The Shape & Colour II.

Behind all this, literally, are swathes of colour surrounding me, either by choice or force. Part of it is my sister's colour-scheme for the apartment we share--which is "fall", with a bit of French twist, such French-inspired artwork and decorations(wouldn't that sound like a great drink?). Orange, textured walls. Bright red kitchen. Orange paper lamps emanating a soft glow...

Surprisingly, some of these colours are not foreign to my current experience. I think it started in April when I decided to dye (most of) my hair red right before my friends and I went to the Drag Ball (yeah, I was a 'ho' in a mini! haha). Actually no, it started when my mother bought my current set of bedsheets, which at the time, were not to my liking, at least initially. The set was bright red, and I felt all I was missing were some handcuffs and animal print pillows. But later on, my hair was red. I guess, over the last year or so, my life has been drenched and plastered in colors the last few months, reflecting especially my emotional well-being (or not).In some ways, I guess, I feel my life has taken a "Pleasantville" sort-of way...where everything is just alive, in technicolour.

Why? I don't know--it's just colour everywhere...bright, lively, and passionate. On one hand, it could be fashion that could be dictating this (e.g. more people wearing colorful clothing), but I think it goes deeper than that. I guess the explosion (if you can call it that) of colour reflects somehow my emotional rollercoaster this past year--the pitch, the frequency, the intensity of my feelings. It's almost like watching your own visualization (think mp3 player) as your life plays in the background...it pulsates and glows, lightens and darkens,twists and morphs into various, abstract shapes.

Naturally, this profusion of colour has affected me--no more dark or neutral colours. On a shallow level, it has even "progressed" to the point where I purchased this ORANGE shirt (an old-school, 1950's orange juice ad--one of those urban outfitters type of shirt)from Nordstrom the other day that has a print that says on the bottom, "Squeeze me, I'm juicy" in a tarty, sardonic sort-of way (devilish smile).

And maybe all of these colorful developments revolve around one thing--which is my life.I remember some time ago that someone wrote in a guestbook saying that there's this old Chinese curse that says, "May your life be interesting." And maybe I am cursed, in that sense that my life is too interesting at times, with the colours reflecting the various point in my life. Or, simply, I just notice it now--maybe I've been ignoring my surroundings all this time...

In the end, if we say that life is what we make of it, then what does that say about the maker? Maybe we can look at it in the opposite manner-how is the maker affected by life? This mindset may explain the invigorating yet dynamic nature of the events in my life right now, even with all this conflict, will continue to shape and colour who I am.

Anger. Sadness. Melancholy. Surprise. Happiness.Contentment. Fulfillment. All are colors in an emotional palette of life. Like a cool breeze that follows you on a warm summer night, I hope that this liveliness, this intangible feeling, with its changing shape and colour, will last after summer has released its last warm, humid breath.


See the curtains hanging in the window
In the evening on a Friday night
A little light a-shining through the window
Lets me know everything's alright

Summer breeze makes me feel fine
Blowing through the jasmine in my mind...

...Sweet days of summer, the jasmine's in bloom
July is dressed up and playing her tune...

-Summer Breeze/Isley Brothers