Aug 25/2013
Ah! what a blessing for a brilliantly sunny and warm weekend! Summer almost concludes giving in to serious research and practicing arts. The 2nd time watching the movie Jackson Pollock stokes my interest in this artist altho I have been more of a Lee Krasner ‘s fan. Some of her works are stunning!! especially large canvas I saw in NYC last summer. Pollock show at the AGO in the recent year didn’t do much for me but somehow, something in this movie I saw for the 2nd time recently… I wish I cd view that collection again!
Worth mentioning.. from my recent tour along the coast of Spain & Portugal: why do cruise ships have art auctions? it is so crass, unprofessional and so…insulting ! like flea markets selling high end perfumes or Harry Winston’s jewelries, just not right. Worse, all of the “arts” look like mall art!! such an affront. Cruise ships shd just focus on organising the best cruise!
Why are pick-pockets so rampant in Europe? it happened in Madrid last year and now, Barcelona…petty thefts are everywhere but I saw the face of a thief!! what shocked me was how ordinary he was! an average, normal looking man with no sign of destitution, hunger or hopelessness… but of course, deceit is the very disguise right amongst us!! and this mask of “ordinary” normalcy I wonder how many of us stoop that low to make a living out of others’ misery?
Stealing is as old as the history of mankind but what is worse? the act itself or the loss …. Money in a wallet is replaceable; trust, confidence are not. I recently uncovered a different kind of “theft” : the betrayal of trust by a “friend” (who needs enemy? and he wanted to be friend “forever” !! Did he think I was still in grade school?) if it sounds too good to be true? it is! Being deceived and taken advantage of by our own friend(s) feels worse than death. We might stop grieving a death but never will forgive a deception. This is backed up by others who suffered from similar (and worse!) deceits (if you’re in doubt, think Maria Shriver, Elizabeth Edwards for victims and Madoff for the taker, who deceived his own relatives!! ) the face of the Spanish thief was horrific in so many ways: the most unexpected, ordinary but the master of deceit! The takers would never comprehend what damage and havoc their callous actions caused! they have no regrets nor sympathy for anyone as everyone is just a good potential, plump target! Whether they take to live on, to achieve yet another “conquest” or just for kicks (klepto) … they take nevertheless.
Kleptomaniacs, patho liars, sociopath thieves…diabolic, cunning, cold and calculated! To make believe, this so-called former friend even ran marathons& rode for cancer! Funny how he’d coldly deceive in private but so kind & charitable in public? hurt his friends but wanted to find “cure” for perfect strangers? (take away the tax deduction, do millionaires still give??) Now we have bigotry on top of thievery ! and this executive went further to pen an email of total untruth!! What wd the shareholders of his company think? How do we cure the sickness of the mind? The mind is what matters…without it, even his million dollars net worth won’t help. All the LV bags, Mont Blanc pens and Paul and Shark clothing can’t cover the rotten fresh underneath the beautiful, executive prestige…the bank account maybe full but his life is one empty space! it’s sad not bec’ of the abominable actions (for justice comes in many forms!) but his myopia. Short term gain and long term pain. All the education is wasted! what is an MBA when every word out of his mouth is just a lie?
Similarly, how do we correct a nation/region where little children are taught to steal? the gang in airports, parks, the gypsies walking the streets and thieves ready to pounce in crowded subways? Even the Spanish Royal family (the Princess and her husband ‘s embezzlement!! Why do Royals steal? don’t they have enough?!! ) Every traveler, every tourist was warned! European nice, splendid capital cities are not third worlds so no excuse about survival instinct! Why do ppl steal or deceive? the century old unanswerable question!!!
Many have written about the topic of betrayal: Eve Wood (author: Gift of Betrayal) , Lynne Sherr (journalist)..Leslie Camhi (writer, reconnected with then betrayed by her first love) but no concrete answer to the question… Madoff even swindled Elie Wiesel (yes, beyond despicable!!) and just the exact same sentiment as mine that one day my blithely lying friend wd face Dante’s inferno by seeing faces of his victim in the mirror, Mr Wiesel decreed (on Madoff): “I wd like him to be in a solitary cell w/only one screen & for at least 5 yrs….there wd be pictures of his victims one after another….” justice will be served… I’m just an artist, not a psychologist or sociologist. None of us can solve this problem (a form of cancer in itself)!! but hopefully in North America save some sickos like Madoff, the rest of us do not teach our children to steal, lie nor deceive for our own gain! We live a modest life, our existence contributes in a positive way if not in history, to other around us!
I still love Europe for its arts, cultures, landscape, history and gastronomy. Just avoid the pick-pockets and con artists!! this man who called himself a friend of mine (!!) will one day learn the way of life in Canada, we are kind, caring and loving people. No lies!
Just some random thoughts, when someone steals, everyone pays!
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.