5分鐘的「慢活」

我發覺，尤其在香港，愈來愈難嘗試「慢活」。人愈大，要處理的事情便愈多。工作多得像是透不過氣似的。可是慢慢覺得，是時候要學會去減慢生活節奏，享受每分每秒。

平時即使是上學，又或是出外用餐，都總會「走」過不停。不是和別人競賽，只是覺得一分一秒都不能失去，要再快一點才行，所以就會快行多幾步。時間久了，遇上人多便會自然地迅速使出「左穿入插」神功。

可是唯一令我停下來的時候，就是在等小巴回家的那段時間。快則5分鐘，慢則10多分鐘。其實實際上也不算等得長，只不過內心會將時間無限伸延。慢慢由不耐煩變成焦急、心煩、氣燥，有點兒想飲杯凍飲降降溫。

這天，我沒有這些感覺。人成長了(其實沒有長大很多)，覺得這沒什麼大不了，最重要調整自己心理。等車罷了，又不是什麼大件事。以前會聽音樂，把自己掉進另一個國度，讓自己分神，讓時間流走得快一點。這天，我嘗試除下耳筒，聽聽身邊侯車乘客的對話，也順度練習觀察別人的技巧。

由於自己想學好寫作，學好如何更準確地表達自己，希望能夠「我手寫我心」的境界，所以觀察別人的行為、談吐會成為我非常空閒時的一種動作。

五分鐘說長不長，說短也不短。不過藉此可以知道不同人的說話方式，從而幫到自己描寫人物。

One Year

It feels like a year has passed that I haven't really spent some quality time to care and nurture this little bloggie for a long while now.

I know, I know. I let myself down and let the promise fall flat and become dry like a raisin. After things got busy at school, I hadn't had time to really write to post on this blog. And, so nice and considerate of me, that I also spared (the very few of) you the time to read my sporadic disgruntle towards the assignment workload and how hard it is to write a paper, not to say it should be of some level of decent quality.

This year has been a love-hate one for me. Love it because I have made quite a few friends, I love spending time with them. We would share stories in our life, collaborate on a creative project, listen and console each other, etc. It's been great knowing them. Well, I hate it because this year has slipped away just too soon. I am not ready yet to part with this incredible year, with my awesome friends.

On the bright side, though, I get some free time finally to put my ideas down. Perhaps, I am going to start some new projects soon. But a huge collaboration is now in the works, shhh, I can't tell you more than that. I seriously have no idea when it's gonna see the light of day, but it'll be a fun one to write with my dearest "writer" buddies. (Ah, a gush of superior feeling.)

Ah Mai/阿米

Oh, and I certainly won't forget you, Ah Mai (Mai means Rice, 米 in Chinese). You were always on your best behavior (even better than my Water) when we came to enjoy our tea time. And that tea time is certainly the best thing on earth. I'm not sure when I will be able to sit back and relax a cup of nice lemon tea and a thick, multi-layered club sandwich, but I'm sure I'll be back whenever I am free.

I am thankful for so many things that have happened to me this year. One of them is that I got a shot at writing a sci-fi short story. Well, even though I haven't submitted the final draft yet, I can say I have doubts about it because I have to write at least 10,000 words under a month or two. And that means I have to write more and think less. I don't like that, especially I'm so new at this. My previous story with a considerable length is only of 3000 words. On finishing the first draft, I feel like there's a lot that I lack in my writing. But that's a good thing, at least I know that I can write this long and I know what I'm good at and what else I need to put on my improve-next-time checklist.

I can't wait to spend time on writing more. There are many ideas up in my stock that I have not developed yet. Also, I can't wait to get a job. This will be a whole new experience and a new page for me. I hope that I can keep this blog running, and contribute to other blogs as well. There are literally many many things I need/want to learn. On the very top of the list are languages (French and Japanese) and computer software (Photoshop and After Effects).

Here's to hope for a better and brighter future, to me, and to those who persevere to reach the end of this blog post. Until next time. :) -K

Life Journal Vol.1

I take a gap for a quarter in order to take a rest since I am tired of the ESL. It is exhausting. In these three months, I decide to write about life journal, which is going to be about my views on Arts and Music(SYMPHONIC METAL!!). It may include my trip which I am planning to visit with my family. For this volume, I would like to talk about my photos first. I am not really photography-majored student but have strong passion on it. I either emphasized the focus by playing with value or forming composition with diagonal line. Diagonal line often gives a sense of movement and tension feeling while value can somewhat help me to create the isolation or center of interest. Just do some analysis for my composition in my first journal. I personally reckon that I myself need to be concise about what I am doing in my artwork before people know my works.

Low-key value of the bird shows that it is a focus(and center of interest), while its surroundings are relatively high-key. Emphasis of isolation can be seen in this picture. The right-hand up corner of "low-key" helps to balance the value of this picture(LOW-HIGH-LOW). My message is Loneness of walking/ flying alone.

Line dominates while value subordinates in this picture. I do admit that I have used so many diagonal lines in this picture. Even the horizon is diagonal, maybe I am too stressful at that time due to that evil open examination. Progressive rhythm of value from low-key to high-key is also diagonal. Maybe I am a bit insane at that time. Unity of diagonal line.BTW, RULE OF THIRDS and ONE-POINT PERSPECTIVE. My message is to express girl's feeling and passion on her first-try alcohol but this "first-try) also indicates she is going to face the darkness of competitive society. I consider this as my best photography within my 19.

B&W. Unity of diagonal line again. Even the dignity of tree(the vertical line) has been "exaggerated" to emphasize the diagonal line. "When the foundation quivers, dignity and dependent of human destroys. They all out of control."-----my message. One of my best(yet not better than the previous one) and reminds me of a song named "Feint"<= piano version is really good.

Taken in Guam. Seems like contrast, seems like balance. Even myself, I get lose to describe value of this picture. It is blur to learn whether it is contrast or balance. But I would say it is a contrast. Use of line is noticeable to emphasize the butterfly. There is another balance in the down left-hand corner to the center. It just depicts the butterfly is playing with leaves (not playing with flowers?). Maybe it is kind of surrealism but it is a fact.

I am not very good at landscape photo-taking. Complementary color and contrast of warm and cool. No specific message and it is kind of depiction of landscape.

Atmospheric perspective and positioning. High-key and low-key color and alternating rhythm. The center of interest is brought out by the emphasis of space. Just a landscape.

 

Contrast of value and also contrast of warm and cool. It is diagonally progressive from warm to cool. Do you know why the center is with warm color? It is a toilet. Home-feeling and mysterious, I admire the interior architect very much when I take this picture.

Same place and it is really well-designed. It inspires me to dream of having a gothic-black-metal-themed restaurant with growling and classical singing. (A bit offtrack but it is really good)

[Day 28] 365 Days of Poetry Writing

Day 28

About this poem

 I was required to use these words: Cliché, shark, shock, brush, shook, shriek, trash, and lass.

Cliché

Sharks shock and they brush.

Cliché?

Sharks shock and they shook.

Cliché?

Shark Shock shrieks.

Cliché?

Shriek sharks and Shock trashes

And they brush.

Still a cliché,

Miss? (A-lass)

中文這個科目

中文, 可能對大多香港人來說, 是一個厭惡的科目。這個科目是很多中六學生的「斷頭台」。 「時辰已到,按法處斬 !」是我們已進大專的學生體驗過的經典情節。有部分同學會在這句話之前, 被突如其來的聖旨救回一命, 有些便會等待著黃泉鬼差接應, 然後在被斬首後示眾。要是去過考場, 經歷過一試定生死, 便知道死者甚多, 運者其少。至於筆者是否避過此劫, 皆看吾文筆可知。

我現在就讀於並不是本地大專而是一間美國藝術大學。由於英語能力有限, 我被安排至英文特別班裡上課。每天聆聽, 寫作和閱讀都是英文, 別無其他。在日積月累的課堂下, 我對英文生厭, 反之對中文充溢著濃厚的興趣。我覺得中文在我生命中很是重要, 是一種不可缺少的藝術。每天上課的休息時間, 我會看著韓寒的散文。回家後都會開著電腦一邊聆聽喜歡的音樂, 一邊閱讀金庸的作品。我對中文的倏然熱愛, 使親朋戚友感到疑惑: 一個對中文反感的女生, 為何會愛上看中國文學甚至中文寫作?

一切結果乃有其起因, 尤其是對一樣曾經並不討好自己的東西產生正面情感 。起初我以為中文只是殺人不眨眼的劊子手, 把所有英文專長但中文平庸的學生斬首, 使刑場充斥著血腥味, 彷如致身於滿缸紅的戰場上。但其實它不是如眾所想, 這個劊子手都有感性的一面。

中文這門學問, 比英文這個國際通用的語言更加多元化。單是成語疊詞造句, 之乎者也那些古代用詞, 比英語古文白話文複雜得多。簡單來說, 一個英文生字在中國裡可能有四個不同的詞語或成語來解釋其定義。有的簡潔易明, 有的則深不可測。例如stingy這個形容詞, 在中文裡除吝嗇之外, 一毛不拔, 斤斤計較和錙銖必較也可以用來詮釋此詞。在個人立場來看, 中文的成語或古文, 充溢著藝術性。金庸描述其書中的人物時心思熟慮, 栩栩如生, 讓人看得如痴如碎。經典的例子最不過就是形容<<倚天層龍記>>的女主角趙敏的氣質:

美麗無比，嬌美無限，猶似曉露中的鮮花；巧笑嫣然，美目流盼，如花似玉，花容月貌，當真是觀世音菩薩下凡；十分美麗之中，更帶三分英氣、三分豪態，同時雍容華貴，自有一副端嚴之致，令人肅然起敬，不敢逼視；瀟灑飄逸，容光照人，風華絕代，美艷傾城，靈頑活潑，俏而不俗。華美絕世又嬌憐楚楚，一身柔馨恬靜又超凡傾世之氣韻，讓人失足沉溺在她那如夢似幻的仙境之中。

儘管趙敏被形容至「觀世音菩薩下凡」有點誇張, 但唯美與淒美並存於這段文字, 文筆尖銳, 讀者看完過後都應該佩服金庸先生有神般想像創作力。中文彷若一件文藝復興時期的雕塑, 極其真實且袖摺分明, 仔細無比, 看似要廢寢忘食才能完成的藝術品, 絕非閒等之輩能夠掌握領悟....