When Mr Ian and Mr Keith asked us to sketch what we think is the most memorable part in both our house and our grandmother's house as the first task, it only took me one second to figure them out.
The window on the left is in my sister's room, not my room, but I always adore it the most. In the morning, the see-through gordyn frames the beauty of morning light and waves to the soft flow of the early wind. It is very memorable because I always look to it every morning and it is beautiful. The sad part is I hardly ever sit by the window, enjoying the beauty of it.
The picture on the right is the view from the inside of the house facing the main gate of my grandmother's house, which is located in Chinatown and is about 70 years old. It is very memorable because every Chinese New Year, the big family would gather at the house, all the sons, daughters, grandchildren, relatives, and friends; and the door becomes one wonderful beauty. A lot of shoes and sandals would pile up by the door, scattered, picturing the togetherness of the family at that particular time of celebration.
The window is a beauty by itself, looking all good with its design without being used, but the door is even more of a beauty: the door ties our memories of every Chinese New Year celebration we've had together all these years, a memory that will be cherished, timelessly.
2 comments:
I was immediately touched.
Uncannily both images are points of transition between 2 opposing spaces--the outside and the inside.
Seems to me that transition points are powerful traps for eventfulness and hence memorability.
Grandma's doorway wins hands down. It compels you to change when you transit, and leave a bit of you at the point, thereby increasing the density of the image.
And the fact that there is a tradition to the occasion, an evolving tradition at that, against an unchanging framework, that adds the richness of aging to Grandma's lovely lively doorway.
I mean the tradition of Chinese New Year and the changing fashion and sizes of the shoes with the passage of time (...oops, thot I could avoid cliches...)
Sister's Window is not less lovely by any means..just less event filled. The only transit is perhaps views or conversation across the opening.
Thanks Brian for the nice (and energising) thots!
You're welcome. Thanks for the chance to write here, sir. :)
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