December 1st, 3:13 PM, 2008
It’s been almost three months since I have taken up being a part-times professor at PARSON THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN, Fashion Design teaching Senior Concept Development to last year students, preparing them to shape their portfolio when they graduate next spring to venture into the ‘jungle world’ of fashion.
My 17 young students have taken a very big chunk of my vital energy. It is surprising to my knowledge that all of them come in zip-zip / up-down kinds of levels in their design abilities, yet everyone falls into one same class with tremendous differences in expectations.
I learn as I go along teaching them ... In most of my students I find innocent, dedicated and pure artistic endeavor energy that is nearly impossible to find in today’s commercial society. Connecting with this group of a new generation somehow makes me feel upbeat and youthful ... I am really having a good time!
Let’s see how this will lead into some even more delightful surprise events yet to come?
October 18th 6:35 PM, 2008
In this beautiful fall weather echo my focus back to a Zen book that I read years ago – “When we’re in relaxed mood ... all divine ideas come to us.”
My Japanese friend, Seiko talked about it once; I keep this simple sentence as a constant practice. As a matter of fact, I might have known this concept and technique since I was an innocent kid ...
9 May, 10:22 PM - The Light Experience
I laid my body completely flat on the floor to relax, closed my eyes, then curled all my fingers and with index fingers softly rubbed over my closed eyelids like a very tired baby. Two strong white spots of light shined right onto my face with greater degrees of lightness on the edges. I tried to open my eyes and get out of it; but I did not ... maybe because subconsciously I wanted to experience it. Then I felt a strong headache, very heavy head, as if I had a fever. I then felt an electric vibration that went from my head gradually down to my body and to the end of my feet. As on a movie screen the two white spot lights spread into a geometric pattern of broken lines and dots with black space in between... I was calmer by now. I remember I “looked into this image with a deep concentration”, yet enjoyed the details at the same time. And then the picture changed again - to a pale lilac grayish color background with exceedingly soft purple mini doted lines, one on top of another, forming a slow motion of a 3 dimensional flower with petals right in the middle. I had an impression of a living cell... very gentle ... loving and feminine.
I rested quietly then opened my eyes. With my usual gesture of rolling up my natural colored yoga mat of jute plant; I left the room with the group of people. No one knew what had happened to me during that 10 - 15 minutes unless they find and read this journal that I am writing right now.
What was happening to me ... Hello?
May 5, 2008 10:30 pm
I constantly remind myself that focus is concentration, and concentration = meditation. There are about 2,500 to 25,000 thoughts an average person could have in a single day.
Martin, a numerology expert I met a few months ago at Emily’s apartment, gave me a great hint for my emotional process: management and discipline. Then I will be the winner!
OK. Let’s eat brown rice all day long and see what happens?
March 9, 2008 3:30 PM
“I once lived in Boston and worked as a cocktail waiter. I had a lady customer who had no arms. She smoked and drank from her bare right foot right in front of me at the bar... Isn’t that cool!” He then continued to the next sentence, “ Look for a focus point that doesn't move; imagine you're Oscar ... an Oscar statue. And use your heart to focus, which’s always the right way. I often meditate and see a Buddha face ... But of course you can imagine Dolly Parton if you want to ...” Then the class started to giggle!
The above is the story of my yoga teacher’s lesson on Sunday morning. I find Tim’s harmonious smiling face and very spontaneous personality rare and charming. What a great person to connect with, especially on relaxed weekend mornings.
As a matter of fact, if one looks closer, his face does resemble Indian deities.
March 2, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Right after my delicious veggie dinner at my favorite Indian restaurant, HAVELI, which has been operating for the past 13 years:
I headed down to this commercial street full of downtown kids, St. Mark Place. I bent and twisted my head trying to look at the head sign of this basement retail shop — The Iron Fairies. A neat place really — resembles a unique atmospheric essence of the movie HARRY POTTER. I wandered around and around looking at handmade soaps, candles, candle-stand, etc, where they all look like ancient products that have been kept ’till now for sales. They’re 24 iron fairies ( both the good and naughty types ) scattered on the window display. With dim lighting they seemed ‘fully alive’ on this relaxed Sunday night. The young sales lady, who also resembles a light energy, knows the names and stories of all the fairies.
I have no idea why I am so affected by them ( as I recalled I wrote about a Chinese Tang fairy in my old journals ); have yet to make a wish with a package of dust that was given to my by the jolly sales lady.
Iron Fairies Dust
Sprinkle this dust,
On your fairies in rush,
Wait and you’ll see,
How you have let me go free!
Oh Richard ... Richard! Richard! You are dreaming about divine beings of angels, fairies tonight. But you must also focus on this coming month of Asian art fair and close some damn good big deals. OK!
OK ... Brings all these divine sisters beside me, bless me and go to be my own Peter Pan!