JAPANESE CULTURE

MOUNTAIN PAINTING - Sansui Tradition. (Source:http://www.theartofcalligraphy.com/mountain-paintings.html)

Mountain paintings are the soul of Chinese and Japanese landscape painting. It is called sansui in Japanese, which means: Paintings of mountain and water.

Sansui are much more than simple landscape paintings, they represent the principle of universal transformation. During a longer stay at the foot of the mountain Galatzó on the island of Mallorca, the artist followed the Chinese and Japanese sansui tradition and painted the different moods of the mountain —nostalgic, joyful and cooling.

The painting is done on Japanese rice paper, with luminous indigo blue pigment and Japanese ink. The artist has achieved an almost transparent expression, as if water and mountain had fused.

(http://www.theartofcalligraphy.com/mountain-paintings.html)


Map sourced from http://hhh.gavilan.edu/mturetzky/Pols3/images/Map_of_Japan-Japan.gif

Currently, i am engrossed with this book entitled "Japanese Culture" by H. Paul Varley.
Read and be informed!

SUSAN BOYLE (Britain's Got Talent 2009)

Photo from http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20090416/capt.e87b1aeb61ad4796b55dff3bd10f3f4d.eu_britain_singing_sensation_lon805.jpg

So far the biggest surprise on British television talent search! With a Broadway/West End quality rendition of a Les Miserables track, Susan Boyle heats the seats of the initially discriminatory audience whose disapproval of her appearance on the show was far too obvious that it could pierce one's heart to pieces. Their feet sprang to an overwhelming ovation as Susan's heartwarming voice filled the auditorium.

What's more enthralling? The panel went wild in extreme astonishment as they had a swift change of mind from being cynical to appreciative. The foregoing lyrics & Susan's awesome performance may be seen in this URL:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY


Photo from http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20090416/capt.1be572098ffd4621ab232344bf68f261.eu_britain_singing_sensation_lon111.jpg

FACTS:
Native of Scotland.
47 years old. Unemployed.
Cared for her mother for the most part of her rural life.
Garners the gargantuan and unexpected 3 yeses from a cynical panel.
Sang a track from the stage production Les Miserables.

I DREAMED A DREAM LYRICS:
I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high,
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving.

Then I was young and unafraid
When dreams were made and used,
And wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung,
No wine untasted.

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hopes apart
As they turn your dreams to shame.

And still I dream he'll come to me
And we will live our lives together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms
We cannot weather...

I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seems
Now life has killed
The dream I dreamed.
_____________________________

THE KINGDOM OF THE WINDS (Korean Drama Series)

Photo taken from
http://www.korean-drama-guide.com/kingdom-of-the-winds-korean-drama.html

SYNOPSIS:
The drama about the life of Jumong's grandson, Moo Hyul. The object of his love is Princess Yeon.

MAIN CAST:
Song Il Gook as Prince Moo Hyul / Daemusin , Choi Jung Won as Princess Yeon , Park Gun Hyung as Prince Do Jin , Jung Jin Young as King Yuri, Kim Hye Ri as Lady Mi Yoo (Yeo Jin's mother) , Lee Jong Won as Prince Hae Myeong (Moo Hyul's brother) , Kim Hye Sung as Prince Yeo Jin , Oh Yoon Ah as Hye Ap , Kim Jae Wook as Chu Bal So , Jang Tae Sung as Ma Ro (Moo Hyul's friend) , Kim Sang Ho as Ma Hwang , Park Sang Wook as Gwi Yoo , Han Jin Hee as King Daeso , Park Jung Hak as Sa Goo , Im Jung Eun as Princess Se Ryu.

The Kingdom of the Winds Theme Song

This is the Korean singer WHEESUNG. (Photo from http://wheesung.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/wheesung-flawless.jpg)

IN LIFE OR DEATH (By: Wheesung)
Taken from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k6uPydlmtg

saranghaeseon an doel saramirago, ije geuman eoseo doraseorago
miryeonjocha naui deungeul tteomineun gabwa
jiwonaedo jiwojijiga anha, miwohaedo miwojijiga anha..
geuriumman deohaeganeun geol

my last feeling push me to go away
because you are not a person who can fall in love with me
I try to forget you, I try to hate you... but I can't
the more I try, the more I miss you

neoreul saranghagiga nan neomuna apa
sumdo mot swil mankeum hime gyeopjiman

loving you is a heartache
I can't even breathe, but

cheonbeon manbeon taeeonado... todasi neol saranghae
geujeo neo eobsineun andwae... nan andwae... wo~ nae sarang
neul meolli itda haedo... neo oerowo ma~
sarado jugeodo... nae mameun
hangsang ni gyeote nama isseul tenikka

even if I was born thousand and ten thousand time, I'll love you
I can't live without you, just you... I can't... my love
even if we are far away, our love will grow... so don't be lonely
in life or death, my heart will stay with you

hoksi nunmurirado tto sae naolkkabwa
chama saranghandan mal motaetjiman

I couldn't say I love you
because I'm afraid a new tear will come again, but,

cheonbeon manbeon taeeonado...ttodasi neol saranghae
geujeo neo eobsineun andwae... nan andwae... wo~ nae sarang
neul meolli itda haedo... neo oerowo ma~
sarado jugeodo... nae mameun
hangsang ni gyeote nama isseul tenikka

even if I was born thousand and ten thousand time, I'll love you
I can't live without you, just you... I can't... my love
even if we are far away, our love will grow... so don't be lonely
in life or death, my heart will stay with you

nan eonjedeun jigeum gateun
maeumilgeoya, illyeonhuna
simnyeonhuna... baengnyeonhuna~
byeonhaji anheul i sarang idaero,
yeongwonboda deo orae jikyeogalge~

after one, ten, hundred years, my love will still be same
I'll love you longer than forever

cheonnyeon mannyeon heulleogado... nae sarangeun neoppunya
naega eotteoke neol ijeo... mot ijeo wo~ nae sarang
neul eogeutnanda haedo... neo uljineun ma~,
ibyeoldo sewoldo jugeumdo
gareul su eomneun uri saranginikka

you are my only love even after thousand and ten thousand years
how can I forget you? I can't .... my love
don't cry even if we can't meet anytime we want
separation, time, death.... nothing can separate us, my love.


Photo from http://www.koreandrama.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/the-kingdom-of-the-winds.jpg

Rising up... On Easter Sunday..

12th of April, 2009! A little past 7 o'clock in the morning. The majestic rays of the approaching sun cast much-needed light on a world that slowly creeps away from a seemingly evil power possessed night. Spring arrives as winter ends... Hope comes in as gloom retreats... Life comes back anew as hibernation is halted. Faith conquers again as unbelief and doubts fade. God is here; he is risen! He is alive!