This week’s whimsy is brought to you by Magritte’s Jedi Mind Trick, which you can have on a T-shirt if you like.
Ce Ne Sont Pas Les Droids
Please share any bits and pieces you have come across recently that have surprised, delighted, intrigued or otherwise positively engaged you.
NB: the weekly whimsy thread is a stoush-free zone
Magritte’s Jedi mind trick is a wonderful imagination, but sometimes the mind released had became the reality. The world don’t know yet about the star war, but it should be happened when and where in our planet?
In Europe, prophet Jules Verne ( 1828-1905) who dreamed of undersea and air travel, those came true by air plane and the submarine.
In Asia, a China author Ngo Thua An, about 950 A.D, who wrote a book” Monkey Magic”, the Buddhist fairy tales, he imagined a monk names Tam Tang who wanted to reach to the” western world paradise” for the bible. The monk Tam Tang had 4 magical students, all came from the abnormal situation with magic. Actually the number one student was monkey, he could fly as bird and taken the hairs to create many monkeys. Nowadays the air plane could carry hundred people, then the cloning could make the same animal by a stern cell.
The other hand, the so-called of western world paradise is fantastic significant: the most western states are paradise with freedom and democracy, unfortunately, the Chinese people have not got yet the freedom bible, despite their ancient, author Ngo Thua An told to them more than thousand years ago.
I’m using mobile devices today, so I hope these work. If not I’ll try again when I get back to my desktop.
Crazy watering can.
http://vimeo.com/25149893
One neat bookshop.
http://www.franklarsonphotos.com/Miscellaneous%20pages/068%2010%20page.htm
nice illusion.
https://twitter.com/dougcoupland/status/174576336143269889
Shouldn’t that be “Ce ne sont pas les droïdes que vous recherchez“?
Pshaw. As if Magritte would ever be that obvious, Down and Out.
dylwah @ 3: love the bookshop and the alley, but shouldn’t that shot have a vampire facing away from the camera, slouching through a puddle in the general direction of the shop?
Cute overload here.
Intermission time
http://t.co/NzrSXAIh
I’ve realized all these come from great dismal’s twitter stream, so hat tip @greatdismal.
Andy c, you are a cheeky modernist. I was expecting a hard bitten, hard drinking gumshoe or The Jets.
Truong @ 1:
Are you referring to Wu Cheng’en and his novel Journey to the West, perchance? If so, then you’re about 600 years out on time, because Wu lived during the 16th century, not the 10th.
And the monk “Tam Tang” (‘Tripitaka’ in Journey to the West, Xuanzang in reality) was a real person who lived in the 7th century and travelled overland from Xi’an to what is now Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal studying Buddhism and collecting texts in a journey that lasted 16 years.
Xuangzang was responsible for translating the Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra into Chinese. In Journey to the West, the translation itself is glossed over and the reader is told of how Xuangzang’s fictional counterpart Tripitaka gains Enlightenment and becomes a full Buddha.
And, of course, the nature of Monkey was Irrepressible!
Thank very much for your assistance and addition more informations about a Chines fairy tales of The journey to the west. I Learn more from you or someone else. It is great for me.
I read this book since teenager in 1960′s, that translated from Chinese language to Vietnamese language, this book also called” The Monkey Magic”. Then I grew up, I read this book again few times, this story confirmed in the Buddhist temple in Western Australia in 1984, in a magazine: Author Ngo Thua An who wrote a first copy in 950 AD. I believe the Buddhist temple provided the reliable information. But some times the western world couldn’t have the untold story. [non-whimsy content deleted by moderator - take it to the Salon thread]
A monk Tam Tang, real person, lived at the T’ ang Dynasty (618-907), his name is Tran Huyen Trang ( I don’t know the English name). An orphan, his parent killed by bandit, he was rescued by a Buddhist monk, then later he was famous, a national monk, so he was called” T’ang monk”. His long journey approved the bravery and that became the theme for Buddhist fairy tales. This book to be written not only one author, but later, the other one contribution, his story to be added 4 students, those presented 4 bad characters to be avoided from Buddha teaching. Likely the story of History of the three Kingdom by author Lo Kuan Chung ( Vietnamese called: La Quan Trung), before him, this story was written by unknown author. Once again, I thank your contribution.
[sig deleted by moderator]
@ Hoa minh Truong, Google Translate tells me that this Wikipedia page in Vietnamese agrees with Terangeree about the dates for Ngo Thua An, also known as Wu Cheng’en – he lived during the 16th century Ming Dynasty, not in 950 AD. Tradition has it that he wrote Journey to the West at the age of 70, which would date the work to roughly 1575 AD. [edited to add: of course, scholars agree that he based it on earlier folk stories]
@Terangeree, I loved that show! Used to race home from school to catch it.
From The Guardian – “Three Little Pigs” as interpreted by modern day journalism:
http:/ww.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2012/feb/29/open-journalism-three-little-pigs-advert
tigtog and Terangeree, my kids loved it too (and I still have the broken rake and broom handles, repaired with string and duck tape, to prove it).
I didn’t mind it myself, either.
I am not sure wether this belongs in here. However I found it very interesting reading. [snip non-whimsy content]
Dear Tigtog & Terangeree!
Thank so much your informations, certainly, I have a wrong memorial mistake about the year of Chinese author, your assistance is great, I am very happy to learn from you or anyone else, actually who shows me the wrong, that reason I join this website, we learn each other and contribute the knowledge, also the idea. I also thank the moderator, who has spent the most time to look after this website. Best wish.
Absolutely loved Annabel Crabb’s cooking/interview show with Nigel Scullion last night. Who would have thought he was so likeable (and more than passably bright!) ?
I had to google to find out whether they had in fact eaten protected goose phew! – apparently the Magpie Goose is not protected in the NT.
Sorry ssmiva, that’s not whimsical at all. If you’re not sure where to drop a link like that, the Open Thread (Saturday Salon) is always your best bet, which is why it’s prominently linked in the sidebar under the heading “Not sure where to comment?”
Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water…
WTF was that, Terangeree?
WTF was what, DI(nr)?
I’m astonished that company sells any noodles, Terangeree. Those little creatures are really sinister.
Oh, yes, another lover of the Monkey (Journey to the West) series here. PIGSYYYYYY!!!!!!!!
DON’T EAT ALL THE FOOD!!
I’m also a great fan of the Japanese Monkey show. Absolutely brilliant. The episode where they enter the village with the kids who can’t do mathematics is truly awesome. Also the one where they trick the monk into eating pork and then think they’ve fed him Pigsy …
When I was in London I went to see the opera (by the guy from Blur). It was also very cool, although the self-important director claiming to be “bringing Monkey to the west for the first time” was a bit rich. I do love me some Chinese opera though, so I forgave him. I don’t know if it’s possible to see that opera now but it was very cool.
Hoa Minh Truong, if you get the chance and haven’t already, watch the Monkey TV show. It’s brilliant.
oop. stuck in moderation!
They don’t sell noodles, DI(NR).
They sell pasta sauce, and the pasta sauce is quite popular.
Remember to open the curtains.
thanks Tigtog done as you suggested