Revisiting "Whispers And Lies" - A Masterpiece Of Mystery By Joy Fielding

If there is one suspense book that strikes me the most PSYCHOLOGICALLY, it's Whispers And Lies (referred as W&L below), by Joy fielding, one of my favorite contemporary mystery writers. I wrote a review years ago, but that's not enough. I even wrote an email to the author a while after I read the book and was thrilled to receive her kind reply. I also purchased a copy for my friend in China. How my friend enjoyed it I do not know (her English might be obstacle of enjoying the story thoroughly), but all these years, this book remains as the best psychological thriller to me, and that's why I purchased another copy recently, and re-read some of my favorite parts of it.

W&L starts slowly and gently, with the main character Terry Painter, a middle aged single woman and hard working nurse, interviewing her potential tenant of her cottage, the 29 year-old good looking Alison Simms:

"She said her name was Alison Simms.
The name tumbled slowly, almost languorously, from her lips, the way honey slides from the blade of a knife. ..."

Falling In Love With Photography

Life is full of surprises. At this moment that I thought I put art behind, I fall in love with art in different form: photography. I bought a DSLR camera, started shooting around during this love spring, and totally enjoy it!

In my past life I always liked to carry a camera with me during seasons, especially autumn and spring, but never thought to buy a good camera, because I never thought camera would make much difference. As an artist, I seemed to believe that composition was the most important element among almost any visual art forms. However, after purchasing this Canon EOS Rebel T5 1200d, a new world revealed before me! Technology does make difference: images look sharper, colors are more correct (which means more beautiful!), and I am able to take images during many different lighting conditions.

This is a new hobby to me, and I am very happy to explore this new world!

Put Art Behind - My New Art Webstie

Despite that I always know that art is not the best for me as a life time endeavor, and feel that art profession for me is overall like a very unhappy marriage which hindered many other interest of mine, I am still proud of what I've done in this field, professional or none professional wise.

Having not being able to focus on reading or writing for a while (due to my physical condition), I decided to re-organize my art works and put some of them into multiple art sale places to try my luck. I don't hold much hope on this task as I know art sale never is easy, especially, for a "retired" artist like me, who would not likely create many more works. I do this mostly just to put a big period mark to my past. I may paint or draw again sometime, but I am more than happy to move along, spend my rest of my life for something I wanted to do so badly but couldn't because of "art".

Goodbye art! No matter how many unhappy - sometime even miserable - moments we had together, I am willing to keep only happy ones in my memory, like how I remember Savannah.

My updated art blog (not completely done yet):
Mei's Art Works

Who Is To Blame?

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Probably, so often the reason we (not all human beings but quite significant portion of them) don't like others' strange but harmless behaviors is not because we don't accept them by our moral standards, but because we are not comfortable about our own reactions. In other words, when facing some totally foreign or unconventional behaviors, we simply do not know how to react, so in order to prevent us from embarrassment of awkward reactions, we choose to blame others.

I myself is not completely from this ignorance, but at least now I know.

Childhood and self-esteem

Agatha Christie plaque -Torre Abbey portret (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

(A re-post, slightly edited)

Agatha Christie said: "One of the luckiest things that can happen to you in life is, I think, to have a happy childhood."

If we take "love" - love in any form: romantic, family and friendship - as a proof of our life existence, love is certainly the most important aspect of life, because only if we appreciate our existence in the first place, are we able to fulfilled it. The more love we receive, the more meaningful and joyful we feel our life is. That’s’ why we all desperately search for love.

Focus

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

An optimist focuses on positive side of reality; a cynic (or pessimist) focuses on negative; an objective, honest and courageous mind focuses on neither, but only the big picture, or whatever is "eye-catching".

Do You Play "Go" - A Game That Resembles Life?

English: weiqi-qi (go-qi) 中文: 圍棋的氣（以黑子為例說明，圖中 X 為黑子的氣。） (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I first learned playing board game Go (Chinese 围棋, pronounce as Wei Qi) during my college years. I played a lot in my 20s, during which I had lots of free time. I was absolutely obsessed with this game. After I came to America, life as an immigrant became a survival struggle, I had no time for such luxury. Starting from recent months, as my general life condition gets better, I again indulge myself in this game.

The rule of the game is very simple: two opponents face an empty board with 19x19 grid (alternatives are 13x13, or 9x9, etc.), one side holds black stones, another white, place stones on board alternatively, each time one stone. The objective of the game is to occupy more space than your opponent when game finishes. Of course, there is certain rules of life and death, which means the stones on board have to stay alive, otherwise the space of dead stones would belong to opponent.

Stunningly Stupid Yet Disturbing Materialism Among Chinese Communities

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Last weekend while conversing with an acquaintance of mine about economy, I mentioned a person who I knew remotely, who saved $350,000 but soon lost majority of it in stock market. Right after I pronounced $350,000, my story was interrupted by this question: "What? 350 thousand you call it 'rich'"? I looked at him, knowing perfect why he presented such an out of context question, calmly looked at him in the eye and said: "$350,000 is a big number to me."

Of course, I didn't have to admit to him that I was "poor", since it's so obvious, but my point was to exhibit in front of him, that someone just didn't mind to admit how "poor" she was. According to current Chinese "fashion", it's utmost embarrassing to "uncover" your slim wallet. And I have to add, the "poverty line" set by these riches is very high!

Charlotte Bronte On Jane Austin

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Charlotte Brontë on Jane Austen

I have likewise read one of Miss Austen’s works—Emma—read it with interest and with just the degree of admiration which Miss Austen herself would have thought sensible and suitable. Anything like warmth or enthusiasm—anything energetic, poignant, heart-felt is utterly out of place in commending these works: all such demonstration the authoress would have met with a well-bred sneer, would have calmly scorned as outré and extravagant. She does her business of delineating the surface of the lives of genteel English people curiously well. There is a Chinese fidelity, a miniature delicacy in the painting. She ruffles her reader by nothing vehement, disturbs him by nothing profound. The passions are perfectly unknown to her; she rejects even a speaking acquaintance with that stormy sisterhood. Even to the feelings she vouchsafes no more than an occasional graceful but distant recognition—too frequent converse with them would ruffle the smooth elegance of her progress. Her business is not half so much with the human heart as with the human eyes, mouth, hands, and feet. What sees keenly, speaks aptly, moves flexibly, it suits her to study; but what throbs fast and full, though hidden, what the blood rushes through, what is the unseen seat of life and the sentient target of death—this Miss Austen ignores. She no more, with her mind’s eye, beholds the heart of her race than each man, with bodily vision, sees the heart in his heaving breast. Jane Austen was a complete and most sensible lady, but a very incomplete and rather insensible (not senseless) woman. If this is heresy, I cannot help it. If I said it to some people (Lewes for instance) they would directly accuse me of advocating exaggerated heroics, but I am not afraid of your falling into any such vulgar error.

 —Believe me, yours sincerely,
C. Brontë.
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I think this explains why I could not make myself into Jane Austin, though I tried several times.

The Profound Loneliness And Tenacious Reason Of Jane Eyre And Villette

Jane Eyre (1970 film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I just can't get enough of Jane Eyre! Words cannot describe how much I love this book. Up to now, it sits undisputedly on the top of my favorite literature books, even on top of Les Miserable. Of course, I do not doubt the profoundness of Les Miserable regarding to human nature in general, but Jane Eyre is more special to me personally, as I feel related to "her" in so many ways.

Jane Eyre not only strikes me with her independence, as I put it in my previous post, but also with countless other aspects. For examples, her rebellious disposition - "I resisted all the way." (beginning of Chapter 2); her sharp inquiry about blind religious obedience, which is reflected in her friendship with Helen Burns; her unusually pre-matured intelligence, such as her quick learning ability, her art talent; and above all (even above her independence), Jane Eyre strikes me with her tenacious reason, which never gives way to her frail sentiment.

Dependence

It's OK to be dependent - as we are all humans and humans are social animals, which means we survive as groups, not individuals, but it's not "wise" to disappreciate the persons or things you depend on.

Stephen Fry On God

I admire his courage and intellectual sharpness, period!

Scientific Theory, Evolution (Quote)

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

"...a scientific theory is not merely a best guess. It is a hypothesis that - through experiment after experiment, study after study, analysis after analysis - has yet to be refuted.

... evolution is not only a theory, it's also a fact. The key to understanding evolution is to recognize how it can be both:
As a fact: Evolution is simply genetic changes occurring through time in a group of individuals (a population, a species, and so on). Scientists know that these changes occur. They can see the changes, measure them; in many instances, figure out when they happened.
As a theory: Evolutionary theory seeks to explain what's responsible for the evolutionary process - in other words, what causes these changes. What scientists know today is that natural selection and genetic drift are two key forces driving these changes."

--- Evolution For Dummies, page 335-336, by Greg Krukonis, PhD, Tracy Barr,

Argument Is The Healthiest Thing In The World

English: Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies debate at UNC in the New West building (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have to just admit that I love argument*. I found dialectics is one of most charming art humans ever created. I also realized, my fondness of dialectics is one of primary reasons that many people stay away from me, and the reason for that, I found, is just that most people think disagreement is too unpleasant to handle.

Scientific Theories And Religious Theories - Are They Same Thing?

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Today, near the end of my art class, a student asked me my opinions about religion and science. I was glad to talk about it, though obviously it's not the subject of my teaching. The discussion was interesting. I said that the difference between religion and science is that religion derives from our wish, science from facts. One of students immediately disagreed, saying science derives from theories as well as religion, and claimed that their science teachers told them so.

Why Is Art More Popular Than Literature?

Because it's easier and safer for us to pretend that we UNDERSTAND.

True of false?

How Can We Not "Offend" Anyone? Are We All Equally Guilty?

English: "How dare I, Mrs Reed?
How dare I? Because it is the truth."
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I consider myself a highly "self-principled" person regarding morality. However my principles are simple and fundamental, not emphasizes on behaviors, courtesy or any kind of superficial traditions, and they are not made by any other human beings but myself. In a word, I follow my inner voice.

My first moral principle is clear and firm: never do anything to purposely hurt anyone. Just like Jane Eyre, I learned kindness through my hardship: When I was bullied during my childhood, the pain I felt when I was savagely beaten, only "inspired" me to make resolution, that I would never exert the same kind of pain to any other persons. Yes, I learned that before I heard the name of Jesus Christ, or Buddha, or any other "Saint"'s voice. And I can proudly say that in my life I've never done anything purposely hurt anyone.

Monologues of Jane Eyre As (Once Again) An Outcast

Brilliant monologue and some excerpts from chapter 28, where Jane Eyre is again, an outcast, even faces the danger of starving to death.
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Not a tie holds me to human society at this moment--not a charm or hope calls me where my fellow-creatures are--none that saw me would have a kind thought or a good wish for me. I have no relative but the universal mother, Nature: I will seek her breast and ask repose.

Jane Eyre - One Pair Of Feet Planted In Independence

(They say that Jane Eyre is a required reading materials for high-school students. So does this mean a high school student can have a decent understanding of this literature classic? I read it when I was 16 or 17, but what I understood back then? “None”(exaggeration I may. I loved the book and watched the movie 6 times!). Because over 30 years later I re-read this book again, it struck me anew, electrified me like no other books!)

Jane Eyre, an orphan, an outcast of her own kindred, a ward of abusive institution, grows into a well learned and highly intelligent young woman. She learned kindness through hardship, learned love through her hateful abusers. Beside all these qualities, she has an earnest disposition for independence, which strikes me the most. Jane RESISTS anything that imposes upon her without her consent, not only cruel abuses but also mellow sweet love. Nothing can stay her way to hinder the will of her own. Yet she is soft, kind, sensitive and forgiving.

Jane Eyre As A Begger - A scene Ignored By Screen Adaptations

When Jane Eyre leaves Thornfield with astonishing resolution, she drops the heavenly happiness behind, throws herself into an absolute unknown fate. She spends 2 days in a coach, which takes all the money she has, which drops her in middle of no where. In the following 2 days, she is nothing but a beggar - who is ready to give up her last bit of pride for a slice of bread.