love.

peacefully musing

Life is so unusual, but most of all it's quick!

Spend your whiles in lots of smiles, and then you won't fall sick.

Little ditties such as these can help the days go by

When you feel you've lost your wings and forgotten how to fly.

I haven't written anything in a long while, be it on this blog, or in my personal handwritten journal, or even in long, rambling emails to my boyfriend.

There's been so much that's happened in the last couple of months, and I feel like I'm moving forward (slowly, but surely) into the rest of my life. Mixed with feelings of "Wow... here comes the rest of my life... the end is certainly not far off into the distance...", it's a little bittersweet. Like the feeling of winning, but knowing that all will be lost soon enough anyway.

But enough of the morbidity!

I'm starting to feel that I'm losing my creative edge. Not that I think I had much of a creative edge to begin with, but for months and maybe years now I've had a little voice in my head that's wanted to grow that little blossom of creativity. To nurture it, water it, give it some air and sunshine, and yield fruit from it. Sadly I haven't given myself much of a chance, and maybe I just haven't got enough of an experimental bone in me to try different media. Well not only that, but developing a collection of mixed media can be rather expensive too.

Recently I purchased some small leather-bound notepads. I don't think they're bound with real leather, but that's ok - it's the visual cue that counts. I haven't finished my current journal yet, so I'll need to get writing before I give myself the privilege of writing, sketching and collecting in a brand new notebook, which will be a new experience (I mostly wrote reams of mundane daily recounts in all of my previous journals). I'm looking forward to it!

just because

Like golden honey you're so sweet,

I hate to leave and love to meet.

You're my precious, but I'm no Hobbit,

This rhyme's not bad but I should stop it :)

good luck for the exam

A little kiss for the mighty student.

For now, all the best,

So that later you can rest.

Minha Musa.

4E&2D

my favourite quote of the moment.

"I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when I fall asleep your eyes close."

- Pablo Neruda, excerpt from "Sonnet XVII"

life and beyond

I won't lie. I'm scared of dying. The fear has a way of gripping me suddenly, the realisation smacking me in the head like a bucket of ice-cold water being thrown at your face.

Tonight I've been listening to some acoustic tunes - the album 'Dead Wood Falls' by Jen Cloher & The Endless Sea, and now I'm listening to 'Fall & Winter' by Jon Foreman. Both really good albums and I've never given them a proper listen until tonight.

This song just played then, and the lyrics struck me. I'm in an oddly emotional state at the moment so the music had a profound effect on me as it played out its melody.

I'm gonna miss you
I'm gonna miss you
When you're gone
She says, I love you
I'm gonna miss you
And your songs

And I said, please
Don't talk about the end
Don't talk about how
Every living thing goes away
She said, friend

All along I thought
I was learning how to take
How to bend not how to break
How to live not how to cry
But really
I've been learning how to die
I've been learning how to die

Hey everyone
I've got nowhere to go
The grave is lazing me
He takes our body slow

And I said, please
Don't talk about the end
Don't talk about how
Every living thing goes away
I said, friend,
All along I thought
I was learning how to take

How to bend not how to break
How to live not how to cry
But really
I've been learning how to die
I've been learning how to die
Die, die
I've been learning how to die
I've been learning how to die

- Jon Foreman, 'Learning How To Die'

springtime

Looking back and contemplating the ebb and flow of my emotions, it seems that the start of spring (September) has become a time of reflection and nostalgia. Certain songs and musicians evoke memories of yesteryear, moments locked in time, out of reach but still alive in memory.

For example - last week I was listening to "Boa Sorte (Good Luck)" by Vanessa da Mata and Ben Harper, and it threw me back in time, to the days and weeks prior to my current relationship. The sense of wonder and excitement, fear and the "what-if" factor... emotions that last only as long as the courtship. But I think they're important emotions. They help me remember how I felt when I first started to fall in love. They remind me how I got here, and the memories make me smile.

Currently I'm listening to Dave Matthews and was briefly lost in a moment of nostalgia about my friendship with Scott, because he's the one who introduced me to the music. And let's face it, sometimes I am completely besotted with the musical persona of Dave Matthews, illustrated through his music and lyrics. So this music wields a lot of emotional clout, and I have Scott to thank for it.

Rise and fall, roads divided, connections discovered, uncovered, and lost.

"Tolerance is the only real test of civilization."

- Arthur Helps

blue-oo-oo

if you're happy and you know it, write a poem

I love you whether you're near or far.

It doesn't matter where you are.

I love you more than life itself.

Your happiness is my greatest wealth.

Now my eyes are heavy with sleep,

I'm imagining your warm embrace...

While I kiss you full and deep,

My fingers stroking your handsome face. X

it's the thought that counts

Just lying in bed thinking what to say,

But nothing comes to mind.

I still force myself to write,

'Cause one day I will get it right,

And make you smile.

Don't bother looking for the rhyme,

As it's only random text you will find.

Try to look for the meaning in between,

And you will see that love is what I mean. :)

4E&2D

a midnight response

Finally falling into bed...

Your poem made me smile.

You're definitely improving,

It was your longest by a mile.

You want me to both rest and dance...

To multi-task in sleep, perchance?

Like Robin for Maid Marion fair,

Let my arrow fly so straight and true,

That my kisses fall into your hair,

And you hear me whisper,

"I love you." X

an alternative

Tonight I would write an epic email,

Had the wireless card not failed.

I'm left with the choice of a text,

For the chance to make you smile next.

And although it's coming out pretty shitty,

Not to continue would just be a pitty*.

Rest,

Sleep well,

'Cause tomorrow is a new day.

And it's going to be great.

Because I said so.

And sometimes...

Just sometimes, I'm right.

So come and meet me in my dreams,

And we will dance the night away. X X X

*Editor's note: I thought this spelling mistake was too cute to correct :)

... to infinity and beyond

"Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear,

too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice...

but for those who love, time is eternity."

- Henry Van Dyke

Meu Amor...*

No eyes to see your handsome face;
No ears to hear your calming voice;
No hands to brush your soft cheek.

My heart is denied so many pleasures...
But still it loves you
More and more each day.

---

I will come and meet you tonight.

We will dance the night away. x x x

---

And then I dreamt about salsa class.

animaniacs mania

Animaniacs was a fantastic animated TV show back in the 90s. I remember watching it after school on the "What's Up, Doc?" show - such a great variety of characters fielding the entertainment, headed by the troublesome trio Yakko, Wakko and Dot.

In a bout of nostalgia I discovered these superb videos whilst scouring YouTube for classic snippets of Animaniacs. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Yakko and the countries of the world:

An amusing cover of the original:

Wakko and the 50 states of America:

Yakko, Wakko and Dot sing a song about Magellan:

Dot sings the Macarena:



Slappy and Skippy enjoying a concert... but whose?

haunting and precious.

full

Fri 23 July

5-course meal and dessert by Chef Byron

Tonight I had a small "post-French students reunion" dinner with Melody and Byron (and J) at Byron's place in Kensington. It was also a farewell dinner for B as he was only two weeks away from a 2-year stint in Paris studying at Le Cordon Bleu, the famous culinary school.

It was fascinating to see B cooking - the kitchen was filled with pots and pans and dishes and bowls, but it was all under control (with all of us helping out on the easy bits) and the results said it all.

Dinner was delicious! We started with dumplings in soup, followed by raw beef salad ("yook-hwe" in Korean), then roast duck and finally beef steaks in a creamy mushroom and onion sauce with rice, with oysters throughout the meal. Dessert was a very professional looking and yummy tiramisu style cake, also made by Byron. To top it off, Mel had bought some tasty pastries from a shop in Surry Hills which we also enjoyed.

The conversation was good fun, and we were entertained with plenty of Korean pop songs and music videos throughout the evening. I was so happy to be seeing my French-class uni friends again - when I think about it, it's probably been close to 12 months since I'd seen them last, if not longer.

Sat 24 July

Lebanese banquet at Al Aseel

J and I had a pleasantly long walk to Al Aseel in Surry Hills for a dinner with Dave and Rebecca. It was my first time meeting them, and as far as my memory goes it was also the first time I'd been to a Lebanese restaurant. Funnily enough we also bumped into Byron on the way, who was running late to a karaoke date with friends. We were running late too, so we said a quick hello and parted ways.

The food was great - we had all kinds of dips, meats, felafels and salads. I don't remember any of the names, but the tabouleh and fattoush salads were quite tasty. There was so much on the table that even with a combined effort we weren't able to finish all the dishes. We definitely gave it a good try though - I knew there was a reason I didn't want to wear a belt tonight!

It was a night of good food and good company, just like Friday night, but different. There was even a belly dancer performing throughout the restaurant!

After dinner I also had a chance to meet Dani at the Sanctuary Hotel... well almost. There was a huge queue outside and of course there was no way I'd be getting into the venue. Sadly they wouldn't let out Dani either, so we had a phone conversation whilst waving and laughing at each other through the glass wall. Shortly after we'd started chatting on the phone, a bouncer rudely told us to line up or keep moving, so I waved goodbye to Dani while still being on the phone. That was a strange feeling, but despite the distance it was great to see her again.

Sun 25 July

Glorious dumplings and desserts at Din Tai Fung

Friday was a dinner with my friends, Saturday was a dinner with his friends, and tonight was a dinner with unknown friends. By this, I mean that we were seated at a round table with various other customers because the restaurant was so busy.

The walk in the rain was worth it. J and I had dumplings, a spicy wonton noodle soup and tasty hot desserts to finish off what had strangely become a very food-focused weekend. (To backtrack a little, we'd also had lunch at Baia earlier today where we sat outside and did a bit of seagull-, toddler- and people-spotting.)

The golden taro bread was as good as I remembered it. I feel lucky to have been to Din Tai Fung twice in the space of a couple of months. Maybe it's because of the constantly long queues, or maybe it's the efficient service of the bustling waiters and waitresses, but it feels like a special treat to be at the restaurant.

don't stop!

a little bedtime ditty

Don't want to wake you up,

But you're running through my head.

I'd prefer it if you walked,

So that I can go to bed... X

---

Ok. Taking it slow now. I will behave. ;)

See you in my dreams. x x x