Gulliver's Travels
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Traveling through spaces Manchester Airport at 4 am looked just like a tunnel in the space in Strar Trek. It was raining. The lighting and transparent tubes ushered travelers to a point of trasmission through which every passenger would be led to another space and time. My body seemed to be enabled to glow under the surrealistic neon, resumming an alian identity. Homecoming is, more than any other type of travels, a journey through temporal and physical spaces.
The last time that I went to London was more than half a year ago. King's X station is now quite different from my impression, it changes a bit, in a good way. There has been some construction work going on outside King's X and St Pancras for a long while ever since this city left trace in my memory. Some work still remains, but a new look of this area is only waiting for a final touch, I hope. Most scaffolds and temperary fences have been removed. Construction of glass facades for tube stations in King's X and St. Pancras have been completed. Their modern designs fittingly provide the old buildings a nice and quiet company. St Pancras station is more visible to the world now. The color of bricks and the grey tone of the sky are so mingled that they seem to generate an elegant color of greyish blue. I am looking forward to seeing it next time!
A passage from Madame Bovary I encountered this passage in an earlier draft of Flaubert's Madame Bovary. The imagistic expression of voracious sorrow and devouring memory is enchanting. The English translation is by Paul de Man. 'She clung to this memory; it was the center of her lassitude, all her thoughts converged upon it and nourished it. It was the intimate creation of her idleness. In her life, abandoned, cold, naked and monotonous, it stood alone like a fire of dead twigs left in the middle of the Russian Steppes by departing travelers. She threw herself upon the remembered image, crushed herself against it, joyously, jealously, and with a trembling hand stirred up the embers which were about to go out. To make it burn brighter and flame higher, that she might re-light her sadness by this love-flame which was flickering in the night, she looked around her for things with which to feed it; the most insignificant details of the past or the future, reminiscences of si...
Vincent Van Gogh, 'The Starry Night' Starry Starry Night I was walking home on this starry starry night, remembering a passage that a dear friend wrote for me a couple of months ago when everything was in a mass and I quite forgot how I would like the course of life to go. That was a beautiful passage, beautifully written. I am remembering that passage, perhaps, because the same thought that abused me at the time is now recalled. But this time, with a sober mind. 'Nothing lasts forever'--a notion that is perhaps unkind, But so will trouble and sorrow be untied. To a friend.
The Lake District, 17-19 September 2006: Levens Hall It's been a while after my trip to the Lake District. Endless travelogues, it seems. When I was there, it was the end of the summer, and it's autum now (sigh... this lament is a sign of senility.) Yes, autumn has been around for a while. These days whenever I have a chance to step on the gorgeous orange carpet--a seasonal mantle of the earth woven from golden leaves--the crackling under my feet is very comforting, assuring, even though I also bear in mind a melancholic notion that this path is leading the year to an end, and the cycle of nature to winter. Around this same time two years ago, when waiting for bus in front of Heslington Hall, I chanced to "hear" a squirrel crossing a field covered with fallen leaves. It made me giggle. : ) A lady sitting on the same bench smiled and said, 'isn't that lovely! It's my favorite time of the year!' This year the crispy sound constantly recalls to me ...
'Then you are very patient.' It is my conversation with a worldly-famous and well-respected scholar (abbreviated as S) in a conference dinner, ******************************* S: When I was in the E dept. in H Univ., H the postcolonialist was invited to take a position there. The faculty in the department was wondering why he was invited since he hadn't had a single book published. You know, in order to be in H Univ. you have to publish at least 6 books. Some faculty answered, 'but he had been a main contributor to this field of study'. Some others confronted the defendants instead, 'but no one understands what he's talking about'. (the conversation was carried on with the discussion of applications of theories and close reading in literary studies.) I: H's writing is difficult, but the style is also considered to be a means to assert his identity and idea as a postcolonialist. S: Have you ever read his work? I: Yes, I did. S: Did you understand...
The Lake District, 17-19 Spetember 2006: Kendal Castle When I saw the castle through the arch from this side of the river, I didn't know that the ruin on the hill top would become one of the most memorable places on my tourist diary. It is Kendal Castle. The castle was not on my original itinery as I reckoned it would be too far away to reach. It wasn't on my guidbook either. When I strolled across the park, an old lady persuaded me to take a 20-min walk to take a look. 'It is very worthwhile,' she recommended. So I marched on. I crossed river Kent and walked into a quiet residential area, seeing the castle ahead of me. The lane was pretty empty then. I was worried about being a loner in the peaceful quietness and about getting lost, but somehow the steady presence of that target assured me. It never abandoned me every time when I looked up to search for direction. Its enormous omnipresence continued calling me to move on. Here I saw the entrance. Some real ...
The Lake District, 17-19 September 2006: My collection of pigs Part of my research work happened to be about sows, and it opened up my intuition for this interesting creature. Does Cumbria have any particular connection with the industry of pigs? I kept seeing images of this meaty animal during my entire journey. Pigs are indispensable in the economic life in the Lake District, I suppose. Piglets are exchanged for valuable goods. Pigs' hair is a good material for brushes. I even saw gargoyles of pigs, whose representations are rare I think. In Beatrice Potter's imaginary world, they are gentlemen from the countryside. I am now quite intrigued by this search for pigs in the UK, any popular pig icons in the country? (I don't like the pigs in George Orwell's Animal Farm though).
Home We all love this new place to stay for the next year. Dear housemates, W, K, and Y offered warm help to accommodate us in the house! Your kindness and precious care make the house such a nice home! I really felt sorry that my helpers had to MOVE SO MANY of my stuffs (you can hardly imagine the amount). I never know (in fact I knew already, I just didn't learn the lesson) that a single woman's household could be so HUGE. The clean lady in Wentworth was very shocked to see my boxes and bags piled up in the corridor waiting to be removed, and so were other residents... Big thanks to my dear helpful moving hands, TY, AD, KJ, YS, K, WY and C+Y. Without them, I couldn't have done it efficiently and smoothly in 2 hours. September sends away bright summer and ushers in poetic autumn. It is a peculiar month especially on university calendar. A mixture of feelings--sadness, excitement, uncertainty--pervades. Everybody is driven to move onward along the course of life. ...
A Riddle The other day C-chan asked me a riddle. Oh! I am very bad at riddles...so I asked my flatmate for a thought. On the next day, he said it had made him sleepless... but still he didn't have any idea. Could someone very kind and intelligent tell me the answer? : ) The riddle is, When asked this riddle, 80% of kindergarten kids got the answer, compared to 17% of Stanford University seniors. What is greater than God, More evil than the devil, The poor have it, The rich need it, And if you eat it, you'll die?
Open Air Cinema: "Singing in the Rain" On Thursday night, York Minster appeared like a giant with a big square belly against the dark sky (giant tele-tubby again?? Sorry for my weird obsession with that children's TV program). Owing to an on-going repairment of the stained glass in the Lady chapel, the magnificence of this side of the Minster has been hidden behind layers of scaffolds. It's been a pain for tourists who have traveled such a long way to witness this masterpiece of cathedral architecture. However, it turned out to be an ideal screen for Open Air Cinema. It showed "Singing in the Rain" before the audience submerged in the darkeness. "Singing in the Rain" is a musical made in 1952 in Hollywood. It is about 3 actors who struggle to change their career from silent movie to sound movie. A typical romance of Hollywood. The theme song, "Singing in the Rain" is not unfamiliar. I suppose it is one of the best-known songs t...
Dr. O's Birthday Party Our dear friend O. just had his birthday party last Saturday. It was a great occasion in O's fashion: great salsa dance, good food, relaxing music, and good company. This birthday doctor is a very empathic, optimistic, and caring friend, and an excellent cook too! He made a birthday cake for my first birthday party in 2005 in York and initiated my interest in baking. He is always smiling, very bright and encouraging smile! I had a chat with his colleagues from his department and reached a conclusion that "everybody knows O. and everybody loves him!"
Carnations This carnation is in its stunning blossom. Mum was talking about removing some old books from the house. I remember there are boxes and boxes of books of folklore and fairy-tale that I used to read over and over again in my youth. One of the folktales is about the origin of carnations. Long time ago (what a fairytale opening!), in the heavens lived a goddess and a lot of fairy girls. It happened in a year that the fairy girls agreed that each of them would create a new species of flower to be dedicated to the goddess on her birthday. All the fairies, young and mature, spent loads of time preparing their floral presents, except for one little fairy girl. She was probably only 10 years old and was still too naughty to remember important things. She totally forgot this mission and did not remember it until the last minute. Having been having fun in the wild for the entire day, she did not have any material available to her at the moment. She was crying over her careles...
York Mystery Plays, 16th of July 2006 (Sun) III: Pentecost In the end of the play, the characters let go of the balloons with which their aspirations went upwards. With the balloons rising high, every audience was watching the blue dots until they disappeared into the sky. It was a spirit-up-lifting scene that spoke to a variety of sentiments in a universal language of image. We don't need to hold our hope object tight. Loose our hold, look to it, an entire picture of it will come to mind, And we will be able to find a path right. Balloon is a cliched symbol of hope, but sometimes the simpler a symbol is, a more effective reminder it is. It was toward the evening when "Pentecost" , one of the mystery plays, was presented. These blue bubbles were flying against the natural backdrop coloured by sunset blue. In the performance, this scene was used to represent the ascension of the disciples. This play used to be performed by the trade of potters in the Middle Ages....
Travelogue IV: Chicago, 7-11 May, 2006: Information Feeders This is one of the amusing objects that I found in the cityscape in Chicago: magazine and newspaper feeders. These colorful plastic boxes always stand quitely one next to another on sidewalks ready to feed busy city passengers with loads of information. But it's not a charity work unfortunately, you have to pay their hardword for sure! A variety of "useful" information is provided, including daily newspaper, gossip news and some "small aids" for the industry of human desire. Usually there are 4 or 5 feeders in a group, but this "troupe" that was spotted in Oak Park, a suburban area of Chicago, is unbelievably and amusingly long. They are not pretty, but they are very loyal companions to the city life in Chicago (I am not sure if other US cities also have them). They look somehow similar to still-standing teletubbies. Source of image
Ducks, by Willem Maris, c. 1880, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam I have been complaining to some friends about the cold weather these days in York, even though some of the entries on this blog last month are about my "serious concerns" about the global "warming" issue. I am just self-contradictory, I know. This is typical British summer, some friends reminded me, chilly, rainy, harsh, and windy. No, I defied this explanation, at least last year wasn't like this, I tried to argue, it was always sunny as far as I can remember. But I don't have a right position to argue. It's only my second summer here in Britain. There must be something wrong with my memory. The memory. I should be very pleased about the fact that I only remember sunny days. Bravo! the memory. Earlier this month when it was still sunny and warm, all kinds of fowls were easily seen everywhere on campus. Goslings, cygnets, ducklings were busy exploring the world in the sun with excitement. ...
The Bombing in Lebanon C, a friend of mine and of most postgraduates in York, is trapped in Lebanon now . I was so shocked when Sue told me the horrible news. Although a friend confirmed that she is safe now but I cannot stop feeling worried for her. I know there is a long history of conflict between Muslim and Jewish communities in the Middle East and indeed in the whole world. The hatred and opposition is too complex to disentangle, I think. But my problem is I really don't understand why people always easily forsake peace and conveniently justify their resort to violence. The war has been making both communities suffer, but still military advancement is always given the priority. I cannot make any judgment between the two countries as the political situation in that region of the world is really not my specialty. At this moment, I am only selfishly worried about the safety of C and her family. To be honest it's a bit abstract for me to imagine the peoples suffering...
"The Heart of Voh, New Caledonia, France" by Yann Arthus-Bertrand The storm-shower yesterday evening washed away the dull fatigue that was hatched in this suffocating humidity. The thunder, the lightning, the smell of rain, the smell of earth in the rain, the sound of rain drops, the gleeful people walking in the rain, the splendid sunset after the rain were refreshing. During the pouring rain, I kept remembering the last canto, "V. What the Thunder Said", of T. S. Eliot's The Wasteland . The canto begins with a drought and a thirst for water. And finally, In a flash of lightning. Then a damp gust Bringing rain Ganga was sunken, and the limp leaves Waited for rain, while the black clouds Gathered far distant, over Himavant. The jungle crouched, humped in silence. Then spoke the thunder DA (ll. 393-400) Eliot is talking about his concerns about the culture in the early twentieth century to which the rain symbolically offers a relief. I was remembering the poem o...
Travelogue III: Chicago, 7-11, May, 2006: Shedd Aquarium The visit to Shedd Aquarium during the stay in Chicago is memorable. These water creatures are amazing and their beautiful presences make everyone excited. We encountered many school kids on school excursions there. Despite the fact that the kids were quite noisy, they were such a great audience of these elegant animals. They were very generous to shout out loud their amazement and joy for these treasures of the world. Nature always brings to human the best comfort and the most blissful happiness. (I still remember the sea otters' naughty smiles, the dolphins' crescent-shaped bodies, and the toddling penguins. See my album 2) Nature never disappoints us when we need its solace, and it's very important for us to cherish natural resources and to protect the natural environment, especially in this almost unbearable hot summer. If there's antyhing to be responsible for this drastic change of weather, we can never excu...
York Mystery Plays, 16th of July 2006 (Sun) II: Cheerful Medieval Music! The 12 plays of the York cycle were presented on 12 different wagons according to the medieval tradition. There were 4 spots in York to view the pageantry, and every wagon was drawn from one spot to another to give performance. The performers and the wagons paraded the streets between spots following cheerful medieval music. Sometimes when the current play in the spot was about to conclude, the music was also approching from the street announcing the next play's arrival. The mobility of these shows and the trans-spatial melody brought the whole city together. The fact that the pageantry consolidated the communal relationship is in fact more important than its original religious agenda, both in the Middle Ages and the modern times, I believe. Every pageant entered and exited the spots with music. The musical troops were amazing actors too, they were properly dressed up to fit the medieval theme! The musi...
York Mystery Plays, 9th and 16th of July 2006 (Sun) I: Even angels needed ice cream!! The quadrennial York Mystery Plays in York by the Guilds of York was a very impressive production. It's my first and perhaps the last chance to attend this event. I will definitely miss it if I cannot make it again in 2010! Good weather has been "haunting" York for a week, and last Sunday was absolutely sunny without a trace of cloud!! Sitting in the sun (almost a mission unimaginable for me if it had been two years ago...) in the Museum gardens, I was watching 12 mystery plays on wagons with a lot of enthusiastic audience. It's too warm that every single performers was sweating non-stop, especially in their medieval costumes. They had my sympathy. The temperature is not a problem to me at all, it's the strong sunbeam... Today I am serious considering walking out with my umbrella.
D came back to York for her graduation ceremony! We haven't seen her almost for half a year. She's still such a sweet, adventurous, friendly and smiley and energetic. The theme for last night's dinner is Summer's Jewelries: colourful food, colourful life, and colourful mates! Summer beach, sunshine, and greens all featured in the food.
Congratulations to the graduates Most of my students graduated from the university this and last year. The class that I tutored just completed their undergraduate education a few days ago. I was sorry that I couldn't make it to this important rite of passage for them, both times. I have been viewing their pictures and feeling their happiness these days. I hope I was helpful to them in the year when I worked closely with them. Inexperienced and reserved as I was, I made mistakes and failed to offer good advises. They gave me good lessons, however, lessons on life and attitude. They were such a variety of individuals, of whom each had a different personality and challenged the bookish me in a different way. Thanks to them, dear graduates.
Sushi L, a little sister in my flat, knocked on my door tonight and gave me a lot of sushi! It was very nice indeed, an innovative blend of a variety of ingredients, and a good taste even without sauce! Cute shapes too! They were just like small, smiling, happy faces. Thank you, L and F! (Sorry that I did not come to the kitchen to express my gratitude properly, as I was already in my night gown even though it was still early...) L, you should be more proud of your own cooking! I do not even know how to make sushi! You are brilliant! I believe you have found the best seasoning in the world! ; )
Travelogue II: Chicago, 7-11, May, 2006: McDonald's A. and I traveled together in Chicago. It's the first visit to this city for both of us. The city-scape of Chicago did not attract me at first sight because it appeared to me to be a world of machinery giants, while York, where I have got used to, was such a cozy town of miniature. Although this city of skyscrapers is really not my cup of tea, my 4-day stay did allow me to appreciate it, an extensively developed space that parades a very metallic and edged beauty of modernity. An intimidating friendliness, I think. Modern theorists have commented that some international chain-stores successfully create images of a universal nostalgia for every global citizen. That is, whenever and wherever you travel, no matter how exotic the place is, once you see the signboard of, for instance, McDonald's, Starbucks, etc. (sorry that my examples are extremely limited, please help me with the list if you come up with any idea), your...