Keep Calm and Follow The Paintbrush

Something interesting that I came across and though I'd share it...since I haven't posted in a very long time (October!)

RE: What Is Love: Eye Love You.

Depicted is Le mur des je t’aime, also known as the “I Love You Wall”. This piece of art is located in a park, near Montmartre in Paris, France. Painted on the 612 tiles of enameled lava is the phrase “I Love You” in all (or at least most) of the languages in the world. Fragments of broken hearts are depicted as well, showing humanity torn apart, in which the Wall hopes to reunite. 

Beauty does not necessarily need to be natural, majestic, or of a grandeur scale – it can also be something as simple as a couple of phrases or a series of words. Everybody who visits this wall of love will be able to find the phrase in their native language, printed alongside many other languages. This shows us that we are all united as one within our world full of diversity and culture. 

As Oliver Platt once said, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, which is why I decided to title my photograph Eye Love You. This wall serves as a subtle but effective reminder for Parisians and other tourists that they are loved.  Love is not always beautiful, but when you join with people who are the same as you and mend the broken fragments of your heart, it is the most beautiful and happiest feeling in the world. This photograph is not of something concrete, but rather stands for something abstract: the human’s natural feeling of love.

Validation - Smile!

validate: to recognize, establish, or illustrate the worthiness or legitimacy of

This was shown to me by a teacher during one of my trips, and it instantaneously clicked with me.

The message about smiling, about validating/saying nice and encouraging things to not only friends and family, but strangers as well - all this made it such an inspirational film.

See for yourself!

So I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

To wrap up this blog post of a lesson, get a name-tag, and write with me:

"I will validate."

everwandering-mind

dear wandering minds,

welcome to a new fragment of metamorphosis. here you will be able to explore new things related to the every-day life, ponder about the art of writing, and follow me as i unleash my hidden creativity.

JOURNEY ONWARDS AND IMMERSE YOURSELF.

RE: Once Upon A Time...

I have a confession to make: a majority of the time, I only half-listen to the homilies...but I am trying to change that...because I tend to not understand them or it does not really connect with me.

Oh, for those non-Christians, a homily is the priest's sermon following the readings, usually in response or in relation to the message presented in the Gospel reading.

However, a recent homily definitely caught my attention.

A couple weeks ago, I wrote something related to happiness.

Coincidentally, or by fate (whichever you believe in...I know I am a strong believer in fate), the homily that the priest gave on the following Sunday was on happiness.

I'm gonna keep this short and to the point.

He said that happiness is in sharing and helping others.
I believe that is definitely true.
But I also believe it is only one kind of happiness, and there are many more forms of happiness to explore.

What makes you happy?

And the priest also gave out a little homework challenge to the youths of the congregation: do something this week to make your parents smile.

Sadly for our parish, he is going back to Africa to preach there. Although he has been here only for a short time, his homilies will be remembered by many. I pray that he will change lives and help many of those in need there at Africa.

God Bless him and all of you readers ✞

Tumblr

The Tumblr version of this blog is now up and running!

Sure, it somewhat contradicts my original statement of "I created this blog because Tumblr is all too mainstream now etc.", but it's all still the same material, just on another site.
It makes things easier to reblog, like, and spread, as Tumblr has a much larger and more active population than that of Blogger.

Don't worry, though, this is still the "headquarters" of my blog.

Visit it here (and follow!): everwandering-heart.tumblr.com

Journey onwards and immerse yourself.

Once Upon A Time...

There lived a young princess.

She had all the riches she could ever ask for.
She was kind-hearted and beautiful.
She had the most loyal, trustworthy friends in the world.
She and her family were very, very, very close.

Everybody thought she must have lived a very happy life.
Everybody but herself.

He took the midnight train going anywhere...

A summer's afternoon just three days ago, the world lost someone great.

A singer. An actor.

A son. A brother.

A friend. A lover.

An inspiration to many.

"Earth lost a person, but heaven gained an angel."

It was 3am the morning after when I found out about his passing.

Being a follower of Glee, I just didn't know how to take the news.

Speechless.

Confused.

Shocked.

Heartbroken.

I didn't know what to do.

And I still don't.

Just a mere two years ago, he was just couple feet away from me,
Singing and dancing on the stage with the rest of the Glee cast.
I had been an advent follower of Glee for the first three seasons (come the fourth, I got busy with school and could not find the time, but I followed the first half of the season), so Cory was a big part of my life - every Tuesday night. Finn Hudson was one of my favourite characters on the show, one I actually felt for.

It is a terrible loss, especially on his family, the cast, and Lea.
Please pray for all of them as well as for Cory's soul.

05.11.1981 - 07.13.2013
R.I.P. C.M. </3

"Be nice to everyone, always smile, and appreciate things, because it could all be gone tomorrow." - Cory Monteith.

My Life is a Ghost Story

Found poem: a poem made by combining or rearranging fragments of prose, as a speech or story, into a verselike structure.

I am currently reading The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill, which talks about a woman and her life as an African slave. Although I tend not to enjoy reading this type of book, it is surprisingly compelling. Here is a found poem I have written for The Book of Negroes, a compilation of various texts from the book, up to page 108.

3 Dolls, 2 Decorations, 1 Thought

Here is my tiny story of 3 dolls, 2 decorations, and 1 thought.

3 Dolls - March 2012.
While walking past some elderlies in a park, these handmade dolls caught my attention. A woman next to me told me that whenever she comes to the park, she sees this middle aged lady knitting dolls; she knits just for her own enjoyment. My first thoughts when I saw them were "Oh, these are so cute!" and the artisan asked me if I wanted to buy any. They were not very expensive, and I really liked her handicraft, so I bought them - 3 Dolls.

2 Decorations - December 2012.
Not too long ago, my aunt told me a story on how she went to help disabled children. The children there, although disabled, were very talented musicians and even made these little decorations, under the instruction and guidance of youth volunteers. My aunt had purchased a couple of these handmade decorations. After telling me the story, she showed them to me and subsequently gave them to me - 2 Decorations.

Life Lesson: Crap

Let's face it.
Some people live to make your life miserable, to make you feel bad about yourself.

But I ask myself, will I take that crap?
No, I will NOT take their crap!
Because a) that's just disgusting, and b) what would I honestly get from taking their crap other than odd looks and an unwanted smell trailing after me?
Exactly.
NOTHING.

Long story short, don't poop on other people or their lives.
And if you do happen to get pooped on, just brush it off, ignore it, and walk away from that unpleasant stench of jealousy and envy.

------------------

Well, I hope this makes sense to you to some degree.
I used the word 'crap' in its literally meaning, being a synonym of 'poop', simultaneously using it in the derogative way to express a lesson that I have learned.
Maybe it was a more...interesting...way to put things into perspective...
Maybe it just made things slightly more difficult for you to understand.
I don't know.
I just hope you got something from it :)


Love from,
a person who does not take people's crap and does her best not to poop on people,
Minti <3

Exam Hiatus.

Dear: people of the small population that reads this blog,

Just a really quick & short note,
I will be on an exam hiatus as I prepare for, well, my final exams.
Will be back in about two weeks time.

Feel free to read my previous posts, comment, and share~


Minti out.

Stand Out and Be Proud

"You gotta stand out, be proud

Time for you to shine.

You're special, beautiful.

You're one of a kind." 

- Stand Out (Bratz)

Why do we all try to fit in when we were born to stand out?

I'm pretty sure the majority of you have heard this quote, or something along the lines of this before. 
...
Well, why do we try to fit in?

The answer is pretty simple.
It is in human nature that our deepest, most inner desire is to feel accepted and to be loved.
It gives us a sense of belonging, of encouragement, and of support. 
It gives us self-confidence knowing that people believe in you and love you.

And with that, I leave you another question: why do you change who you are for people who are not important in your life, just to fit in?

Simple, short, and to the point.

RE: What Is Love: The Red String of Fate

"An invisible red threat connects those who are destined to meet,
regardless of time, place, or circumstance.
The thread may stretch or tangle,
but it will never break."
- Ancient Chinese Belief

The red string of fate.
An Eastern Asian belief originating from a Chinese and Japanese legend.
According to the Japanese legend/myth, the gods tie this red string of fate around the little finger of two individuals who are to meet someday in their life, hence the use of the word 'fate'.
These two individuals who are connected by the red string are destined lovers, regardless of time, place, or circumstances. In the Western world, we call this 'soulmates'. 

Appreciation Post

So, this little insignificant blog of mine has finally reached over 1100 views /cue applause

To be honest, I would have never thought that some posts would reach that many people.
I started it only as a way to channel my negative emotions and turn them into a positive, perhaps even inspirational lesson; I most definitely did not expect it to gain over 1000 views even in a year...

Okay, I had my hopes, but dreams don't necessarily always become reality, right?

Since this is titled 'Appreciation Post', I would like to show my gratitude and thanks towards any viewers who happen to stumble upon my blog and its posts. It makes me feel as if the things I say...or rather type...actually reach others, including individuals that are situated outside of my country.

Thank you all! <3
Minti

P.S. Don't forget to comment! I like to hear your responses and thoughts too :)

Providence.

prov·i·dence [prov-i-duh ns] The foreseeing and guardianship of God over His creatures...a manifestation of His divine care or direction (American College Dictionary)

This word has a lot of meaning to it, both in definition and in my life. 

So why am I talking about Providence?

First things first (this may be one of the most personal things will I blog about). 

The first time I actually learned about the word was through my teacher.

My best friend and I had written a song for our retreat.

We had one problem: we did not have a song name, and we were to perform it in a couple of minutes.

Our teacher just happened to mention the word Providence, all in coincidental terms.

One look and we knew that Providence would be the title of our song.

Since then, I have basically related everything back to Providence. It is kind of my ground, if you know what I mean.

Where I Am From

I am from teddy bears,

            from the numbers 225, 1, and 9.

I am from the sweet tastes of mango pudding and osmanthus flower and goji berry jelly,

            from shattered glass,

            to mended hearts.

I am from the mushroomed, bay-leafed smell of my Dad’s home-cooked roast beef,

            reminiscence of family times.

I am from the constant nagging of my mother,

            all in good intention for a better life.

I am from my ever wandering heart and from Providence,

            from late-night talks by the lake,

            and from 8 to 31 wise Romans who speak the truth.

I am from blood on two large intersecting pieces of wood,

            shed for humanity,

            and from the angels and saints.

I am from the loss of words,

            the search for words,

            and the pen is mightier than the sword.

I am from ribbons and leather,

            to laces and rubber,

            from satin to cotton,

            and from dolphins, to monkeys, to elephants.

I am from little black dots,

            dancing around oodles of pages of lines,

            from the 52 whites and the 36 blacks of life.

I am from worldy travels,

            a black Piccadilly and a silver Parker,

            and the rollercoaster ride of life.

I am from nobody is perfect, nobody can be the best,

            to I need to be perfect, I need to be the best.

Friends, Family, God;

            struggles, confidence, and love;

            this is where I am from.

------------------------------

This was something I wrote for a drama assignment (got 100%~) and is based of the original Where I Am From poem by George Ella Lyon. It can be found here: http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html

How to make a Beautiful Life

Every year for my birthday, I choose a card for myself to give to my parents to write. The card I had selected this year really captured my attention with the simple life lessons printed onto the covers. I just wanted to share them with you, even if you might have heard something similar before, and even if they might seem somewhat stereotypical.

• Love yourself. Make peace with who you are and where you are at this moment in time.
• Listen to your heart. If you can't hear what it's saying in this noisy world, make time for yourself. Enjoy your own company. Let your mind wander among the stars.
• Try. Take chances. Make mistakes. Life can be messy and confusing at times, but it's also full of surprises. The next rock in your path might be a stepping-stone.
• Be happy. When you don't have what you want, want what you have. Make do. That's a well-kept secret of contentment.
• There aren't any shortcuts to tomorrow. You have to make your own way. To know where you're going is only part of it. You need to know where you'v been, too. And if you ever get lost, don't worry. The people who love you will find you. Count on it.
• Life isn't days and years. It's what you do with time and with all the goodness and grace that's inside you. Make a beautiful life...the kind of life you deserve.

Little Thoughts and Tiny Lessons

So, I figured out that I'm not very good at organizing the thoughts in my head at all - there's always too much going on in my brain. It's like, there's so much I want to say but I don't know how to communicate it. I guess that's why I decided to start this blog in the first place, to communicate the little thoughts and tiny lessons I have in my head effectively.

Everything I write just seems to jump around, not getting the main point across. Here is a really good example of something I wrote in my drama class (the topic I had to write about was changes, by the way) without blocking any thoughts from my head:

Changes. Hmm…changes are things that can be for the good, or for the worse. I know I’ve changed even since last year. I see my friends change…I want to keep writing about changes but…my mind is just elsewhere today. I thought changes would be easy to write about. I guess not, with all the irrelevant action in my head. Ah…I just thought of my ISU when I was thinking about “head”…neuroscience! That’s my topic. Oh I really should do my ISU tonight. And action…I really want to read Percy Jackson right now, oddly enough. I’m almost done the 4^th, and then I’d be on to the 5^th one, which I totally forgot and it’s also the last book! Oh…I’ve completely streamed off again…shows just how jumbled up and unfocused my mind is. Easily distracted…bunny! Just kidding, I just thought of careers. And speaking of careers, the grade nines are having their trade show in the theatre area just below us right now. Changes. I should really “change” back to thinking about changes. Haha ironic isn’t it.

...I have no comment...

Anyways, I  just felt like posting this because it's kinda funny and it's just something I struggle with all the time. I hope that I will persevere and overcome.

Also the fact that I haven't posted in months.../guilt

RE: What Is Love: Sternberg's Triangle of Love

Here is another response/branch off of the original What Is Love? post - I guess I shall officially call it the "What Is Love" series.

This time, I am presenting the more educational, professional side of the question that I found is very effective in understanding 'love'.

Robert Sternberg's Triangle Theory of Love.

Love consists of:

1. Passion: drive that lead to romance, physical attraction, sexual consummation & related phenomena
2. Intimacy: feelings of closeness, connectedness & bondedness in loving relationships
3. Commitment: decision that one loves someone else; commitment to maintain that love

Kind of Love	Passion	Intimacy	Commitment
Non-Love	-	-	-
Liking	-	+	-
Infatuation	+	-	-
Empty Love	-	-	+
Romantic Love	+	+	-
Compassionate Love	-	+	+
Fatuous Love	+	-	+
Consummate Love	+	+	+

A diagram that might be easier to understand & provide some visuals for the visual learners.

When asked the question "What Is Love?", one of my classmates answered: "Taking chances and trusting another person." Relationships are all about trust as well as the three defined above. 

Here are just a couple of short facts:

• Phenylethylamine: chemical found in brain believed to be responsible for physical symptoms of "falling in love"; also found in chocolate
• True love: romantic love - physical attraction, shared values & goals, compatible personality
• Loving relationship fosters self-esteem
• John Lee: romantic love serves as a psychological need in humans - cravings to be loved
• Free-choice love critics: love can blind us to the faults of our future mate; we tend to fall in love with others, not necessarily for who they truly are, but for who we want them to be

Be expecting more posts from this series in the near future!
Minti~

Smile, please.

Smile. The word has no real definition. Where do they come from? 

Contemplate about what makes you smile.
Is it a person?
Is it an object?
Is it an action?

A place?
A memory?

Just recently on my Christmas trip, I wandered into a small store and found myself instantly drawn to Jeanie Leung's artwork. Actually, it was the title of this book that captured my attention:

I started flipping through it, engaged to her philosophical words and admiring her beautiful artwork. Of course, I decided to buy it. Little did I know that the message Jeanie was trying to get across would stick in my mind for such a long time. 

The story talks of Oowa, her signature character, starting off in his 'secret garden', but eventually leaving it to explore the world. He meets a little girl who never smiled, and tries many different ways to bring that smile to her face. However, he was always unsuccessful, until he found his once abandoned 'secret garden'. Her main message, I will share with you. All credits go to Jeanie Leung herself - I am just sharing her inspirational words.

Black on White on White on Black.

~ 

"It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light." - Aristotle Onassis

~ 

Dear You,

I know that you're going through a difficult time in your life. I would say that I completely understand how you feel...but I cannot say that. Because the truth is, I don't know how you feel, because I am not you. But what I can do is tell you that there are people out there who try their very best to put themselves into your shoes in order to help you feel like you're not going through this storm all alone. People always say that the greatest and truest of friends always appear when you are at your worst. Believe what they say. A hug can do so much if it is given by the right person, so here is a hug for you. I hope you feel it.

                                                                                                                        Love, Me.