My Absurd Short Story


The background of this story is at the orchard.

One day, a little girl went to the orchard with her mother. She was fascinated by the redness of the apples on the tree. As she happily admiring the red apples, suddenly a breeze gushed through the orchard, an apple decided to make a suicidal jump, and dropped directly on her head. She started crying due to the sudden pain on her head. Her mother quickly inspected the little girl's injury, and found that a lump was formed after the hit. The mother was very angry and also felt heartache, as her lovely girl was hit for no reason.

She brought her daughter to the owner of the orchard and complained: How could you let this happen to my lovely daughter? Tomorrow she still have a musical concert to perform, how do you expect her to wear her crown to perform? The owner of the orchard farm must have seen lots of this kind of incidents happened; he motionlessly said: Madam, please understand, no doubt I am the owner of the orchard, but I am not responsible for the fallen apples. You ought to ask the sudden gust of wind and the apple tree, they should be responsible for your daughter's injury.

After the mother listened to the orchard owner's explanation, she was furious. 'This is your orchard, and my daughter is injured in your orchard caused by your apple tree, how could you deny your responsibility?' The owner smiled and replied: No big deal, this most I will chop off the apple tree tomorrow.

' ................', the mother was wordless.

Beauty is meant to be foundWhen life is tough, we got to find a way to get out of it. Facing uncontrolled price hike, both in daily products as well as government's charges, with not much increase of wages or income, one could easily get furious of the situation. Instead of boiling inside like a cocoon, the best way is to get out of it. One of the ways for me, is to take the camera and capture some scenes and produce some delightful images and amuse myself to pass time.
Once we get out of the box, we will see the sky is still blue, the birds are still chirping and life is still beautiful. Ugliness is a state of mind; whether it is physical or mental. I always enjoy simple things in life. A pleasant chat in the evening; a glass of good wine; a quite and serene corner; that what I am looking for.
There are hundreds of people living in thousands of buildings. We do not expect everyone behave as we are. Therefore, when you see a fox stands in front of you, either you face its cunningness or just turn and walk away from the creature.

Every cloud casts a different shadow below it. Just respect its existence. There will be no big deal then.

The Kuala Lumpur Butterfly Park

Went to KL several times, I have never noticed there is a Butterfly Park in the area. Until few days ago, I brought my son to pay a visit, and to plan for his first time visit there, I bought a KL local map from the bookshop, accidentally found this butterfly park. As both father and son are photography hobbyists, we decided to pay her a visit. Strange enough, the taxi driver told us he had not been there too, he went to the wrong road, but finally managed to bring us there. The Park is not very big, may be half a football field area; but the collection of butterflies are plentiful. They are gorgeous! Here are some of photos that I took from the park:

The Butterfly Affair

Recently I joined a web-based photography hobbyist group. Saw their photographs featuring local species of butterflies. This group of people is really the experts in butterflies. They have all the information of most of the butterflies in Singapore, furthermore, they are photographers too! Their photos inspired me and challenged me to do something about it. Then, one day, I decided to take up the challenge and took my tools to Alexandra Butterflies Trail and started to hunt for butterflies. The following shots are the results of my hunt. Under each photo I attached a piece of beautiful Chinese 'Song Ci' 宋词to company it.

贺铸 词
几许伤春春复暮，杨柳清阴，偏碍游丝度。
天际小山桃叶步，白苹花满湔裙处。
竟日微吟长短句，帘影灯昏，心寄胡琴语。
数点雨声风约住，朦胧淡月云来去。

赵令畤 词
欲减罗衣寒未去。不卷珠帘，人在深深处。
红杏枝头花几许？啼痕止恨清明雨。
尽日沉烟香一缕。宿酒醒迟，恼破春情绪。
飞燕又将归信误，小屏风上西江路

晏殊 词

六曲阑干偎碧树，杨柳风轻，展尽黄金缕。
谁把钿筝移玉柱，穿帘海燕双飞去。
满眼游丝兼落絮，红杏开时，一霎清明雨。

浓睡觉来莺乱语，惊残好梦无寻处。

晏几道 词
醉别西楼醒不记，春梦秋云，聚散真容易。
斜月半窗还少睡，画屏闲展吴山翠。　
衣上酒痕诗里字，点点行行，总是凄凉意。
红烛自怜无好计，夜寒空替人垂泪

周邦彦
月皎惊乌栖不定，更漏将阑，轳辘牵金井。
唤起两眸清炯炯，泪花落枕红绵冷。
执手霜风吹鬓影。去意徊徨，别语愁难听。
楼上阑干横斗柄，露寒人远鸡相应。

晏几道 词
梦入江南烟水路，行尽江南，不与离人遇。
睡里消魂无说处，觉来惆怅消魂误。
欲尽此情书尺素。浮雁沉鱼，终了无凭据。
却倚缓弦歌别绪，断肠移破秦筝柱。

柳永 词
伫倚危楼风细细，望极春愁，黯黯生天际。
草色烟光残照里，无言谁会凭阑意？
拟把疏狂图一醉，对酒当歌，强乐还无味。
衣带渐宽终不悔，为伊消得人憔悴。

欧阳修 词
几日行云何处去？忘了归来，不道春将暮。
百草千花寒食路，香车系在谁家树？
泪眼倚楼频独语。双燕来时，陌上相逢否？
撩乱春愁如柳絮，依依梦里无寻处

欧阳修 词
庭院深深深几许？杨柳堆烟，帘幕无重数。
玉勒雕鞍游冶处，楼高不见章台路。
雨横风狂三月暮，门掩黄昏，无计留春住。
泪眼问花花不语，乱红飞过秋千去。

Waterloo Street is a fascinating place. It attracks me since I was a child. There are a lots of things mismatched here! There is an Hindu Temple next to a Taoist Temple. More strange is the Chinese goes to the Hindu Temple and the Indian also visit the Taoist Temple. If there is any place can really interpret what is racial harmony, I think this is the most appropriate place.
四马路，又叫瓦特魯街，是著名的观音廟所在地。我從小到大，都深深被这条街的一切事物吸引着。这里生活着各色各样的人，多姿多彩，声色擾人。第一个异样是两个不同宗教的廟宇并立。一邊是印度廟，隔鄰是观音廟。時常见到印度廟前有華人在膜拜，同時也会看到观音廟前有印度朋友在合十。如果要在本地找一个最有代表种族和諧的地标，非此莫属。

Then there are different kinds of people here. Some are pro-artist, some may not be. But their common aim is to earn a living there.
这里有不少街头卖艺者，每日在此演出。有些是班科出身，有些是自学成功的。但他们都有一个共同的目标：來这里求生活。

Of course, foreigner too, will have a place to be. Such as this special mute motorcycle world traveler. He just sit there, and exhibit his past journey records, people would donate to him too.
当然，在我们这里，百川合會，四马路也不例外，老外也能安祥地占一席之地，就像这位啞洋漢，他是一位頗有名气的电单车环游世界旅青，也乘来新加坡当兒，在此筹一些盘纏之費。

Beside, there are always the worshipers to come and visit the most famous 'Guan Yin Miao'. Throughout the year, you could see people purchasing flowers for the offerings.
来这条街的人，大半是来观音廟上香的，因此你会看到花販四處林立，買花之人不絶。

This is a place full of people, full of color and noise, most of all, full of life!
这些终日人潮来来往往，五花十色，撩人眼簾。但这里確实是充满着生活气息，看着活生生的人生缩影。

The NAFA Graduation Show (Fine Art) 2008

This is Marie's Work at the Show

Marie invited me to her Graduation Show at NAFA on 28th May 2008. As her former art teacher, I have no reason to say NO. So even on the day I had another function with SSC, I still made my way to NAFA to give her the support.

When I reached there, she met me at the entrance and brought me to her exhibition hall. The hall was full of works from the Fine Art graduates. It was a feast of colors for the eyes. Marie is the only person major in pottery. Her series of work was displayed at the centre of the exhibition area. Her work is something related to transformation, evolution and merging of life form. Raku fired, but with very unique forms and textures.

This is the first time I attending my own art student Art Show, no doubt I have more than a dozen of them graduated from NAFA and LaSalle. I am really pleased to see the fruit of Art Education provided harvested by them. As a teacher, the most rewarding moment should be at this time frame.

I hope Marie would continue to scatter the love of Art around her, especially to the younger generations. So that the beauty of Art could be flourished in this small island.

The Daily Travel Experience


After reached the age of 60, lots of my perception changed. I have given up the habit of riding on the 200cc motorcycle and travel at 100km per hour in the nights when I am moody. In fact, I already sold the bike for just $150.00. It was only 5 years old.

These days, I travel with public transports. It may be the bus, the MRT or Taxi. If I am not in a hurry, I used to take bus to the MRT station and use the train to continue my journey. I learned to take note of the timing of the bus. If I missed the designated time of that particular bus stop, I may have to wait for 10 to 20 minutes. These days, taking bus to me is an enjoyment. I take the opportunity to observe all sort of personality in the bus. Some are typical 'Kia Su' Singaporeans, once they aboard the bus, you could see their pairs of vulture eyes, searching for seats! Some are enlightened; even the bus is quite empty and have many empty seats, they choose to stand all the way to their designation. Some takes the journey for their afternoon nap or recovery time.

The services of the bus has improved a lot, comparing with the older days. But in terms of bus frequency, I think the company should further improve it.

Life is all about living

Life is really very unpredictable. Today I went to China Town to book traveling tickets; on the way walking to another building, suddenly noticed a commotion. I went to investigate, and found someone lying on the floor of the five foot way, motionless. The Ambulance medical staff was there to provide help. They were doing CPR on the poor soul. The man was in his mid thirties, slight plump. His face was greenish yellow in color then. The paramedics rushed him to the ambulance and headed straight to the nearest hospital.

Very often, we used to think we could live up to our ripe old age. But we always forgotten there is such thing called: Uncertainty. Look at the Cyclone in Myama, the Big Quake in Sichuan. People who live there, I do not believe that they had thought of those disasters will fall upon them. It did, and lots of lives were terminated in a very short moment. Therefore, to live in full with every minute of your life would be the best revenge to these types of misfortune.

By the way, there are more and more people getting cardiac arrest these days. By doing more physical exercises, such as brisk walk or jogging, taking healthy food with balance diets would cut down the possibilities of such attacks. In fact, do regulation medical check ups to understand your own health condition would be the wise way too.

四川，令人落泪的名字
谢 清诗



睡着的山
突然醒來，飞石似骤雨般扑下
屋子都摊了
轰轰然的天號
石泣鬼哭的时辰
孩子们猶握着筆听書
老师还以为是旱天雷发威
瞬间，一切都塌陷成灰
人間瞬变成煉獄
四川的名字
遂成世界各地的首条大字
高齡的爺爺
忘了年岁与劳苦
拎了一腔的爱意与关怀
澈夜飞撲灾黎
提一腔颤抖且真情的話语
含满眶难以把持的热泪：
孩子，同胞们
国家一直守护着你
你们且熬住片刻
我们燃起奥运圣火
我们绝不会放棄
生命之火

後记：从报章及电视上，看到中国总理温家宝，於四川大地震隔日，便亲臨亲臨灾区，慰间灾黎
，数度热泪盈眶。慰问语气感人肺腑，听畢令人心酸。央央大国，有此君子領袖，实在是福。反观寮国領袖，视其子民如粪土。救援物资送到他们门前，却迟迟无法送到自己的挨餓子民手上。真有天淵之别！温君一派大将之风，不管他是不是总理与否，他有得是一顆有血有肉的心。恐怕其他的領袖看了也多少要脸红！





(注：此詩己刊登在早報五月三十日，文艺版。)

The Two Worlds
两个世界
Chameleon， The creature that would change it color according to the surroundings. In the human world, don't you think there are people who behave the same as this creature?
变色龙，一种随着环境而改变体色的动物。在人类世界里，何尝不见这一类的人呢？见风转舵，東风吹来西邊摆，可大有人在！
I used to see our senior citizens walking around my block with silvery hair on their tops. These senior citizens sometime just walk around without any special objectives. May be they have lost their target in life. Look at this pelican, don't you think it also have the same problem?
常见白发蒼蒼老翁，在自己住所楼下，漫无目的的游蕩。終日无所事事，难矣哉。放眼看去，这隻塘鵝，是否类似那些蒼髮老翁？

Sometimes, at a glance, thing may not look pretty. But if you look more intensely, you would see the beauty in it. The maker of this world is very fair to everything he makes.
美不只藏在悦目的事物中，它也隱藏在一些不甚起眼的生命里。上蒼对这事可是最公平的。

The graceful appearance of this swan, makes me think of the ballet 'Swan Lake'.
看到这幅作品时，就想到芭蕾舞：天鵝湖。
This Mandarin Duck is a born beauty, just look at it color on the feathers, you could agree with me.
这隻鴛鴦，羽色斑爛，令人憐爱。

The Deep Blue Sky
尉蓝的天空

These few days, the weather was extremely hot. But if you look out of your window, you will find the sky would be extremely clear and blue. As a photographer, I sensed that the color temperature was very suitable for scenery shots. I took my camera bag and headed to city for shots.
这几天，天气特别干爽，而且酷热。但若你能看看窗外景色，你不难发现，那天空是如許的蓝！我的摄影知识告訴我，如此天气的色温，最适合拍照。於是便拎了摄影器材，往市区出发。

After the trip, I was extremely pleased with the results. I have captured the rich blue sky, and the crystal clear greeneries. I think with all the price hike, the cheapest and most rewarding entertainment now is digital photography. By looking at the photos you have captured, you could spend the whole afternoon to daydream with them!
拍摄回来后，看到成果，自己倒十分满意。我把当天尉蓝的天，碧緑的樹，都一一捕获。心愉之际，煞時想到，在这百物高漲的時節，数碼摄影可不是一种最省钱的娱乐？你大可神游于自己拍摄的影像中，一个心扩神怡的下午，就此而过。何乐而不为？

At the side of Esplanade I captured this shot. It looks like the Oasis in the desert. Who would imagine this is part of Singapore scenery?
这張有如緑洲似的影像，有谁能想像是我们这个热带国家的一个景点？

The skyline of city is really attractive from a distance. But the lamp post is an eye sore!
我们的城市风景线，從远处看去，真得是一个十分迷人的卖点。


Personally, I like this shot. Especially the dynamic composition of light and shades. This shot is really an accident catch; as I was trying to capture a trishaw operator catching his nap, I noticed the striking visual effect above me, instead of shooting the man, I took this shot. No regret!
个人十分喜欢这張像片。因为它强有力的光影構图摄人。这是一張無心之作。本想在桥下偷拍三轮车夫的午睡图，不料仰头一看，竟被这龐然景象摄去！

The Artificial WorldSometimes, I really pity the younger generations of Singaporean. Since young, they will face all sorts of artificial things. The river is man-made, the gardens are man-made, even certain sceneries also man-made. What is natural and what is artificial, sometimes, I do not think these people really know about it.

Personally, I have a joke to share. This was happened forty odd years ago. That time, Chai Chee was still a rural area. I said rural that means no electricity, no tap water and so on. One day, a group of us went there for hiking. One boy was born and stayed in the city area since young. That day, one the course of the hike, suddenly a Berkshire boar dashed out from the side of the road. The boy got scared out of his dear life. He scream and run as fast as he could. After the boar has disappeared into the village, and the boy calmed down. We asked him actually what was in his mind when he saw that creature. He told us that he thought that was a huge wild animal that could harm him. We laughed and laughed after that. As a city boy, he would not have seen a boar (A male pig) that is almost 300kg and 1.45m tall. In his mind, pig is always cute to hug and play with. That is all from the books. When we told him that was a pig, he could not believe it for awhile.

It was the same that in one of the trip travel towards Johor River mouth in a vessel, some Singaporean screamed that we had reached the open sea. The boatman laughed and said, that was only the river mouth of Johor River. How could we blame our countrymen with this type of behavior? Our Singapore River to others is only a drain!

When you have climbed the Kinabahru Mountain, you will not name Bukit Timah Hill as Hill. Right?

When a frog stand in front of a light, he would said he is almighty, as he sees his own shadow on the wall is huge. But is this the real fact?

夕阳之恋

The Tree Art

One day, as I walked along Elizabeth Walk, I saw this tree stood right in front of me, it gave me great visual shock. The formation of its branches and the color on its trunk reminded me paintings from the great artist such as Van Gogh and Piet Mondrian. But this is a real life tree, not a painting! I stood there for quite a while, just to admire its beauty. I was amazed by the twinning and curling of its branches, they were so intricate and complex. Nature really has all the beauty in it.

Could you see the similarity between the tree above and this piece of great work by Van Gogh?

What about comparing it with Piet Mondrian's works here?



Amazing right?