Mesmerizing Maleficent

The film starring the maleficent magnificent Angelina Joile deserves every credit I have in my pocket. It was an amazing experience to see the world of Sleeping Beauty through the villain, Maleficent's perspective. In this version, a large portion of the film was dedicated to the backstory of the evil-as-we-know-in-Sleeping-Beauty Maleficent, from when she was still a little fairy. She was actually an adorable and loving fairy who continues to be so when she grows up. Yes, until the day comes when she changes. What prompts her transformation? The betrayal of the mortal she has been in love with for many years. Her transformation into the wicked witch paves the way for a definite revenge.

Aurora

行筆秀麗，來自日本的Kuretake毛筆

最近心癮起，走去了文具精品店買筆。原先根本就只想買支鋼筆，只不過看了看放毛筆的貨架，居然就發現了這一支日本Kuretake(吳竹)牌子的毛筆，左看看，右看看，然後就跟我的盤川說再見，然後滿足地帶了它回家。

我已經聽到它叫我快點拆開包裝了…

首先簡述一下這支筆的資料。當時架上有另一支比這支筆尖粗的毛筆，我有點擔心出太多墨會弄穿紙張，所以最後選了這一支「極細」，寫出來的字體的粗幼度大慨(根據包裝上的介紹)是0.3~1.5mm。因此，即使大力壓出墨來，寫出來的字也不會過粗。我也比較喜歡這種粗幼度的字體，簡簡單單，用來練寫字真是不錯。如果是要追求有澎湃氣勢感的字體，那我覺得可以試一試比較粗身筆尖的那一款。

我這位毛筆新手，用了一會兒這支筆都有幾點想分享給其他還未接觸，卻又對這類毛筆頗有興趣的朋友們:

(一) 「滲墨問題」: 我不知道這是不是正常的情況，但是有點滲墨的狀況發生。筆嘴有多餘的墨，在你把筆拔出來的時候，有些墨會沾上筆蓋邊緣，甚至沾到筆身透明部份。只要一不留神，便會把自己的手指也一同弄污。因此要小心注意。

(二) 「筆蓋，蓋不蓋?」: 很多時候我們用原子筆就是慣了把筆蓋都蓋到筆身上，為的就是方便自己，為免掉失了筆蓋。可是剛剛提到了的滲墨情況，就是會弄污筆蓋內壁。這個時候再把它蓋上筆身，你要是個外觀主義者，恐怕這樣弄一弄，什麼心情都會給搞垮了。

(三) 「大力一點」: 應該是新筆的原故，墨水要流到筆咀再寫出字來要一點力。我開始寫的時間會感覺墨水不太夠，直到寫多幾隻字，加上自己用多一點點力壓寫字，這才開始寫出了令人看了會賞心悅目的字體呀。只要捉到那個力度便可以寫出「理」想字體了，這個問題不大。

總括來說，雖然暫時不知道這支筆壽命有多久，不過HK $19 一支筆用來寫字的感覺真的不錯。這個時候我還萌生了想寫書信給朋友看，我是傻的嗎?還有人寫書信嗎? 不過說真的，我很喜歡閒時練字，練出一手端正的字體滿足感可會很大。

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)