Reflection of the Year 2023 (Part 1) - Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience

 

Felt so surreal

                            

With my delightful and lovely friend, Raani. She's a great company! 

         We spent an hour immersing ourselves to the visual & audio in a 360° multi-sensorial experience where art meets VR, surrounded with artworks by Vincent Van Gogh, Felt so surreal yet overwhelmed with emotions.

        

The famous "Starry Night" artwork being brought to life

The Sunflower Series, which is one of my favourites. And reason being also its one of my favourite flowers! 🌻🌻🌻😊

People enjoying and immersing themselves in the Van Gogh experience.

 Sunflowers! I was so excited and couldn't miss the chance to take Instragramable photos. 🥰

Van Gogh merchandise. No, I did not buy, though I was so tempted to get it especially the cute sunflower Teddy Bear and Sunflower fisherman hat! 😄🌻🌻🧸

Today is the last day of 2023! Time flies indeed!  Looking back and recap, this has been an eventful year. One of the events & experiences has got to be going to the Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience. It was interesting and surreal seated on the beach chair watching Van Gogh's masterpieces come alive. At the same time, I came to know more about the great artist and genius' life and became fascinated- He was such very talented painter but yet struggled with depression and emotional/mental issues. As a young man, he worked as an art dealer, often travelling, but became depressed after he was transferred to London. He turned to religion, and spent time as a missionary in southern Belgium. Later he drifted in ill-health and solitude. He was keenly aware of trends in art and, while back with his parents in 1881, took up painting. His younger brother, Theo, supported him financially and the two of them kept up a long correspondence by letter. It was sad that his life ended when he was at his prime age at 37. 

He likes to be in nature and several of his paintings reflected on that. I especially like the Sunflower series and the famous Starry Night. It was hard to believe that "Starry Night" was painted when he was in the psychotic hospital. He had such vivid imagination to paint in such detail. 

I wasn't really interested in the Arts previously. I reckon 3 persons introduced me to it and influenced me - My friends, Violet and Ranni....and my ❤️, Robby. 

My first Europe Trip!

 

    Inside St Peter's Basilica Church. It was beautiful and grand. I always watched videos and read articles of the Vatican City and the church, I imagined myself being there one day. It was a dream come true! The sculptures and the paintings during the Renaissance period was amazing & so detailed. There were so much to process in when I was in the church, I just soaked in the moment. It felt so surreal and I could really feel God's peace.🥰

                        Outside the St Peter's Basilica's church, at St Peter's Piazza. There was a dedication event and borders were blocked, the church closed at early 5pm that day, a pity we couldn't linger at the Piazza and take more photos. 

                                                    Inside the Pantheon. 

                            At Spanish Steps. I walked 135 steps to reach the top! 😄

Enjoyed first authentic food at an italian restaurant, apparently visited and recommended by politicians! I always imagined life like this, in Europe, eating at a cafe outdoor enjoying the breeze and seeing people and cars go by. 

 

With my lovely companion, Sindy. Thanks for bringing me around and your hospitality! 😘

At Trevi Fountain. How grand & beautiful! I was admiring the detail of the sculptures & curious of who are the characters being sculpted. 😄

Outside the Colosseum. Didn't manage to get the tickets online, it was complete sold out a month before! 😲 But at least I got to take photos for memory outside. Better than nothing. 😉 Even viewing from outside, it was an amazing sight. 

They say if you throw a coin from behind, you will come back to Italy in future. That was what I did. I can't wait to come back again soon! 😊

I didn't expect that my very first Europe trip was none other than...to Rome, Italy! Thank God for making it possible. I was extremely excited and it was a trip of a lifetime. My first ever solo trip. It all started as a joke. I was waiting for our dept trip to Danang, Vietnam to be finalized but it didn't. I was frustrated and told my bestie, Ivy that at this rate, I might as well fly back to Italy with my friend, Sindy. That was in late August when she was back with her family for annual visitation. Ivy said "Why not? You can stay at Sindy's house & just relax and chill, experience the culture there." I wasn't sure that if its convenient for me to go over, but thankfully Sindy was okay with it. 😊 Without hesitation, I booked the air tickets to Rome and flew over in mid-October. It all happened swiftly. Like my friend, Hannah said - What started as a joke became a reality. How true! 🙂

During my 10 day trip, though not long, but it was sufficient for me to have a much needed break & vacation. The weather in autumn was cooling and I was happy to get away from the scorching weather in Singapore. Every night, I slept well with the natural 'air-con' on. 

I had always wanted to go Europe. I particularly like the beautiful and colourful buildings, rich history & the historical buildings and architecture. I just enjoyed experiencing the culture and the everyday life of Italians. Sindy brought me to the nearby mall and we had lunch and did shopping there. I also went with her to fetch her cutie and sweet son, Matteo at school. I got to see how school in Italy is like. All these, I think I wouldn't have the chance to experience it if I were to go on a free and easy trip and stayed at a hotel. 

I'm still having post travel syndrome. 😅 I think it will last 2-3 weeks or a month. I pray for more travel opportunities to come and that I am able to visit Europe every year if possible. 🙏🙂

 

Coldplay and Selena Gomez - Let Somebody Go

..."And it hurts like so, to let somebody go.".

Its time to let him go. Farewell. 💕 

Robbie Williams - Angels (Official Video)

"And through it all she offers me protection

A lot of love and affection

Whether I'm right or wrong

And down the waterfall

Wherever it may take me

I know that life won't break me

When I come to call, she won't forsake me

I'm loving angels instead"

Robby, I wish to tell you that I will always be your Sunny Angel. Praying and watching over you. You will always be my Robby baby.

Roxette - It Must Have Been Love

I remembered hearing this classic song played so loud on the car radio at the carpark by a guy who just broke up with his girlfriend (I witnessed the break-up) & he was playing multiple times till I go so fed up. Never did I know that many years later, I would be the one experiencing the heartbreak myself and playing this song. 😥💔

"It must have been love, but its over now.   

  It have been good, but I lost it somehow..." 

Please take care of yourself, my soulmate R. Don't overwork. I so wished to be your side to take care of you. But its not possible now. 🥺 I hope you find a lady who genuinely loves you & will take care of you. Goodbye. 🌹

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

 

Finally an Asian superhero! 💪😀 Been hearing rave reviews and watched the trailer a couple of times has got me excited and definitely gonna catch the movie. And the best person to watch with is none other than my movie buddy, Cindy. We must have telepathy, she started to asked me before I could do so. 😊 We set a date to go on my special day 21 September. (Alright, I know this is a much delayed blog that I wanted to write but either didn't have the mood or time to do so. haha.) 

Part of the reason that I wanted to watch the movie being also because one of my favourite thespians, Tony Leung was in it. His first Hollywood movie. I was curious how Tony would act out this villain character. Well, he never disappoints. As the lead actor who plays Shang-Chi, Simu Liu puts it - he uses his eyes to act. And also could tell that he put in a lot of effort in his english dialogue. It paid off. He spoke so well in the film. 

I particularly like the scenes between SImu Liu and Awkwafina. They have such natural chemistry, And definitely after this many people came to know about Simu, including me. 😊 My movie buddy, Cindy said that she finds Simu Liu and Tony Leung look alike, really look like Father & Son. LOL. But it was sad that Tony's character, Wenwu died in the end. He saved Shang-Chi, bequeathing him the rings before being killed by the Dweller-in-Darkness.

With the fight sequence and action-packed from beginning to end, its quite a fun ride I must say. There's not a single of dull moment. The graphic were amazing too, particularly the towards the ending scene of the dragons. The CGI looked very realistic and not like in some cheapo asian ones that I seen before. But then, its Hollywood. They have the best technology for effects, CGI and animation. 

And lastly, of course were the amazing cast. Other than Simu Liu, Tony Leung and Awkwafina, there's Michelle Yeoh, Fala Chen, Zhang Meng'er and Sir Ben Kingsley. 

This has gotta be one of the best films in 2021. I'm looking forward to the next one. 😊   

Kawaii Big Boy Zen

 Recently fell in love with an adorable baby boy - Big Boy Zen. 😍 He & Mummy, Sayuri are currently the new addition in the korean reality programme <The Return of Superman>. Zen was conceived via Donor insemination and Brave Mummy Sayuri is singlehandedly bringing him up. Well, Sayuri certainly chose well the donor with not only erhem healthy sperm but good genes! Zen is not only absolutely adorable, he is a handsome, lively, sweet and though only at 8 months young, already a ladies' killer. 😄

Whenever I look at Zen, I think of how my children with my Teddy Bear R would look like. He is my dream boy! 🥰 And I pray that my dream would come true! 😉