All entries for August 2006

red hat

Somebody rang the bell. I went to get the door, and saw an old lady. She must be in her sixties, but she looks gorgeous in her elegant crimson outfit, and her smile is just like the sunshine outside. She explained that she was looking for J.C. Hat Studio, www.jchatstudio.com because she was really impressed by their products in the Alberta show last week.
Winny's studio produces wonderful hats with very bright colours. The first time I saw their products I was almost dumbfounded. Red, purple, pink, lavender, stunningly bright mixes that almost amounts to a colour symphony. On top of that, all the trims that they use are extremely astounding: feathers, huge silk flower, butterflies, shining threads of bead??How could someone wear anything like this?! That was the first question that come into my mind.
''Aren??t these hats beautiful?'' She asked me.
I have to admit that they are. To be more exact, they are alluring.
''They are beautiful'', I answered, ''but,,,''
''But what?''
''well, aren't these too much?'' I asked tentatively, hoping not to offend the designer.
Winny smiled. ''To you, yes, but to those members from the Red Hat society, the only problem is that they are not extravagant enough!''
That the first time that I heard of the RHS.
And now in front of me, I saw someone from that society, who looks so graceful and elegant that I could not help wondering how wonderful it would be if I were to be like that in my sixties. She tried some hat from Winny's collection, and I kept feeling amazed how beautiful she looked with those hats on. She was also looking for some gift for her friend. I was helping them looking for accessories, earrings, necklaces, scarves etc. When I handed to her a set of beautiful purple necklace, she examined it and handed it back to me: ''It is very lovely, dear, but it might be a little bit too pinky for my friend, who will be fifty next year. Seeing me puzzled, she explained that pink and lavender are for those ladies under 50, and only those above 50 are entitled to wear red and purple, because read and purple signifies maturity. ''The whole idea is to have fun, to make the idea of aging something that you expect rather than escape.'' She added.
I was impressed. It was until recently that I get worried about my age and weight, and those worries seems extremely stupid in front of this old lady, who is so enthusiastic to look for something red, something purple, something mature.
Maybe deep in our hearts, we all wear a big red hat and purple gown. Once in a while we put them on to be ourselves. That was the slogan of the Red Hat Society: all my life, I've done things for you, and now, I need a while for myself.

Xiu Wang : 27 Aug 2006 19:34 |  Tags: Thoughts |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Difference

A: How's your trip to Brazil?
B: It's good.
A: How?
B: Actually it is just different from the daily life.
A: Well, it is always the differences that make us tolerate, continue, and perhaps even cherish our daily life.
B: Philosophical!
A: Well, that is what I am studying for!

(A dialogue between a good friend and me. I never had a chance to go to Brazil… yet)

Xiu Wang : 23 Aug 2006 07:51 |  Tags: Thoughts |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Wind

Xiu Wang : 18 Aug 2006 06:29 |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

swing

Edward loves swing. Every time we go to the park, he wants me to push him harder. He laughs as the swings goes higher, and he screams ''I am flying'' all the way.

I used to be very good at swing. When I was in the elementary school, there was a school swing competition. They tie up a bell high up in front of the swing and the one who kicks the bell the most is the winner. I was the winner. 

Today I was sitting on the swing, swaying very slowly back and forth. I don't know why, but I just suddenly recalled a play that I read two years ago: Tremblay's Albertine in Five Times. I remember very clearly that I did a presentation on that play in Joanna's class, focusing on the use of metaphor. One of the key metaphors recurring throughout the play is the rocking chair, which I explained as the symbol for aging. Joanna pointed out to me that the movement of a rocking chair——back and forth——–can also be linked with the movement of the clock hand, and therefore can be interpreted as a metaphor for the passing of time. It seems that compared with lonely Albertine who has to sit on the rocking chair, recalling her pain and desperation, I am indeed much luckier. At least when I was moving back and forth slowly on the swing, what I have is a memory of childhood glory and a reality of Edward's company.

Xiu Wang : 15 Aug 2006 04:52 |  Tags: Thoughts |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

doing nothing

I came across Yvonne on Skype today. We greeted each other and she asked me how does my vacation go. More specifically she asked if I am ''doing nothing''. I had a good laugh over that, because both of us know the allusion underlines this phrase. It comes from my discussion with a Greek friend, who tried hard to let me understand vacation is the time for ''doing nothing''.

I used to take it for granted that vacation has to be a time for ''doing something'', such as travelling, meeting friends, or simply cooking and house cleaning. This friend got very surperised at my vacation philosophy and asked if I had ever tried any vacation of ''doing nothing''. I was quite bewildered at the idea of doing nothing , and searched everywhere in my memory but could not recall any of such a vacation. Even this vacation turned out to be a quite busy one: flight back to Hong Kong and Vancouver, a trip to Banff, a few meetings with boring family friends, and endless complaints over my unfinished work.

Maybe I could not recall ''doing nothing'' experience everywhere in my life. Everything is planned and even plotted; and there must be ''something'' behind every doing. A real vacation might be still quite far away from me at present. Suddenly I have a stupid hope that I am old and retired, so that I might get a taste of ''doing nothing''? But until then, let me just figure out and face the next thing that I have to DO.

Xiu Wang : 11 Aug 2006 06:38 |  Tags: Thoughts |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

icefield

The Columbia Icefield

Located on the boundary of Banff and Jasper National Parks, the Columbia Icefield is one of the largest accumulations of ice and snow outside the the Arctic Circle. We went to the Athabasca Glacier, the biggest Glacier in the Icefield, which actually looks like a huge tongue of ice. We took a specially designed coach with huge tires that drives to the middle of the glacier, and stepped out onto ice formed 400 years ago. I had seen it from Charly??s picture quite a few years ago. It is undoubtedly amazing, but frankly speaking I was a bit disappointed when I see it with my own eyes. Maybe the Nature is very easily devastated by the presence of human beings. The Icefield seems to be a bit over–extracted the tourist industry: grayish bits of ice scattered around and wiped out my previous fantasy of a crystal clean fairy land.

Xiu Wang : 10 Aug 2006 06:36 |  Tags: Life |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Bear bear

Came back from the Banff trip. Got quite a few exciting experiences. The bear in the national Banff park might be one of them.

I arrived at the hotel and saw immediately on the tourist brochure there is a highly advertised trip ''Banff bear trip'', with a funny slogan: 95% chances to see the real bear in the wild! Who knows if I am doomed to be the 5%? And another company seems to be quite sincere, as they declare: We guarantee you to see the bear or NEXT TRIP FREE! I had a good laugh over that: what a humorous ad! Tourists fly thousands of miles again for another free trip to see the bear, or another or again another!!

We started our drive early in the morning, and it must have been our lucky day! On the way to the Icefield, we saw a baby black bear crossing the highway. Lines of cars stopped to take his/her picture. He/she seems to be quite approachable and lingered around the bush for quite a while. On our way back, we saw a huge grey bear! And this time no body dare to get off the car as we all have been warned that the grey bear can be extremely aggressive.

Eventually we did see the bears without paying any travel agencies! That is really the wonderful part of Canada. When I see a dear staring at me on my way from home to the nearest supermarket, when I witness cars bumped into each other as they tried to avoid a stupid rabbit on the highway, when I hear about stories of a wild wolf in the backyard of a friend's house, when Edward screams at the squirrels jumping up and down the pine tree in our front yard, I start to think of Canada more like a proper residence for wild animals rather than for human beings like me.

Xiu Wang : 09 Aug 2006 17:47 |  Tags: Life |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

trip to banff

Will take a trip to Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper tomorrow. Hope eight hours drive will not be too tiring…

Xiu Wang : 01 Aug 2006 02:40 |  Tags: Life |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem