"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?
Showing posts with label Farewell to My Concubine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Farewell to My Concubine. Show all posts

Saturday, 10 August 2013

The Liebster Blog Award: 11 Answers for 11 Questions – Part II


I've had just enough time to...   answer more questions...


Taken in a busy street in Kathmandu, Nepal while Daddy is cooking and I am looking

So I have to look for the answers for the next 6 questions for the Liebster Award (see Part I h...ere). There are many ways we can look for answers, the most important of which is to start looking and to look everywhere. You never know where the answers may come from – 

While Daddy was cooking 
I was looking at the blond 
And the blond was looking at God 
And God was looking at what’s cooking on the stove 
We were all looking 
Except Daddy who was cooking


The last dance of the concubine... 

6. What movie would you recommend for viewing? 
I enjoyed many types of movies from Monster slugfest such as Pacific Rim to Despicable Me to Art movies that no one wants to see. I’ve been to one movie where there were only 3 pairs of lovers and me and I was watching… the movie of course. 

Why “Farewell to myConcubine”?
Because this is one of the most tragic and romantic tale of ancient China telling the story of how Xiang Yu, the overlord of Western Chu sacrificed a kingdom to save his concubine. At the eve of his defeat, the king bade an emotional farewell to his concubine who performed a sword dance before slitting her own throat when he was distracted. The movie took it further and weaved the tale into the parallel lives of two modern Opera stars playing on larger themes of birth and death; love, loyalty and betrayal. It is the only Chinese film to win the top prize in the Cannes festival.



Under the century old rain trees bordering the Taiping lakes, I sang... 

7. Would you be able to sing on stage in front of hundreds of people?
I can. But with my singing, why would anyone want to ask me to? I am an introvert but if need be, I can stand in front of a crowd, preferably not singing but that too if I have to earn my keep. But I have always imagined what it is like to sing like Susan Boyle.

Why “Under the Rain Trees,I Sang the Ash Grove”?

Because while some people sang in the bath room, that is not enough privacy for me. My neighbours may complain. So I sang under the rain trees where I bother no one and no one bothers me. I may bother a few squirrels but they are not known to complain


Up before sunrise to welcome a new Himalayan dawn...

8. When you start your morning? 
When I woke up, which is usually between 7.00 to 7.30 am. I put in long hours at work typically 10 to 12 hours a day so I don’t use the alarm. I found myself under-productive when I wake up earlier than when my body tells me to.

Why “A New Himalayan Dawn”?
Because though I’m a late sleeper and not an early person, I will make the effort to wake up early if there is a reason to. Like that early morning in the Himalayan highlands, I was up before the sunrise; went up to the roof to do meditative dancing while waiting for the first crack of dawn. It was my most memorable early morning.


If you listen carefully, you can hear the sound of falling leaves... 

9. What music do you listen to in the evenings?
In the early evening, I will go up alone to the office roof. There, I will do my fast walk or slow jog to the accompaniment of English or K-pop fast dance music that my younger friends downloaded for me. Maybe the crows don’t like my choice of music for they sometimes cawed loudly and as many as twenty can take to circling over my head. 

Why “The sound of falling leaves”?
Because when I walk or jog in the park in the weekends, I leave my ipod at home. I prefer listening to the sound of Nature and need silence to hear the sound of falling leaves.


So I kissed the frog that talked 
And it became a prince and that is that. 

Nature in disarray 
Diamonds every where 

10. Who are you: a physicist or a lyric?
I am said to have a logical mind when it comes to work. But every now and then, I went dreamy dreamy like and strayed into some strange territories where the laws of physics don’t apply so I think that would disqualify me from being a scientist. However I have challenged a large scientific organization before with my intuition and won the argument on the basis of science :D.

Why “I Kiss A Frog ThatBecame A Prince and That is That” & “Nature in Disarray, DiamondsEverywhere”
Because what better ways to explain my illogical mind than to kiss a frog and to find diamonds in a padi field.


When the lady met the elephant on a narrow bridge by the river Kwai... 

11. What is your favorite animal? 
Dogs and cats are claimed by four-fifth of the world’s population so to impress people I decide to choose something BIG. And what bigger animal is there on land other than the elephant? I would have chosen dinosaurs if they are still alive. 

Why “The Lady Met TheElephant On A Rainy Day”?
I’ve a number of elephant posts including “I Dreamt of Elephants” and “The Monk Who Would Not Ride On AnElephant but my favourite is the above when I was there one early morning by the bank of River Kwai where I witnessed the poignant scene (to me) of the lady meeting the elephant on a narrow bridge.


There. These are my 11 answers to the 11 questions. In a coming post, I will ask my own 11 questions the “A Thousand Reasons” way. If anyone is game to have a crack at them and have a blog, I will nominate you for the Liebster award. Have fun! 

Wednesday, 16 January 2013

Farewell To My Concubine Part II - The Song of Gaixia (垓下之战)



I've had just enough time to...   lament the suicide of the concubine


Taken of the "Farewell to My Concubine" opera show in Beijing


Xiang Yu, the King of Chu is in a desperate situation. Trapped and surrounded by enemies with superior forces on all sides, he is losing hope for the first time since he took up arms. The "Chu Song from Four Sides" (四面楚歌) employed by their enemies reminded them of home, sapped their remaining spirit and caused defection. But his faithful horse and favourite concubine refused to leave his side. He lamented with this song – 

力拔山兮气盖世。 Once, my unparallel spirit lifted the hills 
时不利兮骓不逝。 But the time is against me and my horse would not 
                                leave me 
骓不逝兮可奈何!    If my horse would not leave me, what can I do? 
虞兮虞兮奈若何!    Oh, my precious Yu, what fate will befall thee?





Lady Yu begged to die by his side but Xiang Yu strongly refused. She tried to lift his spirit by drinking with him and performed the sword dance for him and sang - 

汉兵已略地,     The Han army has invaded our land 
四面楚歌声。  We are surrounded by Chu songs from all sides 
大王义气尽,     My king's spirit is broken 
贱妾何聊生      What reasons have I to live?



This role is traditionally played by a male


She blamed herself for the predicament her king is in and felt responsible for the downfall of the Chu dynasty. When Xiang Yu’s attention was distracted, she committed suicide by slitting her throat further breaking Xiang Yu’s spirit. She was only 16 when the king said farewell to his concubine.


_______

霸王別姬 Farewell My Concubine Fan MV




Saturday, 12 January 2013

Farewell To My Concubine Part I - The Battle of Gaixia (垓下之战)




I've had just enough time to...   join in the Battle of Gaixia


Taken of the Farewell to My Concubine Opera in Beijing


Betrayed by former friend and ally Liu Bang with a fake peace treaty, Xiang Yu was constantly harassed and ambushed on the retreat back to Western Chu. A trap was sprung in the canyon near Gaixia but Xiang Yu was too intelligent to fall for it and ordered his troops to head back to his capital through the main road. But then his beloved concubine Yuji travelling with the convoy was captured in one of the ambush and brought deep into the canyon of Gaixia…

In spite of knowing he will be rushing into a trap, the King of Chu ordered the rest of his tired men back to the capital while with a smaller troop of 100,000 men tried to save his wife. Once in the canyon, Liu Bang’s crafty ally and mastermind of the trap Han Xin wielded his “ambush from ten sides”  (十面埋伏). Though he managed to save his wife, he and his troop were hopelessly trapped by a superior and fresh troop of 300,000 Han soldiers and were gradually decimated.





As night fall, the Chu troops were helmed in by enemies from all sides and the situation was desperate. Han Xin ordered his men and the captured Chu soldiers to sing Chu folk songs employing the tactic  "Chu Song from Four Sides" (四面楚歌) to break the spirit of the remaining Chu soldiers causing some to desert the army. Yuji stopped Xiang Yu from taking actions against his own men. Calling for wine, Xiang Yu drank and lamented his situation with a poignant composition known as “The Song of Gaixia”. On the brink of total defeat, they spent their intimate moments together and Lady Yu performed the last sword dance for her king

Next post: The Song of Gaixia.


_______

Pipa master Pui-Yuen Lui "Ambushed from Ten Sides", Los Angeles, California 2000 琵琶演奏家呂培原"十面埋伏", 加州洛杉磯 2000




Tuesday, 18 December 2012

Beijing Opera #1 – I Am A Painted Face But Not A Clown.



I've had just enough time to...   be touched by the tragedy of Xiang Yu

Taken of the dressing of Xiang Yu before his Beijing Opera performance


I am a painted face
But not a clown
Who moves you with laughter

I move you to tears
With tragedies
Of my own
And that of others

The world is
A greater comedy
Than that
Played by the clown

Will you laugh
Or cry
Along with me?





Xiang Yu项羽, the “Overlord of Western Chu” is a proud and complex man. He would save his horse when all is lost but not himself because he is too proud to face his people in defeat when not one of his 8,000 loyal soldiers who followed him to overthrow the Qin Dynasty survived. A brilliant strategist who won battles after battles but rushed into a trap he knew was set up for him to save his concubine. A caring leader who ordered his 28 remaining soldiers to take the last boat to safety while he stood to meet his end but a tyrant who buried alive 200,000 enemy soldiers who surrendered. He was honorable enough not to kill his nemesis Liu Bang by deceit when he had the chance yet there was no honor when he killed his own commander Song Yi for not listening to his advice. This was the King that bade farewell to his concubine.



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