Postcard from Mongolia

Loved the blue skies and the white clouds and the splendour of mother nature on this beautiful land.

Doggie trampled oil painting.

There's a chinese idiom, 塞翁失马 焉知非福, which roughly means blessing in disguise. The idiom comes from a story that goes like this:

A man who lived on the northern frontier of China was skilled in interpreting events. One day for no reason, his horse ran away to the nomads across the border. Everyone tried to console him, but his father said, "What makes you so sure this isn't a blessing?" Some months later his horse returned, bringing a splendid nomad stallion. Everyone congratulated him, but his father said, "What makes you so sure this isn't a disaster?" Their household was richer by a fine horse, which the son loved to ride. One day he fell and broke his hip. Everyone tried to console him, but his father said, "What makes you so sure this isn't a blessing?"


A year later the nomads came in force across the border, and every able-bodied man took his bow and went into battle. The Chinese frontiersmen lost nine of every ten men. Only because the son was lame did father and son survive to take care of each other. Truly, blessing turns to disaster, and disaster to blessing: the changes have no end, nor can the mystery be fathomed.





I have the mood to do some oil painting today and wondered for a while if i should continue the half-finish painting our doggie had trampled over 2 months back when i had left the painting on the floor to dry. The more i looked at it, the more interesting it looked(back) to me. Indeed, I had posted and lamented about the damaged work back then on my facebook and some friends had commended the damage as actually a plus point, like a finishing touch, an interesting twist to the painting.

And as i sat there studying the painting today, i found myself smiling at it. The painting with it's funny paw prints somehow just evoked a smile to me. Then and there, i decided to leave it alone as it was. It was as complete as it could be! Many things in life has a way of emerging better or worst than we think huh. Some seemingly unfortunate events can turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Likewise for good things... That's a good reminder isn't it? When things seem bleak, the thought of it as being a potential blessing in disguise helps us to look at the bright side of things. And when good things are going good, while we are riding on it, we can try to be mindful and not let overt optimism blind us to potential tripping. :)

Independent

He asked, Why are you so independent? 

I replied, I learnt.

I'd rather not...actually, i am not. I've learnt alright. But it's better to have a choice to be dependent. Sometimes, I feel like in some ways i'm like Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Not that extreme kind like her but surviving in this world in her own way, fending for herself by herself.

You've Got Mail

You've Got Mail

Ponggol Park on Oil

Painted this couple of weeks back, which depicts a scene of the the park near my place where i most frequently go for my jog. I like oil painting. I'm an amateur but it doesn't matter. I like the fun of mixing the colors, the flow you get when you are in the midst of the creation and the satisfaction of creating an image from a blank canvas. If i have more leisure time, I'll like to paint more. And paint for people around me. :)

Ponggol Park on Oil

我們沒有在一起 by 劉若英

Like this song.



我們沒有在一起
詞:黃婷 曲:陳韋伶

你一直說的那個公園已經拆了
還記得盪著鞦韆日子就飛起來
漫漫的下午陽光都在臉上撒野
你那傻氣 我真是想念

那時候小小的你還沒學會嘆氣
誰又會想到他們現在喊我女王
你哈哈笑的樣子倒是一點沒變
時間走了 誰還在等呢

這杯咖啡忘了加糖
真不是我那麼傷感
世界太複雜 你說單純很難 我當然都明白

可是呀只有你曾陪我在最初的地方
只有你才能了解我要的夢從來不大
我們沒有在一起至少還像情侶一樣
我痛的瘋的傷的在你面前哭得最慘

我知道你也不能帶我回到那個地方
你說你現在很好而且喜歡回憶很長
我們沒有在一起至少還像家人一樣
總是遠遠關心遠遠分享

那條路走呀走呀走呀總要回家
兩隻手握著晃呀晃呀捨不得放
你不知道吧後來後來我都在想
跟你走吧 管它去哪呀

我們沒有在一起至少還像朋友一樣
你遠遠的關心其實更長

The long drive home

The long drive home alone, my tear drops seemed to have assumed a mind of their own... they just wouldn't stop rolling down the cheeks.

Why does my heart ache?

I just cried and cried and cried
the long drive home alone
i dunno why i cried
it had been a good evening
but the heart just felt so aching bad
and the teardrops won't stop rolling