Of Quirkyness and Naivity

Talk

2010-06-16T06:47:00.001-07:00

Here is something that has been on the mind lately:

Recently it has been a worry of mine, that I have become excessively talkative... in the way that where there is a simple sentence to be said, I will contort that sentence into something odd quirky and add little anecdotes and strangeness to it...

Some have mentioned that it is unique and should be celebrated. But alas I am not so sure.

I have found in reality that it causes misunderstandings, annoyances and just plain confusion.

So the thought is: why? I remember that I almost NEVER talked like this... it was just plain quietness, whilst my peers will yap on, I will listen on. They will joke, I only laugh. I talk a rare, and they are in awe... ("holy moly... he saids something... must be serious... ")

But nowadays it still that similar, only that I add... some sort of strangeness to conversations and speech. Has it happened as a result of some form of nervousness? That without those anecdotal evidences and open-ness my words will go unheard?

I will only have to find out as I wrack this silly brain of mine...

Nevertheless, I will also have to continue praying: ask of God to reveal more and to help me simply be myself...

Words

2010-02-07T22:28:00.000-08:00

As of recent

iWords
words that describe

quirky

hiiiiiighs

melancholic

nostalgic

out of the ordinary

anti-mainstream

daydreaming

hmmm ... *yawn*

2010-01-25T17:45:00.000-08:00

Can't speak

Can't understand

*bitter*

Update failure

2009-07-27T06:51:00.000-07:00

Affirmative... it is correct, utterly true, incomprehensibly of no nonsensical matter...

I have not updated for a very long time

Very very long time

Very

Truly

Very

HOWEVER... what I may do is do another bonsai gallery slideshow thing like I did a few years back (somewhere in this blog the old one is)
This time I have lots of new stuff and I will say this in the most humble way: I think I have clearly improved =)

A Dream...

2008-12-31T22:06:00.000-08:00

Let's see: a dream

What dream?
The ultimate! (for me... that is...)

See... I would like.. no LOVE to be able to work with Bonsai/Penjing full time

The thought of it gets me so pumped =D
So now, I am going to make a plan and list, the pros and cons, the (potential) struggles and the (potential) outcomes

PLAN from now!

2009
- Learn like hell... enough said. Get into workshops, read, watch videos, TALK TO MASTERS, LOOK AT TREES.
Be more humble in the art, gain wisdom and the way, understand the stances (and potentially the politics) that masters take... rid the mind of the bias and take my own neutral stance.
- Save up cash, get work experience at Bonsai nurseries (Oh I WILL try)
- Continue on with my degree
- Learn more Japanese and try to establish some stronger connections with the international bonsai/penjing people

2009 Summer holidays = If money and exchange rate lets me, I would like to do a 3-4 month apprenticeship at Urushibata's Bonsai School in Shizuoka, Japan.

2010
- Pretty much same as above, aim for more apprenticeship-ness and Japan travelling

But really... there is so much to think about...

I cannot forget that family exists, and that from what I see at the moment, the fact that I can finish my degree then get myself into full time employment and support the family seems a priority.
What now?

I also must remember that I wrote that up as MY plan... at this point I have no self assurance that it is God's will, even if that plan sounds grand and awesome.

Well, what I think I really need to do: is to pray and ask God for a lit path for me to follow.
Really though, enough of doubt, God's way is the best way... I really need to just put trust in Him and seek Him out first...

I could be over-reacting, heh, but is no doubt that God should be first and all will follow after.

WAFFLES

2008-11-11T19:48:00.000-08:00

I still havent made waffles yet...
Ice cream heaps though... green tea ice cream!

Hmm...

2008-11-11T02:39:00.000-08:00

Well, the holidays have come...
indeedy-do... the most troubling fact is the FACT that I am somewhat bored at this point.
Most likely because of numerous constraints

1) Well... money is always a constraint
2) I'm not allowed to ride my bike around in free will because mum is afraid of drunken drivers being stupid *sigh*
3) Tasks such as... house chores? Finding work? (which I actually have, but I want another one)
4) Most people still have exams now, fair enough of course

Speaking of which, the last week til portfolio hand in was hell, battling a freaking nasty fever + the little time to get portfolio in was not pleasant. I still clearly remember the two days of delirious shivering and splitting headaches, nausea and all that hoo hah that is not particularly pleasant.

Well at least its over, and I have lots of time on hand now, oh hang on... thats right, I've been bored recently >_>

Ok, enough sarcastic remarks and emo rantings, some NICE things to waffle on about
(mm... waffles, I havent had waffles for a LONG TIME, I must cook some tomorrow!!!)
Lets see:

I've recently taken an interest in singing... now, as odd as it may sound to be, singing is somewhat a really pleasant activity, despite the fact that my singing is lousy, the cool thing is though that some mates seem to be quite encouraging for me to sing, so thats really nice :)
Though I am not too sure if PARTYWORLD is the best place to really start o_o
Right now, the songs that I'm addicted to are

Juunigatsu no Love Song - Gackt
With you - Chris Brown
For you I will - Teddy Geiger
周华健 - 雨人

mm, waffles, oh the cravings!

I've seriously noticed recently, and its either that I'm realising it now, or that these remarks are flying at me more often... but ALOT of people keep saying I look freaking 14 - 15...
Ok... thats a reeeeeeeeeaaaaaalllllllllyy nice compliment (and IM SURE ITS ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS THAT YOU LOOK YOUNGER THAN YOUR REAL AGE)
But I really don't know if "You won't be able to find any girl to be your hearts love around your age cause you look too young and thin" is somewhat encouraging...

MEH, not my problem :)

I really want those waffles now... crunchy luscious sweet waffles fresh off the pan, covered with chilly ice cream and the finest of maple syrups.
Help.

I'M ALIVE!... slightly!

2008-10-20T05:29:00.000-07:00

Hey there again!

It's been quite a while since the last post, (May 2008! heck! That was... AUTUMN! hah hah hah).
Well, ever since that time, many a thing has happened, by jove yes.
A few months of blood, sweat, laughter, fun, cheerfulness, regrets, strange surges of confidence, adrenaline rushes, building relationships, relaxaaaaation...

What can I say? It's life!
Firstly, Uni... heh, Uni... it has been a very rough ride, oh so very rough. Landscape Architecture is a very demanding course, its little wonder why RMIT is known as the best design school in Melbourne!
This semester I have been working on Moonee Ponds Creek.. its a vast site, and smells weird. Unfortunately it is polluted, remnants of mankinds destruction and carelessness for nature, some students are actually addressing this issue in their designs!
Speaking of which, the final presentation is due in this Friday! And next Monday is the presentation! So intense, I'm not sure if I can make this last run with enough breath...

We'll see =) Though actually, I can easily finish, just that I'm playing perfectionist so I'm putting lots more work on myself, it might be worth! For I am also entering in a Landscaping competition! Judge by a panel of high authority! The winner takes home $$$ (I think!)

Next! The Optoms... yep! Over this year, I have been hanging around with First year optometry students at MU... lots. I've gotten to know them, and quite well now, I must say... it is so pleasant to hang around with them. A few eccentrics, interesting characters, some sweet people and couple of peeps whom I've known before hanging around with the optoms.
I feel quite normal and happy when hanging around MU hah hah.

Of course, I've got mates at Landscape Archi! The usual ALL NIGHTER crew! hah hah, lets see... mostly Hiro and Rajiv... we are ALWAYS in the labs... working like mad, rushing and stressing. Awesome times guys! Hah hah

So lots of happy times amongst the CRAZILY STRESSING times!!!
Besides, I've got many plans for the holidays coming up! Highly anticipating!! ^^
And there are a lot of... stresses and pains too... but I might save that for another post... at the moment, I think I've got it in control...
Don't want to ruin the mood of this post! It's been happy so far!!

Hmm, so many people I need to catch up with, mostly MHS people and many others... if you are ready this and wanna catch up, just yell!! Hah hah!

Rightyo! I've got plenty more to talk about! But need to sleep, this week is gonna be HECTIC!!
Signing off....

Some Bonsai =)

2008-05-20T07:15:00.001-07:00

Bonsai trap

2008-05-19T05:39:00.000-07:00

I admit it, I fell into that trap of losing my imagination of creating trees... that deadly pitfall for bonsai enthusiasts, where the eager hobbyist (I'm much more than a hobbyist in terms of interest if you ask me!) has swayed to thinking INSIDE the square of creating Bonsai.

Alas for the ever wandering and daydreaming mind!! I am not ashamed to admit, that I enjoy daydreaming and doing a lot of thinking... but in this particular situation, Bonsai growing wise... I've been deterred from that path of "creating a tree an image, something nice almost out of any raw stock thrown at me".... that "personality" and "personal and imagination" guides and dominates when creating a tree.

All that "let your imagination guide you" stuff I talked to many of you about and the abolishment of "rules" and "dos and donts" I have forgotten somewhere in those thoughts of bonsai.
I do not know when, but I still remember years ago creating a little something out of nothing as a complete novice, nothing that I know now about bonsai i knew back then. That little something is now something awesome in my own eyes and treasured, over Mr Kimuras or Kobayashis trees anyday.

So thus also thinking back to just a few weeks ago in my garden, there are little junipers that I had bought because I felt like it and thought they might look nice *sometime*... well, I wanted to make something out of them... these "unattractive" and thin trunked junipers...
Well, I made something out of them, just creating stuff that I found attractive to my eye... and hell I love them to bits now.

So a little... er... GROUNDBREAKING discovery about own self:
The IMAGINATION and passion is there... just well and truly misled.

and I thank the one and only Mr Lindsay Farr for that 3 -4 hours of wisdom given out to me whilst I hung around his workshop on a chilly day. That widsom that pierced through the fogginess of my bonsai mind and ultimately just put me on the right perspective of how bonsai does not have to be crafted by only advanced techniques, but by the imagination.

www.bonsaifarm.tv is Lindsay Farrs site, good stuff there, seriously.

OH and dont forget to have fun people... I have NEVER EVER forgotten that...

Update imminent!!

2008-04-06T05:01:00.000-07:00

[EDIT - Apparently it appears that some people find what I talk about things in this blog in a too crazy or uncivilised manner, In my opinion, its not, cause I'm different thats it. But for others, I would change it and thus this update is not written in a true 100% passion)

Hey, I know I havent been updating this blog lately... in fact... its been like MONTHS since I have.
I also know that some people actually READ this blog, and a big thank you to you people.
People just bothering to make an effort to read this is something I really appreciate for!

Well... I plan to talk about

Also...
Current Projects

01. Project Nameless
This is an actual project/assignment for Landscape Architecture, its some serious stuff... most of it is actually sitting down and thinking... then going to sites and landscapes and thinking and occasionally note taking. All I can say is, its a lot of thinking of design aspects and thinking in abstract forms...
Very enjoyable yes.
But Project Nameless namely asks us to design a space, a carpark specifically, mainly to design this carpark and thinking about how we use the space, the spatial qualities of what we put in that design, how it affects space etc...

02. Project Kitty
This project is about kitties... I LOVE KITTIES, KITTIES, I LOVE THEM.
See, an idea of mine came up to be that one day I should live with a faithful companion in the form of a feline that should reside on top of my head for many hours of a day.
Yes! It is inevitable that I plan to train a cat from its kitten stage to adulthood.... to sit on my head without obligation!
Alas, that a kitten should stumble upon my grasps in recent, but the Lord hath not prepared me for this destiny just yet! However, I am compensating for that by practicing with kitty indeed! A plushie kitty that lives in my sisters car: a Skelanimal cat. Its emo and goth but I love it and I plan to purchase one for myself to be my faithful dead companion.

03. Project Pocket
Ah... Project Pocket.... for this project has none of wide productivity and the requirement of heavy industrialisation, rather the meek habit of searching in antique shops, the net and of markets.
Well, I am trying to seek pocketwatches
And Project POCKET cause pocketwatches are not called pocketwatches for no reason

04. Project Linguistics
I am attempting to self teach Japanese, its quite exciting and I also try to learn Mandarin and Cantonese through friends, relatives and church. Nothing crazy about this sentence yea?

05. Project EGA
EGA... stands for - Elegant Gothic Aristocrat
I wanna be a person who wears EGA for fun (excludes the lipstick)... its a fashion style that the Japanese people have made, dark shady clothes... etc
Its wear you wear Victorian clothing in the modern society but jazzed up with nice hair and shoes :) I have still yet to acquire all the articles of clothing and accessories.
This is what I have so far -
- A long black coat
- Dress pants (from the formal) or these emo pants I have (love you)
- An antique pocket watch
- The hair (I is asian)
- Shirt (I MIGHT use this shirt... Victorian shirts are better)

These are what I NEED to complete my EGA style
- Victorian Shirt (high collar, so cool)
- Victorian Vest (a nice dark gray or blackish one)
- A nicer antique pocketwatch with a chain ^^ (so it can hang off the front of my vest)
- Some suitable shoes (funky or plain, all cool)
- Maybe a Cravat... these are cool (or I can just get some material and make a cravat, or stick with a scarf)
- Grey contacts (unique it is)
- Hair dyed in some appropriate manner :P
- Antique Motorcycle goggles (so cool)

And to TOP IT OFF... the cat on the head... (I know you think its nuts, EVERYONE does)
Basically, I want to walk around in public occasionally with a friend in EGA-KOH (Kitty On Head) style, just to be seen harajyuku style.
Hopefully someone out there likes EGA and not ashamed to wear it in public as well.

Well! I am unique person, but to what degree? I do not know, thats not for me to decide, I shall let others judge and tell me what I am and what I should be... I've always done that and I shall continue to do so >_>

Anyway, hope you have enjoyed reading my rantings for now, I'll be back!
~ The Lonely Cat Charmer

Excitements

2007-12-14T23:18:00.000-08:00

Damn, im excited

There are so many possibilities and things to do in this world and I wanna experience so much of it. I shall gladly bore you with by telling about them :)

Firstly, as people know, I am into bonsai, and goodness, so many opportunities have opened up to me now that I am temporarily free! Such as "bonsai hunts", where I can walk around dangerous rocky paths and along random creeks looking for potential bonsai material to collect! Ah! So exciting! The danger the potential!

Secondly, thanks to Mr Rowan (I'll get you later boy) I am now addicted to seeking, viewing and collecting Art Nouveau antique items and architecture...
...and 1800s - 1900s pocketwatches.
Another point that I must stress is the fact that I am NOT rich.
Now, some may think it is insanity! That 'this is madness!' (THIS IS SPARTA) and that its a waste of money...so let me ask: What do you like doing? Watching movies and tv? Well, my SUBSTITUTE for your lovable desire for flicks on the screen is viewing Art Nouveau! Pretty simple huh?

Thirdly, GOING OVERSEAS! To Japan! To nice areas such as Kyoto where the tranquil gardens lie and the World Heritage site: Yakushima! And yes, Mr Rowan is my travel partner for this thrilling experience (and guess what we're gonna rant on about in Japan other than Japan related stuff? :D)

Well...at the moment, I just lost momentum to write, so I might continue this another time *yawn*
I still have heaps to rant on about really >_>

Anyway, sayonara for now
Neko-man

Design II

2007-09-30T07:36:00.000-07:00

If you scroll down, you can see two garden designs, the one below is the one I posted earlier on, just a simple design to keep me happy etc.

The design on TOP is to keep someone else happy! lol. A design for a friend's birthday it is, I know she likes it, but I thought I might as well post it cause I also like opinions on it too if possible. But all in all, this garden design is no longer really mine, but my friends, who has ownership of it via b'day present, heh heh.

I shall explain the aesthetics of this garden. First of all...no one said I'm professional so my statements and implications of the geomatics and design aspects of the garden maybe totally inaccurate...I DID try study more about the garden style though.
I had also sorta re-designed a certain section of in another version, but thats on paper...its slightly different and maybe significant, but thats still alright I suppose....for now

The style is: Cottage Style...perhaps a splash of modernisation in it. There are heaps of conifers (finely pruned and shaped of course), lush lawn, a few deciduous trees and a REALLY fine and outstanding deciduous (or maybe a conifer) somewhere in there (somewhere where its more easily seen) just to provide a bit more 'wow'

On the eastern side of the design, there is a whole row of conifers (circles that follow a line)...and in the corner are some more circles (which are WISTERIA plants). The purpose of this is for the conifers to block out the wisteria so the garden looks plain, green, 'flowery' and very uniform. However, as you venture behind the tall conifers via a slightly hidden path, you will be met with an array of flowers and the sort...note that wisteria only bloom once a season and not for long...BUT other plants will be there and it will be shaded in there and hopefully an extremely relaxing environment for one to recline/sleep/reside in.

Cottage style gardens tend to have hidden parts of the garden...the wisteria vines/plants (wisteria might be grown to climb pergolas, or something climbable so the blooms of the wisteria may be droop and provide a show of its gracefulness and beauty (sounds like a goddess doesnt it?...ah....a goddess....) *ahem*....
North of the garden is a fountain has smoothly running water that will provide a tranquility to the garden. Another purpose for placing the fountain in that area, nearer to the wisteria grove, is that the whilst in that hidden area one can hear the running waters...yet do not see the source of these flowing waters...this may thus invoke a feeling more depth to the garden.

So the ultimate feeling of being in that nice hidden part of the garden? Imagine a beautiful sunny day, its the afternoon, you have that warm fuzzy fresh feeling in you, barefoot you walk into this hidden area, you walk along the path to your corner, the blooms brushing amongst your hair. Finally, you find yourself flat out on soft outdoor bed, and breath in exhilarating breaths of relief as you rest through the evening where the sounds of water will soothe your soul and thus worry not about the coming tomorrow...

^_^

There is heaps I will be able to yap on about, but its 1.05am at the moment...and I'm somewhat sleepy, so my first my vocabularly will be down the drain and I won't be able to express the "wonders" (if there are any) of this garden in a better way, but I hope some people sort of enjoyed this blog...

Btw...just to prove I'm more of a weirdo than you people think I am...I'm interested in:
- Tap dancing
- Some travelling, Europe, Borneo, China, Japan...ahh
- Golf (sorta got into this during year 10...)
- Bonsai (4 years already baby!)
- Astronomy...revived my 'mesmerisation' (I get mesmerised thinking about the dynamic universe) recently
- Quantum Physics (...YEA, I know what you are thinking, but I'm actually understanding it despite doing ALL commerce subjects for my VCE...I am NEVER going to touch ommerce ever again >_>")

Signing off for now - Kelv

Cat

2007-08-26T06:05:00.000-07:00

Yep, my cat Kiki, its about her.

It has only been 6 months since my cat, Kiki has passed away...it seems like an eternity that she has been away, I have never really given a full account of how it was like...not happy thats for sure.
Here was the scenario:

Happy that Kiki would finally get to a vet and even though I know that she may have one ear amputated, I was still optimistic that she would not be in pain ever again...
Unfortunately and most sadly, I was wrong
I remember the vets immediate diagnosis of cancer, how fast it was, "cancer"...boom..."live or die"

Even though those werent the words the vet said...thats what it seemed to me. The vet had asked that question that will haunt my life forever, euthanise or not euthanise? Kill or not kill? Mercy or no mercy?
I still remember, Kiki's cancer bought her pain, unbelievable pain in fact, if she had to die, she would rest forever, if she lived, the many traumatising treatments of surgery and being locked up indoors await her...

What would you do? Live or die?
I painfully chose the latter, I was the who to decide, I was the one who had this dreadful task...a transaction of $90 later...we were out the door...so fast so quickly. My last glimpse of her as I walked out the door, she was staring at me..."where are you going?" her eyes said..."why are you leaving me!"....those green eyes of disbelief...

I remember crying in the car, and I cant hold back the tears now, on the way home knowing that I won't see her waiting behind the backdoor of the house for us ever again...
The vet's were so close...yet Kiki is so close, but so very far away...

I know...it was all the best for Kiki...though I know she loved me dearly and I so too...the day we had to part was 24th January 2007. She is out of pain...thats all that matters, that she may find peace and that she had found her way into the places of comfort somewhere in the spiritual world.

How easy it is, for a loved one to go...thus I say to my readers:
Love your close ones with all your heart, they could disappear forever from your lives so quickly. Don't neglect.
Kiki's love was unconditional, loved those she loved for who they were, no matter what their values were, no matter what they may have done in the past...

As a Christian, I think can relate Kiki's love to the love Jesus shows us, unconditional love.
I found that very encouraging, that you find something similar to such love in a humble kitty.

It's quite amazing actually, its like as though God created cats just to tell us that He loves his sons and daughters very much and also teach us a lesson of love (and survival...cats can survive by themselves in the wild...can YOU?)

Heh, I know, its somewhat depressing but hey, life is life, I still get teary over it, but Kiki doesn't (Cats dont cry LOL) and whether she is now dust or living in heaven she is out of pain and no longer bears the burden of the earth.
Thats my post done for the time being, hope to catch ya guys soon (somewhere, sometime...)

On an even happier note, I would like to give a permanent...*HUG* to that special person who hopefully will be reading this sometime, you know who you are.

Me and Designing...

2007-04-25T04:26:00.000-07:00

Hey again

As some may have noticed, at the bottom of my blog is a 'design' for what I would like my garden to look like if the house I'm living is mine and I get to do whatever I want with it and I have a decent budget at least.

Its nothing flashy, just a black and white and SIMPLE design and has multiple purposes. It's very simple for the fact that simple is good and with the drought, there are boundaries which I cannot cross with designs.

Designing is undoubtely fun...for me that is >_>...of course, its a total personal thing and I usually design for my own personal use, however, there was an occasion of someone desiring a design for their birthday pressie! (You know who you are! :D) But of course, that is no problemo because designing is enjoyable...but time consuming o_O...which actually is a GOOD thing cause it takes me away from gaming and keeps my mind active and innovative.

Designing requires quite a bit of trial and error as well as consideration of other factors during a design such as: Weather, purposes, which plants, how elements relate, etc etc etc.
Cause' I can say "Hey! lets just chuck a nice Cherry Blossom right here!"...but I have to consider factors such as: Its effects on the environment around it and simply suitability, why a Cherry Blossom?, would the Cherry be too large? etc etc!

I know some large trees that have vigorous root systems that are able to tap into water pipes which is a MAJOR problem (a very fine conifer my Grandpa had needed get cut down cause of this)...so thats another factor to take into consideration.

So (if you have read that massive slab of text...I talk a LOT more than you think...) designing is very enjoyable for me because of the imagination you can put into it as well as incorporating my love for trees and plants!

Yayzors (is that yellow text hard to read?)

First one!

2007-04-22T06:41:00.000-07:00

Hey...

Uh, I'm not expecting much people to
1) View
2) View then comment
3) Bother XD

Since this blog is being updated and I'm learning to make it super pretty and stuff (>_>") it will be VERY slow and mostly until I "advertise" it around.

I will probably use this blog for different tasks:
1) Just talking about life/other peoples lives and maybe other issues
2) Christianity (yayzors)
3) I might sometimes talk about nature and bonsai, as well as some paragraph long info for bonsai friends if they request guidance or anything

So, uh, enjoy...