Coming of Age – Stars
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Coming of Age – Stars

Are you counting the value or the valuation? Dancing for love or for score? Is your life full of activity and productivity – or, does it bring meanings? Coming of age, stars burn to shine on others’ dreams.

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The genesis behind “Coming of Age” stems from Novell’s personal struggles with finding her place in her passion within a world that is limited by certain outdated beliefs, restricted by society’s expectations. After her mom’s sudden death and her own near brush with death, Novell threw away everything she grew up believing in – social status, security, career, etc. for a chance to pursue her dreams of becoming a professional Latin dancer. Despite giving up everything (including her career, her house, her lifestyle and almost her marriage), Novell spent the last 7 years practicing every single day to become the dancer that she believed she was meant to be. She started at the age that most would have retired and despite warnings from “experts and her coaches”, she relentlessly pursued her dreams. Countless of practices, thousands of lessons spent, hours of sweat, tears and blood – she never gave up, despite facing rejection over and over again. She spent 7 years living with no pay check in (expensive) NYC, training 9am to 5pm for 6 days a week – not missing training for any holidays either or birthdays. Missed vacations and family time to dedicate to the art form and in pursuit of her dreams. But every day, as she gets better as a dancer, she gets older by the book. Which to a competitive dancer (who requires a partner to compete) – it is a death sentence. But now, as she is nearing the end of her career – she ponders and in spite of the struggle, she sees light at the end of the tunnel. Her mission in life has always been to inspire others to live their best life and fulfill their passion. Dancing and winning competitively is only ONE of the ways to reach her mission, but it is NOT the only way. In fact, what is a better way than through this campaign? She realizes that… it doesn’t take a medal or a spot on the podium to “prove” that you are a worthy dancer. But, to CREATE the life that you want and to LIVE LIFE based on your terms and not others. Web 3 is a whole new playing field. “I was in pain for many years although I was doing what I love – because I had measured my success in the Web 2 (traditional world/ traditional way of thinking). Web 3 is a whole new world. We now have a chance to create what we want, in a world that is almost limitless. If we can dream it, we can make it happen.” – Novell Loh ⭐ Coming of Age - is a personal story that many can relate to. From the conflict of keeping to society’s expectations vs. internal passion, to the struggles of achieving your goals and passion. It is a reminder, to be courageous to NOT only live your passion, but to DEFINE the moments that matter.
I was never one for singing What I really feel Except tonight, I'm bringing Everything I know that's real

Stars, they come and go They come fast or slow They go like the last light Of the sun, all in a blaze And all you see is glory But it gets lonely there When there's no one here to share We can shake it away If you'll hear a story

People lust for fame Like athletes in a game We break our collarbones And come up swinging Some of us are downed Some of us are crowned And some are lost And never found But most have seen it all They live their lives in Sad cafes and music halls They always have a story

Some make it when they're young Before the world has Done its dirty job And later on, someone will say "You've had your day You must make way" But they'll never know the pain Of living with a name you never owned Or the many years forgetting What you know too well

The ones who gave the crown Have been let down You try to make amends Without defending

Perhaps pretending You never saw the eyes Of grown men of twenty five That followed as you walked And asked for autographs Or kissed you on the cheek And you never could believe They really loved you

Some make it when they're old (Perhaps they have a soul They're not afraid to bare Or perhaps there's nothing there)

Some women have a body Men will want to see So they put it on display Some people play a fine guitar I could listen to them Play all day Some ladies really Move across a stage And gee, they sure can dance I guess I could learn how If I have it half a chance

But I always feel so funny When my body tries to soar And I seem to always worry About missing the next chord

I guess there isn't anything To put up on display Except the tunes And whatever else I say Anyway, that isn't really What I meant to say I meant to tell a story I live from day to day

Stars, they come and go They come fast or slow They go like the last light Of the sun, all in a blaze And all you see is glory But those who've seen it all They live their lives In sad cafes and music halls We always have a story

So if you don't lose patience With my fumbling around I'll come up singing for you Even when I'm down

💙 The Origin of Love

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The last time I saw you we had just split in two He was looking at me, I was looking at you You had a way so familiar I could not recognize Cause you had blood on your face And I had blood in my eyes But I swear by your expression That the pain down in your soul was the same As the one down in mine That's the pain That cuts a straight line down through the heart We call it love We wrapped our arms around each other Tried to shove ourselves back together We were making love, making love It was a cold dark evening such a long time ago When by the mighty hand of jove It was a sad story how we became lonely two-legged creatures The story, the origin of love

⭐ Novell Loh 🌟✨ 💫 🤩 🌠 🌃 ☪️

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💫 Other Stars

(谭元元. 舞蹈风暴: 归来 & 重生 & 卡门 & 流动的盛宴 & Highlights, Carlos Gu, 春晚: 我爱你中国 San Francisco Ballet: Highlights, TedxShanghai, Youku: Documentary)
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她看到光明的太陽,同時在她上面飛著無數透明的,美麗的生物。它們的聲音是和諧的音樂。它們沒有翅膀,只是憑著它們輕飄的形體在空中浮動。 (... 這時她覺得好像滿天的星星都在向她落下,她從來沒有看到過這樣的焰火。許多巨大的太陽在周圍發出噓噓的響聲,光耀奪目的大魚在向藍色的空中飛躍。) And the little mermaid lifted her clear arms towards God’s sun, and for the first time she felt tears. On board the ship there was noise and life once more, she saw the prince with his lovely bride searching for her, sadly they stared at the bubbling foam, as if they knew she had thrown herself into the waves. Unseen, she kissed the bride’s forehead, smiled at him and rose with the other children of the air up onto the rosy cloud that sailed through the sky. – “我就是小美人魚,芭蕾是我深愛的王子” at 朗读者: 海的女儿
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Ginsburg:  Radical. Social. Change. When I was in law school there was no women's bathroom. It's amazing to me now that we never complained -- not because we were timid; we were just astounded to be in law school at all.

A hundred years ago Myra Bradwell wanted to be a lawyer. She had fulfilled the requirements for the Illinois bar, but she wasn’t allowed to practice because she was a woman -- an injustice, she asked the Supreme Court to correct. Illinois was so confident of victory, they didn’t even send a lawyer to argue their side. They were right. She lost. That was the first time someone went to court to challenge his or her prescribed gender role. A hundred years ago.

Radical. Social. Change. Sixty-five years ago, when women in Oregon wanted to work overtime, and make more money, as men could, the Court looked to the precedent in Bradwell -- and said no. So then there were two precedents. Then three. Then four. And on. And on. And you can draw a direct line from Myra Bradwell to Gwendolyn Hoyt -- told ten years ago she was not entitled to a jury of her peers.

That is the legacy the Government asks you to uphold today. You are being urged to protect the culture and traditions and morality of an America that no longer exists.A generation ago, my students would have been arrested for indecency for wearing the clothes that they do.

Sixty-five years ago, it would have been unimaginable that my daughter would aspire to a career. And a hundred years ago, I would not have the right to stand before you.

There are a hundred and seventy-eight federal laws that differentiate on the basis of sex. Count them. The Government did the favor of compiling them for you. And while you’re at it, I urge you to read them. They're obstacles to our children’s aspirations.

Doyle: You're asking us to turn over nearly a century of precedent.

Ginsburg: I’m asking you to set a new precedent, as courts have done before when the law is outdated.

Judge: But in those cases the courts had a clear constitutional handle. The word "woman" does not appear even once in the U.S. Constitution.

Ginsburg: Nor does the world "freedom," Your Honor.

(A Waltz for A Night, Essay: Time Regained, Short: Waking Life, Before Sunrise: AMA, On Cinema & Time, Linklater + Hawke + Delpy, Perfect, 12 Year Project, 牵手, 我的父親母親)
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To the extent that God exists, [Celine] declares, it is in the space between us: “If there’s any kind of magic in this world, it must be in the attempt of understanding someone.” – Time Regained
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東風夜放花千樹。更吹落、星如雨... 眾里尋他千百度,驀然回首,那人卻在,燈火闌珊處。 The east wind at night has flowered a thousand trees Bringing showers of glowing stars down streets... Tens of thousands of rounds for one I’ve been searching Only on a glance cast backward do I behold There she is, where lights are burning so low! *Alternative translation One night's east wind adorns a thousand trees with flowers And blows down stars in showers... I look for her in vain When all at once I turn my head I find her there where lantern light is dimly shed. – 辛弃疾《青玉案·元夕》
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客曰:“月明星稀,烏鵲南飛..” 蘇子曰:“客亦知夫水與月乎?逝者如斯,而未嘗往也;盈虛者如彼,而卒莫消長也。蓋將自其變者而觀之,則天地曾不能以一瞬;自其不變者而觀之,則物與我皆無盡也,而又何羨乎!..”

(你可也知道這水與月?時間流逝就像這水,其實並沒有真正逝去;時圓時缺的就像這月,終究沒有增減。可見,從事物易變的一面看來,那麼天地間萬事萬物時刻在變動,連一眨眼的工夫都不停止;而從事物不變的一面看來,萬物同我們來說都是永恒的,又有什麼可羨慕的呢?)

The guest replied, “‘The moon is luminous, the stars are sparse, the birds are flying south’...”

I commented, “Do you happen to know the nature of water or the moon? Water is always on the run like this, but never lost in its course; the moon always waxes and wanes like that, but never out of its sphere. When viewed from a changing perspective, nothing in this universe can remain unchanged even within a blink of an eye, but when looked at from an unchanging perspective, everything conserves itself, and so do we. Therefore, what’s in them to be admired?” – 苏轼《前赤壁赋》

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Blessed are the forgetful, for they get the better even of their blunders. How happy is the blameless vestal's lot! The world forgetting, by the world forgot. Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind! Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd... – For Clementine in Blue in Eternal Sunshine
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Because at the moment she’s finding it difficult to smile… So the worry is the thing that kills us. Keep her skipping and love her, for just how she is perfect, perfect right now. 而她现在,不愿意开心而笑... 这种焦虑的情绪,会扼杀孩子的未来. 让她蹦蹦跳跳,爱她,因为此时此刻,她已然如此完美。
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And of course I forgive / I've seen how you live Like a phoenix you rise from the ashes You pick up the pieces / And the ghosts in the attic They never quite leave And of course I forgive / You've seen how I live I've got darkness and fears to appease

My voices and analogies / Ambitions like ribbons / Worn bright on my sleeve Strange how we know each other / Strange how I fit into you There's a distance erased with the greatest of ease Strange how you fit into me / A gentle warmth filling the deepest of needsEric's Song, Vienna Teng

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One day, a butterfly was trying to get out of its cocoon. Somebody saw it struggling so they cut the cocoon to help it escape. While the butterfly was free, it lost the ability to fly because it didn’t complete its metamorphosis. In life, there will be struggles; there will be pain. Just know that when you’re going through it, you’re building the strength to fly. – Amy Soon
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In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back. – Albert Camus
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