Thursday, March 22, 2007

Black for White

Black for White




Balance.
Always seem to have some sort of faith in that.
For every shortcoming chanced upon in one aspect, it would somehow justify some silver lining to come.
Sometimes sooner. Sometimes much later.
Most of the time, unexpected.

But great things are worth waiting for anyway.
To elevate us from our lowest spirits to profound enlightenment.
Isn't it only through failures do we truly appreciate success?

Like Non's success in obtaining Taylor's scholarship.
Congrats dear sis, so proud of you! :D
If it was a miracle, it was one much needed by ourselves and myself.
I could dare to believe in laughter again.




Perfect Narrations

Got this off Soongfee's...
It was so hilarious tt I gotta have it reposted.
Thought I was already "creative" enough with my narrative vocabs.
I was wrong.
But it did get me thinking if they were out to irritate the crap out of their beloved tutors.

Wasn't it any normal, bored student's secret fantasy?


Now then, what's your fav line? *wink*



Every year, English teachers from across the country can submit their collections of actual analogies and metaphors found in high school essays. These excerpts are published each year to the amusement of their colleagues nationwide.

Here are last year's winners.

1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.

2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.

5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.

8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife's infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.

9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.

10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.

11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.

12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.

14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.

16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River .

18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.

19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.

20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Beyond Extraordinary

Extraordinary Bridge

"Australia had been bled dry by the First World War,
flattened by the Great Depression,
and for the nation to create this extraordinary bridge
right in the centre of our most important gateway city
is like an adrenaline shot of confidence for a nation that had been on its knees."


-Malcolm Turnbull, Sydney Harbour Bridge 75th anniv.



We all need something to drive us on through our darkest ages.
Something beyond extraordinary.

What's yours?





Paris Je T'aime

Rushed into the front seat without anticipating a mosaic of 18 stories reflecting the essence of Paris.
Its colorful ways of life, scenic locations, and most of all, interpretations of love and separation.



Supposedly anyway.
Wasn't it featured in the Cannes Festival?

It ended up feeling more like an 18-ad "Come visit Paris" though.
Not that it was horrendous.
Interestingly well done, some stories were.
Some just felt like 5 min superstar fill-ins.
But then again, that would have been expected of with an ambitious 18 director/writers invite.

It might have been more substantial should they reduce the numbers to stories that are more pertinent, and unique to Parisian life.
Like the mimes' child of love (Adorable. My fav.).
Love affairs between the old and the young.
A gay's love at first sight. (Controversial. I like.)
Even vampires could fall in love (Absolutely corny, but love it. Lol)

Not bad, but not extraordinary either.
But at least, it made me hunger for a visit to France even more.
Maybe it was quite an effective tourism tool after all.

Here's the trailer for the curious.
When in doubt, just watch it. Who knows, you might like it.





Titoudao

Entered the theatre also not knowing what to expect other than ramblings in chinese dialects.
But heck, wouldn't mind attempting to get in touch with my roots when offered free tics to the nation's Play of the Year.



It didn't leave me disappointed.
Genuinely appreciated the neo-Chinese opera scenes,
its transcription of Asia's almost-forgotten history of "wayang",
and the writer's effort of narrating the history of a struggling street opera actress
the unpretentiously local way,
as inspired by the life experiences of Madam Oon
(nope, no Queen's english here, with pride).

So original it was in portraying the rakyat's history and identity,
that it overshadowed "The Forbidden City" production in terms of the energy, the acting, as well as the script imo.



Even Titoudao's mise-en-scene reflected the amount of effort put in to make the experience memorable to the audience:
The various stage sets to alternate between the 70s and the chinese opera show.
The bamboo sets to build the wayang house.
The interactive changing of costumes onstage.
The use of image projectors as a modern mixed medium technique for theatre.
The light decorations that extended to the auditorium to blur the boundary between the audience and the performers.

Sadly not many may appreciate it as much due to its steep price (as justified by it's extensive set budget): $40-60 vs. $20-40 for a smaller-scale local production.
Nevertheless, I wouldn't mind checking out more of these productions.
Guess I haven't lost much of my artsy side after all. Lol

Can't wait for Phantom of the Opera.
Oh the anticipation.
Will it be extraordinary?

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Yellow Monkeys

To Catch Yellow Monkeys


Never thought actors were worthy of idol statuses.
Maybe blonde hair and blue eyes were too unrealistic to even fantasize of.

Maybe not until Daniel Henney came along.
Tall. Suave. Sexy. Gorgeous. Refine. Speaks perfect English.
With a dash of Asian blood, the fantasy now appears a lil closer to home.
Wouldn't mind "Seducing Mr. Perfect" anytime.
(Typical romance comedy, but hey, who's complaining when drooling over washboard abs?)




Now if only they weren't such a rare breed.
And the fact they always get the gorgeous chicks too.
Likely blonde with blue eyes too. Snort.

Beanpole Commercial
(When Gwyneth met Daniel)



One day.
We'll catch our own lil yellow monkeys too.



SMSU Adventures

1. Geraldine's cooking tour.
Tom yum soup. Beef with spring onions. Curry chicken. Cheesy omelette.
3 types of NYDC cheesecake.
Many happily stuffed people. She's the best :)

Then off to catch Babel.
Concluded that multiple stories weren't really my thing.
Too much processing needed. Lol.


2. French Stall
A quaint little stall hidden in a corner in Farrer Park.



Interior I like.
Warm. Incandescent.
Potentially romantic should the occasion be called for.

Food ain't too bad, though pretty small portions.
Do not expect pure authenticity, though they served my fav escargots :D
Jacin & Hunt just had to discount my weekend quota with sinfully great desserts.
Sigh. At least it was worth it. Haha.




Back to School

1. Vivo & St James
Couldn't have enough of French.
Dragged Shi Li to another in Vivocity.
This time for some French sandwiches & Nicoise salad. Mmm



Then off to a change into new lil dresses to haunt St James Powerstation with Adi (Left pic).
Decent live bands.
Completely inspired by the Boiler Room's band to kickstart our female power vocal duet.
One day, we'll make The Freeloaders famous.
Even if that meant resorting to practicing English songs at a cina Karaoke lounge (Right pic: carved table flower motif). Ohoho


2. Synergy Concert
Attended Lawrence's virgin dance debut @UCC with Ruifen & Ken.
Bet his salsa spins had improved tremendously from hours of stretching and erm, gay twirlies, haha. Well done nevertheless.


Couldn't help taking pics of interesting stuff while loitering around the area.
Like edible glitter. For creative use on the body? Kinky.



And this gorgeous royal kimono.
Would be great idea for a unique evening wedding gown. Or a wall-hanger.
But for now, think I'll save the $1000 to paint the walls.


Black kimono with crane motifs. Beautiful.



3. KR Hall Production
What else to say when the script's self-composed (again).
Sigh. At least the music was cool.
Contemporary music, yay. Impressive stuff for Tim, Shi Li and the rest.
Proud of you guys.




4. NUS Bazaar
Ahh, miss those $2 earrings and bracelets.
And those cheap colored lens. For students. Hehehe
The stalls been spruced up well though, as a good change.




Randomcity

Some mysterious GSK admirer diligently baked cookie hearts on Vday and chucked them in the pantry. We never knew who the elusive being was, but it tasted good (and no one get poisoned).

Then off to Old School to see the girls Cat, Aveline & Fongky strut their hiphop moves in the white room. Never had so much fun just... looking :)


One day I shall be that goddess in the kitchen.
But for now, I shall conquer the band room first, ahaha.


Ready-fried bacon anyone?



Took this authentically ancient bus on the way home.
Couldn't take anymore less dodgy pics. Crap phone.
Funky retro interior. Reminds me of a minibus perhaps.


This is what I see in the mornings across the causeway in a KTMB train.
Always felt inclined to jump to see what happens.
If I ever dared to.


In contrast, the newest MRT carriages had lights like airplane ceilings.
Feels like a trip to the future.



With public transport aplenty, who needs cars anymore?



Some funky girly stool encountered in the changing room.
Cool shit.



On the other hand, that piece of red lump at Biopolis was one of the ugliest structure ever seen.
It sure looked like one big blob of a SARS molecule, which anyone just easily design.
Bend here, bend there. And voila, some piece of crap worth a mil dollars was born.



Aww, Yingyi & Porshee sleeping together.
No hanky panky now ;)


I spy with my lil eye,
A tortoiseshell on your hand.
Did you make turtlesoup out of the poor fella?

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

The cows home yet?

The passion for success and recognition.
That naturally warrants constant endeavors 'til the cows come home.


Hmm.
Even those cows came home before I did.

Moo?


Sunday, March 04, 2007

Currents

Raging.
Crashing into sharp rocks.

Jumped?
Its depth. Deceivingly shallow.
Lifted foot. Balanced on the slippery rock.
Gracefully. Hopefully.

Fluttered over to the bank.
Still dry. Quiet giggle.