Lantern Festival

by liyangsthoughts, posted in Anything and everything

This February is the first time in five years I am not busy with organising international performers at the lantern festival in New Zealand. I still remember vividly the first time I took part of that festival as a volunteer. I was assisting a group of lantern makers from Shanghai to install this 4 meters tall dragon over the street. We worked into midnight and I was shouting loudly in Chinese , translating for the other event organisers of the message they were trying to convey. That night when I got home I was so excited and I could not sleep. I told myself this was exactly the job I want to do. Work for events, to help other people to communicate, use my language skills.

Some say if you wish for something hard enough, the universe will hear you. In this case, it worked for me. 2 years later I got a job at the Asia New Zealand Foundation, and worked closely with Jennifer King. She is the person who started this festival in New Zealand. I could not describe how happy I was when I started working at the Foundation. Every week there were interesting events to attend and people to meet. My world was never the same again. Over the five years working on the festivals, I have made friends with so many performers from different parts of the world. I have been to the emergency room at hospitals too many times, due to performers getting sick or injured. I have “missing performers” after busing them off to sightseeing places. I experienced post earthquake chaos at the airport. I met Prime Minsters, diplomats, culture attache, CEOs and famous artists. I could not ask for a better role than the one I had at the Foundation. Most importantly, I had an an amazing bunch of people to work with. Each one of them have their own personality, unique set of skills to contribute to the work we do. Not only I learnt new skills from my colleagues, most importantly I learnt the value they have towards their work and the people. Respect, kindness, integrity and fairness all these are the things we value dearly at the Foundation.

Now I am in Beijing working at a complete different sector and enviroment. People ask if I miss the last job? Of course I do. I even dreamt of working back in New Zealand. Do I regret of moving to China? No I do not. I believe one thing certain in life is the constant change. I had to leave, for better or for worse, I need to have new challenges and get out of the comfort zone. It is true that new life in Beijing can get very uncomfortable sometime, it can be so frustrating at times, but pain makes me grow. It makes me realise exactly what I want and how to get it.

Tomorrow the festival will be back on again to celebrate the year of the sheep in Auckland. I know it will be enjoyed by so many people in New Zealand. I wish wholeheartedly that the festival will go superbly well. My colleagues will have a great time while doing this meaningful and amazing piece of work .

Nga mihi

Liyang

Thoughts after True Detective

by liyangsthoughts, posted in Films

true-detective

Its just the one story, the oldest, light versus dark.  –  Rust Cohle

The older I get the more I agree with what Rust said at the ending of the True Detective season 1.

In the end its about making a choice between light and dark. Rust’s theory of pessimism is also quite fascinating. I especially like how he addressed the insignificance of each individual, why do we think we are so important?

Life is a big illusion. in the end “Puff” it is all over. Game end. We struggle so much during this process of living. I wonder after someone has passed, does he ever wonder why not let go earlier to end the misery? That is if thought still exist after life.

With the recent events  we see so much hate round us, to the Jews, to the Christians to the Muslim, to the West , to the East. Does it really matter what we our beliefs are? Do we really need to defend it by costing other people’s lives? I am not so sure.

Time to write

by liyangsthoughts, posted in Anything and everything

Here is a quick summary of life in 2014

January – enjoyed the beautiful summer in New Zealand, hosted many house parties because we have a pool

February – Finished the last lantern festival , hosted China’s most well known rock band Tang Dynasty in New Zealand for two weeks

March – Organised the first hen’s night of the year then attended the wedding

April – Chill

May – Celebrated my birthday with the theme of a Oneseis party, over 30 people came all dressed up.  A few days later terrorists attacked my home city, 10 minutes away from where I grew up.

June – Registered as a married couple under the secret tree in Rosegarden. Decided on wedding venue for 2015 – in the mountains.

July – Hosted a group of business people from ASEAN , had an awesome trip in NZ, been to Hobbiton for the first time, took another group down south island visited the stunning Canterbury Highland farm

August – Organised the 2nd hen’s night of the year. Topless waiter arrived late so turned himself to a stripper for free.

September – Parents arrived New Zealand for long term stay.  I organised the 3rd hen’s night of the year. Bought a house within 2 weeks.

October – Went to Hawaii with 12 friends from NZ attended friend’s wedding. Attended Foundation’s 20th anniversary , left the best job I have ever had so far.

November – Parents left NZ coz grandma was ill, rented out the house, attended another wedding as the maid of honour 2 days before I leave NZ. Landed in Beijing, traveled non stop for 17 hours to my city to see my grandma for the last time. Back to Beijing, started new job, grandma passed away.

December – starting new job in a completely different sector, trying hard to adapt to the new life, getting sick for three weeks, got fake money, been to many live shows, caught up with many old friends, and finally sent out wedding invitations for next year.

James Foley

by liyangsthoughts, posted in People

If you search James Foley, it is a name associated with words such as ISIS, war on terror, American journalist beheaded etc. 

When I read the news, my first thought is what a horrible way to die. Then I thought about his family and hope they did not watch the video released by ISIS. With more reports on James work as a journalist coming out, I was drawn into images of him holding camera in war zones – the most dangerous situations on earth. 

From reading what his colleagues wrote about him, I imagine him being very brave, quick to action, charming and easy to get along. Because without these traits, it will be very difficult to survive in that environment. I also believe he has that type of personality which makes life sitting behind a desk or having a garden to mow seems worse than having bullets flying by your ear. 

Journalist is a carrer I have always been interested. James obviously loved what he does, not only he pursued this career and also did a good job. The ending of his life is the most tragic and made publicly by his murderer. He poured his life into doing the job as the messenger, go to the unknown, meet the people who have stories to tell to the rest of the world, and hope using media as a way to change this world a little at a time. I bet at times, when he has seen so much sorrow and unjust first hand, its hard to keep maintain that hope for a better tomorrow. But through the lenses of his camera, the words of his report, people live in the peaceful part of the globe get to see what life is like at the other parts of the world. Not only we feel sorry for those suffered souls in the war torn region, we also realise how important it is to keep the peace. It is very fragile,easily broken, lost and when it does , your world literally falling into pieces. 

James died as a messenger too. The killer hope to use this death to spread fear around the world. I am sure that is the last thing James would like to happen. His death makes me respect the journalists who risk their lives to pursue the truth. His death reminds me once again that we all have stories to tell, no matter what the ending is, it is what you have been through life means the most. Looking back at the life of James Foley, what he has achieved, what he has showed to the world, these are the things to remember and to carry on…

 

Myanmar – Inle Lake

by liyangsthoughts, posted in Travel

photo 3 photo 1photo 2

We landed at Heiho airport and found our own driver to the boat jetty . Normally the trip take about 1 hr 15 mins , we got there in 40 mins . The car is old with no sit belt .The driver took us to his friend’s tour company Sons of Inle . We got a good deal with US $69 we get transfer to and from hotel plus the full day boat tour. Our boat driver is really young and looked like a pirate . We were really happy with the experience. They seem to be a bunch of young guys trying to do business together . The boat isn’t fancy even the life jackets looked really old compare to the other boats we saw on the way . But every place we went the locals know our driver well .

The lake is stunning . Our room overlooks the water . In the early morning and late evening we can hear music played from the near by temple . Everyday at 4am the local fishermen do their sermon . I really enjoyed listening to the music floating across the lake . We also visited the local weaving workshop. It’s the only place in the world use lotus to weave fabrics . These fabrics are sold from US $20 to $700 . Takes two weeks to produce one scarf . The fabric itself looks nothing special but consider the amount of work put into it plus the spiritual meaning of lotus in Buddhism make it all very special .

We also visited this place with over 1000 temples and it is full of souvenirs shops . Locals get their photos taken expecting a small donation as well . We exercised our bargain skills and got a few gifts for friends back home . I was quite pleased with a gold coloured wooden fish which I bought from this pregnant lady who was holding her young child. Hope the money get to help a little with her expecting another little one.

I came across two really annoying incidents with big tour groups on this trip .Once was this French woman who is about to hop on her bus at the first hotel we stayed , she noticed some local cleaners were scrubbing concrete floors . So she and the other travel companions pulled out their cameras aiming at them . Suddenly these poor cleaners were surrounded by them and being taken pictures . This French woman kept asking them to scrub harder, one of the cleaner jokingly asked her to do it herself. Although it all seems to be good humour, I think it’s really disrespectful towards the locals.

Another incident was when we were about to board our plane , two American ladies around late fifties cut right in front of us said “Excuse me” then trying to go through the gate as well . The airport staff told them it’s not their flight , they walked away. I wonder who said as long as saying excuse me you can just jump the queue ? They probably got too used to the first class service .
My point is I think big tour groups sometime lack of the culture sensitivity . Human beings when act as a pack can sometime easily feel superior towards others

Our flight from Inle to Yangong is delayed due to heavy fog . Sitting at the airport with lots of European tourists . I can hardly find any local tourists.

Now the fog is easing up we may get to fly out soon . Last night will spend in Yangong .

1st Dec 2013 written at Heiho airport