"The sharp knife of a short life

I've had just enough time..."


- "If I Die Young" The Band Perry


I see Beauty in many things. And like the ghosts that only speak to you if you notice them, they tell me wondrous tales. With my camera and my thoughts, I captured these as faithfully as I can to share with you. And by doing so, they gave me the reasons. And though the thousand reasons may not all be sweet and some indeed bitter; they are still reasons to live. Come to think about it, that is Life, isn't it?

Tuesday 30 April 2013

The Artist Who Paints With A Knife


I've had just enough time...   to learn about Life from the artist who paints with a knife

The street artist I saw in the street of Yangon, Myanmar who painted with what he has 


He paints with what he has
A kitchen knife
And a worn out brush

Sitting cross-legged bent to his task
He has no time for complaining
Of Life and her cards

He smiled when a piece is complete
A moment’s pause to savor it
Then start on the next sheet

The artist who paints with a knife
Has a lot to teach me about Life



He used the knife to create the while lines against the dark patches to create the required shape

That is a worn out wall brush that he is using

He adapted his painting style to the tools that he has

Dashes of the broad brush and fine stroke of the knife and you got a bamboo groove

The only good brush is used to draw more delicate portion of the painting

The whole painting almost done all in just minutes, and it now belongs to me :)
And the memory that came with the painting makes it even more valuable to me


Saturday 27 April 2013

The Hardest Thing to Move



I've had just enough time...   to try moving...

Taken from a car in the street of the City of Hangzhou where the white snake met the scholar...


You won’t believe the things I moved
Odd shapes and sizes
Light as feathers
Heavier than stone
Smaller than your palm
Larger than the truck
Some I moved down the street
Others transported a thousand “li”
I had moved things together
And I had moved things apart

You won’t believe what I moved
But, the hardest to move
The hardest to move
- is a heart

_______


And that ain't the hardest part
The hardest part is working and I've worked enough

And that ain't the hardest part
Talkin' 'bout a true love
That ain't the hardest part
And that ain't the hardest part

The Hardest Part by Ryan Adams





Wednesday 24 April 2013

The Flower Outside The Fence



I've had just enough time...   to admire the flower that strayed outside the fence

Saw these lovely flowers inside a fence during a casual walk in Munich...


There was a flower that would not stay
Where it is safe and orderly
Her contented sisters warned
Of a cruel world waiting but
She said -
“I know we all live and die
And even if I were to die earlier
I want to die outside the fence”



...and saw this adventurous flower sticking outside the fence


Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above 

Don't fence me in 
Let me ride through the wide open country that I love 
Don't fence me in 

Let me be by myself in the evenin' breeze 
And listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees 
Send me off forever but I ask you please 
Don't fence me in

Bing Crosby - Don't Fence Me In 



Friday 19 April 2013

Bitter Is The Old House That Known Despair (老屋的辛酸)



I've had just enough time...   to take pity on the old house

Taken of the old house I chanced upon in Teluk Anson in Perak, Malaysia




I stood before the old house
And it just stood there
It knows it can stand longer
Than I can stare
It knows I have questions
It knows I care
About its history and
How it gets there
But it is not about to reveal
Its secret affairs
Why should it tell and
Why should it share?
When all these years
No one cares
It will take its secrets
To its grave
Bitter is the old house
That known despair

_________

我站在老屋前
老屋竖立在那
知道它可持立
远比我可凝望
我有许多疑问
我在乎它的历史
它如何走来
但它不愿揭晓
它的私隐

这些年来
无人在乎
为何必须告知?
为何必须分享?
它宁可秘密
带到墓土里
唉!一所历经
辛酸的老屋



 


Saturday 13 April 2013

Paid To Create Dreams That You Will Purchase



I've had just enough time...   to see a dream painted

Taken in a production workshop for disabled artists, Hanoi

The dreams I paint
I wish I am in
But the dreams I paint
Are sold for money

Taken away
Will it be nourished
Or left in a forgotten corner
Among forgotten things

I don’t mind sharing if…


The needle in her hand flew and a picture took shape

I wanted to ask -
What is it you see in my dreams
When you hand over your money
I don’t want to sell if you feel nothing

But I’ve no say
I’m paid to create dreams
That You will purchase


Taking a break and admiring her own dream which will be taken away in exchange for money


Wednesday 10 April 2013

The Nai Dee Sculptured Huts Part III – Vic Hua Hin & "The Little Touches"



I've had just enough time...   to appreciate little touches

The Elephant God the office guards


While the big picture thrills and astounds
It is the little touch that counts
The one that said with muted voice “we care”
The one that speaks silently from the heart
A flower on the bed, a smile in the morning
Clasped hands and a little bow
Welcome to our world, may our hearts touch
Softly, gently, with harmony and love


The Teddy Bear in front of the hut


“The Little Touches” 
The Elephant God the office guards 
The Teddy Bear in front of the hut 
A probing question that innocently asks 
Answered by little child asleep on the task 
A dance around the clock 
The imp that holds up the block 
A pink umbrella among the green 
A shadow behind the screen 
The spirits of the tree 
And the spirits roaming free 
The lotus under the sun 
Goes to bed when the day is done


 A probing question that innocently asks


Answered by little child asleep on the task


A dance around the clock


The imp that holds up the block


A pink umbrella among the green 


 A shadow behind the screen


The spirits tied to the tree


And the spirits roaming free


The lotus under the sun


Goes to bed when the day is done



Sunday 7 April 2013

The Nai Dee Sculptured Huts Part II – Tea Under The Rain Trees.


I've had just enough time...   to be captivated by rain trees and huts.


Anyone care for a cup of tea under the rain tree? Taken in the Naidee Sculptured Huts, Hua Hin

When I came across the main yard,  I involuntarily let out a “wow!” exclamation. For there before me is the dream outdoor dining area I will build if I had the money. But it is already built for me, to have a leisurely cup of tea under the giant rain tree. How did the architect build something so close to my dream without consulting me? Join me in wandering through the grounds.


 
 What a wonderful place to have a quiet meal with friends.

Even the main serving area is so tastefully done.

Don’t you just marvel at the architecture?

 
As the sun sets, the ambiance changes. A marvelous example of architecture complementing nature.

 
With the daylight still available, I went exploring. Saw this large building close to the dining area and decided to check that out.  

Like all the other buildings, this large functional building is also tastefully designed and constructed to blend in well with the surroundings. I wondered what it is for?

 
It is a living quarter for a group. It is not only well designed but also very practical and versatile. The hall is big enough to take at least a bus load.

This is such a charming public toilet. It shows that practicality does not have to come at the expense of style and beauty.

I wandered to the other side of the lotus pond to take this shot. The whole complex is very well thought out and planned. I’ve so many pictures that I will continue this on the next post to share with those of you who could not be there.



Wednesday 3 April 2013

The Nai Dee Sculptured Huts Part I – Living In Arts.



I've had just enough time...   to live inside Arts!

Taken of one of the Naidee Sculptured Huts we stayed in, in Hua Hin, Thailand.

After  the last few “heavy” posts, lets return to something light and uplifting. I searched my photos for good memories and found them in my recent trip to Hua Hin, Thailand which is where “The Plovers Stole My Sorrow” (earlier post). Enroute to the sunshine beach, I stayed in an Arts complex Vic Hua Hin which housed the Vic Hua Hin Theatre & Gallery, the Patravadi High School, Arts Camp and the Nai Dee Sculptured Huts which is probably the most charming accomodation I had stayed in.


Another of the sculptured huts, this one called "The Fat Lady" for obvious reason.

The cosy and charming interior of one of the huts.

Vic Hua Hin is the brain child of Patravadi Mejudhon, a  renowned actress, director, playwright and founder of the famous Patravadi Theatre who built it to share her love of the Arts especially performing arts with the world. This is the link if you want to learn more about Vic Hua Hin – http://www.vichuahin.com/about/


One of the many classrooms found within the complex, it has a roof and no walls :)

The Nai Dee Sculptured Huts is hand sculptured by Master Naidee Changmoh over 3 years with white cement making each hut a unique art piece. I’ve always enjoyed Arts in its many forms but this is the first time I stayed in one! Naidee is famous for his little monk sculpture but some are not so little and this serene one under the Bodhi tree is taller than a house. 

The entrance to the Naidee Sculpture Huts

The not so "little Buddha" sitting serenely under the Bodhi tree.

Follow me through this and the next couple of posts wandering through the Vic Hua Hin complex sprinkled with wise sayings that I found in note books in the small book shop I found in the complex.

One of the many pottery arts that one find all over the ground, by a student or master; you decide :)

 “Everywhere I go I find a poet has been there before me.”
- Neil Bohr

Delightfull simple works of Arts on the walls of one of the hut.

And in this place, I found many poets were before me and they left their traces everywhere. It is a delight to wander through the ground sifting through the footprints of the poets who preceded me.

The artist blended his work with Nature as if in conspiracy...

“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.”
- Lao Tzu

...creating fantastic piece that works in perfect harmony with Nature.

 I have to admit I am not yet a good traveler. I excused myself by saying that time did not permit me the luxury of leisurely travel. But I told myself that soon, I will have time in my hand and then, I will live up to the tag of being a good traveler who will stay when he feels like staying unlike my leaving Vic Hua Hin before I was ready to leave.

As I went to bed within this magical abode, I consigned my pleasure to memory and dreams...

“The palest ink is better than the most retentive memory.”
- Kung Fu-Tzu

 
but I know it is too beautiful to keep it to myself so I must share it with the world...

I guess Confucius must know a thing or two about sharing. My memories belong to me but by putting it in ink, I share it with the world. But the biggest beneficiary is still me for memories change with time but though the ink may fade, honest words will withstood the ravages of time.

Join me for Part II. 


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