Fan

I am a fan.

I am an admirer of light. I like how the morning sun shines into my room, casting its rays on ordinary implements and transforming them into seemingly different objects. Dull steel now sparkles and whirling plastic seems to take on a new dimension. But the essence of the object remains unchanged, even though I now perceive it to be different; in a different light. I am particularly fond of this "self dialectics" yet ever mindful that I should not follow in the footsteps of the Sophist, taking viewpoints for the sake of it or for vanity. And the same can be said for the travels I am about to embark on. See you in 3 weeks.

Memento

Moments, in a stream of Consciousness.

A reminder that I was there and that I feature in a stream of consciousness brought about by the many moments that I have experienced during my time on earth. Gosia Wlodarczak, the artist responsible for this work of art at the Singapore Biennale calls this "frost drawings, freezing specific moments into lines that coexist and interact with the constantly shifting world outside." Some day, I tell myself, I will make sense of all this and I am sure that all my moments that are now a stream of lines and gibberish will one day make sense. Even those moments that I wish to forget.

Cups

Here are my cups Godpa!

I spent the afternoon with Etienne and I am now aching all over from the bending, squatting, carrying, chasing, watching and playing. But when he flashes you a cheeky smile, somehow it all seems worthwhile. He has an amazing amount of energy and I can only imagine that it must be exhausting doing this day in day out, Kudos to all the Moms out there! He is becoming more and more aware of his surroundings and is easily distracted by new sounds and sights. More photos here and look out for his determination in reaching for his toys under the sofa!

Present

Life in a Dead City

Sometimes, I can't believe that I was there. That I walked the same path as the early Christians did when this city was alive. And so I need photos like this to remind me that I was present. This photo was taken at the dead city of Serjilla, north of Aleppo in Syria. Serjilla dates back to about the year 450 or so, during the time of Christianity in Syria. The city prospered from cultivating grapes and olives as is evidenced by the numerous presses that remain in the city. What amazed me was that so many of the structures were still standing, testament to the good ole roman know how and the roman arch.

More photos from St Simeon and the Dead Cities here.

Pulse

Early morning Street Scene, a long walk.

This is a snap shot of a street corner near Bab Toma in the old city of Damascus. It was taken early in the morning and I was amazed to find life on the street so early. The uprising in Syria has made me glad that I managed to visit the country before the turmoil and sad at the heavy handed response of the Syrian government. I had expected the younger Assad to be more progressive. But I guess he is still not bigger than the institution his father installed. Is there a parallel to be drawn? In Syria, the pulse of the country should be taken at street corners like these, where the diagnosis will most definitely be a severe case of restlessness brought about by years of oppression.

More photos of Syrians and Lebanese here.

Conversations

In conversation, still.

Man is a vain creature, leaving his imprint wherever he goes; the most obvious being what we call architecture and of course deforestation. But man also leaves his imprints in more subtle ways, in ways that reflect his or her character on an individual level. Such imprints are neither monumental nor permanent, but simply evident in how he arranges his environment.

Forward

Looking forward, a virtue of only the young?

I just realised that it has been a very long time since my last post on this blog. I must have been rather busy for the days seemed to have just whizzed by; but as I sit here, I just can't seem to account for all that time. Perhaps I was caught up with the transition to this new phase of my life. Maybe I was just caught up in the whole election fever that has swept the country. I am particularly pleased with the election results given that the opposition has now managed to win a GRC. I dare say that this election really swung to the beat of the young, namely those between 21-35 and I cannot help but draw a parallel to the Jasmine Revolution that has swept across the Arab world. Like these young Arab boys in Syria, I too am looking forward to the changes that this new milestone in my country's parliamentary history will bring.