Archive

  • The Song of Everlasting Regret Part 2

    The Song of Everlasting Regret Part 2

    What follows is the second part of my interpretation of 长恨歌 (the song of everlasting regret) by 白居易. See part 1 here: https://venividiveritas.com/2023/05/09/the-song-of-everlasting-regret-part-1/ 九重城阙烟尘生，千乘万骑西南行。 Above the forbidden city loomed the smoke of war. Southwest the host travelled, a thousand horses, ten thousand men. 翠华摇摇行复止，西出都门百余里。 The emperor’s jade crown swayed and turned, the fire of rebellion Read more

  • The importance of self-reflection

    The importance of self-reflection

    Every now and then, I like to sit back, look back, and most importantly, think back (if that makes sense). Why? Introspection and self-reflection is, I believe, one of the best ways for us individuals to look back on the past, and make better choices about what lies ahead of us. After all, everything is Read more

  • The Song of Everlasting Regret Part 1

    The Song of Everlasting Regret Part 1

    What follows is a personal interpretation and translation of the famed Chinese poem 长恨歌，or The Song of Everlasting Regret, by the poet 白居易. Written in the ninth century, it depicts the tragic love story between an emperor and his concubine and is renowned for its literary flourish and narrative flow. This article covers the first Read more

  • Redefining the Nostalgia of History

    Redefining the Nostalgia of History

    Recently, I watched the ‘Last Emperor’, famously directed by Bernardo Bertolucci in 1987, winning nine Academy Awards for its screenplay and performance. It was a fuzzy feeling seeing the imposing Forbidden City during the last years of the Qing Dynasty – guarded by rows of armoured imperial guards – in contrast with the desolate and Read more

  • Innovation Part 5: Board Games

    Innovation Part 5: Board Games

    Typically, when we think of a board game, our minds could wander off in many different directions. Perhaps it’s that dusty board of monopoly you haven’t played since you were a kid. Perhaps you think of “Articulate!” a quick combination of wit and creativity, or maybe it’s that green scrabble board. But for many young Read more

  • French Revolution Part 3: The World of 1700s

    French Revolution Part 3: The World of 1700s

    The Ancient World can be construed as a narrative of singularities, with globe-spanning empires founded upon the fabled bounties of the Fertile Crescent dominating the story. The advent of agricultural technology and the arrival of the Roman Climate Optimum had endowed the men and women of the Oecumene with the incentives to coalesce into three Read more