On links and lifetimes

I like writing late at night. It is peaceful and quiet. The words just flow, continously. The thoughts just come, unhindered.

Contrary to what most people think, I have no love for writing. One writes to express ideas, thoughts, feelings amongst other things. I write to maintain one's ability to pen one's thoughts and to track the more memorable episodes in life. Hence the blog's name "As time goes by", hence the blog's link "the fundamental things apply". If you are wondering, they came from the lyrics of a song, from a movie, Casablanca. "A kiss is just a kiss; A smile is just a smile. The fundamental things apply; As time goes by." And yes, when I blog, the blog entry usually has little relevance to the thoughts swimming in my head. In a sense, I blog for numero uno, to borrow a headline from TNP.

Have you noticed how working life has dulled the senses and numbed the brain? Have you noticed how it has mutated our writing styles from being uniquely one's own to officious-sounding propaganda? Have you noticed how we produced much better pieces while still in school?

Today I bumped into 2 people, both from uni days. One was a blind girl who was in my tutorial class for the module on history of modern China and Japan. The other was a guy who was in my tutorial for the module on Cold War. The girl I knew only by name and despite being in the same tutorial class for one whole semester, we never spoke. The other used to be a good buddy of mine. We could talk for hours on the phone, from night till dawn.

I was reminded of a Chinese calligraphy talk which I attended early this year. The speaker related a story. He had been invited to a conference in Japan. They requested him to write a Japanese saying. The words translate to mean something along the lines of when your sleeve brushes past a stranger in a room, it is the culmination of many lifetimes' karma.

Looks like my 'fate' with some people have yet to end.