SHELLS WORLD

Saturday, June 10, 2006

My favorite scene from the Lord of the Ring Trilogy is toward the end of the Two Towers when Sam said to Frodo that:

“It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo.
The ones that really mattered.
Full of darkness and danger they were
And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end
Because how could the end be happy
How could the world go back to the way it was
When so much bad had happened
But in the end, it’s only a passing thing
This shadow, even darkness must pass
A new day will come
And when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer
Those were the stories that stayed with you
That meant something
Even if you were too small to understand why
But I think, Mr. Frodo
I do understand, I know now
Folks in those stories had lots of chances of turning back
Only they didn’t
They kept going because they were holding on to something
… That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo
And it’s worth fighting for!”


Meanwhile, I have to go back to the book to find the perfect happily ever after for my favorite couple - Lady Eowyn of Rohan and Lord Faramir of Gondor:

She did not answer, but as he looked at her it seemed to him that something in her softened, as thought a bitter frost were yielding at the first faint presage of Spring. A tear sprang in her eye and fell down her cheek, like a glistening raindrop. Her proud head dropped a little.

… And Faramir said: “Do not scorn pity that is the gift of a gentle heart, Eowyn! But I do not offer you my pity. For you are a lady high and valiant and have yourself won renown that shall not be forgotten; and you are a lady beautiful, I deem, beyond even the words of the Eleven-tongue to tell. And I love you. Once I pitied your sorrow. But now, were you sorrowless, without fear or any lack, were you the blissful Queen of Gondor, still I would love you. Eowyn, do you not love me?”

Then the heart of Eowyn changed, or else at last she understood it. And suddenly her winter passed, and the sun shone on her.

“I stand in Minas Anor, the Tower of the Sun,” she said; “and behold! the Shadow has departed! I will be a shieldmaiden no longer, nor vie with the great Riders, nor take joy only in the songs of slaying. I will be a healer, and love all things that grow and are not barren.” And again she looked at Faramir. “No longer do I desire to be a queen,” she said.

Then Faramir laughed merrily. “That is well,” he said; “for I am not a king. Yet I will wed with the White Lady of Rohan, if it be her will. And if she will, then let us cross the River and in happier days let us dwell in fair Ithilien and there make a garden. All things will grow with joy there, if the White Lady comes.”

… And he took her in his arms and kissed her under the sunlit sky, and he cared not that they stood high upon the walls in the sight of many. And many indeed saw them and the light that shone about them as they came down from the walls and when hand in hand to the House of Healing.

And to the Warden of the House Faramir said: “Here is the Lady Eowyn of Rohan, and now she is healed.”

Tuesday, June 06, 2006



Of course, my favorite animal is the wolf, highly intelligent and social animal with a great spirit, which I see as one of the most beautiful creature that ever walked on earth. Sometimes, I wonder if I chose a different path, I would be living in Alaska with a wolf pack, or was it past life…




To my surprise, I really enjoyed the new thrill ride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Expedition Everest to the last detail! Especially I am setting out later this month to Tibet. Growing up in China, I have always been quit reserved toward Tibet, for its harsh landscape and mysterious religion. But after my recent visits to nearby provinces, I began to fall in love with their way of living, especially their strong belief that all lives deserve respect, compassion, and a place in the world.

More than ever, I truly appreciated the beauty Animal Kingdom had showcased and hoped kids young and young at heart would enjoy it. Just such a privilege to be so close to those wonderful creatures. And the Hyacinth Macaw, what a beauty!


Cannot believe that I would fly in red eye for the Star War Weekend. But like Master Yoda had said: "... do or do not, there is no try." And it was great to see a life-size replica of the X-wing fighter, and sit in the Star Wars Celebrity Talk Show hosted by Warwick Davis. Though I am not a big fan of the new episodes, but Jay Laga'aia was hilarious, and who I am kidding, the guy is damn cute!