It’s A Wordy Weekend

1) “…I ..exploit my physique while I’m performing; …….I’m a freak… I’m an actor… I’m a freak actor, and it’s awesome.” Interview with actor talking about his deformity. Still remember when I mentioned Thalidomide in an A levels General Paper essay…

“…what I think is interesting is my personality…” I agree. I could totally understand some of the comments the video clip got – after awhile as he talks, all you see is… him. That is amazing. He is amazing. You see…. for want of a better word, a… soul in a “costume”. It was kind of a reminder because we really are all “souls in costumes.” The soul in that beautiful body and face, that other soul in the gifted person’s “costume”, that other soul wearing bespoke on Wall Street… (I know, and then you start to wonder what those souls really look like :P)

He describes his mother waiting for hours after she’s given birth to him, and the doctors don’t bring him to her initially because they don’t know what to do. “5 hours.. She’s convinced I’m dead.” Finally they swathe him tightly because they don’t know what she’s going to be like when she sees him for the first time. “…Open, open, open (the blankets) …she looked at me and said she looked into the eyes of… an old friend..”

Not meant to be preachy, this is first and foremost a reminder to myself (you guys know this blog is me working out my thoughts in writing, right?):

Your attitude towards things in life can really, really affect how your child turns out.

PUH-RESSURE!!!!!!!!!!!

(For real though, I do think that parenting is the hardest thing a person will ever have to do “right” in life, and I say it that way because I consider raising another human being who will be joining society to be a kind of obligation a parent has to that society to do all you can not to add another Wolf of Wall Street or mass murderer. (I know. You can still do everything right, and they still turn up a mess but the point is you have an obligation to do your sincere best. Galations 6:4-5 Make careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given… …Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life))

There is one more thing about perspective – a few weeks ago, one of our pastors made an observation about how if we look to serve the Lord, then the word “deserve” can really be broken down into “DE-serve.” As in, the opposite of “serve.” That was incredibly powerful for me, because when you “deserve”, it will eventually eat you up inside. See, if you require something from someone else, be it approval or what-not, it gives that person a tremendous power over you – they can jerk you back and forth on that proverbial yo-yo string because you want, you need something from them. (The flip side of the same coin of course, is then when you think you deserve something.)

Oh yeah and you can watch Mat Fraser in American Horror Story: Freak Show.

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2) The Fox And The Hound is one of my most loved tales. It’s about these two animals who grow up together in the woods without the hound’s owner realising what his prized new hunting pup (the hound’s owner enjoys hunting) was up to when he slunk off into the woods to play. (Tiger parent much?) The hound had no idea what a fox was “supposed” to be, and vice versa. I love the whole theme of how puppies (or children 🙂 are species-blind/ colour-blind/ culture-blind.

There’s a whole bunch of dog friendship pictures here. (Yeah a fox is not a dog – Thank you, Captain Obvious)

On the site, the picture is captioned, “My friend’s dogs think they’re going to the vet’s when in reality they are headed to the park.” What wonderful friends these two above are, comforting each other in time of need 😀

Anyway this thing pretty much makes my whole eye candy quota for the week…

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3) 6 Healthy Relationship Habits That Most People Think Are Toxic

I don’t agree with absolutely ALL of it, but some points are really good. Like this (double underline the word SATIRE ok):

“…Romeo and Juliet was originally written as satire to represent everything that’s wrong with young love and how irrational romantic beliefs can make you do stupid s— like drink poison because your parents don’t like some girl’s parents. But somehow we look at this story as romantic….”

“…“Until death do us part” is romantic and everything, but when we worship our relationship as something more important than ourselves, our values, our needs and everything else in our lives, we create a sick dynamic where there’s no accountability….” 

An ex boyfriend told me, after a few years of us being unable to speak to each other and finally being able to have dinner and coffee again, that before we broke up he never, ever, ever dreamed he could “lose” another person (well we were both young then :). His parents had always been there for him and his sister, provided for them regardless of financial standing (at one point their parents worked as gravediggers; later his dad then grew a successful construction business from scratch and they became well-to-do).

Anyway, when my ex and I were on speaking terms again, he told me our breakup was a wakeup call. He is now happily married with several kids, to a really lucky girl, I’m sure 🙂

I like to think the “ex relationship” affords some valuable experiences – someone who was once “with” you can hold a part of you safe – they once knew and loved at least a part of you. When you start to lose that because of all the craziness life throws your way, they can give you a unique perspective on who you are/were. So a “good ex” is invaluable. One of the most powerful things another of my exes reminded me, when a long time ago on the rebound I entered a toxic relationship, was that I was an easy person to love. (I. Know. Don’t you guys all want my ex now? Sorry, he’s also happily married with several kids to another lucky girl :D)

Caveat: Do NOT try this if your ex is psycho. 😀 Or thinks you are. Or if well, you really are 😀 No cooked pet rabbits please!) OR………. if their other half in any way minds. Always respect their other half. Not intended to be preachy – it’s because that is the person who is where you used to be. If you respected your own history with your ex then you should respect the person currently there (and then some).

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4) BBC’s coverage of Hong Kong Toddlers Preparing For Their First Big Interview

Well it’s one of the ways in which I describe Hong Kong – as the place of debentures and toddler interviews – how could I not pick this up? 🙂

The Miss’ preschool however had this to say:

“…(Apple Daily, not BBC) have used a Safari Kid Photo (without our permission). ….We wish to clarify that Safari Kid does not (and never will) hold interview prep classes. It goes against the grain of our ethos and philosophy that a good pre-school and kindergarten needs to develop children at a pace and in a style they are comfortable with….. without any pressure on them…….. …our students have been placed in the top international and local schools in Hong Kong without the need to resort to interview prep classes (which is as it should be!)….”

It also said in the same notice that they’re taking up the issue with Apple Daily.

Separately I remember another incident a few years ago, with a different newspaper and different school, when paparazzi camped outside a certain kindergarten simply because the daughter of a Hong Kong star was going to school there and they had picked up some gossip about said star. This then led to a random picture snapped on the street, of one of the child’s classmates (also Rockstar’s classmate ;D) being walked to school by his family’s helper. Unfortunately, the newspaper then added injury to injury by captioning it, “a mother and her son walking to the school.” Obviously his real mother was furious. (And no I didn’t blog the gossip thing re Rockstar’s classmate’s celebrity parents either.)

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5) Miss Skit this week is… Birdcage.

So the Miss has been scrawling on our Ikea cupboard and here and there I’d ask what the scrawls were – this time she said “hearts” and I kinda outlined the scrawls into yes, winged hearts.

You guys heard of the Unicorn Tapestries? The Metropolitan Museum of Art online shop has some copies or knick knacks and home decor of them.

I love the symbolism – story goes that it was impossible to capture a unicorn alive. In the Tapestry, the unicorn is however tethered and confined. Upon closer inspection, said tether is not secured and the fence is way too low to be functional as any form of confinement. The unicorn is in reality being depicted as choosing his/her confinement.

Can you guess what voluntary confinement that is?

That’s right: marriage. While predominantly idealistic, there’s another angle: you can attempt confines until the cows come home, but a unicorn is in reality (oxymoron alert!) impossible to confine – except willingly. 

Have a wonderful week ahead dears…