ran.dom.ness

Thanks to my highly productive habit of surfing randomly, these are the few gems that I’ve come across these few days.

1. Dating Delilah: Purity from a New Perspective

I’ve heard about it sometime ago but today’s the first time I read it from cover to cover. An easy read. A fantastic reminder.

2. Your Pictures: Autumn

God’s whimsical creativity at its best. It tempts me to blast $1,500 to fly there and sit on those roll-able grass under a huge tree, reading the day away till dusk comes.

3. Flashmob: 100 Japanese

Some of you have seen Spore Flashmob that took place last week. Not too bad, Spore! Nevertheless, nothing can beat the wacky Japs…

blistering

The evil hot, sticky weather is back in full force!! Al Gore might be right after all. I wonder if the polar bears in Spore Zoo are doing fine.

When I think about my friends who’ve escaped our tropical terrible humidity – Zach in Montreal, Derrick in New York, Seng in Dublin, Eve in Cairns, Freedy in Melbourne – and are enjoying breezy 13 degree, I just want to say… I hate you guys!!!

the turtle

Once upon a time, there was a turtle.

The turtle lived inside his big, wide shell.
This was his world, as far as he could tell.

One day, the turtle decided to peep for fun.
What he first saw was the bright, raging sun.

“It’s hot! It’s hot!
The world outside is not as nice as I thought!”

So the turtle stayed inside his big, wide shell.
This remained his world, as far as he could tell.

Once again, he popped his head out one fine morn.
But alas, he was pricked by a long, sharp thorn.

“Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!
The world outside will surely make me a grouch!”

So the turtle stayed inside his big, wide shell.
This remained his world, as far as he could tell.

One last time, the turtle came out for some fresh air.
But he heard the high, fierce neigh of a big wild mare.

“I’m scared! I’m scared!
The world outside is not for me!” he declared.

Days turned to months. Months turned to years.

He knew neither the sun nor snow.
He knew neither thorns nor meadow.

He never met the mare. Nor llamas. Nor hippopotamus.

And the turtle died inside his big, wide shell.
How big the real world was, he could never tell.

purple shoes

There was once a cobbler by the name of Cornelius.
Cornelius’ daughter, Camila, was the most beautiful lady in the country.

Cornelius loved his daughter dearly.
He made many beautiful shoes for her dainty feet.

Amongst the many shoes he made for her were a pair of purple shoes.

The purple shoes were very happy to be in this world.

“When will Camila come for me? Will she choose me?
Will I be beautiful enough?”

But days passed. The purple shoes remained in the box.

Cornelius also made a sweet pair of white shoes for his daughter.

She wore them to school. She wore them to play in the fields.
She wore the pair of white shoes everyday.

But days passed. The purple shoes remained in the box.

Cornelius also made an elegant pair of red shoes for his daughter.

She wore them to work. She wore them to the salon.
She wore the pair of red shoes everyday.

But days passed. The purple shoes remained in the box.

The purple shoes became very sad and began to shed tears.

“Camila will not come for me. She will not choose me.
I will never be beautiful enough.”

One day, Cornelius and his daughter went to the corner of the room.
They picked up the box. They blew the dust away.

Cornelius stooped down.
He put the purple shoes on the feet of his one and only daughter.

Camila stood up. She walked a little.
She broke into little leaps. She broke into little twirls.

For this was the happiest day of her life.

The purple shoes cried in joy.

“Camila has come for me. She chose me.
She has made me beautiful.”

 

[Photos courtesy of Our Labor of Love]

monster without a name

A long, long time ago in a land far away,
There was a monster without a name.

The monster wanted a name badly.
So the monster left to go on a journey to find a name.

But the world was so large that he split into two to make his journey.
One went to the west and the other went to the east.

The monster who went to the east found a village.
At the entrance of the village, there was a blacksmith.

“Mr. Blacksmith, please give me your name.”

“You can’t give away your name.”

“If you give me your name, I’ll enter you and give you strength.”

“Really? If you can make me stronger, then I’ll give you my name.”

The monster entered the blacksmith.

The monster became Otto the Blacksmith.
Otto the Blacksmith became the strongest man in the village.

But one day he said,
“Look at me. Look at me. Look at how large the monster inside me has become.”

Crunch Crunch! Munch Munch! Chomp Chomp! Gulp!
The hungry monster ate Otto from the inside out.

The monster returned to being a nameless monster.

Even when he entered Hans the Shoemaker,
Crunch Crunch! Munch Munch! Chomp Chomp! Gulp!

He returned to being a nameless monster.

When he entered Thomas the Hunter,
Crunch Crunch! Munch Munch! Chomp Chomp! Gulp!

He once again returned to being a nameless monster.

Finally, the monster came to a castle looking for a wonderful name.
In the castle, there was a sick boy.

“If you give me your name, I’ll give you strength.”

“If you can cure this illness and make me strong, I’ll give you my name.”

The monster entered the boy.

The boy became well.
The king was so pleased. “The prince is well! The prince is well!”

The monster liked the boy’s name.
He also liked living in the castle.

So even though he was hungry, he endured.
Every day his stomach growled, but he endured it.

However, he was so hungry that one day he said,
“Look at me. Look at me. Look at how large the monster inside me has become.”

The boy ate the king and even his servants.
Crunch Crunch! Munch Munch! Chomp Chomp! Gulp!

Since there was no one there anymore, the boy went on a journey.
He kept on walking for days and days.

One day, the boy met the monster who travelled to the west.

“I have a name. It’s a wonderful name, too.”

The monster who went to the west said,
“I don’t need a name. I’m happy even without a name.
We just have to accept that we are monsters without a name.”

So the boy ate the monster who went to the west.

He finally had a name.
But all the people who could call him by that name had disappeared.