Here are 3 versions of the song 'Somewhere Out There' from the 1987 animated film An American Tail. This song is rather poignant for people with loved ones far away from them.
The original movie version sung by the mice. Cute, because the mice were slightly out of tune on the high notes!
This one's by Taiwanese singer Evonne Hsu on a variety show. Many people think she's very princess-like but I think she's a bit too tall and fair. She speaks and sings in perfect English cos she grew up in the States.
The original 'proper' version by Linda Ronstadt (really powerful vocals and wacky hairdo!) and James Ingram.
So which version do you like best? I think those that are young at heart will prefer 1, most guys will favour 2 and the connoiseurs/hard core music fans will like 3.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Cherish your Childhood! It'll be gone before you know it.
Haley Joel Osment
Macaulay Culkin
A certain JT
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
Ng Man Tat. I don't have (and won't care to see) his childhood photo.
Here's a song on childhood. What happens when someone grows up.
When she loved me by Sarah Mclachlan
This has all the hallmark of a great song.
One. The minimalist accompaniment and Sarah Mclachlan's poise and purity of voice is infinitely natural and touching.
Two. The shifts in harmony is so haunting/beautiful/unexpected. Unlike most pop songs, which have rather predictable harmonies.
Three. The utterly simple yet deep/meaningful lyrics.
Four. The universal theme - growing up, becoming hardened and losing one's childhood dreams.
Oh, if I only knew the road back,
The dear road to childhood's land!
Oh, why did I search for happiness
And leave my mother's hand?
Oh, how I long to be at rest,
Not to be awakened by anything,
To shut my weary eyes,
With love gently surrounding!
And nothing to search for, nothing to beware of,
Only dreams, sweet and mild;
Not to notice the changes of time,
To be once more a child!
Oh, do show me the road back,
The dear road to childhood's land!
In vain I search for happiness,
Around me naught but deserted beach and sand!
Klaus Groth
Friday, November 23, 2007
PSLE results
The PSLE results were released yesterday.
Those who've scored well, congrats. But remember that's no guarantee to success in life. Those who've not done so well, take heart. I've seen so many cases of people who, despite of not-so-fantastic PSLE scores, go on to ace their O and A Levels, and vice versa, of course. So continue to enjoy learning, and be humble.
My only recollection of my own PSLE release of results and subsequent school posting was this silly classmate of mine who danced around the room shouting at us in glee, 'I'm going to RI, you are all not fit to talk to me!' :/
Here's a rather humorous (and slightly irreverent, especially to Rafflesians) spoof on the 'Founding of Singapore' featuring 'Sir Stamford Raffles' and 'William Farquhar'. Have a good laugh!
Those who've scored well, congrats. But remember that's no guarantee to success in life. Those who've not done so well, take heart. I've seen so many cases of people who, despite of not-so-fantastic PSLE scores, go on to ace their O and A Levels, and vice versa, of course. So continue to enjoy learning, and be humble.
My only recollection of my own PSLE release of results and subsequent school posting was this silly classmate of mine who danced around the room shouting at us in glee, 'I'm going to RI, you are all not fit to talk to me!' :/
Here's a rather humorous (and slightly irreverent, especially to Rafflesians) spoof on the 'Founding of Singapore' featuring 'Sir Stamford Raffles' and 'William Farquhar'. Have a good laugh!
MDA Rap and all the Flak
This is the infamous rap from the top brass at the Media Development Authority (MDA).
This has drawn a lot of flak since it's release a few days ago. Comments like 'they are so stiff', 'they shouldn't be in suits', 'pretending to be hip', 'humiliating' etc have been made by netizens and articles in the press.
But my question is, why be so hard on them? They aren't professional rappers. What do you expect? I think it's already quite brave for them to attempt to do something like that. I bet it's the first time most of them are actually rapping. So are the critics expecting them to rap like Snoop Dogg or Eminem?
It's true that the title of the rap 'MDA Senior Management Rap' is a bit of a put-off, and the lyrics are also pretty awkward, because they try to squeeze so many words into each line, but I think it's overall a very commendable effort. The message that the MDA is forward looking and creative is more effectively conveyed through a rap rather than via a standard, boring speech.
If you think that rapping is only reserved for the 'young and cool' and it's so 'high-brow' that it's only open to a select group who 'knows how to do it', I think that's rather unfair. We have seen memorable and funny moments where politicians such as former Russian President Boris Yeltsin and ex-Japanese PM Junichiro Koizumi letting their hair down and dancing. So are we going to criticize them if their dance moves are inelegant ?
It boils down to the fact that people enjoy rebelling against authority. People have this mentality, that the more you tell them not to do something, the more they want to do it. Parents, teachers, the government and the law are all figures of authority who set rules and tell you what not to do. So people like to rebel against such figures. And the MDA is the authority who sets the policy for the local media, regulates media content, and tells us what we can and cannot watch. No wonder some disgruntled media players enjoy poking fun at them for their rap.
This has drawn a lot of flak since it's release a few days ago. Comments like 'they are so stiff', 'they shouldn't be in suits', 'pretending to be hip', 'humiliating' etc have been made by netizens and articles in the press.
But my question is, why be so hard on them? They aren't professional rappers. What do you expect? I think it's already quite brave for them to attempt to do something like that. I bet it's the first time most of them are actually rapping. So are the critics expecting them to rap like Snoop Dogg or Eminem?
It's true that the title of the rap 'MDA Senior Management Rap' is a bit of a put-off, and the lyrics are also pretty awkward, because they try to squeeze so many words into each line, but I think it's overall a very commendable effort. The message that the MDA is forward looking and creative is more effectively conveyed through a rap rather than via a standard, boring speech.
If you think that rapping is only reserved for the 'young and cool' and it's so 'high-brow' that it's only open to a select group who 'knows how to do it', I think that's rather unfair. We have seen memorable and funny moments where politicians such as former Russian President Boris Yeltsin and ex-Japanese PM Junichiro Koizumi letting their hair down and dancing. So are we going to criticize them if their dance moves are inelegant ?
It boils down to the fact that people enjoy rebelling against authority. People have this mentality, that the more you tell them not to do something, the more they want to do it. Parents, teachers, the government and the law are all figures of authority who set rules and tell you what not to do. So people like to rebel against such figures. And the MDA is the authority who sets the policy for the local media, regulates media content, and tells us what we can and cannot watch. No wonder some disgruntled media players enjoy poking fun at them for their rap.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Let's talk about LOVE
Some of you have tagged to say you think that girls and guys can be best friends. I think it's quite difficult. Okay, let's define what 'best friend' means first. If someone is your best friend, s/he is probably the person you talk to the most; his/her name appears frequently on your hp's call list; you share common interests and hobbies with him/her; you go out with him/her a lot; the 2 of you understand each other a lot. Well, I think it's rare if you can say that of a girl and guy, unless it's of the 'buddies' sort. Of course a girl and guy can be good friends, but best friends? Nah, I'm sceptical!
Okay, now to the main topic...
We are going to talk about love today. In case you are sticking out your tongue and feeling squeamish, relax. This is going to be very objective and healthy.
Teenagers often confuse love and infatuation. Infatuation is also known as puppy love or 'crush'. Sometimes, teenagers think that they are in love, when in actual fact, they are only experiencing puppy love.
So what's the difference between PUPPY LOVE and TRUE LOVE?
Signs of puppy love
1. You can't stop thinking about the other person
2. You feel inexplicably sad and distracted when s/he is not around
3. You feel that life is meaningless if you don't see him/her
4. You fall in and out of puppy love very quickly
Signs of true love
1. It is unconditional. You don't love to 'feel good'
2. You are willing to sacrifice/undergo some inconveniences and discomforts for love
3. You plan for your future with your loved one
4. You don't fall in and out of true love very quickly
As you can see, the major difference between puppy love and true love is that you can get infatuated with someone very quickly, just by something nice the other person say to you for example, or for some other superficial reason, such as an attraction to some physical characteristic of the other person (He has a nice smile...she is so pretty etc). However, it takes time and cultivation for 2 person to truly fall in love.
Teenagers who think of pairing up too early should consider these.
1. Why have a bf/gf so early? You should get to know more members of the opposite sex, be friends with them, go out with a group of mixed company before considering a serious relationship.
2. Being in a serious relationship costs lots of time and money. Will you neglect your studies? Is it burning a hole in your pocket?
Well, for me, I think the ideal is:
in your secondary school years, you should focus on your studies and make more same-sex friends (I think that of all the friends you make in your various schools, those from sec school tend to stay with you for life),
in junior college, you will have lots of opportunity to know more people of the opposite sex. don't rush into things and weigh consequences wisely. but don't forget the A level exams. it is not an easy exam,
in university, you should be wise enough and it's the best time to think of pairing up. ideally, you should pair up with the eventual aim to get married. that way, you will be responsible and serious, and not merely 'having fun' or 'feeling good'.
Well, for your interest, the Greeks defined for us 5 kinds of love, they are:
Eros, which is passionate love, to do with the senses and the physical
Philia, which is the love and loyalty you feel for your friends
Storge, which is the natural love parents feel for their children
Xenia, which is the love and hospitality a host feel for his guest/visitor
Agape, which is unconditional, self-sacrificing and thoughtful love
There is also a famous passage in the Bible where the Apostle Paul defines love as such:
'Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.'
This is from the book of 1st Corinthians Chapter 13 verses 4-7. This is really a great kind of love, if anyone can love like that, s/he would be really noble. So which of the 5 kinds of love as defined by the Greeks does this biblical definition of love fall into?
Plenty of deep stuff today, hope it gives you some food for thought!
Okay, now to the main topic...
We are going to talk about love today. In case you are sticking out your tongue and feeling squeamish, relax. This is going to be very objective and healthy.
Teenagers often confuse love and infatuation. Infatuation is also known as puppy love or 'crush'. Sometimes, teenagers think that they are in love, when in actual fact, they are only experiencing puppy love.
So what's the difference between PUPPY LOVE and TRUE LOVE?
Signs of puppy love
1. You can't stop thinking about the other person
2. You feel inexplicably sad and distracted when s/he is not around
3. You feel that life is meaningless if you don't see him/her
4. You fall in and out of puppy love very quickly
Signs of true love
1. It is unconditional. You don't love to 'feel good'
2. You are willing to sacrifice/undergo some inconveniences and discomforts for love
3. You plan for your future with your loved one
4. You don't fall in and out of true love very quickly
As you can see, the major difference between puppy love and true love is that you can get infatuated with someone very quickly, just by something nice the other person say to you for example, or for some other superficial reason, such as an attraction to some physical characteristic of the other person (He has a nice smile...she is so pretty etc). However, it takes time and cultivation for 2 person to truly fall in love.
Teenagers who think of pairing up too early should consider these.
1. Why have a bf/gf so early? You should get to know more members of the opposite sex, be friends with them, go out with a group of mixed company before considering a serious relationship.
2. Being in a serious relationship costs lots of time and money. Will you neglect your studies? Is it burning a hole in your pocket?
Well, for me, I think the ideal is:
in your secondary school years, you should focus on your studies and make more same-sex friends (I think that of all the friends you make in your various schools, those from sec school tend to stay with you for life),
in junior college, you will have lots of opportunity to know more people of the opposite sex. don't rush into things and weigh consequences wisely. but don't forget the A level exams. it is not an easy exam,
in university, you should be wise enough and it's the best time to think of pairing up. ideally, you should pair up with the eventual aim to get married. that way, you will be responsible and serious, and not merely 'having fun' or 'feeling good'.
Well, for your interest, the Greeks defined for us 5 kinds of love, they are:
Eros, which is passionate love, to do with the senses and the physical
Philia, which is the love and loyalty you feel for your friends
Storge, which is the natural love parents feel for their children
Xenia, which is the love and hospitality a host feel for his guest/visitor
Agape, which is unconditional, self-sacrificing and thoughtful love
There is also a famous passage in the Bible where the Apostle Paul defines love as such:
'Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.'
This is from the book of 1st Corinthians Chapter 13 verses 4-7. This is really a great kind of love, if anyone can love like that, s/he would be really noble. So which of the 5 kinds of love as defined by the Greeks does this biblical definition of love fall into?
Plenty of deep stuff today, hope it gives you some food for thought!
Sunday, November 18, 2007
The Incident at this certain DVD store and my writing inspiration
Today, this moronic sales assistant at this certain DVD store (I choose not to name this store, for certain reasons) made me very angry.
I was looking for a complete edition of a certain tv series but they've only got the 4 seasons sold separately. So I asked this sales assistant why the store does not carry the complete edition. Then, he gave me this incredulous, goggle-eyed look. Here's the transcript of what transpired between us.
Me: Do you have the complete edition?
Him: No. We only have the separate seasons.
Me: So can I place an order for the complete edition?
Him: No. We only have the separate seasons.
Me: I know. But why can't you order the complete one?
Him: Because we already have the separate seasons.
Me (getting quite exasperated): But isn't the complete edition more worthwhile to get?
Him: But there's already the separate seasons.
Me: So there's no way I can order the complete edition?
Him: No, because there's already the separate seasons.
Me: Is the complete edition in your catalogue? (As long as something is in their catalogue, they can try to order it, even if it's currently out of stock. That's how they work)
Him: No.
Me: Okay, it's alright. Thank you.
He was a real automaton - capable of repeating only 1 phrase throughout. And then he just turned away without even saying sorry. Such rudeness!
Later as I reflected, I think he meant that if they ordered the complete edition, then nobody would purchase the separate seasons and they wouldn't know what to do about it. But I guess he was just too dense to be able to express himself properly.
Anyway, I went to enquire from another staff and found out that they did have the complete edition of what I was looking for in their catalogue. So he was lying after all.
I was quite worked up initially after all these, but after reflecting on the circumstances, I was inspired to write a poem based on what happened. So it's in fact a blessing in disguise.
I always get my writing ideas from things that I feel strongly about.
To those of you who love writing creatively, especially those who are trying for CAP, think about things which you feel strongly about. Things that make you most happy, excited, furious, sad etc. Things that provoke strong emotions in you. You tend to write most persuasively if you write about such things.
I was looking for a complete edition of a certain tv series but they've only got the 4 seasons sold separately. So I asked this sales assistant why the store does not carry the complete edition. Then, he gave me this incredulous, goggle-eyed look. Here's the transcript of what transpired between us.
Me: Do you have the complete edition?
Him: No. We only have the separate seasons.
Me: So can I place an order for the complete edition?
Him: No. We only have the separate seasons.
Me: I know. But why can't you order the complete one?
Him: Because we already have the separate seasons.
Me (getting quite exasperated): But isn't the complete edition more worthwhile to get?
Him: But there's already the separate seasons.
Me: So there's no way I can order the complete edition?
Him: No, because there's already the separate seasons.
Me: Is the complete edition in your catalogue? (As long as something is in their catalogue, they can try to order it, even if it's currently out of stock. That's how they work)
Him: No.
Me: Okay, it's alright. Thank you.
He was a real automaton - capable of repeating only 1 phrase throughout. And then he just turned away without even saying sorry. Such rudeness!
Later as I reflected, I think he meant that if they ordered the complete edition, then nobody would purchase the separate seasons and they wouldn't know what to do about it. But I guess he was just too dense to be able to express himself properly.
Anyway, I went to enquire from another staff and found out that they did have the complete edition of what I was looking for in their catalogue. So he was lying after all.
I was quite worked up initially after all these, but after reflecting on the circumstances, I was inspired to write a poem based on what happened. So it's in fact a blessing in disguise.
I always get my writing ideas from things that I feel strongly about.
To those of you who love writing creatively, especially those who are trying for CAP, think about things which you feel strongly about. Things that make you most happy, excited, furious, sad etc. Things that provoke strong emotions in you. You tend to write most persuasively if you write about such things.
Friday, November 16, 2007
My first quiz
I've often seen others filling up quizzes, so since I'm free tonight, I'm going to attempt my first one here, for my own amusement (and maybe yours)...
1. name: Jack
2. sex: male
3. birthday: 30th Sep
4. siblings: 1 bro
5. hair color: black
6. eye color: brown I think, sometimes it looks black to me.
7. any tattoos or piercings: no
8. do you do drugs?: yes if caffeine’s considered one
9. what kind of shampoo do you use?: no fixed brand. Switch between sunsilk, ginvera, dove….
10. what are you most scared of?: losing my ideals/losing God’s fellowship
11. who is the last person that called you?: my dad (to say goodnight:)
12. where do you want to get married?: church. Where else?
13. how many buddies are online right now?: I don’t do msn any more :(
f a v o r i t e (s)
1. color: sky blue
2. food: steamed dumplings (shui 2 jiao3)
3. boys names: Jack (haha…I’m egotistical!)
4. girls names: Julianne (I intend to name my first daughter this)
5.subjects in school: English Literature
6. animals: cats and birds
7. sports: I don’t do much sports
h a v e y o u e v e r
1.given anyone a bath?: my terrapins counted?
2. smoked?: no. and never will I
3. bungee jumped?: no
4. made yourself throw up?: force vomit, no. but I’ve thrown up after seeing (and smelling) someone throw up when I was young(er).
5. skinny dipped?: no
6. ever been in love?: what do you think? ;)
7. made yourself cry to get out of trouble?: of course not, that’s weakness of character!
8. eaten a lemon in its entirety?: nope.
9. run away from home?: I’ve stormed out in anger before, but not ‘run away’ as in don’t come back and disappear
10. cried when someone died?: in soap operas? Yes!
11. lied? : who hasn’t lied before?
12. fallen for your best friend?: what a strange question. One’s best friend is usually of the same sex. And I’m not gay!
13. been rejected?: am not saying ;)
14. rejected someone?: am not saying ;)
15. used someone?: no, I’ve never and will never do such a base thing
16. done something you regret?: many times
c u r r e n t
1. clothes: a ‘holey’ shirt and pyjamas (super unglam!)
2. music: nil. Can’t compete with the telly
3. make-up: haha
4. annoyance: I’m barely halfway through this quiz
5. smell: huh? You mean the smell around me or if I smell?
6. favorite group: ?? you mean band? Then don’t have!
7. desktop picture: nothing, just a blue background.
8. book you are reading: heart of darkness by joseph conrad
9. color of toenails: haha…I’m beginning to suspect this quiz is designed for girls.
10. last person you touched: the ‘uncle’ on the bus, tapped him to say ‘excuse me, please move in’
11. hugged: I don’t give away hugs anyhow :0
12. instant messaged: refer to final question. Section 1
13. you yelled at: I rarely yell
14. you kissed: I don’t give away kisses anyhow :0
a r e y o u
1. open-minded: not with morality issues
2. arrogant: not really. It’s bad to be.
3. insecure: not really. One feels more at ease with things as one grows older
4. random: no. I am usually quite focused.
5. hungry: nope. Ate a full course meal at delifrance, a mos burger and orange for dinner.
6. moody: not now.
7. organized: yes. after I’ve tidied up my room tomorrow. haha
8. difficult: if you are difficult to me, I will be difficult to you too.
9. attractive: that’s not for me to say.
d o y o u e v e r
1. sit on the internet all night waiting for that someone special to you?: of course not at the moment. But I think I did do some silly juvenile things of that sort when I was young(er) which I cringe to think about now.
2. wish you were a member of the opposite sex?: nope
3. wish you were younger?: sometimes. Then I could be a student again. Being a student is one of the best things in life. Trust me on that, you will only realize that when you are no longer one.
4. cried because someone said something to you?: who hasn’t? unless you have a heart of stone
N u m b e r of times
1. i have had my heart broken: not telling ;)
2. no. of hearts i have broken: 0. I’m no casanova
3. no. of guys ive kissed: I was coerced to kiss a boy my age when I was 4, at his birthday party. It was disgustingly sloshy.
4. no. of girls I’ve kissed: you think?
5. no.of continents i have lived in: 1
F i n a l Q u e s t i o n s
1. do you like filling these out?: this is my first one. So far so good. But I tend to be coy sometimes haha
2. gold or silver?: silver. Gold seems vulgar sometimes
3. favorite cartoon/anime?: teenage mutant ninja turtles, carebears, transformers and masks, my favourite ones when I was a small boy
4. what did you have for breakfast this morning?: fresh milk with oats and cheese cake
5. who would you love being locked in a room with?: Jeeves (haha, I’ve been reading something by wodehouse)
6. could you live without your computer?: I guess so. Computers only became a household item when I was in my teens. So I’ve experienced life without one.
7. would you color your hair?: never. I don’t like to tamper with things given by God and my parents
8. could you ever get off the computer?: of course.
9. habla espanol?: espanol=spain, habla=?
10. how many people are on your buddy list?: refer to final question. Section 1
11. Drink Alcohol?: sometimes. But I’ll go for fruit juice/water/milk anytime.
12. Your name spelled backwards?: kcaj (looks like some unit of measurement)
13. Where were your parents born?: dad:m’sia; mum:taiwan
14. Have you ever moved?: yes
15. What's your Favorite place to go: where my heart is
16.What's your favorite sport to play?: don’t do much sports
17. How many kids do you want?: Maybe 3?
18. Type of music you dislike most?: Music without melody/music with blasphemous lyrics/classical music with a disco beat (Vanessa mae/maksim haha)
19. Colour of your school bag?: Rats, now I know this quiz is not only meant for girls, but school girls specifically!
20. Do you have cable? Yeah. My mum watches lots of Taiwanese programmes
21. Favorite 80's song?: somewhere out there. Linda ronstadt/james ingram
22. Ever prank call anybody?: no, I’m very guai
23. Ever get a parking ticket?: nope
24. Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving?: hasn’t this question appeared before?
25. Ever bowl a 300?: nope. Don’t bowl
26. What's your favorite comic strip?: Garfield, dilbert, the born loser, the one with the short king (can’t rem the name)
27. Do you really know all the words to your national anthem?: s’pore or m’sia? But I notice many people mixing up ‘bersatu’ and ‘berseru’ in the s’pore natl anthem. It’s “Marilah kita bersatu” and “Semua kita berseru”
28. Bath or Shower?: shower.
29. Favorite pizza topping?: meat! I’m carnivorous!!
30. Beer or ale?: yucks.
31. Have you ever smoked peanut shells?: nope.
32. Do you eat skin on chicken?: not if it’s too fatty.
33. Apple juice or Orange?: apple juice’s more special and refreshing.
34. Favorite type of chocolate bar?: I currently love toblerone.
35. Your favorite fruit?: orange, pears
36. Your favorite vegetable?: I like most green leafy vegs
37. Are you a good cook?: hahahaha!!!!
38. Bought something from an infomercial?: nope. Rem slim10?
39. throw up in public?: thankfully no
40. Would you prefer being a millionaire or find true love?: true love
41. Do you believe in love at first sight?: no. attraction at first sight is possible, but you’d be belittling love to think that you can love someone at first sight. Love’s too noble and unfathomable for that.
42. Ever call a 1-900 number?: yes.
43. Ever been stood up for a date?: I don’t think so.
44. Biggest turn off of the opposite sex?: either overly loud/brazen or overly shy. Both are not good
45. Ever Been Cheated on?: no
46. What are the names of all your pets dead and/or alive?: my terrapins are called riperoptocus and riperopsaurus. Haha, dinosaurish names cos turtles have been around for as long as dinos, I think.
47. Can ex's be friends?: yes, but a tad awkward.
1. name: Jack
2. sex: male
3. birthday: 30th Sep
4. siblings: 1 bro
5. hair color: black
6. eye color: brown I think, sometimes it looks black to me.
7. any tattoos or piercings: no
8. do you do drugs?: yes if caffeine’s considered one
9. what kind of shampoo do you use?: no fixed brand. Switch between sunsilk, ginvera, dove….
10. what are you most scared of?: losing my ideals/losing God’s fellowship
11. who is the last person that called you?: my dad (to say goodnight:)
12. where do you want to get married?: church. Where else?
13. how many buddies are online right now?: I don’t do msn any more :(
f a v o r i t e (s)
1. color: sky blue
2. food: steamed dumplings (shui 2 jiao3)
3. boys names: Jack (haha…I’m egotistical!)
4. girls names: Julianne (I intend to name my first daughter this)
5.subjects in school: English Literature
6. animals: cats and birds
7. sports: I don’t do much sports
h a v e y o u e v e r
1.given anyone a bath?: my terrapins counted?
2. smoked?: no. and never will I
3. bungee jumped?: no
4. made yourself throw up?: force vomit, no. but I’ve thrown up after seeing (and smelling) someone throw up when I was young(er).
5. skinny dipped?: no
6. ever been in love?: what do you think? ;)
7. made yourself cry to get out of trouble?: of course not, that’s weakness of character!
8. eaten a lemon in its entirety?: nope.
9. run away from home?: I’ve stormed out in anger before, but not ‘run away’ as in don’t come back and disappear
10. cried when someone died?: in soap operas? Yes!
11. lied? : who hasn’t lied before?
12. fallen for your best friend?: what a strange question. One’s best friend is usually of the same sex. And I’m not gay!
13. been rejected?: am not saying ;)
14. rejected someone?: am not saying ;)
15. used someone?: no, I’ve never and will never do such a base thing
16. done something you regret?: many times
c u r r e n t
1. clothes: a ‘holey’ shirt and pyjamas (super unglam!)
2. music: nil. Can’t compete with the telly
3. make-up: haha
4. annoyance: I’m barely halfway through this quiz
5. smell: huh? You mean the smell around me or if I smell?
6. favorite group: ?? you mean band? Then don’t have!
7. desktop picture: nothing, just a blue background.
8. book you are reading: heart of darkness by joseph conrad
9. color of toenails: haha…I’m beginning to suspect this quiz is designed for girls.
10. last person you touched: the ‘uncle’ on the bus, tapped him to say ‘excuse me, please move in’
11. hugged: I don’t give away hugs anyhow :0
12. instant messaged: refer to final question. Section 1
13. you yelled at: I rarely yell
14. you kissed: I don’t give away kisses anyhow :0
a r e y o u
1. open-minded: not with morality issues
2. arrogant: not really. It’s bad to be.
3. insecure: not really. One feels more at ease with things as one grows older
4. random: no. I am usually quite focused.
5. hungry: nope. Ate a full course meal at delifrance, a mos burger and orange for dinner.
6. moody: not now.
7. organized: yes. after I’ve tidied up my room tomorrow. haha
8. difficult: if you are difficult to me, I will be difficult to you too.
9. attractive: that’s not for me to say.
d o y o u e v e r
1. sit on the internet all night waiting for that someone special to you?: of course not at the moment. But I think I did do some silly juvenile things of that sort when I was young(er) which I cringe to think about now.
2. wish you were a member of the opposite sex?: nope
3. wish you were younger?: sometimes. Then I could be a student again. Being a student is one of the best things in life. Trust me on that, you will only realize that when you are no longer one.
4. cried because someone said something to you?: who hasn’t? unless you have a heart of stone
N u m b e r of times
1. i have had my heart broken: not telling ;)
2. no. of hearts i have broken: 0. I’m no casanova
3. no. of guys ive kissed: I was coerced to kiss a boy my age when I was 4, at his birthday party. It was disgustingly sloshy.
4. no. of girls I’ve kissed: you think?
5. no.of continents i have lived in: 1
F i n a l Q u e s t i o n s
1. do you like filling these out?: this is my first one. So far so good. But I tend to be coy sometimes haha
2. gold or silver?: silver. Gold seems vulgar sometimes
3. favorite cartoon/anime?: teenage mutant ninja turtles, carebears, transformers and masks, my favourite ones when I was a small boy
4. what did you have for breakfast this morning?: fresh milk with oats and cheese cake
5. who would you love being locked in a room with?: Jeeves (haha, I’ve been reading something by wodehouse)
6. could you live without your computer?: I guess so. Computers only became a household item when I was in my teens. So I’ve experienced life without one.
7. would you color your hair?: never. I don’t like to tamper with things given by God and my parents
8. could you ever get off the computer?: of course.
9. habla espanol?: espanol=spain, habla=?
10. how many people are on your buddy list?: refer to final question. Section 1
11. Drink Alcohol?: sometimes. But I’ll go for fruit juice/water/milk anytime.
12. Your name spelled backwards?: kcaj (looks like some unit of measurement)
13. Where were your parents born?: dad:m’sia; mum:taiwan
14. Have you ever moved?: yes
15. What's your Favorite place to go: where my heart is
16.What's your favorite sport to play?: don’t do much sports
17. How many kids do you want?: Maybe 3?
18. Type of music you dislike most?: Music without melody/music with blasphemous lyrics/classical music with a disco beat (Vanessa mae/maksim haha)
19. Colour of your school bag?: Rats, now I know this quiz is not only meant for girls, but school girls specifically!
20. Do you have cable? Yeah. My mum watches lots of Taiwanese programmes
21. Favorite 80's song?: somewhere out there. Linda ronstadt/james ingram
22. Ever prank call anybody?: no, I’m very guai
23. Ever get a parking ticket?: nope
24. Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving?: hasn’t this question appeared before?
25. Ever bowl a 300?: nope. Don’t bowl
26. What's your favorite comic strip?: Garfield, dilbert, the born loser, the one with the short king (can’t rem the name)
27. Do you really know all the words to your national anthem?: s’pore or m’sia? But I notice many people mixing up ‘bersatu’ and ‘berseru’ in the s’pore natl anthem. It’s “Marilah kita bersatu” and “Semua kita berseru”
28. Bath or Shower?: shower.
29. Favorite pizza topping?: meat! I’m carnivorous!!
30. Beer or ale?: yucks.
31. Have you ever smoked peanut shells?: nope.
32. Do you eat skin on chicken?: not if it’s too fatty.
33. Apple juice or Orange?: apple juice’s more special and refreshing.
34. Favorite type of chocolate bar?: I currently love toblerone.
35. Your favorite fruit?: orange, pears
36. Your favorite vegetable?: I like most green leafy vegs
37. Are you a good cook?: hahahaha!!!!
38. Bought something from an infomercial?: nope. Rem slim10?
39. throw up in public?: thankfully no
40. Would you prefer being a millionaire or find true love?: true love
41. Do you believe in love at first sight?: no. attraction at first sight is possible, but you’d be belittling love to think that you can love someone at first sight. Love’s too noble and unfathomable for that.
42. Ever call a 1-900 number?: yes.
43. Ever been stood up for a date?: I don’t think so.
44. Biggest turn off of the opposite sex?: either overly loud/brazen or overly shy. Both are not good
45. Ever Been Cheated on?: no
46. What are the names of all your pets dead and/or alive?: my terrapins are called riperoptocus and riperopsaurus. Haha, dinosaurish names cos turtles have been around for as long as dinos, I think.
47. Can ex's be friends?: yes, but a tad awkward.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Florestan & Eusebius
Lights
Eusebius is at the piano, playing a sentimental and lyrical Chopin Nocturne. In a while, Florestan barges in.
Florestan: What's this infernal din?
Eusebius: Shh...
Florestan: Stop this monstrosity at once! And at this hour...sheesh!
Eusebius: Quiet. I'm trying to concentrate.
Florestan: Shut up! Shut Up!! SHUT UP!!!! SHUTTTT UPPPP!!!!!!!
Eusebius stops playing and throws his hands up in despair.
Eusebius: What's wrong with you?
Florestan: Bloody son of a b. What in the name of the devil were you playing?
Eusebius: It's a nice piece, so beautiful, so tender.
Florestan: Such soppiness, fake tenderness.
Eusebius: The harmonies touch me so. The warmth of A flat major caresses my whole being...
Florestan: What rot! Incorrigible!
Eusebius: Poetry in music. Pure lyricism.
Florestan: The mad gibbering of a fool.
Eusebius: Chopin put his heart and soul into the music. All his emotions are poured into the lovely melodies and lush harmonies.
Florestan: You are beyond hope.
Eusebius: I wonder which girl he was thinking of when he composed this? Oh how lucky that girl was...
Florestan: You are still dreaming such foolish dreams.
Eusebius: If only things in real life could be so beautiful.
Florestan: Ha!
Eusebius: What?
Florestan: You have just said it yourself. 'If only things in REAL life could be so beautiful'. That means you know that REAL life could never be like that.
Eusebius: Why do you always catch me like that?
Florestan: I'm talking sense. Cold hard sense, my dear boy.
Eusebius: Why don't you ever let me dream?
Florestan: Wake up, silly boy. The REAL world is never like how you dream it to be.
Eusebius: But even so, we all dream. Of a place more beautiful than we could ever have imagined. People all kind and lovely.
Florestan: Hahaha, you bloody moron!
Eusebius: I will keep dreaming.
Florestan: Shame on you!
Eusebius: Let me play it for you again.
Eusebius is at the piano, playing a sentimental and lyrical Chopin Nocturne. In a while, Florestan barges in.
Florestan: What's this infernal din?
Eusebius: Shh...
Florestan: Stop this monstrosity at once! And at this hour...sheesh!
Eusebius: Quiet. I'm trying to concentrate.
Florestan: Shut up! Shut Up!! SHUT UP!!!! SHUTTTT UPPPP!!!!!!!
Eusebius stops playing and throws his hands up in despair.
Eusebius: What's wrong with you?
Florestan: Bloody son of a b. What in the name of the devil were you playing?
Eusebius: It's a nice piece, so beautiful, so tender.
Florestan: Such soppiness, fake tenderness.
Eusebius: The harmonies touch me so. The warmth of A flat major caresses my whole being...
Florestan: What rot! Incorrigible!
Eusebius: Poetry in music. Pure lyricism.
Florestan: The mad gibbering of a fool.
Eusebius: Chopin put his heart and soul into the music. All his emotions are poured into the lovely melodies and lush harmonies.
Florestan: You are beyond hope.
Eusebius: I wonder which girl he was thinking of when he composed this? Oh how lucky that girl was...
Florestan: You are still dreaming such foolish dreams.
Eusebius: If only things in real life could be so beautiful.
Florestan: Ha!
Eusebius: What?
Florestan: You have just said it yourself. 'If only things in REAL life could be so beautiful'. That means you know that REAL life could never be like that.
Eusebius: Why do you always catch me like that?
Florestan: I'm talking sense. Cold hard sense, my dear boy.
Eusebius: Why don't you ever let me dream?
Florestan: Wake up, silly boy. The REAL world is never like how you dream it to be.
Eusebius: But even so, we all dream. Of a place more beautiful than we could ever have imagined. People all kind and lovely.
Florestan: Hahaha, you bloody moron!
Eusebius: I will keep dreaming.
Florestan: Shame on you!
Eusebius: Let me play it for you again.
Florestan: It's time for work.
Eusebius: Shucks.
Florestan: Back to the petty little arguments, jealousies, back-stabbings, outwittings blah blah with the guys in the office.
Eusebius: Groans.
Florestan: Welcome to the real world!
Eusebius and Florestan do not move. They stare at each other.
Lights out.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Peach shake
I have a (not so secret) craving for the Peach shake from Yami Yoghurt.
Slices of sweet juicy peach (straight from the can no doubt, but do I care?) mixed with chilled yoghurt and milk. Mama mia!
I developed a liking for shakes because I like ice-cream but I'm too chauvinistic (haha) to eat ice-cream openly in public. So having a shake is second best.
Slices of sweet juicy peach (straight from the can no doubt, but do I care?) mixed with chilled yoghurt and milk. Mama mia!
I developed a liking for shakes because I like ice-cream but I'm too chauvinistic (haha) to eat ice-cream openly in public. So having a shake is second best.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Musicians, Make-up and Marriage
Musicians
It's amazing how many Koreans and Japanese make it to become international classical music stars. You have Mitsuko Uchida, Seiji Ozawa, Midori, Akiko Suwanai, Kyung Wha Chung, Myung Wha Chung, Myung Whun Chung, Sarah Chang, Han Na Chang, Sumi Jo and the list goes on. When you think of Chinese representatives in this field, only 3 come to mind, all pianists - Fou Tsong, Lang Lang and Li Yundi. Of course the last 2 are world famous at the moment, making heaps of money with their international tours and albums. (Erratum: I had forgotten about Yo Yo Ma and Cho Liang Lin!)
I remember this story told of the young Japanese violinist Midori, who as a very young child of 10, played for the famous violinist and pedagogue Pinchas Zukerman. She played for him Bach's Chaccone, and Zukerman was astounded by the incredible maturity shown by little Midori in interpreting this musically and emotionally very difficult piece. After all, she was only 10! When Zukerman asked Midori what she thought the piece was about, she said it's about 'a dear dog, who has died and has gone to heaven'.
Zukerman's eyes were filled with tears after hearing that. There before him, was this precocious girl who played and felt for this piece of music with the emotional maturity of someone thrice or four times her age, and yet, when she described her feelings for it, it was done with the simple innocence of a child.
Well, Midori has grown from a child prodigy to an internationally well known violinist, unlike many child prodigies, who burn out after the initial spark fizzles out due to overexposure and the constant media attention.
Here's her personal website: http://www.gotomidori.com/
Here's Bach's Chaccone, the piece the young Midori thought sounded like a dog having died and gone to heaven. (The version here isn't played by Midori though):
Make-up
The issue of make-up is very interesting. Girls and women look very different after putting on make-up. When young girls put on make-up, they look very much more mature (provided the make-up is done properly of course, haha there's always the risk of looking like ghosts if it's done by an inexperienced hand); when women put on make-up, facial flaws are often very effectively covered.
I think I would not like my future wife to wear lots of make-up, it's good to be natural what.
A colleague once told me that she does not wear make-up because she doesn't want her husband to wake up in the middle of the night and get a shock to see the person beside him looking so different from her daytime version.
This same colleague said she had a room mate who wore very heavy make-up, and whenever she shed the rouge, she looked like a ghost, because her complexion was greenish due to her smoking. In her case, make-up was necessary to cover some flaws.
So you see, make-up can do lots of things for women, but I think if you have good complexion, it's best that you use all the lipstick, foundation and mascara sparingly. Being natural is still the best.
Marriage
I attended a JC friend's wedding on Sunday. Actually, it's 2 JC friends since I know both of them.
It was at Sheraton Towers. It's my first time there, never expected the interior to be so posh and beautiful.
Anyway, I'm very happy for them. 9 years of courtship, and the love between them never wavered. They are quite compatible - both of them so kind and mild-mannered. It's also quite sweet, thinking of how they got together - being in the same CCA, she played the cello while he played the violin, and they both went to the States to study.
I quite miss my JC days. It was the year when all the guys in the rj chamber orchestra came from chinese high - 9 of us! So although I didn't go to hcjc, like most of my classmates, I still felt very much at home. It's quite funny actually, even the orchestra girls from my batch were from st nics, scgs and dunman - not a single rafflesian!
I miss the old school building, though not very impressive but there's always a comfy feeling about it, and all the nooks and crannies where you could chat with friends. Though the toilets were perennially smelly (haha) but I still love that place! And not to forget the back gate which leads to the Ghim Moh market, and how we often boycott canteen food and have our lunch there. There's even this dessert stall with a concoction specially for rj students!
It's amazing how many Koreans and Japanese make it to become international classical music stars. You have Mitsuko Uchida, Seiji Ozawa, Midori, Akiko Suwanai, Kyung Wha Chung, Myung Wha Chung, Myung Whun Chung, Sarah Chang, Han Na Chang, Sumi Jo and the list goes on. When you think of Chinese representatives in this field, only 3 come to mind, all pianists - Fou Tsong, Lang Lang and Li Yundi. Of course the last 2 are world famous at the moment, making heaps of money with their international tours and albums. (Erratum: I had forgotten about Yo Yo Ma and Cho Liang Lin!)
I remember this story told of the young Japanese violinist Midori, who as a very young child of 10, played for the famous violinist and pedagogue Pinchas Zukerman. She played for him Bach's Chaccone, and Zukerman was astounded by the incredible maturity shown by little Midori in interpreting this musically and emotionally very difficult piece. After all, she was only 10! When Zukerman asked Midori what she thought the piece was about, she said it's about 'a dear dog, who has died and has gone to heaven'.
Zukerman's eyes were filled with tears after hearing that. There before him, was this precocious girl who played and felt for this piece of music with the emotional maturity of someone thrice or four times her age, and yet, when she described her feelings for it, it was done with the simple innocence of a child.
Well, Midori has grown from a child prodigy to an internationally well known violinist, unlike many child prodigies, who burn out after the initial spark fizzles out due to overexposure and the constant media attention.
Here's her personal website: http://www.gotomidori.com/
Here's Bach's Chaccone, the piece the young Midori thought sounded like a dog having died and gone to heaven. (The version here isn't played by Midori though):
Make-up
The issue of make-up is very interesting. Girls and women look very different after putting on make-up. When young girls put on make-up, they look very much more mature (provided the make-up is done properly of course, haha there's always the risk of looking like ghosts if it's done by an inexperienced hand); when women put on make-up, facial flaws are often very effectively covered.
I think I would not like my future wife to wear lots of make-up, it's good to be natural what.
A colleague once told me that she does not wear make-up because she doesn't want her husband to wake up in the middle of the night and get a shock to see the person beside him looking so different from her daytime version.
This same colleague said she had a room mate who wore very heavy make-up, and whenever she shed the rouge, she looked like a ghost, because her complexion was greenish due to her smoking. In her case, make-up was necessary to cover some flaws.
So you see, make-up can do lots of things for women, but I think if you have good complexion, it's best that you use all the lipstick, foundation and mascara sparingly. Being natural is still the best.
Marriage
I attended a JC friend's wedding on Sunday. Actually, it's 2 JC friends since I know both of them.
It was at Sheraton Towers. It's my first time there, never expected the interior to be so posh and beautiful.
Anyway, I'm very happy for them. 9 years of courtship, and the love between them never wavered. They are quite compatible - both of them so kind and mild-mannered. It's also quite sweet, thinking of how they got together - being in the same CCA, she played the cello while he played the violin, and they both went to the States to study.
I quite miss my JC days. It was the year when all the guys in the rj chamber orchestra came from chinese high - 9 of us! So although I didn't go to hcjc, like most of my classmates, I still felt very much at home. It's quite funny actually, even the orchestra girls from my batch were from st nics, scgs and dunman - not a single rafflesian!
I miss the old school building, though not very impressive but there's always a comfy feeling about it, and all the nooks and crannies where you could chat with friends. Though the toilets were perennially smelly (haha) but I still love that place! And not to forget the back gate which leads to the Ghim Moh market, and how we often boycott canteen food and have our lunch there. There's even this dessert stall with a concoction specially for rj students!
Friday, November 9, 2007
Acting as a guy
Oh, gotta say something, before I forget.
On the last night of choral n drama nite, there was this sec 2 play (205??) where a girl played a guy. After the show, I overheard lots of people gushing about how shuai he(she) was and how convincing she was in playing a guy.
It made me think about this a little. Actually, it's not tough for a girl to play a guy. Here's how:
1) Lower your voice and speak mostly in grunts
2) Speak in monosyllables (Mmm, Uh, kay(ok), fine, orh, no)
3) Wear a perennial blank expression
4) Don't make eye contact with the person who is talking to you/you are talking to (better still if you face away from that other person)
5) Don't flap your arms (something many girls do a lot unwittingly)
6) Drag your feet when you walk
That's how a teenage guy with 'attitude' behaves, I think.
Girls, don't emulate that in real life though. Use it only if you are acting as a teenage guy in a performance.
Girls should be girls, no gender bender stuff puh-lease!
On the last night of choral n drama nite, there was this sec 2 play (205??) where a girl played a guy. After the show, I overheard lots of people gushing about how shuai he(she) was and how convincing she was in playing a guy.
It made me think about this a little. Actually, it's not tough for a girl to play a guy. Here's how:
1) Lower your voice and speak mostly in grunts
2) Speak in monosyllables (Mmm, Uh, kay(ok), fine, orh, no)
3) Wear a perennial blank expression
4) Don't make eye contact with the person who is talking to you/you are talking to (better still if you face away from that other person)
5) Don't flap your arms (something many girls do a lot unwittingly)
6) Drag your feet when you walk
That's how a teenage guy with 'attitude' behaves, I think.
Girls, don't emulate that in real life though. Use it only if you are acting as a teenage guy in a performance.
Girls should be girls, no gender bender stuff puh-lease!
Carmen Fantasy
This kind of fiendishly difficult music is certain to bring the house down. Curiously, it has the same effect as watching acrobats in action or viewing a fireworks display.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 1
Part 2
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Choral & Drama Nite - The Aftermath
Was so tired yesterday and slept immediately after coming home. And I woke up only at 10am today! (that's very late for me)
Well, it's finally over - 5 days of Choral and Drama Nites.
For the Sec 2s, it's their last time doing this. Next year, they will be doing other EOY programmes - regional CIP to China, India etc. It's also probably their last time together as a class (sob sob), they will all be in different classes next year.
For the Sec 1s, they will be moving into the realm of English drama, and will also be learning the various aspects of theatre - lighting, stage/props design, scriptwriting, directing etc.
I was present 4 out of the 5 nights for C & D Nite this year. Last Thurs and this Mon as stage manager, and this Tues and Wed as an audience member, so got a general sense of how the performances were like this year. Initially, I had said that the Sec 1s did mostly slapstick and the Sec 2s had more serious stuff, but judging from yesterday, I'm gonna change my mind.
These were some of the things in the Sec 2 plays yesterday:
1) Father with a feather duster chasing son round and round the stage.
2) President Duncan drinking poisoned soup served by Prime Minister Macbeth and dies. PM Macbeth was not arrested at once!
3) A minister named Frankenstein (in the same Macbeth play).
4) A mother introduces her Daughters as Daughlly (Dolly) and Terlly.
5) An impressively dressed but goofy Sherlock Holmes.
6) 2 policewomen running onto stage and introduced themselves by spelling out the letters 'P-O-L-I-C-E with big hand gestures.
7) The rich husband is going out with his wife. He tells his wife to wait for him at the bus stop as he gets the car! (Don't they have a garage, a porch and driveway? They are supposed to be HSBC directors)
8) Boy gives a flower to Girl, and he says 'I want to show the flower how pretty you are.' (The best pick-up phrase I've heard this week).
That's why I changed my mind, as you can see, the Sec 2s are perfectly capable of slapstick.
Is there anything wrong with slapstick? Not at all, since it's entertaining, most audiences (esp younger ones) love it, it's very accessible and you don't need to think too hard to get it.
But those who delight in slapstick, do ask yourself, beyond the laughs, is there a message in your play that you let the audience take away? That's what all good drama should have.
Those who want to learn how to write good comedy, go read the farces by Alan Ayckbourn and Georges Feydeau. These are all very silly but expertly crafted comedic plays. Also try The Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Dario Fo, my favourite piece of slapstick farce, but with a relevant political message. All these plays can be borrowed from library@esplanade. Happy reading!
Well, it's finally over - 5 days of Choral and Drama Nites.
For the Sec 2s, it's their last time doing this. Next year, they will be doing other EOY programmes - regional CIP to China, India etc. It's also probably their last time together as a class (sob sob), they will all be in different classes next year.
For the Sec 1s, they will be moving into the realm of English drama, and will also be learning the various aspects of theatre - lighting, stage/props design, scriptwriting, directing etc.
I was present 4 out of the 5 nights for C & D Nite this year. Last Thurs and this Mon as stage manager, and this Tues and Wed as an audience member, so got a general sense of how the performances were like this year. Initially, I had said that the Sec 1s did mostly slapstick and the Sec 2s had more serious stuff, but judging from yesterday, I'm gonna change my mind.
These were some of the things in the Sec 2 plays yesterday:
1) Father with a feather duster chasing son round and round the stage.
2) President Duncan drinking poisoned soup served by Prime Minister Macbeth and dies. PM Macbeth was not arrested at once!
3) A minister named Frankenstein (in the same Macbeth play).
4) A mother introduces her Daughters as Daughlly (Dolly) and Terlly.
5) An impressively dressed but goofy Sherlock Holmes.
6) 2 policewomen running onto stage and introduced themselves by spelling out the letters 'P-O-L-I-C-E with big hand gestures.
7) The rich husband is going out with his wife. He tells his wife to wait for him at the bus stop as he gets the car! (Don't they have a garage, a porch and driveway? They are supposed to be HSBC directors)
8) Boy gives a flower to Girl, and he says 'I want to show the flower how pretty you are.' (The best pick-up phrase I've heard this week).
That's why I changed my mind, as you can see, the Sec 2s are perfectly capable of slapstick.
Is there anything wrong with slapstick? Not at all, since it's entertaining, most audiences (esp younger ones) love it, it's very accessible and you don't need to think too hard to get it.
But those who delight in slapstick, do ask yourself, beyond the laughs, is there a message in your play that you let the audience take away? That's what all good drama should have.
Those who want to learn how to write good comedy, go read the farces by Alan Ayckbourn and Georges Feydeau. These are all very silly but expertly crafted comedic plays. Also try The Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Dario Fo, my favourite piece of slapstick farce, but with a relevant political message. All these plays can be borrowed from library@esplanade. Happy reading!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Choral & Drama Nite Day 4 - The Lowdown
Finally attended C & D Nite as an audience member today. I could watch the plays properly and here's my take on them.
107B - Mai chi bang de xiao nan hai 'The Wing-seller boy'
So glad that my class was the first one to go. I think you must have something solid to be the opener in any performance. The chorus bits (where everyone spoke together) sounded quite musical, I think their voices blended quite nicely. This is a touching story of selfless love - how a boy supplied wings to needy people and animals all his life - blessing those around him. When he eventually died of exhaustion, he received a pair of white wings and became an angel. I think there must have been some wet eyes in the audience after the performance.
202A - She's Watching You
Have you received chain mail? Do you dutifully forward it to others? Will you really suffer some terrible fate if you do not do what the chain mail asks of you? These were some of the question this play asked. This was also a ghost story - with eerie green lights and a spirit which refused to let the protagonist Clara go, until her body was discovered. Some funny moments - a newscaster announcing the discovery of a dead body, then wishing viewers a happy halloween. I thought the opening, when Clara laughed off the 'threats' of the chain mail, could be played up more, to make her subsequent 'possession' more compelling.
107A - Zui chu de meng, zui zhen de meng "Our earliest dreams are the truest"
The second group from my class. This one is more idea-based than 107B's, and thus more abstract, but it touched me a lot. I think the idea of losing one's innocent dreams and youthful friendships as one grows up is very touching. As we grow up, we are often too caught up with the realistic requirements of society - chasing after money and career, trying to outdo others in school (especially so in competitive Singapore) etc, that we forget the true and childlike dreams and friendships we once had. The image of the childhood friends stacking up their chairs after playing their childish games, and waving goodbye to them, and in the next instant, they have grown up, and could hardly recognize one another on the street, was quite moving.
106A - Tai zi xuan fei ji "The Prince chooses his bride"
This was a very effective play, with fantasy and realistic elements, song, narration, dance and even martial arts (Cinderella hacking a 'brick' with her head!) thrown in. And very well put together too. The most memorable moment was when the three contenders for the prince's hand - Snow White, Cinderella and this impish girl in black and white (whom I couldn't recognize who) doing a talent show. They even asked the audience to vote the winner. (Whether or not the audience vote really counted, audience participation is one winning strategy for any live performance. Kudos!)
204B - I oso wanna learn Engerrish
A crowd-pleaser. This one is about a group of foreigners learning Engerrish (English) in a language school. And this group is as colourful and diverse as you can get - you have the overly frank Punjabi (who speaks of the language school principal's 'large bosom' without a blush and as casually as if he's referring to the ripe watermelons in the market); the serious Japanese student (done with perfect accent); the Ah Lian manicurist (who is aptly named Chow Ah Lian); the seductive French (or Spanish??) student who keeps making advances at the teacher; an overly preachy Ah Ma who perennially thinks others are not showing enough respect for her etc. Throw in a potential romance between the two new teachers, this was a rather good play. And one which I hope would be developed into a full length one. Lots of room for expansion. To keep to the allocated 15 minutes, a lot of things had to be hastened (eg. the burgeoning romance between the two teachers). Some things could be cut too - the national pledge bit didn't really work. Some roles could be expanded too. (I really wanted to see more of the comical Malay food seller!) But this certainly ended the first half with a bang.
106B - Qing xu guai shou - EMO
I wasn't able to catch this. Went in late. Was bombarded by the fund-raisers outside the audi and I consumed a lipton tea, 2 muffins and nacho with cheese (which I shared with Ms Lydia Teo and Ms Sarah Birchwood) :@
204A - A Happy Ending?
The ultimate screwball comedy of the evening! Judging by the enthusiastic cheers from the audience, they probably had the most fans present tonight. But what a riduculous plot and eccentric characters! You have this loud and over-the-top character who ejects his wife from the plane. She survives, but becomes a savage in a tribe. He remarries and his 2 kids have to put up with a horribly naggy stepmother. By some fantastic twist and turns in the plot, the original family of 4 are reunited and they all join the savage tribe! And who should they bump into but the horrible stepmother! And they cannibalize her!! All these drew mad laughter from the audience. I think our audiences enjoy slapstick a lot.
113 - Lao ren jia de da xiao gao di (sorry, i can't translate this, my chinese skills have sadly regressed :()
I like how this one's staged. They have this 4 groups of elderly people at 4 points in a circle, and they are all frozen until they are rotated to the spot at downstage centre (the spot closest to audience), where each group is in turn tricked of their possessions by this gang of swindlers. Natural acting throughout with a relevant (though familiar) message.
202B - Amore Cache
I checked up the title of this play. I think it means a place where you keep your love. After watching it, I guess it referred to the father's diary where the children discovered his unspoken love for them after he died. This one's about how a father has to cope with a mentally challenged daughter, a spoilt daughter, an unfaithful wife and his worsening health. He tries his best to protect his disabled daughter and to prevent his wife from leading the spoilt daughter further astray. His mercenary wife then runs off with another man. In order to hide his wife's unfaithfulness from his children, he lies that she is dead. The highlight of the show is the wonderful acting of the actress playing the spoilt daughter. She gets the 'Best Actress Award' tonight, if there was one. In the closing scene, she reads out her dead father's diary, and discovers how much he actually loved them. This was done with real emotional depth, with her voice gradually cracking and her person visibly breaking down. I couldn't see her face from where I was, but I heard that her eyes were puffy and teary while doing this scene earlier during the rehearsals.
107B - Mai chi bang de xiao nan hai 'The Wing-seller boy'
So glad that my class was the first one to go. I think you must have something solid to be the opener in any performance. The chorus bits (where everyone spoke together) sounded quite musical, I think their voices blended quite nicely. This is a touching story of selfless love - how a boy supplied wings to needy people and animals all his life - blessing those around him. When he eventually died of exhaustion, he received a pair of white wings and became an angel. I think there must have been some wet eyes in the audience after the performance.
202A - She's Watching You
Have you received chain mail? Do you dutifully forward it to others? Will you really suffer some terrible fate if you do not do what the chain mail asks of you? These were some of the question this play asked. This was also a ghost story - with eerie green lights and a spirit which refused to let the protagonist Clara go, until her body was discovered. Some funny moments - a newscaster announcing the discovery of a dead body, then wishing viewers a happy halloween. I thought the opening, when Clara laughed off the 'threats' of the chain mail, could be played up more, to make her subsequent 'possession' more compelling.
107A - Zui chu de meng, zui zhen de meng "Our earliest dreams are the truest"
The second group from my class. This one is more idea-based than 107B's, and thus more abstract, but it touched me a lot. I think the idea of losing one's innocent dreams and youthful friendships as one grows up is very touching. As we grow up, we are often too caught up with the realistic requirements of society - chasing after money and career, trying to outdo others in school (especially so in competitive Singapore) etc, that we forget the true and childlike dreams and friendships we once had. The image of the childhood friends stacking up their chairs after playing their childish games, and waving goodbye to them, and in the next instant, they have grown up, and could hardly recognize one another on the street, was quite moving.
106A - Tai zi xuan fei ji "The Prince chooses his bride"
This was a very effective play, with fantasy and realistic elements, song, narration, dance and even martial arts (Cinderella hacking a 'brick' with her head!) thrown in. And very well put together too. The most memorable moment was when the three contenders for the prince's hand - Snow White, Cinderella and this impish girl in black and white (whom I couldn't recognize who) doing a talent show. They even asked the audience to vote the winner. (Whether or not the audience vote really counted, audience participation is one winning strategy for any live performance. Kudos!)
204B - I oso wanna learn Engerrish
A crowd-pleaser. This one is about a group of foreigners learning Engerrish (English) in a language school. And this group is as colourful and diverse as you can get - you have the overly frank Punjabi (who speaks of the language school principal's 'large bosom' without a blush and as casually as if he's referring to the ripe watermelons in the market); the serious Japanese student (done with perfect accent); the Ah Lian manicurist (who is aptly named Chow Ah Lian); the seductive French (or Spanish??) student who keeps making advances at the teacher; an overly preachy Ah Ma who perennially thinks others are not showing enough respect for her etc. Throw in a potential romance between the two new teachers, this was a rather good play. And one which I hope would be developed into a full length one. Lots of room for expansion. To keep to the allocated 15 minutes, a lot of things had to be hastened (eg. the burgeoning romance between the two teachers). Some things could be cut too - the national pledge bit didn't really work. Some roles could be expanded too. (I really wanted to see more of the comical Malay food seller!) But this certainly ended the first half with a bang.
106B - Qing xu guai shou - EMO
I wasn't able to catch this. Went in late. Was bombarded by the fund-raisers outside the audi and I consumed a lipton tea, 2 muffins and nacho with cheese (which I shared with Ms Lydia Teo and Ms Sarah Birchwood) :@
204A - A Happy Ending?
The ultimate screwball comedy of the evening! Judging by the enthusiastic cheers from the audience, they probably had the most fans present tonight. But what a riduculous plot and eccentric characters! You have this loud and over-the-top character who ejects his wife from the plane. She survives, but becomes a savage in a tribe. He remarries and his 2 kids have to put up with a horribly naggy stepmother. By some fantastic twist and turns in the plot, the original family of 4 are reunited and they all join the savage tribe! And who should they bump into but the horrible stepmother! And they cannibalize her!! All these drew mad laughter from the audience. I think our audiences enjoy slapstick a lot.
113 - Lao ren jia de da xiao gao di (sorry, i can't translate this, my chinese skills have sadly regressed :()
I like how this one's staged. They have this 4 groups of elderly people at 4 points in a circle, and they are all frozen until they are rotated to the spot at downstage centre (the spot closest to audience), where each group is in turn tricked of their possessions by this gang of swindlers. Natural acting throughout with a relevant (though familiar) message.
202B - Amore Cache
I checked up the title of this play. I think it means a place where you keep your love. After watching it, I guess it referred to the father's diary where the children discovered his unspoken love for them after he died. This one's about how a father has to cope with a mentally challenged daughter, a spoilt daughter, an unfaithful wife and his worsening health. He tries his best to protect his disabled daughter and to prevent his wife from leading the spoilt daughter further astray. His mercenary wife then runs off with another man. In order to hide his wife's unfaithfulness from his children, he lies that she is dead. The highlight of the show is the wonderful acting of the actress playing the spoilt daughter. She gets the 'Best Actress Award' tonight, if there was one. In the closing scene, she reads out her dead father's diary, and discovers how much he actually loved them. This was done with real emotional depth, with her voice gradually cracking and her person visibly breaking down. I couldn't see her face from where I was, but I heard that her eyes were puffy and teary while doing this scene earlier during the rehearsals.
C & D Nite Day 3 'cont
And finally I can attend the c n d nite as an audience member tomorrow (today -> time check 12.20am now)! Yay!
I'll be writing about what I think about the plays here.
Basically, what I've gathered so far (I have to say I can't see or hear much when I'm backstage) is that the sec 2s did mostly more serious stuff while the sec 1s were mostly slapsticks or fables.
And I have a surprise for tomorrow.
Anyway, while backstage today, I found this Barbie doll left behind on the grand piano. Hate that doll - that perpetual smile, impossibly perfect figure, flawless curves and tan -- all so fake.
(No offense to those who love Barbie dolls, it's just me.)
So I was telling another teacher lots of mean things about that Barbie doll backstage. Like how Barbie's jilted by her bf Ken and she strangles herself with her luscious blond locks, or how she plunges into the murky depths by throwing herself off the Bosendorfer piano. Evil!!
Which reminds me of this silly Barbie doll song by Aqua which I've not heard for quite a while. In it, Barbie sounds so sickeningly whiney while Ken sounds like a pervert :{
I'll be writing about what I think about the plays here.
Basically, what I've gathered so far (I have to say I can't see or hear much when I'm backstage) is that the sec 2s did mostly more serious stuff while the sec 1s were mostly slapsticks or fables.
And I have a surprise for tomorrow.
Anyway, while backstage today, I found this Barbie doll left behind on the grand piano. Hate that doll - that perpetual smile, impossibly perfect figure, flawless curves and tan -- all so fake.
(No offense to those who love Barbie dolls, it's just me.)
So I was telling another teacher lots of mean things about that Barbie doll backstage. Like how Barbie's jilted by her bf Ken and she strangles herself with her luscious blond locks, or how she plunges into the murky depths by throwing herself off the Bosendorfer piano. Evil!!
Which reminds me of this silly Barbie doll song by Aqua which I've not heard for quite a while. In it, Barbie sounds so sickeningly whiney while Ken sounds like a pervert :{
Monday, November 5, 2007
Choral & Drama Nite Day 3
I'm in school for Choral & Drama Nite again today. We've just finished our super long rehearsal. Lots of ambitious plays today, so plenty of things to iron out. 3 of the teams rehearsed a second run of their plays. I hope things will turn out fine later.
I'm now going to complete my work review form, and if I have time, to do some filing.
I've also just had my lunch - Nissin Cup Noodles (Chicken flavour).
This is my second time eating instant noodles in 2007. How exciting.
The canteen's completely not operating, so I couldn't get a Kit Kat Bar.
I'm so looking forward to my dinner in 2 hours' time - Unif Super Bowl Instant Noodles-Artificial Stewed Pork Chop Flavor. Sounds so exciting ;0
I'm now going to complete my work review form, and if I have time, to do some filing.
I've also just had my lunch - Nissin Cup Noodles (Chicken flavour).
This is my second time eating instant noodles in 2007. How exciting.
The canteen's completely not operating, so I couldn't get a Kit Kat Bar.
I'm so looking forward to my dinner in 2 hours' time - Unif Super Bowl Instant Noodles-Artificial Stewed Pork Chop Flavor. Sounds so exciting ;0
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Choral & Drama Nite Day 1
I was on duty as stage manager on Day 1 of Choral and Drama Nite today. My duties were mainly a) to ensure the smooth flow of performers going on and coming off stage, b) maintain discipline in the wings/backstage and c) to ensure the curtains in the wings were drawn during the show. Actually I didn't have a hard job because the stage hands (consisting of theatre club and chinese drama people) were super efficient and sharp. They were the sort who'd understand you completely with minimal prompting.
My class 107 was selling foodstuff for charity. And I bought from them
1) 2 orange juices
2) 1 egg tart
3) 1 doughnut
4) 3 sugar rolls
Well, to show support for them and also to do my part for charity. But I think I'll be getting fat!
I also bought an (Ikea) hotdog and a root beer from 113. Celine and Sim Hwee came to ask me, and when the 2 of them appear together, they have this strangely persuasive power that makes their requests hard to put down (don't you 2 get any ideas, if you are reading this haha). I think it must be partly because they look slightly similar in some way so when they ask you together, it's like the request is multiplied many times.
On another note, I have a large pimple on my left temple. I get pimples even by drinking coffee or eating fast food. It's darn irritating. So it's either I'm very heaty at the moment, or perhaps it's a sign that I'm still young. Aren't pimples called qing1 chun1 dou4?
My class 107 was selling foodstuff for charity. And I bought from them
1) 2 orange juices
2) 1 egg tart
3) 1 doughnut
4) 3 sugar rolls
Well, to show support for them and also to do my part for charity. But I think I'll be getting fat!
I also bought an (Ikea) hotdog and a root beer from 113. Celine and Sim Hwee came to ask me, and when the 2 of them appear together, they have this strangely persuasive power that makes their requests hard to put down (don't you 2 get any ideas, if you are reading this haha). I think it must be partly because they look slightly similar in some way so when they ask you together, it's like the request is multiplied many times.
On another note, I have a large pimple on my left temple. I get pimples even by drinking coffee or eating fast food. It's darn irritating. So it's either I'm very heaty at the moment, or perhaps it's a sign that I'm still young. Aren't pimples called qing1 chun1 dou4?
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
loud movies, brave new world
today i accompanied my mum to johor bahru.
she wanted me to watch 'bourne ultimatum' with her
but i refused. :/
i have this strange aversion to action movies.
i think this started after watching the 'infernal affairs' triology a few yrs back.
(those of you who have no idea what 'infernal affairs' is about
can go google it...it's this blockbuster chi movie with big names
like andy lau, tony leung, leon lai, shawn yue and edison chen etc..)
'infernal affairs 2' must be one of the most violent movies i've watched.
the dead bodies just kept piling up.
the worse thing was that i was seated in the very first row,
and thanks to the marvelous technology known as DTS surround sound,
every gunshot was amplified,
which meant that the violence was magnified manifold.
i wonder what the heck DTS's for?
its main purpose seems to be to amplify
screams, (from the horror flicks)
gunshots,
and other assorted sounds of battles.
tsk tsk such things make me very nervous.
i've friends who tell me that if they are to go to a movie,
it must be something spectacular, like
epic battles,
virtuosic fight sequences,
eye-boggling computer effects,
exhilarating and heart-stopping car chases.
but for me, i'm not impressed by
grand stories of one man trying to save the world
from the slimy paws of some terrorists by jumping from planes,
or emerging unscathed from a ferocious gun fight
after singlehandedly shooting all the enemies,
and doing other superhuman stunts.
i'm not thrilled to watch helicopters exploding in balls of fire,
or how people could fight suspended in air.
i don't care for a film that is set in the sahara desert or the himalayas,
with plenty of superhuman adventures,
and grand gestures.
i would rather watch a quiet little film
that is set entirely on a sofa in a living room,
but with meaningful dialogue
and wonderful human sentiment.
on another note,
i most unexpectedly bumped into a student and her family
at JB.
i think she was initially quite shocked
that she completely did not acknowledge me.
so for a full 5 seconds,
i was there waving at her and nodding at her family,
and they looked positively surprised.
they must've been thinking
'who's this strange person gawking and waving at us?'
until a few secs later,
when i identified myself and things became clear.
quite amusing.
on yet another note,
i've given up trying to read haruki murakami's 'a wild sheep chase'.
i've read about 80 pages of it...
deep stuff, very philosophical...
and it's so full of malaise--
the characters are all living such
meaningless and depressing existences.
what's more, the plot gets increasingly confusing,
so i've decided to put it aside for now.
i'm certainly not in the mood for meandering narratives right now.
and i've started on 'brave new world'.
can you believe someone could write
about genetic engineering as early as 1932?!
that's what this book's about.
cool stuff.
she wanted me to watch 'bourne ultimatum' with her
but i refused. :/
i have this strange aversion to action movies.
i think this started after watching the 'infernal affairs' triology a few yrs back.
(those of you who have no idea what 'infernal affairs' is about
can go google it...it's this blockbuster chi movie with big names
like andy lau, tony leung, leon lai, shawn yue and edison chen etc..)
'infernal affairs 2' must be one of the most violent movies i've watched.
the dead bodies just kept piling up.
the worse thing was that i was seated in the very first row,
and thanks to the marvelous technology known as DTS surround sound,
every gunshot was amplified,
which meant that the violence was magnified manifold.
i wonder what the heck DTS's for?
its main purpose seems to be to amplify
screams, (from the horror flicks)
gunshots,
and other assorted sounds of battles.
tsk tsk such things make me very nervous.
i've friends who tell me that if they are to go to a movie,
it must be something spectacular, like
epic battles,
virtuosic fight sequences,
eye-boggling computer effects,
exhilarating and heart-stopping car chases.
but for me, i'm not impressed by
grand stories of one man trying to save the world
from the slimy paws of some terrorists by jumping from planes,
or emerging unscathed from a ferocious gun fight
after singlehandedly shooting all the enemies,
and doing other superhuman stunts.
i'm not thrilled to watch helicopters exploding in balls of fire,
or how people could fight suspended in air.
i don't care for a film that is set in the sahara desert or the himalayas,
with plenty of superhuman adventures,
and grand gestures.
i would rather watch a quiet little film
that is set entirely on a sofa in a living room,
but with meaningful dialogue
and wonderful human sentiment.
on another note,
i most unexpectedly bumped into a student and her family
at JB.
i think she was initially quite shocked
that she completely did not acknowledge me.
so for a full 5 seconds,
i was there waving at her and nodding at her family,
and they looked positively surprised.
they must've been thinking
'who's this strange person gawking and waving at us?'
until a few secs later,
when i identified myself and things became clear.
quite amusing.
on yet another note,
i've given up trying to read haruki murakami's 'a wild sheep chase'.
i've read about 80 pages of it...
deep stuff, very philosophical...
and it's so full of malaise--
the characters are all living such
meaningless and depressing existences.
what's more, the plot gets increasingly confusing,
so i've decided to put it aside for now.
i'm certainly not in the mood for meandering narratives right now.
and i've started on 'brave new world'.
can you believe someone could write
about genetic engineering as early as 1932?!
that's what this book's about.
cool stuff.
Monday, October 29, 2007
should i post more often?
hmmm i'm thinking that i should post more often,
so that this would become more like a diary,
and since it's the holis now
and i've got more time.
but then the posts would have to be short.
anyway, i've just finished a meeting in school.
considering watching this movie
called 'lars and the real girl'...
about this man who buys a s-- doll (chong1 qi4 wa2 wa1)
and pretends it's his gf.
(again i don't spell out s-- as not to corrupt the minds
of my students, whom i'm sure are 'pure and innocent' haha!)
hmmm what an interesting premise this movie has.
should i go watch it? should i? should i??
so that this would become more like a diary,
and since it's the holis now
and i've got more time.
but then the posts would have to be short.
anyway, i've just finished a meeting in school.
considering watching this movie
called 'lars and the real girl'...
about this man who buys a s-- doll (chong1 qi4 wa2 wa1)
and pretends it's his gf.
(again i don't spell out s-- as not to corrupt the minds
of my students, whom i'm sure are 'pure and innocent' haha!)
hmmm what an interesting premise this movie has.
should i go watch it? should i? should i??
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Moliere
I watched 'Moliere', a biopic of the French playwright today.
Anyway, something silly, before I talk about the movie proper...
Today I watched the movie alone -
When I watch a no-brainer movie,
or one purely for entertainment,
I would go with somebody.
But when I'm in there to learn something
about the writing, the plot/story...
I prefer going alone,
as I tend to get distracted with someone beside me.
Strange habit I have!
And I have digresssed!
Back to the silly thing that happened...
As I was alone,
I wanted to get a seat that is hidden at one corner.
So I chose seat A1, at one corner.
But when I entered the theatre,
lo and behold,
there was this strange looking guy seated at seat A2,
while the entire row was empty!
The idea of 2 guys who don't know each other
sitting side by side in a dark corner of a theatre for 2 hours
didn't seem very welcoming to me,
so I invaded the seat at the other corner of the empty cinema,
praying very hard that that seat had not been bought.
In a while, 2 guys came over and sat in my row beside the aisle,
leaving a few empty seats between us.
The film then started,
and I thought I was safe.
But a few minutes later,
a group of 5 persons came in and proceeded to my row.
There were only 4 empty seats,
and just as I was preparing to evacuate my stolen seat
to prevent a row,
the 2 guys beside the aisle gave their's up
and saved me!
Hmm, actually I suspect that the 2 guys were also not sitting
at their designated seats,
since they stood up for the latecomers so readily,
but I do feel a bit guilty since I was in the wrong too!
Anyway, 'Moliere''s quite a silly movie.
(Warning: Spoilers ahead!)
It's about how Moliere was thrown into prison for not paying his taxes,
and how a boorish rich man Jourdain bailed him out,
on the condition that Moliere teach him acting skills,
so that he could woo a young coquette.
In the process,
Moliere fell in love with Jourdain's wife,
and she inspired him to become the great comic writer that the world would know.
The plot is non-linear,
starting with Moliere receiving the news that Mrs Jourdain's dying,
and then we were brought back 13 years earlier to where the main plot happens,
and finally back to Mrs Jourdain's deathbed again.
The autumn-summer romance between Mrs Jourdain and Moliere
was a bit weird.
She was visibly so much older than him,
and Moliere looked so much more compatible with her daughter.
The premise of their romance was also rather tacky.
He merely stole a glance at her bare back through a window,
and then became head over heels in love with her.
Jourdain provided the comic moments in the film.
Here's my favourite one (I've forgotten the actual lines, so I'm making some up):
Jourdain: Help me write a letter to accompany the ring I'm giving to my lover.
Moliere: What do you want me to write?
Jourdain: "My fair maiden, if thou accept this ring, I shall die of love." But write it in a prettier way.
Moliere then suggests something pompous, (I've completely forgotten the lines) which Jourdain rejects.
Moliere: Then my suggestion to you would be "Fair maiden mine, if thou this ring accept, I shall die of love." Or "Maiden fair mine, this ring if thou accept, die of love I shall." blah bah.
Basically, he changes the word order of Jourdain's original lines - quite funny.
Anyway, the movie's NC-16, for a very minor making out scene.
Actually, the actors were fully clothed.
Granted there were some 'cries of passion',
though I've seen far worse things on TV,
but I guess the local censors have to ensure that the
'pure and innocent' minds
of our youths do not get corrupted,
and hence the rating.
I agree (from both religious and moral standpoints) that unwholesome images
should be kept out.
Having said that,
when we are talking about 'control' and 'regulation' generally,
it may/may not be (delete as you wish) good to be too absolute.
Leaves little room for freedom and creativity.
Anyway, something silly, before I talk about the movie proper...
Today I watched the movie alone -
When I watch a no-brainer movie,
or one purely for entertainment,
I would go with somebody.
But when I'm in there to learn something
about the writing, the plot/story...
I prefer going alone,
as I tend to get distracted with someone beside me.
Strange habit I have!
And I have digresssed!
Back to the silly thing that happened...
As I was alone,
I wanted to get a seat that is hidden at one corner.
So I chose seat A1, at one corner.
But when I entered the theatre,
lo and behold,
there was this strange looking guy seated at seat A2,
while the entire row was empty!
The idea of 2 guys who don't know each other
sitting side by side in a dark corner of a theatre for 2 hours
didn't seem very welcoming to me,
so I invaded the seat at the other corner of the empty cinema,
praying very hard that that seat had not been bought.
In a while, 2 guys came over and sat in my row beside the aisle,
leaving a few empty seats between us.
The film then started,
and I thought I was safe.
But a few minutes later,
a group of 5 persons came in and proceeded to my row.
There were only 4 empty seats,
and just as I was preparing to evacuate my stolen seat
to prevent a row,
the 2 guys beside the aisle gave their's up
and saved me!
Hmm, actually I suspect that the 2 guys were also not sitting
at their designated seats,
since they stood up for the latecomers so readily,
but I do feel a bit guilty since I was in the wrong too!
Anyway, 'Moliere''s quite a silly movie.
(Warning: Spoilers ahead!)
It's about how Moliere was thrown into prison for not paying his taxes,
and how a boorish rich man Jourdain bailed him out,
on the condition that Moliere teach him acting skills,
so that he could woo a young coquette.
In the process,
Moliere fell in love with Jourdain's wife,
and she inspired him to become the great comic writer that the world would know.
The plot is non-linear,
starting with Moliere receiving the news that Mrs Jourdain's dying,
and then we were brought back 13 years earlier to where the main plot happens,
and finally back to Mrs Jourdain's deathbed again.
The autumn-summer romance between Mrs Jourdain and Moliere
was a bit weird.
She was visibly so much older than him,
and Moliere looked so much more compatible with her daughter.
The premise of their romance was also rather tacky.
He merely stole a glance at her bare back through a window,
and then became head over heels in love with her.
Jourdain provided the comic moments in the film.
Here's my favourite one (I've forgotten the actual lines, so I'm making some up):
Jourdain: Help me write a letter to accompany the ring I'm giving to my lover.
Moliere: What do you want me to write?
Jourdain: "My fair maiden, if thou accept this ring, I shall die of love." But write it in a prettier way.
Moliere then suggests something pompous, (I've completely forgotten the lines) which Jourdain rejects.
Moliere: Then my suggestion to you would be "Fair maiden mine, if thou this ring accept, I shall die of love." Or "Maiden fair mine, this ring if thou accept, die of love I shall." blah bah.
Basically, he changes the word order of Jourdain's original lines - quite funny.
Anyway, the movie's NC-16, for a very minor making out scene.
Actually, the actors were fully clothed.
Granted there were some 'cries of passion',
though I've seen far worse things on TV,
but I guess the local censors have to ensure that the
'pure and innocent' minds
of our youths do not get corrupted,
and hence the rating.
I agree (from both religious and moral standpoints) that unwholesome images
should be kept out.
Having said that,
when we are talking about 'control' and 'regulation' generally,
it may/may not be (delete as you wish) good to be too absolute.
Leaves little room for freedom and creativity.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Chopin's concerto
Today, I'm going to talk about Chopin's Piano Concerto No.1.
Chopin is known as the 'poet of the piano' for his dreamy and tenderly poetic piano works.
His piano works (the majority of his compositions were for this instrument) contain long-breathed and lyrical melodies that could melt your heart.
The slow movement of the 1st piano concerto is the epitome of Chopin's poetic writing. In Chopin's own words, this movement "is intended to convey the impression one receives when the eye rests on a beloved landscape, which calls up in one's soul beautiful memories, for instance, on a fine moonlit night in spring." (see, even his description of the movement is so poetically done.)
In the recording below, you will hear the prize-winning performance of one of the hottest property in classical music today -- Li Yundi. At age 18, he was the youngest ever winner of the prestigious International Chopin Piano Competition in 2000. This recording is from the final round of the competition. (ie. he was announced winner after this performance)
Chopin is known as the 'poet of the piano' for his dreamy and tenderly poetic piano works.
His piano works (the majority of his compositions were for this instrument) contain long-breathed and lyrical melodies that could melt your heart.
The slow movement of the 1st piano concerto is the epitome of Chopin's poetic writing. In Chopin's own words, this movement "is intended to convey the impression one receives when the eye rests on a beloved landscape, which calls up in one's soul beautiful memories, for instance, on a fine moonlit night in spring." (see, even his description of the movement is so poetically done.)
In the recording below, you will hear the prize-winning performance of one of the hottest property in classical music today -- Li Yundi. At age 18, he was the youngest ever winner of the prestigious International Chopin Piano Competition in 2000. This recording is from the final round of the competition. (ie. he was announced winner after this performance)
Friday, October 19, 2007
Music clips
Here are some great music clips...
Nicola Benedetti, the 20 year old Scottish (I think she probably has Italian blood, looking at her name) violinist with both looks and talent. Here she's playing the Meditation from Thais by Massenet (I hope I got the piece right, I don't always have good memory for such cheesy pieces:)). This girl's really talented. Let's hope she doesn't do a 'Vanessa Mae' (ie. pose in a translucent dress in the sea and switch over to play classical music with a disco beat!) http://www.nicolabenedetti.co.uk/
Andras Schiff, one of my 'favouritist' pianists playing the lovely Schubert Arpeggione Sonata with an unknown cellist.
Krystian Zimerman playing and conducting the buoyant and energetic Beethoven 1st piano concerto. This is great fun to watch. I think he's one of the three pianists in the world(together with Stephen Hough and Maurizio Pollini) whose technique is so out of the world that he has probably never played a wrong note before.
Nicola Benedetti, the 20 year old Scottish (I think she probably has Italian blood, looking at her name) violinist with both looks and talent. Here she's playing the Meditation from Thais by Massenet (I hope I got the piece right, I don't always have good memory for such cheesy pieces:)). This girl's really talented. Let's hope she doesn't do a 'Vanessa Mae' (ie. pose in a translucent dress in the sea and switch over to play classical music with a disco beat!) http://www.nicolabenedetti.co.uk/
Andras Schiff, one of my 'favouritist' pianists playing the lovely Schubert Arpeggione Sonata with an unknown cellist.
Krystian Zimerman playing and conducting the buoyant and energetic Beethoven 1st piano concerto. This is great fun to watch. I think he's one of the three pianists in the world(together with Stephen Hough and Maurizio Pollini) whose technique is so out of the world that he has probably never played a wrong note before.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Russian ironist
i'm listening to some cds by shostakovich
while preparing for the 'family day' discussion with my class later.
shostakovich's music is interesting -
his is a curious mix of sarcasm, parody, military harshness and jazz.
very eclectic and versatile he is.
his music runs the gamut of emotions
from deepest despair,
to the frivolity of 'clown' music.
he lived through a very tough period in russian history-
the overthrowing of the tsars,
the revolutions,
the rise and fall of Stalin,
who denounced his music.
i just love the acerbic quality of his music,
and also the various jazz elements.
while preparing for the 'family day' discussion with my class later.
shostakovich's music is interesting -
his is a curious mix of sarcasm, parody, military harshness and jazz.
very eclectic and versatile he is.
his music runs the gamut of emotions
from deepest despair,
to the frivolity of 'clown' music.
he lived through a very tough period in russian history-
the overthrowing of the tsars,
the revolutions,
the rise and fall of Stalin,
who denounced his music.
i just love the acerbic quality of his music,
and also the various jazz elements.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Private blogs
Some people have private blogs.
The reasons why they want the restriction might be:
1) They've scolded someone on their blogs.
2) They've written something sensitive or potentially embarrassing. (eg. my crush is_____, i think XXX is cute)
3) They want their blogs to be very exclusive. (only a select group of friends permitted to read)
For me, I post on my blog
to share information which I think might be useful for my students.
or occasionally to air my thoughts so that students and friends
can know more about my beliefs.
There is nothing that is restricted.
If I have something to say that might embarrass anyone,
I wouldn't post it online at all.
For example,
if I need to reprimand a student,
or to correct a behaviour,
I will go talk face to face with that student.
You might ask me if everything I write on my blog is really what I think.
Well, I will say that I try to be as sincere as I can when I write.
Because I'm one who values openess and hate any kind of pretence.
But being one who is interested in creative writing,
I do assume a kind of blog persona when I post too.
So I choose what to write and what not to write.
But I would say that whatever I write, I believe.
The reasons why they want the restriction might be:
1) They've scolded someone on their blogs.
2) They've written something sensitive or potentially embarrassing. (eg. my crush is_____, i think XXX is cute)
3) They want their blogs to be very exclusive. (only a select group of friends permitted to read)
For me, I post on my blog
to share information which I think might be useful for my students.
or occasionally to air my thoughts so that students and friends
can know more about my beliefs.
There is nothing that is restricted.
If I have something to say that might embarrass anyone,
I wouldn't post it online at all.
For example,
if I need to reprimand a student,
or to correct a behaviour,
I will go talk face to face with that student.
You might ask me if everything I write on my blog is really what I think.
Well, I will say that I try to be as sincere as I can when I write.
Because I'm one who values openess and hate any kind of pretence.
But being one who is interested in creative writing,
I do assume a kind of blog persona when I post too.
So I choose what to write and what not to write.
But I would say that whatever I write, I believe.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Stephen Hough
i just have to post this.
i've just attended the best concerto performance of my life.
stephen hough was just amazing.
i've always thought that british pianists are predictable, safe and boring,
but hough just shows otherwise.
he's so naturally one with the music,
he sat quite still during his playing,
and never for once resorted to histrionics.
yet his octaves had so much power,
his hands glided over the keys with such fluency,
and he played with a ravishingly beautiful tone.
his playing of the third movement
made me see it in a totally different light.
i didn't know it could be so 'hungarian' with all those accents.
he played with such ease in such a difficult piece of music.
i must have attended over a hundred live classical music concerts since 1995,
never for once have I been so impressed before.
and the brahms concerto isn't even one of my favourite concerti.
i will now definitely put stephen hough as one of the world's top 3 pianists.
okay, enough of gushing.
more marking to be done tomorrow.
i've just attended the best concerto performance of my life.
stephen hough was just amazing.
i've always thought that british pianists are predictable, safe and boring,
but hough just shows otherwise.
he's so naturally one with the music,
he sat quite still during his playing,
and never for once resorted to histrionics.
yet his octaves had so much power,
his hands glided over the keys with such fluency,
and he played with a ravishingly beautiful tone.
his playing of the third movement
made me see it in a totally different light.
i didn't know it could be so 'hungarian' with all those accents.
he played with such ease in such a difficult piece of music.
i must have attended over a hundred live classical music concerts since 1995,
never for once have I been so impressed before.
and the brahms concerto isn't even one of my favourite concerti.
i will now definitely put stephen hough as one of the world's top 3 pianists.
okay, enough of gushing.
more marking to be done tomorrow.
Of Compre, Brahms and Psalms
All the very best to those taking the L.A. Paper 2 on Monday.
Make sure you read the passage and questions very carefully.
Don't make any careless mistakes,
or else I will....
be very disappointed.
________________________________________
I'll be attending a SSO concert later.
Grieg's peer gynt suites (nice norwegian music)
and Brahms' 1st piano concerto.
The latter is a most monumental work-
symphonic in scope,
but intimate in the loving exchanges between piano and orchestra,
and definitely very concertante in the very idiomatic piano part.
At >50 minutes, it's a really taxing and demanding work for any pianist.
Tonight we'll be hearing british pianist stephen hough.
a cool customer who is never showy but has a stupendous technique.
Though he was in the news recently for the wrong reasons,
over some 'gay' remarks he made.
http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/6569.html
Stephen Hough
Make sure you read the passage and questions very carefully.
Don't make any careless mistakes,
or else I will....
be very disappointed.
________________________________________
I'll be attending a SSO concert later.
Grieg's peer gynt suites (nice norwegian music)
and Brahms' 1st piano concerto.
The latter is a most monumental work-
symphonic in scope,
but intimate in the loving exchanges between piano and orchestra,
and definitely very concertante in the very idiomatic piano part.
At >50 minutes, it's a really taxing and demanding work for any pianist.
Tonight we'll be hearing british pianist stephen hough.
a cool customer who is never showy but has a stupendous technique.
Though he was in the news recently for the wrong reasons,
over some 'gay' remarks he made.
http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/6569.html
Stephen Hough
________________________________________
One of my favourite Psalms
Psalm 139 (verses 1-10)
Psalm 139 (verses 1-10)
O Lord, you have searched me
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O Lord.
You hem me in - behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O Lord.
You hem me in - behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
My concert
I played in a concert yesterday.
Ying Ning, Ying Liang, Mel, Huiwen and I
Our programme page 1
Our programme page 2
It was okay overall.
Small and intimate audience of about 50.
Nice and cosy for chamber music.
Ying Ning, Ying Liang, Mel, Huiwen and I
Our programme cover
Our programme page 1 Our programme page 2Sunday, September 30, 2007
A Birthday Poem
Here's another poem.
It wasn't natural for me writing this one,
cos I usually don't try to rhyme.
For me, it's restricting, unnatural and it may end up sounding like some sentimental lyrics from some soppy ballad.
The last stanza is a bit removed from the earlier ones,
cos my cynical streak kicked in then.
So you may read it as two separate poems if you wish.
Some expect presents from all,
saying "It's MY day after all".
Some give presents all around,
"It's my day, and love will abound".
Some give presents to their moms,
for the labour pains before they could come.
Yet some refuse presents and all those stuff,
saying they don't care for 'all those fluff'.
Some boys like the notion of getting older,
cigs, beers, R21 movies will soon be in order.
Most girls don’t like getting older,
it’s goodbye to flawless skins and slender shoulders,
Some remain child-like as they age,
Unclouded innocence their image.
Some become jaded before their time,
cynical and scornful before their prime.
Some like to celebrate at home,
with candles, cake and champagne foam.
Some would rather celebrate away from home,
to avoid the ‘So when are you getting married?’ in mom’s usual tone.
Some kids prefer celebrating at McDonalds,
they get ‘Happy Meals’ and a photo with Ronald Mcdonald!
Some eat noodles and eggs on that day,
for longevity and health they pray.
Some say:
presents,
notions of getting older
and celebrations
are but things
that mark a most randomly begotten date.
But others maintain:
coveting nice presents,
watching their first adult movie on their 21st birthdays,
or posing with the red-haired clown with a perpetual smile,
prove that they are not here by chance.
It wasn't natural for me writing this one,
cos I usually don't try to rhyme.
For me, it's restricting, unnatural and it may end up sounding like some sentimental lyrics from some soppy ballad.
The last stanza is a bit removed from the earlier ones,
cos my cynical streak kicked in then.
So you may read it as two separate poems if you wish.
Some expect presents from all,
saying "It's MY day after all".
Some give presents all around,
"It's my day, and love will abound".
Some give presents to their moms,
for the labour pains before they could come.
Yet some refuse presents and all those stuff,
saying they don't care for 'all those fluff'.
Some boys like the notion of getting older,
cigs, beers, R21 movies will soon be in order.
Most girls don’t like getting older,
it’s goodbye to flawless skins and slender shoulders,
Some remain child-like as they age,
Unclouded innocence their image.
Some become jaded before their time,
cynical and scornful before their prime.
Some like to celebrate at home,
with candles, cake and champagne foam.
Some would rather celebrate away from home,
to avoid the ‘So when are you getting married?’ in mom’s usual tone.
Some kids prefer celebrating at McDonalds,
they get ‘Happy Meals’ and a photo with Ronald Mcdonald!
Some eat noodles and eggs on that day,
for longevity and health they pray.
Some say:
presents,
notions of getting older
and celebrations
are but things
that mark a most randomly begotten date.
But others maintain:
coveting nice presents,
watching their first adult movie on their 21st birthdays,
or posing with the red-haired clown with a perpetual smile,
prove that they are not here by chance.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Harold and the Purple Crayon
Someone WISE and MIGHTY once said that we should all keep as much spontaneity, inventiveness, curiosity, child-like faith and innocence in us, even as we are growing up.
This simple video tells it all. For your viewing pleasure while you are taking a break from your revision. (Don't forget to go back to your books though!)
This simple video tells it all. For your viewing pleasure while you are taking a break from your revision. (Don't forget to go back to your books though!)
Saturday, September 15, 2007
A Lomantic Poem
i was at east coast park
doing my marking by the beach today.
here's a poem i composed as i sat looking out to the sea.
The Lomantic Beach
This stretch of artificial beach
is what we call
nature -
an escape
from the burdens of city life.
a row of evenly spaced out stone benches,
neat state-planted coconut trees
(make no attempt to pluck the coconuts, lest you get fined).
a pair of young lovers strolling on the narrow beach,
she brushing an imaginary itch off her thighs every now and then,
her city-acclimatised skin unused to being touched by nature,
he whispering into her ear:
'dis place not bad leh,
got sea, got sand, got wind,
more lomantic den orchard load leh.'
they tread cautiously,
she almost stepping on a half-eaten burger king broiler
(the CIP students chose somewhere else for their mandatory mission today),
the breeze grows stronger,
bringing in an incense from the nearby refineries.
we thank them.
for we would not have our beautiful city without the income they bring.
soon it will be night.
the lights of the oil tankers will brighten the horizon.
but just for today -
we will imagine them to be luxury cruise ships
and the lights are but
decklights warming the soft skins of young lovers reclining on the decks.
- just to be lomantic
* if you don't understand the poem, try sticking out your tongue and putting it in your cheek. do that and read it again.
doing my marking by the beach today.
here's a poem i composed as i sat looking out to the sea.
The Lomantic Beach
This stretch of artificial beach
is what we call
nature -
an escape
from the burdens of city life.
a row of evenly spaced out stone benches,
neat state-planted coconut trees
(make no attempt to pluck the coconuts, lest you get fined).
a pair of young lovers strolling on the narrow beach,
she brushing an imaginary itch off her thighs every now and then,
her city-acclimatised skin unused to being touched by nature,
he whispering into her ear:
'dis place not bad leh,
got sea, got sand, got wind,
more lomantic den orchard load leh.'
they tread cautiously,
she almost stepping on a half-eaten burger king broiler
(the CIP students chose somewhere else for their mandatory mission today),
the breeze grows stronger,
bringing in an incense from the nearby refineries.
we thank them.
for we would not have our beautiful city without the income they bring.
soon it will be night.
the lights of the oil tankers will brighten the horizon.
but just for today -
we will imagine them to be luxury cruise ships
and the lights are but
decklights warming the soft skins of young lovers reclining on the decks.
- just to be lomantic
* if you don't understand the poem, try sticking out your tongue and putting it in your cheek. do that and read it again.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Dying Young
the pccg lesson we had earlier today was on resilience.
we looked at the lives of terry fox, and closer to home, dr william tan.
both are persons who are immensely resilient -
able to face their physical handicap bravely,
and despite of their disabilities,
thought about people who needed help
and worked tirelessly to raise funds for the needy.
as i was preparing for the lesson,
i thought about another example of a resilient person.
that is joan chan, an ex rgs/rjc girl,
who died at the age of 19.
although her physical body succumbed to cancer,
her spirit did not.
she was described as a 'fighter' by all who knew her,
and in her own words too.
you can read what she said on her blog http://onlyskindeep.blogspot.com/
and on the blog her friends created for her http://joanchanshufang.blogspot.com/
it's a great loss when someone young dies.
the only instance when i've experienced someone from school dying,
was when i was in my second year at junior college.
2 first year girls (one formerly fr rgs, another fr nygh) drowned after their raft went under water on an obs trip.
i remember on the next day,
the student council put out 2 condolence books
and we all went to put in our messages of sympathy.
the whole school was in mourning,
and the atmosphere was quite gloomy for some time.
the vice principal teared when she addressed us a few days after that,
she told us how she'd make sure she kissed her own children every morning from that day on,
knowing how fragile life could be.
i later learnt that one of my friends was the 'angel' of one of the deceased girls,
(the girl was in his junior class, and was his 'mortal' in the angel-mortal game)
and the day before the accident,
she'd written a letter to him.
it's sad when young lives are lost,
when we think of the unfulfilled promises and aspirations,
what they might have achieved.
in the case of terry fox and joan chan --
when we see how resilient they were before they passed on,
and how their spirit touched thousands of people -
people who used to complain about minor discomforts in their lives
but became converted and found new meaning in their lives
when they realize what they're suffering is nothing compared to terry fox and joan --
then we know that their legacy and their fighting spirit have lived on,
blessing the generations to come.
having said that,
do value your life
and try to achieve your dreams!
The Best is Yet to Be!
(pardon me for stealing the acs motto, though i'm no acs boy, but that motto's apt here :)
we looked at the lives of terry fox, and closer to home, dr william tan.
both are persons who are immensely resilient -
able to face their physical handicap bravely,
and despite of their disabilities,
thought about people who needed help
and worked tirelessly to raise funds for the needy.
as i was preparing for the lesson,
i thought about another example of a resilient person.
that is joan chan, an ex rgs/rjc girl,
who died at the age of 19.
although her physical body succumbed to cancer,
her spirit did not.
she was described as a 'fighter' by all who knew her,
and in her own words too.
you can read what she said on her blog http://onlyskindeep.blogspot.com/
and on the blog her friends created for her http://joanchanshufang.blogspot.com/
it's a great loss when someone young dies.
the only instance when i've experienced someone from school dying,
was when i was in my second year at junior college.
2 first year girls (one formerly fr rgs, another fr nygh) drowned after their raft went under water on an obs trip.
i remember on the next day,
the student council put out 2 condolence books
and we all went to put in our messages of sympathy.
the whole school was in mourning,
and the atmosphere was quite gloomy for some time.
the vice principal teared when she addressed us a few days after that,
she told us how she'd make sure she kissed her own children every morning from that day on,
knowing how fragile life could be.
i later learnt that one of my friends was the 'angel' of one of the deceased girls,
(the girl was in his junior class, and was his 'mortal' in the angel-mortal game)
and the day before the accident,
she'd written a letter to him.
it's sad when young lives are lost,
when we think of the unfulfilled promises and aspirations,
what they might have achieved.
in the case of terry fox and joan chan --
when we see how resilient they were before they passed on,
and how their spirit touched thousands of people -
people who used to complain about minor discomforts in their lives
but became converted and found new meaning in their lives
when they realize what they're suffering is nothing compared to terry fox and joan --
then we know that their legacy and their fighting spirit have lived on,
blessing the generations to come.
having said that,
do value your life
and try to achieve your dreams!
The Best is Yet to Be!
(pardon me for stealing the acs motto, though i'm no acs boy, but that motto's apt here :)
Monday, September 3, 2007
Online SRQ 1
Will my Sec 4 students please respond to the following paragraph, or to any part of the essay I've given to you.
Click on the 'Comments' hyperlink at the bottom of this post and start posting. Remember to leave your name at the end of your post. You may also respond to comments by your peers and I will also comment on your comments (:
'Some critics of the stand that war produces no winners, only losers, may claim that wars are fought for heroic and noble causes by providing examples of wars fought for unification of territory as in China, or against barbarians such as in the case of the Crusades. However, they have forgotten that these are merely excuses for more sinister and dark agendas, such as genocide and for the lust of power.'
~ Ng Khiang Ching Rona (RJC 1997)
Click on the 'Comments' hyperlink at the bottom of this post and start posting. Remember to leave your name at the end of your post. You may also respond to comments by your peers and I will also comment on your comments (:
'Some critics of the stand that war produces no winners, only losers, may claim that wars are fought for heroic and noble causes by providing examples of wars fought for unification of territory as in China, or against barbarians such as in the case of the Crusades. However, they have forgotten that these are merely excuses for more sinister and dark agendas, such as genocide and for the lust of power.'
~ Ng Khiang Ching Rona (RJC 1997)
Sunday, September 2, 2007
SSO Concert
i've just come back from a sso concert.
i love symphony concerts.
i remember my first sso concert.
it was in 1994 -
an outing with my sch's string orchestra.
that was how i started getting interested in classical music.
i love the sound of the different instruments playing together.
it's a joy that you can't get from playing the piano.
the concert today started with richard strauss' tone poem-
till eulenspiegel's merry pranks.
i don't really fancy richard strauss.
think he's a bit excessive and over the top.
but the performance today was okay.
the swiss conductor thierry fischer made the textures sound very clear.
and there was actually some attractive waltzy bits.
the highlight of the night for many was
venezuelan pianist sergio tiempo playing chopin's piano concerto no. 1.
yest's newspapers described him as one with a 'tousled mop of dark hair and liquid brown eyes...looks more handsome in person than he does in his publicity photos'.
but i didn't see lots of screaming female fans or groupies leh.
i guess classical music will never have the same appeal
as pop and rock,
which are more immediate and 'in your face'.
the typical audience you meet at classical music concerts are
ang mohs, music students and corporate sponsors.
anyway sergio tiempo was an amazing pianist -
highly virtuosic and completely effortless in his playing.
his fingers ran up and down the length of the keyboard with such ease.
i didn't realize chopin's concerto to be so difficult,
though tiempo made it look easy,
the runs are hard to execute lah,
and to play it so delicately and poetically,
no joke man.
okay, my top 4 of the most difficult piano concerti:
1) brahms' concerto no. 2: its sheer length of 50 mins is enough to kill. added on to that is a solo part that sounds so symphonic, chordal and requiring large hands and immense strength to play.
2) chopin's concerto no. 1: difficult to achieve the delicacy and poetry required of the piece. the bland orchestral part is quite redundant, really.
3) rachmaninov's concerto nos. 2 and 3: okay, here we have the ultimate 'hollywood' concerti - gorgeous and soaring melodies, wears its emotions on the sleeve, lush and thick orchestrations. you would know rach 3 if you've watched the movie 'shine'. again, music which is not really to my taste, a bit over the top. i like things subtle.
anyway, after the concerto was the intermission,
and when i came back from my toilet break,
lo and behold,
sergio tiempo was there signing autographs for his 'ardent' fans,
flanked by a policeman and an esplanade representative.
well, i'm neither a screaming female fan nor is he my favourite pianist,
but i took some pictures of him signing the autographs,
just for the thrill of it.
the pictures are rather blur,
cos i was using my lousy 2 megapixel phone cam. here they are:
next on the programme was berlioz's symphonie fantastique
this is my favourite symphony after schubert's unfinished symph.
it's a loud and bombastic work.
berlioz is crazy,
the symphony was inspired by his mad infatuation for an irish actress.
there's a story in the music.
it's about an artist's unrequited love for some girl,
then he takes opium,
and in his drug-induced stupor,
he hallucinates about killing his beloved,
he is sent to the guillotine,
and it ends with his beloved turned into a witch who mocks his dead soul.
the 3rd movement (slow movement) was the most boring,
at the end of it,
about 5 people evacuated from the hall -
most of them were families with young children.
i never understand why parents bring their young children
to such symphony concerts.
they are wasting their money
and boring these poor kiddies to death.
how can you expect a 6 year old to sit quietly
and listen attentively to straight-laced musicians
in their serious-looking black suits and pants
play serious-sounding music for 2 hours? sheesh
those concerts in the park at botanical gardens
or the afternoon matinees for kids (which sso does once in a while)
would be more appropriate for these kids.
the 4th n 5th mvts of the symphony were my favourite.
in the 4th, entitled 'march to the scaffolds',
the artist is led to the scaffolds
for 'killing' his beloved.
the music is so darn descriptive:
at the moment just before the execution,
this recurring tune is heard (which represents his beloved)
and then it's the chop of the axe,
which is depicted by a swift stroke on the strings,
and we can even 'hear' the decapitated head dropping
and blood dripping as represented by the string pizzicatos.
the final movement is the most grotesque of all.
the artist's beloved has now turned into an ugly witch
and is now mocking him.
the clarinets play the recurring tune in a grotesquely modified form.
berlioz even quotes the dies irae theme (G F# G E F# D E E)
and turns it into a bombastic and macabre dance of death
in the rousing finale.
i like music like that,
slightly irreverent and grotesque.
though, i didn't quite enjoy tonight's performance.
i thought that the conductor was playing things a bit too safe.
i mean, sure he's swiss
and they are known for their precision, accuracy, efficiency (you know how a swiss watch is yah?)
but i would've preferred it if he had roughened up the music a bit,
and bring out the passion more.
sure, he opted for neat ensemble
and the sound was really opulent,
but i just wish he could've taken some risks.
well, but i'm sure impressed with the sso.
they've improved so much.
the winds and brass parts in tonight's works are so hard to play.
richard strauss's winds/brass parts are designed to kill them.
a story goes whereby a frazzled horn player told the composer imploringly,
"mr strauss, the horn part is too difficult! It doesn't mean that if it can be played it on the piano, it can be played on the horn!"
and richard strauss replied "my dear boy, i can't play that on the piano either".
sabbath day tmr,
gotta go and sleep now. bye
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thank You!
Thanks for the kind gifts and greetings you have given to me!
Really appreciate it!
Chill out and have a smashingly good holiday!
Really appreciate it!
Chill out and have a smashingly good holiday!
Friday, August 24, 2007
The Amazing Resurrecting Cockroach
i'm the official cockroach buster in the english department.
whenever a cockroach is spotted in the toilet in our staffroom,
i'll be tasked to get rid of it.
the roaches in our staffroom are quite amazing.
they alway look like they've died,
lying on their backs.
but when i try to pick them up with tissue,
they will suddenly flip over
and attempt to make a desperate getaway.
either they were playing dead,
or they were half dead and semi-conscious.
somehow, when i try to pick them up with tissue,
they will resurrect and try to run away.
freaky!
whenever a cockroach is spotted in the toilet in our staffroom,
i'll be tasked to get rid of it.
the roaches in our staffroom are quite amazing.
they alway look like they've died,
lying on their backs.
but when i try to pick them up with tissue,
they will suddenly flip over
and attempt to make a desperate getaway.
either they were playing dead,
or they were half dead and semi-conscious.
somehow, when i try to pick them up with tissue,
they will resurrect and try to run away.
freaky!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Corny Korean drama
my mum's watching this corny korean drama on cable channel 50
they have the most corny dialogue and cliched situation.
in today's episode (i had to watch it as i was eating dinner),
the mother reconciles with her estranged long-lost son.
the son calls his mother 'ma' for the first time in his life.
here's their exchange:
Son: Ma, why didn't you attend my wedding engagement?
Mother: What did you say?
Son: My wedding engagement...
Mother (begins trembling): No...what did you say before that?
Son is quiet.
Mother: Wh..whaat d..did you ca..call me...me? (her voice is now trembling violently and her eyes are teary)
Son: Ma...?
Mother: My son!
Son: Ma!
Mother: Oh my son!
Son (he starts to cry too): Ma...Ma!
Mother (she moves her trembling hands towards son's face) : Oh my dear dear son!
Son: Ma!
Mother: Can I embrace you? (Does she need to ask this unecessary question now?)
They embrace.
More crying.
A soppy and sentimental ballad comes on in the background.
Mother (weeping very badly now): How have I longed to embrace you, my son!
Son (weeping just as badly, muscus glistening at his nostrils): Ma, I'm sorry, so sorry.
Mother: How many times have I told myself, if I could just embrace you, I am willing to die right now, contented!
************
Eeuww....such soppiness!
it reminds me of those yucky taiwanese soap operas.
i think one criteria for acting in these dramas is that you must be able to cry a lot,
if you show some mucus, that's even better.
it shows that you are really crying,
and not like lousier actors,
who have to use eyedrops.
there was this equally bad local drama a few years back-
legend of the condor heroes,
starring fann wong as xiao long nu (little dragon girl) and christopher lee as yang guo.
in that drama,
for 80% of the time,
xiao long nu will move around looking forlorn and downcast...
and her only line will be -
"Guo er, ni wei she me zhe yang dui wo, ni wei she me bu ai wo? Ru guo ni bu ai wo, na wo huo zhe you you she me yi si?"*
*eng translation: "Guo er, why do you treat me like this? Why don't you love me? If you don't love me, why should I carry on living?"
:\
they have the most corny dialogue and cliched situation.
in today's episode (i had to watch it as i was eating dinner),
the mother reconciles with her estranged long-lost son.
the son calls his mother 'ma' for the first time in his life.
here's their exchange:
Son: Ma, why didn't you attend my wedding engagement?
Mother: What did you say?
Son: My wedding engagement...
Mother (begins trembling): No...what did you say before that?
Son is quiet.
Mother: Wh..whaat d..did you ca..call me...me? (her voice is now trembling violently and her eyes are teary)
Son: Ma...?
Mother: My son!
Son: Ma!
Mother: Oh my son!
Son (he starts to cry too): Ma...Ma!
Mother (she moves her trembling hands towards son's face) : Oh my dear dear son!
Son: Ma!
Mother: Can I embrace you? (Does she need to ask this unecessary question now?)
They embrace.
More crying.
A soppy and sentimental ballad comes on in the background.
Mother (weeping very badly now): How have I longed to embrace you, my son!
Son (weeping just as badly, muscus glistening at his nostrils): Ma, I'm sorry, so sorry.
Mother: How many times have I told myself, if I could just embrace you, I am willing to die right now, contented!
************
Eeuww....such soppiness!
it reminds me of those yucky taiwanese soap operas.
i think one criteria for acting in these dramas is that you must be able to cry a lot,
if you show some mucus, that's even better.
it shows that you are really crying,
and not like lousier actors,
who have to use eyedrops.
there was this equally bad local drama a few years back-
legend of the condor heroes,
starring fann wong as xiao long nu (little dragon girl) and christopher lee as yang guo.
in that drama,
for 80% of the time,
xiao long nu will move around looking forlorn and downcast...
and her only line will be -
"Guo er, ni wei she me zhe yang dui wo, ni wei she me bu ai wo? Ru guo ni bu ai wo, na wo huo zhe you you she me yi si?"*
*eng translation: "Guo er, why do you treat me like this? Why don't you love me? If you don't love me, why should I carry on living?"
:\
Friday, August 17, 2007
Harry Potty
seen: banner outside orchard road presbyterian church (orpc) -
God is the Potter, not Harry.
quite creative sia.
the message is...
don't get so crazy over harry potter
that you let it take over your life...
that it becomes like a potter moulding your life.
do everything in moderation.
God is the Potter, not Harry.
quite creative sia.
the message is...
don't get so crazy over harry potter
that you let it take over your life...
that it becomes like a potter moulding your life.
do everything in moderation.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
links
anyone wants me to link you?
just drop me a note.
just came back from the gala dinner.
tired.
will post the pix another time.
gdnite!
just drop me a note.
just came back from the gala dinner.
tired.
will post the pix another time.
gdnite!
Thursday, August 9, 2007
national day
national day holiday...
i didn't go anywhere the entire day,
apart from buying the newspapers
and some bananas (haha i love bananas, they are cheap n good you know!)
from the stores near my home in the morning.
and i've heeded my own advice-
to do the important and non-urgent things (Priority 2 things -refer to my july 29th post below) when i can.
so i've started writing the qualitative remarks for my sec 1 classes.
have done nos. 1-15 of 108 already.
things to do over the next few days....
1) mark the sec 1 sia scenario writings
2) mark the sec 4 prc scholars' srq writings
3) continue writing the qualitative remarks for 108 and 107
4) do the unseen prose revision lesson plans
5) be at the gala dinner music rehearsal from noon at raffles city on saturday
i had the luxury to practise the piano for 1.5 hours today.
1.5 hours' not too bad and i'm quite pleased with myself.
it's difficult to put in that amount of time during school days.
i'm practising for a concert i'm playing with some friends in october.
the piano part for mendelssohn's piano trio is not easy...
i must really practise hard
so we can resume rehearsals soon.
well...will talk more about the concert next time.
i watched the ndp telecast on tv just now.
i've attended 2 live ndps,
once when i was very young (the details i can't recall at all)
and the 2nd time in either 1998 or 1999.
this kind of event is supposed to instill
a sense of patriotism in the citizens.
and it's very effective i should say -
seeing the impressive-looking military fleet marching past,
the beautiful formations executed by the fighter planes,
the heroics of the marine and air divers and so on.
this is what they call psychological defence (re - NE)
and to cap it with the singing of the rousing national day songs,
i bet many would gladly sacrifice themselves for their beloved country after this!
anyway, the 1st part of the parade,
with the various military displays,
was rather spectacular.
added on to that
was the scenic watery surroundings
and the beautiful Shenton Way skyline.
this year's ndp was rather artistic
and highly representative in nature.
they had 3 roller bladers dressed like characters from 'transformers'
and they spouted 'mythical' lines
about mother nature, water, the earth etc
there were also
people dancing with strange spiky things protruding from their backs;
a male singer with highlighted hair, all dressed in white,
emerging from an all-white car to sing a national day song;
and even the new song was delivered in an operatic version first
before they tried a more contemporary style.
not surprising as the creative director, goh boon teck
is one of singapore's most promising young theatre directors.
anyway, kudos to the organizers for the great effort put in.
the nation enjoyed the solid military display,
the rousing fireworks (especially spectacular this year),
the singing of the familiar old favourites like
'stand up for singapore' and
'count on me singapore'
at the beautiful marina bayfront.
happy 42nd bday, singapore!
i didn't go anywhere the entire day,
apart from buying the newspapers
and some bananas (haha i love bananas, they are cheap n good you know!)
from the stores near my home in the morning.
and i've heeded my own advice-
to do the important and non-urgent things (Priority 2 things -refer to my july 29th post below) when i can.
so i've started writing the qualitative remarks for my sec 1 classes.
have done nos. 1-15 of 108 already.
things to do over the next few days....
1) mark the sec 1 sia scenario writings
2) mark the sec 4 prc scholars' srq writings
3) continue writing the qualitative remarks for 108 and 107
4) do the unseen prose revision lesson plans
5) be at the gala dinner music rehearsal from noon at raffles city on saturday
i had the luxury to practise the piano for 1.5 hours today.
1.5 hours' not too bad and i'm quite pleased with myself.
it's difficult to put in that amount of time during school days.
i'm practising for a concert i'm playing with some friends in october.
the piano part for mendelssohn's piano trio is not easy...
i must really practise hard
so we can resume rehearsals soon.
well...will talk more about the concert next time.
i watched the ndp telecast on tv just now.
i've attended 2 live ndps,
once when i was very young (the details i can't recall at all)
and the 2nd time in either 1998 or 1999.
this kind of event is supposed to instill
a sense of patriotism in the citizens.
and it's very effective i should say -
seeing the impressive-looking military fleet marching past,
the beautiful formations executed by the fighter planes,
the heroics of the marine and air divers and so on.
this is what they call psychological defence (re - NE)
and to cap it with the singing of the rousing national day songs,
i bet many would gladly sacrifice themselves for their beloved country after this!
anyway, the 1st part of the parade,
with the various military displays,
was rather spectacular.
added on to that
was the scenic watery surroundings
and the beautiful Shenton Way skyline.
this year's ndp was rather artistic
and highly representative in nature.
they had 3 roller bladers dressed like characters from 'transformers'
and they spouted 'mythical' lines
about mother nature, water, the earth etc
there were also
people dancing with strange spiky things protruding from their backs;
a male singer with highlighted hair, all dressed in white,
emerging from an all-white car to sing a national day song;
and even the new song was delivered in an operatic version first
before they tried a more contemporary style.
not surprising as the creative director, goh boon teck
is one of singapore's most promising young theatre directors.
anyway, kudos to the organizers for the great effort put in.
the nation enjoyed the solid military display,
the rousing fireworks (especially spectacular this year),
the singing of the familiar old favourites like
'stand up for singapore' and
'count on me singapore'
at the beautiful marina bayfront.
happy 42nd bday, singapore!
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Something funny during contact time
during class contact time today,
the students had to go to the hall
to practise the 90th anni song.
(btw, the song is very nice and tuneful,
it's by this well known local musician called iskandar ismail,
check this out if you don't already know how prominent he is.
http://www.nus.edu.sg/cfa/groups/music/jazzband/bio.html)
i was having some difficulty locating my class initially,
as the sec 1s and 2s were scattered all over the place.
so i was walking up and down,
looking left and right
for quite some time,
before i finally turned around
and lo and behold, they were behind me
all the time!
from the cheeky grins some of them had,
they must have been quite amused
at my confused demeanour
as i searched high and low for them.
but at least i found them.
my babies were safely settled down.
(i'm beginning to think of my students as my 'babies', like how some of my colleagues do)
but they are 'big babies' already --
in a twinkling of the eye, they will be sec 2s,
and they will have a batch of sec 1 juniors to take care of.
i hope they will always remember what i've told them
at the start of the year.
even if they've been treated not so nicely by some of their seniors,
they shouldn't do the same to their juniors.
some students think that it's natural to follow everything their seniors do,
so if the seniors shout at them for no reason,
or force them to do menial things very matter-of-factly and scorn at them,
they will replicate these unruly behaviours
in their subsequent dealings with their own juniors.
this is very wrong,
it's as if you are venting your frustration for your seniors
on your poor juniors.
And you might be starting a vicious circle,
for your gullible juniors might imitate your behaviour just as well!
but don't misunderstand me,
i'm not saying that if your seniors ask you to do things which might seem insignificant,
they are bullying you.
things like doing backstage work during performances,
carrying props and equipment,
or cleaning up,
which many sec 1s do,
especially during ccas,
are tasks which will build up your character,
and make you humble and willing to serve the common good of the cca.
however, if your seniors command you to do these
in an unreasonable manner,
overwork you, or take you for granted,
then it is wrong of them.
it infringes on your right as an individual
in a democratic society
and you ought to raise this to your teacher.
if you do meet such unreasonable people,
there's some consolation for you...
in time to come, only 2 things can happen to them.
either
1) they 'mature' and blush when they recall their childish action of ordering you around just because they happen to be one or two years older, or just a little more experienced than you.
or
2) they continue their unreasonable behaviour and get cast out by all their friends.
but remember, my big 'babies'....NEVER BE UNREASONABLE TO YOUR JUNIORS IN 2008
you might make others fear you for a while,
but the true mark of a good senior is when you earn the respect of your juniors.
okay, enough about that now,
let's talk about the 90th anniversary rehearsal yesterday at raffles city.
we left the school at 11.30am,
did 2 runs of the programme at the venue,
and only managed to leave for school at 5.30pm.
the 'musical' in the performance
neatly chronicles the history of nygh.
the dancers were all very good,
and our choreographer mdm chen lili
has done a wonderful job in making everything so oriental,
something befitting a school that prides herself
for upholding good chinese values.
i saw some of my students wearing thick make-up
for the performance.
it takes me some time to get used to something like that..heh
because they look suddenly so grown up with all that rouge.
when we were waiting for our turn,
i had some interesting conversations with some of my colleagues.
one of them told me how posh the ladies was,
with a couch and all.
so i went to check out the gents,
and was disappointed that there was no couch,
but lots of mirrors!
i was also asked to pretend that i was the conductor of the guzheng ensemble,
and had to walk up the stage upon cue.
i had once dreamed to be a conductor (of a symphonic orch, not a guzheng ensemble!),
it's nice to be able to stand in front of a hundred musicians,
and to draw out beautiful music with the wave of your arms.
hmmm...maybe someday.
ps did i ever tell you that one of my very first wish was to be a bus driver? :\
the students had to go to the hall
to practise the 90th anni song.
(btw, the song is very nice and tuneful,
it's by this well known local musician called iskandar ismail,
check this out if you don't already know how prominent he is.
http://www.nus.edu.sg/cfa/groups/music/jazzband/bio.html)
i was having some difficulty locating my class initially,
as the sec 1s and 2s were scattered all over the place.
so i was walking up and down,
looking left and right
for quite some time,
before i finally turned around
and lo and behold, they were behind me
all the time!
from the cheeky grins some of them had,
they must have been quite amused
at my confused demeanour
as i searched high and low for them.
but at least i found them.
my babies were safely settled down.
(i'm beginning to think of my students as my 'babies', like how some of my colleagues do)
but they are 'big babies' already --
in a twinkling of the eye, they will be sec 2s,
and they will have a batch of sec 1 juniors to take care of.
i hope they will always remember what i've told them
at the start of the year.
even if they've been treated not so nicely by some of their seniors,
they shouldn't do the same to their juniors.
some students think that it's natural to follow everything their seniors do,
so if the seniors shout at them for no reason,
or force them to do menial things very matter-of-factly and scorn at them,
they will replicate these unruly behaviours
in their subsequent dealings with their own juniors.
this is very wrong,
it's as if you are venting your frustration for your seniors
on your poor juniors.
And you might be starting a vicious circle,
for your gullible juniors might imitate your behaviour just as well!
but don't misunderstand me,
i'm not saying that if your seniors ask you to do things which might seem insignificant,
they are bullying you.
things like doing backstage work during performances,
carrying props and equipment,
or cleaning up,
which many sec 1s do,
especially during ccas,
are tasks which will build up your character,
and make you humble and willing to serve the common good of the cca.
however, if your seniors command you to do these
in an unreasonable manner,
overwork you, or take you for granted,
then it is wrong of them.
it infringes on your right as an individual
in a democratic society
and you ought to raise this to your teacher.
if you do meet such unreasonable people,
there's some consolation for you...
in time to come, only 2 things can happen to them.
either
1) they 'mature' and blush when they recall their childish action of ordering you around just because they happen to be one or two years older, or just a little more experienced than you.
or
2) they continue their unreasonable behaviour and get cast out by all their friends.
but remember, my big 'babies'....NEVER BE UNREASONABLE TO YOUR JUNIORS IN 2008
you might make others fear you for a while,
but the true mark of a good senior is when you earn the respect of your juniors.
okay, enough about that now,
let's talk about the 90th anniversary rehearsal yesterday at raffles city.
we left the school at 11.30am,
did 2 runs of the programme at the venue,
and only managed to leave for school at 5.30pm.
the 'musical' in the performance
neatly chronicles the history of nygh.
the dancers were all very good,
and our choreographer mdm chen lili
has done a wonderful job in making everything so oriental,
something befitting a school that prides herself
for upholding good chinese values.
i saw some of my students wearing thick make-up
for the performance.
it takes me some time to get used to something like that..heh
because they look suddenly so grown up with all that rouge.
when we were waiting for our turn,
i had some interesting conversations with some of my colleagues.
one of them told me how posh the ladies was,
with a couch and all.
so i went to check out the gents,
and was disappointed that there was no couch,
but lots of mirrors!
i was also asked to pretend that i was the conductor of the guzheng ensemble,
and had to walk up the stage upon cue.
i had once dreamed to be a conductor (of a symphonic orch, not a guzheng ensemble!),
it's nice to be able to stand in front of a hundred musicians,
and to draw out beautiful music with the wave of your arms.
hmmm...maybe someday.
ps did i ever tell you that one of my very first wish was to be a bus driver? :\
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