A Thousand Reasons

Part I - The Monk & The Scriptures.

2012-03-20T19:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... talk to the Monk about the scriptures.

Taken of the Monk & his books one night alone in Hangzhou, China.

“All the knowledge is in the scriptures”, the monk said.

“Studied it well and you will know all there is to know.”

The disciple took it to heart and studied it day andnight.

And when he has memorized and could repeat every singleword.

He went back to the monk with all he had learned.

“You have learned nothing”, the monk said.

“Except for the words you have read”

“The wisdom is not in the words”

“Go back and read some more!”

And the disciple burned the scriptures

And become a rich trader.

And the monk took another disciple

Who is asked to read more and more

And then some more…

Nothing Sadder Than A Tangled Kite.

2012-03-18T09:28:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... go fly a kite! :)

Taken in Bali of the plight of a downed kite.

......

I am a kite

Born to fly, to

Soar above the land

An inhabitant of the sky

But the wind I depended on was fickle

And I learned that though I was born to fly

I was not a free inhabitant of the boundless sky

And the Earth that gave me birth
waited impatiently...

To reclaim

the one
who
fly

..
..

_______

Let's Go Fly a Kite (from "Mary Poppins")

When you send it flying up there,

all at once your lighter than air!

You can dance on the breeze,

over 'ouses and trees!

With your fist 'olding tight,

to the string your kite!

Let's go fly a kite

Up to the highest height

Let's go fly a kite

And send it soaring

Up through the atmosphere

Up where the air is clear

Oh, let's go fly a kite!

Lets Hug the UNITED BUDDY BEARS – Part III

2012-03-15T19:00:00.001+08:00

I've had just enough time to... ask for Peace.

Taken in Kuala Lumpur of the Einstein Bear

The Einstein Bear

“Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.” - Albert Einstein

Give Peace A Chance

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” - Mother Teresa

From Neighbour to Neighbour.

Lets Hug the UNITED BUDDY BEARS – Part II

2012-03-13T19:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... see the smiles the Buddy Bears bring.

Taken when the Buddy were in Kuala Lumpur lifting up their arms.

Art and Culture

EachBuddy Bear shows the individual design created by different artists on behalf oftheir native countries. The international artists’ different styles are joinedtogether in one work of art, spreading zest for Life. The diverse design of theBuddy Bears – always typical for the respective countries – enables the visitorto experience a journey around the globe.

Aid for Children

Buddy Bears activities and aid for children inneed have formed an inseparable unit. To date, around E1,800,000 (Aug 2011)have been raised through donations and auctions in aid of UNICEF and localchildren’s relief organizations.

Lets Hug the UNITED BUDDY BEARS - Part I

2012-03-11T18:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... hug a Buddy Bear.

Taken when the Buddy Bears visited Kuala Lumpur.

147 Buddy Bears dropped into Kuala Lumpur from08th December 2011 until the 15th February 2012 bringing a lot of colours andjoy and their message of living in peace and harmony. Below is their messge -

The BUDDYBEARS’ MESSAGE:

“WE HAVE TOGET TO KNOW EACH OTHER BETTER……it makes us understand one another better, trusteach other more, and live together more peacefully.”

Underthis motor the UNITED BUDDY BEARS promote living together in peace and harmonyon their global tour. About 140 Buddy Bears (each 2 m tall) represent as manycountries recognized by the United Nations. Since the first exhibition inBerlin 2002, more than 25 million visitors world-wide have been able to admirethe United Buddy Bears.

The Message

The BuddyBears stand together “hand in hand”, symbolizing the future vision of apeaceful world. Each Bear stands for the people of different countries andtheir culture, yet not for political systems.

The Angel Near By.

2012-03-09T19:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... look for the Angels near by.

If you want to see Angels, first you must know how to look.

If you look too hard
You’ll never find
The Angel nearby.

For an Angel can’t be seen
With your eyes, she
Cannot be thus recognized.

For your mind tells you
That is not how
An Angel looks like.

Let me whisper you a secret
That only very few knows -
An angel will appear
If you let your heart
unflold.

_______

Well, I'm looking for an angel

someone to watch over me

someone to lean on my shoulder

I wanna feel how love can be

But these things they don't come easy

I've learned my lesson well

some things don't work the way you planned

sometimes you just can't tell

- Looking For An Angel

A Tale of Two Baguettes – Part III: Down On Her Luck, True To Her Self.

2012-03-07T19:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... lament the passing of lost arts.

Taken in a in-store bakery in a hypermarket in Hanoi.

I was tolearn why Paris’s sister chose to live in poverty in the outskirts rather thanin the city. In her own way, she chose to be true to herself. She was down onher luck but tolerated no pity. “Judge me if you will but I’m no prostitute”she challenged me with her incisive eyes. I squirmed under her strong gaze. Itwas not what I meant but I did sound condescending.

We made up andparted on good terms. As I was leaving, she gave me a peck on the cheek andsaid “be careful of the city girls”. Before I could turn around, she hasdisappeared into the building. She is not one for long goodbyes.

In Hanoi, Iwas shocked by what I saw. The baguettes I have come to love so much reduced tomass produced buyers’ trap. The hypermarket called them “lost leader” usingthem as a hook to draw in the shopper. Paris’s sister may have lost much of thefine qualities of Paris but at least she retained her soul. Now, I understandwhat she meant by the word she spat out the word with such vehemence.

I took onebite and choked on it. This is just white bread disguised as a baguette. Theyare tasteless and soulless but people are queuing up to buy literally by thedozens attracted by the price. Would you believe a long baguette going for onlyUSD 20 cents? After the shock, sadness set in as I looked at the happyshoppers. Have the world been degraded to such an extent that the only Artpeople recognized these days are the sign on the buck? The only music thejingles of the cash register?

Then I recallthe journey of Paris to Saigon and Hanoi and know there is hope yet. That amongus, there are still those who can see the romance in life and who can discernthe taste of passion. I left Vietnam remembering Paris and her fine bread thattaste like love.

A Tale of Two Baguettes – Part II: I Found Paris in Saigon.

2012-03-05T19:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... meet her again in Saigon.

Taken in a bakery where I spent a lot of time

Yearslater, I found Paris in Saigon, the land of conical hats and floating “Ao Dai”(Vietnamese national costume). I could not believe how far she has fallen. Shehas put on weight and appeared shorter if that is possible. She plied her tradeby the road side. My heart bled. What has Life done to my love to lay her solow?

She wasalmost weightless in my hand. But when I put her to my lips, a rush ofnostalgic feelings overwhelmed me. The familiar taste I thought long lostbrought me close to tears. It is the same yet different. The aroma is just asrich. No, more so; almost to the point of over-powering for there is the stronglingering scent of melancholy years mixed with regret. I embraced her tightlyand caught this shout before it escaped my throat “this heart still beats!”

Taken in a bakery in Hanoi

In SouthVietnam she now flourished. She still retained most of Paris in her but hasadopted local Asian flare. The climate agreed with her and she bloomed. I lefther in good health and a sad farewell. And I went to Hanoi where I met hersister.

At first Idid not recognized her for she was in the company of several young men inleather jackets. They seemed to enjoy her company but I thought she was nothinglike her sister or Paris. On first look there are some similarities but that iswhere it ends. She has none of her finesse or even smells the same. They evenput sugar on her to sweeten her up like some cheap perfume.

What issadder still is the poverty of the land she chose to stay. A runaway inflationhas made her too expensive to be enjoyed. So she is found in the company ofthose few who can afford her and they treated her with disrespect. I would like tohelp but she does not want it out of pride or something else. It was shaping to be a tragic tale but it isnot the end…

A Tale of Two Baguettes – Part I: Remembering Paris for her Bread.

2012-03-03T12:48:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... recall that morning in Paris.

Taken in a place where they made good bread.

I assureyou I have the romance in me though it may not appear so, remembering Paris forher bread rather than the love she bestowed. It is not that I love her any lessbut I love her French bread more. I stood before Mona Lisa and thought of thebread I had the night before.

The crackleas I broke off a piece. The rush of freshly baked aroma intoxicated me. Thecrunch as I broke through the crust registered on my expectant teeth. My mouth wateras I recall the sensual mastication between my lips. Did I say sensual? It waslike the slipping of a soft hand into mine under the dim streetlight beneaththe Paris moon. And my love affair started the night before in beautifulLucerne.

I took thenight train from there to reach Paris past midnight. A Vietnamese friend whom Ihad met only once stole me into a bakery at four in the morning to see howFrench bread was made. I speak no French but beauty needs no interpretation. Isaw how strong hands tenderly coached the dough to shape. How the assured flickof the wrist made the perfect cut. How the fiery oven bathed the bakery with anaroma made in heaven. I saw it all and I learned.

Many a yearlater, older now but no wiser. Many a love won and lost through countlesswaning and vexing of the flicker moon. After I left Paris and Paris left me. Istill remembered that early morning when I fell in love in the bakery wherethey produced the perfect loaf. And though many praised the bread I made, Iknow in my heart that the perfect French Loaf can only be made in France forthat is where its true heart is. Little was I to know that that is not wherethe story ends, so it continued…

There Is No Reasoning With Orcs!

2012-03-01T19:32:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... confront an Orc and lost for I use reason.

Taken in outer Shanghai of the Orc guarding the door.

I havepowerful fists to smash faces in

Brute strengthto break your limbs

Metal chestto prepare for war

I’ll bethe last to fall!

You ain’tpassing thru!

I don’t hearyour reasons

Thinkingis treason

Tearswon’t do any good

But somegold would.

Onlygold will get you thru!

_______

Is there a noble way to die?

- Warcraft 3 Orc Ending.

If You Don’t Know Me By Now.

2012-02-28T19:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... meet a girl who looks like me.

Taken in the Flower Festival of Kai Feng, China.

This girlis a lot like me. I’m not saying she looks anything like me. For she does not. Forone thing, I’m male and she definitely is not. And I’ll never be able tobalance myself in that high heel boot that rise up to her knee. And the thighsthat held her up are smoother, silkier and fairer than my muscular trunks thatare more practical than pretty. But mine serves me better in time of danger thoughI cannot remember when was the last I used them for that. Anyway…

Despite herauburn hair that falls below her shoulder, despite her arched eyebrow thinnerthan a brush stroke, despite her elegant manicured fingers ending in stunningred, despite her slender waist protected by a warrior’s belt (I can’t picturemyself wearing that even in war!), despite the fact she is female and I’mdefinitely not!, I still maintained she is a lot like me. It is the way shestands.

Oh, don’tget me wrong. I can never strike as sexy a pose whatever I do, legs together orlegs apart. Maybe I should explain myself better. Take another look at thepicture. More carefully this time. Take in the details. Notice where she isfacing. What she is doing. Where everyone’s else attention are. Do you get thepicture now? That is how she is so similar to me.

Still don’tget it? Like the song said, “if you don’t know me by now, you’ll never never everwill”. And by the way, that is perfectly okay too. After all, I’m the odd guyout.

_______

All the things that we've been through
You should understand me like I understand you
Now girl I know the difference between right and wrong
I ain't gonna do nothing to break up our happy home

If you don't know me by now
You will never never never know me
- Seal

Never Trust A Monkey.

2012-02-26T19:00:00.000+08:00

I've has just enough time to... be cautious of a monkey.

Taken in the Monkey Forest in Ubud, Bali where monkeys dictates.

In theMonkey Forest in Ubud, Bali; monkeys are everywhere. And even where you do notsee them, sneaking up on you. They fear no man nor beast for after all, theyare the descendant of God. But godly creatures they are not. They have beenaway from their god Hanuman for too long and been near to man for longer still.They lost their noble ways and gain the wiles of human and that is not pretty.They traded their innocence for the intelligence of man not knowing that thesoul was part of the bargain. So the monkeys there are there now are more manthan beast and that is sad. So sad.

For now,they don’t warn you when you’re down in beautiful Bali “Never trust a man.”They warn you “Never trust a monkey.” And it is all man’s fault. For it was nota monkey’s nature to covet and steal till they saw it in the intelligence ofman stealing from their neighbours.

Never trust a monkey!

And Never We Ants Shall Meet (Not)!

2012-02-24T19:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... study ants.

Taken in an Art Exhibition on Ants in Jenjarom, Malaysia.

Will wemeet and

If weshould meet

Asfriends or foes?

Will wefind

Shouldwe meet

Wonders orbias?

Will wefight and

If weshould fight

Knowwhat we are fighting for?

Maybe itis better not to meet

And livein our own little state

For weare not ready

For thewonders that is the world.

_______

And now my friends, let us watch the video together and sing along. It is easy and I know you can do it. After all, it is just about ants, how difficult can that get?

Bang A Drum For My Country

2012-02-22T19:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... bang a drum for my country.

Taken in a shopping complex in KL where the audience are mesmerized by the banging of drums.

My voiceis stifled

But myheart bleeds

It bangsloudly

But theair is stilled

Itcarries nothing

Of how wefeel…

So Ibang on a drum!

I bangit loud to take my shout

I bangit soft to mourn our grief

I bangit slow to gather our pride

I bangit quick to hasten the pace

And thesound carries the roof

To thecity below

And thecitizens look up

And stamptheir feet

And theuproar rose through the land

“Equalityfor all in our motherland!”

_______

I called upon my brother

Just the other day
He said, "John I'm gonna
Die if I don't start to live again"

I work each day and night like clockwork
Just tryin' to make ends meet
I could kick this bad world's ass
If I could just get on my feet

I'd bang a drum for the dyin'
Bang a drum for the truth
Bang a drum for the innocence
Lost in our youth

Bang a drum, bang it loudly
Or as soft as you need
Bang a drum for you brother
And a drum for me

- Bov Jovi

There Are No Steps In Dancing.

2012-02-20T19:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... dance without steps.

Taken in a school concert where I enjoyed the confused mice having fun.

Grace isnot everything

Harmonydoesn’t count,

For much

Not whenyou’re having fun!

Spontaneityis the rule

Unbridledjoy needs no collar

Bolt anyway you want, as long

As youare, having fun.

Enjoythe innocence while it lasts

When allis fresh

Worry notabout the steps

Justhave fun!

A Spider Above My Head.

2012-02-18T21:35:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... shoot the spider above my head.

Taken during an early morning hike up Ampang Hill, Selangor, Malaysia.

I saw a spider on a web

Hanging high above my head

Looking at me with a hundred eyes

Does it think I’m a fly?

It spreads out its eight long legs

Readied itself for the perfect catch

Doesn’t it realize?

Its downfall is its appetite.

_______

Look, he's crawling up my wall

Black and hairy, very small

Now he's up above my head

Hanging by a little thread

Boris the spider

- The Who

Everyone’s Free (to Wear Sunglasses)

2012-02-16T19:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... wear sunscreen and sunglasses :D

Taken in the morning market of Kota Kinabalu just before the sun is high on the sky.

Trust me,

Everyone ought to wear sunglasses

Before facing the sun.

Sunscreen may cover more

But if you protect your sight

It will be quite alright.

When the world is too bright

It will let in just the correct light.

But remember to take it off

When it is approaching night.

For when all around you is getting dark

It is best to trust your own sight.

(Inspired by Mary Schmich - Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)

_______

This humorous, witty and charming "commencement speech" by Mary Schmich will be what I would have loved to hear if I am among the graduating class. But no, the one we heard was dried like sand, rough like sandpaper and probably palatable only to chickens in a coop. So enjoy this imaginary speech that is full of great advice including scientific one like wearing sunscreen (ha ha love that! what an opening!) and I even throw in the song by Baz Lurmann for you to enjoy!

We Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston.

2012-02-13T22:28:00.000+08:00

I've have had just enough time to... sadly see the passing of a Superstar.

Taken of this morning's sad headline - we will miss you.

In the night sky

Some stars shine brighter than others

But you shone, the brightest of all.

In the vast distance between us

In the deep silence, all I hear –

Are the songs you sang…

_______

I hope life treats you kind
And I hope you have all you've dreamed of.
And I wish to you, joy and happiness.
But above all this, I wish you love.
And I will always love you.
I will always love you.

- Whitney Houston

The Cheerful Boatman of West Lake.

2012-02-12T20:00:00.000+08:00

I've has just enough time to... take a boat ride on West Lake.

Taken of my cheerful boatman of West Lake

It was my fortune to hire this cheerful boatman to take me on a tour of the romantic West Lake. She effortlessly pushed the heavy oar and gently swayed with the rocking of the boat wearing a perpetual smile on her face. And in a sing-song voice, she narrated the romance of The Scholar and The White Snake.

One of the lovely view of the lake.

Through her words, I imagined the scholar walking under the weeping willow meeting Lady White Snake and falling in love with her. How the strict monk seeking to uphold the Law of Heaven forbade the union of man and spirit and drove them apart. And when he could not severe their love for each other, imprisoned her under the Pagoda for eternity. A tragic but beautiful love story. So if you go to the West Lake of Hangzhou, hired one of the boatman for this is the best way to view the lake and hopefully, you will get a boatman as pretty and as cheerful as the boatman who showed me West Lake.

_______

This animation film by Yun Tin Ruan, a famous comic artist in China give a slightly different take. It tells of White Snake practising for 1000 years to be a perfect woman. She falls in love with a man by Hangzhou's West Lake but the man's distrust eventually kills their love. The tale is used as a metaphor for the relationship between man and woman in a male dominated society. Watch it - the animation is fantastic!

Love Is A Universal Language

2012-02-10T19:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... pass another Valentine.

Taken one night wandering around in Shanghai

Love is universal language

Needs no translation, for it is

Spoken with a smile, a touch,

And a hug

It travels the seven seas

Crosses the highest hill

To return to roost

Before a warm fire

And a blanket shared.

_______

Love, it's a special day

We should celebrate and appreciate

That you and me found something pretty neat
And I know some say this day is arbitrary
But it's a good excuse, put our love to use

Valentine – Kina Grannis

A Bowl of Hot Noodles In Chilly Weather.

2012-02-08T20:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... enjoy a bowl of hot noodles in cold winter.

Taken just seconds before I dug into this hot bowl of noodles on a cold Shanghai noon.

Days of summer or

Winter chill, all I need is

Steaming hot noodles

On a cold winter noon in Shanghai, we werein-between meetings. There is too short a time for a proper meal but too hungryto forgo it. We spied an eatery that serves fast food – Chinese style that is.And there is nothing better than a steaming hot bowl of noodles on a coldwinter day.

I ordered a bowl of “Lion Head Noodles”. TheLion Head refers to that single large chunk of minced meat that took pride ofplace in the soup. It is said that if the Lion Head is really good, it willstick to the wall if you flung at it. I was too hungry to give that a try andlet my mouth did the evaluation. This beats a burger any time.

A Shy Guy That Fly

2012-02-06T20:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... coach a shy guy to fly

Taken in my early morning hike up Ampang hill when I have to look hard to catch this shy guy.

I may bea shy guy

But notone that sit idly as

Theworld passes by

It isjust not my style

To dothe shouting

But the observing

From adistance

For itis difficult to see

Whenyour mouth is spouting

You maythink I’m a shy guy

That Iam -

But notbecause

I cannotfly

_______

But I don't want somebody

Who's loving everybody
I need a shy guy he's the kinda guy
Who'll only be mine

- Diana King

How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?

2012-02-04T20:30:00.001+08:00

I've had just enough time to... try to mend a broken heart?

Taken of the sculpture in Bali that has a king size headache

I have a headache

That splits my head

And cuts my eye.

The doctor says “nocure”

That split in yourhead

Comes from that crackin your heart.

And no modern medicine

Can mend a brokenheart

Since Humpty Dumptyhad that great fall.

_______

And how can you mend a broken heart?
How can you stop the rain from falling down?
How can you stop the sun from shining?
What makes the world go round?
How can you mend a this broken man?
How can a loser ever win?
Please help me mend my broken heart and let me live again

Bee Gees - How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?

Live Like Horses.

2012-02-02T20:30:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... live like horses, sometime.

The first thing I saw outside my window one early morning in Anyang, China is this lovely bronze horse.

Outsidemy window

Nighthas taken over

It istime to leave.

The uncompleted words

Are piled in a heap

For another tomorrow.

I locked the door

To an empty office

The last to leave.

The street light

Threw my long shadow

To the car waiting for my exit.

I sigh and I wonder

When can I live like horses -
Free.

_______

Someday we'll live like horses
Free rein from your old iron fences
There's more ways than one to regain your senses
Break out the stalls and we'll live like horses

- Elton John & Luciano Pavarotti

An Island of My Own.

2012-01-31T20:30:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... wish to retire to an island of my own.

Taken of a private island not my own in Tanah Merah Lake, Perak, Malaysia.

Outthere I know

Anisland waits patiently,

For meto come home.

Each day

Squeezingthrough the crowd,

I am anisland of my own.

Theclock ticks

And witheach impatient minute,

I heardmy island calling me home.

_______

No man is an island,

No man stands alone,

Each man's joy is joy to me,

Each man's grief is my own.

We need one another,

So I will defend,

Each man as my brother,

Each man as my friend.

- John Donne

Know A Country By Its Arts.

2012-01-29T20:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... witness the change in the Chinese Art Scene.

Taken by surprise in the Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

Contrastthe previous painting (in the last post) done during the Mao Tze Dong era withthis very large painting that I found in the arrival section of Shanghai PudongInternational Airport. I have been in and out of China since the early 80s andwhat a change I had seen. From padi fields to high rise in a blink of an eye.From an universal grey to the latest French fashion. From a third world to oneof the largest economy in the world. The speed and scale were mind-boggling.

Still itsurprised me when I saw this painting in clear view just prior to the arrivalhall. They will allow this suggestive painting in the airport? My friends fromthe West may think nothing of it. But most Asians are still conservative whenit comes to nudity and suggestive portrayal in Arts. They have no problem ifsuch paintings are displayed in studios and museums but have strong reservationwhen they are shown in public places in full views of children and theirgrandparents. And what can be more public than an airport?

China hascome a long way in the last twenty years. How far? This tale of two paintingsshow the quantum leap.

Reflection of A Red Guard.

2012-01-27T20:30:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... ponder what a revolutionist could be thinking.

Taken in my favourite teashop in China where reflection is encouraged.

I reflect

On things I have done

Of things done to me

Of how I feel

When it happened to me.

Of how they feel

When it happened to them.

_______

Red Guard Song

Clear Water Too Clear to Drink.

2012-01-25T20:30:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... take a drink from cool, clear water.

Taken in Bali where this beautiful clear water are too beautiful to drink.

Theclear water was inviting

Promiseto refresh,

Invigorating.

It istempting

But tooclear to drink

Tooclear to drink.

_______

All day I've faced a barren waste

Without the taste of water, cool water

Old Dan and I with throats burnt dry

And souls that cry for water

Cool, clear, water

Dan, can ya see that big, green tree?

Where the water's runnin' free

And it's waitin' there for me and you?

It's water, cool, clear, water

Cool, clear, water

Frankie Laine – “Cool Water”

Myanmar Is Changing!

2012-01-23T21:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... see the beginning of Myanmar's transformation.

Taken in a Chinese shop in Yangon's Chinatown, Myanmar.

I found myself in the Chinatown of Yangon, Myanmar recently. While my colleagues were buying casual nuts, I took this shot from inside the shop, through hanging lanterns at the street outside. Chinese New Year was just round the corner. Though this is my first trip to Yangon, I could feel the change in the air. Myanmar is changing and it will never be the same again.

This is the watershed year for the country. After decades of being trapped in its own time zone, Myanmar is finally opening up to the rest of the world. Democracy will follow soon. Business men already smelling profits are descending into the capital by the plane load.

With the change, more freedom and progress will follow. But not all will be good. Some will find it hard to adjust to the change. The oppressors of the country will probably be the greatest beneficiaries. It must be hard for Aung San Suu kyi. Going after the perpetrator will plunged the country into a crisis, compromising for the sake of the people will let them get away scot free. Because she cared more for the living than the dead, she has only one option really. So the past must be buried for the future to have a chance. But the injustice of it all is quite difficult to swallow. The alternative is worse.

If you can, visit Myanmar now. In ten years, it will change beyond recognition. Though it is all for progress and a brighter future, it is still kind of sad to see some old ways of Life changed and the country losing some of its charm and unique personality. Happy New Year Myanmar. May this be a happy new beginning for you.

How Deep Is Your Love?

2012-01-21T21:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... witness a love in bold.

Taken in a marriage registry just before an exchanging of vows.

How deep is your love?

Will you wear it for all to see

Or keep it deep within

Only one to reveal?

_______

I know your eyes in the morning sun

I feel you touch me in the pouring rain

And the moment that you wander far from me

I wanna feel you in my arms again

And you come to me on a summer breeze

Keep me warm in your love

Then you softly leave

And it's me you need to show

How deep is your love?

How deep is your love

I really need to learn

'Cause we're living in a world of fools

Breakin’ us down

When they all should let us be

We belong to you and me

The Bee Gees - "How Deep Is Your Love?"

Its Beauty Speaks For Itself.

2012-01-19T21:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... appreciates the beauty of my orchids.

Taken of the orchids in my garden.

There is never any need to praise the beauty of an orchid,

Its beauty speaks for itself,

Silently and elegantly.

My Red Wheelbarrow Is Blue.

2012-01-17T21:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... push a loaded wheelbarrow.

While on a factory tour in Kunshan, China; I spied a blue wheelbarrow that spoke to me.

“So much depends

On the red wheelbarrow

But I am blue

Has that make all the difference?”

_______

The Red Wheelbarrow

so much depends

upon

a red wheel

barrow

glazed with rain

water

beside the white

chickens.

William Carlos Williams

One Careful Step After Another.

2012-01-15T21:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... take one careful step after another.

Taken while perfectly still of the cautious stock who is looking warily at me in Bali.

Step carefully,
There may be a mine under.
Look carefully,
There are dangers around.
But what is more dangerous
Is to stay rooted to the ground.

Be careful where you step
But step right ahead
Even if there are mines around.

_______

A career is made and lost,
in sorting out the devastation
What you get you've got,
the rest can be imagination
And what you lose you've lost,
here comes the instant separation
Careful where you step
There may be a mine under there

Saga - Careful Where You Step.

Footprints In The Snow.

2012-01-13T21:30:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... leave my footprints on snow.

Taken in Seoul, Korea on a snowy morning.

I would like to leave my footprints on the snow

Where there were none before
And leave a path
Where none can be seen
In the early morning
After a heavy snow fall.

Maybe, it makes me a daring explorer
Or a seeker of truth
A sad lover or a lonely traveler
A writer searching for his muse or
A man searching for himself
Or just a lost soul in the wood.

But then I wonder
Is the snow calling for
The boy in me or the man to me
And will my steps
Be heavy or light
On that blanket of snow?

_______

Some folks like the summertime when they can walk about

Strolling through the meadow green it's fun there's no doubt
But give me the wintertime when snow falls all around
For i found her when the snow was on the ground

The Invasion of the Angry Birds.

2012-01-11T21:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... eat a few angry birds.

Taken of the advance force of angry birds that I found in Bidor, Malaysia. They were eaten by me.

Once in awhile, we will have an invasion by an alien force that swarm through all ourdefenses. We were fooled by their disguise, their cuteness and let our guardsdown. Before we know it, they are everywhere – in the bags we carried, theclothes that we wore, dangling from key chains, hanging from ceilings, there isno stopping them.

First, theystole our children’s heart, then their grannies’ pockets. They decimated ouradult’s time and ate at their mind till they yelped at high scores and mournedwhen they could not bring a building down. They made them into zombies thatcould only move their fingers to pull at illusionary catapult to send angrybirds flying. And crashing. And the monkeys have the last laugh.

I belong tothe special force that tried to stem this invasion. I found some angry birdstaking hold in a small town called Bidor in Malaysia that is famed for theirherbal duck soup. Their evilscheme here was to take over the gastronomy delight of this small town and Iwas sent to disrupt their plan of conquest. So I did my part to reduce thepopulation of angry birds there by eating them! But there are just too many. Itried my best and live to talk about it. I don’t know about you but I find angrybirds rather yummy.

The World's Happiest Weather Vane.

2012-01-09T21:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... catch the breeze with the weather vane.

Taken of a building among the padi fields in Ubud, Bali.

In thedistance on top of a buiding among padi fields, I spied a weather vane made offlimsy wood, rusty metal and the dried branch of a coconut tree. It was thehappiest wind vane I have ever seen. It caught the slightest breeze and waltzedalong with it. When the wind leave, it let it go free and waited for anotherbreeze.

And thehappy couple on the wind vane did a celebratory dance every time the wind camea-calling with such joyous movement that I swore there are spirits in thefigurines. Or my eyes deceived me.

“What is ityou’re looking?”, they asked.

“Oh,nothing. Just the wind dancing free.”

“Tagai” No Fishing! Just Fish Massage.

2012-01-07T21:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... enjoy a fish massage.

Taken in the Moroli river in Kampung Luanti, Ranau in Sabah, East Malaysia.

About threehours away from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah; is a small village called Kampung Luantiin the district of Ranau. The local Dusun community imposed a “tagai” meaning “nofishing” along this stretch of the crystal clear Moroli river. Instead, theytrained the “Ikan Pelian” (Malaysian Mahseer) to give you a massage you willnever forget.

The minuteI cautiously stepped into the water, the fishes swarmed round me nibbling atany dead skin. Except for a sharp nibble now and then, it is painless and youquickly get used to it and even liked the sensation.

“Go on, getinto the deep end. Submerge your whole body in but watch out for your exposednipple!” I knew my friend was joking but I kept my hands closely to my chestuntil the rubbing of slippery scales against my skin relaxed me and made me forgotI was ever in any danger, exposed nipple or not. Having dozens of fishesdeliberately rubbing against you is an unforgettable experience.

I boughtsome fish pallets, cupped it in my hands and have the fish sucked right out ofit. In the cool water with all the fishes slipping in and around my body, Icould close my eyes and imagined I was in another world of peaceful coexistence.So if you are on your way to climb Mount Kinabalu or to visit the national park, do not forgetto drop into Kampung Luanti for a sensational fish massage.

All The Lights In The Windows.

2012-01-05T21:02:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time. to add one more light to the windows.

The lights in the windows in the City of Kunshan, China.

To allthe lights in the windows,

In thedark, you are all I see.

And ifyou look back,

You willsee me.

Lightsin the windows,

In thedark, that is all we see.

Planting Rice Is Never Fun.

2012-01-03T19:56:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time... to see rice been planted.

Taken in a kampung in Cilegon, Java, Indonesia.

This fieldof ripening padi that I took in my visit to Cilegon in Jakarta is no more. Ithas been bulldozed over and converted to another factory. All in the name ofprogress.

It is easyfor me to say this is bad. That the old way of Life should be preserved. But Iknow how difficult it is to walk in deep mud. And how back-breaking it isplanting padi under the scorching tropical sun. And I remembered that nurseryrhyme that I sang as a boy –

“Plantingrice is never fun,

Bendfrom morn to set of sun.

Cannotstand and cannot sit,

Cannotrest a little bit.”

And Ihesitated and reserved any hasty judgement. And I find the only thing I cancondemn outright is – “poverty is bad”. Progress? It has two faces. But I suremiss the undulating field of ripening padi dancing to the wind.

Those Were The Days, My Friends.

2012-01-01T22:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time... to drink to those good old days.

Taken in one of the cities in China that I could not remember after too many drinks.

Thosewere the days

When wetoasted our dreams

With the crash of glasses.

Under the illumination of the streetlights,

We sangour pleasures

To themoonlight.

Thosewere the days

Whentomorrow is always another day

Of afuture that is too far away.

But thefuture is here today

And thebeer taste no less bitter

Than those“good old days”.

_______

Once upon a time there was a tavern

Where we used to raise a glass or two

Remember how we laughed away the hours

And think of all the great things we would DO

Those were the days, my friend

We thought they'd never end

We'd sing and dance forever and a day

We'd live the life we choose

We'd fight and never lose

For we were young and sure to have our way

La la la la la la

Mary Hopkin - Those Were The Days, My Friend

The Rest (From Both Sides Now) - Part II.

2011-12-30T22:36:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... look at things from both sides now.

Taken in the same small street in Jakarta.

"Look at the man. How lazy. Papa told me many men are like that.Never do well because no put in effort. Sleeping all the time. Not working.Lazy. Always poor."

"Oh, car horn. Calling. Must go. When I grow up. Papa saiddon’t be like that."

(please read part I)

_______

Tears and fears and feeling proud to say "i loveyou" right out loud,
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds, i've looked at life that way.
But now old friends are acting strange,
they shake their heads, they say I've changed.
Something's lost but something's gained in living every day.

I've looked at life from both sides now,

From win and lose, and still somehow
It's life's illusions i recall.
I really don't know life at all.

Joni Mitchell - Both Sides Now

The Rest (from Both Sides Now) – Part I

2011-12-28T22:20:00.000+08:00

I've have had just enough time to... see a body at rest and not wonder why.

Taken in one of the small street in Jakarta.

It has been a long day. Sixteen hours and my whole body isaching. I have not had a bath and have not seen my family but the extra moneywill come in handy. Boy will start his schooling soon. And Indah should see adoctor for her cough.

No point going home now. Will just rest here for while andstart another shift. Just a short rest. Man, I am weary…

(Watch out for the conclusion Part II)

The Light At The End of The Tunnel

2011-12-26T20:00:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... see the light at the end of the tunnel.

After a long time in the dark, I saw the light at the end of the tunnel (Ipoh, Malaysia)

I sawlight at the end of the tunnel.

I sawwhite clouds and blue sky.

I havebeen in the dark for too long

And myeyes need to adjust to the light.

But Iknow where I’m heading to

And whatI’m leaving behind

As Iwalked towards the light

At theend of the tunnel…

Forever Young.

2011-12-24T22:59:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... yearn to be forever young.

Taken in Malacca - just the words I was looking for.

On the shortest day of the year,

When they said you added one,

I chewed on glutinuous balls

and wish that I was forever young.

_____

Let's dance in style Let's dance for a while

Heaven can wait we're only watching the skies

Hoping for the best but expecting the worst

Are you gonna drop the bomb or not?

Let us die young or let us live forever

We don't have the power but we never say never

Sitting in a sandpit Life is a short trip

The music's for the sad man

Forever young

I wanna be Forever young

Do you really want to live forever,

forever, and ever

Forever young

I wanna be Forever young

Do you really want to live forever,

forever, forever young

"Young Forever" Jay-Z | Mr. Hudson

A Santarina Grants Me A Wish.

2011-12-22T22:04:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... extract a wish from the Santarina.

Taken of the Santarina who is waiting to grant the wishes of her patrons.

On a day when I make wishes out of thin air,

A Santarina popped up in front of me,

Rubbing my eyes to see if there is a mistake,

For there she was in red, white, and flesh.

Hopping forward like a mischievous imp,

I plonked in front of her with a moonlike grin,

She had the Old Man’s eyes and her laugh was is a littleodd

But I dismissed that for I am bought.

I rattled out my wishes longer than an airplane’s trail,

She noted it all down with a sip of ale.

And when I finally ran out of fuel, she remarked with amerry jingle

“What an impressive list,” and gave me a naughty twinkle.

That was myhappiest moment, superseded bythe next,

When shecoolly asked, “credit or cash?”

For Irealized I had not departed for the North Pole

And thefloor was still beneath my sole.

I gaveher a smile and she smiled back.

Withouta word, I turned and walked away.

She shoutedafter me “Merry Christmas!”

Withoutturning, I said “Merry Christmas to you too!”

And thepeople around me wondered who I was wishing to.

Beauty In Ordinary Places.

2011-12-20T16:59:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... look for Beauty in ordinary places.

Taken as I casually pass by a drain in the built-up city of Kunshan, China.

You canfind Beauty in many places if you look for it. There is some Beauty that youcannot ignore, like the crimson glow of a setting sun or the moon’s radiance ona dark night. But there are other Beauties that you have to train your eyes for.

Butfirst you must look. Not just at the steps in front of you or the ones you leftbehind. Or the destination you are hurrying to. Look around you casually, beaware of your surroundings, absorb the environment, feel the air, take in the atmosphere,listen to the sounds of life and as if by magic, things hidden graduallyappear. At first tentatively, then bursting forth in their full glory.

Beautiesreveal themselves to those for look for them. Like this wild flower by a ditch didin the fading light of the city of Kunshan which I just happened to pass by. Tothe hundreds of passer-bys, it reveals itself to me because I was looking forit. I may not know what I was looking for but I will recognize it when I seeit.

Charity Is For The Needy.

2011-12-18T19:30:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... to do a little charity.

Taken of the broad back of a World Vision Volunteer in Lebanon.

Ibelieve -

“Themost important virtue of any religion is compassion,

Without whichthere is no reason for any religion.”

I alsobelieve that charity is for the needy irrespective of race, nationality,religion, age, gender or any other artificial classification that defines anddivides what a human being is. I like to see charity in action – not just inprayers and the building of temples but the building of hospitals and a helpinghand in the dire hours of needs.

I liketo form an emotional attachment so that I feel when I give. If I don’t feelsadness and joy in equal measure, there is something wrong with me. I like tosee wounds being bandaged, hunger being satisfied, tears being wiped, spirits beinglifted. In short, I like to see the effect of kindness more than sympathy perse. So I choose my charity carefully with the same principle which transcends beliefs,borders, organizations or religions. This is my belief and I try to live up toit.

We Humbly Bow to Thee.

2011-12-16T21:44:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... humbly bow to thee.

Tzu Chi volunteers humbly bow to thee.

Onbehalf of the poor and unfortunates, we bow to thee.

For allyour care and compassion, we bow to thee.

For the fateof humanity, we bow to thee.

For yourlove and tenderness, we bow to thee.

Formother and child, husband and wife, we bow to thee.

For yourprecious time and effort, we bow to thee.

For brothersand sisters, for friends and strangers, we bow to thee.

For yourspirit and empathy, we bow to thee.

For aworld in harmony, for love and happiness,

For acaring heart, for supporting hands,

For you,and also for me,

Wehumbly humbly bow to thee.

Some Hills You'll Never Climb.

2011-12-14T20:33:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... realize there are some hills I'll never climb.

At the foothill of Mount Kota Kinabalu, a hill that has eluded me time and again.

Thereare some hills you’ll never climb,

Nomatter how close you get to it.

And you’releft wondering “what if?”

It isalright to pause and wonder for a while

And gazelongingly before you move on.

But moveon, you should.

For somehills are never meant

To beclimbed – By you.

Youwonder if you should persist,

To climbthe hill you miss,

Riskingit all and make victory more the sweet.

Or try someother hills and discover them new.

But youcan never know for sure

Which iswhich?

But thefact remains, there are more hills

Than youcan climb.

And youhave to decide,

Which toclimb and

Which tomiss.

When The World Is A Lonely Place.

2011-12-12T08:47:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... test my courage.

Taken on the top of Maxwell hill, Perak, Malaysia.

Whenyour world is shrouded in mist

And youcould not see further than the nearest tree

When itcome closing in

And youcould not reach for a helping hand

When youare utterly alone

And theworld seems such a dreadful place

You willlearn what courage is.

Morning Has Broken.

2011-12-10T21:58:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... view another beautiful sunrise.

Taken one fine morning from the hotel window in Klang, Malaysia.

On a morning like this, one just feel like bursting out singing.

_______

Morning Has Broken - Cat Stevens

Morning has broken, like the first morning

Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird

Praise for the singing, praise for the morning

Praise for the springing fresh from the word

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven

Like the first dewfall, on the first grass

Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden

Sprung in completeness where his feet pass

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning

Born of the one light, Eden saw play

Praise with elation, praise every morning

God's recreation of the new day

Waiting Is Forever.

2011-12-08T20:07:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time... to quit waiting.

Taken while waiting in Bali.

What Are You Waiting - Natalie Grant

So you wanna change the world

What are you waiting for?

Say, you're gonna start right now

What are you waiting for?

Now, it only takes one voice

So come on now and shout it out

Give a little more

What are you waiting for?

_______

So you wanna change the world

What are you waiting for?

“I’m not through dreaming.”

So you wanna change the world

What are you waiting for?

“I’ve a plan.”

So you wanna change the world

What are you waiting for?

“I’m just one small voice,

There is little I can do.”

And thus another voice silenced.

Before The Red Gate.

2011-12-06T11:40:00.000+08:00

I've have had just enough time to... pause at The Red Gate.

Taken of myself by myself wearing a T-shirt bought from Bangkok.

Before theRed Gate,

Only onechoice to be made.

Enter or escape.

All Kinds of Everything.

2011-12-04T20:50:00.000+08:00

I've have had just enough time to... think of all kinds of everything.

I stumbled upon this shop selling all kinds of everything in Malacca.

Istumbled upon a shop

Thatsells everything

Exceptwhat I need.

But whata shop!

For ithas everything

I do notneed.

Yet Icould not leave.

It hasall kinds of everything,

- Allkinds of everything,

Exceptwhat I need

But Icould not leave.

_______

All kinds of everything - Dana

Snowdrops and daffodils, butterflies and bees

Sailboats and fishermen, things of the sea

Wishing wells, wedding bells, early morning dew

All kinds of everything remind me of you

Seagulls and aeroplanes, things of the sky

Winds that go howling, breezes that sigh

City sights, neon lights, grey skies or blue

All kinds of everything remind me of you

Summertime, wintertime

Spring and autumn too

Monday, Tuesday, every day

I think of you

The Sorrow of the Lonely Urn.

2011-12-02T20:28:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... appreciate Beauty while it last.

Taken in the Gunung Lang resort, Perak, Malaysia.

In the shadow,

The urn tells a timeless tale

In soft whispers.

To the attentive grass and

The slow climbing vines.

“Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty”

It sadly said,

“But Beauty fades and Life goes on”

"Nothing last forever,

The truth of beauty is -

When it exists."

_______

Ode on a Grecian Urn - John Keats

Thou still unravish'd bride of quietness!

Thou foster-child of silence and slow time

Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard

Are sweeter; therefore, ye soft pipes, play on;

Not to the sensual ear, but, more endear'd,

Pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone

When old age shall this generation waste,

Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe

Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou sayst,

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty," – that is all

Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

The Small Boy And His Boat.

2011-11-30T08:14:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... see the small boy again.

Taken off the coast of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

I saw the small boy in his boat struggling with the oartwice his height. He is too short to sit and paddle, so he sat right at the edge.Leaning precariously backward for leverage, he used his entire frame to pushthe oar against the water. He has not yet mastered the finesse of paddling. Hisawkward movements rocked the boat as he forced it forward.

There was no one to help him. No one to guide him. It was justhim alone and the wide water. I witnessed his struggle. I saw courage. I sawheart. I saw determination. I saw him learning with every stroke.

As I walked away, the image of the small boy in the wide waterfloated in my head. It reminded me of another small boy a long, long time ago.

The Pebbles That I Threw.

2011-11-28T23:35:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... throw away pebbles, one after another.

Taken in Johore, Malaysia when looking for pebbles to throw.

Pebbles and marbles like things onmy mind

Seem to get lost and harder to find

When I am alone I am inclined
If I find a pebble in sand
To think that it fell from my hand

Pebbles and marbles like words from a friend
Make us hold tight but are lost in the end
When we're alone we all seem to tend
If we find a marble in dust
To wish someone left it for us

- Phish

_______

Thoughts like scattered pebbles weighed on my mind.

Crowded my heart, hardened my gut.

My feet are heavy, my stomach carrying stones.

My head is heavy, pressing down a rock.

Only the sea can take the pebbles

That I flung

One by one,

Into the distant -

Depth.

The Owl In The Corner.

2011-11-26T23:10:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... get out of the corner.

Taken of the owl brought back from Nepal that I cornered in the corner.

There Was An Owl

There was an owl

who lived in an oak.

The more he heard,

the less he spoke;

the less he spoke,

the more he heard-

Why can't we be

like that wise old bird?

_______

Therewas an owl

Who satin the corner.

The morehe sat

The lesshe moved

The morehe sat

Till hewas cornered in the corner

And thatis kind of sad.

Swinging Birches.

2011-11-24T23:06:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... wish I'm again swinging birches.

Caught the monkey swinging in the Taiping park and wished I was the one swinging.

I stopped to watch the monkey swinging on the branch.

It seemedso much fun that I wish I was the one swinging

And the monkey was me.

_______

"Birches" (1916) - Robert Frost

I should prefer to have some boy bend them

As he went out and in to fetch the cows--

Some boy too far from town to learn baseball,
Whose only play was what he found himself,
Summer or winter, and could play alone.
One by one he subdued his father's trees
By riding them down over and over again
Until he took the stiffness out of them,
And not one but hung limp, not one was left
For him to conquer. He learned all there was
To learn about not launching out too soon
And so not carrying the tree away
Clear to the ground. He always kept his poise
To the top branches, climbing carefully
With the same pains you use to fill a cup
Up to the brim, and even above the brim.
Then he flung outward, feet first, with a swish,
Kicking his way down through the air to the ground.
So was I once myself a swinger of birches.
And so I dream of going back to be.
It's when I'm weary of considerations,
And life is too much like a pathless wood
Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs
Broken across it, and one eye is weeping
From a twig's having lashed across it open.
I'd like to get away from earth awhile
And then come back to it and begin over.
May no fate willfully misunderstand me
And half grant what I wish and snatch me away
Not to return. Earth's the right place for love:
I don't know where it's likely to go better.
I'd like to go by climbing a birch tree,
And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk
Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more,
But dipped its top and set me down again.
That would be good both going and coming back.
One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.

The Hawker's Answer to a Silly Question.

2011-11-22T22:30:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... check a hawker's wares.

Taken in a busy street in Ho Chi Minh City.

What is a hawker’s thought

When she is not selling her wares?

When she is free to think,

What is her dream?

I asked what makes her happy

She says I can buy it for a dollar.

And when I gave her the money

All she gave me was a ripe mango.

_______

Vocation - RabindranathTagore

When the gong sounds ten in the morning and I walk toschool by our lane,

Every day I meet the hawker crying, "Bangles,crystal bangles!"

There is nothing to hurry him on, there is no road hemust take,

no place he must go to, no time when he must come home.

I wish I were a hawker, spending my day in the road,crying,

"Bangles, crystal bangles!"

The Turtle and the Stone.

2011-11-20T18:16:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... hear the turtle's question.

Taken in Gunung Lang, Ipoh.

I carried the heaven on my back

And the earth under my belly

And made them my home.

I lived through the ages with balance,

In passive tolerance,

And harm no living creature.

But for all my wisdom,

I’ve an unanswered question,

The turtle asked the stone –

“Why, and What are you?”.

A Machine that Moves You.

2011-11-18T17:07:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... see a machine that moves me.

Taken in a small street in Jakarta.

To you, itis just a vehicle.

Abattered, broken down machine which had seen better days. Patched back, gluedtogether with whatever one could lay hands on. You even smile at the ingenuity.

Stopsmiling. For this “broken machine” is my life.

It hadserved me faithfully and traveled more miles than that Merz of yours. It putfood on the table for the family. Carried my children in it. Without it, I wasnothing. With it, I have a job; I raised a family. I have a life. It carried methrough streets you will never pass, through life you will never understand.And we share a bond closer than the love you shed tears for in the movie. Idon’t blame you. How could you understand? Your machine moves without youmoving it, so it could never “move” you the way my machine moves me.

I Breathed In the Fog that Obscured my View.

2011-11-16T16:38:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... try to hold in my breath.

Taken one hazy October morning in Dongguan, China.

“The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes

The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes
Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening

Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains

Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys

Slipped by the terrace, made a sudden leap

And seeing that it was a soft October night
Curled once about the house, and fell asleep”

― T.S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock and Other Poems

_______

Lastoctober, I woke up to a hazy morning

Andcould see just beyond to the river

atchimneys poking up through the ground.

Wheretheir tips could not reach,

Dense smoke spew lazily from it

just thickerthan the thick fog.

And thesmoke became the fog

And Ibreathed it in.

For Icould not hold my breath for more than a minute.

This October,I went back.

Thechimneys are still there.

The fogstill as thick.

And Istill could not hold my breath for more than a minute.

When Roots Are Shallow...

2011-11-14T18:41:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to ... grow my roots deeper.

Taken in the foothill of Mount Kinabalu.

When thesoil is rich, the roots are shallow.

And agale can easily topple you over.

When theroots are shallow,

You canonly brace against the wind –

byentwining your roots with those of others.

Under the Rain Tree, I Sang The Ash Grove.

2011-11-12T16:58:00.000+08:00

I've had just enough time to... remember "The Ash Grove".

Taken during a stroll under the rain trees in Taiping park.

The ash grove how graceful, how plainly 'tis speaking

The wind through it playing has language for me.

Whenever the light through its branches is breaking,

A host of kind faces is gazing at me.

The friends from my childhood again are before me

Each step brings a memory as freely I roam.

With soft whispers laden the leaves rustle o'er me

The ash grove, the ash grove alone is my home.

My lips smile no more, my heart loses its lightness;

No dream of the future my spirit can cheer.

I only can brood on the past and its brightness

The dear ones I long for again gather here.

From ev'ry dark nook they press forward to meet me;

I lift up my eyes to the broad leafy dome,

And others are there, looking downward to greet me

The ash grove, the ash grove, again is my home.

Laura Wright - The Ash Grove

_______

Walkingunder the shade of the rain trees, this long forgotten song surfaced and Ihummed to the tune of “The Ash Grove”. Different trees, different countries butthe sentiment is the same. Music transcends borders and connects by “feel”.