New Page New Stage...

Friends were asking why I stop blog writing. In fact I have lot of things would like to share on my blog but I was too busy to sit down to organize them. Once I broke the routine, it took me a while to pick it up again.

Well, I think I had a pretty long break. One day my spirit came back so I decided to construct a personal web site. So here it is, I will upload more art works later on, please keep your eyes on it.

I also relocated my blog to my new site: http://www.carmenmokstudio.com/blog/

Keep you post, stay in touch, friends~

My Online Shop... Yeah~

I was busy in the past two weeks to set up my online shop. It is for selling my illustration prints, and I'm planning to have more products in the future. Someone said: "A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are built for." I have to launch out to explore in the ocean, it may be an exciting journey or it may not. I'm ready to learn a new experience and the experience will teach me where to go from here.

Bless me, friends? It would be my great appreciation if you help me to spread this link: http://www.songbirdandwings.etsy.com/

Lucky Draw!!!

Oct is my lucky month I guess, because I won a prize from a lucky draw at the Swarvoski store in Eaton Center. Just happened I went there to pick up a wedding gift for my cousin, and I was invited to sign up for a draw...

Last week I received a message telling me that I won a prize, prize? It took me few minutes to recall what was it about... and I couldn't even remember what was the prize of the draw.

So finally I set up the appointment to pick up my prize, it is a Tinker Bell lithograph print with some crystal scatters around, framed and comes with the artist autograph - Dave Pacheco. There are 225 reproduction prints in total and mine is 70/225. One Swarvoski store offered one prize only, what a honor for me to have this prize. Now the print is sitting in my study room, and I'm dreaming... may one day I will become as famous as Dave Pacheco?

Oh well, I really can't live without dreaming... : )

這樣的感覺...

列車悄悄的向前走，
回憶慢慢的往後流，
流到一段舊時候，
道別卻沒道因由。

城市這麼大，
以為永不會重遇，
以為記憶隨日子流逝，
只有新的生活，
推着我倆往前走。

怎麼今天卻再碰上，
就在人潮擠擁的角落，
還未及加點甚麼準備，
你輕輕的向我揮手。

我還你一個笑容，
你給我一個溫柔的擁抱，
還是那個舊語調，
和同樣的眼神，
舊的時候不覺太舊，
走掉的日子彷彿沒走。

為着這樣熟悉的感覺，
應該高興？或是憂愁？
以為自己刻意地回頭，
怎麼感覺還是靜靜的往後流。

It's an excuse, bloody hell...

Boss # 1
He passed by my work station and asked me:
B: What is your excuse?
C: Excuse for what?
B: Whatever...
C: Hm.... it is a cold and raining day...
B: Good excuse! It can apply for all!
C: Yeah~ so... Can I go now? Haha...
B: ............

Boss #1 likes to play "what is your excuse?" game in the office, we pass around this question and see who's excuse is the funniest! =D

Boss # 2
G: Carmen, I lost my glasses, did you see it?
C: Hm... When I cleaned up your desk few days ago, I put it back to the wooden case, did you check the case?
G: But it wasn't in there since yesterday already, I got to go to a meeting, could you search it for me please?
C: Sure~

I searched every possible corner in the office, traced his footprints from here and there but couldn't find it. Finally I went back to his office, when I opened the wooden case again... What?! The glasses was sitting inside!!! Then I called my boss...

C: Grant, I found your glasses, it is in your wooden case! It knows the way to return home...haha
G: BLOODY HELL!!! Hahaha...
C: My dear bloody hell boss, it is a fun treasure hunt game but one time is enough...hahaha...

My boss is a smart and professional engineer, but sometime he looks like an idiot! What can I say, I just feel I'm important to be there.
I think he is the funniest boss I have ever had! =D

Robin's family...

My 2 best freinds live in the Scugog Lake, it is about 1 hour drive north east of Markham. Apparently he found a bird nest in his yard, he captured the different states of its birth. Now I upload on my blog to share with everyone. Bird's name is Robin, it is a common type we can see in our backyard very often.

Congratulation to 3 new born babies to Robin's family! =D

Day 1 - bule eggs? just like easter eggs!

Day 2 - Wow... it is coming... in the middle of breaking the shell... shhhh

Day 3 - Ha... feather is growing... so much details...

Day 6 - look at the color is changing, i can see the wings...

Day 7 - See their mouths are growing big now!

Day 8 - Still sleeping? come on baby Robin, wake up!

Day 11 - one bird is peeking, say: Do not distrube! No camera please!

Day 12a - Yes! one bird jumps out from the nest.

Day 12b - Hey, ready to talk a walk?

Day 13 - Oops... all gone!

Just happens I'm working on a wall design for a cafe, can you tell the design is inspired by the birth of Robin?

In my sick days...

In my sick days, I learned to slow down. I laid down on my bed for a day long, watched the blue sky from my window, listened the CBC radio and fell into my dizzy dream...

























In my sick days, I read a nice poem written by a young ill girl:

Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Do you run through each day?
On the fly?
When you ask how are you?
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done,
Do you lie in your bed,
With the next hundred chores,
Running through your head?
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die,
Cause you never had time,
To call and say,"Hi"
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere,
You miss half the fun of getting there,
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower.
Hear the music,
Before the song is over.

Fatty...

A friend of mine found a piece of abandoned wood in his wood working studio, he thinks the shape looks like a bird so he touched up the surface and gave it to me. We think it is a "fat Song", the full belly is pretty much the same as the little birds I always see in Toronto.

It is a very peaceful Sunday afternoon, I know today's temperature is -30c, chilling and windy. I imagine... what if today is a summer afternoon, 30c, it is a perfect time to take a wonderful power nape in a beautiful garden, just sitting right next to a bird bath and the little white flowers are blooming on a green land ....

Thanks Candy, I don't feel that freezing when creating this image at home today. =)

How's your weekend?

Every Monday morning when I'm back to office, we always ask each other "How's your weekend?".

I told them "It was wonderful~".

Last Friday night I was invited by some co-workers hang out for a movie and dinner. It's been 4 months since I started to work in this company and I know one day I will become their friends. It is so wonderful to have friends in work place, a relation is beyond business, a life sharing more than a job. We have Chinese, Russian, Scottish, German and Spanish, none of us were borned in Canada, all of us speak English with own accent. We shared foods and also shared the common experience of being an immigrant. It was a very special night to me.

Saturday I had a volunteer training at the Markham Stouffville Hospital. Yeah~ It will be soon for me to help out the Information Desk at the hospital. In the training I first met a white lovely lady who is 82 but looks like 65, very lively and friendly. She's been volunteering in the hospital for more than 15 years. I also met an Indian girl, she is studying her 3rd year sociology degree. She's been helping at the Info Desk since 4 years ago. I think we created a beautiful picture by our racial and age differences, however I don't see a wall because of our differences.

It was a wonderful weekend to experience the beauty of mixed cultures....so.... how's your weekend? =)

My 2 Bosses...

Boss #1
Boss was looking for some photos in my computer, suddenly he said:
B: Carmen, I like your voice. Can you change a new phone greeting for our company?
C: But I have accent... You don't want my accent to represent your company, do you?
B: That's fine, see I'm a German and I have accent too. If you have accent, just work it out, you will be fine, go ahead!
C: Um....Ok.... I'll make sure to practise few more times before I record a new greeting.
B: Sure, you can erase it if you don't like it, just go for it. You can do much better then the existing voice mail, I just hate that one! (with a smiling face =)

Boss #2
One afternoon when I was digging out some old files in my boss' office.
C: Wow... You have Lego in your office!
G: Yeah, sometime when I feel so boring in work, I play Lego.
C: Lego was my dream toy when I was a kid...
G: Last time I rebuilt the CN Tower, it was fun. Do you want to try?
C: Sure~oh no... not during the office hours, don't trap me, my dear boss.
G: Ha... smart!

I have 2 bosses, they both are professional structural engineers, very encouraging and personal, smart and fun.
Working with them, I have no complaint.

Crabby Crab...

I worked out very hard for my leg muscle in the gym this week. Don't ask me why but the next morning I just feel like a crab when I walked down to the subway station. I missed my train because I couldn't walk as fast as normal. Can you imagine how dumb I am when the lower part of my body cannot cooperate....

Day Dreaming...

Office is so quiet today, Songbird is day dreaming on the top of my monitor....
Hey, what are you thinking about?

Pinky Holiday...

iPod...

Hey Song, it is Christmas time, can you sing a song for me? "Oh Christmas Tree", do you know?














um....














twinkle twinkle little star~~
no, no, no, I mean "Oh Christmas Tree"? remember? Oh Christmas Tree~~ Oh Christmas Tree~~ la la la la la la la la~~~















Happy Birthday to you~~














ABCDEFG~~
How I wonder what you are~~
1234567~~















O Canada~~ Our home and native land~~
Forget it...














So now, what do you think? Oh, Christmas Tree~~ Oh, Christmas Tree~~ How steadfast are your branches~~

It's a Christmas gift for you! =)

I specially made this Christmas wallpaper for my friends who come to visit my blog. Hope you have a Merry Christmas and Wonderful Holiday!




















This one was done by my "weird" left hand.










Then reversed...

Wish List.....

親愛的天父，

他們常說你的愛高深莫測，今早牧師也說你會愛我到底，"到底" 是一種怎樣的愛？我好像還是不太明白，似懂非懂 ...

坦白說，有些時候我並不覺得你很愛我，是我的頻度調錯了？還是你踫巧不在？你是否渡假去了？或是忙別人的事？我把那張願望紙的項目重覆向你唸了一遍又一遍，你聽到嗎？如果你真的愛我到底，你讓我知道你在聽，好嗎？

小C上

Songbird....(2)

Eva Cassidy (1963-1996)

I first know the name of "Songbird" was from a CD album of Eva Cassidy few years ago. I like her mostly because her beautiful voice. When the year she died of melanoma, her songs became very propular in US and England. I wonder most art works will get more attention after the artist died.

Tonight I'm watching my works sitting at different corners of my house, paintings, sculptures, pottery, illustrations, will they become more valuable after I passed away? Friends, if I did make something for you, please keep them well until the day I died. =)

Listen the Songbird: http://youtube.com/watch?v=76NGhMbZkR4

About Eva: http://evacassidy.org/eva/evapix.shtml

Songbird....

Friends always asked: Why there is a bird in your drawings?
I answered: The bird is my buddy... just like you, he or she.

When time goes by, I started to realize the bird is me. I project my wish on this bird for somthing I'm not be able to do in my real life. I wish I can fly in the sky, float on the clouds. I wish I can sing nicely and deliver a happy song to someone who feels despair. I wish I can stand on the top of a pole to watch over kids playing in the park, or standing on a window edge to listen to people talking in their house..... oh, there is much more to go on....

Apparently I'm thinking to give a name to my bird. Inspired by a friend's name, one evening I woke up in the middle of the night and a name suddenly popped up in mind. I'm pretty happy with this name, so now...

I like to formally introduce to you: Here is my bird...."Song".
(and my name Carmen means Song, don't you know? =)

Someone may think that I'm crazy and weird, but I think I'm romantic. I don't mind to be weird if it is romantic. Ha...it is me!

Let's listen a song again - Hey Jude

This is an old song from Beatles, and now was interpreted by my favorite Singapore singer, Yan-Zi.



Hey Jude, don't make it bad.
Take a sad song and make it better.
Remember to let her into your heart,
Then you can start to make it better.

Hey Jude, don't be afraid.
You were made to go out and get her.
The minute you let her under your skin,
Then you begin to make it better.

And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain,
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders.
For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder.

Hey Jude, don't let me down.
You have found her, now go and get her.
Remember to let her into your heart,
Then you can start to make it better.

So let it out and let it in, hey Jude, begin,
You're waiting for someone to perform with.
And don't you know that it's just you, hey Jude, you'll do,
The movement you need is on your shoulder.
na na na na na na

Hey Jude, don't make it bad.
Take a sad song and make it better.
Remember to let her under your skin,
Then you'll begin to make it,
Better better better better better better,
oh~ na na na na na na, na na na, hey Jude...

你會從甚麼角度看世界？

你會從甚麼角度看世界？
站得太高，感覺很遠，
站得太近，看得很少。
我換了一個又一個位置，
就是厭倦用正常的角度看世界，
卻無論怎樣，
還是不對勁...

聽 歌 - 我要的幸福

In the past 3 years, this song remains my favorite song, it still catches my soul and my emotion. One day I hope to make a visual presentation with my own interpretation for this song.

作詞：嚴云農　作曲：李偉菘　編曲：Martin Tang
為愛情付出　為活著而忙碌
為什麼而辛苦　我仔細紀錄
用我的雙眼　在夢想裡找路
該問路的時候　我不會裝酷
我還不清楚　怎樣的速度
符合這世界　變化的腳步
生活像等待　創作的黏土
幸福　我要的幸福　
漸漸清楚
夢想　理想　幻想　
狂想　妄想
我只想堅持每一步　該走的方向
就算一路上　偶而會沮喪
生活是自己　選擇的衣裳
幸福　 我要的幸福　沒有束縛
幸福　我要的幸福　 在不遠處

夢飛行....

Taipei 2005










I had a dream last night...

I dearmed to make my 2nd travel with Pris and Ray to Taipei, as the year of 2005 we spent our time together in the city. Again we took airport bus to auntie's home, it was our 2nd visit so we were suppose to know the direction, but we got lost. We got lost and the worst was I forgot my luggage on the street when we were too focus to find the direction. I was so nurvous and tried to look for my luggage in every corner of the street.

Fianally I found my luggage sitting on a side road, it was opened and all my belongings were gone. I asked people passing by but none of them could be able to tell me where my belongings were. I was standing at the intersaction, despairing and helpless, then I woke up in the midst of chaos.

It was a searching dream all through the night and I felt so tired when i woke up this morning...

--------------------------------------------------------------

A similar dream was happened last year that I lost my car in a hugh parking lot, I looked for my car from one place to another but couldn't find it. I asked every person I saw in the parking lot but no one did offer help... then i woke up in the midst of night, I was happy that it was a dream only.

Then I drew this illustration...It was in Hong Kong 2005












I realize that life is all about searching games. We search life direction, search a dream job, search true love in personal relationship, search a comforatble place to live, search a better quality of life, search the greatest meaning to move on, and we probably spend our life long to search our lost hearts and passion...Will all my search end one day? soon?

台北之旅。11。2006

她，是我很好很好的朋友，
認識她，我沒有遺憾。
除了沒愛上同一個男孩，
我們共同喜歡的東西有太多。

來回往返，
時間、地點、人物和故事，
各自編寫自己的人生，
但我們還是看上同一件外套，
愛上同一雙鞋子，
日子....
彷彿還像老日子。

談天就是沒完沒了，
交換了心底的秘密，
繼續追求我們的夢想，
發現一點新的自己，
又看見舊有的真我。

她，仍是我很好很好的朋友 。

錯與對....

我做對了，然後做錯了，
然後做對了，後來又做錯了，
做對了，又做錯了，
對了又錯，錯了又對，
對對錯錯，
其實，
我並不清楚錯對。

抗寒.... (Part 2)