Esoteric Aesthete
Take an establishing gander
“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.””— Leonardo da Vinci
(via purplebuddhaquotes)
(Source: purplebuddhaquotes)
“we don’t fall in love with soft smiles or bright eyes or a bank account with more numbers than our birthday
and we don’t fall in love because of extravagant outward expressions of infatuation; we don’t need a trail of rose petals or heart-shaped chocolates
we fall in love because of the little things that no one even notices
like when they wake up in the morning and checks on you first, instead of their phone
like when they make you coffee just how you like it and leave it to wait for you until you’ve woken up
like when they get you a copy of that book you once told them you can’t wait to read, even though your room is already overflowing with books you haven’t read yet
like when you come home and find your favorite flowers sitting on the kitchen table “just because”
like when you once told them that you love flowers, but hate it when they die, and for your next anniversary, they got you a flower carved out of soap so it can live forever in your room
like when they post a picture of you on instagram just because they want to talk about how lucky they are to have someone as beautiful as you
like when you feel like you’ll never smile again but they effortlessly make you laugh
like when you feel lost and they remind you how to anchor yourself
we fall in love with the things that nobody even thinks of
the things that we don’t even notice at first
the little things
that slowly become the big things”
(cc, 2017)
(Source: drunk-on-writing)
“I realized heartbreak wasn’t poetic when my sister was driving her car 90mph, her hands clenching the steering wheel and her mumbling “I can’t believe I was so stupid.” because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t turn her broken heart into anything more than a mosaic. because when this boy had to talk in front of the class, his eyes watered when he mentioned her name and he shrugged his shoulders and said “sometimes things just don’t work out.” and he still loved her. because when it happened to me I pictured me going 90mph on the highway, and mumbling about how I still loved him but instead I threw something at the wall and I wrote about it. I wrote about how much it hurt and tried to make my ribs cracking with all the weight of my heavy heart sound poetic but it’s not. nothing is beautiful or poetic about the way your heart feels when someone you loved leaves, or doesn’t stay, or says “I’m sorry, it just has to be this way.” and there’s nothing poetic about driving so fast you’re convinced you’re gonna crash into the bridge, but you don’t. and it’s accidentally taking a breath under water even though you know it’ll get in your lungs but you just couldn’t come up for air and it’s not beautiful, it just makes your lungs fucking burn. heartbreak is going to open your mouth and nothing comes out but a few broken pieces of your heart and you swallow it back down in hopes of no one noticing your heart coming up from the ocean waves forming inside your stomach and with just one more look from him, you know you’ll turn into a hurricane and it’s dangerous. it’s not beautiful. it turns people into natural disasters that destruct anything in their paths. it makes hearts so broken you can barely see the flame that sparked it up in the first place, because the ocean inside of them washed it away, and you can’t love him anymore when he’s a flame and you’re the ocean”
(via autumn-sierra)
5 Must-See Chinese Film Masterpieces
Everyone likes to take a break from the books. One of the best ways to keep learning without taxing your brain too much is to watch a movie. Don’t worry, a little relaxation won’t hurt. And after all, what’s the use of learning Chinese without learning a bit about Chinese culture too? Here are five of China’s best films:
Beijing Bicycle (2001): Like so many countries, China loves drama. This film tells the story of Guei, a young countryside boy who loses his bike in Beijing and goes looking for it. Along the way he meets another boy at a thrift market attempting to buy the bike. This classic film explores boyhood, relationships, and social issues in China. Highly recommended.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000): You’ve probably heard of this renowned martial arts masterpiece from director Ang Lee. If you haven’t, where have you been? Two warriors and a fugitive in search of a mysterious sword encounter a young and preternaturally skilled nobleman’s daughter on their quest. Fighting ensues.
The Last Emperor (1987): An epic tale of the last Chinese emperor before China’s transition to communist rule. This movie racked up all nine Academy Awards that it was nominated for, and for good reason. The Last Emperor is a landmark film that recounts a story little known in the West, and it’s a visual feast unlike any other.
Farewell My Concubine (1993): Yet another magnificent epic that gained heaps of praise worldwide. The Last Emperor covers the transition to communist rule, and Farewell My Concubine explores the effects of this harrowing moment in time on the people of China. It focuses on the the relationship between two men who are part of a traveling Peking opera troupe. Farewell My Concubine is renowned for its deft portrayal of the two men’s relationship, which takes a variety of forms as time passes.
Still Life (2006): This poignant, patient film explores the repercussions of the construction of the Three Gorges Dam on two lost souls. They return to a county being deconstructed to make way for the new dam, each in search of their estranged spouses. With this director Jia Zhangke offered up a social commentary few in China couldn’t relate to in one way or another. And it’s still relevant a decade later.
So get learning and get watching!
Summer blockbuster season is back! Check out these movies that will keep you entertained while you learn Chinese.
(Source: ysociety)
“Don’t leave a girl you need, for a girl you want.”
(Source: l-ucia, via mondehanna)
