天山山下牧牛羊

My beauty, Do not sing for me
         (Maksim Gorky, 1868~1936)

My beauty, do mot sing for me

The songs of Georgia, of grievance:

     For many women, there's nothing like an enticement of beautiful clothes and luxurious bags. They are often the choice for special occasions to show their fashion and style. But in my mind, while luxurious bags and beautiful clothes are an enticing option, it might not be the necessary option. Usually, I prefer everything in moderation.

   In spite of luxurious bags' global popularity, the question constantly comes up: Is a luxurious bag necessary? The biggest concern is bad social climate, make all of young people's goals and lifestyle are chasing  the money for that.

"Life is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you're gonna get."

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening雪夜停林邊
(by Robert  Frost, 1874-1963)

The lunar New year is coming soon, and a big feast will be prepared for every family in the New Year eve.

Last night my husband and I  were talking about what kind of food we will prepare for New Year's Eve before sleeping.

we didn't deciede what to buy in the year.

Before the  covid-19, the extended of my husband's family more than 40 people would come to my home, we make a reservation in a restaurant, and I only prepare some fruit, snacks, tea and coffee in my living room. After lunch, they get together in the living room,  adults are seated around the table, kids walk and run around the ground , eating,talking, laughing, playing,what a blessing scene.

Because of covid, we have stoped this big party since 2019.

  How can we live with peace of mind? It sounds easy, but most of us can't, because we can't be free from external interference and think too much. 

   This morning I went to Taiwan Business Bank to make a regular deposit, but the bank teller told me I couldn't, because my bank account was opened  in 中壢 not in 青埔. It made me uncomfortable in this highly networked time. But I thought I should let it go and  live in peace.

   Rarely do people know about a regular deposit account is not connected between different bank branches, now I learn from it.

Sudden light   似曾相識
(Dante Gabriel Rossetti 的詩, 1828-1882)

  Tomorrow is the end-of-the-year, time flies, If it were working,  I would stretch my palm to block the time fly or make my clock hand stop,  but you know that didn't.
   Recalling this year, we started from server covid-19, but we ended under the policy of unblocking. How lucky we are, so many people die from this pandemic, we are safe.
   I went to London for 41 days to visit my daughter in June. It's a happy time when I stayed at my daughter's home, but it's also a  difficult time when I tested positive with covid-19 on 27 June. 
While staying in London, My daughter and I have visited London Observatory, O2 stadium, Southend-on-sea, and several famous London streets and shops. That was an interesting trip.
  I planed  coming home on 29 June, but when I tested covid-19 positive on 27 June, I couldn't get up the airplane by Taiwan's law. I didn't have serious symptoms because I got three vaccinations and took medicine that I brought from Taiwan everyday.  But I was anxious everyday too, because I was afraid I would get a positive test again before I would get on the airplane on 9 July.

 "The man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder"---Thomas Carlyle.

Usually, we don't scrutinize "why am I alive"? We  eat, we sleep, we work and we want to make more money, but we don't muse about" what on earth am I here for"?

When I was working, I had a strong sense of purpose, I was busy  improving  students' learning skills everyday, I made a lot of decisions and policies to reach that.  I didn't have time to think about the meaning of life? But  I have nothing to do everyday after retirement, I felt empty and meaningless, I don't know why I am alive?

It's a poor society when I was a child, working to eat is deeply in everyone's mind. I don't know how to live when I don't have to work.

Then, I went traveling around the world and studied in English class, singing class, yoga class,etc. It is almost all of my time everyday. It makes me busy and I forget to get in a bad mood.  But occasionally I still wonder what the purpose of my life is?

How blessed I am.
因為住青埔,可以感受"五月天演唱會"的搖滾氛圍.
Last night my husband and I went to the "Mayday" concert in Taoyuan Baseball Stadium near my home. We didn't buy the ticket which sold out within 16 minutes of starting the sale  according to Yahoo News.
We stood outside the stadium with some young people and swayed with the rhythm in the cold winter night.  I am a fun of Mayday, but my husband isn't. He still accompanied me for a while and we went around the food stands and bought some snacks home. Sometimes I think I shouldn't  take my husband's love for granted.

Yesterday I rose with the sun.

Today I also woke up with the sun, but I lay  on the bed wrapped in a quilt. The feeling was so warm,relax, peaceful and calm. it seems a fish get into the water from the land .

I hold my pillow tight and let my thoughts flew anywhere, in the past, at this moment, in the future, thinking about friends, family, worked place, a moment of glory or sorrow and the poems of William Yeats.
Sometimes I put the video on, I enjoy the voices from studio classroom, sometimes I fall asleep again. 

https://keytopoetry.com/william-butler-yeats/analyses/the-falling-of-the-leaves/

Autumn is over the long leaves that love us,

And over the mice in the barley sheaves;

Yellow the leaves of the rowan above us,

And yellow the wet wild-strawberry leaves.

https://youtu.be/Y_PVavX1CzM

https://youtu.be/spPmgiccHNo

中文歌"當你老了" 歌詞(作詞趙照)改編自 Irish poet葉慈的詩, "when you are old".

每次讀英文詩, 因為英文能力不足加上文化差異, 和讀唐詩宋詞的詩情畫意比起來, 只能用"味同嚼蠟"來形容. 

一開始當我讀"when you are old"也是沒什麼feeling , 但配上中文歌詞時, 才深刻體會英文詩的美.

I　ｗｏｕｌｄ　ｂｅ　ｉｇｎｏｒａｎｔ　ａｓ　ｔｈｅ　ｄａｗｎ

ｔｈａｔ　ｈａｓ　ｌｏｏｋｅｄ　ｄｏｗｎ

ｏｎ　ｔｈａｔ　ｏｌd　ｑｕｅｅｎ　ｍｅａsｕｒｉｎｇ　ａ　ｔｗｏｎ

ｗｉｔｈ　ｔｈｅ　ｐｉｎ　ｏｆ　ａ　ｂｒｏｏｃｈ

Ｏｒ　ｏｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｗｉｔｈｅｒｅｄ　ｍｅｎ　ｔｈａｔ　ｓａｗ

Though leaves are many, the root is one;

Through all the lying days of my youth

I swayed my leaves and flowers in the sun;

Now I may wither into the truth.

Analysis:  (from Elite skills Classics)