Blind yet seeing

Eight more days to go.
Hand aches from scribbling.

NYTimes reports research on how the brain seems to have the ability to physically "see" - a man, blinded by stroke, navigates an obstacle course successfully. Amazing.

Details in the fabric

By Jason Mraz

Calm down
Deep breaths
And get yourself dressed instead
Of running around
And pulling all your threads and
Breaking yourself up

If it's a broken part, replace it
But, if it's a broken arm then brace it
If it's a broken heart then face it

And hold your own
Know your name
And go your own way
Hold your own
Know your own name
And go your own way

And everything will be fine

Hang on
Help is on the way
Stay strong
I'm doing everything

Hold your own
Know your name
And go your own way
Hold your own
Know your name
And go your own way

And everything, everything will be fine
Everything

Are the details in the fabric
Are the things that make you panic
Are your thoughts results of static cling?

Are the things that make you blow
Hell, no reason, go on and scream
If you're shocked it's just the fault
Of faulty manufacturing

Everything will be fine
Everything in no time at all
Everything

click

The year ends
The new beckons

Faith and fear
Fresh and familar

What gives?
What's next?

Bankruptcy is the father of confession

Library II by Hong Kyoung Tack

Faith, Circumstances.
Fears, Character.
Frustrations, Confession.
Forgiveness, Communication.
Father, Confide.
Foolishness, Courage.
Face, Covering.

spotting

Brush (2008) by Lee Jung Woong - a painting within a painting?


Fly Away Home No. 6 by Yim Tae Kyu - what see you?

Chanced upon the Korean Art exhibition at SAM, was a welcome end to a Friday. The exhibition theme? Modern transcendence qua east meets west. Thought one of Lee's painting (not shown here) was a rather powerful capture of motion - of a still brush over spreading ink. Was struck by how Park Seo Bo so intricately created parallel lines of paper onto the canvas - he aims for the ultimate emptying out of himself. Very zen huh?

Strangers spotted along the streets:
- European man, angry, shouting and flinging his textbook onto the ground while walking off SMU campus. He must have failed his exams.
- 2 Malaysian Chinese girls, chatting excitedly about hair care and hair salons
- Singaporean Chinese guy, scolding someone over the phone, probably did something wrong though clear instructions were given

Someone spilled his marriage story and his past party lifestyle to me over lunch today. How to relate and how to encourage, one wonders.

Finally, a thought that occurred to me while swimming laps: What measure gives the strength of a man? Oh yes, size matters- the size of his shoulders, for his ability to carry others through life. And with responsibilities and social/emotional dependents, this man can't be in perpetual solitude. But befriend, understand and strengthen, he ought to.

Yowser!

sniff

5h09m with old pal

Marathon 2008 report:

• This being 2nd marathon, was a lot more relaxed and didn't over-hydrate or over-deepheated


• No extreme thigh and calf cramps incapacitating further running but a curious tightness in the right glut (went away after roadside stretch)


• Great running company made for actually enjoyable run albeit last 2km seemed a real killer


• Slight chafing (not telling where) and nowhere else thank goodness


• Next day was able to move about relatively freely and even do some chirpy emcee-ing

choose life

In or out,
here or there,
it's now or never.

Here, there, everywhere,
for it is according to what one has,
and not what one does not...
only if there is first a willing mind.

Positive, negative,
pessimist, optimist,
life, death,
zero, sub-zero.

What?? The substance of things hoped for?

Choose life, or else choose the other.