Classical-post #8

Love is all around
Been out and about doing other things lately... but now I'm back with some classical-recs, folks!


I'm currently in love with Edward Elgar's "Salut d'amour" (I think it means "love salutation"? Wild guess, haha).

This version in particular, is a lovely blend of 5 instruments: piano, flute, violin, cello, and trumpet. What a beautiful harmony it makes! <3

-tmsh-

Classical-post #7

Times of trial
In the midst of a turbulent heart, always seek for the silver lining and cling to the hope abound.


Tonight, I empathize with Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.2, a musical retelling of how one's inner turmoil:
Starts at the brink of despair,
Develops a sense of hope, then
Evolves into a flush of freedom.

There is a time for everything; for everything there is a time.
And I truly believe He makes all things beautiful in His time.

In His time, in His time
He makes all things beautiful in His time
Lord, please show me every day as You're teaching me Your way
That You do just what You say in Your time

-tmsh-

Classical-post #6

More than words
Have you ever had a day when you just feel it, but can't express it?


Faze out in wordlessness with "Song without Words No.1 in E Op.19b No.1" by Mendelssohn. (...that's one long title for a song that doesn't have any words.) X-D

-tmsh-

Classical-post #5

Dance after the rain
Had a lively game of 'dancing' on the courts earlier this evening, drizzling aside.


Now, enjoy one of Chopin's well-known tunes for dances, the "Grande Valse brillante".

Happy Sunday,
-tmsh-

Classical-post #4

Gloom looms
It's been a gloomy day for the most part, but it doesn't mean a gloomy mood.


Have a thoughtful twist with "Alborada de gracioso", the first movement from Ravel's all-famous Miroirs.

-tmsh-

Classical-post #3

April has arrived
And it's looking to be a fantastic month ahead.


On this day of fools, let's take it lightly with Dvořák's "Humoresque". ^^

-tmsh-

Fool around with this

Are you right or left-brained?

Do you see the dancer turning clockwise or anti-clockwise?

Source: HeraldSun.com.au

If clockwise, then you use more of the right side of the brain and vice versa. Most of us would see the dancer turning anti-clockwise though you can try to focus and change the direction; see if you can do it.

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS uses logic, detail-oriented, facts rule, words and language, present and past, math and science, can comprehend, knowing, acknowledges order/pattern perception, knows object name, reality-based, forms strategies, practical, safe

RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS uses feeling, "big picture"-oriented, imagination rules, symbols and images, present and future, philosophy & religion, can "get it" (i.e. meaning), believes, appreciates spatial perception, knows object function, fantasy-based, presents possibilities, impetuous, risk-taking

-tmsh-

For the curious

Who, me? First I kept seeing her move clockwise, and no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't make her go the other way. After frustrating myself for 10 mins, I went to read a book, and an hour later when I came back, there she was going anti-clockwise. Now I can pretty much choose the direction at will. Go, brain.

Classical-post #2

Monday not-so blues
Got a lot done today. Go me! To celebrate, here's Gershwin's "I got rhythm".


Have a rhythmic-week, folks. ^^

-tmsh-

Classical-post #1

It's one of those days


Chopin's "Fantaisie-impromptu" adequately represents what I'm feeling right now: mixed up, rush & tumble... at the same time contemplative and hopeful.

-tmsh-

Here I am, Here we are

Intro: Keeping Up
There's something good about following a so-called trend. It keeps you up to date with the here and now, with a glimpse of what's already happened and what's likely to occur.

For instance, this blogging thing. My guess is that a tidal wave of blogs are getting created every day, from practically every internet-connected country around the world. It's one of the highest-adopted trends, that's being followed by young and old, teen and 'tong' (istilah buat para lansia yg udah kayak "tong" juga - banyak pengalaman buat di-sharing-in), commoner and celebrity alike.

Anyway, what I particularly like about this blogging trend is that it spans horizontally across virtual distances, and vertically from points in time to... possibly limitless other points in time. (At this moment let's choose to ignore its potential negativities, like extreme blogging overtaking reality, for the purpose of this topic.) As a 'trend', it becomes part of self-expression, and also part of everyday life - which is where I'm headed to talking about next.

Carpe Diem
Speaking of everyday life, let's start off with a simple question: How often have we relived the past and looked forward to the future, but forgotten to experience the present?

There was a fictional story I once read that had this little dialogue exchange between two friends:
"What time is it now?"
"It's 9:57 pm, 7th November 2005."
"How many 9:57 pm, 7th November 2005 do you get in a lifetime?"
"Just one. Does that make it special?"
"What makes a particular moment special isn't when it is, but how it was spent, whom it was spent with. And as for the 9:57 pm, 7th November 2005 that just passed, I spent it walking with you."

For most of us (including myself), probably all too often we take those "9:57pm"s for granted. Especially during a not-so-pleasant experience or a period of uncertainty, there's a tendency to want to "fast-forward" our lives to a more 'certain' state ("What will I be doing by year XX?") or to just revel in happy memories ("I wish I could go back to being YY years old, life was so simple back then."). And not to forget, the never-ending "what-ifs" ("I wonder what would have happened if I had done this and that...") that fill the mind in the middle of the night, when you're already exhausted but not quite sleepy yet. Although the body is physically in the "here & now", the mind and heart tend to get caught up in the "there & then".

I'm not saying the past isn't important, and definitely not implying the future should be ignored. But I guess it's important to be reminded that God gave us life to enjoy, to share and to do things NOW, not just wait until the 'right moment' comes, etc. At the end of the day, it's about being effective by way of having a good balance and perspective; hence, the title I picked for this site.

Everything in Moderation
So much to do, so little time. Ain't that true for most of us? Is it really time that we're lacking, or are we trying to do too many things, too much, too fast? Too, too, too - that's the problem, not time.

Essentially, 'moderation' is about making sure things don't go into "too"-land. I'm sure everyone has his or her own idea of the 'degree of moderation', and it's fine. What's important is to consciously do what we choose to do, make the most of what we can do, and know why we're doing it.

For me, keeping things in moderation doesn't mean having a sub-standard goal, or only half-enjoying a meal. On the contrary, it means being able to experience a lot of things by learning something new everyday, going somewhere I've never been, striving step-by-step to achieve my dreams, enjoying the simple pleasures, spending time with the people I love, helping others in any way I can big or small, simply being myself, and serving Him in every aspect of my life. And I guess, that's essentially pretty much what this blog will be about.

Here's to living life to the fullest, no matter what, when, where, and how!

-tmsh-

PS: This isn't meant to be a philosophical blog, but this kind of topic just sort of... gets you in the mood, y'know. ^^ Expect more random, casual, fan-related babble in later posts.