The Teachers' Day thingie went by really quickly. I don't even remember what exactly went on on stage during those 5-10 minutes, but anyway, it's over. :P

I had a nice weekend with John and spent some money. Yay. Hehe. The poor boy caught the flu bug though. :(

I spent $37 dollars on a book yesterday (see 'reading' under my 'about me' column). I read the first two books in the series some while ago and flipping through them again on Sunday night, since I had the time to. After reading a couple of online forums dedicated to this trilogy I was dying to read the conclusion. So I went out and bought the hardback (only the hardback is available here now) and finished it in on evening.

There was an unexpected twist to the plot at the end - which was surprising and not entirely satisfying. Being a fantasy series with an embedded romance, it lacked the final triumphant conclusion. The first 2/3 of the book was almost purely a narrative description of how the female protagonist travailed all dangers to get to her destination. The epic battle was exciting, I think the book should have ended not long after. Instead it carries on describing how the happy couple went around righting wrongs. And finally they were deprived of the ultimate happiness and weren't able to sail off into the sunset to live happily ever after. I was like, 'ARGH!!!!' It was bittersweet but anti-climatic after 4 hours of anticipation. Sigh. :(((

The state of my spiritual life (or lack thereof!) has been on my mind more often of late. As I think about all I claim to know about religion, in particular Christianity, and all that my friends have told me in the past, it truly seems that the more you learn, the more you realize you don't know. But then we can't ever know everything, and I've learnt that joy comes with every new discovery. It's very much like what Viggo Mortensen said somewhere in one of his books - how the true experience of life, of existing comes from the journeys that we make, and not about reaching the destinations of those journeys.

A few months ago during one of my music lectures at NIE, a guest speaker from NUS came to give a talk about Malay/Arab music and Islam - in particular about Rumi. What I found particularly fascinating is how Rumi likens one's love for and longing to be with God to that of a beloved yearning to be with the lover (Song of Songs/Song of Solomon comes to mind here). For some reason this aspect of love for God particularly appealed to me - perhaps being the die-hard romantic that I am the notion of God being one's true 'soul mate' (so to speak) was something new and appealing.

And being the avid book 'collector' that I am, I have in my possession a collection of Rumi's writings. The language (at least, the tranlsation) is so simple but so full of beauty, even pathos. Here are a few verses for you to mull over:

Here someone hidden whispered:
"Pass beyond your tears and
you will see the broken hearted lovers
are the lords in heaven."
Here someone hidden appeared
holding love's wine
and to him I've given all my vows.

Die, die inside this love
and rise in Spirit.
Die, die and cut the ego's rope
that holds you a prisoner.
Take and axe to the wall and
dig a way out of the prison.
Die, die before the beautiful King
you will become mighty.
Die, die and rise out of this cloud
you will shine like the glorious moon.
Be silent, be silent,
for silence is the sure sign of death.
From your silence
life will trumpet louder than sound.

Do you hear what the music is saying?
"Come follow me and you will find the way.
Your mistakes can also lead you to the truth.
When you ask, the answer will be given."

glittermissy @ 7:58 AM + + Permalink