Showing posts with label London. Show all posts
Showing posts with label London. Show all posts

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Closure

This has been a rich one and half years. All the flashbacks remind me how an open heart can take me to the most amazing experience.  Though I had an intense self-conflict with the angry child within me the last two months, it brought me to the reality of my imperfection.  I am no saint.  To understand and accept my human weakness is a crucial step to make peace with myself.  No quick fix or short cut. There is always a journey from one point to another.  Yet it is filled with beautiful scenes along the way.

The moment has come. It's time to go home. Yes, there are still hundreds of lessons to learn in order to reach that inner peace I desire, but I already have the double courage required to face the unknowns in a familiar land.

I am ready.

閉起雙眼,緊緊地擁抱,有一度暖意由內湧上,兩頰濕了,別離雖然傷感,但這是快樂的淚水,不捨難忘的經歷,卻慶幸一起走過的點滴。

年半的旅程,我真的成長了,身心靈都有前所未有的衝擊,更在最後兩個月跟一直潛藏體內的怒孩交手,他是自我的反射,有點無理,不順他意會隨時爆發,對於個性強硬執著的我,其實很容易跌進牛角尖,與自我掙扎得你死我活,然而成長就是如此,認識及接受自己的不漂亮,在包容中慢慢跟這一面相處。

坐在回港的長途客機上,有機會慢慢數算生命之河帶我遊歷過的地方,回想起開放態度令我嚐到遍地開花的滋味。離開需要勇氣,回來需要更多,一直以為我會抱著戰戰競競的心態回程,但現在竟無半點恐懼,只知道香港有大堆計劃等著我去進行,盼望在百忙之中,仍有心力沉澱、消化及應用所學到的功課。

歐洲之旅暫告一段落,我自給自足地由零開始闖出一條血路,途中有太多好人好事,不能一一盡錄,縱然前路充滿未知,但信念早已堅定,我親愛的,豁然開朗地向前走吧!


Life has never been the same.
Dream Come True - performance with live music.
The moment first connected me with the band, Pierre & the Flying Mousaka Eaters.
Gotta love your posture, Mikey & LinLin!
Yes, I'm naked and WHITE!
Is this butoh or what?
Dance, my subconscious, dance!
Outdoor karaoke = live X-factor in Berlin
Alley. Graffiti. Berlin.
My first taste of cycling through a European city.  Love it!
A long stopover at Bergamo gave me a chance to see this beautiful old town in Italy.
Castle in the hill.
Back to Barcelona.  Will always remember this moment in the "forbidden mountain".
The protest for Catalonia Independence felt like a festival with numerous tourists.
My first & last Third Floor Poker Night - fun game & crowd!
What a beautiful couple! LOL! 
A city nearby - Tarragona is filled with Roman influence.
Look at the sky.  Something is coming...
Blind-folded experience with the students.
Other senses are often amplified when sight is covered. 
Mural painting in action at David's cafe.
Soar with the flow.
Concert in the street during Merce Festival - extremely crowded and sweaty...
Great fun with dear Natalia when David is not around, ha!
My love & hate relationship with the handsome Sitges.
My love Anabel!!!  You light is radiating.  Seeing you again soothed my soul.  
Painting in the square.  Love making art in public space.
The famous Girona - a gorgeous old town.
Wandering in a historic city is always enjoyable, especially with your loved one. ;)
Though most museums are closed on Monday, the atmosphere is much more relaxing.
The highlight of the visit was this raw food cafe by spiritual chef - vegetables can be vibrant with rich flavors too!
A Tibetan Buddhist temple in Catalonia?!
Let's travel in time.
The long anticipated hike in amazing Bellver.  Love, is it really that cold?
We got visitors during lunch by the river!
Gentle & easy, my friends.
What a proud looking bull in the mountains.
Calming landscape.  Hope I'll be back with more time to taste and feel.
My favorite people in Barcelona chilling before departure to the last mini trip.
Introducing the magnificent Zaragoza in Spain (finally out of Catalonia).
This city is influenced by 4 different cultures - Christian, Hebrew, Muslim Aragonese.
"Chilling" with the ladies behind us...
The biggest freshwater Aquarium in Europe.  My dad would love it.
Drawing 101 by the sunset - a charming moment to stay in my mind.
Last stopover in London to farewell with all my dear friends.  George, thanks for your confirmation with my REAL emotions and your friendship throughout my journey.
Jess, you rock!!!  Miss you much.
I won't even try to explain what happened here.  So glad to see you again, Michela, Cedric & Jesus.
This is it.  Off to go the next day.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Past Lives

"We have met in previous lives." Dan, my first host in Paris said to Philomène & me while we were having tea in the morning. "Perhaps this meeting of us was arranged by our souls in the dream."

"During one life I was a sick little German girl, You, an injured Russian soldier, and Philomène, a doctor. Our brief encounter was on the hospital beds." Dan continued, "Before this life, we were even one Vietnamese family: I the child, you the mother, and Philomène the father."

Regardless incarnation is true or not, I was fascinated by the idea of a soul reunion.  Since I didn't have much quality sleep camping for the art festival in cold & rainy Wales, my recovery time in Paris with OLD friends was exactly what I needed.  No rush, no plan, no stress, just good companies & delicious homey foods! Thanks to my warm hosts, Paris didn't give me the bitter aftertaste most tourists got. Instead, my heart was well rested and nurtured in this sparking cultural city.

I have been back to my 3rd home, Barcelona, for a week already. This time I'm settled in Sitges (45 mins from BCN).  The sun and beloved people continue to bring joy to my whole being. The artist residency in Poland will be an intensely creative period next.  My heart has been itching, and is more than ready to create from all the inspiration I received this past year.  But am I ready to say yet another goodbye to my love?

巴黎 - 很多人心目中的浪漫之都,但有不少朋友失望而回,投訴這個城市不友善,並不歡迎遊客。多得沙發客幾個素未謀面卻親切得驚人的東道主,舟車勞頓的我,經歷過在英國威爾斯Wales一個小型藝術節寒冷天氣下露營及車站過夜後,竟可以在聞名的文化大都會中從容不迫地閒逛、舒適自在地休息。

人與人之間微妙的關係輕輕觸動我的心,令到一個本來冰冷的旅遊景點變得真實有人情味,我等旅人在途上總會交上數之不盡的知己朋友,有些會在這幅畫上留下深刻的色彩,今次遇上偶然看到前世景像的Dan分享我倆過去的關連,還有接待我如多年老友的DidierBruno,可能,我們真的曾在另一個時空相親相愛、守望相助,生命之可能性,已超越一剎那的感動。

第四次再嘗巴塞的體溫,卻有截然不同的經歷,今次住在離市中心45分鐘車程的錫切斯Sitges於炎炎夏日瘋狂地開會、工作、愛、敘舊,熱得快失去自我,相信是時候為七八月波蘭藝術家駐場計劃準備心情,在新環境釀下一朵以生命綻放的花。

Free food on the street with Hen & Jess in London!
Look at your smile.  How can I not love you, my dearest Jess?
Trial run for Creative Alchemy, a blind-folded interactive performance. 
The tree house in Mellowcroft, Wales during CWM Festival.
Some participants going through their own blind-folded trip. 
A moment with you is more than a thousand words.
Beautiful light with gorgeous people.
A short hike near the camp site.
Spot light on the chosen land?
After first hitchhiking, I also had my first privilege to sleep in train station.  Yeah!  I DID it!
Last London family reunion before I took off.
Dan took me to his Butoh teacher, Ken's, dance performance right after I arrived Paris.  His little boy is so adorable. 
Cool centre for a variety of art.
Left: Philomène & Dan negotiation in process.  Right: STOP sign is heavy, man. 
Doesn't this labyrinth look like my upcycle magazine art, LOL?
The pearl of France.
FREE ME!
Exhausted...  Only have a few hours left.  Where to go?
Love this painted wall of fames in the museum of Modern Art.
The Eiffel Tower in the gate of peace.
Do those shining statues look fake or just me?
Daniel Buren's Monumenta 2012 in Grand Palais.  The space is magnificent, and the circles look fun, but is there more to it?
Nevertheless, it's the perfect public space to take your family & chill with friends.
The only group picture of Didier, Bruno, and me in the reflection.
"Les Deux Plateaux" by the same artist, Buren, at the main courtyard of the Palais-Royal, Paris. 
Such a bizarre juxtaposition of art and architectures.
Jazz on the street of Paris - exactly my cup of tea.
Cozy home of Didier & Bruno - where I regained my strength for more travel. 
The famous "Grande Arche" (Great Arch) in la Défense.
La Défense, the "new" town where all the skyscrapers are.
Looking at the "Arc de Triomphe" through art.
A super quick catch up with lovely friends within my 12 hour stopover in London.
Introducing my dear and the sky castle in Sitges.
Thanks to David, I finally visited an organic farm...
Iris's sculpture looked stunning in the performance, and Arnout did well as the MAN!
Linda & I got caught in the washing machine.
LinLin & Numi's first try of selling at the Lost & Found market.
What are you looking for, love?
I will be launching the Hong Kong school of Estudio Nomada Art Program in January 2013!  Check out the following site for details: 個旅程有另一個大收獲:我將會於2013年1月與位於巴塞隆納Estudio Nomada合作開香港分校!http://hongkong.estudio-nomada.com/