Tuesday, February 28, 2012

There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy and the tired.“Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss.” “Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss.”

After a mild discussion on WW1 during history class today, The Great Gatsby was a subject that fell upon us lightly -- I remembered how lovely it was. Tremendously eager for the movie adaptation starring Carey Mulligan, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Everything I love gets lost in drawers

My investigation compromises of jumbled texts and orders; such is the state of my open Youtube tabs. Listening to the National, and I love them so. More of a lyrical-connection band, this time. May post an occasional parole once in a while! Recommended songs are playing in my mix pod as you read.
Also, Kudos to the Shins. They've produced their first music video in 5 years and it is truly spectacular. One of the best I've seen this year (so far). Go check it out on Youtube!
Have commenced To Kill A Mockingbird and it's coming along quite well.


"Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing."
"'You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-'. 'Sir?' '-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.'"
On another note, Jane Eyre is quite an entertaining and gripping read -- not entirely what I suspected! Wuthering Heights was real sour to digest but there's a fruity (no pun intended with correlation to the image) humour that I glean while flipping through the pages. Haven't felt this way about a book for a while, so I'm rather glad the feeling has resurfaced. I find myself well contented with the book's progressing, although at certain times I don't approve of rushed scenes (taking into consideration that the tedious dinner party was dragged on).

Lastly, I've checked out a volume of Seamus Heaney's poems from the library. Scrawled my top 10 (ish) favourite Sylvia Plath poems below a shoe-box (the only accessible writing surface that night within an arm's reach), and planned to return it earlier had I not forgotten I placed it under the same box.

The weekend is ahead, and that's lovely.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Of Monsters and Men

Introducing the Icelandic Arcade Fire...
man, love these guys.
There's a folksy, catchy familiarity to their songs (like the Head and the Heart) but I don't mind a bit.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Blue winter

Blue winter's flame

Above the stove,
we lit a tender fire.
Swiftly, the pointed flames
shoot and shimmer.

Blue as winter's drear
outside the window,
There lies yonder
a cold, darkening world.

Yet I stay sheltered 
by the smoke of tonight's soup:
red carrots and other soft vegetables,
heated by ringlets of 
dancing ballerina blue fire
on the metal cook-top stage.

They feed our winter's warmth.


Fish-bone

Winter Long Ago

Winter – it begs
My plaintive pining
Not of summer’s sweetness
But a memory of a dear place;

A fish-bone caught in the throat:
A contritely-accepted apology
That no longer chimes
My ears. That was
Winter long ago.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Melodie

Dearly love to play this piece -- Heifetz does it justice as well, yet I
prefer this interpretation. A true lovely work of a souvenir d'un
lieu cher. Used to hear it in the car; never thought I'd play it someday!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

If you don't know what to make of it, then we will not relate

Watched the last five minutes of Chuck, then the Head and the Heart came on -- bawled my very pupils out.

Monday, February 13, 2012

THE Whaccines


Rediscovering is blissful. Mental resurrection of this golden collaboration. And the photos
below are perfection exceeding handling capacity. NATW needs to come to Hong Kong so
I can meet Tom Hobden. Hope he's lovely in reality, otherwise my crinkled dreams may
shatter in a basin, and be flushed down the pipe.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

THE VACCINES

At long last -- The Vaccines!
Next stop is hopefully: Noah and the Whale, then Arcade Fire.
The KITEC Auditorium provided a much more homey -- if you will --
environment than the grand Asia World Expo. A modest number of
seats, and far more intimate. Although we had assigned seats, when
the band began playing everyone naturally scrambled to the front.
By luck, my friends and I scored the second row! The first band (DP)
was very loud and went on for an hour. The drummer (right) is quite
the eccentric and afterwards waved at me with his water bottle. Funny guys.
Thought it would take an age for The Vaccines to debut. The people
setting up the stage were taking their sweet time.



Suddenly, one in particular taped the set list to the ground, and there was the rushed, stretch-armed scramble to snap a photo (left). Family Friend will be played, thank the lord. In contrast to earlier predictions, Blow It Up was their opening song. Cutting off the last two encores, they ended with Family Friend which was perfect.
The entire concert was a dream. Justin was literally in front of me but elevated and then the atmosphere got too murderous to attempt taking photos. Practically shoved the girl in front of my half to death. Love the way Justin sings -- he dilates his eyes for emphasis and swerves around the stage. Everyone was pushing, hurtling, ramming; but, wow, what a concert! Wetsuit, Lack of Understanding, Wreckin' Bar, Norgaard, Post Break Up Sex... the song choice was spectacular. Shame they played it all too fast without pauses in between to register. But then I supposed they had a time limit. At the end, the band threw drumsticks in the air for catching -- it was a 7 person scramble and we emerged victorious (although I was more of a bystander). Ended the night spectacularly -- got to meet them! Meet the Vaccines! One of my favourite bands! It was magic. Ami is real witty, funny guy; "oh that's what you meant by the 5th month" (when he was writing my name down to sign. We saw him drawing an elephant earlier -- why...) and to Justin -- "I really love Family Friend", "Oh thank you, thank you" -- and telling Freddie the lamest line I've always dreamed of using -- "If you wanna come back to Hong Kong, it's alright," and him saying to me: "That's really clever!"

So, all in all -- a wonderful night with a phenomenal band.




Friday, February 10, 2012

The innocent brightness of a new-born Day Is lovely yet;

http://www.artofeurope.com/wordsworth/wor3.htm

Wordsworth, I love thee!
One of my favourite poems from him -- helped me out a couple weeks back.
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind;
In the primal sympathy
Which having been must ever be;
In the soothing thoughts that spring
Out of human suffering;
In the faith that looks through death,
In years that bring the philosophic mind.
Another race hath been, and other palms are won.
Thanks to the human heart by which we live,
Thanks to its tenderness, its joys, and fears,
To me the meanest flower that blows can give
Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears.
Says something precious about human life; of all senses that bring us to it.
So lovely, wonderful to pick up in times of grief.

Lonesome...


Used to be a dedicated Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus fan. Things have changed
since, yet this performance is stunning. Can't help but remember wonderful memories and smile!