has anyone seen the trailer for Monsters, Inc on tv? if not, try to catch it! i really admire the way the dialogue writers have managed to incorporate some very clever jokes in a highly innocuous way. maybe i am reading too much into the line, but given the witty humor pixar has dealt out in the past, i don’t think i am pushing it.

what am i talking about? well, here’s the quote taken directly from the TV trailer (which is sort of marketing genius on its own):

“Yeah – blame it all on the little guy, with the one eye!”
- Mike Kazowski, the !one-eyed green! monster from Monsters, Inc -

hmmm. i don’t think the little kiddies will understand this line so it should still be rated G. i can’t wait for it to hit the theatres as i want to see how many loaded jokes like these are buried in the movie. no – my mind is not in the sewer, how i have come to this particular interpretation of this line is the un?/fortunate result of having (too) many guy friends. i love the hidden references of jokes like these. that’s why i also really cartoons like the Simpsons for their vitrolic humor. as a last note, i bet that this character was deliberately chosen to be green too, even if he is not the only one-eyed monster in the show, he is one of the stars, so it makes that even more significant!

ok, i should stop now….i think i am starting to overanalyse the layers in this film. i can’t wait for it to come out because Pixar has never failed to disappoint!

Ida Bagus Made (1915 -d1999)
Balinese
“Rice Goddess“

I got sidetracked, thinking about the art of Ida Bagus Made. There was a very recent exhibition of his works at my university museum where i got to view them up close. the one thing that strikes me about his works is the verdant sensuousness of detail, and especially of line. he paints mainly scenes from bali, as well as images from the local religion and beliefs. the one work that i really like, which’s name i cannot remember, is a beautiful monochrome ink painting. although it is starker than this piece, it is all the better for viewing how he is able to take a line and give depth to a two-dimensional surface. it’s not apparent here, but when you stand in front of one of his paintings, your eye is held captive by the line. your vision follows the lush curves of bodies and plants, easily bringing them to life within your imagination. for all the detail of his painting, the artist knew how to appreciate minimalism and the raw beauty of the materials that he worked with. one of the masks he made he left unfinished after a visitor remarked that he liked the unfinished product better. Ida Bagus Made was delighted to hear that the visitor shared the same perspective as him. consequently, he bestowed the unfinished mask on the visitor. 
Ida Bagus Made was an artistic genius of his time. his works are veritable jewels to hold in your gaze and when you finally understand them, their presence leaves an indelible imprint upon your soul.

silent waters

i dream of the ocean when i close
my eyes, sounds reaching my ears
through the thick sweetness of honey
and quiet. silence falls and grows,
like the comfort of fast friends over years
to wrap me in the coolness of tears
and sleep, to taste the salt tinged
with sun upon my open lips.
no breath drawn to stir the waters
no languid laughs, instead knowing
smiles that hide the secrets hinged
between sky and deep – light slips
away amid the closed current flowing,
beneath the beds of coral and weed,
a wordless gasp to a lover’s caress
murmured mutely, a prisoner of need.

ok….i could not resist commenting
on this.
i think this ABOMINABLY cute,
if unnatural. This pic was taken
in Singapore on Sunday: the
monkey saw the kitten under
the tree, snatched it up then
began grooming and cradling it.
i don’t know if the kitten really
enjoys it, but it looks quite comfortable…apparently, it did
not once squirm or try to get away
from the monkey throughout the
entire process.

the calling

tide turning to the moon
high above those lonely clouds
that hide her solemn face.
souls slipping to dreams beneath
the kelp, like ghostly shrouds,
whisper the songs of that place
beneath the implacable line
of sky. breathless, like the kiss
of angels, imperturbable and as divine
as the the memory of fire
burned deep in your blood.