4 minutes

The saying goes something like this: the eyes are the windows of the soul. This study proves the  saying true as it showed how staring into a person's eyes for 4 minutes will bring the two closer.

This video is beautiful, and shows how a moment of silence and searching (or staring) will unravel the walls that we build around ourselves. It is amazing how much we can feel and understand simply by staring at our loved ones, how much emotions it can conjure, how much love will touch and move us.The old couple's evaluation after their staring-session is exceptionally poignant. 

They way the old lady said they've never looked at each other like this in the 55 years of their marriage and how sometimes she looks into his eyes to check his blood pressure, the way the old gentleman said when he looked into his wife's eyes, he realizes how much he needs her and how much she means to him, is just plain lovely. And the way the old lady's eyes smiles and shines, and the way the old gentleman's voice cracked as he spoke; this is true love. They may have only looked at each other for 4 minutes This is the love that endures. 

The Way to True Love

Writer Mandy Len Catron refers to a study about love conducted by psychologist Arthur Aron in her Modern Love essay, “To Fall in Love With Anyone, Do This”, that there are 36 questions that one can ask a stranger to determine if the stranger will be one's true love. 

This Vice video features a bunch of volunteers, trying these questions out. Of course, not everyone meets their perfect stranger that easily, but I think it quite a fun thing to do, and a way to get intimate and open up to people as well as oneself. 

There is, of course, no direct train to Destination True Love; but I think these questions is an express train to all sorts of things one usually get to understand about the other person as they go deeper into a relationship. 

Though, isn't the learning and slow unravelling of oneself to another soul, or vice versa, that make love interesting, that make love complex as it is, that make finding true love all the more meaningful and precious? 

Well, who cares? No harm trying it out, just for fun.

Plug & Play

PLUG & PLAY from Michael Frei on Vimeo.

In the spirit of Valentines' day, here is Plug & Play, a somewhat dark, slightly comedic and satirical commentary on love. This experimental short by Michael Frei can be described as quirky, eerie, uncomforting (at times), confusing and somehow at the end, relatable and real. What this 6-minute short film explores and brings to the table about human relationships and love are modern and universal. Through these humaniod figures and the trippy journey, viewers go through the modern process of finding love.

The scene where the two humaniods with the most distant voices talk to each other is as realistic an interpretation of modern love as it gets. 

'I love you.'

'I don't think I love you.'

'Are you sure?'

'No.'

'I think you love me.'

'I don't love you enough.'

'I think I don't love you enough either. But I know I love you.'

'I'm not sure, you're too slow for me.'

'You are too busy, but I love you. Do you want to hug me.'

'Yes I do. But it might be wrong.'

'I love you.'

'I don't think you love me.'

'I know I love you.'

'...'

'Are you waiting for me to say something?'

'I can't leave.'

'Maybe I will miss you when I leave you.'

'It hurts. It hurts.'

'I'm leaving.'

From looking at the wrong persons, to rejections, to getting hurt, to changing yourself to fit others, to connecting with the right one, then others joining in the party until it's all a mess and your heart's a broken mess. The divine fingers clicks at the buttons, torn and unable to make any right decisions. And you end up losing yourself chasing after the wrong person and fighting within yourself between 'yeses' and 'nos'. This short is the summary of modern love. 

P.S. They have also made an interactive app which is quite interesting. (I wouldn't say fun, but interesting.) Players get to control and be as loving or cruel or uninterested or confused as you wish to be and see where the journey takes you. 

Talks on Ancient Remedies - Poo Wine

I get annoyed every time someone makes fun of ancient asian herbal medicines or medical treatments, such as acupuncture and fire cupping. I have personally seen them work on my family members and have tried some of them myself. These ancient wisdom of my ancestors have been working and functioning long before the western science scene has remotely developed. And I can't stand it when people make jokes and think that what my ancestors developed was unscientific, was 'monkey magic', yes indeed, someone told me right in my face. For one, it's very rude of them to say that, and two, they haven't even tried it so how could they judge.

I wouldn't deny the medical functions of this age-old recipe of the Korean Poo Wine, I couldn't because I haven't tried, or known anyone who had tried it, personally. But what I can agree is that the idea of poo wine definitely grossed me out. I would very much have acted like the reporter here if I were to have drank it, I mean, it's poo we are talking about here.

Bye Bye Baby (Baby Goodbye)

I'm loving these old school songs these days, and Bay City Roller's cover of Frankie Valli and the Four Season's 'Bye Bye Baby (Baby Goodbye)' is terrific.

Well, the son's lyrics aren't that impressive poetically and linguistically. And honestly, kind of a shit move too thinking how the persona is, firstly, in two relationships, and secondly, ditching the second one (which I guess is right, but then I feel bad for the 'baby' here) in this swingy tune. If I was the 'baby' in the song, I'd give the guy a big 'fuck you'.  

But well, let's just appreciate the swing of the tunes. And I can't not think of the scene in Love Actually when Liam Neeson played this song at his wife's wedding. Ugh. 

Here - book by Richard McGuire

So I went to the Strand bookstore in New York during break and I found this book, Here by Richard McGuire. It is one of the most interesting book I've seen, the idea of it is just impeccable and true.

This graphic narrative by Richard McGuire lets readers travel between millenniums and eras and decades through the different transformations of a single corner in a current New Jersey apartment. There's a twist on every page though, is that while the page is fixed on a single time period, there is always a contrast shown in a window of a different time. On a page when the space is set in 50,000 B.C., with trees and animals and dinosaurs, a small window on the page shows the space as an apartment in 1957.

McGuire wittily depict scenes with dinosaurs, European settlers, 50s housewives and husbands, and alike along with each other. Paired with conversations between characters at different time periods, Here chronicles how culture and history evolved, or stayed the same through the years.

I only had the chance to flip through the book and I'm already fascinated by the complexity and meaning that the images convey. I'd love to have the book in my hands, to travel through and between time and era and understand more about history and evolution of mankind.

How I think it goes.

Not much of a clue where this rant is going, and not that I'm at that point of losing, or having lost anyone. Just that perhaps I have reached the point that I've found someone I fear losing. Perhaps that's why, lately, I've had this thought in my head. Isn't it funny how once we've found someone, we could't stand to lose them?

Or put it in another way. See, we are all born alone. Of course, we have our mother, our father, our sisters and brothers, and we are attached to them. We are born with the same blood flowing in our veins. Yes, we will be afraid to lose them. But other than that, we were practically alone. We were perfectly alone. We weren't afraid to lose anything.

A warm handhold at the park, a gentle brush of the lips on the cheek, a breath of strawberry chapstick, a tender curl of hair behind the ear, and everything changes. A stranger has all of a sudden become everything. We believe that we've found the pearl of the ocean and we know we never want to part with it.

All of a sudden, we couldn't be alone. We grew attached and we couldn't stand the thought of losing him or her. W grew to believe that the earth would crack, darkness would descend and the world would end if we ever lose that person (that was once a stranger) who has become so important to us.

And when it's really over, we'll probably find that the world isn't ending. But we wouldn't believe it at first, because we think we've lost everything. And I guess some of us will know in the end that it's not the end of the world. Some will be fine with being alone again. Some will be warmed by other hands and other kisses. But some might never go back to how it was used to be.

And honestly, I don't know how to end this post either. I think all I can say is, I hope I never lose anyone that is important to me, who I get attached to. But at the same time, I'd like to think of myself as the ones that, when the time really comes, know that I was once perfectly fine on my own.

Growth

I spent the first hours of the New Year in tears and quiet sobs. When I was asked on the phone 'how would you describe your 2014 in one word?' I knew it in my heart what it was. But I had no idea when I said the word 'growth' out loud, that I would start crying. The flashbacks and the involuntary tears made me realize that I did not turn out as happy as I wanted myself to be. I did not know why I wasn't as happy, and the realization terrified me.

I cut the call short and tried figuring out what was wrong. As I lay thinking and tearing up in the dark, I realized that I was crying for things I’ve been through, situations I’ve put myself into as I grew in the past year. I know many people have had a worse 2014 than I did. But I had always been a simple girl, living in a greenhouse, living an almost drama-free life. I had always just been myself and this year, I felt that I had lost a bit of myself. I had allowed other people to influence me, mold me, take advantage of me, and change me. I had lost a bit of myself and in return have received learning. 

Do not get me wrong though because I do not regret a single thing that I've done. I will do everything all over again if I had the chance to. I know I wouldn't have gotten to where I am now if not for the past year. I also know that I did not come out of 2014 unhurt and unknowing. Instead, I have emerged from 2014 with my first set of battle scars and a kind of farewell to childhood innocence. There is no going back, this growth. Once we've grown, there's no ungrowing. We can only go one way, like tears rolling down the cheeks, we can only go one way. 

I cried for the parts of me that were sacrificed to receive the learning, to become who I am now. But I am proud of my battle scars, and I understand now that it is necessary. Maybe that is how adult life goes. We lose something and we gain something. We change, we evolve either into new selves or our hidden old selves. I have yet to figure that out. 

Ten things I’ve learnt in 2014 

Not all friendships last forever. Yes, I know that friends drift apart. But sometimes, active falling apart is necessary to protect myself. 

Do not make believe, do not be naive and think that things will unfold as I will them to when I know damn well in my guts that they wouldn’t. Do not let myself be fooled by my desires. I have learnt to trust my guts. 

I have learnt to hide my tears (or I'm still learning). When I'm about to cry, I should take a deep breath, purse my lips together tightly and let the sourness around the nose subside. Exhale gently before talking.

I have learnt what guilt feels like. I know how it feels now,  to wish I could undo things. I understood that I wouldn't be this lucky with mistakes next time and I would be careful not to make the same mistake. 

All things are simply experiences. Time fixes everything. What I had thought were the worst times were only a phase. It does not seem to matter anymore as days grow. They were merely experiences and lessons.

I have learnt to take on parts of others’ problems. I grew to understand that as I grow older, people around me become support systems and I become theirs. I knew that I will have to carry parts of their problems on my shoulders and they would carry mine on theirs. 

Live on my own, grief on my own. I've learnt that taking walks is my thing, it makes me feel better. Sometimes, being alone clears my head and is exactly what I need. It is in those solitary moments that I indulge in my emotions. It is those solitary moments that enable me to pick myself back up. 

I have learnt how being broken feels like. I have faltered into giant puddles of tears. I have learnt to hold my knees to my chest, to curl myself up so that my heart would stay in place, so that I could hold myself together. 

I have learnt how to love. I have learnt what love feels like. Love is warm and bubbly. Love is bitter and sweet. Love is an intense longing. Love is counting down the days. Love is tall, dark and handsome. Love is smart and funny. Love is mature. Love is a silly brat. Love does not warn you to stay away. Love holds you when you're broken. Love tries. Love cares. Love loves. 

I know just like I did with 2014, I wouldn't emerge from 2015 unhurt and pain-free. I would make mistakes that scar me. I would go through a lot more to get the growth I need, the kind of learning that is set out for me. And I wish my 2015 would also be a year of healing.