By: Selah
This is the song that keeps me going whenever my heart is burdened.
It's such a cozy day today, though not that much for driving :). We Midwesterns are experiencing quite a big snow storm since Sunday afternoon, and uni was canceled today for me, which is rare really. The funny thing is, I did not like the cancellation at all; I was actually looking forward to having my printmaking class today so that I could ask my professor for suggestions and help on my newest drawing. Unlike the last one, which I struggled all throughout, this one came to me relatively easy, and the process of drawing was really enjoyable. I'm kinda worried now because the drawing hasn't been etched or printed yet; and I had to turn in the porfolio this coming Thursday!!! The bad thing is... the snow won't stop until tomorrow, and by then, the snow would be up to around 12 inches or so (hopefully it won't be that bad), and I'm not sure how I will handle driving around in ~that~, lol.
So... I finally deactivated my Facebook account after three months of non activity. I don't think I'll be missed, lol XD, nor will I miss it. It's a nice social network site, though it's just too much stimulation for me, and I can't handle stimulation all that well. The old dear best friends I used to have I was unable to find online, and now I'd prefer to contact the few current friends I have via emails, phones or face to face :), also, I once lost quite a bit of personal information so now I'm always kinda nervous to have too much of my info online for others to see, so deactivating seemed a welcoming approach. Actually for a period of time I hated Facebook and how superficial it is to see everybody 'keeping in touch' with shallow comments, or 'collecting' friends just for the sake of it (I had seen people with over 1000 friends, what the heck!). Of course, I was like that too, friending people I know briefly for like one day, or accepting request for friends from acquaintance of my friends. It's rather pathetic... I guess it was during the time when my acceptance of myself was low, and I couldn't tolerate the fact that I had not much friends in real life therefore the race to add as much people I know to the list as possible so that I won't have to appear as 'uncool' or 'unsocial' (I got so irritated when a manager made a joke on how I only had 30 friends or so on FB, and that she wasn't good enough to be my 'friend', seriously, people like that get on my nerves!). Now that I look back, it's just so silly. It feels like high school and popularity contest all over again, and I want no part in it... there're just too much attention seekers and it gets tiresome having to see constant status updates, sometimes for things that I don't care to know about at all. Ah well... it's over now, and I have no regrets closing it out on me. Now, I don't hate it anymore, because I no longer care... I guess when you have no interest in something, you will see mostly the negative parts of it. That could have held true in my case; my life is not affected by the decision by any means because I wasn't fond of FB to begin with. I feel lucky I'm not addicted to it, as it opens door for me to connect with the few people I know on a much more personal level, and to leave time for me to study and for recreational activities and hobbies. And lately, I'm learning to give myself more time alone because it's my temperament (being an introvert) and not feeling bad about it; as well as being more open and honest to myself and to others. Now I can be silent in the company of another without feeling the guilt and urge to 'speak up', because I'm just acting myself and not trying to please everyone I come in contact with. It's exhausted to be agreeable all the time so that I would be liked. Man, I guess some people I know figured it out that it was all an act, lol? I was desperated for friendship a while back so I did all I could to be agreeable and likable, heheh... and it backfired really, because nobody likes a faked person.
Btw, I'm in love with the beat of this song "Hot Girl". Actually, this song is a 'controversial song' amongst the hot girls in Vietnam right now. I don't care, just thought the beat is awesome, and the lyrics aren't that bad :).
HOT GIRL
By: Hoang Hai and Manh Quan
Anyhoo, I'll go back to study now. Ja!
Quiet Thursday morning...
Listening to a dear old friend's piano playing, and suddenly I couldn't stop the tears from rolling.Though they aren't tears of self-pity or of sudden emotional grip from such an inspiring piece of music... but of that realization of how horrible I must have been to the people around me came to me in full force.
I was so wrapped up within my own self, I lost tracks of all the close people around me, of their struggles, their needs for support, and even their happiness.
Solitude is something that I embrace... though with this solitude came an ignorance that seems disgusting now. For the past several years I repeated burdened my sister with occasional tantrum and breakdowns at how much I pity my own life, with its lack of true friendship and excitement. Now that I think about it, I'm the one to blame. I'm really sorry sister, for only venting my 'own' frustration, totally ignoring your emotional distress living alone far away from the family. I carried on with friendship and hid away my true self, only to complained later of how 'abandoned' I felt by not having enough attention and care, though truly have I cared enough for someone to receive the same kind of love back? I don't give but expect to receive all the time.
It's truly unhealthy to live a life knowing of only me, me and me.
Now is really a time to change.
P.S: For everyone that actually cares to read and follows my little blog, thank you very much.
I can't get this song out of my head ^^. Lately, I'm pretty impressed with the Vietnamese music industry. Originality it does not have much, but you can tell they're trying hard and that alone gives me such good impression :).
EM TRONG MAT TOI / YOU IN MY EYES
By: Nguyen Duc Cuong
Em đẹp không cần son phấn xinh thật xinh thật xinh... rất hiền...
Không quần jeans giầy cao gót em chọn riêng mình em áo dài duyên dáng...
Giống như hoa kia bên thềm ngát hương không khoe sắc màu ngàn đóa hoa đang rực rỡ không sánh bằng...
Nhẹ nhàng tung bay tà áo dài... Em phụ nữ Việt
Ánh lên bao rạng ngời người Phương Đông
Người đẹp dáng xinh hay vì anh đang ngập tràn hạnh phúc bên em bừng lên khúc xuân xanh ngời...
Người con gái Việt mặc chiếc áo dài
Đẹp khắp bốn phương... một nét Á Đông
Một ngày nơi xa chiều buồn lang thang tình cờ ngang qua
Một tà áo trắng một bờ vai xinh tôi không quen
Lòng chợt ấm áp gửi làn gió nói về miền yêu thương
Tôi Yêu Em Tôi Nhớ Em
I'm reading some good books lately. Let's see, I finished not too long ago the first in a trilogy by Suzanne Collins called The Hunger Game. It was a great book and after I got to the last page I found myself hopping onto Amazon to order the second one right away which was just released not too long ago. I guess I was fortunate to read The Hunger Game later than most people, hence I didn't have to wait for long for the publish of the second one: Catching Fire :). But now I'm engaging myself in another huge novel, a second one by one of my new favorite authors Carlos Zafon: The Angel's game. Let me tell you, I'm looooving it so far. As far as I know, I wasn't that drawn into it as much as the first book I read of this author The Shadow of the Wind, but this one really is going in a new direction and still is very good on its own. At the same time, I'm reading another book (at a more leisure pace since this book is a difficult read) by Haruki Murakami, another favorite author of mine, and the book is called Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. Some people don't care much for this book but I found myself liking it a tad bit more than his other works in the past, including popular ones like Kafka on the Shore (loved it in the beginning but grew weary of it at the end), or The Wind-up Bird Chronicle (I didn't like it that much, kinda hated the protagonist). Guess why I went for it? Because the book inspired an anime I love dearly Haibane Renmei. Did I tell you how much I love that little gem of an anime? Tsk tsk, I might have to blog about it later, few animes can make such a big impact on my emotions like that one :).
It seems like everyday, I understand myself a little better. You read it right, myself and not someone else. Would it be considered cold or conceited or selfish to say that I'm constantly thinking about my own feelings? But that's just exactly how I think most of the time! I'm highly aware of my own thoughts, down to the tiniest details... But the quiz I did told me that I just happen to possess very high Intrapersonal Intelligence, and there's actually nothing wrong with that. I am just who I am. On the other hand, my Interpersonal Intelligence (people skills) is quite lacking, lol XD. It's always been the case, with me being very socially awkward. When I turned 19, it was when I started to seek an identity for myself. But the problems of low self-esteem started as early as 6th grade for me. My elementary school years were just as happy and fun as anyone could have hoped for. Until now, I long to go back to those days of pure innocence and oblivions quite frequently.
In middle school I went to a bigger school and it was when students started to form cliques. I wasn't particularly a loner, but it seems like I was always excluded somehow. Friends I had, close friends, none. Even so, I was fine with my lack of friends because at that time I was greatly concerned with my body image, lol. And so it went, until a point that I forgot how to make friends. But you see, I was fine, or thought I was.
When I turned 19, that was when things changed. And now at 22, I understand myself way clearer than I would have ever wanted. With understanding comes forgiveness and ease. I'm at ease with who I am now. The Intrapersonal thing adds to that. It explains why I suck at small talks, or why I always feel kind of bored at senseless conversations. Not that I'm arrogant, it's just that I tend to have more to say when it goes a little more philosophical or psychological I guess. It explains why I am so emotional and religious, why I am such a perfectionist, why I procrastinate, why I love to study yoga/meditation, why I frequent personal-development websites, or why I tend to withdraw into myself. The world exhausts me at times.
Being at ease really helps. So far, it makes this semester at school a lot less stressful to me. I take the same amount of classes, but instead of dropping them in fear of failure, I'm sticking to them when I realize I can never be perfect, nor do I have to be one. And I work so much harder now and just do, instead of all talks like in the past. Occasionally I fall back like always, but getting back up doesn't seem as dreadful or impossible.
I will have to work extremely extremely hard if I want to graduate this May. And then there comes the issue of finding a job. I love how my parents are being easy on me about this. Truly my family is the source of my strength, without them I am not sure if I would ever work as hard. And perhaps my family is one thing that I feel so blessed I have, and one thing that I constantly thank God everyday about. Even though I don't really express it out loud, but during the time my depression was at its peak, thoughts of how lucky I am to have parents and siblings who love me so much guided me through that awful period; I just broke down and cried for hours, feeling so sad that I actually let depression took hold of my life when I still have people who love me so, and I love them dearly.
I really want to embark on a journey/travel to some foreign countries after my graduation. Don't we all want to do that at some point in our lives? That day of graduation will come... and I honestly don't want my dream to remain just a dream. Guess we'll see how things play out, well, because life is just so wonderful and full of unknown possibilities. If God agrees with my dream, I know I'll be somewhere when the time comes. In what way I will not know yet, but that's one thing that makes life worth living, right? In the mean time, I'll continue to pray earnestly and work in the best of my ability.
Kiss the Rain
by: Yiruma
Some delayed pictures of my trip to Missouri two weeks ago.
We were in three cities: Carthage and Joplin on the first day; and St. Louis on the second and third day. It was a fun trip, somewhat boring during the first day because we stayed in Carthage a little bit for Marian day and didn't know what to do -___-; not until like 8, or 9pm when the concert including Paris by Night singers started. Second day was soo hot and we spent like the entire day visiting the Gateway Arch. It was okay, pretty on the outside but had nothing to do once you are inside. The cruise felt long and pointless in a way, because there was nothing to see really, unlike my trip to Chicago last year, lol. I got so tanned because of this trip though, hehe... On the third day we made a trip to visit Vietnamese Alliance Church in St. Louis and got a chance to talk to their new pastor, he was so hillarious and kind :). We didn't make it to the Botanical Garden until like after 1pm. Because of time constraint we only spent like 2 hours at the Garden but there was so much to see. Our plan of leaving St. Louis at mid-morning was totally ruined, hihi. If we had more time, I totally would have loved to visit either World of Fun or Ocean of Fun, or maybe Six Flags for some fun rides. However, visiting was good enough. At least this trip took me off some stress from working and summer school this summer. Another good thing, we spent very little this time, yahoo!!! Cheap trip is always a bonus, right right? :)
If only I could say... goodbye.
I said goodbye to a dear friend today.
I knew within my heart that I will be about to say goodbye to something else too.
But for now, I just can't do it.
Feel like I'm running in place a lot.
I said goodbye to a dear friend today.
I knew within my heart that I will be about to say goodbye to something else too.
But for now, I just can't do it.
Feel like I'm running in place a lot.
I just saw Hayley's comet, she waved
Said why you always running in place?
Even the man in the moon disappeared
Somewhere in the stratosphere
Second Chance
By: Shinedown
This is how I'm feeling; all the heavy baggage on my back that makes me feel like dropping it all... The question is, should I or should I not? Or what is it that I should leave behind to keep on moving forward? What bad things are keeping me so frickin' exhausted in life?
Translations:
- You idiot! You're gonna starve if you keep up like this. Just eat fer krissakes!
- No way... I still have to lose 3 more kg...
Fortunately, that image above really helped lighten up my mood a little ^^. Still, a solution is needed right now... Ahhh, my head is about to burst T^T.
This afternoon after church and eating out with my family, I went straight home and started cooking right away, which is so rare of me. The last time I really cooked something was around more than half a year ago, lol XD. So this time it was such an experience. I made the soup as you can see below, and two more dishes for my brother to take with him to Omaha tomorrow and for my dad to eat the day after as well.
This is really yummy, heheh and healthy too :). The ingredients are as follow: dice carrots, corns, petit pois, imitation crabmeat, real crabmeat, chicken, shrimps, quail eggs; all put together in a chicken soup base with 2 beaten eggs stirred in at the end.
... and I finally started the Book Thief!! It's really good so far :D. And uhm, after two weeks trying to eat less and working a hella lot more, I lost 8 lbs already now, yay ^^!!!!
This is really yummy, heheh and healthy too :). The ingredients are as follow: dice carrots, corns, petit pois, imitation crabmeat, real crabmeat, chicken, shrimps, quail eggs; all put together in a chicken soup base with 2 beaten eggs stirred in at the end.
... and I finally started the Book Thief!! It's really good so far :D. And uhm, after two weeks trying to eat less and working a hella lot more, I lost 8 lbs already now, yay ^^!!!!
My newborn niece - Gia An!!!
Awww, she's sooo adorable ^__^... and guess what, she takes after my name too. If my name means grace/blessing in Vietnamese, this baby's name means more and more blessing, or overflowing blessing. She has such a pretty name :), and is so well loved way before she was born. My sister told me that Gia An already smiled at her, which was quite a surprising act for newborn babies. She's also an easy baby, doesn't cry as much but sleeps and eats a lot :D. How I wish I was in Vietnam right now so that I could be able to hold her and stay by my sister's side... Let see, Gia An looks just like my brother-in-law; she's got his eyes and nose, but got my sister's lips ^^a. I really hope she will grow up to be a strong and healthy girl and be a blessing to others just like her name suggests.
Lately, it seems like besides the usual everyday work and chores, what I do is lay around and watch movies. I don't know, when I get home from work it's usually 8:30 pm or later, and I just can't force myself to do anything else. Last time at the library I borrowed two books to read (one is a Murakami's book and the other is called the Book Thief) but haven't even started yet, hic T^T; Hope that will change soon. And August is coming, which means school will start for me again after 3 weeks or so T_____T;
1) Life is beautiful (Italy) ... 4/5
Beautiful movie, I wasn't familiar with Italian films so it took me a while to 'get used' to the style. But once I did, I enjoyed the movie thoroughly. Very good performance all around.
2) Paris, je t'aime (France) ... 3/5
Movie compiles of a lot of short little stories. Some I liked, some were just plain boring. Overall, it was a pretty good movie.
3) Way of Blue Sky (Japan) ... 3/5
This was a slow, laid-back, bittersweet, heartfelt teen movie (of course with dramas but minus all the cat-fights, vengeance, popularity contest, etc, etc.); just very typical of Japanese movies. I didn't enjoy it until half-way through when the tension was pushed up a little bit.
4) The Machinist (US) ... 4/5
Woah, I was pleasantly surprised at how this movie came out. Watched without any pre-notion of what it was about but I love it :). Very good psychological thriller and darn, my admiration for Christian Bale was pushed up one notch seeing how he lost 60lbs for this role 0.o; *respects*
5) Waiting in the Dark (Japan) ... 3/5
Again, a slow and very quiet thriller. I liked it enough but would not vote it very highly. The story was rather thin, and there could have been more character-study but it wasn't too bad. Though this is definitely not for the impatients.
6) Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (Japan/Animation) ... 3/5
I generally like most Ghibli movies, this one... not so much. The visuals were stunning as expected but the story left me -_- most of the time. Probably a second watch will be needed. So far, this is my least favorite amongst all the Ghibli movies I have seen up until this point...
7) The Scent of Green Papaya (Vietnam) ... 3.5/5
The cinematography and music were exceptional in this movie. But uhm, it was slow... Beautiful movie though, wish there could be a little more to the story however.
One good news though, my sister just gave birth to a baby girl yesterday ^^!!!! I'm so glad both of my sister and the baby are healthy; too bad I won't be able to see the baby until next year when I get a chance to go back to Vietnam after 10 years. We were so worried for my sister all through the last 2 days, and now we could take a big belly breath of relief. And my mom is leaving for Vn this coming Friday, because of that since last week I've been running errands for her all around town -_____-, doctor appointments, shopping for clothes, gifts, medicine, etc. etc.; it drove me insane, lol. But, but... freedom at last!!! Lol, just kidding :). I'll be missing her, but I know it's all for good because my sister at this moment needs my mom more than anyone else. I can't wait to see my first niece :D.
That's all I wanna say this time, I'm so tired yet I've got to start on a crochet project *yawns*... argh, i need time, hic hic...
1) Life is beautiful (Italy) ... 4/5
Beautiful movie, I wasn't familiar with Italian films so it took me a while to 'get used' to the style. But once I did, I enjoyed the movie thoroughly. Very good performance all around.
2) Paris, je t'aime (France) ... 3/5
Movie compiles of a lot of short little stories. Some I liked, some were just plain boring. Overall, it was a pretty good movie.
3) Way of Blue Sky (Japan) ... 3/5
This was a slow, laid-back, bittersweet, heartfelt teen movie (of course with dramas but minus all the cat-fights, vengeance, popularity contest, etc, etc.); just very typical of Japanese movies. I didn't enjoy it until half-way through when the tension was pushed up a little bit.
4) The Machinist (US) ... 4/5
Woah, I was pleasantly surprised at how this movie came out. Watched without any pre-notion of what it was about but I love it :). Very good psychological thriller and darn, my admiration for Christian Bale was pushed up one notch seeing how he lost 60lbs for this role 0.o; *respects*
5) Waiting in the Dark (Japan) ... 3/5
Again, a slow and very quiet thriller. I liked it enough but would not vote it very highly. The story was rather thin, and there could have been more character-study but it wasn't too bad. Though this is definitely not for the impatients.
6) Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (Japan/Animation) ... 3/5
I generally like most Ghibli movies, this one... not so much. The visuals were stunning as expected but the story left me -_- most of the time. Probably a second watch will be needed. So far, this is my least favorite amongst all the Ghibli movies I have seen up until this point...
7) The Scent of Green Papaya (Vietnam) ... 3.5/5
The cinematography and music were exceptional in this movie. But uhm, it was slow... Beautiful movie though, wish there could be a little more to the story however.
One good news though, my sister just gave birth to a baby girl yesterday ^^!!!! I'm so glad both of my sister and the baby are healthy; too bad I won't be able to see the baby until next year when I get a chance to go back to Vietnam after 10 years. We were so worried for my sister all through the last 2 days, and now we could take a big belly breath of relief. And my mom is leaving for Vn this coming Friday, because of that since last week I've been running errands for her all around town -_____-, doctor appointments, shopping for clothes, gifts, medicine, etc. etc.; it drove me insane, lol. But, but... freedom at last!!! Lol, just kidding :). I'll be missing her, but I know it's all for good because my sister at this moment needs my mom more than anyone else. I can't wait to see my first niece :D.
That's all I wanna say this time, I'm so tired yet I've got to start on a crochet project *yawns*... argh, i need time, hic hic...
Busy, busy, busy -______-;;
Why is it that when you have a lot of time,
nothing comes around. But when you are
busy, more and more things pile up?!!
I miss writing in this blog T^T.....
Working two jobs, designing wedding
albums, taking care of house works
and cookings when my mom is gone,
finishing up my crochet stuff as gifts,
going on a trip to Missouri, attending
wedding/farewell party/bbq cook-out,
and lots more within the range of the
next two weeks or so -____-;
I NEED SLEEP SO BAD...
and I miss having time to read...
and design... and take photos...
and watch anime/foreign movies
... and really be present with my
family and friends...
I should shut up now before this
becomes a long long long complaint.
Even so...
This is fun.
I am still lost, but I am happy
I tried, in the best of my ability.
I thank God everyday that he
gives me health and strength
to carry on, each new day
refresh and vibrant.
Have a good day, everyone!
Hope your days are exciting :).
That's gonna be my lunch/dinner when I go to work today. It's boring stuff again but it's time to restrict myself against food since I've been gaining lots of weight lately. Let see, I have boiled broccoli florets and cut carrots with two hotdogs cut to shapes with a few dabs of soy sauce for taste, otherwise my dinner will be quite bland, and I can't tolerate dullness in my meal, even though, the boiled veggies would still be very sweet on their own.
For the last 4 days or so I started using SparkPeople again, and have been tracking my meals since. By doing so, I came to the awareness of how much calories I'd put inside of me without tracking it carefully. I'm trying my best to lose up to at least 35 pounds by the end of this year, so that means I have to continue eating in the range of 1200-1500 calories per day to lose around 2 lbs per week. And to think that in the past I used to stuff my mouth with 2 to 3 sweet rolls at snack time that is around 350 calories each, eek >___<; This tracking system is so useful because now, before I stuff anything in my mouth, I have to think. That puts away my cravings to some points.
I don't know if any of you is like me but I can eat real well and healthy, but don't you go eating in front of me!!! Temptation tends to get me -__-; and then I'd eat even more to satisfy my cravings later. That's why all my last diet attempts backfired. This time I don't think of my eating this way as too much of a diet, but a choice to eat better and healthier. Once I think like that, I was able to overcome some temptations as of late, lol. Lately, I can feel that my health has been going badly, so another reason for this change is that I'm so scared of being so obese and then I will become more prone to catch other illnesses associating with obesity. I remember one morning I woke up and felt horrible after a heavy night of eating; my whole body ached so bad and I couldn't breathe all that well. I was so scared and told myself that that was it, that was enough, I don't want to be heavy and fat anymore. It wasn't that I was a laughing stock to some people though I can feel how uncomfortable I am when I go out being heavy. I even dread going shopping because I tend to not fit in most clothes I love T^T. And I don't see why I have to go on feeling bad about my fat stature. But the health issue was really what got me the most. If there's one thing I sincerely hope to attempt at the end of this year, it's to lose enough weight to feel healthy. Let's see how things will go from now.
What else have I been doing... I've been taking pictures but too lazy to edit them, been crocheting but not quite finish, been watching a lot of foreign movies, been keeping myself busy saved for yesterday when I just roamed around the house doing nothing, you know, days when you don't want to do anything...
Yesterday night was so strange, or more like, I felt so strange last night. It was a night that I felt total serenity, and could even palpate my existence around me. Nothing mattered to me, my emotions went to sleep or something. I just knew one thing and it was that I existed and I was happy, a very quiet happiness with utter satisfaction. Just a little bit earlier I was arguing with my brother over something stupid, and 10 minutes later I went into a total phase of silence coupled with tranquility. It was just weird I tell you. Now that I think about it, you know... I remember thinking to myself at that moment that if someone was to order me to die right that instant, I would have happily complied.
You know, I think about death quite a bit recently. Not in that suicidal thought mind you, but just that I'm curious about death. And I've been living day after day now having this constant thought that I should appreciate every moment I have on earth in case I'm to die tomorrow. Who knows right... That weird kind of thought gives me strength and tolerance and understanding, believe it or not. Because of me thinking about that last stage of my life, there is nothing matters as much anymore. Silly arguments, hatred, envy, I let them go. Every moment counts... I wonder if that was because I feel my health getting bad that I start going into a sort of defense mode to protect myself... Who knows, my mind is wired so strange.
Oh well... life goes on and I have to get to work now, lol. I hope you all have a good day!!!
That picture above was my lunch this afternoon. I was in Omaha the whole day today, so it was the perfect opportunity to have a reason to pack my lunch, and to use my bento box again, yay, heeh ^^; I know the food was kinda boring, but those were the stuff found in my fridge, and I really didn't have that much time to prepare more thoroughly. But I knew it was nutritious enough for me :). Here's a little summary of what was inside: cut apple pieces, one bunny-shaped boiled egg, two small slices of marble cheese on whole wheat crackers, and under the crackers lied one slice of wheat bread with the crust removed.
... and I found this one very interesting and oddly funny short video from Youtube's screening room and thought I'd share to those who did not get a chance to watch it.
SPIDER
One more thing before I go, but why am I seeing a LOT of baby boys lately? I mean, last time when we had a praying session at my house, the boys flocked my study room; and today in Omaha I had to be in a room with 4 mischievous boys ranging from 10 to 3 years old running around, fighting and screaming >_< and babysat them for an hour *sighs*. In church, I'm seeing more and more baby boys amongst the young kids, hm... strange... wonder if we are gonna have a shortage of baby girls in the near future?
Jul 9, 2009
amigurumi,
artworks,
crocheting,
movies,
photography,
ranting,
reviews
1 comments
_ in the zone _
I watched some very good movies recently.
1) 3-iron (Korean)
This is a very poignant and quiet movie. Yup, you say it, I love my movies quiet and charming. They say 'still water runs deep', not that it's always true but for the most parts, I dislike talkative movies that are loud just for the sake of it. 3-iron is a movie about a strange romance between a guy who breaks into people's house when they're absent to live up their resources, in return he fixes up broken things for the owners and does laundry, and an abused woman in one of the houses he breaks in. She follows him and together they embark on a journey. The whole movie, the main guy never spoke one word, and the woman uttered only a few phrases, one of them I think was 'I love you'. And uhm, hehe, I watched the movie in Korean but still understood most of them just fine. That is to say how little dialogues this movie has, but it was such a beautiful beautiful movie of love that really tugs at my heartstrings.
2) Les Choristes (French)
Another French movie that I really really love, the other one being Amelie. This one is about the transformation a transferred teacher has on his rebellious students by creating a choir. The music in this movie is absolutely breathtaking. A very charming little movie that will leave you with a smile at the end, even though the ending was pretty sad itself, but it was also very endearing.
3) My kid could paint that (Documentary)
Woah, this documentary was great and thought-provoking. It's about this little 4-year-old girl who took the world by storm in 2005 with her amazing abstract paintings. People claimed that she was a prodigy until a program on 60 minutes stated that the whole thing was a scam, and that her father was the one who 'directed' the painting, and polished it up. One of her paintings could sell up to $20,000 or more. Imagine how it would be like when people suspect that they might be conned. The documentary never answered the question. Even the director was as confused as all the others. This deviation from just a regular documentary about a talented kid really took me by surprise. Really, this is a well-made documentary that would leave you thinking for days after it ends. And since it's about Art, it resonates with me even more.
4) Up (animation)
I watched this in the theatre the first week it came out and loved every minute of it. I'd have to say that I adore Pixar now. Their three recent movies top my list of favorite movies, with this movie moving up to the top, Ratatouille at the 2nd spot, and 3rd is Wall-e. I love the comedy in this, and the drama too. It was just so heart-warming, ahhhh...
I'm watching The Silence of the Lamb now, and it's really intriguing so far :). We'll see how it comes of this supposedly 'classic thriller'. Another movie that I really want to watch is this Italian film "Nuovo cinema paradiso", heard some good thing about it so definitely will check it out if I could find it.
That's it, folks. I hope you have fun this weekend!! My brother is leaving for a wedding in Colorado, aww.. I'm so jealous. This year I have not been anywhere exciting, huhu... feel like I'm wilting here with work and school all the time T^T... Anyways, that's it with the complaints, in fact, I'm happy where I am now, would not want to change it for anything *winks*... good day guys!
1) 3-iron (Korean)
This is a very poignant and quiet movie. Yup, you say it, I love my movies quiet and charming. They say 'still water runs deep', not that it's always true but for the most parts, I dislike talkative movies that are loud just for the sake of it. 3-iron is a movie about a strange romance between a guy who breaks into people's house when they're absent to live up their resources, in return he fixes up broken things for the owners and does laundry, and an abused woman in one of the houses he breaks in. She follows him and together they embark on a journey. The whole movie, the main guy never spoke one word, and the woman uttered only a few phrases, one of them I think was 'I love you'. And uhm, hehe, I watched the movie in Korean but still understood most of them just fine. That is to say how little dialogues this movie has, but it was such a beautiful beautiful movie of love that really tugs at my heartstrings.
2) Les Choristes (French)
Another French movie that I really really love, the other one being Amelie. This one is about the transformation a transferred teacher has on his rebellious students by creating a choir. The music in this movie is absolutely breathtaking. A very charming little movie that will leave you with a smile at the end, even though the ending was pretty sad itself, but it was also very endearing.
3) My kid could paint that (Documentary)
Woah, this documentary was great and thought-provoking. It's about this little 4-year-old girl who took the world by storm in 2005 with her amazing abstract paintings. People claimed that she was a prodigy until a program on 60 minutes stated that the whole thing was a scam, and that her father was the one who 'directed' the painting, and polished it up. One of her paintings could sell up to $20,000 or more. Imagine how it would be like when people suspect that they might be conned. The documentary never answered the question. Even the director was as confused as all the others. This deviation from just a regular documentary about a talented kid really took me by surprise. Really, this is a well-made documentary that would leave you thinking for days after it ends. And since it's about Art, it resonates with me even more.
4) Up (animation)
I watched this in the theatre the first week it came out and loved every minute of it. I'd have to say that I adore Pixar now. Their three recent movies top my list of favorite movies, with this movie moving up to the top, Ratatouille at the 2nd spot, and 3rd is Wall-e. I love the comedy in this, and the drama too. It was just so heart-warming, ahhhh...
I'm watching The Silence of the Lamb now, and it's really intriguing so far :). We'll see how it comes of this supposedly 'classic thriller'. Another movie that I really want to watch is this Italian film "Nuovo cinema paradiso", heard some good thing about it so definitely will check it out if I could find it.
That's it, folks. I hope you have fun this weekend!! My brother is leaving for a wedding in Colorado, aww.. I'm so jealous. This year I have not been anywhere exciting, huhu... feel like I'm wilting here with work and school all the time T^T... Anyways, that's it with the complaints, in fact, I'm happy where I am now, would not want to change it for anything *winks*... good day guys!
Now, this is one interesting talk... spiritual coming from a scientific view. It is also a very moving lecture I've had a chance to listen to.
Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke. As it happened -- as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding -- she studied and remembered every moment. This is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another.
I really don't keep in touch much with the teen Vietnamese music industry, but this song sure is a good one and somewhat got me curious... seems like a lot has changed, and the song is sort of stuck in my head now... The story of this song is kinda interesting also...
So here's the video:
NHUNG CANH HOA TRO VE
(RETURN OF THE FLOWER PETALS)
By: Sugar
The legend is of Rang Su Tu (the stem) whose love is the beautiful Bo Cong Anh (the petals). When Summer came, all the yellow flowers in the field changed out of their yellow dresses and into a white cotton soft dress instead. Rang Su Tu admired Bo Cong Anh’s beauty and their love continued to grow.
One day, a strong and exciting third wheel by the name of “Wind” blew in and swept all the pretty little flowers off their feet. “Wind” was very charming and alluring so as he flew by playing his little tune on the flute, even the trees swayed for him in admiration.
Bo Cong Anh was no exception. When he passed by the field, Bo Cong Anh let herself go to the wind. She wanted the wind to cherish each fiber of her soft petals.
Rang Su Tu was heartbroken when Bo Cong Anh left with the wind. Out of wishful thinking, he threw his green arms out to keep Bo Cong Anh from leaving but it was too late; Bo Cong Anh had already clung to the Wind.
But Wind wasn’t the settling type because he was the son of “Adventure” and “Risk”. The peaceful field was not the place for him. Bo Cong Anh tried holding on to “Wind” but it was no use, for he kept blowing so coldly. Bo Cong Anh had no choice but to let go.
Since then, it has been told that as many farmers pass by these fields, they could hear Rang Su Tu’s whispers, asking the wind where he had blown Bo Cong Anh off to. “How is she doing at that place?” he would ask, but Wind would remain silent.
Because he could not take her on his journey forever, Bo cong Anh fell off during the journey and planted herself in the ground to “start over”. With this, Bo Cong Anh named all her offsprings after “Răng Sư Tử”.
“Trees/Stems will have flowers/petals, but they cannot keep them forever for these petals will always lean towards the wind/adventure. Wind on the other only loves the journey and cannot hold tight. Only when the wind stops blowing, do these petals realize that their origin is with the stem."
Taken from Vietchannel.
So here's the video:
NHUNG CANH HOA TRO VE
(RETURN OF THE FLOWER PETALS)
By: Sugar
I'd love to share with you a very lovely Christian poem that warms my heart: Footprints in the Sand, together with the song under the same name by one of my favorite artists: Leona Lewis.
FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND
By: Margaret Fishback Powers
FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND
By: Margaret Fishback Powers
One night I dreamed a dream.
I was walking along the beach with my Lord. Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to me and one to my Lord.
When the last scene of my life shot before me I looked back at the footprints in the sand. There was only one set of footprints. I realized that this was at the lowest and saddest times of my life. This always bothered me and I questioned the Lord about my dilemma.
"Lord, You told me when I decided to follow You, You would walk and talk with me all the way. But I'm aware that during the most troublesome times of my life there is only one set of footprints. I just don't understand why, when I need You most, You leave me."
He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you, never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you."
FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND the song
By: Leona Lewis
GO LIGHT YOUR WORLD
by: Chris Rice
I just got back from Christian camp in Iowa around two days ago... This song really moved me when I was there. There was quite a lot of mishaps and troubles but thank God we dealt with it in the best spirit possible... Strangely, I felt that it was the quickest two-day camp ever. Hm... don't know what else to say, so I hope you like the song.
by: Chris Rice
I just got back from Christian camp in Iowa around two days ago... This song really moved me when I was there. There was quite a lot of mishaps and troubles but thank God we dealt with it in the best spirit possible... Strangely, I felt that it was the quickest two-day camp ever. Hm... don't know what else to say, so I hope you like the song.
May 9, 2009
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Please welcome our newest family members:
The fishies!!! I got these beauties several days ago and am busy keeping them alive, ha ha ha... *cruel laughter* or more like *cynical laughter*... I don't know, but taking care of pet or things in general does make one more responsible, or stressful :D. Okay, the thing here is... I don't know the rules of taking care of fishies. A friend pulled me into keeping them as pets, and I was like... 'sure, it sounds fun'. Three days later, one of the fishies crossed over to the other land and I was just... dumbstruck, not knowing what to do. I had to go to work early on that day and the fish just laid there, eye poked out, refusing to move. My heart ached, man... and was so heavy with guilt. I had to put him (or her, I don't know T___T) into the fridge and prepared his funeral later when I got off work. My evil brother even asked me when I will fry the poor soul, that just broke my heart, hic... I love these fishies though... they make our dining table more lively. My dad now goes home after work and the first thing he does is to look for these cuties :D. And there's this very cute story about my mom, hehe... One night our house just got so hot (thanks to the AC breaking down, another old story) and my mom turned on the fan, which is just directly above the fishies. A minute later, she came running over to a sleeping me in the living room (yes, I do sleep on the couch in the living room 'occasionally', no scractch that, make it 'very often') and asked in that panic whisper: 'An, will the fishies be okay? Oh, I'm kinda worry...' haha, that was just.... soooo... cute of my mom. She was worried about the fishies because she turned on the fan? haha... that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside for some odd reason ^^. So now... I'm trying hard to just keep them alive... sounds very morbid but hey, at least two of them are still swimming happily in the tank and everybody in the family loves them and waits for them to grow big to... whatever, whatever... not eating them of course, or... I don't know... it's almost 1:30 am here so my mind is rather frantic. Don't take my words too seriously :D.
Last Friday was fun ^^v. Be' Mam invited me to join her birthday party in the park. This time around I decided to make something to keep her office desk less lonely. So I crocheted a clueless Cactus dork who likes to stick to other people's business (hence his note reminder self!) and a spilled Mocha cup dude whose only hobby is to sit around and let people sip on him -__-; Yea, they suck major ball but uhm, I tried 0.o;a and I'll try harder next time, hahaha :D:D.
Last but not least, I just wanted to say HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the Mothers in the world!!! And especially to my very dear lovely mother, I LOVE YOU LOTS AND LOTS <3333 (I know she won't be reading this, but I really just wanted to say that :D). Got something special special for her too, heheh :D... I hope you all have a good mother's day with your moms. Treasure your mothers, for you're extremely lucky to still have her by your side until this day. I thank the Lord everyday for my mom and family and friends. To still have someone to care for and say I love you is one of the greatest blessings ever. Have a wonderful day!!!!!!
Last Friday was fun ^^v. Be' Mam invited me to join her birthday party in the park. This time around I decided to make something to keep her office desk less lonely. So I crocheted a clueless Cactus dork who likes to stick to other people's business (hence his note reminder self!) and a spilled Mocha cup dude whose only hobby is to sit around and let people sip on him -__-; Yea, they suck major ball but uhm, I tried 0.o;a and I'll try harder next time, hahaha :D:D.
Last but not least, I just wanted to say HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the Mothers in the world!!! And especially to my very dear lovely mother, I LOVE YOU LOTS AND LOTS <3333 (I know she won't be reading this, but I really just wanted to say that :D). Got something special special for her too, heheh :D... I hope you all have a good mother's day with your moms. Treasure your mothers, for you're extremely lucky to still have her by your side until this day. I thank the Lord everyday for my mom and family and friends. To still have someone to care for and say I love you is one of the greatest blessings ever. Have a wonderful day!!!!!!
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