2015/06/01

The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

bookcover of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Alchemist
Hey pal, some more reading this month. 
As far as I've known this is a very popular novel that seems inspire a lot of peoples around the world. So I finally grab a copy and read it within 6 hours one day.

Hmm, what should I say, it is an attractive, imaginative, inspiring of life and desire, easy reading novel, but not as highly expected than I used to thought of. 

May be it's what usually happens, if it is an Oscar Award film, you will expect more and, that may distract the outcome as a result. 

A story about a young shepherd to chase his treasure and dream, a prophet that leads him to leave his familiar homeland to the wild and unpredictable desert, where he met the Alchemist and learn his lessons of life.

If you have your dream, if you like desert and want to feel it's power, read this, it will take you there.

2015/05/28

Life is Only One - Yoshitomo Nara

Poster of Life is Only One - Yoshitomo Nara
Yesterday I've introduced an exhibition about sound, today, I would like to talk about another exhibition that was introduced by my friend earlier in April, and is still on show until 26 July 2015 in H.K.

I must confess that I am not a fans of this artist, but I went to Admiralty by chance and remember this show was held nearby, so I went to have a look in a cold rainy day.

Life Is Only One - it seems a bit "serious" as I've original thought, by entering the hall after waiting outside for 15 minutes in wet air, a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere was suddenly echo around when a song was heard from a small room somewhere behind.

This girl -  I shall say is the artist herself being painted on raw materials, pure and sensation; message delivered touches life and death but in another way......through the eyes of a child......by the imagination and interpretation of the visitors.

Other media such as photography, sculpture and multi-media are also presented as part of Nara's work simultaneously. 

If you have a minute, go and have a walk, you may be inspired by this little girl.





2015/05/27

Le French May - Beyond The Sound

Le French May - Beyond The Sound poster
I have to say we are really lucky as living in Hong Kong even thought it is only a small city, it's easy for us to reach different culture such as Le French May.

Yesterday while in the black rainstorm signal date, I 've visited  Comix Home Base (7 Mallory Street, Wanchai, H.K.), an exhibition : Beyond The Sound was held there, a scheduled exhibition for myself in this May.

It's a small exhibition hall which was transformed from a Grade 2 historic tenement houses, so the original structure of the building that were reserved are worth visiting. Although each floor area is quite small, it's good fit for such kind of extraordinary exhibition that require an individual and isolated space.

Usually I won't have high expectation to new media or arts exhibition because I am not an expert or well trained in these fields, but this time it is a bit of surprise. 

There are total 17 pieces of art related to sound, most of them are found on 3/F, may be it is so true that "sound" is no boundary like "music", you can easily touch and driven by their presentation. The no8, 11 and 13 are my favorite pieces, especially no. 11 - Distorsions by Pierre Laurent CASSIERE. 

I was so lucky that the black rainstorm resulting minimum visitor, so I can occupy the whole room by myself and feel how those three stainless steel liquify the concrete building under it's roar......very interesting and unforgettable experience. 

For the others, I will leave them to you. 
A highly recommended exhibition that is worth to take a walk, enjoy !

2015/05/13

For Whom The Bell Tolls - Ernest Hemingway

Bookcover of For Whom the Bell Tolls
For Whom The Bell Tolls
I am not a classic novel fans, especially those related to war; may be it's because English is not my mother tongue which means, it will increase my difficulties to understand / enjoy my reading if there are too many vocabulary or "old language". 
You may say, then why not read the translated version? Truly speaking, it's usually not as good as the original written language or, at least in English. So I've finally decided to give a try, just in case if needed...I grab a dictionary in hand.

This is a very famous novel as we've known, not only because of it's poem inside by John Donne, where the name of this book that comes from; but also the way of the author who written and lead his readers to once again review of ourselves in such a special scenario.

When I started to read the first page at a coffee shop in one hottest afternoon...it attracted me, I was immediately fell into the pine-needle floor of the forest..., and it took me along to the year of Civil War in Spain , 1937.

It's a simple story about a dynamiter Robert Jordan who needs to blow up a bridge in Segovia, and therefore he requires the help of a band of local anti-facist guerrillas to lead his way, as well as to assist in terms of man power. It is a clear straight forward duty if he didn't meet his girl Maria and the people of this band.

A four days three nights trip conclude Robert's entire life, evoke the meaning of life in a battle. Every one he met within these few days become the one who trigger his deep thought of others. 

I will not tell you the entire story but it is a real good one that I've ever read, the way Hemingway express is not only the message of war, but the overall emotion, that are beautiful, human nature, romantic, inspiring......

As Robert said at last " You can do nothing for yourself but perhaps you can do something for another."
 

p.s. - The book links to the ebook with a new cover design, but I love the one above, may be it will appear in physical book version only :(

 

2015/05/11

A poem from John Donne

From the book of 
" For Whom The Bell Tolls" - Ernest Hemingway

No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe:
every man is  a peece of the Continent, 
a part of the maine;
if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea,
Europe is the lesse,
as well as if a Promontorie were,
as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine owne were;
any mans death diminishes me,
because I am involved in Mankinde;
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.

John Donne

2015/05/05

做個自給自足的設計師(一)

老實講,要做一個自給自足嘅設計師,講就易,真係要自給自足,都幾頭痛!
或者好多人以為室內設計師淨係識基本人體工學,畫吓公仔圖,買吓嘢,襯吓色,"大"吓師傅就得啦! 唔...我唔排除有呢一類又生存倒嘅同行;不過我講嘅係真嗰D,加上係自由人,冇公司其他同事支援嗰D。

其實室內設計涵蓋嘅範疇好廣泛,既然係同生活有關,時下流行或者新發賣嘅產品,物料甚至科技係有需要認識嘅,如果唔係,我哋同用家溝通嘅時候就比較困難。除咗咁之外,新軟件嘅功能幫到我哋自由人好多,由2D 到 3D ,如果揾啱嚟學同用,係創作同 present 嘅時候就事半功倍啦!注意: 係要“ 揀啱"。

另外,唔好以為室內設計屬於立體空間嘅嘢,嗰D graphic 呀,商標字體嘢就唔關我哋事。如果我哋係平面設計上有多D基本知識同運用技巧,你係設置wall graphic 同幫人掛招牌甚至掛畫嘅時候, 就唔會同出面嘅 banner 店生產出嚟嘅一樣。

如果再識埋攝影,我講嘅唔係隨時影1000 幾百嗰D儍瓜數碼攝影,而係會考慮光影,構圖色溫同曝光嗰D。咁...你係室內燈光設置嘅方便亦都會有D心思!

仲有乜嘢呢?呀!如果可以花D時間學吓享受音樂,藝術, 電影同係睇書上面; 慢慢,呢D都會不知不覺間影響咗我哋係設計嘅時候對色彩同感觀嘅要求·

唔。。。係唔係覺得自己多咗少少內涵呢?!

不過,呢D都係屬於設計師本身想唔想係自己身上投放嘅"不求人"資源,絕對要時間同心機; 睇完一大堆"疑似道理"之後,或者你會覺得唔想咁麻煩,大把其他嘢要做,咁。。。 

無錯,每樣嘢揾外援,即consultant 公司幫手就搞掂,亦唔駛再花時間睇下一篇,因為所有問題已經唔係問題啦,淨低只會係錢嘅問題啫 :p

2015/05/02

It's powerful !

Cocoa color chart from cuisine


What a masculine combination, mechanical with distinct character.

Tone: Warm 
Fashion : military
Package : action figure, tool, toy weapon
Retail : DIY shop, gun shop,
Residential : workshop

2015/04/23

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Bookcover of The Unbearable Lightness of Being
The Unbearable Lightness of Being - by milan kundera
或譯作"布拉格之春", 但我較喜歡它另外ー個譯名: 
"生命中不能承受的輕".

忘記了在那年那月電視機播放着這套戲,看罷,除了被一個酒吧的片段深深吸引之外,立即寫下戲名説要找原著看看。。。此外什麼内容也不記得,但一份牽掛的心情卻隨隨伴着我很多年。

忙碌的生活,煩鎖的事務使我沒有認真在書局停下腳步去尋找這本書,但毎毎遇到不順暢的光景,腦海中又浮現這個戲名,今年,我終於履行這個承諾。

以捷克於1968年的民主改革運動為背景,描繪出四個生活在布拉格,各自原本擁有專業技能的兩男兩女;隨着這場運動, 影響了他/她們的命運。 原本那份不受約束又愛恨交纏的愛情與慾念,甚至對自己的個人價値與理想,亦不得不隨之而改寫。

第一次看這個作者的書,感覺很特別;恍如他就在我耳邊輕輕述説這四個人沉重的一生。似是一個故事,卻又如此熟悉!似是簡簡單單的内容, 卻又需要無限的文字去演譯那當中幻變的感情!

看罷,你便會明白為何這份"輕"是如此難以承受。。。



2015/04/15

The first phone call from heaven

Bookcover of The first phone call from heaven
The first phone call from heaven
A new book recently found...written by one of my favourite author Mitch Albom. This is the fifth book I've read and the same feeling as usual : heart touching, comfort ... plus a little bit of "X-file" decor this time.

A small peaceful town Coldwater has never be the same when the first citizen received the first phone call from heaven, her deceased mother; follow by the second, the third & so on...I think many of us is for sure will not believe this call but how will this lie created by someone that can tie up all people inside? Especially to Sully - who lost his wife, who wants to believe this so much therefore he can listen to her wife's lovely voice once again, but sadly in the bottom of his heart... he know this is a hoax.

It's a story about love, about we can't let go to whom we miss, about regret, a struggle between sense and sensibility.

Ready a cup of coffee, a quiet & cozy corner, start reading this book; trust me, once you've open it, you will finish up to the last page, enjoy :)

2015/04/04

Hey....

Time flies..... could anyone knows what the next minute is going to be? 
will there be another minute of me to pass? or 
will there be another post to be written? 
who knows? 

Time...
it's for the one who treasure, 
who need it 
and use it. 
What if not? 
......it means nothing to you...or to me!

No regret.....could anyone really make it?
are there anything missing? or
being forgotten?
we should know!

Fix it...when we still have a minute !