life's mean reds.

true or not, it's worth a penny or two of your thoughts.

an excerpt from an article in smh(sydney herald); great food for thought on a lazy Wednesday afternoon. Herein lies the problem. We know there is a deeper reality to our make-up as individuals but its complexity frightens us . We prefer the illusion of freedom rather than the complexity of self-awareness. As a community we know of the limitations of material wealth as a measure of true value but we seem incapable of breaking its grip on our imagination. We prefer the simplicity of economic growth and personal consumption rather than the complexity of sustainability and community wellbeing. As the Buddhist scholar and teacher Stephen Batchelor has put it: How much of our life is spent in avoiding what we really are? Yet in a quiet corner of ourselves, do we not secretly recognise the deceptive strategies of such avoidance? How often do we find ourselves happily indulging in some trivial pursuit , even though a deeper awareness is whispering to us of its futility? the world knows it, whe...

why is fall called fall? a beautiful season and probably the best in my opinion, yet marred by a depressing name.

things we design students come up with when the going gets tough. during a design charrette for an ex mining site-- we were meant to come up with planning schemes and visions for the place... ... and we figured, what could be better than a disneyland to inject revenue and a whole lot of fun, laughter and joy in this dumps-town. anyone worried for what the future holds for our world when we landscape students graduate?:D

have you had days when you wake up without a song in your heart, having more than an inkling that it was going to be a dreadful day, where nothing is ever going your way? and so i did have one of those days today. overslept, got overwhelmed by the amount of work left to do for studios, couldnt get down to what i planned to because of unexpected situations, ran late for class, flunked my quiz, lost my house keys, retraced my steps for a good 25 minutes to no avail. no inspiration for a design proposal due tomorrow to top it all off. to say that today was a disaster was no short of an understatement. but funnily enough, in spite of my desire to take control and fix it all when i was really just messing it up further, He cares. Enough to stretch out that arm to pull me out of the mire, to set things right again when im too preoccupied to ask or rely. What did i do to deserve the pleasure of enjoying this rare pretty sight on my way home which certainly lifted my slumped spirits a little?...

A fervent prayer rose up to heaven, A fragile soul was losing ground Sorting through this earthly babble, Heaven heard the sound. It was a life of no distinction, No successes, only tries. Yet, gazing down on this unlovely one, There was love in Heaven's Eyes. The orphaned child, the wayward father, The homeless traveler in the rain When life goes by and no one bothers, Heaven feels the pain. Looking down, God sees each heartache, Knows each sorrow, hears each cry, And looking up, we'll see compassion's Fire ablaze in Heaven's Eyes. In Heaven's Eyes, there are no losers, In Heaven's Eyes, no hopeless cause. Only people like you, with feelings like me And we're amazed at the grace we can find In Heaven's Eyes. An oldie through and through, a treasure through and through. isnt it reassuring. when i feel im just not good at anything, i cant match up, or i just cant muster up enough in me to open that heart i found much easier to leave under lock and key.....

okay im just reallly reluctant to start on my readings... so... i decided to post the photos i took for my photo asg thusfar. okay, they aren't breath-taking but they certainly are the few photographs that i have actually placed a good amount of thought into crafting them. Im actually amazed at how different a purposeful shot is composed and appears as compared to one i snap at whim (then spend the next half of the day deleting most of them). a sign that like speaking, i really ought to think before i shoot? On Memory On Imagination What lies behind the door? I realised the juxtaposition of contrasts tend to inspire thoughts that one might never fanthom was possible. On Reflection On Negotiation On Astonishment On Play Play is spontaneous, sometimes funny, most of the time silly, but always, good for the soul. On Emotions As we grow older, it almost seems childish to revel in the positive ideals of love, let alone play with stuffed toys. So when I took this picture, it made me smil...

i held a cup of coffee as i strolled down the tree lined avenues along a main street on campus. a chilly breeze rustled my hair, and i drew a deep breath involuntarily. just an hour away from midnight, the work due for tomorrow looms like a formidable mountain. yet my mind is far from concerned, still reeling from the talk earlier. isaiah 52:13-53:12. the servant song. have you ever experienced the sudden rush of adrenalin when you realised something that never once crossed your mind despite the familiarity of the issue/event/topic? the sudden dread that fills me, knowing that I was one of those, who rejected, despised, disobey him. one of those who drove the nail in, through the constant desire in wanting to be my own God, to lead life the way i want it. forgetting that when i obey only when i want to, that's not obeying. it's just a parallel of wills. my will, God's will. and the regret wells up within. a deep sense of failure, ache, knowing that i failed him again. and a...

maybe its the culmination of bad weather and emails/ calls from people i love so much, but i suddenly miss home so very much.:(