Art: A Mirror of oneself

Recently, there have been more opportunities for me to rub shoulders with a thing which had seemed so distant from me since my secondary school years.  I professed and seemed to have zero liking for this field but a couple of things had made me re-look at this interesting thing that people call Art.

I remembered I had attended classes as a young primary school kid in those RC courses. I flunked in secondary school as I felt the teacher was more focused on helping girls than boys so I didn’t’ want to try at all. Perhaps the world lost another Picasso from there?

Why do we learn Art? I think it is an important subject that all of us should be exposed to it one way or another when we were young. All of us are winners and talented in some way or another. What the government has tried to instill in our tough education core is to prepare us as well as possible and to expose us as much as possible so that we might pick up the Arts such as music, drawing which will help to refine our inner selves. In our hectic lives, we need some distraction away.. to recharge ourselves so that we can get up and go through this helpless cycle. It is a necessity so that we can last the distance in the human race.

Like writing, we often imagine ourselves in the story as we roam and wander into the imaginary caves and places where it may be impossible to tread at all. Drawing a picture is about the same. It could be an imaginary setting of a dream house – beautiful hut by the river with a nice hilly mountain or hill as a backdrop. It need not be real; but often, the art pieces I see in natural surroundings like a forest or waterfall often fascinates me and makes me marvel about our beautiful Earth.I could stand there , staring at the art pieces and think about the artist's thoughts and feelings then. Why was there a shadow in the water when it is evident from the picture that the sun is at its strongest? At times, a drawing will defy science and logic and that is the interesting part of Art. Of course, if it comes to drawing your Geography  Notebook, please do not draw the moon bigger than our Earth. -tongue in cheek...

A picture tells a thousand words and that is so true. I may need about 3 pages before the reader starts to get absorbed into the storyline. However, just a stare into a picture will ensure that the eye is hooked at least for the next 20 seconds, as the brain starts to decipher the intents of the creator behind that piece of Art.

I had came to know more about Art, albeit a little late; 20 years after I last dropped my pencil following the end of the Art GCE O levels in school. Recently, Christine, a very good friend of Mrs Ussenal aka Jing aka Karen, is really into art and through her passion in Art, it had also relight the interest Jing had in drawing years ago. Not only have they both went for drawing sessions at the Arteastiq; a café/art centre with excellent ambiance and therapeutic sense abilities they say. We have also went to the recent Art exhibition which was held in Singapore at Marina Sands. I had the opportunity to speak to an artist whose paintings were on display but felt sorry to have to admit to her that I do not know how to paint and was only there to accompany others.

As I get to see more art pieces, questions start to arise. At times, I do understand how a drawing of only 3 simple scratches can be considered a rare piece of art. Often, the saying ‘beauty lies in the eye of the beholder’ comes to mind but then again, how does one’s definition of a nice piece of art comes into parallel of another person's definition?

I think a piece of Art is not only related to what you draw. It is a piece of collective. A collection of your time, thoughts, effort, feelings, mood , personality and your principles in life. For example, a person who dislikes flowers will never draw them well. Why? Because  a piece of drawing is not a rubber stamp. It takes time to draw and even more time to refine, erase, re-draw and then apply the colours to it. On top of all these, your feelings, your mood .. You can be sure that the flower will never be as well drawn as compared to the person has no prejudices even if his art drawing skill is inferior. Every stroke in a seriously drawn painting is so masterfully done that Art may seemed like the best mirror to look into.

I have always envied people who knows how to play music as I do not know how. When you are bored and need something to sooth the nerves,  a piano piece could be better remedy than the aspirin. One could also draw and then take in maximum satisfaction that a scene thought of in the head could live out its fiction in a piece of painting. 
Imagine what would the world do if cameras are never invented. Every one would have to paint to capture the beautiful memories. Instead of the thousands of photos in our Facebook, Instagram, it would only probably be 1 picture a month.

I may not know how to play the violin or piano nor know how to draw and even paint well. But as they say God is always fair no matter how you see it. I have learnt how to appreciate what is good music and what is quality pieces of art. Just like you do not need to snatch the michrophone all night in a KTV session to enjoy yourself but you can similarily enjoy by listening to others sing.
Ok, got to go off for now. Pen again when thoughts come. =)

When I look into your eyes

It’s a Monday! Most people get blues on this day and while it was indeed terrible during the NS days, I have learnt how to cope with the start of the week. I had little choice; away from your loved ones, you could only pin your happiness by looking forward to the weekends.

Most of the time I do not want to start counting on Mondays as they were premature. Normally when it comes to Tues night, it becomes a bit more easier. Once Wednesday starts, you just have to tell yourself shit is about to end by time u sleep as it will be Thursday then. When Thursday starts, you are pumped up and ready to go as you know by the time the dust settles in on Thursday evening, your weekend is here.

Though said, it is still important to try and have a relaxed mood walking in to the office on Mondays. I normally start by playing a nice piece of music. It could be a piano piece  or a sentimental rock ballad. I am a sentimental crab, so I often like to play songs that allows me to reminisce a little bit while I sip my coffee before the work day starts.

I remember that when I was in Secondary 1 and 2, I listened to many English songs; albeit an influence from my peers where the radio was often on and blank cassette tapes always on standby to record the nice ones on air. It seemed like a fashion to do so and I would listen long and start to know many songs thereon.

The song I have chosen to share is ‘When I look into your eyes’. It is a rock ballad and a wonderful one to hear. The lyrics are meaningful and it reminds me of my time when I was a secondary school student. This song was popular then and I remembered hearing it at one of my BBQ sessions which my classmates had organized. Talk a walk along East Coast these days and it’s a surprise that you don’t see any radio at all. It’s a shame as everyone is either busy talking, eating or playing with their handphones. Once, more, the cons of globlalizing that thing. Back then, we had no such gadget. A pager if you are fortunate, that’s all.

When I Look Into Your Eyes"

I see forever when I look in your eyes
You're all I've ever wanted
I always want you to be mine
Let's make a promise to the end of time
We'll always be together
And our love will never die

So here we are face to face and heart to heart
I want you to know we will never be apart
Now I believe that wishes can come true
'Cause when I see my whole world
I see only you

[Chorus]
When I look into your eyes
I can see how much I love you
And it makes me realize
When I look into your eyes
I see all my dreams come true
When I look into your eyes

I've looked for you all of my life
Now that I've found you
We will never say good-bye
Can't stop this feelin'
And there's nothing I can do
'Cause I see everything
When I look at you

Beautiful lyrics. Simple and yet it hit direct to the point. In fact, that’s all you ever need to relay to your darling. The eyes are the smallest organ but yet transmit several feelings through it. It is also the most attractive part which in other classic tales of the Arabian Nights, had enchanted princes and princesses alike.

It’s as simple to tell your loved one that you know every thing and they have got your back no matter how. Sometimes in life, it makes a lot of difference

15 February

People always say that words are forgotten but moments remembered. When moments are forgotten, it takes words to remember moments. Contradictory?

I had always waited for moments when I had inspiration or important live events before I would take to the keyboard. However, since young, I have had a penchant to write what I feel. It was then indeed unfortunate that in primary school, my very own colour group pry opened my diary and divulged all the secrets inside. Not only did it cost me enormous embarrassment, but it also cost the friendship of a girl whom I liked back then. She avoided me like the plague and we never really spoke to each other since then.

I have had always an interest to read autobiographies and life blogs of people. It interests me to try and find out what do people feel and what were their thinking and feelings at the point when they publish a post or picture. What are they trying to imply and what was going on in their lives on the days of posting? Were they in a bad mood and if so, why are they still writing in their blog? Do they , like me in the past, turn to writing because there is no one else who understands them? It looks funny, but when you write, you are consoling yourself, teaching yourself what you feel and what you need.

When I was eating the curry fish head that my mum had left for me after a tiring day of soccer, I had many feelings which ran over me as I start to plan the what I want to write in my head. Not really the fish, but maybe after a good workout had enabled my sweat glands to flush out all the toxins, enabling a clear passage for my mind to think.

When I read blogs by Christine (aka Ms Xtin Lim, Mrs Ussenal's bestie and her friend Kopi Soh, I learn different things from both of them. Besides marvelling at the beautiful layout of Christine's blog, entries were filled with many thoughts of the past , encompassing happiness, sadness, anxiety and hope for the road ahead. Does anyone still think that writing is a piece of cake and lousy skill you can pick up if you do not learn the basics when young?

Today is also the Total Defence Day, a day where I have had often felt strongly and patriotic as 6.25pm was the time the Brits surrendered to Japanese forces in 1945, marking the start of an extremely difficult occupation period of 3 and 1/2 years of barbaric torture.

In today's world, more and more questions are being asked by our younger generation. Some begin to ask if Singapore is still worth defending now since there are so many foreigners and nobody knows any longer who we are defending for now. I used to think that no, no matter who is there we must fight to the end as if we sit and hide, sooner or later our families will be harmed and die too. If I can help to take down 1 enemy, isn't it worth already?

However, as time passes by,  views and principles change. I asked myself the same questions again and find my answer had changed. If there is war today confronting Singapore, I will fight the war still. It is not who I am defending, but it is a responsibility that has been passed down by the pioneers who had shed  their lives, gave up their families and loved ones so that the next generation can be free of the enemies. So we are not protecting our loved ones only, we are protecting a legacy which the early pioneers of Singapore had toiled so hard for. Even if the PRs are not going to protect Singapore in a war, so be it. Question is: Do we Singaporeans do our part then, when war comes?

It is a hard question ,albeit like the hardest debate of Euthanasia. Do the patient, who has suffered day and night, has a right to end his own life? Do the loved ones keep their sick alive just to satisfy their own fear of losing them, at the cost of the suffering? Is it right or is it wrong? Or should the sick ones continue to live on despite immense pain? This is something that will never be answered correctly till the day I ask Jesus.

As my fish was finishing, I began to have a clearer thought. I was in two minds over my earlier question. However I realised that my whole SAF training life was not only built around myself but also my platoon mates and of course, my bunk mates Lao A , Jiawei and Sunny. We have been trained for 12 years for war, aint we? If my buddies are going to war, there is no way I can sit on the sofa and await unfortunate news. It is a correct decision that I think even if I am recalled one day in my 60s, I will still standby this decision. It can't change and it will never change.

A bit too heavy stuff for a Monday? Perhaps. Monday Blues. Anyway, its Tuesday already folks.

Mr Ussenal.

Pre Chinese New Year

It has been some time that an update was given here. While there have been plenty that had happened and appropriate thanksgiving be given for all the good and even not so good, I write now in the disguise amongst my work; half an hour to go before we go for the mighty long Chinese New Year break.

It is nice and challenging to try and update a blog during office hours… but well most of the CBD core should have already gone home or perhaps chewing on some ba kua as I am writing. It is again the so called ‘busy for many days but used on 2 days’ CNY.

It’s an occasion that everyone loved. Chinese for obvious reasons and also where my malay and Indian friends take the chance to have a good break. It has been fortunate that the CNY period has coincided with the weekend. More time to meet friends and relatives.

As a kid, I loved CNY, especially when I can meet all my cousins and watch my uncles and aunties have endless hours of fun. Its one thing to have fun and another to observe others having fun. It is a splendid feeling and sadly, it goes away that wee bit when you start to grow. However, it is still a busy and happy period where you can’t help not to feel happy even if things aren’t very rosy nor have a thick pocket. Perhaps it is a good opportunity to look forward to anything positive that could grow on in a blue world we live in. It could be a good break for some, a good chance to get together for some who live apart and also maybe an opportunity for couples to spend quality time together at the zoo!

Stay tuned for the next few days where loads of nice food and pictures of fun will be uploaded.

Mr Ussenal