philosophie.

I am finally back to New York

.. and just in time for Irene’s visit! Where I am in Manhattan, however, seem to be relatively unaffected as I opened my window on a peaceful Sunday morning, there was only the playfully ferocious breeze coming through, no more rain and even a bit of sunshine. I know it is absolutely a blasphemy to say that I am slightly disappointed that Irene didn’t come as hard as they proclaimed it would, considering there are so many people who lost lives in Katrina and the most recent tsunami in Japan, but at least I had hoped that the rain would go on all through Sunday. Please forgive my demonic thoughts – don’t we all have a little bit of that sadistic contradiction in us?

In any case, a long and complicated story short, they let me cross the border into the States and prior to coming back to the big apple, I had taken a week off to spend at a wonderfully cozy cottage at the shore of Lake Eire. Magnificent sunset accompanied by wine on the private beach, my heart was filled with so much thanksgiving for the obvious luxury of being set in such a poetic scenery, but also, above all, the mere fact of living. What a month of lesson-learning and soul-detoxing.

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When I came back, half of my plants already died (my heart cringed at the sight of lifelessness); however, my mettlesome congo pepper produced a fruit! I was elated. :)

And with my first pepper, I created this dish which is light for the summer, but super spiecy.

I miss you.

we are accosted

vegetarian?

If you knew me well, you’d know that I would be one of the last carnivores standing and would never, NEVER (ok only once accidentally) set foot in a vegetarian restaurant. But now, after much rumination and thanks to my friend Effie”s laudable recommendation, I am going to make an attempt at eating no meat – except sea food/egg/milk. I welcome the peer inspection!

read Gombrich, if you haven’t

I’ve been reading E. H. Gombrich’s “The Story of Art”, and I must say, though I’ve been taking fine art history classes in my undergraduate studies, many things I learned didn’t make sense until I read this book.

Gombrich, also in his “Little History of the World”, explains to us of his scholastic  austere and profuse knowledge in the most comprehensible language. I remember just a few days ago while dining with friends right after seeing the new Harry Potter 7 movie, my friend remarked on his elementary-school cousins’ ability in recounting literally ALL the details of the entire series of Harry Potter books, from the names of the spells and potions, to the plots and character development. We cannot help but to wonder what would happen if math, chemistry, geography, history etc. were all taught in a manner as interesting at the Harry Potter books - after all, “interest is our best teacher”.

I think Gombrich has done exactly that.  If I were to teach one day, I would like to do exactly that.