The Lantern Festival of Y2010

Today is the final program and important day of Lunar New Year Festival, the Feast of Lantern, on the first full moon in a lunar year. Before went to see those beautiful arts, I went to see movie "Nine" with my good friend this evening. It's a really big case acted by several great actors, a story about the desire, career and marriage crisis on a movie director. The male chief actor, Daniel Day-Lewis, whose character in the film is likely a guy of my friends. I couldn't help to compare their behaviors while seeing the film, and wondering why people always learn to cherish what they own after they lose something.

Aroud 21:00 we stepped out the theater and walked along to Taipei City Hall and Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall for seeing lantern arts. It was a beautiful and pleasant night. I felt glad I had been there. Here are some photos I shot to record this colorful night.

唐伯虎點秋香

水滸傳-武松打虎

西遊記

To Inspire Myself

These days I felt my mood stalled in the mud, hardly moved on. What happened? Actually no. There was nothing worse around me, but I lost energy and patience somehow. Some moments I got the thought to be frozen without feeling outside. Rationally I know such negative emotion shouldn't stay here too long.

A few days ago I read Katie's post "what inspires you?" Like a sound to wake me up. Currently to some extend, I almost stayed out of the real world. That doesn't mean I don't live in my ordinary days. I still did all my duties. I still acted as my role as usual. However, I felt empty inside. There are echos in my head, what I persue? what means to me? am I too anxious about those upcoming things and unrealized imagination?

Trying to improve the stalled status, I bought some flowers to cheer myself, I saw a lot of films to entend my narrow view point, I walked and walked for a long time just to observe people in the sreets. I read people's posts and hope to learn wisdom from them. I went to temples to wash off my hesitation toward my life, to search for strength, wisdom and peace.

People say "life can't be captured" and "life is too short to waste". It's so right, isn't it? But unavoidablly there are times and things we felt down and powerless.

How to reach the mood- "no border, just horizen, only freedom"? Is there a way to drop all the heavy loadings I bear? Well, there still need a lot of efforts to get myself out of the morass...

Lunar New Year Festival

We call this Lunar New Year is "the Year of the Golden Tiger". Everything regarding "Tigers" are seen as auspicious stuff. We wish this Golden Tiger will bring us great wealth and good fortune. As our traditions, most people go to temples for asking Buddha and God bless us a happy, lucky and prosperous year. So that at the Lunar New Year's Day, we went some temples without exception. We saw people crowded everywhereHere one thing deserved to be mentioned, the Lunar New Year's Day was also Valentine's Day, February 14th. According to the news report, it had been fifty years since these two festivals were at the same date. So we also asked the God who unites persons in marriage for a good fate at the New Year's Day.

There are many traditions in Lunar New Year Festival. We paste new spring couplets on our house. Family reunion dinner is held on Lunar New Year's Eve. Children receive red packets from their parents and elders. People say "Gung-Shi-Fa-Tsai" (means congretulations and wealth) each other.

The second day of the Lunar New Year Festival, married daughters will return to their parents' home. As usual, my sisters' families were all back at that day. Since my mom was still in recovery from her surgery, so I had to cook some dishes for treat. Regretfully I am really not good at such housework, I can see that they must have endured my bad cooking a lot and hardly complained a word.

Today is the fifth day of this festival, is the birthday of the God of Wealth. We also have trational ceremony on worship.

All of these traditions seem to be so religious. People believe the intengible power and usually search for their peace and comforts through these ceremonies.

Due to my duties on worship as the eldest child of my family, I almost stayed home and saw videos during my leisure time. I enjoyed the slow tempos very much. I waked up without alarm rings. I ate a great deal during holidays. But I had to admit there were sometimes buzy and I felt a bit impatient.

The weather wasn't good during the holidays. It has being cold and rainy since the second day of the lunar new year. I choose to be a dweller at home. I would rather stay in the warm blanket than go outdoors.

Learn From Movies

Today I stayed home and saw two movies, 'Hachi' and 'Where the wild things are'.

The first movie was 'Hachi', an Akita dog story. The movie was reproduced from a Japanese movie, a true story, talked about a loyal dog waited his master back home at the train station for 9 years. This touching story really earned my tears very much. It led me to think about 'the definition of loyalty' on the relationship of our families, friends and career.

I wondered how many people among us could play as a loyal role to others all along our life? We human beings are so easily tempted by materials and outer things. What power can make us as loyal and faithful as the spirit of Hachi?

The second movie was 'where the wild things are', a story about the adventure of a clever child after a quarrel with his mother. It's a creative movie and filled with abundent emotions. As I gooled for the introduction of this movie, I just knew it was produced from a children's book, a painting book. Wow! How amazing to make them vivid in the movie!

The boy, Max, grew mature through this experience. I think many of us are as same as Max, 'wisdom grows with experience'. We learn the tips of success from our failures. We become considerate because of understanding each other. We know to cherish after we lose something. Anyway, it's never too late to learn, isn't it?

Health Care

Today my mom was operated a "percutaneous coronary intervention" due to her coronary heart disease. This was her second time to experience such operation. I took my annual leave for taking care of her. Regardless that I was told such operation is very simple in today's medical technology, I still got upset more or less. It took about 3 hours and had been operated very successfully this morning.

Most people in sickness are needy and impatient. It's indeed a good timing to test my patience and train myself in a good temper. Sometimes I couldn't help to think, how will I be when I grow as old as my mom's age? Will I be so needy then? Will there be someone standing by me? However, I would rather to be the healthy one to take care of others.

I really don't like to go to hospital. To be more precisely, I am afraid of that. I think the main reason is I am afraid to see those people suffered by illness and accidence, and so many separations between loved ones in life or death occuring there. I know those are parts of our life and we might have to experience that someday, but I still can't overcome such feeling.

These days I heard of some friends and some friends' relatives got sick or uncomfortable. I also heard that some of them had worked too hard to ignore their red signals on health. Though I'm not a good advisor on health, I still want to remind of them- "Health is the best wealth". As you might be told that " While there is life, there is hope." I wish you may take good care on your health while you "enjoying" your works.