Realism

"Waterlilies" by Peder Mork Monsted - Oil Painting
                        
I recall, during my high school art class (美術課), the art teacher often reminded us that there was no need to make a painting that looked so real. He said that you could have otherwise simply taken a photograph.

Photography and painting can bring various kinds of strengths and weaknesses. As we know, photography is commonly considered as a realistic expression.

However, it was only until recently that I was convinced paintings could also be so realistic, true to life, or even more extraordinarily realistic than photographs.

The other day, YMC, a classmate of mine from the NTUMC1968Class, forwarded to me by e-mail some of the landscape paintings by Peder Mørk Mønsted (1859-1941), a Danish realist painter. He depicted the grandeur and monumental aspect of the landscape with a remarkable eye for detail and color.

Now I recognize that "realism" can be achieved in painting as well, as seen in Mønsted's paintings, perhaps by "suggestion" and "illusion", one of the joys of painting that the artist painters enjoy.

Quote: "Photography lacks the depth and heft, the thinking sense of touch, that painting possesses."

To me, Photography vs Painting is more like Digital Intelligence (computer) vs Biological Intelligence (human brain). The painting conveys more expressions and emotions than photograph.


Yeh Tze

TRUST

TRUST

When one grows old, he or she becomes genial, cordial, humble, relaxed and easy-going.

I seem to have reached this stage of life, which is at least what I have felt for the past 5 years of my “post-retirement” part-time job.

Every morning while I was making rounds on my scheduled work days, the staff would often say, “Doc, we are glad you are here with us today.”  I am sure that there are reasons for them to say that.

They likely think I am a friendly and kind old man. However, I believe “trust” is the key word in their minds, after being their co-worker for so many years.

I used to be a quite different individual when I started working here over 36 years ago. I was young, energetic, ambitious, “full-blooded”, and often argumentative and critical. But, I always held myself responsible and accountable while doing my works. And that led to the essence of “trust”, the feeling of confidence.

Although I am growing old (年華漸老), the "trust" and confidence remain the same.


Yeh Tze

【The Yehtze File】  I write what I see and hear, what it means to me, what I think, and what I want to say.

Early Fall In The Valley

Early Fall In The Valley

It has been nearly a month since the 6.0 big shake hit the valley.

It is a month of cleaning, fixing and restoration. More importantly, it is a month of mutual support, comfort and encouragement among the people living here.

Life goes on as usual.

This morning, we resumed our routine weekly hikes on our neighborhood hills park. It was a cool, foggy early autumn morning.

 

 

The grapes are yet to be picked

 

 

Despite the dry season, life goes on.

 

 

 

 

 

After the hikes, we found ourselves to be mentally returning to “normal”, and even more optimistic.


Yeh Tze

A Longtime Companion

                                                          A Longtime Companion

I have been sitting behind this desk in my office to do my work, ie. charting, documenting,  reviewing, prescribing, reading, studying, researching, consulting, communicating, ..........
etc, for the past 36 years.

This desk is something that I have treasured during my career there.

It was in the summer of 1978 when I came to my current workplace from the East Coast to take over the job of Dr. D., the staff Physician and Surgeon, a former Navy Medical Officer.  He let me take his office and, among many other things, he reminded me, at that time, I needed to continue to take good care of his desk, which had been with him for 16 years. I particularly noticed his desk to be in immaculate condition.

I had been with my job there for the next 32 years until I finally "retired" 5 years ago. Then I was asked to come back to work as an “annuitant”, 2-3 days a week, since. Now it is my 37th year on this job, and so behind this desk.

It is a vintage Classic Steel Tanker Desk that was manufactured by "McDowell & Craig Norwalk California", perhaps in the 1950s. 

I have loved my desk as much as I do my job. Through all these years, I have taken extraordinary care of it. Even now, 36 years later, there is not even a single scratch visible on its surface, which remains to be smooth and shiny. I would often gently touch its surface and find it to be a pleasant, soothing experience.

There used to be medical textbooks, reference books and file racks lined up on the front edge of the desk against the wall. The old books were replaced by the updated ones periodically. Now, in this digital age, they have been further replaced by all the digital tools and their accessories.

My office desk has been my faithful, longtime companion all these years, and under the loving care of its companion, the desk has also try to keep in its optimal shape.


Yeh Tze

如鹿切慕溪水

As the Deer (piano instrumental by Katherine Ganzon) YouTube Video
 


"鹿溪的部落格" is not just a Blog or Journal. It is also a book of personal life story - a personal biography.

The author, Lucy (鹿溪), is the lovely wife of my classmate FYH from the NTUMC (台大醫學院)1968 class.

She is a devoted Christian, a school teacher, and a heartwarming writer as well.

She chose her name "鹿溪" from "我的心切慕你，如鹿切慕溪水."  ( As the deer panteth for the water, So my soul longeth after Thee.) -- 詩篇42

Her book with the same title name, "鹿溪的部落格", was published by 主流出版社 in 2009.

In the book, she wrote her "走過人生四季的小品s", she delivered her "生活中的真善美" and she shared her "超越一甲子的人生感動".

In one of her writings entitled "丈夫生病時", she wrote:

"丈夫第一次生較嚴重的病時(進出醫院約半年)，我才26歲──婚後一年, .............................. .

從火車站回到台大醫院，大約午後一點鐘。只見丈夫躺在病床上長吁短嘆，我忙問緣故。他說：『我想，連上帝也沒辦法醫治我了！』原來幾天前神奇退掉的熱度，又重新回來了，怎能不大失所望呢？但我感覺這燒來得奇怪，與過去每次的發燒不同，立刻決定先不忙吃午餐，禁食禱告！

 丈夫見我拉起隔開病床和沙發的簾子，便問：

『妳要做什麼？』

『我要禱告到你退燒。』似乎胸有成竹。

『如果燒不退呢？』丈夫的眼眶紅了。

『那就要弄清楚為什麼。』

......................................... ."



Yeh Tze

When Life Becomes Story

When Life Becomes Story

When one grows old, his or her life becomes memory and story.

Most people reminisce about their own life stories themselves alone, because their stories are mainly about themselves.

Yet, some like to share them with others as their life stories often involved many other people, and therefore they write autobiographies, thinking that their abundant stories worth mentioning, sharing and perhaps are entertaining or even educational.

Those, who do, either write their own biographies themselves, or have someone else, mostly designated writers, write for them.

For us as the readers, we seem to feel like we are listening to their voices and get the messages directly from their hearts if the biographies are written by the persons themselves.

Biographies written by the designated writers, other than the persons themselves, are more organized, comprehensive and "beautifully" done, but they seem to be lacking the "原汁原味".

I am always fond of reading the "感言s ", although they can be as short as a few sentences, or even only a few words, that were written by the classmates in our class books over the years. They tell the truth, what were in their minds, and they are invariably "真情流露".

Every life has a story, one either keeps it to oneself or share it with others.


Yeh Tze

中秋月

Beethoven-Moonlight Sonata (Mvt. 1)  (YouTube video)

海上生明月


"古人今人若流水 ,  共看明月皆如此 。"                              李白

"古人今人愛賞月 ,  今月古月笑人癡 。"                              葉子

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life:
it goes on. "                                                            Robert Frost


Yeh Tze

求下聯

求下聯

 

古人不見今時月, 今月曾經照古人。
今人不見古時月, 古月依然照今人。

 

今月古月同一月, 古人今人不同人。
 x  x  x  x  x  x  x, x  x  x  x  x  x  x。

 

 

Yeh Tze

__._,_.___

And So Life Goes On

It has been a week since the biggest Bay Area earthquake in a quarter-century rattled the region with a 6.0 shaker. The major cleanup continues and so life goes on.

This morning, on the last day of the Memorial weekend, it is our first time to take a visual tour of our downtown since the quake hit the area.

It is distressing to see that many of the property structures, especially those older and historic buildings were seriously damaged.

When the earthquake hit, the earth’s surface shifted a few inches in some places. Perspectives on downtown shifted a lot more.


The Goodman Library is a historic library built in 1901 (Google Images)

 

 

 

 

 

  

The California State landmark First Presbyterian Church, built in 1874

  

 

Sam Kee Laundry 1937-1977 (from Google Images)

The Sam Kee Laundry Building, also known as the Pfeiffer Building, is a historic building located at 1245 Main St. in Napa, California. Built in 1875, the building is the oldest stone building and oldest commercial building.

 

While we were there taking this historic photo, we were met by its current owner, who came to re-inspect, or perhaps to pay his respect to his historic property. He provided us the building’s history and stated that he was determined to bring the building back to its original curb appeal.

Over the years, the building has housed a brewery, a boarding house, a saloon, and the Sam Kee Laundry, founded by its namesake, an immigrant from China.

After all, for the people of this town, life goes on.


Yeh Tze