Recently, I have had more free time than usual to reflect on why I created this blog in the first place. This blog began because I need(ed) a medium to compile and express my thoughts, but in a coherent manner; to understand my thinking process, which can be quite illogical, haphazard, and sentimental sometimes.
More importantly, however, this blog is for me. This blog isn't for others, though I might share the link with them. It's not important to me whether or not anyone reads this except for myself, thought I definitely appreciate comments, criticisms, and feedback, especially from loved ones.
The offering of the five senses, as this blog is titled, is a concept that everyone is familiar with, subconsciously or consciously. It is a manner of saying that what we experience as human beings is a product of the interaction, the tension between the basic human senses of sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch. It is a way in which I can grapple with how I make sense of my five-sense experiences, an experience that can be uncomfortable, sensual, dramatic but at the same time comforting, restrained, and poetic.
To elaborate further, I'll cite a line from Milton's Paradise Lost:
"The mind is its own place and in and of itself, can make a hell of heaven and a heaven of hell."
Once in a while, I ponder over this quotation and begin to think of its meaning and implications for me and those around me. To explain words, actions, events. To understand how my host mom and her two daughters are able to look at the tragic news, with some emotional distance, but I subtly cling on to those people, their stories, their innocence and remain a little haunted by these events even after muting the broadcasters' voices. It helps me understand others and their words and actions too.
But, as of the last few weeks, it helps me understand how when I was back at home, I longed to be in Madrid, but now that I'm settled into my new, temporary home, I'm longing for my house---my suburbian, middle-class house where the beautiful people in my life live; people that I didn't realize were so beautiful until now (shame).![]()
More importantly, however, this blog is for me. This blog isn't for others, though I might share the link with them. It's not important to me whether or not anyone reads this except for myself, thought I definitely appreciate comments, criticisms, and feedback, especially from loved ones.
The offering of the five senses, as this blog is titled, is a concept that everyone is familiar with, subconsciously or consciously. It is a manner of saying that what we experience as human beings is a product of the interaction, the tension between the basic human senses of sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch. It is a way in which I can grapple with how I make sense of my five-sense experiences, an experience that can be uncomfortable, sensual, dramatic but at the same time comforting, restrained, and poetic.
To elaborate further, I'll cite a line from Milton's Paradise Lost:
"The mind is its own place and in and of itself, can make a hell of heaven and a heaven of hell."
Once in a while, I ponder over this quotation and begin to think of its meaning and implications for me and those around me. To explain words, actions, events. To understand how my host mom and her two daughters are able to look at the tragic news, with some emotional distance, but I subtly cling on to those people, their stories, their innocence and remain a little haunted by these events even after muting the broadcasters' voices. It helps me understand others and their words and actions too.
But, as of the last few weeks, it helps me understand how when I was back at home, I longed to be in Madrid, but now that I'm settled into my new, temporary home, I'm longing for my house---my suburbian, middle-class house where the beautiful people in my life live; people that I didn't realize were so beautiful until now (shame).
