i z a k o o

COLOR MY DAY

2012-01-30T13:45:00.001+08:00

Wrapping herself with color "films" pulled out from a used cartridge ...

JIUZHAIGOU 九寨溝 3

2012-01-18T06:49:00.019+08:00

與六伯娘。

在山上品雪嚐花。是真的, 吃。世上應該真有吃花大的香香公主。

我們是走在山林間, 她是活在其中。

她, 是大理農鄉長大的六伯娘。

JIUZHAIGOU 九寨溝 2

2012-01-11T00:46:00.026+08:00

Between movements and flows. 流動間。

i know i have lost my judgement here ... i feel so difficult to screen the images and so as figuring out things hovering in my head ... it always takes so long for me to settle a thought ... hope i can finish this Jiuzhaigou series as soon as possible since there's a long queue jammed in the draft box and my desk top ... Promise, i will slowly go through your warm notes and go back to you one by one :)

JIUZHAIGOU 九寨溝 1

2012-01-04T07:04:00.013+08:00

Thank you for being there and sharing your kindest thoughts with me for the past year. Your every word warms me. From you, with your eyes, I peep into the other side of the world. You flourish me with this amazing interknotting coexistence. I wish you will be there and be my company for the year 2012.

We had a peaceful and tranquil Christmas at Jiuzhaigou 九寨溝. At the start of a new year, we are fine tuning the daily rhythm and wishing a more comfortable and confident pace.

2012

2011-12-31T11:25:00.008+08:00

We're back !

Wish you all a peaceful and contented new year!

LUNAR ECLIPSE

2011-12-20T00:10:00.016+08:00

A beautiful copper moon on Dec 10, 2011.

It's not only iza's first time in watching the lunar eclipse, also mine. Iza was so happy to stay outside in the coldness with us till midnight.

Never ever did i have such a conscious feel on the depth of darkness of the sky. The moon was no longer a reflective disc against a dark background but a sphere suspended in the "emptiness" ... Maybe it's the visible details on the dimmed moon shaped the volume of the space ... the conceptual model of the space became something "tangible" ...

Eclipse pictures were taken by papa ziggy.

BOUNCY

2011-12-12T13:40:00.018+08:00

Bouncy bouncy iza, it seems that you can hardly stop for a while ...

Paper paper, you just stretches our capacity of imagination ...

Beautiful pop-up books : Yellow Square & 600 Black spots, by David Carter. Nice gifts for children of all ages and for those who's in love with paper crafts.

Paper lovers, will you be interested in resolving this paper puzzle by professor Ed Barbeau?

The book seems for toddlers. No, not really. Just a single touch of a finger will spark a whimsical dance of color. Iza loves it so much.

Enjoy the power of imagination. Press here.

CHRISTMAS SHRUB

2011-12-05T12:53:00.024+08:00

You made a christmas "tree" ... a beautiful shrub indeed ...

Very abstract. Very conceptual.

I admire how your tutor has inspired you.

" Mama, I wish to study in secondary school. I think it's more fun there.

媽媽, 我想讀中學。會好玩得多。"

You said just after the second class with Tutor Doraemon.

Your Tudor D does have clever tricks to stimulate kids.

" It's better to dig ( explore ) things by ourselves than being told.

I soon forget things people just murmur to my ears.

與其由別人告訴你, 不如自己找。說。說。說。轉瞬, 忘了。"

you said in class.

" How you grab my secret ?!!!

你怎麼知道我的秘密 ? "

Tutor D.

This is such a sweet response.

"The little secret" has built a magical bridge, a secure connection, abides you and the Tutor.

You are encouraged, understood and accepted.

It's a bit sad that this beautiful child and teacher relationship does not always happen in regular classroom.

Iza is fortunate in coming into encounter with Tutor D, whom is actually the parent of a P6 student in our school.

A very devoted parent and a knowledgable person.

Thanks for the beautiful twinkling lights, Tutor Doraemon !

Images of iza were taken in Chengdu.

She's in the beautiful craft by Fei An.

RANDOM THINGS

2011-11-28T13:32:00.008+08:00

What a style for practicing violin after a bath.

Which echoing the headpiece iza made ( and the outfit ) with an old sleeve for her beloved rabbit.

Iza's doodle on a leaf, which was always the "supporting character" in the presentation of Japanese dish, was now in focus here ...

Snacks by chef iza for we three.

CHENGDU 成都音樂公園

2011-11-25T07:24:00.026+08:00

The Chengdu music park, is used to be the site of Chengdu Red Ray Electric Tube Factory.

Now it's converted to a themed venue for music consumption ... performances, exhibitions, shops and cafes ...

The Sunday morning was quiet. I think the mood will be totally different when music fills the space.

Impressive factory architectures from 1950s to 1990s.

"Reflective" graffiti and slogans on walls. Fluttering emotions ...

Iza was wearing :

Dress....... : VDJ

Coat........: SUVI AINOA

Hat.........:.I DREAM ELEPHANTS

BEWARE OF THE BEAR 熊出沒

2011-11-21T14:33:00.008+08:00

We've been to Chengdu for the weekend. A project inside a complex designed by Steven Holl.

A CHILD'S LOGIC 孩子的邏輯

2011-11-17T00:59:00.051+08:00

The Creation of Man by Michelangelo........ source : here

孩子的邏輯如時令蔬果, 一切有時有候; 又如地道特產, 每一年齡時區, 歲歲年年蘊育獨有滋味。看罷阿四「五歲的最後幾天邏輯」, 趕緊記下您對亞當夏娃猿人地球的迷思。匆匆, 您已八歲半。

「上帝造人。又, 人從人猿進化。那, 亞當夏娃應該是 ... 猿 ... 人 ... 」您說。九月。一個下午。坐在沙發上。

好一個邏輯, 八歲的您。驟然名畫中亞當夏娃, 或是 LUCAS CRANACH THE ELDER 的、或是 ALBRECHT DUREN 的、或是 TIZIAN 的、或是 MICHELANGELO 的 ... 彷彿成了猩猩。這些影像, 一直徘徊。

「她否認她出世時是人猿BB。」五歲的您激憤, 投訴同學愛「說謊」。想到產房內一眾媽媽摟抱猩猩BB, 滿足微笑 ... 就感受到生命奇幻。真的希望幼稚園陳老師會看到這篇, 原來「人猿」仍在進化, 從來沒有間斷, 於她腦袋。一個可以從左至右看穿, 有蜜蜂通道的腦袋。一個裝載如此世界 - 好生養的象媽媽除了生出小象也生斑馬也生老虎也生長頸鹿 - 的腦袋。

看您, 還像活在「世界在龜背上」的年代, 尚未知道地球是圓, 老是想世界的模樣。

「三樓的天花板是天台的地板。」三四歲的您捧著奶瓶看天花板。這個概念, 我們仍然需要教新手同事。要知道三樓的 reflected ceiling plan 必須參照四樓的 structural plan 。四五歲的您:「怎麼在一樓只見一樓的天花, 不能看到二三四五六七八樓的天花板。但呀, 無論在哪一層 , 都可以看到天空? 」又:「怎麼在隧道內只見隧道頂, 一出去就看到天空? 」哎呀, 那不正是你已經離開隧道?! ... 當時，我告訴你，這是透視與角度。我以為這就是答案 ...

「香港的天空是不是北京的地板? 」五歲的您, 在飛機上:「地底下有人生活嗎? 」我終於頓悟。我們實際上是在乘升降機, 不是搭飛機。您的地球是座摩天大樓。藍色天花板, 大得無處不在。穿越它, 可以到達北京。遁地, 直到南方。

「東和西不停地轉換嗎? 地球在轉。英國呀，法國呀，意大利呀 ... 時兒在西, 時兒在東。」七歲的您問題沒完沒了。你也開始做實驗。要知道政府有沒有做好他們份工, 半夜十點半你喝了一大杯水喉水:「我已有心理準備。如果他們沒有監測好水質, 半夜進醫院!」

原來處於現代, 也可以活在蠻荒思想世界。若飢。若愚。若癡。

兩星期前, 您找來本「達爾文演化論入門」。八歲的您, 仍在努力思考亞當夏娃與猿人。

3M baby ape, iza

The child's logic harvests at its own time, authentic as it should be. As I'm catching up with your time, my dear child, you are suddenly eight and a half ... Myths of Adam, Eve and Apes are still swirling in your head ...

A September afternoon. Sitting on the sofa.

" God made man. And as said, human did evolve from apes. Then ... Adam and Eve should be ... APES. " An 8-year-old you mumbled.

What a logic. All a sudden, Adam and Eve in the paintings of...Lucas Cranach the Elder...Albrecht Duren...Tizian...Michelangelo...morphed into apes. These illusions, have been hovering.

"She denied that she was born as a baby ape." A 5-year-old you complaining a classmate who loved to "lie". In a delivery room, I dreamed, a group of mama were holding their new born baby apes, smiled gently ... How wonderful life is, as I can see this in you, through you. Wish your kindergarten teacher, Miss Chan, would read this post. She will witness with me this evolution of " The Great Apes " in your head. A head, which one could see through from the left to the right, where the bees channel was. A head, which was bearing a world - mama elephant would give birth to baby elephant, baby tiger, baby zebra, baby giraffe - an incredibly amazing world.

It seems, you are still living in the era when "The World was on the Turtle's Back", yet to know the earth is.

"Ceiling of the second level is the floor of the third level (roof of our small house)." A 3-year-old you was holding a bottle of milk gazing to the ceiling. This concept, we still need to teach the new comers to our design studio. To know the second floor reflected ceiling plan, one must refer to the third floor structural plan. A 4-5 year-old you wondered, " I can always see the first floor ceiling on the first floor, but, cannot see the ceilings of the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth ... floors from the first floor. However, no matter on what level, you can still see the sky!? " And, " In a tunnel I see the tunnel ceiling. When you get out the tunnel, there's the sky AGAIN? " OH! Was it simply that you had left the tunnel ?!!! ... At that time, I told you about perspective and view. I guessed this was the answer ... but it was not. Actually, it was too far from the core of thought.

"Is the sky of Hong Kong the floor of Beijing?" A 5 year-old you on a plane, " Are there people living under the ground ?" I finally grabbed it. We were in a LIFT, instead of flying on plane. Your Earth is a hugh block of skyscraper. The BLUE CEILING was a big canopy, as it's covering every corner. Up through the canopy, you would reach Beijing. Down through the ground, we would arrive the South.

" Is East and West kept interchanging? The earth rotates. Then, Britain, France, Italy, the Western world will rotate to the East ... East and West are swopping continuously ? " A 7 year-old you with endless questions. You have been starting with experiments. You wanted to figure out whether our Government has done his job properly, you drank a large glass of tap water ( one supposes not to do this in HK ) at 10:30pm, "I have prepared to be in hospital if they do not have good water quality monitoring. "

It is a myth to me. In this modern era, we are standing on the shoulder of a giant. With our great ancestors, a lot of mysteries unfolded. We can access their wisdoms from books, internets ... We get to know before we have asked. We are fed even without thinking we need to be fed. It's far too amazing to see a mind works like ancients in this era ... building up from scratches ...

Two weeks ago, you got the "Introduction to Darwin's evolutionary theory" from a bookstore. An 8 year-old with a keen heart. Just stay hungry, stay foolish. As Steve said. Though, soon you may leave the scratching from dust stage ...

On your 7th birthday, you wished to have a present, the same kind of present for every coming birthday. You wanted a seal with your name on. Nothing else you desired for. " The older I am, the bigger the seal has to be." You said. When you become very old, you would have a HUGH seal.

We adored the idea and promised a seal every year ... which may not be bigger but surely a different and unique one.

Right : 7Y ; Left : 8Y

* Bold black / Italic black letters for links.

2011-11-13T04:07:00.017+08:00

Blouse : Naive Days

One of iza's favorite lately : Hazmat Modine , Bahamut.

"The band is led by two harmonica-players, rounded out with tuba, drums, guitars, and trumpet, and recruits guests appearing on lesser-known instruments such as the claviola (a strange free-reed instrument), cimbalom (a large hammered dulcimer of Eastern European origin), the contra-bass saxophone, and the sheng (Chinese mouth organ)."

靜夜。詩。

2011-11-10T00:28:00.025+08:00

您說自己像Mr. Bean, 一樣無聊。我就是喜歡, 您這樣。

你常常作呀作, 於你, 規則規範亦是遊戲。你設計的玩意, 很難明, 有時又很無聊。這次, 「亂作一詩」遊戲容易明白。選首詩, 然後每字逐一配成詞, 串連新字, 詩成 ...... 你對平仄之類還沒有概念, 通通亂寫, 好玩是了。

您借用李白: 靜夜思, 胡亂編成一個女孩出嫁前一夜的故事。一個月星無光的夜晚。看起來, 居然有點像首詩。

原文:

李白: 靜夜思

床前明月光
疑是地上霜
舉頭望明月
低頭思故鄉

床>床單; 前>前方; 明>明目; 月>月亮; 光>光澤 ...... 單方目亮澤 ......

You love improvisation. You stretch rules of old games and create new versions ... but often too complicated. You recompose pieces of music with techniques you lately acquired ... but often too "edgy". You remix fairy tales and make strange stories ... sometimes they are too absurd. However, I love your utter senselessness.

This time, you rewrote a poem. Based on 靜夜思 ( black verses ), you derived new words from every single word, then linked all "unrelated" words together to form new verses. Synthesized a new piece of poem ( red verses ). You told me this was about the night before a girl's wedding. One shouldn't take the poem serious ... It's simply doodling. A doodle on all unconnected parts. An incubation.

今年, 學校改革, 一至四年級沒有測試沒有考試。這兩年( P.3-4 )也許是您上小學以後唯一的兩年。珍貴非常。玩多點。

最近, 我們看了很多電影。我們仨一起看國際電影節的日子, 不遠。你終於坐定定。

Iza's school is undergoing a reform on assessment. From this September, there won't be any exams or tests for P1 - P4 students ... We shall enjoy these 2 luxurious years, your P3-4, with the joy of being silly. And, flood with fun.

MILAN 2011.1

2011-11-03T15:39:00.013+08:00

Corner views of Milan. April 2011.

Days rushing & dashing around the city for the furniture fair and exhibitions.

NICE THINGS

2011-11-03T14:52:00.009+08:00

Come across these delicate designs and artworks. They seem to be in parallel in some way.

1....... Five from the ground

2....... Le vestiaire de jeanne

3....... Pip-squeak chapeau etc (from last season)

4,5.... Gustav Reyes

6,9.... ANVE

7,8.... Kicokids

10..... Le grenier

11..... Tony Orrico

Tony Orrico - artist, dancer, human spirograph - has transformed the human body at once into a precision instrument and a delicate paintbrush of the abstract. He interweaves art and mathematics with delicious precision. Beautiful rhythmic movement and sounds. Source via Brain Pickings.

AUTUMN COLORS

2011-11-02T07:17:00.006+08:00

花開了

2011-10-25T08:17:00.006+08:00

Music edited by papa ziggy.

2011-10-23T01:43:00.008+08:00

The more you tell me that you want to grow faster, the more I want to go back in time.

Aug 2010 Beijing

KITCHEN CHEMISTRY

2011-10-18T12:56:00.018+08:00

Inspired by this. We thought of having fun with things found in our kitchen.

Making a liquid indicator that helps us to figure out which food, drinks or detergents are acids or alkalis.

1...Cut the red cabbage into tiny pieces.

2...Put the pieces into a big glass bowl.

3...Add boiling water and stir the mixture.

4...Leave it to cool.

5...Pour the cabbage water through a strainer into a jar.

The liquid is the indicator.

We started the test with lemonade and baking soda.
Lemonade turned the indicator reddish pink, indicating it's an acid.
Baking soda turned the indicator into a beautiful blue green, indicating it's an alkali.
We tried with things iza shortlisted : Lemon, baking soda, honey, chicken broth, milk, soya source, cod liver oil, vinegar, shampoo, glass cleaner and water ( can be anything provided it's safe ).

Watch the color changes. You will know which is acid or alkali.

We cross referenced with pH indicator papers.

When you mix the liquids with baking soda and lemonade (or vinegar) together, you will see furious bubbles. If we mix the right amount of acid and alkali, they will cancel out each other and make a neutral (salt) again. But we didn't get the right balance :)

乖孩子探測器

2011-10-14T16:23:00.012+08:00

Wednesday, after a new extra-curricular activity (organized by school), she brought this home. She's so eager to explain everything to me ... and it has a secret function. The machine knows if you are good or bad! It is a good child detector. Her tutor must be doraemon. If not, he shall be Santa Claus who is making a list and gonna find out who's naughty and nice ...

星期三, 新的課外活動後她帶了這東西回家。還未放下書包, 就告訴我這個那個有什麼功能。這東東還有神奇用途 ... 可以測度小朋友乖不乖! 原來是, 神奇乖孩子探測器。導師應該是叮噹。她讓我隨時使用，只是逢星期三要帶返學。

3/4

2011-10-11T13:28:00.026+08:00

Iza has used up almost all savings for a 3/4 violin this September.

" I only have twenty dollars left now! " ... she knows that she's growing too fast ... she may not have enough time for saving money ... for her 4/4 violin ...

Can't help smiling at the reaction of her teacher at the last part of the video:

" ... Very dangerous indeed. I've been thrown into a fright that you had not hold your violin tight,

......it would fly away.

..... 好危險, 我驚你個琴飛出去。"

When she looks back one day, she will definitely laugh at herself.

2011-10-11T13:12:00.015+08:00

A little piece of writing on a rainy day with her beloved kindergarten teachers, written by iza in 2010 Summer.

Published lately on her primary school website.

Children are encouraged to submit their writings. No matter it's good or not, every child has an equal chance to be selected. Their works are drawn randomly. Iza is fortunate to have writings published for a few times. I was moved when I saw this piece ... not because it was eventually published after being submitted for more than a year ... it's the love and the attachment sprouts from the 3 years ( the years of kindergarten, her early years ).

只要投稿,都有同等機會被抽中。不是這篇寫得多麼的好, 只是那3年情誼, 不只珍貴。

I try to do the translation ... please be excused as I'm not doing it well.

"July 21 (2010) Rainy day

That day, I went to Disneyland with three of my kindergarten teachers. I love very much my K1 class teacher, Miss Hung. She is gentle. My K2 teacher Miss Chung is playful. We love to make fun with each other. Miss Chan, my K3 teacher, is funny. She loves to joke.

Although the weather was not good, we decided to continue our date because we had planned this for a long time. Miss Hung's umbrella could not uptake the rain loads, it broke. Therefore, she bought a new umbrella in a disney store. We were all surprised that it was so expensive. It costed HK 150. The rain was really heavy, though I had my raincoat on, I was all wet. However, I loved to play in the rain.

When we rode on the roller coaster, I was so scared that I closed my eyes and pretended I had fallen asleep. I heard the people crying, so loudly. We also got onto a rotating coffee cup, it whirled so fast that we almost spun out of it. However, it was sad that typhoon signal number 3 was hoisted at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. All outdoor facilities were closed. I could not ride on the Mary-go-round which I love most. I was very upset. I am looking forward to the next dating with my teachers!"

BALI 2

2011-09-20T08:47:00.018+08:00

Collaging. In hotel room.

Don't know the name of this plant but it's everywhere around the south of Bali island. We were so curious on this thing. As told by a hotel staff, when the fruit is still green, it tastes like cucumber, which is soft and spongy. When it turns brown, the spongy interior will dry up and "fiberize" into "cotton" like filaments, which is commonly used for making pillow and mattress. He picked 4 pieces from a tree and sent us as a gift. So kind he was.

BALI 1

2011-09-18T01:40:00.028+08:00

Today, I bought myself a little birthday present. A kaleidoscope.

I twisted the lens, shook up the colors and turned it towards the bright sky, to enjoy new patterns of colors, hope and affirmation ...

And, I wish I can do upside down as iza ... to release myself from the set-mind to a new network of perspectives ...

Back to mid August, quiet days at Alila Villas.