running in heels with a dagger in my hand!

this is the sort of expression that is going catch people's attention. and being in this lackadaisical couldn't care less phase of life, i would say achievement is a must. the problem is that there is no single plan. there are many. like a child entranced, each new experience, outlook and opportunity becomes exciting, eye-opening, and almost obsessive. it is the idea of an idea that can keep this wandering spirit alive.

walking down the cobbled path (yes the path is cobbled. this is not a random phrase from an old english tale) in killer red stilettos, i burst into song. this sort of enthusiasm isn't normal in a sobered down, knackered soul like me. but yes, these random moments do happen, and when they do, there is a need for an explanation. excitement wears off from novelty. this splash of energy resonates from an enticing 4 days in a country not my own (although i wish it were) and not my adopted home either. a first timer in any city is always awe struck. hk for that matter, was all my architecture case studies coming to life. the congestion, the shopping avenues, the classiness, the age and the dirt all combined into one was a wonderfully refreshing. the urbanity and the density of such a vibrant city was what i needed to see. the activity available in hk is another emotion altogether. and so i have begun another urban love affair along with a thirst to see and touch new places.

if you were to consider the elements that define me, i would find it hard to pin point any particular characteristic. some things at the top of my head would be;
1. colourful or pointy shoes (sometimes both)
2. make up
3. exquisite and exotic food that looks pretty (not necessarily expensive and usually very safe)
4.long aimless walks (camera in hand)
5. discovery (usually of places)
6. bright pink, red and more recently lime green
7.tea

feel free to add to the list. im usually the worst at judging myself. fickle it may seem, but it is an experience cherished. a personality explored and a phase enjoyed or overcome. this is what i feel life is about; transition and the jabs, bolts and ecstasy that's embedded in the package.

so i must say, for a wanderer like me, until the i find solid ground to stand on (or for that matter if someone decides to lend me some), i simply choose to live this moment chasing every penchant idea; beautiful like a butterfly trying to reach the sky!

Awakening. "Under the Crescent Moon"

Mood of the moment: profound awe and wonder of the world we live in
Song that i can't get rid of: Wonderful world, James Morrison
Movie on my mind: Paradise Now
Newest infatuation: Cultural education
Secretly craving: peace. for the world and myself.
Wish i were...making a difference in the world

A long weekend. You would expect the lazy bum attitude from a candidate like me. That definitely is on the agenda buut Friday was to be an inspiring day. I finally went down to the National Museum to take a look on the exhibits from the middle east. Under the Crescent Moon documented the evolution of Arabian and Islamic civilisation. From the nomad to the modern cities. It was more of an urban and architectural study with amazing models made of plasticine, clay and straw. A real eye opener on what it was to be in the middle east then compared to the shattered and torn area it is now.

Life size models of the kasbah were on display. You can see, almost hear, and feel the life that they lived. An amazing experience. When you walk into them there is a sense of peace. The simplicity of the architecture is what brings out its tranquility. Islamic architecture revolves around the Islamic way of life, thereby making space important. The action takes place. The space is merely a container for it.
As each region developed, the concepts were applied, experimentally, to the apartments and city houses. What has evolved today remains to be seen, if there's anything left to be seen at all.

The second part of the exhibition, Nazr, was a photographic documentation of life and culture, past and present in the middle eastern region. It mostly depicted the fall of peace and tranquility. The destruction in Palestine & Beirut... unimaginable. The past carefully documented by scholars to be preserved for mankind to see in the years to come was sitting in the other room, while today's brutal reality was the subject of the installation artwork Strange Bridges Games. Depicting the fall of civilisation during our time. People's lives crumbling along with the buildings they attach their memories to. Lives played with, transformed from hopeful youth to fickle existence. Now they hope for a graceful death; we only see, we hear and we watch.