2021/07/16

Merry-go-round

Merry go round near Tower Eiffel in Paris

Rotunda is very common in Paris, some are in the park, on the square or around the corner of the street; most of them are near the famous tourist spot, such as Hôtel de Ville, Tower Eiffel...,etc. You can imagine how wonderful the scenery will be under star night, blossom of cherry in Spring, Autumn burst golden leaves or in the soft white snow of Christmas...post card shot, right?

Little girl riding horses in the rotunda of Paris

Guess what is my favourite? not difficult to know, street side rotunda. Don’t you think they just like a super huge toy right next to your apartment, everyone in the neighbourhood can share the joy whenever nearby, be my guest, isn’t that fun?

Little boy seating on a sea shell in rotunda near Tower Eiffel

It’s also enjoyable to watch those lovely kids riding with interesting facial expressions, some are excited, a little bit scare while the turn is moving away from their parents, but a sudden burst of smile when they are once appear in front of them; they all become prince & princess within minutes living happily ever after...

I still remember when I was some where at Saint-Paul, after a long walk without having any lunch, I quickly grab a lemon pie & espresso from a boulangerie, eating in front of a rotunda at the street corner;  the weather is cloudy & cold, but with it’s vintage colour decorative light bulb, pinkish apple like smiling faces on pastel wooden horses, I feel so warm, what an unforgettable moment. 


Merry-go-round, a more familiar name in my childhood, time flies...

2021/07/09

Komitas


There are numerous messages delivered from graffiti, poster or sticker found on the street here, in Paris. I am sure there will be some trace of the “yellow vest” - mouvement des gilets jaunes; a chaos agitated by the increase of fuel tax. My new friend Li, who studied & working here for over 18 years, she told me that actually the amount increased was minimal, but demonstration/ protest/ strike whatever we call are frequently happen in France, i.e.: they get used to & nothing to be afraid of.

Liberté (Freedom), Égalité (Equality), Fraternité (fraternity / brotherhood), ou la mort (or death*) - is the “national motto” of France. There may be still argument of whether the Declaration of the Rights of Man & of the Citizen on 26 August 1789 should include all of them in exact wordings, especially the last one;  but no matter how, it’s originated in the French Revolution. The Tricolor flag of France are embodying all the principle of the Revolution- Liberté (Blue), Égalité (white) and Fraternité (Red).

The memorial statue of Komitas in Paris

 Walking along, there is Mémorial de la Shoah - a memorial retraces the history of French Jews after the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp, a sad history of 76,000 Jews deported from France. I didn’t visit even I’ve passing by twice, I am afraid there will be too “much” for my first trip, but it will be in my itinerary in the next visit.

So, who is Komitas? A statue that I’ve seen in Jardin d’Erevan. I don’t know who he was? But the form of statue clearly tells me it is not a display of an art piece, something serious,... to remember.

 


“ en Hommage a

Komitas

Comositeur, musicologue

et aus

1500000 victimes

du génocide arménien de 1915

perpetre dans L‘empire ottoman“

 

Lettering on the stone base

If we are thinking of the War Crime, Holocaust- Jewish was the first comes into our mind; but there is another one, Genocide- Armenian. 

Komitas was the survivor in this genocide, he was an Armenian priest, composer, a super talented musicologist, founder of the Armenian national school of music. If he didn’t collected & transcribed over 3000 pieces of Armenian folk music during his work in life time, the cultural heritage of Armenia will be vanished together with the genocide, no one will even remember the existing of this history. 

To Komitas, although he could survive after released from concentrate camp, the shadow of death together with his fear of losing his lifetime work in Armenian music that finally drove him nuts, he was transferred to stay in Paris where his friend was there... but weakness & insane were the only melody left in his last years, who died in 1935.

I have to admit that I am quite lost & depress while preparing this post, when I’ve watched the film online “Music to Madness (The Story of Komitas)” , in order to find who he was? The unfold of history was intolerable, up to this moment, I can’t find an “excuse” for “human” to expel/ destroy a nation and I am not intend to find one.

 

-  Survivors of the Armenians “re-birth” and wide spread around the world.
- Armenia was the First Nations to adopt Christianity as a state religion, it’s roots go backs to 1st century AD. (Wiki data)

2021/07/07

Treadmill...to Die for ?!

Treadmill with no one

Boom-boom-boom...

Baby crawl on treadmill

Boom-boom-boom... 
Why am I here? a baby of one year.
Mom,  what is this for, do I need to crawl? 

Baby and a teenage girl running on treadmill

Hey, baby can you try once more,
as fast as you could so I can move
my teacher is waiting 
exams are haunting
I must be hurry cos’ year two is coming !

Baby, teenage girl and a working class running on treadmill

Hey, little girl don’t block my way,
I have proposals & dozens of meetings 
my clients are waiting 
big boss is haunting 
I must be hurry cos’ probation is ending 

Baby, teenage girl, working class man & a couple running on treadmill

Hey, young man please keep running,
We shall follow you on the same paving 
our business are failing
our mortgage is haunting 
We must be hurry cos’ the bank is closing !

Baby, teenage girl, working class, couple & elderly running on treadmill

Hey, Mr & Mrs don’t falling 
old pa & grandma are chasing 
keep the tread smoothing 
her doctor is waiting
Nursing home’s quota is holding  
We must be hurry cos’ our last chance can’t be missing ! 

Baby, teenage girl, working class, couples, elderly and a coffin on treadmill

Hey, everybody don’t panic 
I am done with no more rush
Plug off the treadmill cos’ I don’t need to run
The god of death is haunting  
My graveyard is waiting 
 send me a daisy if you are willing
the beauty of nature that I missing !



2021/07/02

Hear Me

 

New release Hear Me book cover of Petit Paris series
click to enlarge

Hi, Hi!

What a super hot summer in Hong Kong right now, let's have some reading under the sun...or in your comfy air conditioned corner with a smoothie or ice coffee :P
The sixth book of  Petit Paris series was released yesterday, you can say it do has some relationship with book 4 Jardins Secret & book 5 Point Zéro . You may aware there is an arrangement, not intentionally at the very beginning, but developed as time goes by:-

Book 1 - Pont Neuf......explore Paris
Book 2 - Entrée Sortie......explore Museums
Book 3 - Chat Noir......explore Belle épogue

Book 4- Jardins Secret......explore Gardens......reminding Friends & Families
Book 5- Point Zéro......breathtaking Churches......reminding Faith & People
Book 6- Hear me......"listen" to graffiti & the silent voices......reminding the Be-forgotten
Book 7....?

I've always has some difficulties to tell my friends what the genre of my book should be, because it consist of photograph, painting, song like text, a mixture of three but not quite definite as Photography, Arts or Poetry; so I will usually say it is my "sketch book" 公仔書 as I will describe in Cantonese - sketch book of all my experience and thoughts to express through these three "channels". 

It's always enjoyable while writing, to recap a lot of my pleasure during the trip, the amazing moment of different hours in a long day, them - peoples that flash into my mind! By the end of the book, I may be lost or sad somehow, but never give up Hope! 

Two more books to finish in the year of 2021, I wish you can continue to walk through this journey with me, until the end of next year. Let's see what would Petit Paris lead us to...?!




 



Graffiti, merely?

Graffiti spray on bridge fence on the Seine in Paris

I love walking, street, alley, riverside, local stalls...although it will drain off all my energy at the end, almost every night when I’ve returned to the hotel; but walking is really the most enjoyable activity in Paris, I can adjust my momentum wherever I like, “freeze” ......when attractions like this.

Graffiti on the bridge balustrade above The Seine in Paris

Texture & colour are the highlights which draw me close, all of the unknown fonts are transform into beautiful graphics; but in fact they do mean something for the specific group of persons or individuals in a specific moment.

Sometimes it’s sad to find them being painted on the public facilities, especially onto the heritage architectures which did shock me in the first place because I thought the citizens here do treasure them more than balustrade, mansion doors, pavement, post box...,etc. But when I walk along to discover more & more of them, I start to understand a bit more of their anger, the only way to express their accusation of being ignored by the government? the empowered? for months...years...?

Graffiti on stonewall of buildings in Paris

Although that‘s not a tourist would like to see when visiting a spot, it’s the reality that we should face & to deal with the problems, there is no way to hide. A destructive act onto the public canvas may not be a perfect way but at least, a beam of hope for “them” to aware, to awake!

2021/06/25

思維靜院

教會為着解構聖經中的書卷 ~ 雅歌,特別舉辦了這次三日兩夜的靜修營,也我一早計劃好離職後給自己一個靜思的日子。

半小時的快速船,離開市區往長洲山上的思維靜院,和朋友一起步行上山,原本十多分鐘的行程,因為入錯分义路,在雨中花了差不多三十分鐘才到步.…忘記了告訴她,能夠一次順利到達陌生目的地,在我的前半生,出現的機率微乎其微, 不過現今有GPS, 我還是肯定在入夜前必定到達 :P

長洲思維靜院向海的一個小角落

進入相對寂靜的世界,人聲、手機聆聲丶媒體資訊…被大自然的風聲、雨聲、鳥語、晨曦一一代替。完成每節的聚會之間,總能享受完全屬於自己的時空。

晚上從思維靜院望向長洲的點點燈火
一望無際的海面,除了七八隻老鷹翺翔之外,也看到弟兄姊妹各自靜思於小角落;夜間,亦能望到山下長洲居民的燈火,船隻歸航的指示燈… 此刻,很舒服。

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

第一個晚上,在房間用風扇代替冷氣,除下口罩,打開窗,享受雨後樹木的清香;思考着神與人/ 人與人之間關係的點點滴滴。第二個晚上,索性把風扇也關掉,讓風聲、雨聲、蟲鳥夜鳴陪伴入睡…. 此刻,很平靜。

思維靜院隨風飄舞的風玲 

這裡,有一個小角落,掛着一個手作風鈴,在疾風中發出噹噹巨響; 但行近細聽,柔弱溫婉的餘韻隨着中間水渠口蓋緩緩擦向鐵通發出,似乎有未完的說話…望着晴空的白雲,聽着聽着…此刻,忘我。

其實離開繁囂並不太難,離開資訊對某些人來說才是最不習慣;是恐防遺漏即時新聞還是害怕會被遺忘的一刻?

重回現實的晚上,關掉一切媒體裝置,雖然窗外傳來的是車響人聲,眼前的小山丘旁邊萬家燈火,心中卻傳來柔柔鈴聲,此刻 ... 重回我的小角落!

2021/06/21

設計師系列...還要繼續嗎?

 忽然心血來潮,都係寫埋呢幾句先睇書。係臨熄機嘅時候,突然睇到"設計師系列"呢幾隻字,腦海中突然諗起,係喎,我仲應語應該繼續寫呢個系列呢?