Thursday, February 13, 2014

简单快乐



Didi Ang问我你快乐吗? 我想也不想就回答,很快乐! 但在Didi离开了之后,我思考了这问题好几天。 然后,很肯定的回答自己,我真的很快乐! 但是,为什么我会这么快乐呢? 我想到孩子的爸爸, 从我俩相恋到相处不来的日子,到离婚时对大家的怨恨, 至今天可以心平气和的交谈。 这一路走来,我们慢慢的学会了宽恕和放下。当把过去逐步的放下时,开始发现因为怨恨,我们忽略了就在身边的幸福和快乐。

想想这么多的快乐就在举手之间,哪里可以让人生只是充满悲伤呢?


因为孩子的 ~ 爸,我上了一堂曾经以为很幸苦和难过的课。但九年后的今天,再次的想起这些往事,心底怨恨不在了,只有感恩。很感谢他和我一起修这一生的功课。 孩子的爸!深深的祝福 ~ 愿你快乐!




果醒法师说:“要追求真正的快乐,首先要分析———快乐是什么?”
快乐其实是一门深奥的课题,每个人都在追求快乐,但每个人快乐的标准都不同;一些人的快乐建立在富裕的物质上,觉得花了钱买来实物方值得快乐,有人却追求精神层面的快乐,但究竟什么是“真正的快乐”,谁也说不准。
但若问你:“你快乐吗?”……这道很简单却能让人深思良久的问题,你会怎么回答?
老实说,她是我碰过“最爱笑”的一个女人。
她那种“连旁人也能感染到她的快乐”的笑声,非常迷人,这样的她,难免让人怀疑她是个没经历过低潮的幸运儿吗?事实正好相反,她的“幸运”反而是在于:在她那不算走得很平坦的人生道路中,她遇到了很多教会她“快乐”的贵人。
从小就很爱绘画的她,17岁就跟着绘画老师在学校教画;虽然是很短暂的经验,但许棐杳不只学会了绘画的技巧,她还从老师身上学会了人生道理,所以她说:“这位老师算是我人生中,影响我很大的贵人之一”,她之后也延用了老师的教学方式,灌输学生正确的人生观念和道理,不局限于教导硬知识。
一直都从事教育工作、也不愿放弃绘画的她,在机缘巧合之下,还找到机会往柬埔寨义务教育当地小孩绘画;听起来很完美不是吗,何来不平坦的人生路?“既然已经结婚生子,你就别再出去画画了、留在家当全职妈妈吧,你那些画又不卖钱”,这是许棐杳永生难忘的一句话,而说这句话的不是别人……正是许棐杳孩子———爸。
绘画抒发情绪
她说:“我不能说他的观念是错,但对我来说,绘画是一种心灵的治疗。那时候我常跟孩子他爸吵架,心情很难受又不敢告诉家人,唯有透过绘画来抒发心情;当你花几个小时专注绘画时,不一定要注重技巧,想怎么画就怎么画,不失是一种释放压力的方式;所以我觉得,绘画对成人或小孩都好,是得到快乐的一条途径。”
而许棐杳与孩子他爸,最后也没有长相厮守,许棐杳说:“那段时期真的很黑暗,每天晚上回到家就哭,哭累了就睡,睡醒就继续强颜欢笑,生活再难过还是要过。”
佛法重寻快乐
差不多有半年的时间,她都忘了快乐是什么。直到朋友介绍她到佛堂教课,她才从佛法中重新找回快乐,她说:“佛法教我放下,只要你一天还学不会放下,心中就会一直带着‘恨’,恨别人的生活总过得比自己的好,到底是哪里出问题了呢?慢慢地,我才领悟到不是自己生活出问题,而是自己的心态根本没调整好啊!
所以要得到快乐,你就要学会‘放下’、并丢掉心中的‘恨’,就能学会不抱怨;虽然听起来很抽象很难办到,但当你真正去做了就会觉得,其实没有想象中难。用金钱买快乐很容易,但物质于我的快乐很短暂,只有心灵的快乐才能恒久。”而透过绘画,她终也找到了另一个快乐泉源,那就是她生命中的“Mr.Right”。
贫困并不苦
一趟柬埔寨之旅,许棐杳就领悟到了更简单,却更有深度的快乐。
她说:“其实教小孩绘画,本来就是一件很快乐的事情,你能从中感受到他们的纯真。柬埔寨的小孩让我领悟更深的是,现在很多小孩都被物质和科技化了,但他们不管生活或思想都更纯朴,从他们的画就能轻易看出来;房子是小朋友绘画的基本功,看惯了本地小孩画得花俏的房子,第一次看到柬埔寨小孩画的房子,有点不习惯。
画是一面镜子
“你会看到清一色‘方格屋身+三角屋顶’的极简线条房子,装饰就是两面方格窗户和一道长方门,我就在想他们的画怎会如此的空洞呢?而且几乎所有小孩都一样,当我深入去了解他们的思想和生活后,我才领悟到小朋友的画就是一面镜子,反映出来的正是他们平日的生活环境,他们居住的房子就真的长这个样子啊!
“我曾经是一个很爱抱怨的人,但亲眼看到柬埔寨人的生活,可谓贫困的他们也能活得很快乐,为什么我们反而就不行?是不是生活水准越高,要求就会越高?当我们追求的东西越多时,烦恼也会跟着增加,你就很难静下心来想,到底你所追求的东西,是不是你真正需要的?抑或只是盲目的追求?
常抱怨变渺小
“当然也不是说‘追求’就是不好的事,如果它已经对你造成某程度的困扰,而你又找不到正确的心态去面对它时,你就不会快乐……那又是何苦呢?
以前没机会出国,所以只能看到小圈子的小人小事,当时觉得自己是悲惨的人,但当我把柬埔寨的生活投映在自己的身上,才发现自己一直在抱怨的事,突然变得很渺小。
“这不是‘把自己的快乐,建筑在别人的痛苦上’的心态,只是透过他们的经历学会了感恩自己所拥有的一切,而不是什么大小事都要抱怨一番。少了抱怨,大家自然就能活得快乐一点,你说是吗?”



Saturday, December 7, 2013

Internal Dialogue



Siem Reap town,
still a beauty,
but not so innocent or simple. 
Women dressed to kill,
High heels, 
lipstick, 
eye shadow.

Sense of  materialism,
stronger.
Young ladies
girls,
seeking better life.
Life 
not as simple as it was.

Small kids, 
bare foot,
running
singing.
Education or family,
can they choose?
live the lives as their parents.

Can they dreams
hope?
I wish.
my internal dialog,
Teaches me about loving
sharing,
in many differenct ways.

Art will save the world,
connected my inner self.
Colors of Cambodia,
touched my heart.

Kind hearted individuals,
bring art materials.
Generous sponsors,
spontaneous giving.

Loving kindness radiating
Love and joy surrounding
We learn.

Each of us plant a seed,
In ourselves,
In others.

It will,
It should,
Blossom!

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Dream of Figueres

Not sure if there is a dream,
It seem so real.
I was so close to him,
reading his story.

Inspired by his great creation,
my inner self.
Still searching of my direction,
in many way.

Learning,
to live the life.
Just like him?
the genius.

Never alone,
it will be colourful
and
meaningful.

Jade's dream

The Journey
Finding Me

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Art In Life

Some years ago, naively, I thought my life was in the worst place. I learned that it wasn't as painful compared with someone who had lost their loved one or had lost every thing in life. Whatever comes into life is a challenge to practice and learn to live our lives better.

My life journey is not as simple as my parents', but nevertheless full of lessons to learn. In my young days I remember that I wasn't that bright in studies. I was very playful and enjoyed playing with friends,  climbing rambutan trees, busy plucking rambutan, cycling in the kampong and paddy fields. Childhood was full of love and laughter.

The best result I ever had was in ART, in secondary school. It was the subject that I loved most and most proud of. Living in small kampong, enjoying life, not having pressure from parent to get results, I was not aware how important language is, especially English.

I had so much discouragement and difficulties during college time. My Mandarin wasn't the best and English was the worst. I struggled so much, but no one was able to help.  Those were the times I regretted. After getting a diploma, I wanted to further my studies overseas, but I dare not. That was because of my poor English. Without a second thought I jumped into education because I love children. It proved the right decision, because it has brought lot of joy, and success.

We have to make many choices and decisions. I started learning art on the age of 16. I fell in love with arts. That seed has been growing since then, until today. 24 years later, it has blossom, and I have a second chapter of  art in my life, at 40.

New chapter, new story in life, http://peiyeoubradley.blogspot.com
new blog and story about my art..

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

A Cambodian Dairy








Siem Reap, Cambodia, has been developed so much. Lots of tourists are now in the town. Pubs and 
bistros Have mulitplied. Many houses along the riverside have been demolished, I have no chance to be close to Cambodian daily life, in town, any more. Tourism helps the country to development but it also brings materialism.

In Colors of Cambodia Gallery, advance class students spend their time learning art in their free time. Tourists walking pass, some drop by, look and go. Some stay, chat and support. The most wonderful thing about being a volunteer teacher for CoC (since 2007) is that I am not only sharing with the people here, but they have inspired me too ~ how to live simplely but happily. Traveling back to Siem Reap is a great reminder for me to be grateful all the time. Students and parents who have joined me and helped in teaching in Thai Zo school miss the Cambodian children. Some of them have started keeping clothes and stationary for me to take at this year's end. This is the beauty of planting "seeds of loving kindness" in children. 

Many copies of "a story of Colors of Cambodia" have been sold, and a significant amount of money transfered to Mr. William Gentry on 30th March, 2013. There remains a balance of books needed to be sold. Each little step, each little support for this art project will help to bring joy for the children in the Siem Reap school and gallery. It allows them to have the opportunity to play with colours, and to have fun in drawing and painting...and to have dreams too.

A Cambodian dairy was our first workshop in Colors of Cambodia. We had the writer MrPaul GnanaSelvam to share his writing and reading, and my husband Mr Martin Bradley to share art history and read some of his latest poetry and myself, of cause sharing about my art and helping the students to create. We also have Om Poh Poh and her two boys joining us to local school and orphanage, but they are just too tired to join the workshop at night after exploring.

I am sad to know there are sponsored students who have to stop studying, I wish that I could help more but.... their families need their help to earn a living. Home visiting to sponsored students, riding across paddy fields, on small motorcycles was really remarkable. There was a sense of resignation from the poorer families and mild shock from us when we saw the simplicity of some of the lives of these families.

These workshops bring together local Cambodians and those willing to share with them. The next workshop will be from 1st to 5th Dec, if you are interested to share, please contact me.

My reflection of loving kindness to you all, may all be blessed with blossom of happiness, wealth and peace.


Monday, April 1, 2013

Sketches in Life

my foot steps
I leave in the town
city
and countryside

roads
streets
I walk

with pen
and brush
I draw

with ink 
and colours
I paint

I watch
and feel
the beauty

dots
lines
creation

my heart lives
within each place
connected with
love
with joy
every moment 

with my sketches
in life




St Pete, Figueres

Dali Musuem, Figueres

On the way to Cadaques

Trees & Dali Musuem, Figueres

The Barrels, Hotel Duran, Figueres

Back of St Pete, Figueres

The Celler, Hotel Duran, Figueres

Building in Figuers

Hotel Duran, Figueres

Evening in Fugueres

Church St. Pete, Figueres 

Morning in Figueres market

Night in Figueres

Church of Santa Maria, Cadagues

Train Station in Figueres, Spain.

Pathway in Besalu, Spain.

Church St Vicent, Besalu, Spain.

Sunset in Cadaques, Spain.

Sketch with strawberries, Market in Figueres, Spain.


Figueres, Spain
Battambang, Cambodia


Ta Phrom, Siem Reap, Cambodia 

Ta Phrom, Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia


Woman Temple, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Wat Bo, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Wat Bo, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Woman Temple, Siem Reap, Cambodia


Gillman Barracks, Singapore
Gillman Barracks, Singapore
Little India, Singapore
Little India, Singapore 
Little India, Singapore

Cadaques, Spain
Cadaques, Spain

Cadaques, Spain

Figueres, Spain



Sapa, Hanoi, Vietnam
Alley Way in Seam Reap, Cambodia
Angkor Thom,  Siem Reap, Cambodia

Chinese temple, Bukit Mertajam, Province Wellesley 

Gallery Colors of Cambodia, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia 
Malacca River, Malacca 
Putrajaya, Selangor 
Love Lane, Penang
Seam Reap, Cambodia
Tanjung Sepat 



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