The Face of An Artist

I've had just enough time to...   see the budding of a star

Taken outside the Ubud Palace in Ubud, Bali

On a leisurely stroll one morning passing by the Ubud Palace, I spied a group of young boys practicing their craft. To the tempo of imaginary music that only they themselves heard, they stomped and jerked violently. The sequence was not a graceful flow but a series of sudden violent movements and abrupt stops. The expressions on their faces were deadly serious and exaggerated as they played the characters of their act.

But it is more than an act. It is their religion and they are playing the Gods. They are not just performing a dance, they are re-telling the story of creation and they are honoring their Gods in the recreating of the tale. This went deeper than the passion for their craft. It is their faith and they are living it.

I suspect that it will be many years before these boys ever get the chance to perform before an audience. Meanwhile, they trained every day and showed a dedication stronger than any professional athlete. And what drove them is not fame, adulation or monetary rewards. It is their culture, their beliefs and it is beautiful to watch.

But even among them, one particular boy stood out. You will have picked him up just by looking at the photo. His divine expression, the sharpness of his moves and his total immersion into his character is mesmerizing. His talent is undeniable. He is the future star of the play. I hope one day to be able to return to Bali and watched a performance and recognized him there.

The Master

Navigation By Fingers

I've had just enough time to...   navigate by fingers

Taken on the road one dark night along a lonely stretch from Tianjin to Beijing, China

The night is dark

The road unfamiliar

The stars covered by clouds

The only light

From the smartphone

Navigation by fingers

Led us to be found

_______

Loneliness and emptiness

Since I left all behind

Only memories in my mind

Blue lights from the screen

Black universe all around

And I can't hear no sound

Everything is lost

Everything is gone

Everywhere I go

I find myself alone

Endless days passing by

I have fallen too deep

I navigate and dream

Blue lights from the screen

Black universe all around

And I can't hear no sound

"Syrian - Navigation"

Just A Squirrel Looking For A Nut - Part II

I've had just enough time to...   see a squirrel seduced by a plate of nuts.

I was once a free squirrel

Hunting for wild nuts in the forest

But the trees have disappeared

And nuts are hard to find

So I came to this place

Where free nuts are put on a plate

Now I’m no longer wild nor free

Just a tame slave to a plate of free nuts

Slave to free nuts when trees disappeared

Just A Squirrel Looking For A Nut - Part I

I've had just enough time to...   see a squirrel hunting for nuts.

Saw this squirrel looking for nut in Lake Chini, Pahang, Malaysia

This world is a complicated place

For a squirrel  just looking for a nut

Not asking for much

Not asking for much

No need to hoard them in a pile

No need to bury them over the place

Just enough to get it by

When winter comes around

But the forest is gone

In its place concrete spawn

And the nuts that grow on trees

Are no longer to be found

No longer to be found

This world is no place for a forest

This world is no place for a squirrel

This world is no place for a nut

Durian may be the King of Fruits but 24 hours a day?

I've had just enough time to...   enjoy a feast of durians!

Much had been said and written about Durian, the undisputed King of Fruits and arguably the best fruits in the world are to be found in Malaysia with exotic varieties such as “Red Prawn”, “Water Gourd”, “Little Red”, “Green Skin”, “Red Heart”, “Khun Poh” (named after the grower), “Red Flesh”,  and “Red Flower”. As if these are not enough, we have even stranger names such as “Centipede”, “Coupling”, “Pork Fat”, “Bean Curd”, “Tiger Hill” and “Olive”. You have to agree that the naming of fruits is very creative and there are reasons for the names which I will leave it for you to figure it out. By the way most of these are names are translated from the Hokkien dialect which is just the way most of the fruits are named.

There are also the less creative names usually headed by a “D” alphabet which obviously stands for durian. Whereas durian itself comes from the Malay word “duri” meaning “thorns” which ineffectively protects the fruits from our greedy hands. But they do exact their revenge for which of us had not cut our fingers from a careless slip? As far as I know there are D numbers from D11 to D700!

But the most creative name may be “Lin Fong Jiao” named after the beautiful romantic actress of the 70s who won a Golden Horse Awards for her role in “Story of A Small Town” (小城故事) and the wife of Jackie Chan. The taste is said to be reflective of their bitter sweet husband and wife relationship. However, the King of the Kings is claimed by many to be “Raja Kunyit” or “King Tumeric”. This Malay name however got strangely translated into Cantonese as “Mao Sang Wong” or “Mountain King Cat”. The Hokkien however chose a more direct approach and called it “Boh Tang Pii” or “No Comparison”. So a durian by any other name is not THE Durian!

Found this 24 hours durian shop in Medan, Indonesia late one night after dinner.

Malaysians may have justification to claim their durians as “World Best” but even they do not eat them 24/7. That honor goes to the Indonesians. I’ve known of 24 hours clinic and even 24 hours workshop but it is the first time I came across a 24 hours durian shop! I found it not in a small dingy hawker stall but in a brightly lighted 4 double-storey shop lots that caters to durian aficionado round the clock. So if you have difficulty to sleep and fancy durian for supper, get on a bike and head to this durian paradise. But before you rush there, those who had not tasted durian before, beware! It is said to taste like heaven but smell like hell. But of course to us durian connoisseur, it taste like heaven and smell like heaven too! Unless you burp.

What Is A Little Inconvenience Along The Way?

I've had just enough time to...   witness how a little inconvenience is no inconvenience at all!

Taken from my car along a busy street outside Yangon, Myanmar

We are going for a ride

Me and my friends

Going for a ride

Through the noisy street

With our face to the breeze

What is a little dust blown up by the gust?

We are more worried about the rust

What is a little smoke our nostril does choke?

We are more worried the engine will croak

What is a little standing holding to the ceiling?

We are more worried about our shilling

It doesn’t matter how we get there

As long as we get there

What is a little inconvenience along the way?

Buddha By The Wood

I've had just enough time to...   meet Buddha by the wood

Came across this Buddha exploring and strolling around an apartment block in Munich

It is said -

You can find Buddha anywhere

In every person that you meet

In the calm of every storm

In the silence of every noise

In the depth of every night

In the beauty of every sunrise

Still I was surprised –

When I found Buddha on a walk

In a distant land

By a pile of cut wood

Sitting there, serenely

Where he belongs

Pussy Riot, Remember Us In Your Revolution

I've had just enough time to...   say a few calm words to Pussy Riot

 Noticed while taking a slow walk in the suburb of Munich

Dear Pussy Riot,

We respect your rights to speak

Will you respect our rights to preach?

We respect your freedom to think

Do you respect our freedom to be

Different as you are different?

In fighting for your rights

Do you step on our rights

Or does that not matter?

There are those that speak with gentle voices

Dream of a peaceful world

And toils to make it better

Believes anarchy is not the reason

Believes you should go free

Remember them in your revolution

Why Stand On One Foot When You Can Stand On Two?

I've had just enough time to...   stand on one foot

 Taken of the Kung Fu duck standing on one leg on the rock in the garden of a restaurant in Hanoi

Why stand on one foot when you have two?

Close your eyes and learn from the blind

Stand on one like the flamingos do

And if you do not know why

Know at least how it feels like

Five seconds and counting

You cannot keep still

And if you only have ten seconds

To learn all you can standing on one foot

This is it –

“Do not do unto others what is hateful to you”

And if you need to learn economics standing on one foot, this is it :D -