Friday, July 31, 2009
As my friend Lauren puts it, this week has gone by so fast
My friend, Robert, told me about this book by Thich Nhat Hanh, I am going to read it... I am hoping for some calming in mind and in life.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
What is on my mind today?
A blog entry by Davey...
I read Davey's blog today. Every time I can not sleep, I always read his blog.
Here is one of his entry.
"The other day, I got a message from @Petahhh on my twitter asking, “How were you able to let go of a high cost/material life?”
Truth be told, I don’t live the simplest of lifestyles. I’m certainly no Mother Theresa. But I don’t place a lot of importance on the material stuff that I do have; I’m not attached to it. I can enjoy it when it’s here, and yet not mourn over it if ever goes. I think it’s perfectly fine to live in abundance - so long as we don’t define ourselves by the abundance in which we live.
Many of us secretly believe that we’d be happier if we made more money. I can guarantee otherwise: If you’re miserable poor, you’ll be miserable rich. Perhaps even more miserable. Your base level of happiness isn’t determined by the wealth you’re able to amass or the amount of “things” you’re able to collect.
In fact, many of the happiest people I’ve met are the poorest. In one of my recent videos, you can see a homeless man (at 16 seconds). He’s one of the happiest people I’ve ever encountered.
The universe reminded me of this truth earlier in the week. In what I’d consider an extravagant purchase, I bought a giant imitation antler chandelier for my condo in Rhode Island. While carrying it to my car, I broke one of the horns; it snapped right off. At first I was upset, but then I remembered that I shouldn’t be giving the material things in my life that sort of power over me. I’ll glue it back on at some point. Or perhaps I’ll leave it broken as a reminder.
At best, material things can give us a temporary high. It’s like taking a drug. But the high is always short and the crash is always hard as we return back to our base level of happiness. Moreover, true happiness can’t be dependent on anything outside of us as the entire world is transient and changing. If you base your happiness on something that is bound to change, you’ll live your life in fear of losing it.
There is more than enough to go around, and if you manifest abundance on your life’s journey, enjoy it. But remain unattached; be able to wave farewell with a smile on your face.
To truly be happier, I think each of us must follow our heart and our passions, tapping into our talents, and serving the world with peace and love." by Davey Wavey, July 18, 2009.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Catalogue
With this project is coming to an end, I am going to start on a new project.
Is it life journey a series of projects? Yes, even when I try to be spontaneous, that is a project - a planned item too. So, what does spontaneity truly mean? This is the question I am going to observe today.
Forget about spontaneity for a second, I want to focus a little bit on my next projects.
I have two projects for now.
One is finishing up my portfolio, printing them out, and assembling them - all 100 of them.
The other project is more like invisible... I am going to examine my way of living, thinking and trying to simplify it. I have been thinking about doing this for so long, never get to do it, primarily blamed my abundance life. As reading Davey today, it gives me a courage to do it... Wish me luck...
Saturday, July 11, 2009
sleepless...
Something on my mind... as of now, I am trying to rethink my life... What a process!
I have been to busy with the this aspect of my life and totally forget about other aspects...
I need to bring balance back...
Any advices?
There are a lot of books about architecture and Nguyen Ngoc Tu waiting for me to read...
I need to bury myself in there, for now, any distraction is appreciated...
Friday, July 10, 2009
Sanity...
This roller coaster ride is fun while it lasts... but too much baggage...
Bad karma, who wants that?
I rethink about the purposes of love... both soothes and wounds... and I so do not want my happiness building on somebody else's unhappiness...
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Whatever!
Sex without love is too easy but not fulfilling...
Love without sex is torture, unreal in general...
I would like to have both.
If not, love is what I would rather have...
That is all...
Gia Viet
I am going to start working on it as soon as I finish writing this entry... I promise.
I hope I will have it done by the end of this month and I am going to publish it on here... something to make me proud and get me going again about design, architecture and life in general... I have postponed my life and put it on hold for too long...
Maybe the date on Thursday and this catalogue are what I need to get me believe again.
Wish me luck...
Good luck, Hiet.
Hope...
It does take a lot for me to go on date now a day, and I have a solid track record of sabotaging my relationships.
Cross my fingers on this one!
I do not know how it turns out, but I do love the feelings I am having right now. Excite, worry, happy, fear... are all weaving...
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Feeling...
I woke up late this morning, looked outside and saw the sun... I surprised at myself since I could feel that good just by seeing the sun. Is it like seeing an old dear friend? Living in MN for a long time, I learn to appreciate seasons, especially seasons with a lot of the sun's presence...
Arts, seasons, the sun... are just wonderful. They have the abilities to transcend...
Noguchi's quote
(Quoted in Isamu Noguchi, A Sculptor's World, 1968)
How amazing is that. And then in another interview with Sam Hunter in 1980, he talked about "tables as suggest landscape," and "every garden is a landscape, and every garden can be considered a table, too, especially Zen gardens."
I am holding in my hand a book called Isamu Noguchi Space of Akari & Stone. The images are from his exhibition of Akari lamps and stone sculptures... They are just plain wonderful... so wonderful that I have been looking at them for more than 5 years and they still deliver. I am always surprised, amazed... every single time.
I love this quote so much, it says a lot about him and his work "I am always looking for a new way of saying the same thing." (quoted in Sam Hunter, Isamu Noguchi-75th Birthday Exhibition, 1980). Look at the traditional Japanese paper lanterns and his Akari lamps, then you will understand what I am writing about... He reinvented the known materials, gave them new lives, promoted them further... That is what truly modern about his work... He totally understood the tectonic of bamboo, paper and light... the same goes for stone as well. I wish I got to see any of his stone sculptures now...
Noguchi
Saturday, July 4, 2009
July 4th, 2009
Today is holiday. Waking up in the morning with no plan, insert a new CD, open a half read book and still feel some emptiness... If you know me, usually, that is enough for me, but not today...
Today! Does today mean anything? Of course it means a lot, and there are a lot to do also... See, I contradict myself already... no plan but a lot to do... because deep down in my mind, I know I have to do a lot today and tomorrow and the day after tomorrow and so on, but still no plan... Where to start and what to start?
I hope for a better day, tomorrow... I hope I will have a clear plan by tomorrow... Now, I just enjoy the moments of being empty and do nothing... It is a holiday after all... And the sun was on for a second and now it is about to rain... Talking about mood swing...