How Do I Love Thee?

a pre-valentine artwork

V- day "freedom wall"

this poem, "How Do I Love Thee" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is my favourite poem of all time, immediately next to "Desiderata" . according to my web sources, "It formed part of the Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "Sonnets from the Portuguese", written in her Italian days at the Casa Guidi. It is addressed to her husband, who used to call her 'My little Portuguese" as she was dark.

and since today is valentine's day i find this poem most fitting to be posted in my blog along with pre-valentine photos that i took a day before.

How do I love thee?

-- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

how do i love thee? i cannot count the ways...

If You Forget Me

a shore where there is peace and quiet...

a couple of weeks ago, a friend lent me her collection on poetry and i instantly liked " If You Forget Me" by Pablo Neruda (http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1971/neruda-bio.html.) more interesting is the translation, or where it was translated from which is immediately below:

If You Forget Me

- Pablo Neruda

I want you to know

one thing.

You know how this is:

if I lookat the crystal moon,

at the red branch

of the slow autumn at my window,

if I touch

near the fire

the impalpable ash

or the wrinkled body of the log,

everything carries me to you,

as if everything that exists:

aromas, light, metals,were little boats that sail

toward those isles of yours that wait for me.


Well, now,

if little by little you stop loving me

I shall stop loving you little by little.

If suddenly

you forget me

do not look for me,

for I shall already have forgotten you.

If you think it long and mad,

the wind of banners

that passes through my life,

and you decide

to leave me at the shore

of the heart where I have roots,

remember that on that day,

at that hour,

I shall lift my arms

and my roots will set off

to seek another land.

But

if each day,

each hour,

you feel that you are destined for me

with implacable sweetness,

if each day a flower

climbs up to your lips to seek me,

ah my love, ah my own,

in me all that fire is repeated,

in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten,

my love feeds on your love, beloved,

and as long as you live it will be in your arms

without leaving mine.


Si Tu Me Olvidas

-Source:http://www.links2love.com/poetry_7.htm

Quiero que sepas

una cosa.

T� sabes c�mo es esto:

si miro

la luna de cristal, la rama roja

del lento oto�o en mi ventana,

si toco

junto al fuegola impalpable ceniza

o el arrugado cuerpo de la le�a,

todo me lleva a ti,

como si todo lo que existe:

aromas, luz, metales,

fueran peque�os barcos que navegan

hacia las islas tuyas que me aguardan.

Ahora bien,

si poco a poco dejas de quererme

dejar� de quererte poco a poco.

Si de pronto

me olvidas

no me busques,

que ya te habr� olvidado.

Si consideras largo y loco

el viento de banderas

que pasa por mi vida

y te decides

a dejarme a la orilla

del coraz�n en que tengo ra�ces,

piensa

que en esa d�a,

a esa hora

levantar� los brazos

y saldr�n mis ra�ces

a buscar otra tierra.

Pero

si cada d�a,

cada hora,

sientes que a m� est�s destinada

con dulzura implacable,

si cada d�a sube

una flor a tus labios a buscarme,

ay amor m�o, ay m�a,

en m� todo ese fuego se repite,

en m� nada se apaga ni se olvida,

mi amor se nutre de tu amor, amada,

y mientras vivas estar� en tus brazos

sin salir de los m�os.

Bushfire in Australia

"bushfire", photo taken from the news report

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/5307913/vic-bushfires-death-toll-107-police/

i was hoping to watch the movie "Australia" starring the Aussies Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman and probably enjoy the sight of the "outback" and kangaroo in the cinema during the weekend but my health concerns required me to stay home instead. so i just relaxed and wished that i would be able to join crowds, go to the mall, and hope that i can watch the movie soon.

earlier, it's my mom's turn to see her doctor after her most recent hospitalisation and i had the chance to surf the net no matter how challenging could it be. i wanted to try opening my email account, which might work out this time, but my attention was turned to the news headlines and i found it terribly devastating to read about the tremendous loss of lives, and properties in my dear state of Victorian where its people have been kind and friendly. while it has been cold winters on other parts of the world, its summer down under and i heard that temperature rose to 46 degrees Celcius in Melbourne (when 40 degrees Celcius in Sydney has been extremely warm enough when i celebrated the new year's day with Sydney based friends not too long ago).

accordingly, the official toll rose to 131 according to the police and part of the report says: "The death toll surpasses that from the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires, in which 75 people died in Victoria and South Australia , and the Black Friday bushfires of 1939, which killed 71." (http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/5307913/vic-bushfires-death-toll-107-police/, http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/5306498/25-killed-victorian-bushfires/, http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/5308391/rescuers-brace-bushfire-horror/)

part of the reports said:"By 8.30pm (AEDT), at least 750 homes had been destroyed, more than 330,000 hectares burnt out - 220,000 ha alone in the Kinglake Complex wildfire - while authorities said some fires could take weeks to contain.

sometime ago, i did a case study about these bushfires on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, but the things i learned from lots of readings in relation to bushfires has not really prepared me to deal with this current bushfire, i felt very sad. while my heart goes to the Aussies affected by this tragic incident, i wish that the devastation would be contained and would end sooner than expected.

in addition to prayers, Victorian victims also needs material help- badly. i have seen this attachment in the news report, although Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has warned about possible fraud in receiving donations, i hope that this is the legitimate link as provided in the news report :

[Victorian Bushfire Appeal: http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshome/5307609/victorian-bushfire-appeal how to donate]

Year 3

Sunday Market at St Kilda

today is the third year since i left my apartment close to St Kilda Beach for other pursuits. earlier today, i realised i have been missing my walks in this lovely place. prior to flying back home in the evening of february three years ago, i made a my final walk with my flatmate and we took these photos. i also did my silent farewell to this place who has been a witness to my greatest joys and pains.

i am now at home, quite content- but somehow i still miss St Kilda, i miss the uni, i miss Melbourne and i miss Australia. and so are the people and friends whom i shared my laughs and tears with. and i hope i can visit and perhaps stay- soon.

Watching boats at St Kilda Beach

Flowers and Weeds

prettiest in pink

It is not enough for a gardener to love flowers; he must also hate weeds
-American Proverb

Australian Open 2009

this photo was taken from today's most popular article "Dealing with the hurt" written by Eleanor Preston, http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/news/articles/2009-02-01/200902011233413443968.html

Rafael Nadal of Spain falls to the ground after winning championship point in his men's final match against Roger Federer of Switzerland during day fourteen.
Photo by: Getty Images

photos were uploaded from the Official Australian Open Website, http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/index.html

the last time i watched Federer in Melbourne was when he won the Australian Open Championship in 2006 over Marcos Baghdatis- he wept in triumph. this time, i missed watching the Oz Open games even in TV as i was too busy worrying about other matters-my health and my mom's latest hospitalisation included. few minutes ago(after finding out that my mom is feeling better although still in the hospital, i wondered what came up of the Oz Open championship and the big fan of Federer i am, i took time to have a look at the website http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/index.html .

i was expectant that Federer made it, and probably would make the record as what Pete Sampras did- or perhaps even more. on the contrary it was Nadal who is proclaimed as" the new king". i felt bad for Federer and i was so touched while reading today's most popular article by Eleanor Preston " Dealing with the hurt" (http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/news/articles/2009-02-01/200902011233413443968.html?promo=hp_toparticles). somehow, like any common mortals dealing with their own losses, he has to deal with the pain of a loss. and somehow, a fresh face on Oz Open( i was thinking it would be a match between Marat Safin and Roger Federer the second time around like they did in 2005) Rafael Nadal would be this year's champion no matter how hard Roger tried to win.

i first saw this Spanish tennis player playing "doubles" in one of the smaller courts in Melbourne five years ago- the same time that i watched how Roger Federer defeated my first love in tennis- Andre Agassi. my Mummy Hen, who practically grew up playing tennis( and was the instant tennis instructor explaining how the scores are gained all throughout the games) must be really good in looking how tennis is excellently played or is pretty much talented in identifying who are the outstanding players or who could be future champions. five years ago, Mummy Hen insisted that we would sit and watch the then not very popular(at least to me) Rafael Nadal. at the time, i was more excited and thrilled finding out which court would (the pretty boy American tennis champion) Andy Roddick play.

five years after watching Nadal play tennis in that smaller court( i can't even remember what court it must have been), he defeated Federer who defeated then the reigning Oz Open king Agassi.

i became unhappy watching the picture of Roger's loss but i turned gleeful watching the picture and reading about Rafael's win. i can still hope that Roger will get the championship trophy again in the next year's open but for now, its Rafael's turn to reign.

and somehow i feel bad as i miss watching Australian Open in Melbourne, i missed watching it on television, and more importantly, i miss Melbourne and the friends i watched Oz open with.