July 1st...(1/7)

The first of July, when the sunset glanced at the corner of Hong Kong.

Izu Lips...(24/11)

It's been a while since I was toured in a country side area outside the crowded centre of the city. Tokyo people are long weekend travellers and there is no evasion of another filtration of man-mass from the concentrated focus to a holistic spreading of individual hearted-dreamer onto the warm vegetated onsen area, a pursuit of silence and light...sunrise and sunset were the two indicator of mileage in the two-day trip. The horizon was a magnetic lip of an Izu lady zipped by a golden ribbon of Horus. Instead of a staring coma in the picturesque moment, it was simply an exchange of relaxing tranquillity from the sun, and rotating from the east to the west, it was the routine melody of aerobic sun which often plays in the unbearable corner of negligence.

Round a day in 10 years...(23/8)

There is a sunset and a sunrise from the human-centred world everyday, no matter if they are seen by the pair of curious eyes or not...as a time-symbolic 'phenomenon' defined by our civilisation, things go each of their own ways under the cycle of light movement, gently and wholeheartedly. The story began a decade before the sun set when the sun rised. Challenging the absurd isolation of human relationship on the move, a birth of a life was rooted from the meaning to be. Dream and belief, men slide in between. Dramatic chance is a view, determination is the key. Talking, feeling, meaning, exchanging - a transition of possibilities and uncertainties, mysteries and sympathies. It ended naturally.
Rising stars climb, they capture, and dissolve. Setting sun weights. An estimation or a trial, the two come and go, it is always in sorrow. This is reincarnation.
Seeing the fortune, idea bounces from the religious labyrinth. When milk shakes, it takes, it takes the rhythm of the waving lake, the string for the theme.
.............................................
I always have a perception that the debut is better, and so I had an impression of a better script in Before Sunrise than that of Before Sunset, I am half right. The idea of a long shooting conversation and a simple interpretation of true sensation of love and romance lift the first episode a faithful work. Without much polishing, the film is direct and elegant. The unique filming integration produced a classic work.
Out of expectation, Before Sunset followed the magic of the conversational story-telling script, and the nice design of dialogue created an unbelievable resonance to its part 1 of the story. In the two rendezvous in Vienna and Paris, the two characters discussed about love, life, divorce, fate, religion, creativity, culture, politics, environment, memory etc. The words are intelligent. It compared the process and the result, it explained the passion and the deluded behaviour. Coincidently it distinguished the state of loneliness and solitude. These are just the two sentiments I was told in recent conversations. In an individual world, solitude is a symbol of the calm questioning of the self existence. Loneliness, though, put on its shade in cosmopolitan like the cities of people and dynamism. Walking inside the crowd can usually derive a lonely mood, a lack of sense of entitlement, perhaps.
Celine mentioned about her partner as a battlefield reporter, and ironically, we heard of again the name of the photography journalist, Joe Rosenthal, in the week, who had his life an end and left behind his most acclaimed photographic work known as Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima taken during WWII.
Life may be a battle game, and all the coincidences and probabilities are simply accompanied by the natural rise and fall of the sun...

Miracle Sky...(9/8)

I am always in love with my so called "miracle sky"...there was a moment during my school life when I was fascinated by the different forms of cloud above us I found in the geography room. In Hong Kong, the sky is limited, and the skyscrapers are always higher. We live in a claustrophobic mode from time to time. Because of the tropical climate, Hong Kong does not have cloudforms like altocumulus and the mackerel sky exists only in autumn time or in some early winter morning when the weather is dry and sunny. A cooler temperature and a mild wind current allow the cloud to be formed at a higher ground, and this is gorgeous. Severe pollution in the Guangdong region, though, disables the visibility of the miracle sky in Hong Kong nowadays in autumn and winter time.
The sky in Paris is more spacious, and the climate allows a more vivid parade of different cloudforms throughout a day. After the heat wave in July, the weather is more moderate and the turbulent air current on different levels of the sky gives birth to unique sky scenes every hour by hour. I embrace my miracle sky. It is an enjoyment taking a ride before sunset to observe esoterically the exclaiming facial expression trademarked on visitors who wander along la Seine. Photo taking is a paparazzo form of worship and under the sky, you sense nothing but eternity.

Dipping the water...(20/6)

Once upon a time, there was a dragonfly...called it a dragonfly, it did not really fly like dragon. It also had a pair of wings of desire. It slid over the still water, it looked, it felt, and it kept on flying. Never had it find a nice place to stay, from its mind. It used to dip on water, meaning to have a taste of the flowing state. Flying differed from flowing. Flying could go high, while flowing only went downward. The dragonfly tipped on the water again and again...

The only moment when the dragonfly made a stop, its wings froze. It was in the twilight of sunset, and the golden shine touched the desires to be inherited. In a still picture that followed, the pair of wings was the only focus under the spot.

I would like to learn how to swim before I go into the water, and perhaps this is the condition.

Sun Worship...(16/6)

I had a ritual habit when I was four or five years old. I worshipped the very bright sun...The ritual did not follow the traditional human approach. Instead of keeping a distance from the worshipping target, my way of approach is direct and intense. I felt that sunlight was strong and powerful, and how I respected the spirit was in fact to stare at the sun directly with my pair of little eyes. The process might last for perhaps ten to fifteen seconds, and then I closed my eyes immediately and tried my best to trace the black dots and small lines appearing and flowing inside the darkness I got. I repeated this for times before the sun really went down. There were a few 'insights' I got. I noticed that the sunlight was actually very bright and elegant. I found that darkness was not totally unreachable or a state of blindness. I had my eyes tightly shut but I still saw the world. This was perhaps the left-behind stimulation of sunlight onto my retina or eyelid, but I found it wonderful to play with. Indeed, the habit served as a psychological consultation to myself as I found in a certain extent a build up of confidence from the light I 'acquired' from the sun. This was childhood, a world where only a child would have and would enjoy having. I recalled this today only because I recognised 'consciously' again that the Parisians did the same thing as me. Paris, like many other European cities, enjoys a privilege of having four distinct seasons, and after the spring time which lasted a bit short this year, a mood of summer time arrived with the temperature, and the abundant sunlight changes the daily habit of the Parisians. I had at least two requests from my friends to change the venue of meeting place from the coffee shops to a shineable area, a change of life from the shadiness to exposure. I would be smiling when I see the people change their seat according to the orbit of the sun. All of them bring with their worshipping device in pairs in between their eyes and the sun. Is it an obsession or a demonstration of hedonism? Anyway, when a day goes, what leaves behind are only the moon and the river, Elvis.

Vingt-et-un moments...(12/6)

all is all around...

by the sea, we use to look further away from the edge of the sea...

when we grow up, we have our pair of legs to feel...

inside, we chase the moon and the star...

lightness, we develop the extension of light beams...

flowing from here to there...

sun sets and rises...

Soleil d'Alger...(16/3)

My stay in Algiers has been limited in a sense that I did not manage to go visit a bit in the city centre...My very knowledge to the city is more like a national airport, an equipped Hilton Hotel and an exhibition centre with numerous halls or they called them Pavilions. Basically the centre is constructed and expanded for their Foire d'Algérie which is held annually in June, the most important trade event in Africa. A daily number of around 50,000 visitors would take part in the event, and exhibitors originate from nearly 40 countries. The impression to the city is pleasant for me. People I met here are friendly and frank. The state has undergone a reform with a more liberal approach to its economy and market. Privisation of state enterprises is in process and construction work for buildings and roadworks is in its action plan. Automotive industry seems to be promising here, and a strong buying force supports the rapid growth of car sales. Congestion is a problem in the city centre but when a family in Algiers can have as many as 3 to 4 cars, this is indeed not difficult to explain the situation. Many cars from China are imported into Algeria, and apparently there is a big market for the Chinese producers and spare parts suppliers. Cuisine in Algeria is typical to me as compared to other Maghreb food and ingredients. I tried the carvelle d'agneau and it tasted very good. Haha. People drink coffee, soft drink, fruit juices and menthe tea. Alcohol is limited to tourist spots due to religious rituels. Being a tourist, I was introduced an aperitif named Bodji, a kir-like drink which is sweet. By the way, people like sweet and that's why I found in general dishes and drinks with sweet suace. Sunshine is a great asset of Algiers and in this period of March, the weather is jut fantastic. Mild temperature and sunshine on sales. The sound of the wave from the sea just smashes all the mood to work away, not to mention the dancing palm trees. A very exotic impression is typical to a kind of come-and-go tourist like me this time.

La soirée à Villepinte...(13/10)

Working non-stop at the moment and at an instance, I saw a very nice sunset outside the exhibition hall at Villepinte...

Jouer le tennis...(12/7)

Finally I reserved a tennis court for the evening and picked up my racket again for the first time in Paris after my last game in January. Not many public tennis courts are available in Paris centre, and perhaps this is an indication about the scarcity of land in central Paris. It's too luxurious to have a tennis court in the centre. The closest public tennis court to my home is at the Jardin du Luxembourg, but as expected, booking a court in prime location like this is nearly impossible. The authority adopts a reservation system via Internet, and so simply the first reserver plays first. The court I got this time is at the Porte de Pantin in the 19eme arrondisement not far away from the Cite de Science, the far northeast of Paris area. Urban planning of Paris defines quite a clear border for Paris, and this boundary is usually marked by the peripherial network of roads and highway. Paris is actually surrounded by circulation and traffic. Intentionally assigned, sporting facilities can often be found in this kind of marginal area within Paris. Not coinciding with the fantasy of foreigners, public tennis courts here are yet upgraded to red clay surface, what a pity. Perhaps the experience can only be fulfilled at the Roland-Garros. 9pm is actually a good timing for tennis game in summer here, and we could have enjoyed the nice sunset and light wind during the game. A relaxing evening after work for some exercises, and after all, the rental fee is quite cheap. It costs only 6,5 EURO for an hour. Seeing all the courts to be occupied by the sports lovers, I understand why Paris would have the slogan of "Paris aimera toujours le sports". However, confirmed by the Mayor of Paris, the city would not compete for hosting the Game in 2016.