Iza wants more stamps!!

The above is written and typed by iza,

her first post.

Yes.

She starts collecting stamps.

She buys 5 stamps from the post office today,

starting her own collection.

"Why do you want to post this?" I asked.

"If they send me letters, I will have more stamps."

Don't know why this image reminds me of Pinocchio.

This is Zippy.
Not Ziggy (Papa).
It is the ever first soft toy I've made for Iza.
Zippy is a character in a programme "zippy's friends" held by iza's school.
It helps young children - 5-7 year olds - to develop coping and social skills.
It is currently running in 11 countries.
www.partnershipforchildren.org.uk/zippy-s-friends.html

Bruno Munari

I’m fascinated by this little book
Cheating Time - Bruno Munari the archeologist.
(Thanks to Tien of Modernchild for introducing Bruno’s books to me.)
I cannot stop thinking of an Imaginary Archaeology Museum.



In 1948-1950, Bruno and his son started a game - an intellectual adventure on using reconstruction and observation methods associated with archaeology to “act like an archaeologist”, producing “his” Fossils of 2000, illegible writings by unknown populations… They carried out the digs in Capo Milazzese on the island of Panarea, a prehistoric village of 3,500 years ago. They collected bits and pieces, trying to imagine the entire object and the ancient inhabitants.

When I was still in the design school, I always dreamt of having a summer job in an archaeological site.
There weren’t any chance. There are rarely remains in Hong Kong. I never tried to find out why I had such a thought. Now, I know. It’s because of booming of imagination behind traces, concealed clues behind fragments. I’m allured to the life of the past and the unclear. Sometimes, the images of dragging interior scenes under flickering candle lights were so vivid, and the scent of burning wood…
When I stood in the town center of Milan, I was embraced by buildings over 200 years. From the visual of rounded stones on the road, I could hear sound of horses tramping. In Hong Kong, on the same piece of land, buildings were knocked down and rebuilt for 3-4 times in 100 years. I only have slim imagination to the past. Ringing in my ears are the sounds of digging, drilling and those of heavy machines. Archaeology Museum can only exist in an imaginary form.
I wish I can pick up rubbles by the side of asphalt road and able to identify it’s a remains of 1920’s or 1950’s … just a joke.

This letter, I picked up by a dump on the street side of Barcelona 20 years ago, once drove my imagination on. I was told (it was translated by my friend once but now I lost the transcript) that it was written a hundred years ago about the first night Barcelona had electric lights on. The joy behind this fascinated scene stroke me most. The glitter must have given those people faith and promise of the future.




From this little book,
there are interesting insights.

At the Natural History Museum you can see the remains of some unknown animal, put together to show how it would be if alive. Using the same principle you can not only build animals for the Museum but “imaginary Objects” as well putting together bits of unidentifiable odds and ends. Amazing!
Bruno Munari

The “Fossils of the year 2000” are found buried in methacrylate ( as opposed to amber) and they aren’t insects (even though they look like them at first sight) but the inner parts of radio valves (remember them/) expertly modeled by a contemporary operator.
Bruno Munari



The fossilization process conserves things from the past for the future.
Bruno Munari

To myself,
To iza,
To our Imaginary Archaeology Museum,

Explore “mysterious remains”
Admire “relics”
Associate random fragments
Imagine the entire story
Form a new way of thinking and seeing
Create new meaning in ordinary objects

It must be a fun adventure.

Iza loves to create.
She just has 4 cuts on a rectangular piece of paper,
splits them apart,
inserts another complete piece inbetween,
a head piece formed.
One set in brown,
another set in orange.

Fall

The yellow is so beautiful.

+++

Yesterday.

"Papa, how can I tell I'm not dreaming now?" iza asked.

Papa then told iza the story of Zhuangzhou’s Dream of Butterfly. Zhuangzi, an ancient Chinese philosopher, once dreamt of becoming a butterfly fluttering in the sky. But he didn't know if he was Zhuangzi who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he was Zhuangzi.

We've got a parcel from MODERNCHILD last Friday.
Lovely Makie bonnet and mittens, beautiful feather necklace, LDVJ blouses...
and some books.
I will have book sharing next time!



And, these are master pieces from Sveta Dresher!
One kiki's frock in black linen for myself and
a felted wool cape for iza.

Iza is back in shape now.

Active as usual.

Iza's got a flu.
After medicine,
She fell into deep sleep.
Before slept,
we were watching news.
" Why John McCain attacks Barack Obama?"
Iza asked.
Oh!
I don't know she's interested in this.
She's got an attentive mind
though she was
very tired.

Drowsy and dizzy.

I cannot see the colors and pictures clearly...

Don't know whether they got well together.

I need a good sleep to get me away from the cold.

Love the texture.
This is not photoshop effect.
It is just noise in close up.



The original






More photos to come

Chung Yeung Festival
We went climbing and
Grave-sweeping.



Iza turns this exercise book into a sketch book.

The first picture is a man with metal chain under and outer wear.
"It is very heavy and cold!" iza explained.

The second picture is a rear view of a chair.
I yelled in my heart when she was drawing the 4th leg.
At that critical moment, she hesitated for a second.
I kept my mouth shut,
avoided interfering her way.
And, she finished with the leg partially hid behind the seat and shorter in length.

It is always blissful to be present at the moment witnessing our child making critical marks on her growing path.
Especially you know she is mastering all these by herself.
Not teach by others.

+++

Yesterday morning,
when we were going to school,
"Mama, what's the difference between Catholic and Protestant?" iza asked.
"......"
"There are more decorations in the Catholic church but not protestant church." iza said.
That means,
she notices there are 2 religions sharing similar figures but look different!
Maybe I should go into history of Protestant reformation?!
Or shall I dig into Theological tenets??
I don't know how to explain this complicated issue in a simplier way!

That day,
when I looked through my camera,
something that I always neglect drew my attention.
Everytime when I try to take a picture with the children in my mother's house,
I avoid them.
But,
this time,
they are the focus.

Iza has just started violin sessions.
Looks good?
But lots of struggles over practices.

Once
I have promised.
Promised before Summer.
It's Autumn now.
Eventually,
We've got her
A bicycle.
Now,
we are
heading to
make
a water gun
with her.
Slowly approaching to...