two-windows

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boom.

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Excerpt from "If I Should Have a Daughter."

I want her to see the world through the underside of a glass bottom boat, to look through a magnifying glass at the galaxies that exist on the pin point of a human mind. Because that’s how my mom taught me. That there’ll be days like this, “There’ll be days like this my momma said” when you open your hands to catch and wind up with only blisters and bruises. When you step out of the phone booth and try to fly and the very people you wanna save are the ones standing on your cape. When your boots will fill with rain and you’ll be up to your knees in disappointment and those are the very days you have all the more reason to say “thank you,” ‘cause there is nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline no matter how many times it’s sent away.

- Sarah Kay

To those that might need to hear it. Hang in there.

Joseph Goh Shen En

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sangfroid

everything will be alright somehow

belle

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/

day is night night is day sometimes i feel tired of hiding and sometimes it’s okay what seems to be is not and also is everything

i don’t want to feel the way i do but i can’t help but feel the way i feel without

belle

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saudade

nothing is simple

we are on two different continents separated by sea and this great divide comes crashing in like waves when you least expect it, drowning us in the waters of our love, our worry, our fear

we won’t know where the waters end but at least we know we went down fighting

come back soon it’s been crazy

belle

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The Pigeon Feeding Professor

In a dimly lit room, my photography professor sifts through my images. 

He slows down upon reaching this woman, and regards her slowly.

 “Who is this person?”

“I … I have no idea.”

“Come on, Make a guess.”

“I don’t know. I was in this alley when she appeared, reached into her bag and started feeding the pigeons with breadcrumbs from her bag. I snapped a number of images. She noticed me, walked up to me, and informed me, ‘I’m feeding the pigeons’. Then she left.”

“Do you think she’s homeless?”

“I don’t think so. She’s too well dressed for that.”

“Then who is she?”

“If I had to make a guess, based on her clothes, probably middle class, scuffed jeans, rather worn jacket, practical bag. Definitely not one holding an office job.”

 My professor smiled.

 “She’s a writer and an English professor at this very school. 9 years ago, when I first came to this school, she was on one of those brochures that I first received.

You see, it’s not important who she is, or even whom you think she is. What’s important is who you want us as viewers to see her.”

 That day I understood the license of the photographer, and that it comes with the opportunity to redefine the world on your own terms.

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a quote from my research for my masters dissertation paper

"prisons are the only buildings which are constructed not in the direct interest of the users but in the interest, supposedly, of those who do not use it.”

- sergio lenci

pretty much sums up why i am fighting to write on this topic.

belle

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Something in the Air.

 There’s something in the air

But it isn’t Love.

Though it might be mistaken for Love:

It makes it hard to breathe.

Causes your heart to rattle

Inside your ribcage.

You breathe it in – inhale it –

And it causes the world to slow down,

Filling your mind,

Obscuring everything else.

 But it isn’t Love.

  It coats the air. Thick. Heavy. Smog.

It might be read as Love.

But Dread and Love

Share similar symptoms

After all.

  - Joseph Goh.

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The Isolated Stranger

There’s something about a single figure in the frame that strikes me as poignant.

There’s something about loneliness, that it isn’t just confined to when you’re alone.

There’s something about being alone that sharpens regret.

There’s something about being alone.

- Joseph Goh.

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equanimity

to have faith and calmness in trying times to keep yourself grounded and follow your heart

because it’s better to forgive than to grieve because it’s better to love than be bitter

because it’s better to

belle

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trade-off

core design studio is in its final weeks, and there are so many things left unresolved in this project that probably will never be resolved.

these are lives we are dealing with over here. architecture and urban design does not just revolve around lines and pretty drawings, which is a rather common misconception most people have of the field. we struggle and try to conceptualize solutions to provide a better living environment, better social conditions, an improved livelihood and the list goes on. no architect wants to do harm to anybody, honestly. but it’s such a huge task to undertake; design involves not just spatial thinking but social, economical, environmental, political aspects, among a myriad of other conditions that may be unique to each context. it is this complex interplay of factors that makes architecture so interesting and multifaceted, yet challenging at the same time.

in the process of modernization and globalization as a key driver for a better life, we tend to give up and sometimes destroy the things that are important. we need to remember that the people we are designing for are not any different from us.

belle

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People Watching

        I have this habit of taking pictures of people in the act of doing whatever it is they’re doing. Part of it stems from my fear of social interaction and hence photography allows me to make that connection with a stranger without actually having to interact with them. Part of it stems from the belief that there is something beautiful in everyday, and this helps me go through everyday life with an extra skip in my step. Always looking for that moment that will brighten up my day.

“I believe that, through the act of living, the discovery of oneself is made concurrently with the discovery of the world around us which can mold us, but which can also be affected by us. A balance must be established between these two worlds - the one inside us and the one outside us. As the result of a constant reciprocal process, both these worlds come to form a single one. And it is this world that we must communicate.”

- Henri Cartier-Bresson

Joseph

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敬佩 李光耀先生

a light in the darkness of our humble beginnings, the light that caused our humble red dot to shine brighter than any logical reason could explain

our founding father and architect of our nation, who saw what we could become and had faith and vision, who pioneered many new policies and interventions to give us a better life, who never gave up on us

a politician and not a political leader, a man with exemplary morals and conviction, who did what he saw was required and not what was deemed politically correct

leader of leaders, a man that inspires others to follow in his footsteps, who put together a team of leaders capable of carrying his vision to fruition and bringing us to where we are today

a loyal husband and loving father, who was always there for his beloved wife and family no matter what circumstance, who lived humble and frugal despite all the luxuries he could afford

所谓饮水思源，这句话虽然普遍，但我们今天所拥有的一切都归于李先生的辛劳。让我们再次共同感谢与纪念李光耀先生。

belle

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The Act of Living.

        (Pardon my random philosophical musings but...) “What are your reasons for living?”, I was asked recently. Tangible reasons surfaced in my mind: Family and friends came to mind, To create - to bring something new into the world (as an artist) etc. But even if there were no such reasons, I would still like to live. There is an intrinsic value that human beings assign to the act of living (an interesting point of view of this is Robert Nozick’s thought experiment: The Experience Machine.) Living is congruent with the idea of possibility and hope. 

        We are all in the process of dying, of decaying, but we are definitely not always conscious of that fact. Time is ticking on and with every passing second we grow closer to the inevitable end. Recently, I’ve had a fresh revelation of the way I want to live my life.

        In class we had a discussion on what makes good literature, and it was generally agreed that good literature suspends disbelief. It takes you in, transports you and for brief moments, you forget that you’re looking at words on a page. It suspends disbelief. It convinces you of a moment outside your reality.         I want to live my life that way. I want to engage in activities, make connections with people, live. I want to do so in a way, that this act of dying we call life is suspended. The fact of decay cast into disbelief.         And so it begins: The act of living.

(On a side note: The first photo was taken in Chicago at the skating rink near the Bean and I love it because of the expression on the girl’s face, that occurred but for a moment. This was seconds before she started her routine, confident and full of smiles. I see anxiety and fear, being acknowledged, being dealt with, prior to her amazing performance. She allowed herself that one moment before beginning. To all those who are struggling in life, who fell, who are falling, who fail, who feel hopeless. Give it a moment. Breathe. Pick yourself up. and Start over. There are people who care for you.) Joseph

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rest well, dear sir.

rest, for you have poured out your heart, your soul over this country. you dedicated your life to this nation, a mess that no one thought would survive post-colonialism and post-malaya, and brought us to the first world nation-state we are now. a country where there is peace and harmony, education and opportunities, hygiene and homes.

many take for granted what we have, but it has been a great honor for me and my generation to have been able to see you in person, and to experience the fruits of your labour and love for the country. we pray that you are in a happier place, and may peace surround your loved ones in this time of mourning. your legacy will continue on,

#tributetoLKY #RIPLKY #rememberingLKY #LeeKuanYew

belle photo credit here

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In another place

My first post on this website shared by Belle and I :) Both of us love Black and White and each other hehe. Anyway, we’re doing a Long-Distance-Relationship and thought this tumblr would be a good idea for us to work on together. Saying hi from Chicago to the person with the biggest heart I know: Hi belle. I will try to post more often so it’s not just you on here. Joseph

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why?

something is wrong somewhere and not knowing what is making me upset. sometimes i wish all the answers are at hand.

belle