Another year has passed me by

I met many unhappy incidents this year, including my health issues. Poor me tried so hard to reach 45kg, but dramatically dropped to 38kg. I'm glad everything is okay now.

Afterall, I've learned that the most important thing in life is to be healthy and live well, second most important thing is to have money. People often say money is the root of all evil, but I believe money is the solution to the problems, while the lack of money is the root of all evil. To have money in necessary situations will always be a great help. Saving up is never enough, spending less won't help much, it's the ability to earn more money.

I was able to see what I desire and set my goal towards it. I always wanted to enjoy a slow life, but there's so many things I wish to be able to do, especially helping my family and friends.

I do not know how far I can go, what I do know is I must continue working towards it.

I will do better next year.

The Rose

I've been so inspired by the fascinating artworks of Salvador Dali lately.

The Rose, watercolor.

I intended to paint a red rose for best my friend Moonie. But I got carried away by my Dali's rush and gone wild with my brush. I love this painting just the way it is! But I don't think Moonie would.

So Moonie, I will definitely paint Your Rose next time, just the way you wanted. Meanwhile, this is mine! :D

Congo River: Arts of Central Africa

Another exhibition I went to while I was on a hiatus from my blog.
It's Congo River: Arts of Central Africa at Asian Civilisations museum.

We always follow the same route whenever we visit this museum. Exit from the Raffles Place train station, walk along Boat Quay, pass The Fullerton Hotel, cross the Cavenagh Bridge and reach the museum. It's quite a scenic route!

This exhibition explores various arts of the Congo which often represents nature spirits and authority figures.

The exhibition displayed mainly face masks and sculptures. It's really intriguing to look at these unique masks!

In the late 19th century, European collectors and artists were struck by the visual power of African sculpture. The stylised human forms found in Congo sculptures inspired leading artists to venture beyond naturalism. One such artist was Pablo Picasso who avidly collected African art.

Dali: Mind of A Genius - The Exhibition

One of the best museum trips I had been to, but I did not post on my blog, because I was in a hiatus that time.

It's Dali: Mind of A Genius - The Exhibition at ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands.

I guess most people know Salvador Dali, an eccentric and paranoid genius. When I knew about this exhibition, I was eager to visit it and was glad that photography was allowed.

Dali created the image of an elephant carrying an obelisk, a symbol of technological progress in the modern world. The almost invisible spindle-like legs emphasizes the contrast between robustness and fragility, weight and lightness.

The melted clock is the most well-known and beloved of Dali's images. He chose to portray this image consistently throughout his lifetime. These liquefying soft clocks symbolize fleeting time.

Dalí was a skilled draftsman, best known for the striking and bizarre images in his surrealist works including film, sculpture, and photography.

"Two of Dali's obsessions: fire and a female figure with drawers. The flames seem to have a life of their own and represent the concealed intensity of unconscious desire, while the drawers represent the unknown of hidden secrets. The crutch is another symbol frequently used in Dali's work. He also calls it the 'symbol of death' and the symbol of resurrection'. It represents a blend of authority, stability and sexual power."

Dali's method aimed to translate into art what the unconscious tried to express. In other words, it was an exploration of the symbolism of pure fantasy and dreams while remaining awake.

Not only was Dali modifying objects such as gold coins into figures or lips into a sofa, he was also modifying the world around him.

Many of Dali's most important works were the result of the wild images that came to him in dreams.

The combination of 'love and death' is central and expresses the message in Latin: memento mori (remember you must die). Dali illustrates the idea of sufferance and self-punishment linked to the mental processes of the erotic masochistic practice.

Great themes of literature illustrated by Dali over his life were exhibited as well.

Alice in wonderland, 1969, engravings.

Romeo and Juliet, 1975, lithographs.

Tricorne, 1959, color plates engraved on wood.

The art of love, 1979, etching, lithograph and woodcuts.

The universal tarot, 1970, collage, gouache and watercolor on board.

After 50 years of surrealism, etchings, hand-colored.

Twelve tribes of Israel, 1972, etchings and stencil colour.

The Bible, lithographs from original gouaches.

Cassandra's loves, 1968, original engravings.

That's all, I hope anyone who is reading my blog find what you need here. For me, just by looking at these images gave me lots of inspiration. Bye!

Omu-rice

Omu-rice is a Japanese dish consisting of omelette made with fried rice, usually the fried rice is cooked with tomato sauce. It's very healthy and flavourful!

Ingredients:
Chicken meat, diced, marinate with seasoning.
Onion, diced.
Garlic, minced.
Mushroom, diced. (button mushroom or any type of mushroom is fine, I used dried mushroom here)
Tomato sauce.
Soya beans. (you can use green peas or any healthy vegetables of your choice, I like soya beans.)
Steam rice.

Ingredients of omelette:
Eggs, dairy creamer.

Cooking:
Heat oil in frying pan over medium heat, sauté garlic and onion until aromatic, add chicken meat and stir constantly for 5 minutes then add mushroom, continue to stir for a couple of minutes before adding tomato sauce and stir until the sauce is thickened, season to taste. Toss in soya beans and cook briefly before adding steam rice. Stir until the rice mix well with the sauce.

 To make creamy omlette:
Beat 2 eggs with dairy creamer and seasoning. Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan. Pour the egg mixture in the pan and quickly stir the egg with chopsticks. When the egg is 90% cooked, remove from heat.

Place fried rice on a plate then put omelette over rice!

Put some ketchup on the omlette and enjoy the meal!!!

Remember

 Take a 10-30 minute walk every day and while you walk, smile.
 Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
 When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, “My purpose is to … today.”
 If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you'll find an excuse.
 Live with the 3 E’s… Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy, and the 3 F’s … Faith, Family, Friends.
 Give without remembering and take without forgetting.
 Love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it.
 If things look hopeless, look to see if you're not facing the wrong direction.
 Dream more while you are awake and have the courage to pursue your dream.
 Instead of thinking outside the box, get rid of the box.
 Make someone smile.
People don't always need advice. Sometimes all they really need is a hand to hold, an ear to listen, and a heart to understand them.
 Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
 The one that angers you controls you. Don't give anyone that power, especially the one who does it intentionally.
 Don't try to understand everything, because sometimes it is not meant to be understood, but to be accepted.
 Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
 You create beauty with your attitude, your behavior, your actions. It's all up to you.
 Life is too short to waste time hating anyone or to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.
 Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn, pass all your tests. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
 You can never make the same mistake twice, because the second time you make it, it's not a mistake, it's a choice.
 Be careful with your words. Once they are said, they can be only forgiven, not forgotten.
 You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagreements.
 Make peace with your past, so it won’t mess up the present.
 Don’t compare your life with others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
 The only person you should try to be better than, is the person you were yesterday.
 Be careful who you open up to. Only a few people actually care, the rest just want to have something to gossip about.
 No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
 Be what you want to be not what others want to see.
 Forgive everyone for everything. Forgiveness is not something we do for other people. We do it for ourselves, to get well and move on.
When you say "Yes" to others, make sure you are not saying "No" to yourself.
 What other people think of you is none of your business. Also the opinion which other people have of you is their problem, not yours.
 You need to stop doing things for someone, when you find out it's expected rather than appreciated.
 No matter how good or bad you think life is, wake up each day and be thankful for life. Someone somewhere else is fighting to survive.
 Tough times never last, tough people do.
 However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
 Remember this, judging a person does not define who they are, it defines who you are.
 Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful, or joyful.
 The best is yet to come… Believe.
 Don't practice until you get it right. Instead, practice until you can't get it wrong.
 You need to forget what's gone. Appreciate what still remains and look forward to what's coming next.
 Call your family often.
 Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: “I am thankful for…” - “Today I accomplished…"
 Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
 You only live once. Make the most of it and enjoy the ride.