#sau sims story

[someone-elsa]

Sneak peek to Chapter 49!

I'll need to take some more pictures but I hope I can publish it soon :3

[troncelliti]

“Boy What,” she say, said, says, sa, sah, sau, sae, sao, sue, sim, sash, mmm, hash, farsk……….

@staff ……………. hey bee, buzzzzz buzzzzz zzzzz primately spaking che dici? ¿The Primitives? Si o no

Vero!!!! Good stuff. Btw, d’g’ya know their story? …Morrissey, compelled and the rest is history. Nice, right? True story? Umm, i think, I’m right..

@lulina .. .. ..

[grisdidthis]

Skin by trapping | Hair mesh by SAU | Eyes by Zol | Lipstick by lilith-sims| Eyeshadow by Maroon | Eyebrows by Ephemera | Coat accessory by Anitka | Base outfit by sunni9676 

Moar character redesigning! I wasn���t 100% happy with how Rita turned out even on a second edit. Definitely an improvement over the original, which was a half-assed variation of this sim by AlwaysMusic - yes I started this whole project off very lazily, I know, I know - but not yet RIGHT. And she somehow looked much better without makeup, as I discovered when I loaded her household, looked at her, went GOOD GRIEF DID I DELETE THE WRONG SKIN AGAIN, dragged her ass to a mirror to make her fix her face and realized that nope, her skin is FINE it’s the frigging makeup that makes her look like an alien dipped in gloss. Taking it all off helped, but not nearly enough, so I loaded her in Bodyshop and promptly realized three major issues:

1 - Much as I adore her hair, it’s just... too shiny. I’m fine with a tiny, tiny bit of shine when it comes to skin tones and eye shadow, but too much is too much is too much. So I looked up a recoloring tutorial and changed it to be black with very very subtle dark brown highlights. Yes, this is baby’s first recolor. It’s a whole new world opening up, y’all! 

2 - None of the makeup I put on her made her look better than she did without it. This because everything I had was most likely made for lighter skins. On hers, it appeared either orange or weirdly pixelated. So I went looking for proper makeup, not only for Rita but for every sim I have that gives me this same issue (I’ll have to give Joko a glow-up now that I’ve grown attached to him and decided that the guy gets to live after all. Gloria and her girls, too.) So google tossed the following things at me, and I love them all and want to roll around in them and they solved the problem hands down, because she looks GREAT! (Tomorrow I’ll look at her again and decide that something still needs tweaked, because that’s how I roll, but whatever.) 

Pore blushes and assorted face makeup + blushes by pooklet

ALL THE MAKEUP in this post by simania_liulai

Make up to suit darker skintones by lilith

Lastly, and this one I didn’t download because see above re: not being a big fan of shine, but I’m leaving it here because it may be up someone’s alley:   Irresistible - Darker Makeup for Sims, by 2fingerswhiskey. 

3 - Her eyes. Man, her eyes. Even after I was as happy as I could be with the rest of her face, the eyes were still bothering me. So after much inner debate, I decided to just . . . change them. Which means that I’ll have to redo the whole of Rita’s Story - Ep.1, but, you know. Worth it. That thing existed before I learned about the existence of pose boxes, too, so I would have ended up redoing it at some point regardless. 

[xoidua]

Ta đã có đủ lí do để khủng hoảng!

TUỔI 20 CẬP KỀ 30, BẠN ĐÃ KHỦNG HOẢNG CHƯA?

… Nếu chưa, thì bạn nên bắt đầu rồi đấy.

Năm 2016, ngành self-help ở Mỹ được định giá đến 9,9 tỷ Đô la Mỹ, và con số này sẽ là 13,2 tỷ Đô vào 2022. Chúng ta chưa có số liệu cụ thể về sự phát triển của ngành này tại Việt Nam, nhưng bạn hãy thử ngó qua danh sách những cuốn sách bán chạy nhất của nhà sách Tiki: luôn có 3 đến 5 cuốn về self-help, về phát triển bản thân đứng trong top. Những cái tên: “Đắc nhân tâm”, “Tuổi trẻ đáng giá bao nhiêu” hay mới đây là “Đừng lựa chọn an nhàn khi đời còn trẻ” chắc chẳng xa lạ gì cả.

Ta, cũng giống như bao người trẻ trên khắp thế giới này, luôn chất chứa những trăn trở để trở nên tốt đẹp hơn, để “tìm” ra hạnh phúc của mình, sống tốt hơn, yêu nhiều hơn, thương rộng rãi hơn. Điều đó chẳng có gì đáng trách cả. Có cung thì mới có cầu, sự thực là như vậy. Ít áp lực về vật chất hơn cho phép ta nhìn sâu hơn, xây dựng toàn vẹn hơn cuộc sống tinh thần của mình. Đấy là ta nghĩ vậy.

Mà tôi nói vậy cũng sai rồi.

Bây giờ, cuộc sống vật chất chẳng ít áp lực hơn chút nào bạn ạ. So với thế hệ của bố mẹ, chúng ta bận rộn hơn nhiều, và, hoặc là do chúng ta thể hiện ra, hoặc là sự thật như vậy, hoặc là cả 2, chúng ta stress hơn, căng thẳng hơn nhiều. Tôi đã nhìn thấy những người bạn của mình, mệt mỏi đi làm đến 10 11h đêm, vật vã làm luôn cả cuối tuần, quằn quại vì cuộc sống và xung đột công sở để kiếm được ngàn đô. Tôi cũng đã thấy những người bạn hùng hục làm giàu, lao như thiêu thân vào những khóa học kiếm tiền nhanh, những khóa học khởi nghiệp. Trời ơi, ta thốt lên như vậy, bạn bè chung quanh ta, những con người chung quanh ta hùng hục lao vào một cuộc chiến kiếm tiền đẫm máu, kèn cựa nhau, gay gắt tranh đấu để làm gì vậy? Để đủ tiền cho vài chuyến du lịch, vài cuộc cà phê, vài lần ăn uống, vài b��� quần áo.

Và ta hi vọng gì ở cuộc sống công sở, ở những dự án nhỏ con này. Bao nhiêu trong chúng ta sẽ mua được một mảnh đất ở thành phố đắt đỏ này, mua được một căn nhỏ ở thành thị chật chội, an tâm tư lự đủ đầy cho đến hết đời. Tôi có tiêu cực quá không khi nói rằng với cái xu hướng phân hóa xã hội, khoảng cách giàu nghèo và định hướng kinh tế, chính trị như bây giờ, cái khả năng ấy thật sự nhỏ lắm? (Để khiến cho lời khẳng định này chắc nịch hơn một chút thì xin kể với các bạn rằng những lời này tôi nghe được từ một người quen đã nhà cửa ổn định, 2 3 miếng đất và hiện đang nằm trong HĐQT vài công ty, đi dạy thạc sĩ cho một trường kinh tế ở SG). Như vậy… đã đủ khủng hoảng chưa?

Rồi còn cái nỗ lực định vị bản thân trong vô vọng nữa chứ.

Thật cảm ơn social media biết bao, khi nó (chúng nó) đã giúp ta thể hiện được hết cái khát khao được làm người đặc biệt trên thế giới này (mà thật ra chỉ là trong mắt vài trăm người bạn trên mạng). Ta tìm cho mình một cái mác vô hình, và nỗ lực để xây dựng cái mác ấy, giống như một doanh nghiệp kiên trì làm marketing vậy: những album ảnh màu mè, những filter chỉ riêng ta biết, những bài viết sâu sắc hoặc cố tỏ ra sâu sắc (như tôi đây), những lời bức xúc về đất nước, về xã hội, những chuyến du lịch vô tận, những lời ngay cả ta cũng thấy sáo rỗng về đam mê, về chân lí cuộc đời, về hạnh phúc (lại là như tôi đây). Ta cố gắng biết bao để an ủi người xung quanh và cả chính mình rằng ta là người đặc biệt trong xã hội này, rằng ta đang làm được cái gì đó, có một ý nghĩa nào đó.

Vậy đó, ai cũng muốn là người đặc biệt, và rốt cuộc tất cả chúng ta đều là người bình thường, dù ta có nỗ lực phủ nhận điều đó. Rốt cuộc, ta cũng chỉ là một con người tầm tầm giữa cái tập thể tầm tầm này, ta nhận ra mình chẳng, và sẽ không bao giờ có thể là 1-2% nổi bật của thế giới, không là tinh hoa, không là thành công, cũng chẳng là ưu tú. Như vậy… đã đủ để khủng hoảng chưa hả bạn?

Nhưng mà, thực ra thì ta cũng chẳng nghiêm túc với cuộc đời mình lắm.

Ta đã trải qua bao nhiêu bước chuyển tối quan trọng của đời mình rồi bạn nhỉ: lựa chọn một ngôi trường đại học, một ngành học sẽ quyết định định hướng sự nghiệp của mình, một công việc, một chỗ đứng, một người để yêu, một bạn đời, một đứa con, một ngôi nhà, v.v. Bao nhiêu trong số đó, ta nhìn lại và tự hỏi, được thực hiện với đầy đủ sự nghiêm túc?

Ta chọn một ngôi trường vì ta thấy bạn bè mình làm vậy, vì bố mẹ, những người cũng chẳng biết đủ và cũng chẳng tìm hiểu đủ nghiêm túc bảo ta vậy. Ta chọn một ngành học mà sau đó ta chán ngấy, rồi phải theo nó vì đã lỡ lầm, vì muộn rồi, ta tự nhủ vậy. Ta lựa chọn một công việc, vì ta quá đuối sức trong chuỗi ngày thật nghiệp, vì ta quá nản chí nên “đến đâu thì đến”. Rồi ta bị nhấn chìm trong công việc đó, uể oải than vãn những cũng chẳng đủ mạnh mẽ để tìm cách thoát ra, hay tìm cách giải quyết mớ bòng bong của mình, hay ít nhất bỏ một vài nỗ lực để tiếp tục học hành cho giỏi giang hơn. Ta chọn một người bạn đời, vì “đến tuổi”, lại là vì “gia đình giục cưới”, ta cũng chẳng chắc chắn đây là người ta muốn cùng sống đến hết đời hay không, hay cưới rồi, ta cũng chẳng dành bao nhiêu công sức để giữ gìn cái tình yêu này như những ngày đầu, rồi than thân trách phận rằng “số mình xui xẻo với phải người chồng vô tâm, chơi bời, người vợ nhạt nhẽo, xấu xí”. Và ta có con, ta còn chẳng buồn nghĩ mình sẽ phải thiết kế cả 20 năm đầu tiên (20 năm nền tảng quan trọng) cho một con người như thế nào (ít nhất là vậy): thay vì chọn một ngôi trường phù hợp, tìm ra một cách parentings – nuôi con khoa học, chăm sóc con thật khỏe mạnh, ta đưa nó ra quán cà phê, quẳng cho nó cái điện thoại, yên tâm rằng nó sẽ tự lớn, và nếu không thì ta sẽ mắng mỏ rằng “sao mày hư vậy?”.

Thế đó, một cú rũ tay thật nhẹ nhàng. Và thế đó, suốt đời ta, những quyết định quan trọng nhất lại được thực hiện trong trạng thái thiếu nghiêm túc, thiếu nghiên cứu nhất. Ta phó mặc mình cho định kiến, cho xu hướng, chẳng nghĩ ngợi, chẳng cân đo đong đếm đầy đủ. Như vậy… đã đủ khủng hoảng chưa?

Rồi nhé, ta tưởng bao nhiêu người giống ta, nhưng thiệt tình, con người là giống loài cô đơn nhất.

Bạn có từng tự hỏi, liệu người khác có thấy cái màu đỏ giống hệt mình không, liệu với người ta, đỏ là xanh còn xanh là đỏ không? Thật khó để tưởng tượng người đối diện bạn đang thấy cái gì, với sắc thái như thế nào (Bạn còn nhớ cuộc tranh luận về chiếc váy trắng-vàng hay xanh-đen mấy năm trước chứ?).

Mọi thứ còn lại cũng vậy đấy, chẳng ai hiểu bạn cả đâu (tôi biết, phũ phàng làm sao!). Chẳng có ai sẽ nhọc công tìm hiểu bạn đã trải qua những gì, đã sống như thế nào, muốn gì và khao khát gì. Chúng ta là những sinh vật cô đơn, dù ta có ngôn ngữ để biểu đạt, dù ta có đăng 100 cái story trên insta để kể lể về một ngày của mình, chẳng ai có thể và muốn hiểu ta cả. Thật kinh hoàng, bạn nhận ra rằng: chính mình là người chịu trách nhiệm cho cuộc đời của mình. Bạn có thể đổ lỗi cho nhà nước vì cách quản lí lộn bện, đổ lỗi cho nền kinh tế bất công, đổ lỗi cho công việc chẳng trả đủ lương cho bạn sống, đổ lỗi cho người yêu thiếu tâm lí, đổ lỗi cho số phận sao chẳng dẫn lối ta đến với người tri kỉ, nhưng rồi sao, chính bạn phải là người chịu trách nhiệm cho sự lựa chọn tiếp theo của mình. Trên cuộc hành trình này, sẽ chỉ có bạn đơn độc bước đi mà thôi. Như vậy… đã đủ khủng khoảng chưa?

Xin thứ lỗi cho tôi vì bài viết dài ngoằng này, vì cái thái độ tiêu cực này. Thú thật nhé, tôi viết ra bài này vào một sáng Chủ Nhật nhàn nhã, quên béng hết những thứ đang lửng lo trong đời mình, quên béng luôn cái cuộc khủng hoảng phần tư cuộc đời đang đẩy tôi ra mấp mé ngọn thác.

Vậy làm sao để không khủng hoảng bây giờ?

Có thể bạn sẽ lo lắng hỏi tôi vậy. Có thể bạn cũng chẳng thèm hỏi và tự nhủ rằng cuộc sống mình ổn lắm và chẳng liên quan gì đến những thứ xàm xí thằng tác giả xàm xí này đang viết. Có thể bạn mới 16 18, hoặc đã 34 35 và thấy mình chưa hoặc đã bước qua cái giai đoạn này.

Câu trả lời là gì? Tôi chẳng biết bạn ạ, tôi còn chẳng biết đâu là câu trả lời cho chính mình, thì có thần thánh tôi mới trả lời được câu hỏi này cho bạn. Tôi cũng như bạn vậy đó: lao đầu vào công việc, làm vài thứ ngớ ngẩn và tưởng rằng mình xịn lắm (ví dụ như viết mấy cái bài này, thậm chí còn lập hẳn 1 cái facebook page để “có fan”), làm vài thứ quan trọng với 10-20% cân nhắc kĩ lưỡng, rất nhiều khi trách móc cuộc đời và mọi người, luôn cảm thấy cô đơn và lao đầu vào những cuốn self-help, phản self-help chỉ để tìm ra câu trả lời. Tóm gọn lại: tôi đang có đủ lí do để khủng hoảng.

Nhưng tôi nghĩ rằng, và tôi chắc bạn sẽ đồng ý: đời mình sẽ thật chán biết bao nếu nó cứ bằng phẳng, thật dễ chịu biết bao khi biết chắc rằng mình sẽ có lúc đi xuống, có lúc trầm cảm kinh khủng, có lúc thấy mình vô dụng kinh khủng. Cuộc đời là cuộc chơi (The Sims chẳng hạn). Nếu ta may mắn, ta được một set up khởi đầu thật khủng, nếu xui xẻo, nhân vật của ta sẽ cùi bắp thảm hại. Sẽ có những ván thật dễ, sẽ có những màn chơi khiến ta mất hết 3 mạng miễn phí, và ta phải trả giá để tiếp tục được chơi. Nhưng ta vẫn chơi mà thôi, và ta lựa chọn chơi tiếp, vì trò chơi sống này thật vui, thật đáng bỏ tiền (tiền theo nghĩa ẩn dụ) để chơi tiếp. Ta tự nhủ rằng: cái màn chơi 20 đến 30 toàn boss này, dù cho khó biết bao, ta cũng hứng khởi mà đánh tới thôi, và chắc chắn ta sẽ vượt qua được thôi.

Bằng cách nào đó!

------------------------- Cảm ơn các bạn đã quan tâm. Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/beeline92 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xoiduamedia/ Website: http://xoidua.com

[kristoffersenlindgreen53-blog]

Hay Day × Supercell

You know, I've always puzzled: Would many of the people who love playing farming sims take pleasure in precise farmwork? In this 2nd episode of the sequence you may get to satisfy Maria, who is a real-life farmer and an avid Hay Day participant dwelling in Athens, Greece! This is most likely the simplest option to earn cash in Hay Day but it's equally as boring so typically times people need to do a bit more to make their cash. Hay Day creators, Supercell, cleverly made Hay Day the same means as they made Clash of Clans. Even when you're not taking part in Hay Day that does not mean the game has stopped and you will discover there is a hole of time when you sleep or are in school or work which you could make the most effective use out of. pop over here , cel mai popular joc de creștere pe telefoane cellular și tablete, numărul unu din 122 de țări. Beforehand, he was targeted on his farm alone, however the sly little satan came to the belief that if he used the family iPad and his father's iPhone, he may make their very own Hay Day farms and use them as suppliers. Hay Day has been dwell and in steady improvement for close to three years, having been up to date and evolving since its creation. Hay Day is statistically the worst day of the yr for hay fever sufferers," mentioned Wiseberg, the creator of HayMax allergen barrier balms. Let's be honest, many people taking part in Hay Day simply need to generate profits and a number of it, fast. Nevertheless, just a little secret is that in case you close completely out of the Hay Day app and reopen it then it's going to show up with new Hay Day newspaper deals. However there are better methods to do that than by taking part in Hay Day.) There are some methods that may get you there a bit quicker than others and planting wheat is one in every of them. If you happen to're a fan of simulation games, Hay Day is visually pleasing and will definitely keep your inner agriculturalist giddy for hours. The core of Hay Day is still intact, however many massive, new features have been added to keep the sport contemporary and exciting. În conformitate cu Termenii Serviciilor și Politica de confidențialitate, Ziua Hay este permisă pentru a descărca și juca doar pentru persoanele de 13 ani sau peste vârsta. Whereas gamers are a relentless source of ideas, it is essential that every thing that ends up in the sport fits with the story, as regardless of Hay Day feeling simple from a player's perspective, it is in follow extremely complex. Nevertheless, as Hay Day forum posters pointed out , leveling up too quickly in Hay Day is usually a entice. Hay Day is a very new farming expertise with clean gestural controls lovingly handcrafted in your cell and tablet system. If you love this recreation, help it by buying premium objects in the recreation or comply with the official Hay Day social media channels. From your complete Hay Day group, thanks for playing our game for all this time. Everyone knows cash are a useful foreign money in Hay Day however finally they pale compared to the diamond. Start broadcasting Hay Day to tens of millions of gamers and farm fanatics by merely clicking one button. With FarmVille and its ilk, the social farming sim has been shoved down our throats for years, and Hay Day does not introduce anything exceptionally revolutionary to revitalize or rethink the style. As soon as you are a fan, you may enter contests that Hay Day promotes on their Fb page. There isn't a silver bullet to becoming a Hay Day grasp, one of the best advice I may give you is to apply each day for hours and make sure you observe this information. Hay Day is traditionally the worst day of the year for hay fever patients, and it falls on Friday June 22 this 12 months. A scorching, sunny day is likely to trigger excessive pollen counts, while a cool and cloudy day ought to hold the pollen counts low. Stand Up To Bullying with Supercell In connection with this yr's Stand Up To Bullying Day our Youth Board members Hannah and Youcef talked to Jess from Supercell concerning the system behind the chat report button. Hay Day offers you one free ad each 5 minutes, and gains you a ton of shoppers coming to your RSS. Quite than promoting items to visitors, sell them to your folks and followers who're also playing Hay Day. On July 10, 2013 (and the next 12 months), to celebrate Hay Day's birthday, all animals have been up to date with new summer season clothes and appearances. One other of Hay Day's strengths is the high level of detail and a number of customization options that you get in your farm. In the event you don't have already got the app installed , simply head over to the App Store on your iPhone or Android and obtain the app. Folks fighting hay fever should eat more red onions and apples, he mentioned. I've found for those who stagger short and long play times throughout the day that's the easiest way to proceed to remain in the groove of playing and proceed to keep up your crops, animals, and so on. This continues to drive it is players to consistently verify it and play all through the day.

[topconfession]

HLU Confessions #2915 Hôm nay tình cờ xem Vtc10 NetViet Stories được nghe l…

#2915 Hôm nay tình cờ xem Vtc10 NetViet Stories được nghe luật sư Bùi Trọng Hiển,cựu sinh viên Ulaw chia sẻ về cuộc đời và sự nghiệp. Bác là người đã tư vấn pháp lý,bào chữa miễn phí cho người nghèo 20 năm qua và được mệnh danh là “the lawyer of the poor”. Không những vậy bác còn là một nhà thơ nữa. Tâm đắc nhất với quan điểm của bác:”The poems have to follow rules. A humane,reasonable law is also a poem”. Là một người học luật và cũng đam mê văn chương,thực sự rất ngưỡng mộ Bác. Mong sau này cũng sẽ trở thành một người như Bác,đem công lý đến cho tất cả mọi người. Luật và Thơ,ai dám bảo không liên quan. Giới thiệu đến mọi người những nhận định về tập thơ của Luật sư Bùi Trọng Hiểu:

Đã từng nghe và biết anh là luật sư của người nghèo, của những số phận không được cuộc đời ưu ái, nhưng ít biết đến thơ anh vì cứ ngỡ con nhà luật mọi việc đều có khuôn phép, có nguyên tắc, có sự chỉn chu nghiêm cẩn, đâu có thể là “người thơ” với sự mềm mại, dạt dào cảm xúc, trong từ có họa, trong âm có nhạc … 64 bài thơ là những cung bậc tình khác nhau. Là những xáo động không tên, dịu nhẹ mà nồng ấm, êm đềm mà tha thiết, bâng khuâng mà da diết diệu vợi, có “mộng” đó nhưng cũng rất tỉnh, rất đời, như xa xôi khó nắm bắt nhưng như mật lắng đọng trong tâm khi người có tình… Mộng “Nàng Thơ” phiêu lãng tưởng là ảo mà sao “Nhất phiến nhân tình- thi tại tâm”, để “Hồn thơ xanh” với những “Ý thơ thanh khiết một màu/ Niềm thơ sâu lắng nỗi sầu thế gian”, rồi nghiêng ngả “Hồn thơ ngấm rượu hóa thơ say”- “Thơ say”. Không chỉ là “mộng” thơ cứ như đắm như mơ, như “… rót lệ gọi mời trăm năm” mà còn là “mộng” trong đời.

Đời như một cảm thức nhẹ nhàng nhưng sâu sắc về cõi nhân gian với những tham- sân- si, sự buông- xả, một cách nghĩ, cách sống… Trăm năm giấc mộng kê vàng/ Mới vừa chợp mắt đã tàn… trăm năm”- “Giấc mộng kê vàng”. “Sống trong cõi mộng ta đừng mộng/ Xin hãy vô thường với Sắc- Không”- “Sắc – Không”, “Thực hay mộng cũng chỉ là mộng ảo/ Bởi cuộc đời như một giấc chiêm bao”- “Mộng” Đời trong “Vầng trăng xanh cõi mộng” của “chàng thơ” Luật sư thấm đẫm nhân tình thế thái, như truyền đến người đọc cảm giác đau nỗi đau đời, nhoi nhói thổn thức với cuộc đời nhiều bất trắc, bất ổn, những thói đời đảo lộn luân thường, mọi cái đều có thể bán mua, những giá trị cơ bản truyền thống cũng thành món hàng tạp nham ở chợ đời nhân gian.. Những nỗi đau đời như chưa bao giờ ngừng ở hồng trần như : “Kiều”, “Chinh phụ ca”, “Cung oán ca”, “Kinh Kha”… Tình trong “Vầng trăng xanh cõi mộng” có khi nghiêm cẩn nhưng lại rất sâu lắng thủy chung: “Tình yêu và Pháp luật”; Có khi là “Bão lòng”: “Mà bao sóng ngầm dưới đáy trong”; Có khi “Tương tư” hoài niệm “Buổi hẹn hò đầu tiên” làm xáo động từng nhịp thở. Đôi khi là mộng “Vườn xưa” về bóng hình trong ký ức, hay bàng bạc lãng đãng một tình yêu mà đời người ai cũng từng trải qua, để mỗi lần nhớ là một lần như sống lại cảm xúc xưa, và như một vương vấn thoảng qua như chưa bao giờ là quá khứ: “Trương Chi tình hận ca”, “Liêu trai”, “Rồi mai tôi sẽ xa Đà Lạt”, “Ánh mắt xưa”… Tình cũng yêu cũng ghen cũng hờn giận như nhân gian cõi hồng trần: “Ghen”, “Thất tình”, “Tình nhạt phai”… Đặc biệt có một không gian tình mẹ rất nhiều yêu thương ngọt ngào, lòng biết ơn vô bờ mà tác giả dành cho mẹ của mình và tất cả các bà mẹ của mọi người: “Mẹ tôi”. “Mẹ ơi xuân này con đã về”, “Chiều thu nhớ mẹ”…. Cảnh trong “Vầng trăng xanh cõi mộng” như một cái nhìn rất thực mà cũng rất trừu tượng, giống một bức vẽ lập thể, đa chiều, để không chỉ tưởng tượng ra không gian bí ẩn quyến rũ mà còn như chất chứa cả những vần vũ đồi thay, có sự xôn xao khác lạ, có ảo diệu góc cạnh, hình khối, nhưng lại rất ngọt ngào ấn tượng để cảm xúc như luôn được bay bổng thăng hoa cùng sắc màu thời gian và vạn vật xung quanh. Một tứ bình “Cầm”- “Kỳ”- “Thi”- “Họa” như ảo như thật, “Sen”, “Quỳnh”, “Lan hồ điệp”, “Phượng” những loài hoa thần tiên phiêu dật, và những miền thức cùng “Thu biệt”, “Lập đông”, “Thanh sắc mùa xuân”, “Mưa”, “Trăng viễn xứ”…làm lỗi nhịp trái tim. Không hoa mỹ hay cầu kỳ trong sử dụng ngôn ngữ, nhưng đặc biệt trong tập thơ này tác giả sử dụng nhiều từ ngữ giàu nhạc điệu rất Việt Nam, làm cho bài thơ ngoài vẻ đẹp như tranh thì còn mang vẻ đẹp của giai điệu lên bổng xuống trầm, hay khoan thai dịu nhẹ…. Rất nhiều bài thơ đã được các nhạc sĩ phổ nhạc và được công chúng yêu thích: “Chiều thu nhớ mẹ”, “Rồi mai tôi sẽ xa Đà Lạt”, “Thanh sắc mùa xuân”, “Thu biệt”, “Bài ca sinh viên trường Luật”, “Mẹ ơi, xuân này con đã về”, “Xuân về bên mẹ”, “Giáng sinh hồng”, “Hẹn hò”, “Liêu trai”… Và cũng không bó buộc vào các thể lu���t thơ truyền thống, hơi có chút phóng túng, chút sắp đặt ngẫu hứng theo cảm xúc của mình như một kiểu làm thơ tự do, ngôn ngữ khá tinh tế, súc tích, giàu hình ảnh, ý tại ngôn ngoại, giàu nhạc điệu, “Vầng trăng xanh cõi mộng” của Bùi Trọng Hiển đã thật sự chinh phục người yêu thơ. Báo NGƯỜI LAO ĐỘNG giới thiệu về tập thơ mới ra mắt VẦNG TRĂNG XANH CÕI MỘNG của Luật Sư Bùi Trọng Hiển. ___ VẦNG TRĂNG XANH CÕI MỘNG ___

Trong giới làm luật, Bùi Trọng Hiển cũng là một tên tuổi. Vị luật sư quê Quảng Ngãi được biết đến là một trong những luật sư của người nghèo, mỗi năm anh bào chữa miễn phí khá nhiều vụ cho những người nghèo, diện gia đình chính sách. Nay người ta lại biết đến anh cũng là một người làm thơ khá đều tay và vừa phát hành tập thơ “Vầng trăng xanh cõi mộng” – Nhà xuất bản Hội Nhà Văn. Cũng như bao người làm thơ khác, anh viết về quê hương, về mẹ, về tình yêu, về nghề nghiệp. Những vần thơ chân chất, đọc dễ mềm lòng: Vai gầy một gánh đàn con dại Gánh cả đời con, gánh ước mơ (Chiều thu nhớ mẹ) Về nghề nghiệp và tình yêu, anh bày tỏ: Anh sẽ mở một phiên tòa hình sự Xét xử em vì tội cướp hồn anh Và tuyên em hai vạn chín ngày đủ Phải chịu án tù trong trái tim xinh (Tình yêu và pháp luật) Theo nhà thơ Đoàn Vị Thượng, lúc Bùi Trọng Hiển cố ý dùng ngôn ngữ luật trong thơ thì hóa ra nó lại là thơ nhất trong ngôn ngữ tình. Lúc đó, ông luật sư đã không còn là luật sư mà trở thành một kẻ si tình ngây dại đứng đằng xa mọi luật lệ người đời. Bên cạnh những câu chữ nghiêm cẩn, thơ Bùi Trọng Hiển vẫn mang nhiều nét trữ tình phóng khoáng và cả sự mềm mại, dịu dàng. Trong “Đêm, hoa quỳnh và em”, tác giả có những câu thơ đẹp: Sâu trong hơi thở của nhau Ta nghe như cả nhiệm màu đêm thiêng Những câu chuyện đời thường, những hình ảnh ta gặp đâu đó mỗi ngày, vào thơ Bùi Trọng Hiển dung dị nhưng sự khúc chiết trong diễn đạt của một luật sư lại đem đến biểu cảm mới cho người đọc. Chất thi sĩ trong anh lại làm cho những câu thơ sáng lên, đôi lúc bất ngờ: Thôi đành nhặt cánh hoa sim Nhớ nhung nhuộm tím một miền hoàng hôn (Buổi ta về)

Yêu thơ, làm thơ nên anh nặng những nỗi niềm của kẻ đa mang với nàng thơ. Với anh, hồn thơ xanh như nước Trà Giang, hồn thơ ngấm rượu hóa thơ say nhưng bừng giấc mộng thì thơ vẫn là cõi lòng chân thật nhất: Nhất phiến nhân tình, thi tại tâm (một tấm tình người, thơ ở tâm). NGUỒN: BÁO VOV.VN, NGƯỜI LAO ĐỘNG

#Đờ HLU Confessions

The post HLU Confessions #2915 Hôm nay tình cờ xem Vtc10 NetViet Stories được nghe l… appeared first on Top Confesions.

from HLU Confessions #2915 Hôm nay tình cờ xem Vtc10 NetViet Stories được nghe l…

[michaelchinworcester]

Donnie Yen: The Martial Artist Who Brought a Wing Chun Legend to Life in 3 Ip Man Movies

Donnie Yen first appeared on my radar 25 years ago, when his name often graced the pages of martial arts periodicals. I learned that Donnie Yen, the son of Boston-based wushu pioneer and Black Belt Hall of Famer Bow Sim Mark, stood out from his peers because of his strong stances and aesthetic postures, which helped him dominate the competition at martial arts tournaments.

In part because he longed to follow in the footsteps of Bruce Lee, Donnie Yen decided to try his hand at action films. Like Bruce Lee, he opted to return to southern China, where he found work as a stuntman in Hong Kong. Donnie Yen quickly leveled up to starring roles, commanding the screen opposite Jet Li in Once Upon a Time in China II (1992) and as hung gar kung fu master Wong Kei-Ying in Iron Monkey (1993). (The movie found U.S. distribution in 2001 thanks to Quentin Tarantino and Miramax.)

With hit after hit under his belt, Donnie Yen built himself into one of Asia’s most bankable actors. In 2008 he landed what would be his heaviest role to date: playing wing chun grandmaster Yip Man in Ip Man. (The Chinese family name Yip can be Romanized as Yip or Ip. In this article, I will use “Ip Man” to refer to the movie and “Yip Man” to refer to the man.)

Portraying the martial artist who was Bruce Lee’s master didn’t come without immense pressure and criticism, but the movie’s box-office performance and the rabid following it generated online proved the naysayers wrong — and set the stage for two sequels.

When the publicity tour for the latest film, Ip Man 3, brought Donnie Yen and co-star Mike Tyson to Los Angeles, I got an opportunity to interview Yen and hear about the struggles, triumphs, insights and visions that make up his life. Bearing a gift from my teacher, Black Belt Hall of Fame member Dan Inosanto, I entered the room, hoping for a good conversation. What I got was a great interview with a man who’s humble, hardworking and still hungry for higher achievements.

***

It’s an honor to finally meet you. I have a gift for you from someone you might have heard of: Dan Inosanto.

Donnie Yen: Wow! Thank you so much. I’ve heard so much about him and followed his career for years, but I never had the opportunity to meet him in person. Please thank him for me.

I spoke to him just before coming here, and he’s a huge fan of yours. Not only does he love your movies, but he also had high praise, saying that Bruce Lee would’ve been pleased with your work had he lived to see it.

Donnie Yen: That’s overwhelming. Please thank sifu Inosanto for me. [He tells his wife and his manager excitedly in Cantonese that Dan Inosanto was the training partner, best friend and top student of Bruce Lee.]

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I always wanted to study Filipino kali from him. I’ve been a Bruce Lee fan ever since I was a kid, and as you probably know, I did an homage to him by reprising the role of Chen Zhen (whom Lee portrayed in Fist of Fury) in a TV series and feature film.

Absolutely. Your performance in Legend of the Fist is one of my favorites.

Donnie Yen: It’s funny … people asked me whether I knew that Bruce Lee had already done that role. The whole point of me doing those movies and playing those roles was out of respect to Bruce Lee — as a way of showing how much he inspired me in my career.

I could never be Bruce Lee. Nobody can. Nor could I imitate him in a way that would do him or the role justice. But just paying tribute to him with those roles was huge for me. I’ve always said that if Bruce was still alive, I’d have become his most devoted student.

How did that weigh on you when you were offered a chance to portray Yip Man?

Donnie Yen: The pressure was huge, and it came from a variety of angles, too. Let me share a bit of background with you. The first time I got a call to play the role of Yip Man was a couple of decades ago, but that movie never got made due to problems with the film’s backers. Years later, I was at a press conference in Beijing and got another call from a producer, saying that they’d spoken to grandmaster Yip’s family, gotten their blessing, were going to make a movie on him and wanted to cast me in the lead.

But there was already a film about Yip Man (The Grandmaster, starring Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi) that the famous director Wong Kar-Wai was going to direct. I asked about that, but the producer said not to worry since Wong has a reputation for taking his time on projects. Even though we were going to involve the same namesake character, they would tell their story and we would tell ours.

When the public got word that we were going to do Ip Man, people in the entertainment industry started drawing lines and picking sides. Critics claimed that our director Wilson Yip wasn’t qualified to direct a project of that magnitude. At that time, I’d just finished police movies like SPL: Kill Zone and Flash Point, which had a ton of over-the-top action sequences and MMA-based fight choreography. Those movies and Special Identity were the first Hong Kong action movies to take MMA grappling techniques and communicate them in a cinematic language. So critics also said that I wasn’t suitable for the role of grandmaster Yip or to showcase wing chun cinematically.

All this even before you started shooting?

Donnie Yen: Yes. I never expected there to be so many doubters, even though I knew this to be an iconic role.

Preparing for a role like that must have been different, considering your extensive martial arts background. What was your foundational training in with your mother? Was it modern wushu?

Donnie Yen: No, it was traditional Shaolin kung fu and then tai chi, but my tai chi is a little different. My mother’s master Fu Wing-Fay had a different style, and I’ve added my own flavor to my tai chi.

Growing up in Boston, did you get to experiment with different martial arts?

Donnie Yen: When I was a kid running around Chinatown, hung gar was really big, really popular. I used to study the old Lam Sai-Wing books on hung gar with the line drawings and practice those stances and postures. But back then, I was so curious and excited to learn martial arts from any source, regardless of style. I just wanted to absorb as much as I could. I’m still that way when I see something I like.

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Did you get any formal wing chun training back then?

Donnie Yen: Unfortunately, I did not. But there was one kid that knew a little bit, and we’d skip school and train in the park together, sparring and practicing techniques on each other. Back then, I was just trying to learn moves from the different styles and systems, including taekwondo — not just Chinese martial arts.

You mentioned Bruce Lee as a source of inspiration. Did you watch other kung fu flicks?

Donnie Yen: Oh, yeah. I was a big fan of those movies as a kid. I’d see some move that I thought was cool or some character that inspired me, and I’d try to imitate them physically or philosophically.

When it came time to prep for Ip Man, I understand that you spent time with both of Yip Man’s sons.

Donnie Yen: I actually spent a lot of time studying Yip Man’s personal story in terms of his history and background, not just studying wing chun. To get as close as I could to the source, I spent time with his sons, listening to them talk about their father, their family life and their art. I even went to Futsan (Foshan, China) to see where he lived.

Were the Yip brothers your technical trainers for the movie?

Donnie Yen: I actually had a bunch of different wing chun trainers to help me learn the forms and the basic drills, like the lap sau and chee sau (sticky hands) drills. The big thing they helped me with was learning the forms. I didn’t have three years to devote to mastering wing chun, so I could only try to embody the mindset and philosophy.

So there wasn’t just one master who oversaw all your training?

Donnie Yen: No. I didn’t want to try to be a clone of any one sifu. I knew that I could never imitate grandmaster Yip Man perfectly. I could only do the role justice by offering my interpretation of his philosophy in movement. Actually, studying the old black-and-white films of grandmaster Yip was very valuable. If there was one source that I tried to draw on most, that was it.

I also tried to get a sense of Yip Man’s movement and personality from his students outside the family. I actually used social media a lot to see how the different groups interpreted wing chun. It was very interesting. It gave me a chance to see how different wing chun people expressed the system physically and strategically. From the super-traditional to the more modern and aggressive versions, I wanted to get a broader view of what direction people were taking the art. All that figured into how I moved and how I portrayed the character. Luckily, the public reacted well to it.

There seem to be some signature moves in the fight scenes throughout the Ip Man franchise.

Donnie Yen: You see a lot of the mun sau posture from Yip Man because it fits [him]. He was originally from a well-to-do family, scholarly, very reserved. Wing chun is also a physically conservative style. You’re not going to see a lot of flash or wasted movement. So making the action exciting meant that the fight scenes had to educate the audience in a way that made those more efficient movements visually appealing.

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In Ip Man 3, as in the two previous movies, there’s a strong thematic element of family. There’s a push-pull that’s evident between Yip Man and his family in which he’s pulled out of involvement in some aspects of the martial arts while being motivated to accomplish more as a martial artist because of them. Is this a bit of art imitating life with you?

Donnie Yen: Absolutely! As you can see, my wife Cecilia is here in the room with us, as she’s also my business partner, but I absolutely know how that goes. Luckily, my wife sees everything I go through. She understands me and what I need to do.

For an actor to really nail the character, he has to live through something similar to be able to call on that kind of emotion and bring it to life for the camera. If you’ve never been through something, you won’t have the same depth of experience to be able to share on-screen.

What’s smart about Wilson Yip, the director of the Ip Man movies, is that he not only understands filmmaking but he understood what kind of stages I was going through in my personal life. So he wasn’t just creating another role for me to play. He made it so that I could bring something special to the character as it was written and the character would allow me to express those aspects of myself, as well. I can’t tell you how precious that kind of work environment is in acting.

After you did Ip Man and Ip Man 2, did the wing chun world give you any special status?

Donnie Yen: Look, I come from a traditional martial arts household, so I know how it goes with status. [chuckling] I don’t care about seeking status in martial arts from my films. Like if you asked me to teach you wing chun, I’m not the guy who’s a wing chun master. There are many other people who’ve devoted their lives to learning, researching and developing wing chun. Those are the wing chun masters, not me.

Silat for the Street is the title of an online course from Black Belt Hall of Famer Burton Richardson and Black Belt magazine. Now you can learn the most functional silat techniques whenever and wherever you want on your smartphone, tablet or computer. Get more info here!

What’s important to me is that authentic, traditional martial arts were overlooked for years in favor of making more exciting action films. But now that audiences are more educated and can recognize traditional martial arts, it’s more important than ever for me to portray these arts and the personalities around them with a certain dignity that’s appropriate. The fight scenes have to convey a sense of realism, as well as communicate the principles of the styles that are portrayed.

When the movie does well and inspires people to do more with their lives, that’s the reward for me. With the Ip Man movies, it’s not about what I did for wing chun; it’s about focusing on a character that inspires people. It’s not about wing chun versus this style or that style anymore.

Last question: I heard a rumor that you were phasing out martial arts films. What’s the scoop with that?

Donnie Yen: I’m human. Sometimes we say things in the heat of the moment. For me, there have been days when my body is just tired of the beating that I put it through in a high-powered, high-intensity action flick. But at the end of the day, if I sit down and watch TV or see an action sequence on the screen and think, “Oh, come on! That’s it? I can do better than that!” then it stirs that competitive spirit. I’m an actor, but inside I’m also a fighter.

As for kung fu movies, I don’t really have as much motivation to conquer anything more, especially after doing roles from Guan Yun-Chang in The Lost Bladesman to the Ip Man franchise. But especially when it comes to contemporary fight scenes, I feel like there’s a lot of knowledge about using martial arts and cinematic techniques in harmony that I still have left to show, that I still want to show.

Dr. Mark Cheng is a Black Belt contributing editor and doctor of traditional Chinese medicine. In his free time, he teaches shuai chiao, tai chi and kettlebells.

Photos Courtesy of Well Go USA

from Black Belt» Daily » Black Belt http://ift.tt/2ntC3Ef via Michael Chin Worcester Systema

[someone-elsa]

In which River has a dream gig, and Paige is asked for advice...

Sims spice ahead 🌶 » » Read Chapter 49 on Blogger » » Read Chapter 49 on tumblr (chapter 49/chrono tag)

About the story and characters (no updates)

[johnbattlesca]

Donnie Yen: The Martial Artist Who Brought a Wing Chun Legend to Life in 3 Ip Man Movies

Donnie Yen first appeared on my radar 25 years ago, when his name often graced the pages of martial arts periodicals. I learned that Donnie Yen, the son of Boston-based wushu pioneer and Black Belt Hall of Famer Bow Sim Mark, stood out from his peers because of his strong stances and aesthetic postures, which helped him dominate the competition at martial arts tournaments.

In part because he longed to follow in the footsteps of Bruce Lee, Donnie Yen decided to try his hand at action films. Like Bruce Lee, he opted to return to southern China, where he found work as a stuntman in Hong Kong. Donnie Yen quickly leveled up to starring roles, commanding the screen opposite Jet Li in Once Upon a Time in China II (1992) and as hung gar kung fu master Wong Kei-Ying in Iron Monkey (1993). (The movie found U.S. distribution in 2001 thanks to Quentin Tarantino and Miramax.)

With hit after hit under his belt, Donnie Yen built himself into one of Asia’s most bankable actors. In 2008 he landed what would be his heaviest role to date: playing wing chun grandmaster Yip Man in Ip Man. (The Chinese family name Yip can be Romanized as Yip or Ip. In this article, I will use “Ip Man” to refer to the movie and “Yip Man” to refer to the man.)

Portraying the martial artist who was Bruce Lee’s master didn’t come without immense pressure and criticism, but the movie’s box-office performance and the rabid following it generated online proved the naysayers wrong — and set the stage for two sequels.

When the publicity tour for the latest film, Ip Man 3, brought Donnie Yen and co-star Mike Tyson to Los Angeles, I got an opportunity to interview Yen and hear about the struggles, triumphs, insights and visions that make up his life. Bearing a gift from my teacher, Black Belt Hall of Fame member Dan Inosanto, I entered the room, hoping for a good conversation. What I got was a great interview with a man who’s humble, hardworking and still hungry for higher achievements.

***

It’s an honor to finally meet you. I have a gift for you from someone you might have heard of: Dan Inosanto.

Donnie Yen: Wow! Thank you so much. I’ve heard so much about him and followed his career for years, but I never had the opportunity to meet him in person. Please thank him for me.

I spoke to him just before coming here, and he’s a huge fan of yours. Not only does he love your movies, but he also had high praise, saying that Bruce Lee would’ve been pleased with your work had he lived to see it.

Donnie Yen: That’s overwhelming. Please thank sifu Inosanto for me. [He tells his wife and his manager excitedly in Cantonese that Dan Inosanto was the training partner, best friend and top student of Bruce Lee.]

Go to Amazon now to get your copy of the Bruce Lee classic Tao of Jeet Kune Do: New Expanded Edition!

I always wanted to study Filipino kali from him. I’ve been a Bruce Lee fan ever since I was a kid, and as you probably know, I did an homage to him by reprising the role of Chen Zhen (whom Lee portrayed in Fist of Fury) in a TV series and feature film.

Absolutely. Your performance in Legend of the Fist is one of my favorites.

Donnie Yen: It’s funny … people asked me whether I knew that Bruce Lee had already done that role. The whole point of me doing those movies and playing those roles was out of respect to Bruce Lee — as a way of showing how much he inspired me in my career.

I could never be Bruce Lee. Nobody can. Nor could I imitate him in a way that would do him or the role justice. But just paying tribute to him with those roles was huge for me. I’ve always said that if Bruce was still alive, I’d have become his most devoted student.

How did that weigh on you when you were offered a chance to portray Yip Man?

Donnie Yen: The pressure was huge, and it came from a variety of angles, too. Let me share a bit of background with you. The first time I got a call to play the role of Yip Man was a couple of decades ago, but that movie never got made due to problems with the film’s backers. Years later, I was at a press conference in Beijing and got another call from a producer, saying that they’d spoken to grandmaster Yip’s family, gotten their blessing, were going to make a movie on him and wanted to cast me in the lead.

But there was already a film about Yip Man (The Grandmaster, starring Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi) that the famous director Wong Kar-Wai was going to direct. I asked about that, but the producer said not to worry since Wong has a reputation for taking his time on projects. Even though we were going to involve the same namesake character, they would tell their story and we would tell ours.

When the public got word that we were going to do Ip Man, people in the entertainment industry started drawing lines and picking sides. Critics claimed that our director Wilson Yip wasn’t qualified to direct a project of that magnitude. At that time, I’d just finished police movies like SPL: Kill Zone and Flash Point, which had a ton of over-the-top action sequences and MMA-based fight choreography. Those movies and Special Identity were the first Hong Kong action movies to take MMA grappling techniques and communicate them in a cinematic language. So critics also said that I wasn’t suitable for the role of grandmaster Yip or to showcase wing chun cinematically.

All this even before you started shooting?

Donnie Yen: Yes. I never expected there to be so many doubters, even though I knew this to be an iconic role.

Preparing for a role like that must have been different, considering your extensive martial arts background. What was your foundational training in with your mother? Was it modern wushu?

Donnie Yen: No, it was traditional Shaolin kung fu and then tai chi, but my tai chi is a little different. My mother’s master Fu Wing-Fay had a different style, and I’ve added my own flavor to my tai chi.

Growing up in Boston, did you get to experiment with different martial arts?

Donnie Yen: When I was a kid running around Chinatown, hung gar was really big, really popular. I used to study the old Lam Sai-Wing books on hung gar with the line drawings and practice those stances and postures. But back then, I was so curious and excited to learn martial arts from any source, regardless of style. I just wanted to absorb as much as I could. I’m still that way when I see something I like.

Wang Bo, formerly of Shaolin Temple, is the featured instructor in an online kung fu course from Black Belt. Titled Tree of Shaolin, it streams video lessons to your preferred digital device. Sign up here and start your journey along the 1,500-year-old Shaolin path!

Did you get any formal wing chun training back then?

Donnie Yen: Unfortunately, I did not. But there was one kid that knew a little bit, and we’d skip school and train in the park together, sparring and practicing techniques on each other. Back then, I was just trying to learn moves from the different styles and systems, including taekwondo — not just Chinese martial arts.

You mentioned Bruce Lee as a source of inspiration. Did you watch other kung fu flicks?

Donnie Yen: Oh, yeah. I was a big fan of those movies as a kid. I’d see some move that I thought was cool or some character that inspired me, and I’d try to imitate them physically or philosophically.

When it came time to prep for Ip Man, I understand that you spent time with both of Yip Man’s sons.

Donnie Yen: I actually spent a lot of time studying Yip Man’s personal story in terms of his history and background, not just studying wing chun. To get as close as I could to the source, I spent time with his sons, listening to them talk about their father, their family life and their art. I even went to Futsan (Foshan, China) to see where he lived.

Were the Yip brothers your technical trainers for the movie?

Donnie Yen: I actually had a bunch of different wing chun trainers to help me learn the forms and the basic drills, like the lap sau and chee sau (sticky hands) drills. The big thing they helped me with was learning the forms. I didn’t have three years to devote to mastering wing chun, so I could only try to embody the mindset and philosophy.

So there wasn’t just one master who oversaw all your training?

Donnie Yen: No. I didn’t want to try to be a clone of any one sifu. I knew that I could never imitate grandmaster Yip Man perfectly. I could only do the role justice by offering my interpretation of his philosophy in movement. Actually, studying the old black-and-white films of grandmaster Yip was very valuable. If there was one source that I tried to draw on most, that was it.

I also tried to get a sense of Yip Man’s movement and personality from his students outside the family. I actually used social media a lot to see how the different groups interpreted wing chun. It was very interesting. It gave me a chance to see how different wing chun people expressed the system physically and strategically. From the super-traditional to the more modern and aggressive versions, I wanted to get a broader view of what direction people were taking the art. All that figured into how I moved and how I portrayed the character. Luckily, the public reacted well to it.

There seem to be some signature moves in the fight scenes throughout the Ip Man franchise.

Donnie Yen: You see a lot of the mun sau posture from Yip Man because it fits [him]. He was originally from a well-to-do family, scholarly, very reserved. Wing chun is also a physically conservative style. You’re not going to see a lot of flash or wasted movement. So making the action exciting meant that the fight scenes had to educate the audience in a way that made those more efficient movements visually appealing.

The Ultimate Guide to Martial Arts Movies of the 1970s: 500+ Films Loaded with Action, Weapons & Warriors, by Dr. Craig D. Reid. On sale now at Amazon!

In Ip Man 3, as in the two previous movies, there’s a strong thematic element of family. There’s a push-pull that’s evident between Yip Man and his family in which he’s pulled out of involvement in some aspects of the martial arts while being motivated to accomplish more as a martial artist because of them. Is this a bit of art imitating life with you?

Donnie Yen: Absolutely! As you can see, my wife Cecilia is here in the room with us, as she’s also my business partner, but I absolutely know how that goes. Luckily, my wife sees everything I go through. She understands me and what I need to do.

For an actor to really nail the character, he has to live through something similar to be able to call on that kind of emotion and bring it to life for the camera. If you’ve never been through something, you won’t have the same depth of experience to be able to share on-screen.

What’s smart about Wilson Yip, the director of the Ip Man movies, is that he not only understands filmmaking but he understood what kind of stages I was going through in my personal life. So he wasn’t just creating another role for me to play. He made it so that I could bring something special to the character as it was written and the character would allow me to express those aspects of myself, as well. I can’t tell you how precious that kind of work environment is in acting.

After you did Ip Man and Ip Man 2, did the wing chun world give you any special status?

Donnie Yen: Look, I come from a traditional martial arts household, so I know how it goes with status. [chuckling] I don’t care about seeking status in martial arts from my films. Like if you asked me to teach you wing chun, I’m not the guy who’s a wing chun master. There are many other people who’ve devoted their lives to learning, researching and developing wing chun. Those are the wing chun masters, not me.

Silat for the Street is the title of an online course from Black Belt Hall of Famer Burton Richardson and Black Belt magazine. Now you can learn the most functional silat techniques whenever and wherever you want on your smartphone, tablet or computer. Get more info here!

What’s important to me is that authentic, traditional martial arts were overlooked for years in favor of making more exciting action films. But now that audiences are more educated and can recognize traditional martial arts, it’s more important than ever for me to portray these arts and the personalities around them with a certain dignity that’s appropriate. The fight scenes have to convey a sense of realism, as well as communicate the principles of the styles that are portrayed.

When the movie does well and inspires people to do more with their lives, that’s the reward for me. With the Ip Man movies, it’s not about what I did for wing chun; it’s about focusing on a character that inspires people. It’s not about wing chun versus this style or that style anymore.

Last question: I heard a rumor that you were phasing out martial arts films. What’s the scoop with that?

Donnie Yen: I’m human. Sometimes we say things in the heat of the moment. For me, there have been days when my body is just tired of the beating that I put it through in a high-powered, high-intensity action flick. But at the end of the day, if I sit down and watch TV or see an action sequence on the screen and think, “Oh, come on! That’s it? I can do better than that!” then it stirs that competitive spirit. I’m an actor, but inside I’m also a fighter.

As for kung fu movies, I don’t really have as much motivation to conquer anything more, especially after doing roles from Guan Yun-Chang in The Lost Bladesman to the Ip Man franchise. But especially when it comes to contemporary fight scenes, I feel like there’s a lot of knowledge about using martial arts and cinematic techniques in harmony that I still have left to show, that I still want to show.

Dr. Mark Cheng is a Black Belt contributing editor and doctor of traditional Chinese medicine. In his free time, he teaches shuai chiao, tai chi and kettlebells.

Photos Courtesy of Well Go USA

from Black Belt» Daily » Black Belt http://www.blackbeltmag.com/daily/martial-arts-entertainment/martial-art-movies/donnie-yen-the-martial-artist-who-brought-a-wing-chun-legend-to-life-in-3-ip-man-movies/ Donnie Yen: The Martial Artist Who Brought a Wing Chun Legend to Life in 3 Ip Man Movies published first on http://thrandythefabulous.tumblr.com

[thrandythefabulous]

Donnie Yen: The Martial Artist Who Brought a Wing Chun Legend to Life in 3 Ip Man Movies

Donnie Yen first appeared on my radar 25 years ago, when his name often graced the pages of martial arts periodicals. I learned that Donnie Yen, the son of Boston-based wushu pioneer and Black Belt Hall of Famer Bow Sim Mark, stood out from his peers because of his strong stances and aesthetic postures, which helped him dominate the competition at martial arts tournaments.

In part because he longed to follow in the footsteps of Bruce Lee, Donnie Yen decided to try his hand at action films. Like Bruce Lee, he opted to return to southern China, where he found work as a stuntman in Hong Kong. Donnie Yen quickly leveled up to starring roles, commanding the screen opposite Jet Li in Once Upon a Time in China II (1992) and as hung gar kung fu master Wong Kei-Ying in Iron Monkey (1993). (The movie found U.S. distribution in 2001 thanks to Quentin Tarantino and Miramax.)

With hit after hit under his belt, Donnie Yen built himself into one of Asia’s most bankable actors. In 2008 he landed what would be his heaviest role to date: playing wing chun grandmaster Yip Man in Ip Man. (The Chinese family name Yip can be Romanized as Yip or Ip. In this article, I will use “Ip Man” to refer to the movie and “Yip Man” to refer to the man.)

Portraying the martial artist who was Bruce Lee’s master didn’t come without immense pressure and criticism, but the movie’s box-office performance and the rabid following it generated online proved the naysayers wrong — and set the stage for two sequels.

When the publicity tour for the latest film, Ip Man 3, brought Donnie Yen and co-star Mike Tyson to Los Angeles, I got an opportunity to interview Yen and hear about the struggles, triumphs, insights and visions that make up his life. Bearing a gift from my teacher, Black Belt Hall of Fame member Dan Inosanto, I entered the room, hoping for a good conversation. What I got was a great interview with a man who’s humble, hardworking and still hungry for higher achievements.

***

It’s an honor to finally meet you. I have a gift for you from someone you might have heard of: Dan Inosanto.

Donnie Yen: Wow! Thank you so much. I’ve heard so much about him and followed his career for years, but I never had the opportunity to meet him in person. Please thank him for me.

I spoke to him just before coming here, and he’s a huge fan of yours. Not only does he love your movies, but he also had high praise, saying that Bruce Lee would’ve been pleased with your work had he lived to see it.

Donnie Yen: That’s overwhelming. Please thank sifu Inosanto for me. [He tells his wife and his manager excitedly in Cantonese that Dan Inosanto was the training partner, best friend and top student of Bruce Lee.]

Go to Amazon now to get your copy of the Bruce Lee classic Tao of Jeet Kune Do: New Expanded Edition!

I always wanted to study Filipino kali from him. I’ve been a Bruce Lee fan ever since I was a kid, and as you probably know, I did an homage to him by reprising the role of Chen Zhen (whom Lee portrayed in Fist of Fury) in a TV series and feature film.

Absolutely. Your performance in Legend of the Fist is one of my favorites.

Donnie Yen: It’s funny … people asked me whether I knew that Bruce Lee had already done that role. The whole point of me doing those movies and playing those roles was out of respect to Bruce Lee — as a way of showing how much he inspired me in my career.

I could never be Bruce Lee. Nobody can. Nor could I imitate him in a way that would do him or the role justice. But just paying tribute to him with those roles was huge for me. I’ve always said that if Bruce was still alive, I’d have become his most devoted student.

How did that weigh on you when you were offered a chance to portray Yip Man?

Donnie Yen: The pressure was huge, and it came from a variety of angles, too. Let me share a bit of background with you. The first time I got a call to play the role of Yip Man was a couple of decades ago, but that movie never got made due to problems with the film’s backers. Years later, I was at a press conference in Beijing and got another call from a producer, saying that they’d spoken to grandmaster Yip’s family, gotten their blessing, were going to make a movie on him and wanted to cast me in the lead.

But there was already a film about Yip Man (The Grandmaster, starring Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi) that the famous director Wong Kar-Wai was going to direct. I asked about that, but the producer said not to worry since Wong has a reputation for taking his time on projects. Even though we were going to involve the same namesake character, they would tell their story and we would tell ours.

When the public got word that we were going to do Ip Man, people in the entertainment industry started drawing lines and picking sides. Critics claimed that our director Wilson Yip wasn’t qualified to direct a project of that magnitude. At that time, I’d just finished police movies like SPL: Kill Zone and Flash Point, which had a ton of over-the-top action sequences and MMA-based fight choreography. Those movies and Special Identity were the first Hong Kong action movies to take MMA grappling techniques and communicate them in a cinematic language. So critics also said that I wasn’t suitable for the role of grandmaster Yip or to showcase wing chun cinematically.

All this even before you started shooting?

Donnie Yen: Yes. I never expected there to be so many doubters, even though I knew this to be an iconic role.

Preparing for a role like that must have been different, considering your extensive martial arts background. What was your foundational training in with your mother? Was it modern wushu?

Donnie Yen: No, it was traditional Shaolin kung fu and then tai chi, but my tai chi is a little different. My mother’s master Fu Wing-Fay had a different style, and I’ve added my own flavor to my tai chi.

Growing up in Boston, did you get to experiment with different martial arts?

Donnie Yen: When I was a kid running around Chinatown, hung gar was really big, really popular. I used to study the old Lam Sai-Wing books on hung gar with the line drawings and practice those stances and postures. But back then, I was so curious and excited to learn martial arts from any source, regardless of style. I just wanted to absorb as much as I could. I’m still that way when I see something I like.

Wang Bo, formerly of Shaolin Temple, is the featured instructor in an online kung fu course from Black Belt. Titled Tree of Shaolin, it streams video lessons to your preferred digital device. Sign up here and start your journey along the 1,500-year-old Shaolin path!

Did you get any formal wing chun training back then?

Donnie Yen: Unfortunately, I did not. But there was one kid that knew a little bit, and we’d skip school and train in the park together, sparring and practicing techniques on each other. Back then, I was just trying to learn moves from the different styles and systems, including taekwondo — not just Chinese martial arts.

You mentioned Bruce Lee as a source of inspiration. Did you watch other kung fu flicks?

Donnie Yen: Oh, yeah. I was a big fan of those movies as a kid. I’d see some move that I thought was cool or some character that inspired me, and I’d try to imitate them physically or philosophically.

When it came time to prep for Ip Man, I understand that you spent time with both of Yip Man’s sons.

Donnie Yen: I actually spent a lot of time studying Yip Man’s personal story in terms of his history and background, not just studying wing chun. To get as close as I could to the source, I spent time with his sons, listening to them talk about their father, their family life and their art. I even went to Futsan (Foshan, China) to see where he lived.

Were the Yip brothers your technical trainers for the movie?

Donnie Yen: I actually had a bunch of different wing chun trainers to help me learn the forms and the basic drills, like the lap sau and chee sau (sticky hands) drills. The big thing they helped me with was learning the forms. I didn’t have three years to devote to mastering wing chun, so I could only try to embody the mindset and philosophy.

So there wasn’t just one master who oversaw all your training?

Donnie Yen: No. I didn’t want to try to be a clone of any one sifu. I knew that I could never imitate grandmaster Yip Man perfectly. I could only do the role justice by offering my interpretation of his philosophy in movement. Actually, studying the old black-and-white films of grandmaster Yip was very valuable. If there was one source that I tried to draw on most, that was it.

I also tried to get a sense of Yip Man’s movement and personality from his students outside the family. I actually used social media a lot to see how the different groups interpreted wing chun. It was very interesting. It gave me a chance to see how different wing chun people expressed the system physically and strategically. From the super-traditional to the more modern and aggressive versions, I wanted to get a broader view of what direction people were taking the art. All that figured into how I moved and how I portrayed the character. Luckily, the public reacted well to it.

There seem to be some signature moves in the fight scenes throughout the Ip Man franchise.

Donnie Yen: You see a lot of the mun sau posture from Yip Man because it fits [him]. He was originally from a well-to-do family, scholarly, very reserved. Wing chun is also a physically conservative style. You’re not going to see a lot of flash or wasted movement. So making the action exciting meant that the fight scenes had to educate the audience in a way that made those more efficient movements visually appealing.

The Ultimate Guide to Martial Arts Movies of the 1970s: 500+ Films Loaded with Action, Weapons & Warriors, by Dr. Craig D. Reid. On sale now at Amazon!

In Ip Man 3, as in the two previous movies, there’s a strong thematic element of family. There’s a push-pull that’s evident between Yip Man and his family in which he’s pulled out of involvement in some aspects of the martial arts while being motivated to accomplish more as a martial artist because of them. Is this a bit of art imitating life with you?

Donnie Yen: Absolutely! As you can see, my wife Cecilia is here in the room with us, as she’s also my business partner, but I absolutely know how that goes. Luckily, my wife sees everything I go through. She understands me and what I need to do.

For an actor to really nail the character, he has to live through something similar to be able to call on that kind of emotion and bring it to life for the camera. If you’ve never been through something, you won’t have the same depth of experience to be able to share on-screen.

What’s smart about Wilson Yip, the director of the Ip Man movies, is that he not only understands filmmaking but he understood what kind of stages I was going through in my personal life. So he wasn’t just creating another role for me to play. He made it so that I could bring something special to the character as it was written and the character would allow me to express those aspects of myself, as well. I can’t tell you how precious that kind of work environment is in acting.

After you did Ip Man and Ip Man 2, did the wing chun world give you any special status?

Donnie Yen: Look, I come from a traditional martial arts household, so I know how it goes with status. [chuckling] I don’t care about seeking status in martial arts from my films. Like if you asked me to teach you wing chun, I’m not the guy who’s a wing chun master. There are many other people who’ve devoted their lives to learning, researching and developing wing chun. Those are the wing chun masters, not me.

Silat for the Street is the title of an online course from Black Belt Hall of Famer Burton Richardson and Black Belt magazine. Now you can learn the most functional silat techniques whenever and wherever you want on your smartphone, tablet or computer. Get more info here!

What’s important to me is that authentic, traditional martial arts were overlooked for years in favor of making more exciting action films. But now that audiences are more educated and can recognize traditional martial arts, it’s more important than ever for me to portray these arts and the personalities around them with a certain dignity that’s appropriate. The fight scenes have to convey a sense of realism, as well as communicate the principles of the styles that are portrayed.

When the movie does well and inspires people to do more with their lives, that’s the reward for me. With the Ip Man movies, it’s not about what I did for wing chun; it’s about focusing on a character that inspires people. It’s not about wing chun versus this style or that style anymore.

Last question: I heard a rumor that you were phasing out martial arts films. What’s the scoop with that?

Donnie Yen: I’m human. Sometimes we say things in the heat of the moment. For me, there have been days when my body is just tired of the beating that I put it through in a high-powered, high-intensity action flick. But at the end of the day, if I sit down and watch TV or see an action sequence on the screen and think, “Oh, come on! That’s it? I can do better than that!” then it stirs that competitive spirit. I’m an actor, but inside I’m also a fighter.

As for kung fu movies, I don’t really have as much motivation to conquer anything more, especially after doing roles from Guan Yun-Chang in The Lost Bladesman to the Ip Man franchise. But especially when it comes to contemporary fight scenes, I feel like there’s a lot of knowledge about using martial arts and cinematic techniques in harmony that I still have left to show, that I still want to show.

Dr. Mark Cheng is a Black Belt contributing editor and doctor of traditional Chinese medicine. In his free time, he teaches shuai chiao, tai chi and kettlebells.

Photos Courtesy of Well Go USA

from Black Belt» Daily » Black Belt http://www.blackbeltmag.com/daily/martial-arts-entertainment/martial-art-movies/donnie-yen-the-martial-artist-who-brought-a-wing-chun-legend-to-life-in-3-ip-man-movies/

[someone-elsa]

In which Paige gets a new hairstyle, everyone sings karaoke, and Kody and Alex receive news...

» » Read Chapter 50 on Blogger » » Read Chapter 50 on tumblr (chapter 50/chrono tag)

About the story and characters (two new character cards 👀)

[someone-elsa]

I added two new character cards for the next chapter 👀

Not sure how often they'll be seen in the story though. At least in the near future. I have plans for Somchai at least but I'll probably have grandchildren when those plans become reality 😭

I'll try my best to hit the publish button on the chapter post tomorrow 🤞

[someone-elsa]

In which River is a party pooper and gets a ride…

» » Read Chapter 46 on Blogger » » Read Chapter 46 on tumblr (chapter 46/chrono tag)

About the story and characters (no updates)

[someone-elsa]

In which Paige asks a question and immediately regrets it, and Alex sees and hears too much…

» » Read Chapter 48 on Blogger » » Read Chapter 48 on tumblr (chapter 48/chrono tag)

About the story and characters

[someone-elsa]

In which Kody has a casual chat over coffee, and Paige has news to tell and to hear…

» » Read Chapter 47 on Blogger » » Read Chapter 47 on tumblr (chapter 47/chrono tag)

About the story and characters

[someone-elsa]

(part 1 of 5)

🔙 Chapter beginning ⬅ Previous Chapter • Part 2 ➡ 📝 About the story and characters

Alex and Justin sat on a bus to San Sequoia where their supposed grandmother lived. Kody had wanted to come but he had been needed at the Newells'. Alex had changed his mind about going a dozen times but in the end, Kody and Justin had been able to convince him to go.

Still, he was anxious and debating if it was wise to go. But he had started keeping those thoughts to himself and let everyone think he was content with the trip.   We will be on our way back in a few hours, he assured himself.

Justin's phone had beeped constantly. He had giggled at the texts and quickly replied, only to snicker at the next message. Alex had forgotten his earphones and was getting annoyed with his little brother.

"Okay, what is it? Who is it?" Alex said, almost snapping when Justin had just received the hundredth text.   Justin was startled and blushed deeply. It took Alex aback; he didn't remember ever seeing Justin so flustered.

Justin didn't do good job hiding the screen and Alex got a quick glimpse.   "That's… River's brother, isn't it?"

"…Yes," Justin said like he had been caught doing something forbidden.   "I didn't know you two were friends."

Justin sighed. "We have been for some time, since the Photo exhibition party last year. He convinced me to finally get higher education and since we both now study at SSCU, we see each other quite often. He has sent me all these memes, they are about studying or this series we have been watching, you wouldn't get them… Anyway, he's fun!"   "So it seems."

"We have so much in common! Next week, we're going to a board game cafe in Bluewater Village…"   Alex studied him and gave a sharp, knowing look.   It made Justin even uneasier. "…What?"

"You like him."   "Yes, he is my friend."   Alex snorted. "You like like him. You fancy him."

Justin opened his mouth to protest but not a word came out. "I don't know, maybe. I have never felt like this about anyone. You know I'm ace, and I thought that maybe I'll never have romantic feelings either but… maybe I just hadn't met the right person."

"So…"   "What? He's taken. And I like his girlfriend. Like, as a friend. I couldn't think of going between them. They are so good together. We are friends and never anything more. And he must not know about this, it would make things awkward. Never tell anyone."

"Promise!" Justin said as Alex didn't reply.   "I promise, I promise!"

"I'm super pathetic, right?" Justin sighed. This was another side Alex hadn't seen before. Justin was always so carefree.   "Aren't we all?" Alex said clumsily. He really wasn't one to give advice.   Justin shrugged.

"San Sequoia Bridge should be just behind that hill," he said a moment later.   Alex sighed. "Is it too late to turn back?"

Notes: I realised I hadn't posted chapters on tumblr in a long time. Sorry! 😅