Musings

2012-01-27T21:57:00.003-05:00

Image from Natgeo“In mythos and fairy tales, deities and other great spirits test the hearts of humans by showing up in various forms that disguise their divinity. They show up in robes, rags, silver sashes, or with muddy feet. They show up with skin dark as old wood, or in scales made of rose petal, as a frail child, as a lime-yellow old woman, as a man who cannot speak, or as an animal who can

2012-01-25T12:49:00.002-05:00

Image by NatGeo"The time has come to turn your heart into a temple of fire." ~Rumi

龙年快乐！

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

image via googleWishing everyone a happy and prosperous New Year of the Water Dragon!!!!

2012-01-19T00:43:00.003-05:00

Image by, Madelyn Mulvaney "Own only what you can always carry with you: know languages, know countries, know people. Let your memory be your travel bag." ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Good Sleep

2012-01-18T12:25:00.002-05:00

Discovered this group and song through my friend Aron's blog make it easy. This is the video I saw on YouTube. However, for a real treat (and how it should have been really done) go to Aron's blog and his video take on it.

2012-01-10T19:09:00.003-05:00

"If your mind is happy, then you are happy anywhere you go. When wisdom awakens within you, you will see. Truth wherever you look. Truth's all there is. It's like when you've learned how to read -- you can then read anywhere you go." ~Phra Ajarn Chah, Thai Buddhist Monk

2012-01-05T16:06:00.005-05:00

google imageOut of nowhere and for no particular reason, I've been dreaming of Cairo again.You burst into amillion seeds,poured over the hotstove of rancour,Cairo.When the walls no longerwithstood your curses,you awakened the streetswith your boots,Cairo.Your cries brought thesky down at Tahrir Square,the Pharaoh shookin his dreams,Cairo.With you the squarewas a fortress of the heart,engraved

Reflections

2012-01-04T12:33:00.003-05:00

Vizcaya Gardens Today is an unusual day. It is freezing in my otherwise tropical humid climate. So we are all running around wearing coats to the amusement of Northerners who know what it means to be truly freezing. It is also the first Wednesday of the year. As I look back at the years I have had this blog, (and the many times I have wanted to close it down) memories of bloggers no longer with

2011-12-19T10:45:00.003-05:00

image via NG Stock Photography"We must not wish for the disappearance of our troubles but for the grace to transform them." ~Simone Weil

Yungang Grottoes, Datong, Shanxi, China

2011-12-12T09:31:00.000-05:00

We loved the Yungang Grottoes.

World Heritage Sites in China 世界遗产在中国

2011-12-05T11:32:00.000-05:00

2011-12-01T14:40:00.002-05:00

Image source: yoote on Etsy“The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - which you had thought special and particular to you. And now, here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out, and taken yours”― Alan Bennett

Christmas in NYC

2011-11-30T21:45:00.001-05:00

Christmas in New York City from photoframd on Vimeo.

798

2011-11-23T08:01:00.016-05:00

Some of the art around district 798 in Beijing. These are just a couple of sculptures there is so much more to this place. Read about it here: Beijing's 798 Art District

Shahtoosh

2011-11-23T00:35:00.002-05:00

For centuries the famous weavers of Kashmir have gathered and produced shawls from the rarest fiber in the world, Shahtoosh. These fabulous, prized shawls are so exclusive that the name Shahtoosh, meaning "king of fine wools", is synonymous with exclusivity. The Kings of Persia were especially partial to this most unique wool, thus the name Shahtoosh.The rare Tibetan antelope called the Chiru is

2011-11-21T12:05:00.004-05:00

This Mandala was being created when we visited District 798. The monks meticulously created this work of art and later destroyed it, illustrating the impermanence of life."I had to abandon the idea of the superordinate position of the ego. ... I saw that everything, all paths I had been following, all steps I had taken, were leading back to a single point -- namely, to the mid-point. It became

Lu Yang's The Anatomy of Rage

2011-11-20T16:40:00.006-05:00

image above by artdaily.org From Artdaily.org:The Anatomy of Rage, an exciting solo exhibition by young artist Lu Yang, whose unique blend of BioArt and animation has made her one of the brightest stars in the Chinese multimedia scene.UCCA Director Jérôme Sans agrees: “Already, Lu Yang has emerged as one of the most compelling voices in China's new generation of multimedia artists. Using 3D

2011-11-04T04:43:00.004-04:00

Hanging Monastery. Shanxi, Datong"There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered." ~Nelson Mandela

2011-11-02T08:48:00.005-04:00

Image via friendlyplanet.com“People who have faith in life are like swimmers who entrust themselves to a rushing river. They neither abandon themselves to its current nor try to resist it. Rather, they adjust their every movement to the watercourse, use it with purpose and skill, and enjoy the adventure.” ― David Steindl-Rast

Google Halloween Doodle 2011 - Behind the Scenes

2011-10-31T14:12:00.000-04:00

2011-10-26T10:51:00.002-04:00

Image source: Metropolitan Museum of ArtThe Mongol Ilkhanid rulers of Iran had strong ties with eastern Asia, and that facilitated the exchange of people and goods across the continent. As a result, Persian art produced under Ilkhanid rule often includes newly imported motifs. The soaring phoenix was a favorite subject of rulers in China, and its use in late 13th-century Iran suggests that

2011-10-23T05:39:00.001-04:00

Mongolian girl, image source: google"Do not start if afraid, once begun do not be afraid." ~Mongolian Proverb

2011-10-21T06:44:00.004-04:00

Helga by Andrew Wyeth "As we grow old, the beauty steals inward." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

2011-10-20T01:18:00.001-04:00

Image source: by Nadia Moro “We are travelers on a cosmic journey,stardust,swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share.This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.”― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

2011-10-19T02:05:00.002-04:00

“You refuse to own yourself, you permit others to do it for you” ― Margaret Atwood

Yang Guifei

2011-10-17T10:34:00.004-04:00

First image is of actress Yin Tao who plays Yang Guifei in the Chinese TV drama "Secret Anecdotes of Yang Guifei". Also set to be released as a movie in 2012. Second image via wikipedia.Written in 806 AD by Bai Ju-Yi (白居易), The Song of Everlasting Regret (長恨歌) is among the most popular poems from the Tang Dynasty. The poem depicts the tragedy between Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (唐玄宗) and Yang

Ordos Museum, Inner Mongolia

2011-10-13T13:10:00.001-04:00

MAD architects: ordos museum completed from designboom on Vimeo.

The Willow Ball

2011-10-12T00:00:00.004-04:00

This year Willow Manor Ball has taken me by surprise. After much arguing back and forth with Gordon Ramsay, I was firm, he will not be taking me to the ball! All the trouble he caused last year, insisting on barging into Willow's kitchen and screaming at the cooks. It was embarrasing. So, I decided to take a more civilized gentleman to the ball. Ramsay, is still leaving me messages pleading (

It is that time of year again!

2011-10-11T21:38:00.002-04:00

The Annual cyber Willow Manor Ball starts tonight at midnight!

2011-10-09T23:05:00.001-04:00

Image, Klimt Love “There is a moment—Oh, just before the first kiss, a whispered word—something that makes it worth while.”― F. Scott Fitzgerald, This Side of Paradise

En Robe Blanche

2011-10-05T00:14:00.000-04:00

Paul-César Helleu - Madame Helleu en robe blanche "A woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets." ~Gloria Stuart

2011-10-04T00:00:00.000-04:00

Persian Girl by William Clarke O you whose beautiful face is the envy of the idols of Azar(Abraham's father and famous idol maker);You remain superior to my praise.All over the world have I traveled;many a maiden’s love have I tasted;Many a beauty-star have I seen; but you are something unique.I have become you, and you me; I have become the body,you the soul; So that none hereafter may saythat “

Chinese Calligraphy

2011-09-28T22:09:00.000-04:00

"I will be a hummingbird" - Wangari Maathai

2011-09-27T15:08:00.000-04:00

2011-09-23T01:06:00.000-04:00

google image“There is a story of a woman running away from tigers. She runs and runs and the tigers are getting closer and closer. When she comes to the edge of a cliff, she sees some vines there, so she climbs down and holds on to the vines. Looking down, she sees that there are tigers below her as well. She then notices that a mouse is gnawing away at the vine to which she is clinging. She also

2011-09-21T09:46:00.001-04:00

google image "I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." ~Douglas Adams

2011-09-15T22:27:00.001-04:00

Thank you my dear friend Anu Sansi

中秋节快乐！

2011-09-12T10:13:00.000-04:00

Thinking of You - a poem by the famous Chinese poet, Su Dong Po (aka Su Shi) written on the night of The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival in 1076."Thinking of You" When will the moon be clear and bright? With a cup of wine in my hand, I ask the blue sky I don't know what season it would be In the heavens on this night I'd like to ride the wind to fly home Yet I fear the crystal and jade mansions are Much

Spartacus: Gods of the Arena - San Diego Comic-Con 2010 Panel

2011-09-11T12:42:00.000-04:00

What a terrible loss, Andy Whitfield dead at 39. Cancer has taken so much. My condolences to his wife and children. This fan will miss you.

2011-09-07T06:31:00.004-04:00

"Haji Ali spoke. ‘If you want to thrive in Baltistan, you must respect our ways. The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger. The second time you take tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share a cup of tea, you become family, and for our family, we are prepared to do anything, even die. Doctor Greg, you must take time to share three cups of tea. We may be

2011-09-06T14:41:00.002-04:00

Touching story of one man's new found passion after the horror of 9/11. Go down the page and turn off the music on my site to hear it.

The Great Wall

2011-08-24T13:17:00.000-04:00

2011-08-18T19:13:00.001-04:00

Image source google Josh Ritter-Change the time Lyrics I had a dream last night I dreamt that I was swimming And the stars up above Directionless and drifting Somewhere in the dark Were the sirens and the thunder And around me as I swam The drifters who'd gone under Time love Time love Time love It's only a change of time I had a dream last night And rusting far below me Battered hulls and

Master Noboru Kataoka Iaido 1988

2011-08-16T15:13:00.000-04:00

Beautiful!

2011-08-10T22:45:00.002-04:00

CALIBAN Be not afeard. The isle is full of noises, Sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices That, if I then had waked after long sleep, Will make me sleep again; and then, in dreaming, The clouds methought would open, and show riches Ready to drop upon me, that when I waked, I cried to dream

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty - Gallery Views

2011-08-09T18:15:00.000-04:00

2011-08-04T19:54:00.003-04:00

Image source: the film Ploy"There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment." — Sarah Dessen

Kul 'am wa enta bi-khair!

2011-08-03T14:56:00.003-04:00

Image source: Observing Ramadan To my Muslim friends, wishing you a blessed Ramadan.

2011-08-01T13:43:00.004-04:00

Image via Busem Dogan's blog"In a world so torn apart by rivalry, anger, and hatred, we have the privileged vocation to be living signs of a love that can bridge all divisions and heal all wounds." ~Henri Nouwen

2011-07-27T13:32:00.002-04:00

Anaconda, National Geographic "Grace is the beauty of form under the influence of freedom." ~Friedrich Schiller

"Love 20¢ The First Quarter Mile" by Kenneth Fearing (poetry reading)

2011-07-18T22:38:00.000-04:00

2011-07-07T10:53:00.002-04:00

“To forget one's ancestor's is to be a brook without a source, a tree without root”~ Chinese Proverb

Fire and Ice

2011-06-22T08:31:00.002-04:00

The incomparable Dorian Leigh in Revlon's 1952's ad for Fire and Ice. The slogan:"For you who love to flirt with fire...who dare to skate on thin ice..."

Steve McCurry

2011-06-16T10:17:00.000-04:00

2011-06-15T01:42:00.000-04:00

Fine Art Photograph by elle mossElle's work is magical. I often browse her shop for new prints. These two spoke to me the most. They felt so personal, so biographical, incorporating pieces of myself."You grow up the day you have your first real laugh, at yourself." ~Ethel Barrymore

2011-06-14T02:01:00.001-04:00

image source photograph by irenesuchocki"I am a part of all that I have met." ~Alfred Lord Tennyson

2011-06-13T12:43:00.002-04:00

"How long should you try? Until." ~Jim Rohn

2011-06-06T12:13:00.003-04:00

Leopard Picture National Geographic Photo of the Day"He conquers who endures." ~Persius

2011-05-25T11:56:00.001-04:00

Etsy image forgot source"There’s a trick to the 'graceful exit.' It begins with the vision to recognize when a job, a life stage, or a relationship is over — and let it go. It means leaving what’s over without denying its validity or its past importance to our lives. It involves a sense of future, a belief that every exit line is an entry, that we are moving up, rather than out." — Ellen Goodman

2011-05-24T14:48:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday King of my heart.

2011-05-18T13:37:00.002-04:00

image source"Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes."— Carl Gustav Jung

Korean Father Looking for Son

2011-05-17T18:01:00.001-04:00

From Jane's Blog blog (which includes photos):Zachary K92-180 DOB Feb. 14 1992Name: Kim Joon Su 김준수Adoptive Name: “Zachary”Adopted to the U.S. through HoltDOB Feb. 14, 1992

2011-05-15T23:30:00.003-04:00

"Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live

2011-05-12T12:49:00.000-04:00

Image source: Jurm Valley, Badakhshan Springby Reza MohammadiSpring came and put on your shoesSpring came and took you on a journeySpring came when you were sleepingand made her bed by your sideWhile you sleptshe infused you with her spiritand dyed you with fresh bloodSpring gave you a new nameand bought your freedomClouds blessed your homeand called your nameStars burn shisha in your roomYour

2011-05-10T20:10:00.002-04:00

Image sourceLike a Desert Flowerby Parween Faiz Zadah MalaalLike a desert flower waiting for rain,like a river-bank thirsting for the touch of pitchers,like the dawnlonging for light;and like a house,like a house in ruins for want of a woman -the exhausted ones of our timesneed a moment to breathe,need a moment to sleep,in the arms of peace, in the arms of peace.

2011-05-09T14:38:00.002-04:00

Image source Japanese LanternsThough I go to youceaselessly along dream paths,the sum of those trystsis less than a single glimpsegranted in the waking world.~Ono no Komachi

2011-05-05T23:45:00.001-04:00

Image by Elle Moss TravelsRobert Louis StevensonI should like to rise and goWhere the golden apples grow;--Where below another skyParrot islands anchored lie,And, watched by cockatoos and goats,Lonely Crusoes building boats;--Where in sunshine reaching outEastern cities, miles about,Are with mosque and minaretAmong sandy gardens set,And the rich goods from near and farHang for sale in the bazaar;

Learning Mandarin Chinese

2011-05-03T19:53:00.000-04:00

I have taken it upon myself to learn Mandarin. I am very excited and have been working hard. A friend of mine sent me a link where it states that to learn Mandarin fully, it can take you upwards of 20 years. The advise on that link is very good, see here: Mistakes when learning Chinese. I am not daunted. I am going to call it my 20 year project. I found this wonderful series on YouTube aside from

2011-05-03T12:42:00.002-04:00

image from BBC news"To the pure, all things are pure." ~Arabic Proverb

Mei-ting Sun Chopin Etudes Op10 nos 1 2 4 5

2011-05-02T14:47:00.000-04:00

2011-04-29T04:30:00.001-04:00

IP image"Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that." ~Michael Leunig

Queen Rania

2011-04-27T13:48:00.000-04:00

She is beautiful inside and out.

2011-04-27T05:51:00.000-04:00

Amazing photographer, shoots only in film and she is just 17 years old. Check out her blog and her work here: a photo diary.

2011-04-26T17:33:00.002-04:00

My friend's Aron's new blog is a breath of fresh air. It revolves around a project he is working on for school. Check it out: :-)

2011-04-25T11:47:00.002-04:00

"Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you."— Robert Fulghum

Yoshida Brothers - Rising from Best Of Yoshida Brothers　吉田兄弟

2011-04-23T11:06:00.000-04:00

2011-04-22T01:03:00.002-04:00

google image"A living planet is a much more complex metaphor for deity than just a bigger father with a bigger fist. If an omniscient, all-powerful Dad ignores your prayers, it's taken personally. Hear only silence long enough, and you start wondering about his power. His fairness. His very existence. But if a world mother doesn't reply, Her excuse is simple. She never claimed conceited

2011-04-15T00:57:00.004-04:00

image sourceWe both lie silently stillin the dead of the nightAlthough we both lie close togetherWe feel miles apart insideWas it something I said or something I didDid my words not come out rightThough I tried not to hurt youThough I triedBut I guess that's why they sayChorus:Every rose has its thornJust like every night has its dawnJust like every cowboy sings his sad, sad songEvery rose has

The Dalai Lama's Journey

2011-04-10T20:50:00.000-04:00

Orphan's Lament

2011-04-04T22:29:00.000-04:00

Mongolian Throat Singing

2011-04-04T17:28:00.000-04:00

2011-04-01T08:57:00.003-04:00

image source“To teach is to learn.” ~Japanese Proverb

2011-03-31T13:54:00.002-04:00

"In the spring of 1988, I returned to New Orleans, and as soon as I smelled the air, I knew I was home. It was rich, almost sweet, like the scent of jasmine and roses around our old courtyard. I walked the streets, savoring that long lost perfume." — Anne Rice

2011-03-31T01:31:00.004-04:00

Image sourceHappy 200th birthday Robert Bunsen ! Google came up with a cool image for this day:Google Celebrates Robert Bunsen’s 200th Birthday with Doodle . I love those doodles Google makes. I have gotten to know so many people in history through them. This one I particularly liked because of the coffee pot featured. The lovely image above came via a photographer that a blogger friend

2011-03-29T12:42:00.002-04:00

image source“Inside, the ceiling is low, cobwebbed, and the shelves beneath it cluttered with treasure. There are ancient Berber chests, silver teapots, ebony footstools, and swords once used by warring tribes, and cartons of postcards left by the French, Box Brownie cameras, candlesticks, silk wedding belts, and camel headdresses crafted from indigo wool.” ~Tahir Shah’s introduction to Marrakesh

Chinese folk dance Pheonix and Peony 凤彩牡丹

2011-03-28T14:38:00.000-04:00

Chinese Fan Dance

2011-03-28T14:32:00.000-04:00

Beautiful dance.

Red

2011-03-24T11:48:00.003-04:00

Image source from start a fire."You'd find it easier to be bad than good if you had red hair," said Anne reproachfully. "People who haven't red hair don't know what trouble is." -Anne Shirley speaking to her guardian Marilla in 'Anne of Green Gables' "I would always hesitate to recommend as a life's companion a young lady with quite such a vivid shade of red hair. Red hair, sir, in my opinion,

Death of a Legend

2011-03-23T11:52:00.005-04:00

Rest in peace, forever in the arms of Richard now. Elizabeth Taylor: Remembering Hollywood's Ultimate Icon

J21 尺八　SHAKUHACHI　Flûte de bambou　前半　福田輝久　杵屋子邦

2011-03-22T12:39:00.000-04:00

Thank you Kenza for the discovery. I have it playing in the background at home.

2011-03-15T14:21:00.003-04:00

little paper boat by ann wood handmade"Trust is letting go of needing to know all the details before you open your heart." ~Author Unknown

Help

2011-03-13T05:29:00.003-04:00

Saw this artwork on ii-ne-kore. For details please see David John's post on 3 ways to help Japan and list of resources on Google for relief .

Jane Eyre

2011-03-10T12:52:00.000-05:00

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2011-03-09T14:36:00.005-05:00

Image source"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal

LADY GAGA - Born This Way (Cover)

2011-03-07T11:09:00.000-05:00

She is just enchanting.

2011-03-04T02:31:00.004-05:00

artwork by Otto Bjornik's Pen and Ink Blog"Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things."~Author UnknownThank you dear Otto

2011-03-03T13:16:00.004-05:00

google image"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other."~Mother Teresa

Hit The Road Jack by MAKOTO / ukulele boy

2011-03-03T00:35:00.000-05:00

So cute!

2011-03-01T11:36:00.001-05:00

Image source travel guide Bora Bora "To attain knowledge, add things everyday. To attain wisdom, remove things every day."— Laozi

Maybe not this day but some day...

2011-02-24T16:54:00.002-05:00

China Moves To Stamp Out 'Jasmine Revolution' : NPR"I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act. "~Buddha