magic! Friday, June 19, 2009 |
Language Thursday, June 18, 2009 |
Being very fortunate to have the opportunities to (pretend to) live as a local in a few places, albeit only for a short while, gives Giraffe a chance to catch a glimpse into the different languages of each place.
No, she does not mean the language one speaks with the tongue. She means the language of the culture, of the society, the people.
Giraffe feels comfortable in Hong Kong, much more than she does anywhere in China. Why so, you might wonder. Isn't Hong Kong a stressful, fast-paced society where the beings seem always to have agendas to meet and one of the last places you would imagine to be a nice relaxed place to live in? Yes, perhaps so, but it is also the place which is most similar to Giraffe's own country.
Giraffe doesn't have the words to explain. You know, many beings, especially beings from the West for example, cannot understand why the Chinese say one thing and mean another thing. But the Chinese never does that! Not in the minds of the Chinese. You see, what the other beings do not understand is the language of the Chinese. The language of the culture.
To the Chinese, it is obvious, I say such and such a thing, I mean such and such a thing. But to one not from the culture, they wouldn't understand this language at all. To them, what the Chinese says may literally mean something else totally different if they look through it with the language of their own culture, even if they can understand the Chinese language perfectly. The same for the things beings from a certain culture does. Isn't it so true, oftentimes in another country, you see beings going about their daily lives in a totally different manner from what you are accustomed to? And yet, to them, your way of life might be incomprehensible.
And even within China itself, Giraffe senses different naunces of the language of the culture. In some places, Giraffe understands the language totally, while in some other places, it feels at best, a not too fluent second language for Giraffe.
Which is why Giraffe feels safe in Hong Kong. And which is why Giraffe once told a certain friend, Xiamen is so much like home, which that certain friend totally cannot comprehend.
Giraffe loves her hometown, Chaozhou, but yet, there, Giraffe feels like an outsider. She may speak the language (Teochew) perfectly, but speaking the language of the culture proves to be hesitant and faltering for Giraffe.
And that is one of the chief attractions of being somewhere else for Giraffe. To get to learn to understand and then speak the language of that culture. Giraffe doesn't like to go places as a tourist. She prefers to go places and get to live like a local. That is what pulls a Giraffe to travel. To see and learn a new language.
No, she does not mean the language one speaks with the tongue. She means the language of the culture, of the society, the people.
Giraffe feels comfortable in Hong Kong, much more than she does anywhere in China. Why so, you might wonder. Isn't Hong Kong a stressful, fast-paced society where the beings seem always to have agendas to meet and one of the last places you would imagine to be a nice relaxed place to live in? Yes, perhaps so, but it is also the place which is most similar to Giraffe's own country.
Giraffe doesn't have the words to explain. You know, many beings, especially beings from the West for example, cannot understand why the Chinese say one thing and mean another thing. But the Chinese never does that! Not in the minds of the Chinese. You see, what the other beings do not understand is the language of the Chinese. The language of the culture.
To the Chinese, it is obvious, I say such and such a thing, I mean such and such a thing. But to one not from the culture, they wouldn't understand this language at all. To them, what the Chinese says may literally mean something else totally different if they look through it with the language of their own culture, even if they can understand the Chinese language perfectly. The same for the things beings from a certain culture does. Isn't it so true, oftentimes in another country, you see beings going about their daily lives in a totally different manner from what you are accustomed to? And yet, to them, your way of life might be incomprehensible.
And even within China itself, Giraffe senses different naunces of the language of the culture. In some places, Giraffe understands the language totally, while in some other places, it feels at best, a not too fluent second language for Giraffe.
Which is why Giraffe feels safe in Hong Kong. And which is why Giraffe once told a certain friend, Xiamen is so much like home, which that certain friend totally cannot comprehend.
Giraffe loves her hometown, Chaozhou, but yet, there, Giraffe feels like an outsider. She may speak the language (Teochew) perfectly, but speaking the language of the culture proves to be hesitant and faltering for Giraffe.
And that is one of the chief attractions of being somewhere else for Giraffe. To get to learn to understand and then speak the language of that culture. Giraffe doesn't like to go places as a tourist. She prefers to go places and get to live like a local. That is what pulls a Giraffe to travel. To see and learn a new language.
Labels: being away, China, culture, Hong Kong, living beings
The Musical Genius - Derek Paravicini Wednesday, June 17, 2009 |
This is beauty in Giraffe's world.
Who cares about the developmental disablity and stuff when he's got it all right. In fact, he's got it more right than many other beings. What other thing would anyone want when the most precious thing is right here! Music! Beauty.
Here's links to part 2, part 3, part 4, and part 5.
Giraffe doesn't agree with the guy in part 3 though. The whatever professor who supposedly specialises in musical emotions. Giraffe believes one's portrayal of musical emotion is one's very own. Obviously, Derek, with his special set of developmental issues, process emotions probably in a very different way from that particular professor. But does different mean wrong? Or a lack of it? Absolutely no! It is that professor who lacks the ability to understand emotions and ways of thinking he himself never experienced.
A Giraffe is touched by Derek's music.
Who cares about the developmental disablity and stuff when he's got it all right. In fact, he's got it more right than many other beings. What other thing would anyone want when the most precious thing is right here! Music! Beauty.
Here's links to part 2, part 3, part 4, and part 5.
Giraffe doesn't agree with the guy in part 3 though. The whatever professor who supposedly specialises in musical emotions. Giraffe believes one's portrayal of musical emotion is one's very own. Obviously, Derek, with his special set of developmental issues, process emotions probably in a very different way from that particular professor. But does different mean wrong? Or a lack of it? Absolutely no! It is that professor who lacks the ability to understand emotions and ways of thinking he himself never experienced.
A Giraffe is touched by Derek's music.
a wonderful day... Tuesday, June 16, 2009 |
The day dawned dark and dreary.An overcast sky followed by a huge thunderstorm.
Yet, this is one of Giraffe's best birthdays ever.
If only life was full of nothing else but making music (and taking photographs, and cooking and playing with the woofie). If only.
Even if the chocolate Giraffe wanted to eat was past the expiry date, even if the plums she bought were sour enough to shrivel her up, even if the woofie messed up the house so that Giraffe had to clean and then clean again. Even then, Giraffe had a great day.
a Giraffe's purrthday... |
Happy purrthday to a Giraffe!Here are 2 beautiful cakes Giraffe bought for herself. (Update: She's just finished the cake on the left and it is yummy!)
Giraffe has decided to spend the rest of the entire day of her purrthday, practicing hard.
It's a good life.
Something inexplicable.
Every single time, and Giraffe is not exaggerating, every single time Giraffe walks on the streets of Hong Kong, someone will come and ask Giraffe for directions.
Perhaps a Giraffe looks like someone who knows her way very well, or Giraffe has a more approachable face, or perhaps she just looks so local. But most of the time, these passersby will be disappointed. Not because Giraffe doesn't know the way, in fact surprisingly, most of the time she knows the way, but because Giraffe's Cantonese is way too speshul, it's a little difficult to understand. But well, she is improving because today, Giraffe managed to tell the way and the person understood!
And the day before, Giraffe wanted to get to this certain place in a certain part of a certain island. And Giraffe couldn't find the way. And so Giraffe phrased and re-phrased all the Cantonese she is armed with, and screwed up all her courage, and asked a passerby. And.....
the passerby replied in Teochew! Goodness gracious Giraffe....
the apple of Your eye... Sunday, June 14, 2009 |
A Giraffe needs a lot of time alone. Time to shake everything back into place, time to refocus on what a Giraffe really wants, time to be by herself and to clear up all the things she sees that isn't so pleasing about herself.
Just half a year ago, or perhaps it was half a decade, or perhaps half a century, or maybe, half an aeon ago. Giraffe shook herself up and saw the things that the world has made her forgot. And she re-remembered it all. And she went back to her life. And the world brought her a new set of forgetfulness. Or perhaps this time round it wasn't forgetfulness. It was lethargy. It was the knowledge that Giraffe had the ability to do many things, but yet it was the apathy to do it.
And Giraffe really despises herself for it. Yet the apathy remains.
Giraffe wants to shake it off this time round upon her aloneness. Giraffe wants to look at herself and see a Giraffe she wants to be, not one whom she knows she isn't proud of showing to anyone to.
Giraffe needs Your strength, and Your love. The hand to hold her up and tell her she's the favoured one. Because on her own, Giraffe is scared.
Oh, and Giraffe misses her boys.
Just half a year ago, or perhaps it was half a decade, or perhaps half a century, or maybe, half an aeon ago. Giraffe shook herself up and saw the things that the world has made her forgot. And she re-remembered it all. And she went back to her life. And the world brought her a new set of forgetfulness. Or perhaps this time round it wasn't forgetfulness. It was lethargy. It was the knowledge that Giraffe had the ability to do many things, but yet it was the apathy to do it.
And Giraffe really despises herself for it. Yet the apathy remains.
Giraffe wants to shake it off this time round upon her aloneness. Giraffe wants to look at herself and see a Giraffe she wants to be, not one whom she knows she isn't proud of showing to anyone to.
Giraffe needs Your strength, and Your love. The hand to hold her up and tell her she's the favoured one. Because on her own, Giraffe is scared.
Oh, and Giraffe misses her boys.
yay! Saturday, June 13, 2009 |
Giraffe's first web award! Thursday, June 04, 2009 |
Alright, this is way overdue, but guess what?This is Giraffe's first blog awardie!
Yes! Her boys have gotten soooo many awards Giraffe's already lost count of them but this time the award didn't go to them!
It's is Giraffe's very own!
Hohoho....don't you just envy the Giraffe?
Alright, first I must say, this award is from a very nice friend Giraffe's boys made with their blogs. And of course their nice friend has to become Giraffe's nice web-friend too.
So what is the award about?
We give and get awards for having a great blog and being a good friend. What I want to award are those people whose comments have meant the world to me. It takes time to visit a blog and leave a comment ... I wanted to recognize some special bloggers whose comments have made such an impact on me. The “You Don’t Say?” Award is awarded to these special bloggers in hope that they will pass the award along to 5 of their best commenters!
Yay!
But there is a tiny bit of a problem.
You see, Giraffe's own little space on the innernets isn't visited by many bloggers, and most of her commentors are beings who doesn't blog.
So how can a Giraffe pass the award on?
Oh dear....
evony... Friday, May 15, 2009 |
This is proving to be extremely addictive.Now Giraffe has no time for anything else.
*waves a hoof to send every being away*
See you sometime soon.
Labels: game, geek, miscellaneous thoughts
I is teochew... Wednesday, May 13, 2009 |
Giraffe is fiercely Chinese, and among her Chinese-ness, she is totally proud to be a Teochew.
That's all for now. Giraffe's having a blog-block.
That's all for now. Giraffe's having a blog-block.
Labels: miscellaneous thoughts
no-entry... Tuesday, May 05, 2009 |
So many things seemed blocked by a fence.A huge red no-entry sign.
A Giraffe is tired.
Too lethargic to even lift up a hoof now.
How will she fulfill her dreams? How will she paint her rainbow?
Maybe a Giraffe isn't destined to have dreams fulfilled or rainbows painted in the first place?
the old brick wall... |
Old and dilapidated like a Giraffe's heart. All tired out.Giraffe just wants you to stop trampling on her heart and her soul like it was nothing.
When you needed her, you ran for her. Yet when you are well and good, a Giraffe is just like a old piece of rug you want to throw aside.
A Giraffe has feelings too, in case you forgot to notice.
missing the rainbow... Wednesday, April 29, 2009 |
Darn, the more a Giraffe sleeps, the sleepier she feels! Time to stop sleeping and start going up and about!
Other news, a Giraffe has reawakened her intrigue in the wondrous world of the fiddle. Practise so hard she never has before until her third finger feels itself in a permanent state of cramp. Darn.
A Giraffe is having some very exciting ideas but that would have to be dependent upon other beings' condonement of the idea. A Giraffe does hope it can happen though. Just imagine, a place where music and beer and jolliness abounds!
Finally, off to the land of batik and hot chilli padi in the morrow. It's been a long time since Giraffe made music, really woven rainbows and created dreams with this group of beings. And Giraffe feels a pang of nostalgia and pain that very likely, Giraffe has seen the last of weaving rainbows with the leaving of the final person who were one of the group of us who went over to get raisinfied. Now Giraffe can only weave rainbows on her own, never will the beauty of what she had 2 years ago with a Raisin come back again. Sigh.
Other news, a Giraffe has reawakened her intrigue in the wondrous world of the fiddle. Practise so hard she never has before until her third finger feels itself in a permanent state of cramp. Darn.
A Giraffe is having some very exciting ideas but that would have to be dependent upon other beings' condonement of the idea. A Giraffe does hope it can happen though. Just imagine, a place where music and beer and jolliness abounds!
Finally, off to the land of batik and hot chilli padi in the morrow. It's been a long time since Giraffe made music, really woven rainbows and created dreams with this group of beings. And Giraffe feels a pang of nostalgia and pain that very likely, Giraffe has seen the last of weaving rainbows with the leaving of the final person who were one of the group of us who went over to get raisinfied. Now Giraffe can only weave rainbows on her own, never will the beauty of what she had 2 years ago with a Raisin come back again. Sigh.
feeling unloved... Thursday, April 23, 2009 |
Yob'sdale Market Day... Thursday, April 09, 2009 |
Market Day in Yob'sdale is always noisy and bustling.
Freshly baked croissants straight from the oven.
Where can I get the best tools for my trade?
Right here on Yob'sdale market day.
How much for this cow?
A carrot for the horse.
But beneath the noise and the bustle,
there are those whose worries line the face.
Freshly baked croissants straight from the oven.
Where can I get the best tools for my trade?
Right here on Yob'sdale market day.
How much for this cow?
A carrot for the horse.
But beneath the noise and the bustle,
there are those whose worries line the face.Labels: giraffe weaves a tail, imagination, lego, yob'sdale