Sunday, August 09, 2009

The Whimsical, the Creative, and the Spontaneous

A scouring mission through my image bank resulted in another smargasbord of photo memories, registering first the whimsical Nature in terms of cloud formation and some unusual tree forms of the plant world, possibly in response to external stimuli. These are followed by the seeming unboundedness of human creativity and lastly, one demonstrating the fact that age nor status is a barrier to spontaneity, all in good taste, and being sporting, kind of finding the child in us, the elusive epitome of the non-judgmental. Sit back, but let the finger walk you through this photographic journey as my camera lens sees it.

The billowing ominous-looking dark cloud looming large, portending the stormy deluge that will surely follow as seen while on Interstate I4 enroute home from Daytona Beach, a real bane for road travellers.

I guess this is somewhere on I-95 (Virginia?) as we were NY-bound, but we were more worried about the plane flying just below the dark cloud canopy, conjuring up images of being tossed around by the maelstrom of air turbulence.

Contrasting Wify' sunny smile with the less than sunny sky and the roaring surf in the background at Daytona Beach. The seemingly distant storm, if it ever evolved into one, is perhaps furthest from the minds of the relaxation-seeking beach goers.

The discrete cloud formation, floating easily and dotting the sky, like little sails plying the vast expanse of ocean.

Backdropped by a cloudless sky, the lone leafless, at least the top half, tree, extending its welcome bare branches to a weary bird, making a pitstop on its flight in search of sustenance (seen across the Keys Residential Hall at UF).

Another fully-leaved tree in the neighborhood of the above, preferentially growing its branches away from the unyielding lamp post, and so it seems, a case of adapting to environmental constraints dictated by survival instincts.

A montage of artistic expressions of the (Chinese) mind, in Chinese brush paintings of the lotus, the cranes, the Chinese Plums) and poems, displayed in the homes of various friends that we are fortunate to have visited. These seem to confer a sense of serenity, a pristine aura rising above worldly materialism.

A montage of classic chinese brush paintings: the Four Gentlemen, as they are affectionately named, the Chinese Plum, the Orchid, the Chrysanthemum and the Bamboo, as seen adorning the walls of The Ivory restaurant, a Chinese Bistro in Dunedin where Betty Toh and her husband treated us to a lunch sometime ago.

Fruit (e.g., pumpkin, water melon) carving on display at the same restaurant above, packing creativity, patience, dexterity of the hand, and meticulous execution into their making.

And yes, being middle-aged and devoted to the call of the monastic order do not preclude being spontaneous and sporting at the same time, all mimicking the gesture of the Venerable Master Hsing Yun at the Fo Guang Shan Temple, Orlando, led by Venerable Chueh Yen flanked on the left by Viky (now Wes)'s Mom.

1 comment:

Lee Wei Joo said...

The clouds are so pleasing and relaxing, conjuring feelings of wonderment and sincerity. Everyone looks so lively and joyful in the last photo!