an image of what I was like back then, but I could recall roughly. Some of the letters were hilarious. Many were written in classes. I still remember we really had a hell of a time not paying attention in classes. I was not a model student from year 2 onwards. Copying assignments was a way of life, and cheating in tests was a normalized skill. Nobody bats an eyelid over that, or at least among the people I knew. I was intensely scornful of 'good' students. Anyway, I made it through somehow...
In some of the letters, I was told that I wrote really well... I remember one where Serene told me I should make use of this talent and make Singapore proud, and someone else told me my poems were much more interesting than those in literature class. And the way I bound my own out-going letters were pretty creative, I couldn't recall them now but I remember I tried to always make it different. I couldn't stand normal things back then.
And many of those who wrote to me told me that somehow they could open up to me and tell me things that they don't reveal to other people. Somehow, I looked like I would understand. One told me about her family troubles and her dad having a mistress, one told me about how she is really depressed because it seems like she isn't good at anything at all, one told me about friendship troubles... well, in general secondary school was rife with friendship troubles.
Somehow, we all made it through... didn't we? I hope so... there're so many that I haven't met since then... I hope they are well.
I feel a little regret at throwing everything away... so as atonement and some sort of final note, I've written this down... hoping to remember a little of the spirit of those letters.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
to reach that place...
I feel like I am balancing on a boat, the wrong step would send me tipping into the water...
But Father, thank You so much.
But Father, thank You so much.
Monday, November 29, 2010
In the past seven or so months, I've managed to watch a slew of anime
Ghost Hound (It's not bad... I liked the opening song. And it's Production I.G!!)
Ergo Proxy (Amazing. (And Pino is the cutest anime character ever. ever.))
Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei (the ending theme is the killer!! It is one of the best songs I've heard recently. And the anime itself is really really good. It's awesome.)
xxxHolic (I like the theme... Watanuki is hilarious. I wanna date someone like Doumeki.)
Zombie Loan ("If that's called living, even a zombie can do it!" <--)
Pale Cocoon (Really nice... by the creator of Time of Eve. I love his graphic style and view. He really rocks.)
Shangri La (It was quite captivating, liked it. And Nakata Joji never fails (LOL)...)
Kino's Journey (The episode that gave me the strongest impression was the one with the three men working on a railway track to nowhere)
Ghost in the Shell (The two movies... actually I watched the first one some years back. I watched it again and really loved it this time. The second one (Innocence) is really good too! Even more stunning than the first, I thought)
Vampire Hunter D "Bloodlust" ("Return the girl." "I snatched her because I wanted her. You do that too." It sounds even more awesome in Japanese.「娘を返してもらう」「私は欲しいから奪った。お前もそうしよう」）
And some I never got to finish... doesn't mean they're not good though, it's just a habit of mine...
Arakawa Under the Bridge (pretty interesting. I kinda liked Nino. I kinda understand Nino. I don't know.)
Durarara! (pretty interesting too. The opening song was great.)
Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteiru (Ok, I kind of didn't get hooked on for this one... not my type)
East of Eden (I watched only one episode - it was pretty interesting.)
House of Five Leaves (pretty nice... the art style is also really unique)
Boogiepop Phantom (not bad... a little dark)
Texhnolyze (I couldn't get head or tail of it... might continue since it's intriguing)
Cromatie High School (I was suffering immensely from the end of Gintama's last season... I thought I found a cure in this but sadly no... Gintama come back!!)
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (Another one in the search for a cure... failed again)
Pandora Hearts (So-so.... I guess... not too boring and not too exciting)
Nyan Koi (Tama is so cute!! Lol. But, the show's essentially a harem and that's not my thing.)
And here are some I watched ages ago and never completed:
Time of Eve (I really really liked it. I might watch the whole thing some time.)
Gankutsuou - The Count of Monte Cristo (I really liked the art style... the Count is not bad.)
Gantz (it was really bizarre)
Cluster Edge (I really liked Agate. I wanted to borrow a little of his positive energy, back then... even a little. Who was Agate?)
Higurashii ga Naku Koro Ni Kai (So what is it, actually?)
Moyashimon (Cute bacteria)
Cowboy Bebop (This one... I just never ever finished... I wonder if I will. It's really good, of course. The opening song is classic.)
Amatsuki (I was quite interested in it back when it came out... then I stopped following for some reason.)
Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (Not bad... but stopped watching.)
Those that are still on-going:
Keroro Gunsou (Seriously, they keep me sane. I love Keroro Gunsou! Long live Keroro Gunsou.)
Bleach (Ok, I think Bleach just got interesting again... right? But I really have to say that I can't stand the opening 'explanation' and 'recap' part that always, unfailingly, takes up almost half the episode. ANYWAY, Aizen saves the show.)
Those that I am following this season:
Nurarihyon no Mago (seems pretty popular, but I am not that crazy over it.. not bad though)
Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu (is pretty good, but it gets a little... heart-tugging sometimes (for me) and I don't know if I want my heart to be tugged at so much...)
Togainu no Chi (this is actually the one I am most excited about every week. Rin! And... Who is Nano? What is Nano??)
Kuragehime (not bad... keeps you laughing... and the opening and ending themes are very nice)
Star Driver (it's very hyped... but not my type. I wanna say, "well, if it rocks your boat...")
MM! (Ok... it's pretty funny all things considered... about a hentai masochistic guy. Harem is not my thing)
Tegami Bachi Reverse (Niche is so cute!!)
Shiki (It's not bad. Didn't like it at first because I thought it's another one of those vampire stories that are really getting stale... but it got better.)
Ikamusume (here and there... kinda stopped... didn't think it's very funny or interesting.)
Ghost Hound (It's not bad... I liked the opening song. And it's Production I.G!!)
Ergo Proxy (Amazing. (And Pino is the cutest anime character ever. ever.))
Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei (the ending theme is the killer!! It is one of the best songs I've heard recently. And the anime itself is really really good. It's awesome.)
xxxHolic (I like the theme... Watanuki is hilarious. I wanna date someone like Doumeki.)
Zombie Loan ("If that's called living, even a zombie can do it!" <--)
Pale Cocoon (Really nice... by the creator of Time of Eve. I love his graphic style and view. He really rocks.)
Shangri La (It was quite captivating, liked it. And Nakata Joji never fails (LOL)...)
Kino's Journey (The episode that gave me the strongest impression was the one with the three men working on a railway track to nowhere)
Ghost in the Shell (The two movies... actually I watched the first one some years back. I watched it again and really loved it this time. The second one (Innocence) is really good too! Even more stunning than the first, I thought)
Vampire Hunter D "Bloodlust" ("Return the girl." "I snatched her because I wanted her. You do that too." It sounds even more awesome in Japanese.「娘を返してもらう」「私は欲しいから奪った。お前もそうしよう」）
And some I never got to finish... doesn't mean they're not good though, it's just a habit of mine...
Arakawa Under the Bridge (pretty interesting. I kinda liked Nino. I kinda understand Nino. I don't know.)
Durarara! (pretty interesting too. The opening song was great.)
Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteiru (Ok, I kind of didn't get hooked on for this one... not my type)
East of Eden (I watched only one episode - it was pretty interesting.)
House of Five Leaves (pretty nice... the art style is also really unique)
Boogiepop Phantom (not bad... a little dark)
Texhnolyze (I couldn't get head or tail of it... might continue since it's intriguing)
Cromatie High School (I was suffering immensely from the end of Gintama's last season... I thought I found a cure in this but sadly no... Gintama come back!!)
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (Another one in the search for a cure... failed again)
Pandora Hearts (So-so.... I guess... not too boring and not too exciting)
Nyan Koi (Tama is so cute!! Lol. But, the show's essentially a harem and that's not my thing.)
And here are some I watched ages ago and never completed:
Time of Eve (I really really liked it. I might watch the whole thing some time.)
Gankutsuou - The Count of Monte Cristo (I really liked the art style... the Count is not bad.)
Gantz (it was really bizarre)
Cluster Edge (I really liked Agate. I wanted to borrow a little of his positive energy, back then... even a little. Who was Agate?)
Higurashii ga Naku Koro Ni Kai (So what is it, actually?)
Moyashimon (Cute bacteria)
Cowboy Bebop (This one... I just never ever finished... I wonder if I will. It's really good, of course. The opening song is classic.)
Amatsuki (I was quite interested in it back when it came out... then I stopped following for some reason.)
Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (Not bad... but stopped watching.)
Those that are still on-going:
Keroro Gunsou (Seriously, they keep me sane. I love Keroro Gunsou! Long live Keroro Gunsou.)
Bleach (Ok, I think Bleach just got interesting again... right? But I really have to say that I can't stand the opening 'explanation' and 'recap' part that always, unfailingly, takes up almost half the episode. ANYWAY, Aizen saves the show.)
Those that I am following this season:
Nurarihyon no Mago (seems pretty popular, but I am not that crazy over it.. not bad though)
Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu (is pretty good, but it gets a little... heart-tugging sometimes (for me) and I don't know if I want my heart to be tugged at so much...)
Togainu no Chi (this is actually the one I am most excited about every week. Rin! And... Who is Nano? What is Nano??)
Kuragehime (not bad... keeps you laughing... and the opening and ending themes are very nice)
Star Driver (it's very hyped... but not my type. I wanna say, "well, if it rocks your boat...")
MM! (Ok... it's pretty funny all things considered... about a hentai masochistic guy. Harem is not my thing)
Tegami Bachi Reverse (Niche is so cute!!)
Shiki (It's not bad. Didn't like it at first because I thought it's another one of those vampire stories that are really getting stale... but it got better.)
Ikamusume (here and there... kinda stopped... didn't think it's very funny or interesting.)
Sunday, November 28, 2010
I've been feeling nostalgic these two days... I don't know why.
Maybe because I fell sick?
Did the feeling of fever trigger some switch in my brain?
Or is it the smell in the air? Or the fact that because I was sick, I wore long pants and a cardigan to keep warm in the house...
Or maybe because it's the rainy season
I really don't know why...
I tried to think, what is it that I feel nostalgic about....
My past? The school days? College? Junior college? Secondary school? Even earlier?
Or Europe? Japan? America?
Or my past life?
What happened?
The television dramas that I watched before?
The life I led, the people I knew?
What is it...
Ah, but I wish... when all this is over... When all is well...
I wish to go out again... watch a movie, have tea and cakes with a friend... go shopping for nice dresses... feel the sun on my back...
Maybe because I fell sick?
Did the feeling of fever trigger some switch in my brain?
Or is it the smell in the air? Or the fact that because I was sick, I wore long pants and a cardigan to keep warm in the house...
Or maybe because it's the rainy season
I really don't know why...
I tried to think, what is it that I feel nostalgic about....
My past? The school days? College? Junior college? Secondary school? Even earlier?
Or Europe? Japan? America?
Or my past life?
What happened?
The television dramas that I watched before?
The life I led, the people I knew?
What is it...
Ah, but I wish... when all this is over... When all is well...
I wish to go out again... watch a movie, have tea and cakes with a friend... go shopping for nice dresses... feel the sun on my back...
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