Upside Down

Cat loves this position, we human, too. Because this is a gesture of relax, day dreaming, doing nothing, to take a break...

To me, a plus of thinking, reviewing, re-considerate of something stuck into the bottleneck. It takes 5 to 30 minutes, or more; ending with a solution or simply nothing, but it's a good chance to see things from upside down, from another angle of view, a real interesting experience.

Especially when you are lying on the beach, looking at the sky above, sandals of people, sand and tree root around, searching for new attractions that are not normally found;  your viewing angle is expanding to a great distance, not only the sea in front of you.

Similarly, you will care more other than the tiny problem in front of you, but much more......a person? a long forgotten matter? things happening in other world that far apart? a special moment of something?.......a way out!


If it is so magical, why we don't do it often? Because it takes time - something we are "lack" of; and this magic will never work to the one who refuse to accept the true, even they know the answer is there upside down.

 

一碗冬蔭功的啟示

看這張照片,不會覺得這碗冬蔭功湯很美味.再加上用來承載的碗具,似乎不大吸引.

在香港,現在要喝一碗冬蔭功湯總得花上$40-90不等.美味與否姑且不談.貴在那裏呢?一頭大蝦?一堆香料?幾尾小魷魚?還是在於那用來承湯的精緻小火爐?又或是那模擬泰國的室內擺設?與及幾位穿上泰式服裝的店員所提供的"一般"服務呢?

原本是泰國人民家常便飯的一碗湯, 經過包裝後,甚至為符合市場需求而改變用料,口味,便能成為升價＋倍的菜式,給食店帶來可觀的收入, 這也就是設計和包裝的魔力......卻也可以成為咒詛.

事實上這一碗價值不到$4的冬蔭功,質地粗糙,用料普通,味道不豐富...但收費完全合理,沒有失望,是實實在在的地道平民口味; 總比運用技巧把外在因素提升,但產品卻是連基本水準也達不到的要好.名不符實就是我所指的咒詛.

生活質素絕不等同要享用刻意包裝,擁有浮誇外表的產品.簡單直接,沒有修飾,也可以是其中一種的消費模式,尤其在一些模擬不到的自然環境下享用就更加珍貴了.

年畫Chinese Folk Art

 

年畫-是中國的民間藝術之一, 用農曆新年作為主題的尤其多.但也有不少是取材自民間生活的. 這套共有四款, 名為四合院---春、夏、秋、冬的作品(Artist, Bai Yanping), 不用介紹也知道其內容是環繞北京傳統建築:四合院內平民在四季的生活及景緻.

還記得當年在北京公幹, 小休期間便在某商場內發現這一小套印刷品, 我要强調是印刷品,因為如果是原稿畫作,其色彩必定會更加豐富和較有層次感.年畫的趣味在於沒有透視,即沒有消失點, 所以一眼可以看清前後景所繪畫的內容,這也是我認為最獨特之處.

現在大家不妨細心欣賞這裡四季怡人的景緻.

Chinese Folk Art has one special kind of painting style - 年畫 , celebration of Lunar New Year is the most popular scene that artist will express in their painting, that's why in a straight forward translation, you may call it "Painting of the Year". But besides this, everything related to daily living of Chinese are also their favorite topics, like the one above are a Four seasons drawing in count yard house, i.e,  si-he yuan- a very traditional and historical apartment in Beijing, by artist - Bai Yanping.

This set of commercial print out was found during my business trip, once in Beijing a few years ago. If these are the original paintings instead of print out, you will see a more subtle but rich color effect; but what I like most is the non-existing of perspective = no vanishing point, a very unique criteria of this kind of painting, so you can see clearing what are happening inside each corner of the small garden.

Now, be my guest to take a Four Season trip, enjoy !