Monday, 1 September 2008

missed connections


it's about time to resuscitate this baby.

this narration from Shopgirl really resonated with me.

Some nights alone he thinks of her
And some nights alone..
..she thinks of him.
Some nights these thoughts occur at the same moment.
And Ray and Mirabelle are connected without ever knowing it.

kinda reminds me of how when you're stalking someone's facebook and wonder if that person is looking at your profile at the same time. it's these moments of serendipitous connections that balances a world of too much disconnect.

Monday, 25 February 2008

ready for a change



ever have one of those days where you hate (maybe hate is too strong a word..unsatisfied is more like it) everything about yourself?

it begins when you trip too many times in the street, and continues when you feel like everyone is staring at you on the MTR. you try to shake it off as self-inflicted psychological stress, but it just keeps getting worse. you feel uncomfortable in your own skin. suddenly your clothes don't fit well, your hair feels greasy and has too many split ends. you walk into work and have awkward conversations with your colleagues (more awkward than usual), you can't concentrate on your work because you keep thinking about those stares on the train. you spill soup on yourself during lunch and have to keep wiping your face while wondering why in the world your chopsticks keep missing your mouth. you wonder if it's your terrible aim or whether your mouth is just too damned small. suddenly these little harmless episodes of clumsiness turn into frustrations about why you're eating lunch alone instead of with friends. your mind flashes back to the last fight you had and turns to why you're still single. you ruminate on your academic and workplace failures as you chew on your noodles and think "man, i suck!"

but it seems that all it takes is a little somethin somethin to make all of the above go away. a funny email, an unexpected call from a friend, a good haircut, a poke on facebook, a really good news article, a cute puppy spotting, or really cute song lyrics:

And the rattlesnake said, "I wish I had hands so I could hug you like a man." And then the cactus said, "Don't you understand, My skin is covered with sharp spikes That'll stab you like a thousand knives. A hug would be nice, But hug my flower with your eyes."

Thursday, 21 February 2008

Year of the Rat

prompted by my mom's semi-superstitious nature, I visited wen wu temple in soho last sunday to request some protective gear for the year of the rat. needless to say, I had no idea what the protocol was and wandered around like an idiotic tourist, getting burning incense all over my coat and hands, while suffocating from the overwhelming smoke radiating out in all directions from the incense sticks. I thought: if my prayers to the buddhas were in English, would they be lost in translation? if I were going to spend 300 hkd on offering materials, I'd better get my money's worth. in the end, I emerged from the temple triumphant (although a bit smelly), having made the rounds to greet each deity and purchased a cell phone strap bearing a little jade ox, apparently my compatibility partner. any oxen out there interested? our elements match up perfectly- what more could you ask for?