nathan chow:

they looked up at the sky together and saw dragons, crowns, and princesses in the clouds.

finally, she pointed at a specific one.

that one is ugly, she said.
which one? he asked. the one that actually looks like a cloud?

Two one-armed men looked at each other and realized that together was the only way they could ever clap again.

it was only in innocent motion, whether wrestling or tickling or some silly spur-of-the-moment game, that they were not afraid of touching each other.

he had just won their wrestling match when he loosened his arm around her neck. sprawled diagonally across her bed, together they put their game to a pause.

no more motion, but his arm lingered on her, dangling on her neck as if it were an unsure and wimpy hug.

i could sleep like this, she whispered.

he looked at her awkward position. there is no way that’s comfortable, he thought.

but she was afraid that if she shifted just a little bit or said anything about how umcomfortable she really was, he would take his arm off.

and he knew what she meant. and he, too, was afraid that if she hadn’t said that, he’d have to remove his arm from her, for fear of motionless touch.

but his arm stayed—motionless, unafraid—as their touch sang them a lullaby and they fell into a nap together.

three different passages by my film professor Ray Carney in his book “Why Art Matters”:

“Life is mysterious, but its mysteries are entirely different from the mystifications in L.A. Confidential, Blood Simple, Blue Velvet, or Psycho. Their mysteries are shallow. They can be cleared up with a few words of explanation. Their puzzlements are trivial—matters of fact and event, of who did what to whom. Make a film about real mysteries, mysteries that don’t involve facts but feelings—like the mystery of who we are, the mystery of why we do hurtful things to ourselves and others, the mystery of why the effects of our actions can be so different from our intentions, the mystery of why we can never see ourselves as others see us.”

“Slasher pictures are too tame. Emotional violence is far worse than physical. Casual remarks cut more deeply than Freddy Kruger’s blades. The masks we wear are scarier than Jason’s—and don’t come off. The irrationality of our doubts and despairs is more frightening than any monster’s rampage.”

“Never forget that to be an artist is, above everything else, to be a truth-teller, one of the few left in a culture seized in a death-grip by media-induced fictions and journalistic cliches. You speak secrets no one else dares to whisper. You exist to share your most private feelings and personal observations with others. They are where truth lies. Don’t be afraid of being too personal, too private. Your most secret fears, your private doubts and uncertainties are everyone’s.”

oh, the dinner date was okay, but it was when we stood on her street corner talking under my umbrella until the rain stopped that I knew this girl was for me.

P.S. just for future reference: any posts categorized under “writing” are not autobiographical. please stop asking lol.

gone were the whispered desires
when we embraced with naked arms
and together named a flame.

- Nathan

Semifinal #1 – Germany vs Turkey:

- Germany will be up 5-0 at the 80th minute. Three of the goals will be on set pieces and two will be headers from super tall (former basketball?) players. Cuz those are the only ways they ever score anyway.

- “Super Mario” will have another poor game because he’ll miss his mushroom boost again.

- From the 80th minute until the end of the game, Turkey will have another amazing comeback by scoring 6 goals to win the game. Oliver Kahn will once again remind Lehmann that he’s a n00b.

Semifinal #2 – Spain vs Russia:

- Russia’s coach, Guus Hiddink, will not show any emotion whatsoever. He’ll reminisce about the times he brought Korea and Australia to their greatest World Cup runs and about how he beat his own country, the Netherlands, in the last game. But he’ll also be so distracted that Spain will win 4-1 again. (Hiddink wants a Russian magic trick. Villa wants another hat trick.)

- William H. Macy will referee the game. Ooops, I meant Michel Lubos. Seriously, am I the only one to see the resemblance?

- To train for the match, Spain will play England in a friendly (since England is sooo bored of just watching this year’s Euro). Wayne Rooney will “accidentally” step on all the Spanish players’ crotches, and Spain will forfeit the game.

Final – Turkey vs Spain:

- Before the match begins, Turkey will lose another 10 of their starting players due to suspensions and injuries. They’ll still have an amazing sense of hope that they will win. The winning Greek team from 2004 will give them a few tips on how to pull even bigger surprises.

- Still hurt from the English friendly, the Spanish players will be shielding themselves extra cautiously during Turkish free kicks. Well-past his sperm-producing ages, Spanish coach Aragones will not understand their nut-clutching behavior.

- Upset about their deserved loss to Spain, the Italians will interfere with the game by falling, diving, elbowing, shoving, and doing anything cheap to help Russia win.

- Attracted to the falling and diving tactics, Cristiano Ronaldo will join the Italian squad. Attracted to Cristiano, a couple million teenage girls will also join the Italian squad.

- But Zidane will headbutt them all.

- And for no apparent reason, Brazil will win the game.

Aaaaand scene!

we must’ve spent hours together, staring into each others’ eyes as we masqueraded into the night. then the live band stopped and the lights went up, and as everyone else went back to the lobby, there we stood: the only ones left in the middle of the dance floor. so much space, so much time, and all it built up to was a little kiss on your forehead. we said good-bye even if we never said hello. we never introduced ourselves, and by the time my knuckles were caressing your cheek for the last time, i knew i’d never see you again.

when i thought of you in bed that night, i had an empty space next to me – but i also woke up with your name forever on my lips.

- Nathan

(before i get bombarded with questions, i’d like to say that this is purely fictional)