On a recent spring day, a friend and I decided to leave work early so that we could enjoy the afternoon outdoors. We first went to Filoli Garden in Woodside. I had been to Filoli just once before in May, and did love the flower gardens. I especially love the origin of the name Filoli – “Fight for a just cause, Love your fellow men, and Live a good life”. A great motto to live by for sure.
To our disappointment, it was not open that day. Faced with the choices between going back to work and trying another place, the two of us truants decided on the latter. We drove all the way to Golden Gate Park to visit California Academy of Sciences.
There is nothing in common between National Academy of Sciences and this “California Academy of Sciences”. The former is a true academic body with elected members and its own austere journal. The latter is actually an aquarium, a greenhouse and a natural history museum housed in one building. My friend knows all about the plants, the fish and the butterflies, and was busy taking photos. Being a city girl myself, I know none of the names of the plants or the fish, so I simply observed, appreciated, and listened.
In terms of size and varieties of fish, this aquarium is much smaller than the one in Monterey, California. In terms of activities and shows, it cannot compare with the San Diego Sea World. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it thoroughly, perhaps partly because it was the afternoon of a week day, when I am usually still in the office. When I got to the jellyfish exhibit, I found myself transfixed in front of the tank. There was something elegant and artistic about the way the jellyfish were moving, turning and twisting, as if they were dancing. It was completely quiet and musical at the same time. While they moved in complete silence, I felt that I could almost hear the soothing music to which the jellyfish danced – a melody like Enya’s. The translucent and soft whiteness of the jellyfish did resemble the flowing sleeves of classical dancers. The whole spectacle was absolutely poetic. I had a feeling of serenity and intoxication – intoxicated by this peaceful happiness brought on by the jellyfish. Just watching the jellyfish made me realize at that precise moment, what happiness is all about.
To our disappointment, it was not open that day. Faced with the choices between going back to work and trying another place, the two of us truants decided on the latter. We drove all the way to Golden Gate Park to visit California Academy of Sciences.
There is nothing in common between National Academy of Sciences and this “California Academy of Sciences”. The former is a true academic body with elected members and its own austere journal. The latter is actually an aquarium, a greenhouse and a natural history museum housed in one building. My friend knows all about the plants, the fish and the butterflies, and was busy taking photos. Being a city girl myself, I know none of the names of the plants or the fish, so I simply observed, appreciated, and listened.
In terms of size and varieties of fish, this aquarium is much smaller than the one in Monterey, California. In terms of activities and shows, it cannot compare with the San Diego Sea World. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it thoroughly, perhaps partly because it was the afternoon of a week day, when I am usually still in the office. When I got to the jellyfish exhibit, I found myself transfixed in front of the tank. There was something elegant and artistic about the way the jellyfish were moving, turning and twisting, as if they were dancing. It was completely quiet and musical at the same time. While they moved in complete silence, I felt that I could almost hear the soothing music to which the jellyfish danced – a melody like Enya’s. The translucent and soft whiteness of the jellyfish did resemble the flowing sleeves of classical dancers. The whole spectacle was absolutely poetic. I had a feeling of serenity and intoxication – intoxicated by this peaceful happiness brought on by the jellyfish. Just watching the jellyfish made me realize at that precise moment, what happiness is all about.
Happiness has always been profound and trivial at the same time. It is being able to enjoy a beautiful spring afternoon when we are normally supposed to be tied up in mundane mind-numbing tasks at work. There is indeed so much beauty in life, if only we care to pay attention. While my friend and I did not get to visit Filoli that afternoon, I felt that we did practice the last two letters of Filoli – to live a good life includes appreciating the ethereal beauty of the jellyfish on a spring afternoon...
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