The Land of the Talking Whale

Patience, my blue friend

2006-09-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, the skies turn dark before you know it, and the rain comes splashing down on you, harshly, even violently. You have no idea when it started, and no idea when it would end. But all you know is that someday, it will end.

Patience, my blue friend.

and then everything will start to get better.

日本語

2006-08-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

おはようございます！
実は、日本語を勉強してるけど、上手じゃないから、ブログを日本語で書くのは、ちょっと難しいと思います。それでも、日本語を練習したいので、今日、初めて日本語で書いています！=)

皆さん、ちょっとお願いがあるんですが。。間違いを見つけたら、教えていただけませんか。よろしくお願いします。

今日、いい天気ですね。あまり暑くないですから。。でも明日はそんな天気があるかどうか、わかりませんね。

さき、ラルクの音楽を聞いたところです。本当にいい歌だと思います！実は、ずっとラルクの音楽が好きです。悲しい時や、嬉しい時や、ラルクの音楽を聞きます。ちょっと変だけど、時々、難しいことにあったら、何かいい歌を聞けば、嬉しくなるかもしれないと思います。すごいですね。たぶん、音楽は世界が変えられるでしょうね。

もし自分で歌を書けたら、どんな歌を書きたいですか。

ところで、ラルクが中国や韓国など色々な所でコンサートを開いたことがあるそうなので、本当に羨ましいです。。いつか、是非、ラルクのコンサートに行きたいですが、日本へコンサートを見に行くのは、ちょっと高いですね。。

ラルクの皆様、シンガポールへコンサートを開きにいらっしゃいませんか。

You wouldn't like me when I'm angry

2006-08-22T12:18:00.000-07:00

You know, there are times when something goes wrong at school or at work, and you feel like screaming and shouting and jumping up and down in frustration..

But you didn't.

Primarily because those around you would think you are crazy and stare at you as though you are a huge, green human-like creature which has just stepped out of a scientific experiment gone terribly wrong. We learn to control our behaviour in public because we care about how others think about us.

But being human, we have our emotions. And when we know it is inappropriate for us to go screaming at every single stranger on the streets, we suppressed our feelings until we see someone whom we feel comfortable enough with, and then all the suppressed emotions began to erupt at the slightest hint of antagonism. (and sometimes this so-called "hint" is no more than an illusion amidst our raging emotions)

And, very often, this person is someone close to us, like a family member. Somebody who can tolerate our worst temper and forgive us readily after a day or two. Somebody who loves us unconditionally for who we are. Somebody who might often care for us more than we care for ourselves. And yet, we often display our worst emotions in front of this special person and make him/her bear half of our frustration without getting any kind of appreciation in return.

For that, I would like to apologise..with utmost sincerity.

I am sorry..

Just

2006-08-22T00:46:00.000-07:00

I would like to share this quote from the movie "Finding Neverland". =)

Peter Llewelyn Davies: This is absurd. It's just a dog.
J.M Barrie: Just a dog? Porthos dreams of being a bear, and you want to shatter those dreams by saying he's just a dog? What a horrible candle-snuffing word. That's like saying, "He can't climb that mountain, he's just a man", or "That's not a diamond, it's just a rock." Just.

"What a horrible candle-snuffing word" indeed.

Is it any wonder that I feel betrayed?

2006-08-15T13:15:00.000-07:00

I came across this quote sometime ago at Wikiquote: In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends.-Martin Luther King, Jr.

How true.

I once wrote a little short story about betrayal. I was inspired by the movie Battle Royale (which by the way is an excellent film in my opinion) to write something on trust in relationships and that story turned out as the end product. The movie made a great impact on me and I began to realise, for the first time, how fragile relationships can be in times of adversity.

Don't get me wrong, I have not lost all faith in the human ability to maintain trust in a relationship. Afterall, the movie was set in a very extreme situation. But I learnt that trust is not to be taken for granted and that we should never be misled into believing it is something that should be given to us without questions asked.

Humans are selfish by nature. I suppose we don't doubt that. We know that. But sometimes it doesn't hurt to leave your interests aside and preserve your dignity as a worthy friend and companion.

I know how easy it is to let words slip out of your mouth and yet do nothing to uphold these ideas. But at least, we can try. To tell the truth, I am not sure what stand I will take if I was to land on that island in the movie. But in situations that are less serious and definitely not life (or financially) threatening, I cannot understand why some people can simply walk away when their friends desperately look to them for merely a word to clear them of their allegations.

Can you?

Why the world needs (and likes) Superman

2006-08-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

I just saw this question on the Yahoo! webpage.

"Our fascination with comic superheroes is time-tested. Why do we continue to relate to them?"

Hmm......this is an interesting question.

I suppose we live in a world where corruption, crime and the like lingers in our daily life. A world we embrace for all the love and joy we find in those around us, yet fear for all the hatred and selfishness in others. Be it facing the betrayal of a friend, or the inconsideration of a stranger on the streets, we long for some kind of courage and strength to stand up for our beliefs and defend every fragile being we see, including ourselves.

But you see, we are all humans. While we might be superheroes in mind, the reality remains that we are only human in flesh. We lack the self-healing abilities of Wolverine, as well as the web-spinning skills of Spiderman. We cannot fly like Superman. Nor can we gather rain like Storm. Whenever we know of wars and atrocities happening in so many parts of the world at the same time, we feel weak and useless.

In the end, those with a religion pray. Silently, we hope for somebody to solve all the problems that we could never solve with our own hands. We wish for a hero who would stand tall against rain and villians and most of all, the evil in each and every man. This hero will end all wars, save all lives and give hope to all those we need it. This figure will be more than a saviour in person, but a kind of moral strength to those who are still waiting for the faintest hint of light in a state of total darkness.

In short, our superhero is hope, personified.

and who, in their right state of mind, would want to abandon the idea of having hope with us in every moment of our lives?

The magic is in the movies

2006-08-04T12:19:00.000-07:00

The Talking Whale likes movies..yes that is a fact.

I think it is really wonderful to immerse yourself in another world full of characters that seem so familiar yet strange at the same time. He might be Spiderman, but he has problems that many of us face too (although his decisions on these problems might be much more important and urgent)..

To watch a movie and feel yourself being transformed into somebody new and distant.
To feel what you have never felt before.
To listen to what you have always failed to hear.
To see what your eyes have always been blind to.
To live a life you can never dream of.
To fulfil a dream that you can only talk about in your sleep.

Such is the magic of movies.

At a snail's pace

2006-08-02T14:27:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon!

How was your morning? I was still in bed when the sunlight shone into my little room..=) But it feels so good to stay in bed a little later than usual.

Sometimes, it is ok to slow down your pace, to step back and admire the many things you have failed to notice before. When you walk too quickly, you might miss out on a lot of the scenery that flashes past the windows.

Take some time and sit down by the windows. Have a good book in your hand (or a cup of hot coffee if you like) and feel everything slowing down-until they move at a pace you are comfortable with.

and there you are! a wonderfully slow and cosy morning for the workaholics to enjoy..=)

August

2006-08-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

August is here, and so is the cold weather. =)

I know there are people who prefer sunny days, but I really like cloudy days because they make me feel fresh and cool. Here in Singapore, the weather is often hot, and sometimes I really look forward to the drizzle that comes so rarely in the middle of the year.

But towards the end of the year, the weather can get really cold, although there is no winter here. I wonder what is it like to be playing with snow and building a snowman? I once watched a Japanese animation (commonly known as anime), in which a female character, when asked "what does snow turn into when it melts?", replied that "When snow melts, it becomes Spring". What a beautiful answer! =)

Let us enjoy the weather, whatever it might be like, at wherever you are!