So we grow up in Kindergarten and learn about your 5 senses, right? I probably learned a song (or two) about how touch is like when you pet your neighbour’s dog (since I don’t own one) and how sound is like your sister’s screeching in the shower (or your own).

Pretty normal stuff, right? We all (should) know that your five senses are Sound, Sight, Touch, Smell, and Taste. Just a reminder if you didn’t, or you had forgotten, I know; it was a long time ago. We were tasked with taking photos that represent each sense- but in a unique way. No hamburgers for taste or dog poo for smell (which was on 14th street..).

I don’t know how unique mine are, but I thought they were pretty snazzy. I might just be tooting my own horn, though. I’ll let you be the judge of that.

xoxo
~ria kim

There’s something magical about silence in a city.

We’re consumed by a forward facing, ambitious humans, and we all strive to be the best, make the most money, have the most fun, and it’s overwhelming. The stereotypes that come along with being Asian are just as consuming, and I have to be the best at whatever I decide to do- first it was piano, then school, then art, and tennis. Second place? No better than last. Keep pushing, grinding, because it’s MIT or McDonald’s.

The hustle and bustle of city make it easy to forget and just keep going, but by challenging our troubles and confronting them, we can at least chip away at whatever happens to also be gnawing at us. I feel more introverted and awkward, and by finding a sanctuary to sit and evaluate, I can piece together my thoughts and evaluate my situation. Perhaps I’ll cry and resort to drawing my girls, or I’ll relax and ponder the curious events of the day. It’s a time where I can be endlessly selfish, and reflect upon life.

I’m the type to bottle up my feelings in fear of burdening anybody else with my emotional turmoil, and silence allows me to tug away at the cork that shields me from the outside world. The still of the hidden pool of water is therapeutic, despite its grungy location. As the water acts as a mirror to its surroundings, we reflect upon ourselves and our company as we ponder the world in silence.

Light is the essence of sight.

No human can see in pure darkness- for as Einstein has stated- “What is darkness but the absence of light?”

The cones and rods in our eyes are receptors of light.

Color is the reflection of light.

Light illuminates our path on the wandering roads through the night.

Enlightenment is a part of vision- it is the inspiration for our dreams and aspirations. Light illuminates our future path, as experience sheds light upon our history.

Our accomplishments are highlighted, and foresight is nothing but the twinkle of a beckoning star, leading the way through the skies.

For we search for a greater power, a force that perhaps stated the first words of our existence:

“Let there be light.”

“Touch me!”
screamed the heavy metal industrial locks.We lock away our humanity in fear of feeling vulnerable- the only fear I have is the fear of being afraid.

In exchange for a semblance of security, emotions are locked away, for a lack of control is disgraceful in the least. Composure is maintained, and a smile and wave with proper posture is not only appreciated, but expected.

We’re told to find ourselves in high school, when many people do not find their own selves until their middle ages.

A conflicting time between youth and maturity.

Doubt and frustration are rampant.

It seems that all I can do is rely on a confidant, in the form of a best friend. A person so special that not everybody is fortunate enough to have. A beam of support that will never give.

The distinctive smell of a cigarette, lingering, only to be swept away by the breeze rushing through Denver.

The light scent of a cigarette, is reminiscent of my childhood with family on the east coast. Of the aunt and uncle.

The musky aroma of their clothing that fills my lungs when I tightly embrace them, the smiles and jokes, the flashing peace signs in the family photo.

The persisting reminders that smoking is the number one cause of deaths in the United States.

A hope that family doesn’t become a statistic.

What is more nourishing than water?

Aristotle believed it to be one of the elements that comprised the world, and that without it, nothing else can exist.

Water is one of the things that we most take for granted in Colorado. This semi-arid state should earnestly try to conserve what we have, yet our very lawns crave more water than we can adequately supply.

The politicking involved in water rights is suffocating, selfishly allocating more resources for their own advancement instead of fairly distributing according to demonstrated need.

Our reliance on such a magical substance, a clear, odorless liquid that we cannot go two days without, is astonishing. It surrounds us but is scarce. It rushes through our taps and floods down from the skies.

Women are forced to walk for hours to retrieve it.

The discrepancy between our worlds is defined by water.