origami

Feeling rather dead today. Some dreadful dreams visited me again. It's not a happy thought to realize how cowardly i am. To be so lost as what to do with future. I was feeling bonelessly numb and tired and so decided to take a nap. Was thirsty. Despite sticky and gluey saliva i refused to fetch any drink and lay prostrate back up on my bed. After a short time, my senses told me my feet were getting cold so i crawled under the quilt and balled up with my head covered in silent darkness, nonetheless warm n comforting. Then it happened again. 2nd yr, 3rd, 4th, graduation, getting a job? go on studying? getting married, getting committed. wait, wait, what?? what's that dread? i woke up all of a sudden. Through open eyes in front me guizi was watching animation again. Geez she has a test in two days or so. Colours flashing on screen, one by one, shades and highlights, now n then, on and off. It was silent. The upholstered chair she was nudged in. I could barely make out her head when she slouched in it knees up like that. One table, another. A light, another. Symmetrical. It felt surreal. 'life's like a dream' 'it's a dream it's a dream wake up wake up' I was so sick of the voice i jumped out of bed and grabbed the apple on my table. Apple is demon's favourite fruit, original sin from the garden of eden. Where did i get that idea from? Whenever someone plays with AN APPLE, especially red apple, ruby, garnet, whatever you call it. Spinning it by the stalk, staring at the plump body, tossing it up n down, slicing it into horizontal plates. All of them wicked gestures. It wasn't tasteful coz it wasn't fresh. I finished it anyway.

Don't feel like reading anything tonight. Three hours' worth of information gathering on the bio writing project proved to be detrimental to health, esp. on a monday. Instead i just fooled around trying to find some random target to research on. Then i saw the origami icon on my own blog. Why did i choose giraffe origami for decoration?? I have no idea, maybe a pile of sand goes better with the background.


Happy Giraffe!!

anyway, bored as i was ,i googled 'origami' and 'paper folding'.
'origami' is a word of Jap origin, literally means 'oru=fold, gami=paper'.
Here's a definition on 'origami'
Origami is a form of visual / sculptural representation that is defined primarily by the folding of the medium (usually paper).

It is really interesting to note that the word 'origami' did not arise from a background in any way related to recreational art. But think of it, how many of modern art expressions were truly in their original evolvements centred around the purpose of 'art' or 'the sake of appreciation'? Pottery probably first appeared as coarse formless containers to gather water, oil paintings for historical recording purposes when there were no cameras or video recorders around. Humans are foremost practical social animals. MMM, according to the website paperfolding, the word 'origami' was initially used in the combined phrase 'origami tsuki', meaning a kind of certificate that was usually folded and presented together with swords and gifts to samurai? as apprasiement. So it was a formal document somewhat equivalent of modern day 'diploma'. And i wasn't even aware of the connection between 'diploma' and 'origami' after all my efforts in greek n latin. geez, how unsuccessful. 'diploma' = di[two] + plo[fold] + ma[a form], meaning something folded in two or of two fold. Weird why your precious diploma should be folded in two eh? Same goes with 'origami', its ancient form being a formal certificate that was folded in two so as to prevent 'illegal copying', for discrete privacy reasons. How queer that is, ancient japs and latins behaved the same. and now the two words floated along the river of history and reached us, one with a face and the other virtually unscathed.

Was wondering where the art of paper folding originated from.
Here's a tremendously stimulating article on the origin of paper folding.
History of Origami,
It seems that the 'origami' is NOT japanese art. Europeans and the Japs have evolved different styles of paper folding, rather independently. And it is ambiguous as in where on hell paper folding first appeared. Though china invented paper(ingenious!!), the art of paper folding does not necessarily come from our country.

And there're a whole lot of mathematical theories that go into origami. wow...

And found this super cute poem by a malaysian
The art of Japanese paper folding is origami
Which is greatly appealing to me;
Origami is truely fun and creative
As folders are skilful and imaginative.
They create origami models without glue
In various colours: yellow , red and blue;
Their origami models are fantastic
As they appear to be realistic.

Many an adult indulge in origami
As it is considered as a good therapy;
Some patients are taught paper- folding
And the result of recovery is outstanding.

At wonderful creations children marvel
So they begin folding a simple model;
Their end-product they are proud to see
Hoping someday they will be good at origami.

-tpkong-

One of his works


gotta sleep, this's sure a great hobby. But i don't know any real life people around me who are good at it. I totally suck at it. The only origami i can manage is paper crane *_* or maybe give it a try i can still remember how to fold frogs. Reminded me how i used bus tickets to fold paper cranes back in singapore. It all started when i noticed two carefully folded paper cranes sitting on the rubber panel, right below my elbow. They looked so delicate and elegant. What was the person thinking when he played around with the bus tickets, seated in the same spot where i found them. But it was almost a teasure island i treaded upon. I was happy that day. And i thought, actually i still think even now, that i'd most likely fall in love with such a person if he ever appears in my life. For it's probably more than a sleight of hand that does the trick. or maybe it's just me who never quits day dreaming.