January 2013
1 post
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April 2012
1 post
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December 2011
1 post
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August 2011
8 posts
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Jealousy, the Tyrant of the Mind
What state of life can be so blest, As love that warms the gentle brest; Two souls in one: the same desire To grant the bliss, and to require? If in this heaven a hell we find, Tis all from thee O Jealousie! Thou tyrant, tyrant of the mind.
All other ills, though sharp they prove, Serve to refine and perfect love: In absence, or unkind disdaine, Sweet hope relieves the lovers paine: But, oh, no...
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Lotus Moon
Poetry of Otagaki Rengetsu
Lotus Flower
If I, too, could somehow Open the lotus blossom Within my own heart And color it pure white How happy I would be…
Heart
Coming and going Without beginning or end Like ever changing White clouds The heart of things.
Incense Burner
A single line of Fragrant smoke From the incense stick Trails off without a trace One’s heart, as well?
Death...
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A Touch of Aesthetics
I like ancient costume dramas, particularly those of the wuxia and fantasy genres. No doubt I watch more of them than modern dramas. Personally, I find that they occasionally offer more than just narrative entertainment and thematic or moral value. An effort is put forth to add a touch of artistic, beautiful presentation to them that rarely exists in TVB modern dramas. This care for visual...
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July 2011
1 post
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Life's Little Lines
“Nothing, ere they fade away, The little lines of yesterday.”
LIFE’S ”little lines;” how short, how faint, How fast they fade away; Its highest hopes, its brightest joys, Are compassed, in a day.
Youth’s bright, and mild, and morning light, Its sunshine, and its showers, Its hopes and fears, its loves and tears, Its heedless, happy...
September 2010
1 post
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August 2010
1 post
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July 2010
1 post
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April 2010
4 posts
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A Chip Off the Old Block (TVB, 2010) Thoughts
The theme of “understanding between parent and child” is what makes A Chip Off the Old Block emotionally and perhaps educationally good. It’s important to realize that just as your experiences shaped you into who you are today, the same goes for your parents. You definitely don’t know their whole story and sometimes, there are things they keep hidden for your benefit. (I...
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March 2010
1 post
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Sakura Memories: 07 (END)
Unbelievable. It took slightly over 6 months for me to recap this very, very, very SHORT travel show. I can’t fathom how some bloggers do this almost every day, writing extremely detailed summaries for dramas over 20, even 30 episodes long. Me? I officially suck at recapping shows episodically. I wish I was *that* dedicated. But nevertheless, I made it and we’re here, at the very last chapter...
January 2010
2 posts
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Sakura Memories: 06
You thought I’ve forgotten about this, didn’t you? Fear not. Though I am lazy and take forever to update my blog, I will not forget about Sakura Memories and leave it hanging, especially when this chapter was so sweet. Thus far, Sakura Memories has succeed in showcasing the beautiful landscape of Japan and its unique food and culture through the dining and exploration of our host, Niki Chow. I...
December 2009
1 post
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Beyond the Realm of Conscience (TVB, 2009)...
Many forms of entertainment are judged on the foundation laid by other similar forms of entertainment simply because there has to be a baseline, a scale of sorts. You don’t know how good something is until you’ve seen something worse, just as you wouldn’t know how bad something is until you’ve seen something better. There are exceptions. Certain dramas are so uniquely good, they shouldn’t be...
November 2009
3 posts
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Sakura Memories: 05
Right after I complained about last chapter’s randomness, Sakura Memories strikes back with an engaging emphasis on apples. That’s right. This entire chapter is dedicated to the red, juicy (Fuji) apples we all know and love.
When you see an apple, what do you think? What do they represent?
We often hear the phrase, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” and from that, we often...
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Sakura Memories: 04
Random traveling is so random. The storyboard (if any) for this chapter of Sakura Memories is beyond sporatic. There is no focus, no special touch, no true meaning. The crew and dear Niki Chow are all over the place.
Moving on to the next destination, Niki is on the road again, somewhere around Akita. The weather is generally wet and rainy, with temperatures below 10 degrees C.
To start out,...
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Sakura Memories: 03
The hometown of folklore, Touno City, here we come!
The start of the episode shows Niki Chow spending most of her time in the big city and again, eating Japanese cuisine and viewing Japanese sakura trees, while wearing an ultra cute hat! However, the big city only took up about 5 minutes of the chapter. For the remaining time, Niki goes to Touno City in the Iwate Prefecture to experience the...
August 2009
3 posts
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A Bride for a Ride (TVB, 2009) Thoughts
A Bride for a Ride, in short, is a great parody with occasional witty dialogues that tried too hard to be funny and thus, lacked any attention-grabbing charm. Without an understanding of Chinese history or folktales, the audience would easily fall asleep even if the cast is a joy to watch. For me, Bride is simply a messy and draggy musical version of A Colorful Life.
Story
Bride is not about...
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Sakura Memories: 02
Continuing her travel, Niki visits a cherry orchard at the beginning of this chapter before making her way to a temple. At the temple, she meets the temple’s caretaker, an old lady at the age of 86. The granny takes Niki around the temple and shows her how prayers are done. Through their conversations, Niki learns about the granny’s past. (It’s something about her husband. I’m not sure.) The...
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Sakura Memories: 01
I absolutely love the theme song for Sakura Memories. Only the chorus is played for the opening portion of this travel show, but getting to listen to some of the song in a high quality clear-cut version was simply a blessing to the ears. With enchantingly captivating scenery, sparkling cherry blossoms, and the gorgeous sunny smile of Niki Chow to go along though? The wonderful feelings building...
August 2008
1 post
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Plain Love II (TVB, 1999) Thoughts
One of the best romantic country drama trilogy ever done by TVB consists of 1995’s Plain Love starring Kathy Chow Hoi Mei and Gallen Lo, 1999’s Plain Love II starring Gordon Lam and Maggie Cheung Ho Yee, and 2001’s Country Spirit starring Gordon Lam and Charmaine Sheh. None of the stories actually connect but all of them introduce the audience to some unique aspect of Chinese heritage, including...
