A Poets View

My dear friend and fellow writer, Colleen Breuning has created another beautifully designed poetic audio and photo montage titled Intertwine.  This creation is a sensual and traditionally styled pantoum written and performed by Colleen.  You can visit her website at Blue Turtle Crossing for more information on Colleen, her writings, photography and video creations.  Enjoy!

Photo courtesy of ABC

For the purpose of this post I am using the Bachelor as an example of the points I want to make about choices.  I also want to express that this post is not about judging in any way but it is about the choices we make and the differences between choosing with our heads versus our hearts.  

It was clear to me during the end of this show that Jason clearly had feelings for both women.  With Melissa, as he frequently stated, she was very loving towards him and he knew she would make a great stepmother to Ty.  With Molly, he had fun and also mentioned many times that when he looked into her eyes “she had him.”

Let’s take both scenarios.  Melissa is the perfect example of making a choice from your head.  She was good on paper and he wanted that for his family.  Molly is the perfect example of making a choice from the heart.  She was fun and when he looked in her eyes he melted.  That is a typical feeling from the heart.

Your head is directed by your ego and not your heart.  You look at the practicality of the situation and base your choice on logical reasoning.  Your heart is your spirit. It is the true you.  When you make choices from your heart, you are inevitably going to be happy.

The Bachelor was faced with a horrible tug of war scenario with his head fighting his heart.  It was obvious to me when he initially let Molly go that he made the wrong decision because he did not listen to his heart.

Another point I’d like to make is asking for opinions on this type of life altering situation is never a good idea.  When he had alone time with his Mother and was clearly torn over this, she told him that Molly was a “career girl” and that he had to take that under consideration.  I would think as a Mother her advice would have been to tell him she would support him in his decision and that he should listen to his heart.  I’m sure her opinion weighed heavily on his mind.  Then he talks with Deanna who tells him that she went with her heart when choosing Jessie and it didn’t work out.  He obviously listened to both of them.  

Whenever you are faced with a decision - listen to your heart and don’t allow other people to guide you in another direction based on their opinions and observations.

Bottom line he listened to his head.  He merely made a mistake.  He seems to me the type of guy who normally goes with what his head is telling him.  

Now we all know that after the show his relationship with Melissa did not go well which does not surprise me because again, he did not listen to that heart.  He kept thinking of Molly and eventually ended up with her.  One thing I would like to comment on is the After The Final Rose show.  I really don’t know whether or not the whole thing was staged to get better ratings for ABC or if everyone involved did not know what was going on.  In either case it really doesn’t matter because Jason chose to breakup with Melissa on nationwide TV.  Whether staged or not that decision was clearly ego driven and the worst decision he could have ever made.  If it was not staged then I feel he has some deep soul searching to do.  He had a choice here as well and could have handled the breakup as a private matter yet allowed the whole country to see Melissa devastated.

So, in closing just remember that when making choices ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR HEART.
 

Poetry in motion at it’s best.  Enjoy!

Born in Portland Maine on February 27, 1807, Longfellow was and still is one of the best loved poets of all time.  Henry was an active boy, sometimes quick tempered but always sensitive, impressionable and creative.  He loved song and dance but did not enjoy excitement.  He began school at 3 and by the time he was 8 he studied halfway through Latin grammar.  His Father’s extensive library of Shakespeare, Milton, Pope and Dryden, just to name a few, lent to his early curiosity of poetry and writing.

At the early age of 13 he penned and had his first poem published by the Portland Gazette titled “The Battle of Lovell’s Pond.” The poem was highly criticized at that time for being unsymmetrical and and unoriginal.  However Longfellow was not discouraged.  By age 15 he passed the exams for Bowdoin College and studied with well known writers to include Hawthorne.  Although his Father wanted Henry to study law he spent a year at Cambridge college in study of general literature.

His extensive travel and study of foreign language lent to his receiving a professorship at Cambridge and Bowdoin.  Throughout his life he wrote poetry and shared his love of words and language within the genre.  He was a champion of the down trodden and those less fortunate.  He lived his passion and as a result we are left with an exceptional anthology of his works to be savored and shared by generations to come.

He is my favorite poet.  I’ve read all of his works and can testify that I enjoy all of his writings.  I do have a few favorites such as The Day Is Done, The Arrow And The Song, Woods In Winter  and Hymn To The Night.  He was passionate about his work and it shows through each and every collection.  I celebrate his birthday today and everyday as he, through his poetry, allows me to display my creativity and share my love for this craft.  Happy Birthday Henry.

Based on Longfellow’s poem Evangeline, Mexican actress Dolores Del Rio gives an outstanding and passionate performance in this DVD aptly titled Evangeline.  It is heartwarming, passionate and will tug on the heartstrings.  It provides a riveting and action packed sequel to one of the best loved poems ever written.

The video above is a photo and text montage of Longfellow’s poem The Rainy Day.  Enjoy!

This video is beautifully woven together with music, photography and an eloquent narration of the sonnet by Sting.  Enjoy!

In keeping with my previous meditation post , I thought this video exemplifies the true meaning of becoming one with nature and communing with your inner self.  I look at this video and realize that there have been so many times I’ve been out in nature just wanting to let loose as this woman has in this clip.  She is so light and free, peaceful and serene.  A beautiful moment in time.

A traditional Singapore Dragon Dance for your enjoyment.  I love this video.

Hollywood - Asian Style is what many call the Avenue of the Stars located in Kowloon on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront promenade.  The attraction was completed and opened to the public on April 28, 2004.  With a huge film industry, the Avenue of the Stars was built to honor those who contribute to the industry.  It was also built for promoting tourism.   The promenade itself was constructed in 1982 by the Hong Kong film awards association. The photo above depicts the HK film industry award statue and is prominently displayed along the waterfront promenade.

All of the Asian film industry stars have their hand-prints and signatures embedded in the stone walkways as seen in the above photo.  There are literally hundreds and hundreds of these along the promenade.

Bruce Lee is the star of the show.  This bronze exhibit was constructed to celebrate Hong Kong’s own native son and the attention he brought to the film community.  It is difficult to get photos of him as there are always people around him day and night.  I had to snap this shot in a hurry.

There are various statues and sculptures depicting the film industry placed along the Avenue of the Stars.  There are also 3 separate kiosks which sell Avenue of the Stars memorabilia and souvenirs.  Refreshment kiosks line the promenade in colorful displays of movie houses and trailers.

This directors set is popular with tourists and shutterbugs.  All the sculptures and statues are cast in bronze and provide extra excitement to the always lively Avenue of the Stars promenade.  

The Hong Kong people are proud of their film industry and this attraction is evidence of that pride.  It is the focal point and main sightseeing  venue in Kowloon.  Located across Victoria Harbor with Hong Kong island as it’s backdrop makes for the perfect setting.

This particular spot is one of my top favorite places in Hong Kong.  The vibrancy of the harbor with the hustle and bustle of the promenade and the spectacular Hong Kong Island background makes for a perfect day of leisure in Tsim Sha Tsui.  I would spend hours along the Avenue of the Stars promenade just taking in the excitement and beauty of it all.  

For more info including photos check out my website at My Hong Kong Adventure.

Just watching this video makes me cringe.

You all know I like dance and weird videos.  Well this one takes the cake.  Enjoy!

Photo courtesy of www.celebritydogwatcher.com

I just this past evening watched an episode of the “best life” series.  I had been wanting to see it from the beginning however I have not had the time.   I viewed the Spirituality 101 show.

First I have to say that I’ve been watching Oprah, though not regularly for years.   I’ve seen the weight gains and the hairstyle mishaps throughout the years just as I’ve seen through many people I know, including myself, over the same time span.  We all go through the ups and downs but the real test is how we weather those storms.

Oprah, despite her much publicized weight gain I think looks fantastic.  I know she’s said she’s gained 40 pounds but you know what?  It looks good on her.  She is a beautiful 50 something year old woman both inside and out.

From day one her shows and her mission has been to help and inspire people.  She does it everyday on her shows, she does it through her book club by inspiring people to read and she has done wonders with her Angel Network.  She is all about helping others and that is what makes her so special.  

While watching the spirituality show I realized just how intelligent and intuitive she is even in comparison to the three spiritual “gurus” she had on her show.  One thing that struck me was while they were talking to a viewer who felt that she had nothing good going on in her life as she was losing her business etc… Oprah asked her what was good in her life and what was she thankful for to which she could not answer.  Oprah then remarked, when you awake in the morning, you are breathing.  That set off the little light bulb for me.  It’s so true.  We take the most important things for granted.  We are upset over losing our homes, our jobs etc…  We never think to look beyond the things and realize how grateful we should be that we are simply breathing and alive.  It is so much easier sometimes to dwell on the bad rather than focus on the good.

It is true when we go through devastation or hell in our lives that it is merely an opportunity to grow and take that next step towards living our best life.

Thanks Oprah, for setting off the little light bulb inside me.

Enjoy!!!

For me, poetry can be found not only in words but music, dance and nature as well.  Different cultures and traditions have their own way of expressing poetic form.  The above video is an example of sheer poetry in motion.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

A 60 Minutes Spoof.

I could not resist - this is way too funny

Living in San Francisco with it’s cultural diversity there are many opportunities to experience lion and dragon dancing entertainment especially during Chinese New Year celebrations.  However there is nothing like seeing it while in China.  I took the above photo and below video while traveling in Hong Kong this past March.  It was my first day there and a couple of hours after I arrived I ventured over to Kowloon from Hong Kong Island via The Star Ferry and onto the waterfront promenade where this lively lion was strutting his stuff for the crowds.  It was a school presentation and a special celebration that day.  These performers really did a wonderful job.

It was a Sunday morning and there were many festivities taking place along the waterfront.  In addition to these performers there was an Asian drum troupe and various street performers, musicians and artists frolicking about the promenade.  It was a warm day yet surprisingly not humid.  I stood watching each performance and relishing the fact that I was back in Hong Kong with a week to just sight-see and enjoy cultural events.  Sundays are normally when families get together and flock to Hong Kong island and basically find spots near the parks and places along the streets where they huddle and enjoy picnics.  I saw so many groups of people doing this and wondered what was going on thinking maybe it was a special celebration.  Sundays however are considered family days and spent enjoying family activities.  The entertainment on Kowloon is provided not only for family fun but for tourists as well.

You can easily spend an entire Sunday along the waterfront promenade watching performances and taking in the sights to include the gorgeous Victoria Harbor and Hong Kong island skyline.  I have more pics and video from my Sunday on Kowloon which I will be posting in the weeks to come.  In the meantime enjoy the sights.

Photo courtesy of http://www.heidi-klum.biz

I read a story on the Victoria Secret fashion models who were quoted as saying that they can eat anything they want as long as they exercise.  Of course they are on a strict carb and sugar free diet.  Some people I’ve talked with about this regimen do not believe they can lose weight and eat what they want.  I have to disagree.  Now I am certainly no runway model but I do know from experience that working out is what sheds the pounds.  Dieting alone has never worked.  However when I eat well and even throw in a donut or cookie once in a while and walk regularly I lose weight.  The Victoria Secret models unlike your average waif on the runway do not look like they are starving themselves.  They are lean yet healthy and that is the way it should be.   Some models you see nowadays on the runway look like actual skeletons.  Where is the beauty?  And, more importantly how do the clothes stay on their bodies?  At least with the Victoria Secret gals you are seeing beautiful women who actually do eat and know how to take care of themselves.  Heide Klum is the perfect example.

I am an avid fan of ABC’s soap opera All My Children.  They have always been in the forefront touching on social issues.  Since the hiring of Head writer Charles Pratt we have seen more and more biting story-lines focused on today’s issues.  There is currently a story about Iraq war veterans who on a recent airing told their real life stories.  It was heartbreaking yet I felt such a sense of pride listening to these men and women.  There is also a veteran playing a role on the show.  Here is the link to a Yahoo story and Video of the real life actor and the show in which the veterans appeared.

http://spotlight.news.yahoo.com/v/10571345

Another important storyline is that of a lesbian couple with a newborn wanting to be married and all the issues that surround that particular union.

There has been controversy over this new head writer Charles Pratt.  Not all the praise is positive however,  I have to say as an avid viewer of the show for over 30 years Mr. Pratt is doing a fantastic job.  And, kudos to All My Children for being one step ahead on the issues and keeping us coming back for more.