modern art

A recent visit to the modern art museum in Centre Georges Pompidou gave me a new understanding of art. Modern art does not carry with it the obvious natural beauty that comes with still life painting. Abstract as it is, one painting is opened to several interpretations depending on the individual. My first visit to the museum left me an impression that modern art is too abstract for me. I was, however, able to appreciate it better in my subsequents visits.

"What does this look like to you?"

"a bird.. with its head here.. body here.."

"i see a women dancing. Her right arm across her body, left hand stretched out. There.. the skirt is where your bird's body is."

It's all about perspective and an open mind.

italy photos

for those of you who do not frequent facebook, here are my photos from italy.

1) http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2258524&l=8e934d26e9&id=596606910

2) http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=92359&id=596606910&l=3f1b5ebf26

cool or not

We were walking in the Roman Forum when rain droplets began to fall from the sky. Instinctively, I pulled out my umbrella.

She said,"eh you whipped out the umbrella faster than the grandpas and grandmas. Can you put it away, you look so not cool."

"What's wrong with wanting to stay dry? Why don't you come under the umbrella. It's not going to make me look very gentlemanly if you walk beside me in the rain while I have my umbrella opened."

"It's ok lah. As least I look cool." as she pulled her hood over her head.

"Please. With that over your head, you look like a condom."

rome 21/09

from cinque terre

"I sat in on the wet forest floor. It doesn't matter if mud get caught in my jeans the walk in the heavy rain would probably wash it clean before I reach the next town. Bag, camera, shoes, map.. everything's wet. Where is the great coastal view that the website promised? Like a horse with visors on, my field of vision was limited by the hood over my head. Hiding my rain-and-sesame-coated sandwich under my jacket, I turned, facing the rain, to look at the Mediterranean sea. I was hoping to see a blurred thin line separating the sky from the sea. It was like as if God knew what I was thinking and highlighted the horizon in bold for me. The thick greyish cumulus clouds squared with the menacing deep blue sea, trying to squeeze the middle lighted section into non existence. It was like as if God's highlighter was fading as I witnessed the thinning of the bright stretch. Storms in the Italy's Mediterranean brew as fast and as strong as how the italians brew their coffee. Within minutes, the clouds touched the sea.

I marched on. I better get out of here before night fall."

"cat 3"-cj

cinque terre 16/09

thoughts in lake como

"Standing on the floating platform, I shifted my weight accordingly to counter the natural rhythm of the ebbing tides. The wind was chilly as the sun remained hidden behind the many folds of the Italian Alps. The water surface, dancing to the tunes of the wind, broke into many soft random undulations across the lake of Como.

Even the ducks were quiets.

The only sound was the slapping of the waves against the shore, followed by the prolonged trickling of water back into the sea. The backflow of water drew with it grains of sands and all the existing emotions within the observer.

The calming blue of the morning sky accentuated the tranquility of the lake. The warm orange glow on the eastern shore betrayed the sun's slow accent across the Alpine sky. The lake shimmered in gold and metallic blue, as it caught the first rays of the sun that peaked over the mountain shoulders."

"I took my first shot of the day."-cj

Menaggio, 15/04

en italie

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