BLACK SWAN

I absolutely loved Black Swan.... I will not LIE and say I got all of the film but that is expected from a Darren Aronofsky film anyway.... But I DO HIGHLY RECOMMEND the film... and cannot BOAST ENOUGH about Natalie Portman's acting in the film... she truly embodied the character through and through... from the very beginning right through the ill fated end... her acting was sooooo intense, you feel, along with her, all the insecurities, fears, fragility, & downright madness... She TRULY deserved the Golden Globe award she just got... and am hoping it will be a WIN at the BAFTA's; all the way to the Oscar's and everything else in between.... especially at the Oscars where she was robbed once before - the Best Supporting Actress Award for her role in CLOSER... where she gave the HEART of the film...

Moving On....

"No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path."
-Buddha

"Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence."
-Henry David Thoreau

"Understand that the right to choose your own path is a sacred privilege. Use it. Dwell in possibility."
-Oprah Winfrey

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Survived another week.... one of those that I could not wait to be over with.... Here's hoping this one will be a better, smoother one.... make it so....

ALONE

Came across this man on the bench earlier today I was wandering about aimlessly... I see him, bundled up, shivering & cold, and just seems so lost in his thoughts.... and a million things entered my mind - being the way that I am.... scenarios as to why he might have been sad and serious... why he chose to sit out here - alone and cold.... Suddenly I realized, I was thinking more of myself... of feelings I go through - now and again... :(

"It's often just enough to be with someone. I don't need to touch them. Not even talk. A feeling passes between you both. You're not alone."-Marilyn Monroe

"A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality."
-John Lennon

“We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection.”
-Dalai Lama

Moody Jewel

The last couple of days, I babysat Jewel for half the day, each day.... the longest I Have had to take care of her.... Wu Papa had to stay back in KHH and could not come back up right away... with no one else around I was IT!!!

The first day was not too bad at all... actually everything went smoothly - as like clockwork - Jewel drank her milk, played with me for a bit, and went to sleep for 3 or more hours each feeding cycle... it was smooth as silk.... and I even got to watch Black Swan and 127 Hours... ADDED BONUS for Baby Sitting.... :))Happy Jewel Talking Non-Stop!!!The following day was a total opposite.... the girl just would not sleep... as if her mission for the day was to make me hold her all day long.... LOL!!! I was LUCKY if she even slept over an hour each drinking cycle... Haiiiiis.... At the end of the evening, I felt sooooo OLD... like my back could not handle it anymore and was IN BADLY NEED of a MASSAGE....
Well, Wu Papa is back again... so am relieved of Babysitting duties for a bit... now it is back to a couple of hours here and there.... WHEW!!!

just gotta Believe - no matter what....

"At times the world can seem an unfriendly and sinister place, but believe us when we say that there is much more good in it than bad. All you have to do is look hard enough."

~ Violet Baudelaire (A Series of Unfortunate Events, 2004)

Lost In Taipei

The past few days found me all alone in Taipei - cold, dreary & rainy Taipei.... David is away on one of his tours.... Jewel, Lyn & Shaun down in Nantou for a family wedding.... and even Wu Papa went back to Kaohsiung to check on his plants and for a little break.... it was a nice quiet break - as there are just times that one needs to be alone for some Peace & Quiet - and be able to REFLECT on THINGS: Life, Family, Work, and just about everything else in between....

and REFLECTING I DID - lots of it.... in fact, so much so I started feeling SO LOST once again.... so many things came back that arose all the feelings of FRUSTRATIONS, BETRAYAL, HOPELESSNESS & DESPERATION... and they HURT just as much as they did, the first time around.... even more so knowing that SOME THINGS, and SOME PEOPLE, JUST NEVER CHANGE....

I tried to alleviate all by going for long bus rides.... trekking here and there... window shopping and snapping some photos... always a FAVE pastime.... but this time around, I just felt soooo LOST, I could not even really concentrate or see what I was taking photos of.... and I know, it was not because the days are GLOOMY... it is all the Dark Clouds hovering over me, blocking the Happiness that should be in my Heart...

Anyway, this weekend I came to realize that what people say is TRUE:
"There are Just Some Things When Broken, Could Never, Ever Be Put Back Together Again.."
A Few Random Shots I Took The Last Couple Of Days...

"Viva Senor Santo Niño "

Catholics all over the world celebrates today, Sunday: January 16, the feast day of the child Jesus known to many as the Sto. Niño. This day is revered in most Catholic countries and no more so, thank in the Philippines.

It is that time of the year when devotees show how much they revere the Sto. Nino not only by going to different churches but also by going out to the streets where they dance and shout "Viva Senor Santo Niño." The devotion to the Sto. Niño is so popular that Filipino artists continue to create images of it, garbed in different costumes.

Perhaps the BEST destination, in the Philippines, for this SPECIAL EVENT is Cebu City - where, one of the nation's oldest and grand churches, the Santo Niño Basilica is located. Here, the Santo Niño de Cebú ("Holy Child of Cebu") is permanently housed. It is a Roman Catholic figure of the Child Jesus highly similar to the Infant Jesus of Prague. Like the image's counterpart in Prague, the figure is clothed in expensive textile robes mostly donations from fervent devotees in the Philippines and abroad. The statue is the oldest Catholic relic in the Philippines.

Since am in Taiwan, I am not able to trek to Cebu to enjoy the festivities and celebrate this special day - but I did manage to go to church this Sunday and, in my own way, pay respect and pray to the Sto. Niño.

NOTE: 2 Photos Above are from my first ever visit to this GREAT HISTORICAL CHURCH... dated 1999!!!

Out & About

Just A Few Random Shots of a Few Things that Spoke To Me On My Everyday Travels:

Cheapman Just Hanging About!

Just Too Yummy Looking!!!

Getting Ready to Welcome the Chinese New Year... Lots of red lanterns going up...

Ladies Doing the Flamenco @ 1914

Chillin' @ Chili's...

Friday lunch with Juliana today... at first it was going to be just a Burger King kind of lunch, which would have been fine with me, too - but we decided to go all out and have it at Chili's instead.... Appetizer Galore, BBQ Burger & and that oh-so-yummy "Molten Chocolate Cake".... Needless to say I was soooooo FULL right after...Of course, a get together catch up lunch would not be the same without a few Bearbricks in attendance, including my two new ones: Pink Panther & Metallic Rainbow Open Range...

"Superstar Showcase"

Last Jan 10th, had the BEST of LUCK, in being invited to see a Pre - Chinese New Year taping of a Variety /Concert Special at the Taipei Arena.... 4 hours of NON-Stop fun, Star Gazing, with so one after another POP star from Taiwan (old time faves: Will Pan, A-Lin, Elva Hsiao, Stanley, Show, etc... and new faves, Da Swei Ba, LOLLIPOP... and Taiwan's Hunkiest POP Star of the moment, Kenji Wu - who did the obligatory ripping of the top - with rain on stage during his performance - much too much, to everyone's delight...) , China (Shaolin Monks - LOVE THEM!!!), Hong Kong (long time FAVEs since way back in San Francisco - Daniel Chan & Gigi Leong) , USA (David Tao), Singapore (JJ) , Malaysia (Fish), Japan (new sensation Thelma Aoyama), & Korea (Boys Bands: CIRCUS & SHINEE, girl group: AFTERSCHOOL), England (up and coming Ballet Performer (Matthew Po)...

The show was fast paced... it did not feel like a long time at all.... the show's hosts, Harlem Yu and Swallow are such veteran variety hosts - they surely made everything fun and go by fast.... It did not matter that we were sitting quite far up.... we were still able to see well enough and enjoy all the production numbers and performances - thank God for 2 Big Screens broadcasting them on both sides of the stage..... it was just a (Hao High!)HIGH EXPERIENCE for me being there and seeing everyone perform LIVE.....

The show will be broadcast come Chinese New Year - first week of February... I cannot wait to see it again!!! Special Thanks to Peilin & Paula for a FUN NIGHT!!!

Newspaper Article Clipping of the Show!

Thanks for the Ticket, Peilin!!!

Thanks for the photos, Paula.... Nice Meeting You!!!
COMPLETE PHOTOS HERE

"How To Own A Corner" Exhibition

Late yesterday afternoon, after Church, I headed down to the Legacy Theatre to see if I can catch Anthony Neely's Mini Concert... did not get advanced tixs as I was not aware there was going to be one... Sadly, the line was way too long and I was not able to get in... but I did have the pleasure of hearing his Sound checks and last minute rehearsal before the show - right outside the theatre for a little while... it'll have to do - for now....

While in the area, I remembered that a new Jimmy Liao Exhibition was going on... so I headed sown to the 1914 Exhibition Halls and treated myself instead to the Sights and Artworks of the very talented, world renowned, Taiwanese Artist. It did not DISAPPOINT at all... even made me forget about not being able to get into the concert.... So much artworks, installations, sculptures and toys based on his many Great works were at hand....

The exhibition was set up into different rooms, with each room's doors painted with IMAGES from his works... you would not just want to get through the door - you would also want to admire it for a bit.... and each door opens up to more wonderful, fantasy-like, whimsical, world of the artist's visions.

The exhibition started Dec 22nd of last year and will run thru the 27th of March.
EXHIBITION PHOTOS HERE

"i'm lovin it, again..."

Because of the AD i spotted on the buses of Taipei, last nite I was up Googling Anthony Neely once more... and found these few TV adverts he has been doing...LOL, I gotta get cable - am missing out... Hahahahahahaha...
McDonalds French Fries Advert:

McDonalds McCafe Advert:

...and the one for SMART Phones: