And yet at the back of my mind lingers this understanding that the thought is never the thing described; the impressions that etch themselves in memory are just fleeting like picture frames, mostly two dimensional, and not available for absorption by the soul. That sentiment has been captured in wonderful drawings of the everyday and banal by Dawn Clements in her art which hangs at the Saatchi gallery that we visited today! It's still fun to create a composite of one's experiences, being selective about what we choose to recall and to share stories? Am I richer from these experiences? In a limited way- maybe. But not because of what it does to my soul. In the end everything is relative and, ultimately, the "dance of the universe" with no apparent purpose. Given this then, the possibilities for enrichment from what I heard and saw, how I managed my emotions, navigated through difference and learnt things about myself are indeed extremely limited. So just for fun then I will list those things about England that I have learnt from and that tickles my temporal fancy. Ranking up there, the importance of a safe, comfortable and reliable public transit system and its impact on the planning of cities and citizens' lifestyles. Then, the government's policy not to charge entrance fees to any of the wonderful museums it operates. The architecture of churches and their evensong services which are held true to well preserved centuries' old traditions. I also like the country's fervent attempt to retain reminders of its historic roots be it through its monarchy, it's museums, its churches, architecture or socio-political structures in its guild halls, it's local governing bodies and community associations. I like its people's commitment to remembering their past, with pride and horror, especially as they recall the lives of their poor, those who fell prey to black plague and cholera, wars and carnage and colonisation. They have learnt from it as is abundantly obvious from their commitment to creating an equitable multicultural society. They are also cashing in on it with their well oiled tourism industry that does a fantastic job of peddling their past! They risk mock and ridicule with so much self reflection, but only as they laugh their way to the bank! Yes England and the English are fascinating!
Friday, August 30, 2013
Hopelessly fascinated..
And yet at the back of my mind lingers this understanding that the thought is never the thing described; the impressions that etch themselves in memory are just fleeting like picture frames, mostly two dimensional, and not available for absorption by the soul. That sentiment has been captured in wonderful drawings of the everyday and banal by Dawn Clements in her art which hangs at the Saatchi gallery that we visited today! It's still fun to create a composite of one's experiences, being selective about what we choose to recall and to share stories? Am I richer from these experiences? In a limited way- maybe. But not because of what it does to my soul. In the end everything is relative and, ultimately, the "dance of the universe" with no apparent purpose. Given this then, the possibilities for enrichment from what I heard and saw, how I managed my emotions, navigated through difference and learnt things about myself are indeed extremely limited. So just for fun then I will list those things about England that I have learnt from and that tickles my temporal fancy. Ranking up there, the importance of a safe, comfortable and reliable public transit system and its impact on the planning of cities and citizens' lifestyles. Then, the government's policy not to charge entrance fees to any of the wonderful museums it operates. The architecture of churches and their evensong services which are held true to well preserved centuries' old traditions. I also like the country's fervent attempt to retain reminders of its historic roots be it through its monarchy, it's museums, its churches, architecture or socio-political structures in its guild halls, it's local governing bodies and community associations. I like its people's commitment to remembering their past, with pride and horror, especially as they recall the lives of their poor, those who fell prey to black plague and cholera, wars and carnage and colonisation. They have learnt from it as is abundantly obvious from their commitment to creating an equitable multicultural society. They are also cashing in on it with their well oiled tourism industry that does a fantastic job of peddling their past! They risk mock and ridicule with so much self reflection, but only as they laugh their way to the bank! Yes England and the English are fascinating!
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