Day 5 - What did I do today?

I watched TV. A lot of TV. Started off the morning with a classic - Doraemon. I proceeded to watch Mythbusters on Discovery where they were busting some of the stunts/blowups in The Green Hornet. Then I started watching this other Japanese cartoon called 小红豆...I think it's called Azuki.

Azuki is really cute because it reminded me of elementary school crushes! Except the main character, 小红豆, gets a lot closer to her crush than I ever did haha. 

I then went up the Mountain (陽明山國家公園) with my mom to help her clean. It was freezing up there. Houses in Asia are generally constructed out of concrete, which is a terrible insulator. It's been "cold" for Taiwan standards but up in the mountain, in a house with no insulation, it is quite cold inside. After I cleaned, I watched some more TV - National Geographic. It didn't last long because I fell asleep on the couch. 

Time passed and I headed out to dinner with my parents and their friends. I really don't have many friends in Taiwan...so I hang out with my mom a lot since my sister works. I think it's time I make some friends. Unproductive day but I found out about a Wedgewood Cafe where they use Wedgewood china and such. I also found out that my favourite clothing store, Club Monaco, is open in Taipei! 

Anyhow, that's it for today. Shower and sleep. I think I'm gaining weight already. By the way, check out the cover of Damien Rice's The Blower's Daughter by the oh so cute Anthony Neely: 

On hold

I'm usually not this happy to study. 

Enjoy this awesome cover in the meantime. I've listened to it at least a dozen times! 

moment of honesty (to myself)

I feel like I've had a tough day, but looking back, it doesn't seem like it was too tough. I suppose it's not what happened, but what I've been thinking about, and the pressure I've put upon my shoulders. I've tried to shrug it off, put it out of my mind, but instead, it's just built up a lot of tension. Sometimes I put on a face of confidence, but really, those words of reassurance cover up my insecurities. I try to be positive, but underneath it all, it's not genuine. I don't know what it'll take to really change my negativity into sincere positivity.

I know I just over thought things today. That on top of minor annoyances and the built up stress just resulted in me getting all emotional...

This song soothes me...

beauty in the eye of the beholder

There aren't too many occasions on which my breath is taken away.
Only in circumstances when my heart and soul is moved beyond a threshold unquantifiable or indescribable. My heart and soul is likely to be moved by things I find beautiful. These "things" are often not material objects. I can look up at the sky, and wholly adore the pink streaks of cloud off in the horizon, or the thin stream of sunlight peaking through the grey swirl of clouds. I don't need a photo to justify what I feel. It's the sense of awe (in a calming way), to feel the nature's beauty.

When I went to see The Nightingale and other Short Fables, presented by the Canadian Opera Company at the Four Seasons Centre, I was utterly beguiled by the beautiful voices. I enjoy opera, but not all opera. Some I find too shrill or too forceful. In The Nightingale, the voices were sublime. The beautiful voices mixed with the stunning set design made me want to weep. Again, a moment that couldn't be captured by a photo (literally, photos weren't allowed anyway).

What prompted me to write this entry is a song from Peter Jackson's 2005 King Kong Soundtrack, with music composed by James Newton Howard. The song, Beautiful, captures the essence of the relationship between King Kong and Ann. Every time I watch the movie, I shed tears...many tears. Although seemingly unrealistic, a giant "beast", carries a tough exterior but a soft, fuzzy, and sometimes vulnerable personality. Ann brought out the best in King Kong, but also the worst. The line said by Jack Black in the end, "No, the beauty killed the beast", is probably one of my favourite movie quotes. The soundtrack composed by James Newton Howard goes so well with the movie. Every time I hear Beautiful, my eyes well up, and I lose my breath.

I live for moments like this. I hope artists find reactions such as mine rewarding. Be it music, paintings, structures, words...I am moved.

LOVE IS HARD

This week felt like a failure. But I will learn from my failures.
I gave the best of me. Best sometimes isn't good enough.

my favourite time of the day

The transition from dusk till night.
Lights are flickering with a hint of orange in the horizon.
I glance outside and a star is suddenly visible in the city lights.

----

This week went by very fast. I don't even remember what I did at work, but it was a constant stream of things to do. I got to leave the office a few times to do research and attend an open house. It's nice getting out of the office. For the first time, I descended 46 floors of stairs. 20 stairs per floor x 46 floors = 920 stairs. It was for a fire drill at my building. My legs felt like jello after. I woke up today with the sorest calves.

Other than work, life has been good. I finished reading The Catcher in the Rye this week during my lunch hours.
A cute bundle of daisies also sit on my desk. I was thoroughly happy and slightly embarrassed yesterday. I will miss the flowers this weekend. Hopefully they don't die on me too soon.

I'm really happy that I'm discovering new things, and getting to know someone different from my usual group of friends. For the first time in a while, I feel like I'm ready for a new challenge.

Anyway, I've wasted this week not working on my research proposal for Oxford. Tomorrow, I'm hitting the library!

P.S. I'm addicted to Melody Gardot. I've been listening to it every other night.

because of you

This song has been around for a few years, but I don't tire of it.

do do do do do do do

This video is what all dreams should be like...trippy, with people riding a cat in outer space while encountering wild jungle people.

Random:
Today while sitting on the bus, I looked out at the blue blue sky and thought of last May when my heart beat so fast for you. Be it infatuation or love, I felt like a giddy school girl around you. I miss that rush of adrenaline, that excitement.