Old Friends

I was clearing out my stuff yesterday, mostly because my room looks like a plane just dropped a bomb on it and I wanted to be able to walk through the room without inadvertantly tripping over something and killing myself (though I have life insurance but that's not the point).

After some rooting about I discovered a half-filled sketchbook, buried under a pile of well whatever, I don't want to know what that is, which I had forgotten completely about. So I flipped through it to laugh at the abombinations I produced these few years. On the very last filled page was a half-completed drawing (of what I am not going to tell you. Nyah.) with quite a bit of detail done in already. Unable to resist I abandoned Operation Clean-up and took the sketchbook to the table.

Shoving some stuff (where do I get this much stuff anyway) off the table I proceeded to work on it awhile, adding detail andbringing out the form. Then I realised why I had never completed it. The pose was too ambitious, and I would never be able to get it right without a live model (and this much I will tell you.. the subject of the drawing does not exist in real life and therefore it is impossible to obtain a live model. Besides I wouldn't WANT to go near it if it existed). So I abandoned it. Again.

But my hand had touched the paper, and it was impossible to resist its siren call. Just the right texture for watercolour, really. Not really caring where I left my pencil and eraser, I rooted about again and managed to dig out a box of paints, which was empty. Then I remembered that being an idiot I had put all my paints in one box (artists' version of putting all your eggs in one basket) which I was now using as a footrest. So I took that out, and went on a search for my paintbrushes, which were conveniently standing in a mug in my bathroom next to my toothbrush (I do NOT brush my teeth with a paintbrush. I just keep them there because. Um. Because. Yah.)

Anyway, feeling beside myself with glee at having actually found what I was looking for (aiyah should have bought lottery, since I was on a lucky streak), I began to cheerfully sploosh paint onto paper. I didn't really know what I was doing. It felt good to be holding a brush again, for the first time in what, a year? I just randomly splooshed around, painting whatever came to mind (tomatoes, big trees, rocks, people with purple hair).

Thus passed the entire afternoon and evening. And my room is still a mess.

The Simple Life, or The Fine Art of Doing Absolutely Nothing

There's nothing quite like the simple life, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

There's nothing like sitting down in the evenings with a cup of rose-flavored milk tea, baroque music playing in the background, and just contemplating your peaceful, uninteresting existence.

There's nothing like being so absorbed in your own thoughts that you forget entirely you haven't spoken face to face with a human being (other than your students) for almost a week.

There's nothing like sitting around the entire day, and not feeling bored at all, because you're just enjoying the quiet simplicity of your life.

There's nothing like strolling through the busy city streets while the world whirls past you, and saying nary a word, or heeding any sight or sound, just pondering meditatively on some random thing or other (like coffee).

There's nothing like flipping idly through an issue of Sci Am, and suddenly realising with a jolt that you're in Macdonalds and probably look like an absolute nerd.

There's nothing like realising you just spent five minutes of your life deciding whether you want toast for breakfast or not.

In short, there's nothing like having absolutely nothing to do.

The Berlin Philharmonic

I can not understate my appreciation for Arts Central screening classical music concerts almost every week.

Yesterday it was a concert by the Berlin Philharmonic (one of my favoritest symphony orchestras) with a heady dose of French music.

[rave mode]

Saint-Seans! Ravel! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[/rave mode]

Cough. Ahem.

Anyway they played one of the great favorites: Saint-Sean's Carnival of the Animals. I thought "The Swan" was especially moving. (What am I talking about? It's the only really moving movement in the entire suite...in my opinion anyway)

I really must try to stop rambling so much and form clear, coherent thought.

*Deep breath*

Nope. It's beyond me. I'm done for.

ANYWAY.

The concert was open-air in somewhere in Germany. What really struck me was the enthusiasm of the audience. The place was literally SWARMING with people and their picnic baskets. After every piece they would cheer and whoop and seem absolutely thrilled that they were listening to classical music. The applause was deafening, and by the end everyone was on their feet clapping and cheering and generally prancing along to the music.

What an atmosphere.

Even I, sprawled comfortably out on a couch in front of the TV, felt a slight stirring within me. And I couldn't wipe off the grin on my face for hours. (Freaky huh.)



Which leaves us with this thought : Would you see this sort of reaction in Singapore?








Aside: http://library.wellcome.ac.uk/doc_WTL038432.html is very funny. Snicker.

Ugh

Note: The author apologises for the interruption of the Stupid-Lame-Funny-Anecdotes series to just ramble a little bit

Well I suppose it's time to formally introduce Sean, since I'm going to ramble about him for awhile today.

Sean is a very charming young fellow with dusty brown hair, streaked with gold.

Like most males though, Sean has a problem with personal hygiene.

You see, Sean is a Campbell Dwarf Hamster, and perhaps his mama forgot to teach him how to keep himself clean.

Sean has a rather disturbing habit of urinating and pooping on the excercise wheel, which he then proceeds to run on and sleep on.

So his ever-patient owner has to give him a bath almost every week just to remove the dried pee that's making his fur all sticky.

Not to mention that it stinks.

A lot.

And I can't bring myself to be mad at him because he's so cute and stares at me with those limpid brown eyes....




Bah.