Archive for February, 2010
Why Did Lao-Tze Say That…
Posted by Sylvia Xiaorui in Thoughts on February 27, 2010
It has been one of the most beautiful winters I have had. Boundless forest sheds its leaves shower by shower; endless snowfalls roll its waves hour after hour. Matsuo Bashō would be happy to say
“now then, let’s go out
to enjoy the snow… until
I slip and fall!”
いざさらば
雪見に転ぶ
所まで
Still lingering in Bohumil Hrabal’s Too Loud A Solitude, no wonder Confucius after a concert for three months did not know the taste of meat, “I never knew music could reach this level of excellence!”. Almost envy Haňt’a, the compacter of wastepaper and books who lived at the lowest at the low, and who knew Talmud, Hegel, Kant and Schopenhauer by heart, not to mention the appearance of Jesus and Lao-tze standing side by side in his dimly and musty cellar…
Too Loud A Solitude
Posted by Sylvia Xiaorui in Books Speak to Me on February 23, 2010
Raining, gloomy day, too messy to go anywhere so spent the whole day reading Bohumil Hrabal’s Too Loud A Solitude, it’s maybe the first time that I finished the same book in Chinese and English within one day, and wish I could learn Czech the language in an eye to read the original…
Using Hrabal’s own words, I pop a beautiful sentence into my mouth and suck it like a liqueur until the thought dissolves in me like alcohol, infusing brain and heart and coursing on through the veins to the root of each blood vessel!
Hrabal will forgive my speechlessness with awe…
Half-opened Flowers & Half-tipsy State
Posted by Sylvia Xiaorui in Culture on February 23, 2010
The bird nest thought got developed further yesterday when visiting friend’s friend’s friend for tea. Sunny Sunday afternoon, delicious delicate teas, some Taiwan Oolong, some Fujian Cliff, some Hong Kong Pu-erh. As Li Bai said, one cup after another, over and over and over.
Too bad that we were in a New York apartment instead of the mountain where his hermit friend lives, otherwise if we got tea drunk, I could just lie down on the rock and tell the friends that “Now I’m drunk and feel sleepy, my friend you better go – And tomorrow come back if you wish, bring your lute with you!”, even not realizing that I was the visitor coming from the city to drink with the host living among the flower blossom, and the one who should be leaving when the host might be drunk and sleepy!
Parade Thought
Posted by Sylvia Xiaorui in Literature on February 21, 2010
Went to Flushing to see the Lunar New Year parade, it was… rather disappointing and boring, the most memorable performance was a traditional Korean music band with twenty some Korean aunties and uncles playing nabal, janggu, taepyeongso and buk in gorgeous Korean clothes. Well, I have to confess that the dim sum before and Dan Dan noodle after the parade were both stella and made the journey worthwhile and justified.
I always wonder why there is no real Chinese carnival in China and anywhere there is Chinese community, and most of the festivals and celebrations around are just way too predictable. The dragon boats lion dancing and red lanterns are beautiful and colorful, the moon cakes rice balls and Buddha’s Delights are delicious and flavorful, both somehow there are always something missing, the sense of amusement, the spirit of entertainment.
Tao Yuanming’s Self Funeral Oration
Posted by Sylvia Xiaorui in Literature on February 20, 2010
It was a late autumn evening, cold and chilli. Sixty-three years old Tao Yuanming was seriously sick and feeling the death approaching again through the wicker gate. Born in a noble family, served as government officer, lived through death of two wives and retired into farmer’s life for more than twenty years, he lifted up the pen and wrote down the funeral oration for himself.
Self Funeral Oration Read the rest of this entry »
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