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A Dark Night, a Campfire, and the Cross

Solo camping seemed like a novel idea. For months, I had imagined, romanticized, and formed a mental picture that I believed would be my most adventurous trip of the year. Spring break finally came. Even though part of me would rather sleep at home after three days of dissertation revisions, I woke up on Thursday with a spontaneous burst of inspiration to go after all.

I drove for two hours to Jones Gap State Park in Greenville, South Carolina. The campsite was nothing like the fancy RV sites in other state parks with flat ground, electricity, and water. Upon entering the site, I found myself facing a rocky, steep hill of about 58 struggling steps. It would have been fine if I had not brought a suitcase. Or if I had brought a sleeping bag instead of a comforter. Or if I hadn’t packed a basket full of food and utensils. Nevertheless, I pressed on, making about five back-and-forth trips to my car during the setup.

After eating a Publix-bought lunch, I decided to go for a hike. At the end of the trail, I came across a beautiful waterfall. “This is worth coming here for,” I told myself over and over again, admiring the gushing water from the top of a hill. The never-ending cycle of turbulent, aggressive currents was incessant. Ironically, listening to this noise gave me peace. I walked back, reflecting on the message I had read earlier that day, talking to God, and enjoying this sense of contentment. Upon returning to my campsite, I was excited to make my first fire. I gathered enough firewood and started preparing dinner. Since it was my first time starting a fire by myself, it was a series of trial and error. The fire kept dying out. After several attempts, I finally managed to heat the canned lentil soup, cook the ready-made rice, and fry an egg.

Towards the evening, the trip grew quieter. I soon found out that there is a difference between the word “peace” and “silence.” For me, peace is something attainable amidst a turbulent environment. Silence, on the other hand, tests you. Despite living alone, my life is never silent. Evenings are usually filled with phone calls to friends and family, surrounded by sounds of music, conversations, and the continuous noise of civilized life. Here, at the camp, the silence was evident. It seems like the adventures of the day paled in comparison to the loneliness that I felt during that time. I sat there outside my tent, beginning to regret my decision to camp alone. Tears started to form in my eyes, and I resolved to go home. In fact, I packed my suitcase and backpack, ready to dismantle my tent, when I saw the wood I gathered to make a campfire.

“What about all the firewood that I gathered?”

If I leave, it would be a waste of effort. I decided that a responsible thing to do was to burn the firewood, as leaving it might upset the park rangers. Still debating whether I should go home, I thought,

“If I go home, there won’t be any stories to tell. I did not make my first campfire. I did not see the chapel. If I go home, it means I did not face my loneliness.”

So, I started making the fire. The practice earlier was enough for this one to be successful (plus, I had lighter fluid). The crackling sound of the fire broke the silence. For some reason, I started remembering the instances of fire in the Bible–Moses and the burning bush, and the experience of the early Christian church. That’s it! A moment of realization dawned on me. When Jesus left and ascended to heaven, the disciples must have felt intense loneliness. The One they spoke with, lived with, and ate with, was taken away. Jesus knew this day would come, so He promised them a Helper.

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever–the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to You.” John 14:16-18

I sat by the fire for two hours, comforted by this promise. It was no longer silent. God had spoken to me, and my heart was filled with peace. Looking at the fire, I was reminded of the Holy Spirit, a beautiful assurance that God will never leave His children alone.

The next morning, I woke up at 5AM. It was not a restful sleep, considering it was my first time doing this. Nevertheless, I woke up with a renewed burst of energy! Opening my tent, I beheld the starry sky, its beauty reminding me once again of God’s promises.

I folded my blankets, disassembled my tent, and hiked down towards the parking lot, navigating without any light. My phone, my only flashlight, had died during the night. Feeling my way in the absolute darkness, I began to feel scared again. The darkness was overwhelming.

After an hour of breaking camp in the dark, I finally made way to the chapel. I arrived and found a lot of people and tourists taking pictures. As I looked at the crowd, I realized how different the scene must have been on the night Jesus was on the cross. The Bible describes this very moment when Jesus felt utterly alone.

“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Elie, lama sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?'” Matthew 27:46

I was reminded how scared I felt that morning, without any light to guide me as I walked. It is true that Jesus knows whatever we are going through. He feels every human emotion–whether it be happiness, or sadness, or loneliness. He even felt separation from God due to the weight of our sins. Looking at that cross that morning, I realized there is no greater loneliness than a life without Christ. The contrast between the midnight darkness and the burst of sunlight across the hills led me to whisper a prayer, thanking God for His sacrifice. His sacrifice brought light to this dark, sinful world and touches the heart of a dark human soul. That sacrifice brought light to our lives.

Nevertheless, if you were to ask me now, I would never camp alone again. In fact, I don’t recommend it for safety reasons. However, my curiosity has been satisfied. I can confidently say that I can make a fire, cook in the wild, and have faced my loneliness. Through this experience, I have also come to know myself better. I realized that no matter how much I tell people that I enjoy being by myself, I don’t mean that I don’t need people in my life. I learned that I was never truly alone because I have people with whom I share my life. And even in moments of intense silence with no one around, God was there. He has promised the Holy Spirit–a Comforter, a Counselor, and a Friend. The dark night, the campfire, and the cross served as reminders of this beautiful promise—that Jesus was, is, and will always be, with me.

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Teaching Harmonic and Melodic Lyricism Through Grieg’s Arietta

Overview

In this post, we will talk about Arietta, the first piece in Edward Grieg’s Lyric Pieces, Op. 12. A convincing and sensitive performance of a piece comes from a deep understanding of the different aspects in theory, history, and technique. In this post, we will focus on the harmonic and theoretical context, and some teaching strategies to achieve melodic and harmonic lyricism. At the end of this post is a five-minute teaching video of some demonstration of these points.

History and Background of Arietta

Edward Grieg was a Norwegian composer known for his nationalistic and folk melodies. In Leipzig Conservatory, he was trained under the best pedagogues in Europe such as Ignaz Moscheles and Carl Reinecke. [1] Schumann, Mendelssohn, and Liszt directly influenced his music, thus characterizing the German romantic tradition interposed with national awareness. He has felt the need to create a unique Norwegian style through folk melodies, and some authors had the impression that Grieg’s music reflects the way of life and landscape around him. Says one professor from Norway, “There was an intense and indissoluble relationship between the environment he lived and the music that he created.” He often spent his summer months in a secluded wooden cabin built for him in the midst of the mountains wherein to compose his music. [2]

Lyric pieces (originally “Small Lyric Pieces” or Lyriske smaastykker) is perhaps Grieg’s greatest contribution to the romantic piano literature, with its “melodic charm, rhythmic and harmonic freshness, and national flavor” [3] The 10 volumes present “simple, intimate mood images” that was loved even during his lifetime and gave him the title “The Chopin of the North.” [2] It was published from 1867 to 1901, that saw evolution in style and maturity of compositional writing. You will find the famous selections with descriptive titles such as March of the Trolls, Spring, and Wedding Day at Troldhaugen. Arietta, the first piece in his first book, Op. 12 is a favorite melody. He loved it so much that he used it again at the last lyric piece, Remembrances (Efterklang), this time as a waltz.

Some notable recordings include Leif Ove Andsnes and Alexander Goldensweiser, the latter who did a complete recording in 1950. [4]
Listen to this recording and how Grieg transformed his favorite melody into a waltz.

The Romantic Style: Three-Voice Texture

In order to fully understand Grieg’s Arietta, we need to talk about the general Romantic style. Composers commonly use the three-voiced texture. In fact, if you look at Songs without Words, No. 1 composed by Mendelssohn earlier, you will find the same texture and even the arpeggio shared by both hands.

Songs without words, Op. 19, No. 1, mm. 3-5

Composers seem to be preoccupied with the concept of foreground (melody), middle (filler), and background (bass). [5] This trend did not begin in the Romantic era as we find in Beethoven’s Sonata in C Minor, “Pathetique”, also a three-voice texture, which demands control of the inner voice and projection of the full duration of the top note.

How to teach Balance and Voicing in a Three-Voice Texture
  
1. Block chords. This will give the student the awareness to the underlying harmonies.
2. Let the student play the top note of each chord, followed by the rest of the chord in a lower dynamic level, to create a good voicing of the top note.
2. Isolate the voices. Play a combination of two voices. For example, the student can play melody and bass alone, or melody and middle voice. Isolation of voices forces the ear to listen to parts that it normally does no pay attention to.
3. Let the student play the arpeggio notes with one hand (either left hand or right hand), while you play the melody. Work on ensemble and balance. When student is playing with alternating hands, suggest to listen for this smooth harp-like accompaniment.

The Romantic Style: Rhythm and the Tempo Rubato

The Lyric pieces belongs to a period where music does not strictly follow time. Tempo rubato is loosely defined as the fluctuation around the basic pulse. In a way, it signifies freedom and liberties of the melody in relation to the accompaniment.

“We can and must play in rhythm, but we need not keep strict time whenever our feelings forbid it.” —Constantine von Sternberg

Our job as piano teachers is to help the students make intelligent and tasteful decisions on executing rubato. As John Berger, a violin professor puts it, “genuine rubato comes from a deep knowledge and familiarity with the music…and is strongly associated with the performer’s own musical expression of melodic and phrasal shaping.

Teaching Strategies for Tempo Rubato in Arietta

1. Practice steady rhythm devoid of rubato. Do rhythmic practice in groups of eighth notes and quarter notes, and eventually in half notes. Rhythmic practice is effective to give the students time to audiate in groups. It will also help solve the problem of hesitation and thinking beyond the bar lines.
2. Suggest relaxation at the end of the phrases, in climax or interesting harmonic changes, and to emphasize short and long durations.

Achieving Harmonic Lyricism

As we have mentioned earlier, Grieg’s harmonic vocabulary is an assimilation of the late-classical to early-Romantic traditions. One common practice that evolved during this time is the modulation to distantly related keys. [6] In this piece, though the modulation seems to be closely related (e. g. Eb-Cm- Gm-Eb), he modulates by bridging the common tones, usually in the melody. In fact, the melody seems to grow out of harmony. One important thing to note is his treatment of cadences, because they are the basis of the form and structure.

We cannot overlook Grieg’s genius use of chromaticism. Notice his treatment of the bass, in mm. 5-7 and mm. 8-9. What could have perfectly worked out as an Ab (subdominant), he substituted with A half-diminished seventh, to pave the way for a chromatic bass movement. He also used this chromatic voice leading in the inner voice, such as Bb to Cb in mm 1-2. This subtle voice leading suggests a smooth, sweet and unassuming lines. No wonder Arietta has a effortlessly smooth, and lyrical background!

“Alert sensitivity to the balancing of sonorities so that the musical sense of the phrase is not sacrificed to the busy inner activity.” — James Lyke

Teaching Strategies for Harmonic Lyricism

1. Illustrate the Tonic-Subdominant-Dominant-Tonic (I-IV-V-I) progression. Briefly describe how they relate to phrasing. Ask the student to make decisions how to create longer phrasing based on this concept.
2. Look for interesting harmonic changes in the piece, such as the unexpected A natural in m.6. To emphasize its impact, let the student play the expected Ab chord, then listen to how Grieg made it different.
3. Mark cadences (m10, m12, m20, m22) that concludes large phrases. Ask the student to listen for these points to breathe and take time.
4. Outline the form and look for similar passages or the return of material. Outlining the form is also a useful tool for memorization
5. For longer phrasing, treat common tones as indicators to continue the melodic line.

Achieving Melodic Lyricism

Arietta, which means “little aria” is an Italian term that means “an elaborate melody sung by a single voice that is accompanied by instruments. Arias are part of a larger work called opera or oratorio, and so ariettas are simpler versions of that. Talking about simple, the seemingly unassuming melody of Arietta could fool anyone easily because it looks easy. After all, they are just repeated notes. However, a careful look will show that the whole melody is actually played by fingers four and five. This is not an easy task for these outer and weaker fingers, especially if you want to achieve a legato sound.

One important aspect of this “simple” melody is the antecedent and consequence or the question and answer. This melody is linear and uses adjunct or step-wise motion, abundant in common tones.

How to Teach Melodic Lyricism

1. Ask the student to be familiar with the top line melody through singing, listening, and audiation. Have student play the bass line while singing the melody and suggest taking note of the contour and phrasing.
2. Experiment on different fingering on the melody. Suggest playing it even with the left hand. Use fingers (4-3-2-3) or other permutations to avoid over-familiarization to force the ear to listen to the line. Be aware of this smooth line when playing the finger four and five on the melody.
3. Have the student aim for graduated dynamics of repeated notes by playing in different areas of a single key (edge of key to inner portion). Use appropriate gestures such as higher wrist. Let the student listen to the underlying harmony as a guide.
4. Have the student practice without the pedal and depend on finger legato. Measure 11 requres a smooth transition to the second beat. Be careful that there is no hiccup here, or a detachment from Ab (finger five) to B (finger three).

           

The melody and accompaniment as two different instruments. Listen to this recording of a cello and a piano of the same piece.

Conclusion

Grieg’s Arietta, a piece for early to late-intermediate level, is a wonderful introduction to the characteristics of the Romantic piano literature. A wholistic approach and incorporation or theoretical concepts will aid the student to make intelligent and independent decisions regarding phrasing, musicianship, and production of tone.

Bibliography

1 Kode Art Museum and Composer Homes. Edvard Grieg Museum. https://griegmuseum.no/en/about-grieg#:~:text=The%20first%20time%20was%20a,had%20the%20greatest%20respect%20for.

2 Harald Herresthal. Edvard Grieg. http://www.mnc.net/norway/grieg.htm. Accessed October 28, 2020.

3 Finn Benestad and Dag. Schejelderup. Edvard Grieg The Man and the Artist. University of Nebraska Press. 1988.

4 Barela, Margaret M., and Paul J. Althouse. 2002. “Guide to Records: Grieg.” American Record Guide 65 (4): 109.

5 James Lyke, Geoffrey Haydon, Catherine Rollin. Creative Pa p 211

6 John Horton. Grieg. JM Dent & Sons LTD London. 1974

7 Lyric Pieces, Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyric_Pieces

8 Allysia, “Grieg’s Arietta Tutorial”, Piano TV: March 27, 2019

9 Shirley Kirsten, (HD) Piano Tutorial, Edvard Grieg Arietta Op. 12, No. 1, March 12, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaYOjc7sRpU&feature=share

10 Arietta, Collins Dictionary, 2019. Penguin Random House LLC.

11https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/arietta#:~:text=a%20short%20relatively%20uncomplicated%20aria,from%20Italian%2C%20diminutive%20of%20aria

12 Betsy Schwarm, Lyric Pieces (Encyclopedia Brittanica, 2013). Accessed on October 28, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lyric-Pieces

13 Layne Vanderbeek, “Harmonic Syntax in Edvard Grieg’s Lyric Pieces” (D.M.A., State University of New York, 2020), https://search.proquest.com/docview/2416928438?pq-origsite=summon

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VIEWS FROM THE OUTDOORS

Intro:

When Jesus was here on earth, He regularly finds time to retreat from his labors and go to the fields. “His hours of happiness were found when alone with nature and with God… The early morning often found Him in some secluded place, meditating, searching the Scriptures, or in prayer.” (DA39) If we but follow Jesus’ example and experience for ourselves, what object lessons and treasures He wants to teach!

LESSON #1: TREES AND CHAFF

Close to my apartment is a stream, rich in fauna and flora, including a rich foliage among trees. This place is my favorite study spot because of the shade provided by the trees, a refreshing find here at South Carolina (if you know what I mean). Whenever I pass this stream on my walks, one of my favorite Bible verses always comes to mind, “He shall be like a tree planted by rivers of water, his leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he does shall prosper.” Psalm 1:3


Not far from the trees is the campus lawn, trimmed every few weeks, bringing forth chaff. Again, it brings me back to the following verse: “The wicked are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.” Psalm 1:4

To which I then ask myself, “Am I a tree, or a chaff?”

LESSON #2: PLANTED BY THE RIVERS OF WATER

Water brings life. Water sustains life. It nourishes and revitalizes. A well-watered tree brings forth fruit in its season. Imagine taking the weeping willow and planting it in the desert. Suppose it will survive? Imagine a Christian who leaves the streams of Living Water to be planted in the desert of sin. Will he eventually cry out for water, because of natural thirst?

John speaks to us about the water that only Christ can offer. “The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14) Only by drinking this water will our thirsts be quenched.

To which the promise to every believing soul is found in Isaiah 44:3, “For I will pour water on the the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.”

*Thank you for reading. Now, I’m off to the kitchen to get me some water.

(Photo credit: Ezequiel Leyva)
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HOW TO PUT ON THE BEST MAKE-UP

Here is how you put on the most natural, organic, and cheapest make up in the world. It is also the hardest to put on, but lasts the longest. It requires dedication, commitment to beauty, and a serious discipline. So, if you are dissatisfied with your make-up products that peel off at the end of the day, you are in a perfect place.

1. Smile.

To do this, stretch the corners of your mouth in a curve, like a boat. For best results, show teeth. Practice a non-awkward smile in front of the mirror. However, the most natural smile is a genuine smile. To achieve this, surround yourself with people who do it often. They are not hard to find. If you can’t find them, simply look for the gloomiest person and smile. You might be surprised. Repeat process everyday.

2. Fill your mind with beautiful thoughts.

You can hide ugly thoughts, and cover them up with a mask. However, it will eventually radiate from within. The best solution is to remove the mask, fix the thoughts, and fill them with beautiful things. This is probably the hardest step, for it requires daily practice.

3. Use a Foundation.

A real one. The one that holds, and one that would not only remove all your blemishes but who will accept you just as you are. Use the one that has been tried and tested through all the years, decades, centuries and millenniums. One that will stand though the heavens fall. Go to the one who died for you. Yes, Jesus.

3. Consider the light.

Work with the light. Light shows you what to conceal, what to reveal, and what to highlight. You probably have this at your home already so you don’t need to spend anything. Just search any old bookcase for a forgotten thick book. Look up, it’s probably at the top shelf. Blow off the dust and flip its pages. Or, open the app that you use when the preacher says so. You know what I mean.

4. Watch Tutorials.

Also known as people. Look at how people with the most natural make up lives. Notice the joy, the way they view life, and how they treat others. Learn from other people’s success and mistakes. Ask questions. Comment. Receive counsels.

5. Create your own tutorials.

Learn. Teach. Repeat. It is not enough to watch tutorials. Create your own version. Be a mentor. The more you teach these steps, the more you learn to create a better version of the process. Share your story and make disciples.

3. Purify and Revitalize

As with any other make up, at the end of the day, you need to clear your skin. This is the most important step. You cannot recycle make up for the next day. Never sleep with unforgiven sins, with hatred, and with anxieties. Purify. Revitalize. Ask for forgiveness. Cast all your cares. However, this is the tricky part: you cannot do it on your own. Yes, only through the Holy Spirit.

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Proverbs 31:30

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Deserts and Walls

4d02d25f-f591-498b-9c08-a189b2d492daHave you ever had a kid who asks endless questions from the backseat? Now I know why. Backseats are the best thinking space, and children know this. Debates, arguments, ideas and deep questions all start at the backseat. I was the “child” at the backseat on a 34-hour drive across 9 states in the USA and here are the random questions that pop up whenever I am not asleep.

1. If you ran out of salt in the midst of a desert, what would you do?

2. Do animals think vehicles are also animals?

3. If I have a land in the middle of the desert, what address do I give? How do I receive mail?

I know Google has answers, but we didn’t have internet while traveling. Speaking of which, here’s another question:

4. How do you find answers if you are stuck in the middle of a desert?

I hear you saying these are pretty silly questions, but I’ve never been in an actual empty desert before that goes on for hundreds of miles and it was quite fascinating to see horizons on every direction. National Geographic has presented deserts as picturesque, with a sunset at the horizon. What it didn’t show was the feeling of emptiness and sense of loneliness.What if I actually live here, with no one around for miles and miles? What if no one can hear me no matter how much I scream?

They say that no man is an island (or a desert) and yet we are slowly drifting into a culture that seeks to be islanders and nomads.

Look around.

Some people live in “deserts” and have removed themselves from being too attached. We fear relationships and we fear commitment. On the other hand, some people want to move away from “deserts”. They feel that they struggle alone and that no one cares. This is worse than living in  desert without a street name and worse than running out of salt in the teepees.

Cities are full of people. People with downcast faces. People with headphones, oblivious to what is happening around. People looking down, checking what is happening to other people in other cities through the virtual images on their devices. People who avoid people. People who would rather not be with other people. We live in cities but we feel deserted. We give lots of spaces to one another. Which brings me to my next question:

5. If people like spaces so much, how come no one wants to live where there is a lot of it?

Well, we don’t want to live in deserts where there’s no Walmart for miles. So we build walls around us. We build tiny spaces. We hate intruders and shove anyone who invades our spaces. We refuse to listen to the cry next door, a cry from someone who was screaming for help.

Maybe we just have to leave our tiny spaces behind and take a few steps toward the next door who was crying for salt, or simply needing a friend.

So, my last question was:

6. If you were to choose between living in a desert with a few good friends and family or living in a city with no one who cares, what would you choose?

You don’t have to choose. You can be wherever byou are and love those who are around you.

 

 

 

*Right after the 34-hour drive from California to Michigan, I wrote a 500-word reflection on my phone. Then I forgot to save it. I should have spent that time talking to the people around me. How ironic! 

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Foreign Soil Tales

You probably know that feeling of wanting something new, that desire to conquer the unknown, and to reach a destination that only was a part of an imagination. You probably can relate to the obsession for a first-hand experience of what people only talk about, what you see in pictures and what you only hear others speak of. You probably understand the anticipation to see and feel and to be immersed in what was unknown. That was what motivates me to travel abroad to study.

When you reach the unknown, you end the journey of the UNKNOWN and begin a new one: KNOWN. But in between is a series of mishaps, trial and error, uncertainties, doubts and bewilderment.

My first few months as an international student was no better. Culture shock, a word I have only used as a term that denotes my shock when I see couples in PDA at an Adventist university, now creeps at me on every side and in every form. Burgers are served thrice the size of burgers in Jollibee, small servings of drinks are too much to handle, and there are no jeepneys. Then there was the endless exploration of how to use a dishwasher, an automatic laundry machine, an oven, the heater and airconditioner, and the shower. There were just too much buttons that one could almost imagine the houses also have options to fly.

Then there were fire alarms, and smoke alarms, and garage alarms which are totally foreign and unbelievable. These alarms were my worst enemies. The first attack on me was the smoke alarm while cooking fried tofu. The oil became excitedly hot, and smoke filled the kitchen. In Philippines this is totally normal! We fry daing and tuyo and all sorts of everything and there was no complain. So imagine my shock when the smoke alarm went off. How long will that sound? Why? And am I paying if it sounds? Will the fireman come? Lady=0, Alarms=1

The fire alarm was my road to instant popularity. A cellist requested me to accompany his Brahms sonata. We agreed to rehearse in the choir room, the largest room in the department, at night. At the appointed time, I went inside the dark room and reached for the lights. Yes, you guessed which one I turned on and the commotion it caused. FIRE ALARM! Everyone inside the whole building came out and called the campus safety came. The next day, a random person told me “We heard you caused some excitement last night.” Lady=0, Alarms=2.

The last attack before I even knew all these enemies happened in California, when I try to open my relatives’ house. One minute I was doing the passcode, the next minute, whole house was sounding the ear-piercing alarm for five minutes. My paranoia went to the whole new level when I heard police sirens and thought they were coming at the house. Lady=0, Alarms=3. New discoveries are never underrated.

In those first five months of discovery, I learned to be limit my daring spirit and my fascination to do things which other people haven’t done yet. Curiosity caused me to bike o Niles (16km from Andrews Univeristy). Am I proving something? No. Exercise? No. Curiosity? Yes. I started early morning in a cloudy weather. And in those trial and error days, I still haven’t developed the weather-check habit. Nor the checking the map habit. I simply followed the road and philosophically argues, Life is like a bike ride. You simply have to pedal one step at a time. And pedal I did, until I reached Niles, spend some few minutes at the lake side watching the lazy ducks. Heading home was not too bad until it rained. Hard. Cold. I was still philosophically arguing, “Life is like a bike ride. Sometimes rain comes but you have to pedal.” In the midst of that, a stranger stopped and told me how dangerous it is for girl, or anyone, to bike in the rain in that freeway. He offered me a ride, and I said no. He offered again. I said yes. Well, he looks fine and harmless. It was rather nerve-wracking and risky to ride with a stranger whose back seat is full of trash but brags about how much he earns and gives you a calling card to call him “in case you broke up with your boyfriend.” In that moment, I ran out of philosophical thoughts, only desire to get home. Ironically, sometimes the unknown is best left unknown.

But then, there was also this glorious discovery of the snowflake and winter in general which was so fascinating that I intend to actually write a whole picturesque article about it which begins with this: “One feels like in a hazy, dazzling dream. Everything is so dreamy that you can almost imagine a melancholic movie soundtrack playing in the background with a solitary figure walking on the snowy road, leaving footprints behind.” Then there is this endless surprise of what would spring up as lifeless soil in winter suddenly comes to life in spring. After the series of melancholic tones in winter comes a sunny major theme that even the robin transpose to a different mode. There was also the daily discovery that you can wear a snow jacket on Monday, a tshirt on Tuesday and a light jacket on Wednesday morning and back to snow jacket on Wednesday afternoon— which, by the way, happens during spring.

There still remains endless discoveries but hopefully no more will be said of alarm accidents, or stanger encounters. Today, I could philosophically say, in the journey of the knowing the unknown, one realizes their own resposibility to every decision however small it may be. But in events where judgement is clouded or limited given his background, God’s hand is present.

 

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Children in the Rain.

Childhood.

Genuine smiles.

Genuine disappointments.

Genuine happiness.

All day long you play and frolic in the sun.

And think of nothing else but what adventures lie ahead, TODAY.

No, not tomorrow.

Tomorrow is too foreign a term for a child.

For a child, tomorrow is the next day…

Not the FUTURE!

Tomorrow is when you can go and chase that butterfly again,

and run in the green rice fields, looking for snail eggs.

Tomorrow is when you would see your dear neighbor again,

look for small treasures, and see who runs faster this time.

Childhood, a time of genuine sorrows, too.

When all your plans for the day

Are shattered.

Because of the rain.

But children…

finds ideas to have contentment

amidst the rain.

Or joy, or satistaction.

Or sheer delights.

Rain!

How fortunate we are today.

No chasing of butterflies!

No running on the rice fields looking for snail eggs.

Rain, pour harder and harder.

So we could bathe outside,

wet and cold and fresh!

Greater joys than what could have been had the sun shown.

Smiles. Disappointments. Happiness.

Childhood.

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