Journal

Today my son turns 8 months old. Being a new mother, it is so hectic every day that the only time I have for myself in a day usually would be after 8 pm or so, when my baby goes to sleep. I am sure I am not alone here.    [Photo: Me and Christopher (age 4 months) at the harp]     In fact, it is really hard to keep one’s sanity throughout the day, especially if your baby has a cold, is teething, or simply fussy that day. His screaming or yelling can make you panic throughout the day. When I first had Christopher, I used to center a lot around his needs and emotions, which is, now looking back, I think, quite normal. A newborn’s needs during the first three months are especially very demanding as he strives for survival in the new world outside his mother's womb.  His mother or caretaker's undivided attention is almost essential to his healthy being. I often have the feeling that “ If I do not respond immediately to my crying baby, or spend enough time with him, I

American composer John Milton Cage (1912-1993) 's compositional style and philosophy may not be everyone's cup of tea, however, I found his writings in "Silence" very thought-provoking and creative. The book "Silence" talks about Cage's thoughts on music and sound. He believed that silence is as important as music itself, and has a rather enlightening view on space. The book is also visually stimulating as the author arranges his articles randomly. For me, he definitely teaches me one thing: every pause between music notes are as important as the music notes themselves. And if you are a harpist, you would definitely know what I mean, because our dear harp strings are forever vibrating, so it is essential for us to do what we need to do to clean up the sound "mess." ;) The year 2012 is coming to an end soon. I would like to make use of this golden opportunity to pay tribute to Cage. 2012 marks the composer's 100th birt