Eclipsed

All that is now, all that is gone, all that's to come, and everything under the sun is in tune, but the sun is eclipsed by the moon. - Pink Floyd, Eclipse

It is interesting the way our minds work. The obscure we see eventually. The completely obvious, it seems, takes longer.

The rainy days here in Sydney have passed but clouds hang above us still, almost as if hiding or concealing the full impact of the sun. Filtration is good, for sometimes the full blow of things, such as the truth, is too much to handle and will either result in a severe headache or in this case, a nasty skin disease?

Who are we to judge each other? Sometimes it makes me sad... That the core in all of us is being infiltrated by so many lies, so many prying eyes.

An eclipse means a partial or complete obscuration, relative to a designated observer, and the period of time during which such an obscuration occurs.
Since the earth and moon shine only by the reflected light of the sun, each casts a shadow into space in the direction away from the sun.
Eclipses may be total or partial, depending on whether the moon passes completely into the umbra of the earth's shadow.
This can experience long periods of total eclipse…. Or a partial eclipse.
Some light is refracted, or bent, by the earth's atmosphere, so that the moon at totality, instead of appearing black, ranges from a dull gray, fading in colour and vibrance.
Eclipses are rare but can be predicted in advance, both in time and location.

My passion...

Bears
–Barely retired.
Big and burly, Moe and Curly
Lumber around all day
They let out a grunt, the audience gasps
To see them strut and sway

They live in a world of manufactured rocks
Of nicely presented trees
And when the time shows 3 o’clock
It’s time for their feeding spree…

So night and day they snooze and play
And plod along in confinement
As I snap away, they continue to lay…Desensitized from retirement

The day the music died.

February 3, 1959

"On a cold winter's night a small private plane took off from Clear Lake, Iowa bound for Fargo, N.D. It never made its destination. When that plane crashed, it claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson and the pilot, Roger Peterson. Three of Rock and Roll's most promising performers were gone. As Don McLean wrote in his classic music parable, American Pie, it was "the day the music died."

Well done Vince for winning the bet. I never really doubted that it was 1959, I was just messing with you. :)

Rest in peace... Chantilly Lace, Peggy Sue & Donna....

My passion...

Meerkats
–The Clowns of Taronga
Comical little creatures of the desert
The zoo’s most lovable community
They burrow and dig, sand and dirt,
With a cheerful sort of energy.

They frolic around, without a sound
And form their own system of living
While some keep watch, for suspicious sorts
The others continue their digging

They seem to love attention from people
Peering over the observation wall
At first they stare, then fidget a little
Then stand up to look 10 feet tall!

The meerkats have taught me a significant lesson,
That life’s too short to be spent distressing
Just the look on their face, the fun they embrace
Brings joy to the lives of those observing.

My passion...

Lions
-And a merry old soul was he.
The queen watchful, the king on his throne
Each seemingly lost in thoughts of their own
The cubs once small, are now full grown
Oblivious to freedom, this is their home…

His majesty looks at me with eyes intense
Almost as if sensing the camera’s presence
He does not budge, but holds his stare
As if to say “I am aware…”

A child looks on and starts to cry
This prompts mummy to tell a lie..
“Hush my dear.. see how tame he is…
Really, this silly lion is harmless!”

So the boy hushes and is told to be brave
But just look at the lion’s sad and solemn gaze…
This is the face of one who’s lost hope
Who has nothing better to do than to sit around and mope…
Yet we are empathetic with the child’s situation, but we clap and cheer when the lion roars in frustration…

Exhibitions & Explosions

Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea. All we do, crumbles to the ground though we refuse to see, dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind. - Kansas, Dust In The Wind

Tomorrow evening 5.30 -7. Free wine and snacky's. I think someone mentioned getting high last night. I'm quite keen. I do not approve of wine bottle stealage though....FAZ!

Happy 25th of October birthday to Schteve, Joop and Denise. All 3 in different parts of the globe but important enough to be remembered by a Lin, which is a big deal...considering her database only stores less than 10 birthdates...

Mexican prawns at Juanita's, Kensington is goodstuff.

Hooray for the re-birth of Martin's blog. Mussle Rock and horse in transition... I am still thinking... I think I need to google it.

We were talking about movies last night. Somebody let me know if they remember an old film featuring a very young Tom Hanks chasing after a mouse in an old run-down house. Again, I could google it...just thought i'd ask first. Damn...I've forgotten the fellow's name (alongside Helen Hunt in Twister) again. Something about him appearing in the Simpsons...or was that to do with the guy in MouseHunt. I'm confused.
(By the way guys, did they charge us for 2 jugs of Sangria?)

Something else I wish to clarify. Graham B said flour explodes when blown up (airborne) as the particles somehow mix with the right amount of Nitrogen and Oxygen to form a *kaboom*. It would all be pretty cool, but curiosity and a bit of scepticism kicked in after talking about it last night and I just did some further research....Established that a mild source of heat is required for this to happen. As his story was set in a birthday party scenario (a game involving 2 people blowing corn flour at each other and it blowing up in their faces)... I assume that there was probably a recently extinguished match or candle involved somewhere along the way.

"Almost all organic material or un-oxidized metal, when in a dust cloud, will ignite when a heat source (approximately the temperature of a recently extinguished match will do) is present. Food dusts such as sugar, starch, flour, and cocoa are also major causes of dust explosions."

Hmmm... should have tested it last night at Clara's. :)

Dreamflakes

It's the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance. It's the dream afraid of waking that never takes the chance. - Bette Midler, The Rose

I sit and stare at the screen not knowing what to write. So I dream instead. These days, it's so hard to dream without question. When young, dreams fed our imagination, dreams fanned the fire of curiosity burning inside of us...dreams helped us live fearlessly, worry-free and well, idealistically.
I block out all the gunk in my mind and imagination sets me free. The rain has cooled the air and the world is damp and wet as if acting as a buffer to any thoughts with sharp edges my mind should conjure up. It is time...to wander.

I wander where glossy, ultramarine blue snowflakes pour down amidst a moonlight that shines like the sun and yet gives out no heat, therefore not melting anything.
I wander where fields and fields of endless seaweed float up in to the air as if supported by water when there is none.
I wander where the touch of a faceless lover's hand is soft and comforting unto the cheek, with no trace of fear, judgement or hesitation.
I wander where my room contains a big piece of 'fluffy nothingness'...about as big as a bean-bag, that floats around in my house, silently and ever so peacefully bouncing off the walls.

I wander about little bits of nonsense, that although I know will never do me or anyone any good, makes me feel empowered by the endless possibilities in this world... and gives me a bit of silliness to balance out all the seriousness and monotony of work and routine that has been spinning around us all.....

SFBS

Can't buy what I want because it's free. Can't be what you want because I'm me. - Pearl Jam, Corduroy

Bad blog. I will not let you consume me. I will not let my words intimidate me and I will not let 'having-nothing-to-write-ness' overwhelm me.

The last time I had a bolt of blog-brain-deadness was when I was back in Penang and my thoughts were spinning all over the place. The second time would be the past 10 days. Me and this here blog have a funny relationship. Sometimes it calls out to me, sometimes it ignores me....right now, i'm holding my head up high and saying 'i'm writing. whether you like it or not.' And it's just shrugging at me...

Guys, thanks for the feedback on the previous post. Most of it was delightfully yummy. (can't help it..hungry brain... doesn't mean my brain-food standards decrease though.) It all added to that big mixing pot in the head... And with this, I shall come up with some freaky recipe or manual on 'how to handle life'. That is, when the brew matures or when the stew has sat on the stove for long enough to taste good enough to eat.

And oh, In case you haven't noticed, there is a new link to your right containing photos of all sorts. I shall be updating them...frequently enough. Thanks to Clara, the pic titled 'high on air' is I think, one of the best shots anyone has ever taken of me in my hyperactive/happy mode.

Work has been getting to me. I refuse to use the word 'stressed-out' because that is too common and does not mean anything much anymore. I believe, 80% of uni students at this point in time would believe they are... 'stressed-out'. 50% of this 80% are probably lying to not appear to be arrogant (i.e I am brilliant. My time managing skills are great and I have everything under control), or are obligated to feel stressed out (i.e I am not stressed. but I should be. therefore I will deem myself stressed.. then perhaps I shall get more work done).
I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. And yes the percentages were put in to make it seem like I know what I am talking about.

If I were to self-diagnose myself with something at this moment. I would call it... 'stress-ish flustersome blahable syndrome'. SFBS. Ironic how it has the letters 'SF' and 'BS' in it as well... Considering my two biggest work-related headaches come from a lecturer called 'Stan Fung' and a subject called 'Building Services'.

Other updates... Fiddler On The Roof, or rather Topol, was great... but believe it or not, I am more eager to share and promote the film 'Big Fish' which I JUST watched (after yonks of having the DVD... i know, i'm slow). It has well-deservedly earned it's spot up there in my '5 favourite films of all time' list. Which is a big deal for me. Just thinking about the floating popcorn scene sends shivers down my spine...

I had a feeling this blog entry would be disjointed. Kind of reflects how I feel at the moment. I'll let you 'all know when I piece all the bits floating around together again....

Identification Please

For what is a man, what has he got? If not himself, then he has naught. To say the things he truly feels, and not the words of one who kneels. - Paul Anka; Frank Sinatra; Elvis Presley, My Way

I believe I’ve worked out why I don’t receive as much feedback from my friends back home in Penang, although they claim to visit....
Lin and Hai Lin, I think hold different identities, in a way…or rather different connotations. This blog is mainly about Lin. My Penang friends don’t know her that well. They can’t relate to her. We’ve got fewer things in common. That is what me thinks, anyway.

- Lin is me after high school, in Australia. Lin’s close friends are different to Hai Lin’s close friends. Lin had a serious boyfriend. She is more artsy and knows less boundaries. Lin generally has more on her mind and on her plate. She lives in an apartment on High Street and pays her bills and shops and cooks and cleans. She loves her cocktails, poker & concerts. Can often be spotted with headphones on, walking to the gym or on a bus just thinking about…stuff. I believe Lin is older, age-wise.
- Hai Lin lives in a house with 2 dogs and a garden in Penang. She is usually more relaxed and can be seen hanging out with old school friends at shopping malls or cafes. Family means the world to her. Late nights out are hardly common. She enjoys driving because it allows her to be in a moving ‘space-that-plays-good-music’. (Also, unlike Lin, she has access to a car!) She sleeps more, talks on the phone more, watches tv more. I also believe she speaks slightly differently.

Both can’t help bobbing to good music & thrives on laughter and good company. Amongst other crossovers…

It’s interesting how our surroundings influence our outlook and perception of being. I mean, I’m sure everyone has many facets to their personality as well.
Is holding firm to your character being stubborn? Are chameleons…weak?

Many a time have I seen a friend shake their head in disappointment regarding another friend with the comment “sigh…he/she has changed, I feel like I don’t know him/her anymore.”
....Doesn’t that just mean… they didn’t know him/her that well to begin with?
When we grow, do we add on or do we evolve?

Identity VS Experience. Ever wondered, if say, a Donkey were to live my life from start till now, how much of a Lin would she be? How much of personality is manufactured?

And then there is the concept of nicknames and how say, Bubbles, Giant, Penguin, Baja, Dory, LIIIIiiiiiiiinnnnn etc vary in terms of expectations of character. I know, they appear to be just nicknames. But I think there might be more to it than that.

Close friends, penny for your thoughts.

*pics taken at Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney May 2005

Changes

It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine. - REM, It's The End Of The World As We Know It

Wow. One week. That's all it took. Just one week. And it's Wednesday already.

One week. Martin's blog, Advarp has died. I truly gasped from behind the screen when I read the words 'Advarp ends here'. I guess he's one who believes in flings.
One week. Bali got bombed again. Damn it. Hasn't Indonesia had enough dramas already? Life fair? my ass.
One week. Mum's in U.K shopping with sis. Daddy's at home missing her.
One week. UNSW badminton made history with it's biggest gold swipe ever.
One week. Brisbane. Seen that, done that, left that. Now it's left me going "Huh? Where did all that time go?"
One week. I have a new friend called Monkey. Amongst other new friends. But monkey is pretty funky.
One week. I've got a new student. I start lessons with him this Sunday.
One week. 2 team members decided to stuff their partners and indulge in some monkey business. I don't understand. I guess, like Martin, they believe in flings.

One week. That's all it took. Time boggles me.