tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542826117579018433.post7390732601957365099..comments2023-07-05T08:25:21.361+05:30Comments on Hello, Net Baby!: Tears and SpirographsSwatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17173996390154408845noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542826117579018433.post-12400358591289768152009-04-09T10:32:00.000+05:302009-04-09T10:32:00.000+05:30I am sorry to know of your illness. Sending you lo...I am sorry to know of your illness. Sending you lots of 'blest' wishes for good health!<BR/><BR/>I do not know if this notion is truly an integral part of Chinese culture or not, or whether, even if it was valued at one time, it is still a respected tenet. But, isn't the concept of hiding your emotions from public gaze universal? I am thinking of the proverbial British stiff upper lip, and of diktats like 'the true lady never reveals her emotions'. Only the very young in any case have the ability, and the license, to share their feelings without restriction. <BR/><BR/>But I digress. I agree with you about the therapeutic effect of sharing pain, but there are, usually, very few you can share it with. Cry, and you cry alone after all. In the story, this little girl was hostage to a situation she could not change, and this conversation between her and her mother is in that context. Looking back, I wonder if I needed to question it at all, simply because it is so contextual? But that is true of all our observations in life, is it not? Each of life's little lessons is true, but only for that kind of situation. Change the parameters a little, and a new set of rules come into play, a new strategy is needed. And the one who has seen more shades of pain, felt more nuances of joy, will have an advantage here. Half my life is over and I am only now recognizing what my parents called 'experience', which I dismissed with all the arrogance of a teenager as rubbish!<BR/><BR/>I don't think the author was thinking of Maya and spiritual advancement - but then, who am I to say! I can only assure you that I wasn't really thinking much beyond how in certain situations in life, pain can not or should not be shared. :)<BR/><BR/>Thanks a ton for the info about harmonigraphs. I am following that link now. I am impressed by your actually making the thing yourself! <BR/><BR/>The sock monkey is to follow in the next post :)Swatihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173996390154408845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542826117579018433.post-85217023320508199592009-04-08T21:34:00.000+05:302009-04-08T21:34:00.000+05:30Hi Swati! I've mislaid a month or so somewhere wit...Hi Swati! I've mislaid a month or so somewhere with illness and injury but am 'blogulatory' for the moment. :)<BR/>That's an interesting bit of cultural difference there, the notion that crying feeds someone else' joy. I can't decide if that is a nod to the Yin and Yang view of the universe, where the energy put into misery must be balanced somewhere by energy put into joy for balance, or some misguided Macho thing, where reaction to sorrow or pain is to be ridiculed and held contemptible. Either way, I rather prefer Spider Robinson's (a speculative fiction author) take on pain; something to the effect that pain shared is lessened while joy shared is increased exponentially. Very thoughtful post. Makes me also wonder whether there was any note of the more Indian religio-philosophical tenet that a level of attachment to anything in life that strong, of which tears shed would seem to be a symptom, is a block to the path of improving one's spiritual nature. I'm probably over-reaching there, though.<BR/><BR/>Cool Spirographs, gonna have to try a couple of them, thanks for putting them up with notes! According to Wikipedia, the name Spirograph is a registered trademark of Hasbro Toys. Spirographs are a great learning tool for budding artists, mathematicians and engineers alike. And Fun! My sister and I used to mess about with them. When we were in high school, we learned about pendulum harmonigraphs and built a simple one with a sheet of plywood suspended on cables from the garage ceiling. Apparently there are now a couple of applets for that as well, which I'll have to go look at. I looked up a flickr image for you to see how harmonigrams differ from spirograms. Check this link, if you've an interest:<BR/>http://www.flickr.com/photos/0olong/513896650/<BR/>And with that I must go eat. Great combined post, thanks for the information to go explore!<BR/>Cheers,<BR/>pete<BR/>p.s. looking forward to the sock monkey :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542826117579018433.post-421935609578661562009-03-21T13:02:00.000+05:302009-03-21T13:02:00.000+05:30Hello! Great to have you here. We'll have the sock...Hello! Great to have you here. We'll have the sock monkey up shortly since you so desire :)Swatihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173996390154408845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542826117579018433.post-57212659508456600862009-03-21T10:43:00.000+05:302009-03-21T10:43:00.000+05:30Oh hello there! :)I want to see the sock monkey!Oh hello there! :)<BR/>I want to see the sock monkey!Viviane Schwarzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03577169765332833910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542826117579018433.post-32907545345107246922009-03-10T14:42:00.000+05:302009-03-10T14:42:00.000+05:30I thank you dear oyster, but not in words because ...I thank you dear oyster, but not in words because there are none to convey what one glance can.Swatihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173996390154408845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542826117579018433.post-19028507896602538182009-03-10T11:15:00.000+05:302009-03-10T11:15:00.000+05:30and perhaps because I am neither a turtle not a ma...and perhaps because I am neither a turtle not a magpie, I hold your seemingly scattered tear pearls close, so that when you're healed and look back at these days and marvel at the pain that moved you so much, you can see them glistening, precious, and hope that they remain rare.Nino's Mumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14772512291327435370noreply@blogger.com