goldenoro

My Sewing Adventure

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:13:00 +0000

So, I really got into making the jacket. In a couple of hours since posting this morning I have finished the body of the jacket and just need to do the collar, sleeves and lining and zipper opening. I liked making this because I have been trying to draft my own patterns and finding myself hopelessly lacking in perseverence. Also, having to think about how pieces should be drafted and fit together turned me off sewing for quite a while.

This pattern is Girl's Jacket No 140 from October Burda 2009. I chose a plaid, knowing full well the problems associated with matching the checks etc. I had tried to match up the checks during the cutting of the material, and I think I did a fairly good job, though I can't commend my accuracy.

The first seam I stitched, the back centre seam, was a bit of a laugh, because after all the care I took in cutting the pieces to match, I sewed it so haphazardly that the lines didn't match at all!

So, after a bit of ripping, which I absolutely loathe, I took real care to match the seams nicely.

After that, add back waistband and lower back piece, then move on to the front pieces. First, I prepared the pockets, which were the most fiddly bits and required some neatness which I have no patience for - I'm kind of in the wrong hobby aren't I?

Attach pockets to fronts, then attach pocket flaps as well. Those were wonky and quite unpleasant to make, and am hoping my little one isn't a stickler for perfect pocket flaps.

FInally, attach front top to waist pieces and then to bottom pieces, then sew fronts to back at side and shoulder seams.

I stopped after I read the next instruction, which is to interface the collar and attach it. It's been a while since I've done that, and then the sleeves come after! And then I have to repeat the whole process with the lining! Tomorrow, I think.

Still, I feel wonderfully productive in a way I haven't for a while. Working with your hands in a smart way has always been good work to me, and it has been a very pleasurable morning!

All Quiet on the Home Front

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:33:00 +0000

Today I woke up before my alarm rang - and not because I was woken by a child creeping in or even shrill voices outside the door - but because I had had enough sleep!

The kids are with grandma and Hubby Boo is away today, so it was to a quiet house I awoke.

It's nice. I immediately made my bed, threw open the windows and made myself a hearty breakfast. I NEVER do these things, I usually feel a little put out that the first thing I have to do in the morning is for someone else. I realised today that I haven't really changed (as I had thought) in my belief that the morning is a beautiful part of the day, it's just that today, it's MY morning.

Feels really nice.

I am catching up on my cooking shows and finishing a whole lot of sewing (which I actually really haven't started). Yesterday I finished a skirt for Panini, and it turned out better-made than I expected. I shall find out today if the fit was good enough. Today I start on a variation on a winter jacket for Baby 2. The biggest commitment I have today is a yoga class after skipping a full 2 months' worth, due to nausea and sleep (not lack of it, but too much of it!).

I hope the jacket will take less than two days. Then I move on to more tops for Panini and hopefully a red carpety dress for me. Though I can fit a pattern together, I can't say much about my workmanship, and I do tend to get put off if I make a mistake. Having to make something for others does pull up my expectations of myself a bit!

Thank goodness for Burda World of Fashion magazine. I used to buy it every time I could find it, but recently realised it's not on sale in Malaysia anymore. I tracked down a back issue an subscribed. After a few months of miscommunication, I finally received my first issue! Bliss! I think it may be available in Singapore for readers and home-sewers there, as they have a distributor based there (but I have never come across it). And much as I love the Japanese dressmaking and crafts books at Kino, I am not keen on their fashion sensibility and cost! I am definitely a type that needs a waist in my clothes!

I will post a picture of my progress, if I don't either get too carried away or lose interest...

Anyway, have a happy day everybody! If I could send one wish out to everybody, it would be that I hope you have a moment of warm happiness that brightens up your day!

C

Something Frivolous

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:01:00 +0000

Here's the rule: Bold the things you've done & post on your blog!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii and danced on a lava cliff with the roar of the Pacific below.
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch - crochet, knitting (does friendship band macrame count?), writing
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables - silver beets, with great success, but i hated eating them at the time
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill to avoid taking the kids to school
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb well, i fed one once
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse in a bucket of water when i was really small, also Halley's comet!
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run in softball and rounders, NOt baseball :(
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language I was halfway thru Italian before I forgot it
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied when I was working hardest for it, ironically
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David Both the original and the copy which stands in the original's original place
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight Somewhere near Margaret River after a "gig" by the band I was in
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted not painted, but illustrated in charcoal
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie insert casting couch joke here
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class Tai Chi :)
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching=
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt not a great result
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper I was 17 or 18
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year's Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous outside of Malaysia? Daniel Webb and Torvill & Dean
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one - other than grandparents, none, fortunately
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Dumbing down for the masses?

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 06:46:00 +0000

Imagine you're the brightest kid in the class. Imagine you are forced to learn as slowly as the other kids - who aren't stupid, it's just that you know more and learn faster.

Imagine you're a smarter businessperson than most. Imagine that, instead of being able to surge ahead, you are held back because you're the wrong age, the wrong sex, the wrong race.

Now imagine you're urbanised. You live in a metropolis where people are survivors. It's all about money, politics, status and individualism. Then imagine that you can't read books that people of the world read, you can't live the life of the standard of other world cities, and you can't even listen to the music the world listens to.

Why? Because your leaders make you live the life of the people outside of the city - the rural masses.
Why? Because they hold the vote.
But do they really care? Do the people living on the outskirts of the city, the outskirts of the federal state, living their good lives trying to raise their children as good people - do they really care if you hear "Mazel Tov" in a pop song that they probably don't care too much about anyway?

Well, apparently they do. Or at least, your leaders believe they do.

Personally, I think most people are busy trying to get on with their lives and care more about their neighbours and the business of their own lives than those of the city folk.

I bring this up because today I was watching my satellite television, and on the TV version of the very same radio station I mentioned in my previous post regarding above said song, that same song was played, totally uncensored!

The reason obviously being that fewer people around Malaysia have this satellite service (about 3million) than listen to their radio station (which is free ad available to all the population of Malaysia who choose to listen to it).

Satellite Tv subscribers are mostly urban - and if they can afford it in rural areas, well I suppose it's natural for our patronising establishment to assume that they can "handle" less censorship. The masses out there though, might not be able to handle it when they discover that "Mazel Tov" and "L'Chaim" or "laheim" are jewish words for congratulations and cheers to life, right? I mean, that's why they censored those words, correct? Because they are jewish words, not because they mean what they mean.

Problem is, urbanites have to listen to a bastardised song for the sake of the PERCEIVED sensitivities of the mass voters.

If we're not careful, we'll be getting bullsh*t solutions to serious problems being fed to us all because of the PERCEIVED need to dumb down for the masses. Oh, hang on, that's already happening!

Sad thing is, these are all perceived needs. Truth is, those mass voters are smart enough to know when they are being taken for a ride. They have access to uncensored news and tv - via satellite tv, internet and word of mouth. They cannot be treated that way for much longer, even if they seem to be unretaliatory.

They may not react much to it now, but they will when it hits their front door and they have livelihoods and security to protect. You will see it manifest in disillusionment which may result in anything from protest voting, to a depressed socio-economy. If you lose the faith of your own people, you're leading a hollow empire that will sooner crumble than sustain you.

I worry most for the health of the society. When kids are getting put off by the actions of their parents and leaders, that rift between generations is hard to mend. And much as I disagree with fixed traditionalism and antiquated notions, The older generation has much to teach the younger about community, respect, faith and love.

But what young person will learn from someone who disgusts them? They will pave their own way, and if we're not careful, it will lack the soul and depth that proper care and nurturing engenders.

Wake up Malaysia! Your "parents" no longer see you as a way to safeguard their future - they only care for their present.

Not only anti-semitic, but anti-postive vibes...

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:01:00 +0000

Since writing this this morning, I realised how incomplete my thought were, so I decided to elaborate a little. New additional material has been added in italics.

I was in the car not half an hour ago when the Black Eyed Peas' song "I got a feeling (That Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night)" came on, on a very popular, if not the number one English language commercial radio station.

They scrambled the phrase "Mazel Tov". I couldn't believe my ears. So I listened for the next time that phrase was sung, and found that they had muted it from the song, and also the word that comes after, "L'Chaim" which Fergie sings.

Well, this was done because obviously someone up top thinks we would be condoning pro-Israel sentiment by having people a) hear the words, b) sing them, and c) possibly understand them. I say pro-Israel as opposed to pro-Jewish, because they can hardly be censoring those particular words for the reason that they are Jewish, as they have happy, positive connotations, and are not particularly Jewish in nature except for the fact that they are in Yiddish.

Firstly, I would guess that many people do not know what it means, even if they might have known it was a Jewish phrase. Secondly, what could these Jewish phrases possibly do to convert people from fun-loving, radio-listening people who just like the tune, into raving pro-Israelite militants ready to take over the political and social consciousness of our unwitting melayu muslim malaysians?

Mazel Tov means "good luck" or "congratulations". They say it at weddings, when they eat, when someone is being given blessings or has achieved some sort of religious milestone. It's like "syabas" for goodness sake. And "L'Chaim" means "to life", and I guess you could equate it to "cheers".

I would like to know if other radio stations are doing it too, which is weird, since it has been playing uncensored for months now - hah! you've been duped all this time! - or is it just this commercial station that pre-empts a government intervention?

I'd also like to know if they got permission to do so from the record company, and if they did, was it a management decision, or were the Black Eyed PEas themselves in on the decision to allow this to happen? Because if BEP were aware of this action and allowed it, then their whole persona as all-inclusive, forward, party kinda guys is kinda called into question. Basically, if this were true, they would rather compromise their propounded beliefs for the sake of being able to continue playing the song in Malaysia for money - unlike, say, Steven Spielberg who decided that he would not cut Schindler's List for arbitrary censorship rules, for the sake of collecting box office returns in Malaysia.

I suspect they are unaware of it, or may even have been pushed into allowing it by the record execs. For shame!!

I think someone upstairs decided that a point must be made, and it may have started from honourable intentions, i.e. "we do not condone Israeli occupation of Palestine" (an honourable sentiment, I wholeheartedly believe).

However, in true Malaysian fashion, we completely balls up the real issue by taking petty steps in an attempt to control. "...therefore we will censor a party song by an American band in order to make a real effort to show our rejection of Israeli war and political games, and really (dis)educate the Malaysian people about the difference between race and politics and power and money".

This is why we seem anti-Semitic. I think the average MAlaysian hasn't even any idea what a real Jewish person is like. And yet there's this fear in their consciousness that has come about from misinformation and of course, presumption and bigotry. The truth is, we're anti-Israel-occupation-of-Gaza etc. Here comes the big difference: ISRAEL'S OCCUPATION OF GAZA HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE JEWISH RACE. IT IS ALL ABOUT POWER, SMALL-MINDEDNESS, CRUELTY, HISTORY AND OH, SO MUCH MORE - and you have only to look in our own back yard to find that people like that, behaviour like that, can be found anywhere, perpetrated by people from any race.

So get real, we're not going to implode morally if we hear Jewish words in a song!!

For real though, how many of you believe that hearing "congrats" or "cheers" in Yiddish means that you are pro-Israel?

Yeeeeessshhh!!!!

The stupidity of it all, I just wanna lie down and cry.

C

Maaf Zahir Batin

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:09:00 +0000

Selamat Hari Raya everyone, and please be careful on the roads!

Lovey, C

Oh, be ashamed!

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:29:00 +0000

"I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion, and it is the spirit. " Khalil Gibran.

There, he said it. The spirit.

This is the essence of ourselves that makes up our souls in the light of God. People liken religion to faith - but they are two different things.

There has been a lot happening these last few days in Malaysia which makes me question my choice to live here. Firstly, to live in Peninsular Malaysia, which seems to be rife with racial tension and bigotry to an extent I was not aware of in Sabah, where I am from. Perhaps that is because I only spent my childhood there before leaving for schooling, and was therefore unaware of the politics of race. I do remember, it didn't matter what religion or race my friends were. No one cared.

However, my most recent visits back home have brought to light the phenomenon of the "malayification" of Sabah culture. I don't mean Islamization, because many of my people (kadazan dusuns) have converted to Islam in the past, including some members of my family. I mean the incidence of the permeation of the malay culture into the kadazan way of life. I'm not saying it's good or bad, just observing a fact and preparing to comment on a related phenomenon.

Having knowledge of this happening in the remote state of Sabah, lets me see what is going on here on the Peninsular, particularly in KL, in a different light. The latest outrageous incident involving a cowhead and protests against the relocation of an Indian temple from one suburb to another, has left most of us disgusted, especially since the perpetrators supposedly represent the Muslim Malays of Malaysia.

[If you are unaware of this incident, about 50 Malays, including children, marched a severed cowhead up to a government building, stamped and spat on it and denounced the move of the Indian temple into their part of the suburbs. (If you are not aware, this is a sacrilegious act against Hinduism) The general public were later to discover that a) the 150 year old temple had preceded the suburb's existence by about 130 years, b) the temple had been meant for relocation for over 20 years and it had been long past due and c) it was being relocated to an industrial area at least 200 metres from the nearest residency. The protesters at the time, and at later forums of discussion (hah!) claimed the temple would disrupt their community life, and encourage more crime. Hindusim encouraging more crime? How easily this shows the ignorance at large here.]

To me, this is not about religion at all. If those protesters, and the silent observing community as well, have any clue about the Hindu religion, and yes, even any clue about the Muslim religion, they would know that the location of the temple is not the issue at all.

This is about race.

This is about those Malay men and women working themselves up into a rage because they do not want strangers in their own back yard.

I tell you though, if this was a church with a predominantly white congregation, this would be a totally different story. I say this because the root of this racial tension is really about self-esteem. If you as a race (and I do not speak about all individuals of one race, I speak of this particular group representing an existing faction of their race) feel threatened in your tiny world, who do you pick on except those you have decided in your mind are weaker than you? Who else except those you look down upon? Nobody wants to say it, especially not those of us who are intellectually aware of the subtexts in this drama, and are reluctant to point out the ugly truth for fear of upsetting the victims further. I say pointing it out is acknowledging the victim's unfair treatment and highlighting the cowardice of their bullies.

And if you have this problem of self-esteem, you do not insult those you feel inferior to. Now I've said it. Despite the rhetoric of anti-western sentiment, we are all living the extremely western ideal of capitalism. And, like it or not, this country owes a debt to its colonisers because they left behind a system which we have never replaced, and we have used it to try to compete with other western giants on a global scale. If you do not agree with that, then let's look at another world force that apparently we positively adore: the Arabs. Why, KL practically licks the ground in preparation of their vacation season, and we let in some of the rudest, most boorish tourists and allow them to trample loudly all over the place. They're perfect: they're Muslims who spend.

People, open your eyes. If a woman kills her friends' reputations with slanderous gossip, her Jubah doesn't make her a perfect Muslim. If a man insists that it is more important to not be tempted by food during the fasting month, than it is to be tempted by bribery, sex or malicious intentions, he is a hypocritical Muslim for only caring for outward shows of faith. If a man wears a skull cap, but beats his wife at home in between his five prayer routine, he is not a good Muslim. If a woman teaches her child that he cannot speak to one kind of race because they don't eat the same way they do, she is already denying Allah's decree of tolerance and the seeking of knowledge. If a man teaches his daughter that she must fast or else, but them subjects her to humiliation whether it is verbal or sexual, he is not a good Muslim. These are all hypocrites who twist and use their sacrosanct religion to honour their own base desires and urges to control others, and create little mini-mes in their image. I say this is ungodly and the worst of sins, because it is an act against the decrees of God.

It is the goodness, the actions and the honourable intent of a person that makes them a good Muslim - and not what they wear on their heads, or what they say out loud in the name of God.

So, all those protesters and their eventual supporters who were marching in the name of their religion were simply using it as a way of expressing their closed-minded, bigoted, intolerant, un-Islamic - and I truly believe un-Malay - prejudices. If you were until now, undecided about what happened a week ago, I hope that you will actively seek out more knowledge about what you may have simply accepted as truth because someone told you so. Being mindful, thoughtful and considerate - how much closer to God's tenets could you get if you are constantly applying yourself to knowing the truth?

I simply pray that people do not allow their emotions to rule their thoughts in these matters.

On another note, what is it with the authorities sitting back on this whole issue and feebly calling for calm, and then swooping down and arresting another group who attended a candlelight vigil promoting the peaceful resolution of this very issue?

How can anyone not see that this is a political stance with a racial slant? They fear upsetting a few angry Malays more than they fear the consequences of abusing civilians' rights under the conventions they have signed on a world scale.

I am sickened to the core.

I feel abandoned morally by my leaders and am heartsick that this is the future my children face. Who is to say, that because they have a famous father, or because their mother was not malay, or because they speak english as a first language, they will not be ostracised themselves, despite the fact that they are beautiful souls with not a shred of evil in them? I don't want that for them, never.

Do you want that for your children? I hope to God it doesn't stay this way.

Bitter and unhappy,
C

A Time to Reflect

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:40:00 +0000

Selamat Berpuasa to those who are fasting. Interesting that this fantastic article should come out now, when I have been thinking long and hard on the value people put on fasting in this country (my opinions of that I have gone into many a time before).

Go here to check it out.

And remember that ultimately, we must answer to God - and not to our neighbour, our family or our community.

Have compassion!

Lovey, C

A Prayer For Those Left Behind

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:05:00 +0000

This is intended to be a rumination on the state of my world only. You can go elsewhere if you're looking to win an argument. Peace.

This year has been a strange and mystifying one so far. We hear about deaths and freak accidents all the time, right? But is it just me, or has everything been eerily weird?

People with very public personas have died suddenly, or been hurt badly. In our private lives, we have lost, to sudden and unexpected deaths, a number of friends dear as well as not so near. Friends and relatives have hurt themselves in odd and freakish accidents. Planes have been malfunctioning. To top it all off, tabloids wasting your money passing off speculation, unbridled gossip and voyeuristic gawking and wagging of heads and fingers, as journalism.

You no doubt have heard of the sad passing of Yasmin Ahmad. We have lost a great Malaysian who saw no difference between any of us, a great humanitarian who believed in the good in people. Hubby Boo was very affected by her passing and has since expressed his grief in his own way.

It stung him and I both to learn of the disgusting article in a tabloid today. Similarly, rumours run rampant about MJ and the circumstances of his life and death and children.

But seriously, you, dear reader, yes, you. Ask yourself this: besides the titillating aspects of fantastical speculative journalism, does it really matter to you, all that stuff you might unintentionally or willingly read? Did your family stop fighting? Did your car bills start paying themselves? Did your sick parent or child miraculously heal when you gave your money in support of the cheap thrills those publications offer? If you have a deep need to believe the sanctity of these articles, if they matter more to you than the people in your real life, then you have avoidance issues, my friend. Or your life is seriously empty.

I understand there is a need, both for private individuals, and for the public as a mass, to go through a process in order to "deal with" a person's death. I for one have been newly enthralled by MJ's works and character. And yet six months ago I wouldn't have known what he was up to. Death has an effect on people - and maybe it's my age, or that I'm a mother of growing children, or that the internet has made information so accessible - but I see myself being engrossed with the MIchael Jackson I have re-conceived in my mind, after his death. Is it a coping mechanism, is it about me trying to make sense of feeling deep loss, even though he was a stranger, or maybe a reflection over my own life and achievements? I could go on about that, but it is not the point to my story here.

The point is, that what we choose to believe of those who have left us, is made good by our good intentions, and by our respect for not only the dead, but those who survived them.

So please, if you have any shred of humanity in you, do not think badly of people who, despite their weaknesses, their past or their actions, despite their very humanity, rose above lowly expectations to live a life that changed others, helped others, and opened up others' eyes and hearts to godly things like compassion, love, honour and dignity.

Most of all, do not judge people in your hearts when all you have to go on are scraps of scandal from the pens of men and women who have poverty and cruelty in their souls and trash in their heads. Isn't it funny how so many religions denounce the act of gossiping, and backbiting? It ranks more or less as evil as murder, if I am not mistaken. I always used to wonder why such a small thing, which most of us are naturally inclined to do socially, could carry so much weight as a sin.

Now I know why - it hurts. Not only does it hurt the victim of gossip, but the family, then friends, then the community and eventually society. For example, if we keep getting the message that it's okay to deride the dead in the name of "investigative" journalism, then one day, we will find that it is the norm. And our intent to honour the dead - well, that will be lost on an individual and societal level. We'll be no better than animals.

Shame on those who purport to reveal the "facts" when all they are doing is chasing after money, robbing human beings of their dignity, and at the same time flushing their souls down the toilet. If you know those people, I hope you feel provoked by their shameful actions to turn to tell them the truth about themselves: they're bottomfeeders.

Please everyone, take special care of yourselves and don't let the mindlessness of everyday living stop you from living thoughtfully and making good moral choices every moment of the day. We have to be vigilant to keep ourselves safe from immorality disguised as information.

To the families and friends of the dearly departed, my condolences are all I can offer, for you may not even know me. However I do feel for your loss and I lament at the state of things. I also, selfishly, have turned inward and wonder about my own legacy. I hope dearly that I am not, nor ever will be, one of those bottomfeeders and that I keep enough of my wits about me to know when I might make a mistake. I wish I had a gram of the bravery and honesty people like Yasmin Ahmad and Michael Jackson had, with which they changed their communities.

Bismillahirahmanirahim.
Bless those who have been hurt or are weaker than us.
Bless the souls of the departed.
Bless those who are blind and cannot see their mistakes.
Bless the innocent, who might not recognise a lie.
Bless the ignorant, that they may choose to open their eyes.
Bless the gifted, that they might stand being different.
Bless the lonely, that they might see that they can just ask for love. It will come.
Bless the mothers and fathers, who might treat the children they chose to bear, with care, for they are godly gifts.
Bless the haters, who only have a fear they might not find the love they seek.
Bless the selfless, that they may not be plagued by guilt or pain, because they shine to the heavens.
Bless you the reader, that you might feel safe at home, feel loved and be true to yourself.
Bless our family, we are all we have.
Bless Hubby Boo, that he may recognise that the pain will pass and will make him strong.
Bless Baby 1 and Baby 2 that they may never lose their desire to learn, give, laugh and love. Amin.

RIP MJ

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:25:00 +0000

Last Thursday I awoke late and was trying to get my kids up out of bed for school when I heard about Michael Jackson. Although the moment was sad news for me, I guess I kind of thought, well, them's the breaks. It was only when I was about to tell hubby boo that it hit me that, for both of us, and especially for him, Michael Jackson was such a significant part of our lives.

I remember catching Billie Jean on one of those chart shows that we had showing here during the early 80s. They were like specials, they didn't seem to happen on a regular basis on Malaysian tv. Watching those lights go on in the pavement under his feet and seeing that dancing, that fantastic dancing. I dimly remember the hype surrounding the video, maybe it made the news, I don't know. I would watch it over and over again, and wonder who Bille Jean was that merited this song. Beaing barely 10 years old, it says a lot that I was curious about the story of the song. When Beat It came out, I was transfixed by the choreography. When Thriller came out, I would have learned the steps if I could keep up. The most I could do was sing along and just... try to keep up.

I was never an out and out Michael Jackson fan. I mean, I could have sung most of his songs for you and described all his music videos. As a teen I bought the Cure, Jamiroquai, The Bee Gees. I guess I got the feeling it was a little uncool to like the Michael Jackson of the early 90s, late 80s. But Thriller was the second album I bought ever, only after Olivia Newton-John. After that I got Off the Wall, and despite moving on to other music those songs stayed with me. In particular Wanna Be Starting Something and PYT off the Thriller album were non-megahits which I loved and tried to learn the lyrics to.

Hubby and I saw him perform in KL. We were both astounded at how fit he was. I always thought he was lean and slight. But in his gold suit, every time he did the robot, his thigh muscles would bulge, and I realised at the same time as boo that he was quite built, almost stocky with muscles. I felt no hysteria at the concert. We were seated halfway down the field and told to sit by the FRU as soon as we got up to dance, because we were "blocking the others", who by the way, were all standing as well. I don't think they get what the purpose of a concert is for, i.e. a safe place for people to let off steam - so they don't do it elsewhere.

And when I heard he had died, I felt sad and shocked, but went about my day as usual.

But today, the day before, and the day before that, I have been thinking so deeply about it all, reading up and watching videos from his past, and I have felt miserable about it all. I almost wish the naysayers were correct, and that maybe he faked it all to finally find some peace. Of course I don't believe that, I just wish it. Anything that might have assuaged that pain that he seems to have felt all his life, despite being a prodigy, and smart and fortunate.

I despair over the lies that cropped up immediately after his death, and even more dismayed by the hateful comments and jokes at his and his family's expense. If you have any idea at all about the psychology of a singularly talented person rising up from abuse and poverty, you can't help but find compassion for him, or at least his children. For every terrible accusation against him there has been a loving praise for him to match it.

I found a programme on youtube in which he showed his personal home videos, and I can't help feeling that he was this complex man made up of physical prowess, agility and sexuality, mental capacity for creativity and business, and this kid who never swore and hid his mouth when he laughed and got embarrassed when asked about his virginity. His changing face... that saddened me the most, because from being a cute star child, losing those cheeks, clear skin, cute little voice and turning into a skinny, ungainly teenager, and then at the sudden peak of your career losing control over your looks through the broken nose, the burnt scalp, the vitiligo. If I were him, I don't know how I could keep performing, constantly under attack about the one thing that physically matters in the industry besides the voice an the dancing, and that you have no control over.

The frenzy and the lack of control over whether the news really does carry truth or pure scandal, or even speculation which so easily gives rise to lies which becomes truth bothered me a lot. And yet as a fan, I really want to know more and to make sure that I know all there is to know. I suppose it's closure.

My hope is that the children are safely taken care of and are not dumped into the wrong hands who might take advantage of their sudden wealth (MJ's estate value soared since his death). I also hope they don't have to face too much of the scandals their father did before they are able to handle it as adults. I hope they are left alone to grow up with as much of a childhood as possible.

people always told me be careful what you do
don't go around breaking young girls' hearts
and mother always told me be careful who you love
be careful what you do because the lie becomes the truth

The lyrics seem portentious, hearkening to a future trouble he would not know of in 1983, but I think after more than ten years in the business, this was probably already a home truth to Michael and his family.

From all the 70s and 80s babies who remember what they were doing when Billie Jean hit the airwaves, and from all the 90s and Noughties babies who met him at Dangerous, rest in peace, Michael Jackson.

Gone Too Soon

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:43:00 +0000

Like a comet
Blazing 'cross the evening sky
Gone too soon

Like a rainbow
Fading in the twinkling of an eye
Gone too soon

Shiny and sparky
And splendidly bright
Here one day
Gone one night

Like the loss of sunlight
On a cloudy afternoon
Gone too soon

Like a castle Built upon a sandy beach
Gone too soon

Like a perfect flower
That is just beyond your reach
Gone too soon

Born to amuse, to inspire, to delight
Here one day
Gone one night

Like a sunset
Dying with the rising of the moon
Gone too soon
Gone too soon

Michael Jackson, R.I.P.

Can You Help?

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:15:00 +0000

At the request of our friend Patrick, I am posting this for your information. Please take a look at the site and if you feel you can help in anyway, you can make contact through the site.

Feeling the Burn!

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:17:00 +0000

Warning: this is a droolfest of a blog with gratuitous fanpics and over-sensationalist proclamations of devout love. You see, my good friend Pea introduced me to Burn Notice.

Squeeeee!

With Jeffrey Donovan, whom you may be familiar with from "Changeling" and "Hitch":

Bruce Campbell, and Gabrielle Anwar. I remember Gabrielle from a British kids show "Press Gang", with Dexter Fletcher (Lock, Stock And Two Barrels) and Julia Sawalha (Saffy from Absolutely Fabulous). Now she's a mother of three with a bangin' bod and hot-rocking it with droolworthy Donovan. You may also know her as the lady who tangoed with Al Pacino in Scent Of A Woman. And Bruce Campbell is pretty gorgeous too!

And it is, oh, so much fun. I love, love, love Jeffrey Donovan and his character Michael Westen, a "burned" spy trying to find out why he was burned. Season Three starts in the states next month. If you can get your hands on the DVDs, do. The extras are lots of fun and they have a gag reel and audition tapes too.

See ya!
C

Scapes In the City

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Sat, 23 May 2009 07:33:00 +0000

Urbanscapes is on again. If you want to be able to watch Afdlin Shauki's film during the festival, to go their site to vote for your favourite.

Hope to se you there!
C

Wonder where Afdlin is?

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Thu, 14 May 2009 16:17:00 +0000

...check out his updates while on his trip to Cannes with the Malaysian contingent (they finally have a booth this year! YAAAY!)

Got to his twitter page.

Chowsers!

Music I Remember Seeing

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Mon, 04 May 2009 08:59:00 +0000

There was a time when local stations used to play music video shows, before MTV. I was about ten or eleven and had just learnt to use the video recorder. They were shown late at night and only showed about six or eight videos. That's where I learnt about Michael Jackson and Wham and The Eurythmics.

It's also where I developed a semi-conscious appreciation of music which I carried with me into my teens. So every now and then I would hear songs on the radio that struck a chord, twinged an aural memory, or inspired nostalgic longings for that little world I was in as a pre-teen, when I was learning to define myself culturally and musically.

I never thought I was a rock music fan. I never thought my tastes were that cool. It was only later that I realised that the Beatles were rockers and so were some of the Motowners I listened to as a child. My dad was a subscriber to a music album club. He had a stock of fantastic albums, including Scott Walker, the Beatles of course, various compilation albums, Motown records and instrumental musicians and other dignitaries like Django Reinhardt, Nat King Cole, The Kinks, Elvis, Louis Armstrong, Credence Clearwater Revival, John Denver, Engelbert Humperdinck, Crunchy Granola Guy (I can't remember his name!), and so, so many others. I must have heard these albums when my dad played them, because for some reason or other, I could identify oldies, classics, voices and singles when I was in my teens in high school, stuff my peers had never heard.

Much as I would like to have been a cool rocker, ultimately, it was the toons and the personalities which captivated me. And here, I have attempted to track down those videos which stayed with me.

This one in particular, by Journey, I have ben looking for for months now. For the life of me I couldn't identify the song nor the video. It became clear to me today that I was confusing the band and song with another band and song. I remember very vividly the video had a warehouse/docks location and that the lead singer was a cutie. I also realise that I recently cut my hair in almost the same fashion as he has. Though I am a little more on trend, I insist. This is Journey's "Separate Ways":

Steve Perry went on to have other singles as a solo artist such as "Oh Sherrie". Ya, remember?

The song I was confusing this with was Survivor's "I Can't Hold Back", featuring Red Leather Pants Man. I kinda thought he was cute too, though at my age, this was X-rated as far as I was concerned.

Didn't they all have a lot of energy in music videos back then? Their expressions, their style. Man, they were gung-ho!

Then there was John Waite (Bad English, the Babys), who had this fantastic song with a lovely angsty 80s video in semi-darkness with a swinging overhead light. Unfortunately the video cannot be found on youtube, so here he is, looking very unlike the close-cropped self he was in the video, on a show:

Anyone remember Black? Probably not. And most people I try to remind this song of have no idea of it or the artist himself. I loved this because it was such a lovely video and calming. And lovely. And calming.

Let's hear it for General Public! Does anyone remember them? Please someone say they do. I have always loved this song, and marvel at the sheer OTT performances that totally self-conscious singers have:

However some artists have an enormous sense of self that has ensured their everlastingness in the hearts of their fans. There's no doubt that this guy has absolute certainty as to his coolness:

I didn't know who Corey Hart was, but I remember the video. I could only find this remixed version, but fans should enjoy revisiting the (dark) past!

Wouldn't it be good if they made songs like this again?

Wasn't this guy magical?

Murray Head. Anyone know what he sang?

Oh, it's been so nice revisiting and reliving my yoot.

Feeling great!
C

More than ten years on...

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:29:00 +0000

...and I finally see Jamiroquai live!

I was but a teen when I first saw Jamiroquai on the early morning weekend tv music show Rage in Perth, Western Australia. I was fascinated by this sound, not rock, which was what my peers liked so much; not pop, because it was somehow more intelligent musically. Kind of like jazz, but with a pop sensibility to it that piqued my musical ears. And that little guy prancing in the desert - wow, he looked so cool.

It was either When You Gonna Learn or Too Young To Die. Oh, how I wished they would tour Australia! But I knew even then that they probably wouldn't as their market seemed very niche. I mean, how many hard core rocker would shimmy to their particular snazzy beat?

Then they went to Singapore, but alas, I had just given birth I think, and had a great dislike of flying with an infant, and so hubby boo and panini went together, and I rather maturely thought, oh, well, it was not for me to see.

And then we heard they were coming for the F1 and anyone who had a ticket could go. By now, my own daughters had developed a huge liking for Jamiroquai and I knew, we could all go watch as one genetically-linked feminine microcosm of worshippers.

We loved the opening acts, but gosh, they seemed to take too long! Not for any lack of entertainment - they were all brilliant - it's just that they weren't Jamiroquai.

Much as I would have liked to be down at the front gazing lovingly into Jay Kay's eyes, good sense told me that a) I had squashable children with me, b) it would be hot in there despite the rain, c) I am too old to jostle for attention and d) too young to miss out on the dancing (and for that I would need SPACE).

So we settled on a tiny 3' by 3' hillock and had a pretty good view from side-on, until the umbrellas went up. Guys, this is an open air concert. You are supposed to be hard. As in tough. Umbrellas? Yeah, we had one, and only put it up because everyone did. But I thought, this is silly, and brought the kids further out to a clearing from which we had a fantastic view of the stage. We shrugged on our plastic macs, stabbed the brolly into the ground, and as soon as those grooves began, I was dancing like noone was around.

I wish my pictures could do it all justice, but none did. In the end I abandoned all hope of recording mere images for posterity and immersed myself in the experience.

Hubby boo eventually found his way out of the civilised mosh pit to join us, but alas, after his arrival, our experience was interrupted by well-meaning fans seeking photos and a chat. You know, there is an etiquette to asking for a celeb's time when they are not working. I like Jorge Garcia's take on it (he's Hurley from Lost, and his blog is pretty cool too). Much as I appreciate fans and their support, it was hard to feel free with people standing, watching, surreptitiously taking photos (yeah, we see them do that) from less than two metres away. I don't know how he feels, but I sometimes feel like a little caged animal being viewed without permission. If you have ever felt put on the spot, you would understand. It's even worse when it's supposed to be family time. Still, they were all very polite and nice, and I hate to complain, but there is always time after the show too, right?

Anyway, the night was pretty fantastic and when I think on it, it really was a mini-dream come true. Thanks for bringing them out here, whoever you are.

Lovey, C

Lying Down Idolling

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 11:23:00 +0000

Type "lightheadedness" into google and you'll find a forum where all these people in their thirties discuss their sudden-onset dizziness. Most of them just woke up one day with dizzy feelings. Most of them seem to have stress or anxiety disorders, some diagnosed, some not. I have been experiencing some lightheadedness, not really dizziness, not to the point of feeling nauseous or about to faint, but as if my brain is rising up in my head, as if I am travelling quickly over a dip in the road. I have no sensation of imbalance, but sometimes it gets so strong that I feel I might have a sight blackout. I've been treated for it with anti-nausea pills (which I didn't take as I didn't feel nauseous), anti-dizziness pills, which didn't really work, and B vitamins. I intended to have a blood test at the time but was waylaid by the triage nurse and doctor. At the time I had low blood pressure, which I attributed to having fasted all night and then waiting too long before going in for the test. So I will be going back in to insist on bloodwork.

However I have a nagging suspicion it is a combination of stress, bad sleeping patterns and bad nutrition. Lately I have put on quite a bit of weight over a six month period, after maintaining a lighter weight for over 5 years. Sedentary? Yes. Sleepless? Yes. Stimulated? Overly. Stressed? Although not working, and although I seem quite laidback, I am constantly worried and anxious, about other people, and time not spent being healthy and purposeful. Half of it is guilt, and half of it exhaustion - some from bad lifestyle habits, and some residual exhaustion from infant and toddler-raising.

Other possibilities: anaemia (which I had as a child), inner ear problems, unknown reaction to food or allergens, or toxic elements in my habitat.

I just got on the elliptical machine after a few months avoiding it. While I was on, no lightheadedness. Interesting. Whereas while I am at the desk, at my laptop or sitting up but "relaxing"... dizzy, dizzy!

So I have decided I need to hunker down and change my habits a little. Food - I have just started a programme which I love, though the last few days have been a little tough. I'll report back within a month about it, so we'll see how that goes. Sleep - getting there. I sometimes get very tired in the afternoon and can't help snoozing. But I don't like to do that because it affects my nighttime sleep. I used to need at least 8 hours a night. But lately, even if I am tired, I cant seem to shut off. I end up getting about 4 hours and cutting short my sleep to take the kids to school. And I can't shut off because I'm an internet junkie - facebook, youtube, twitter - and most of the time, I'm just refreshing the pages looking for new updates. How sick and sad is that? I have been trying to read instead, but my old favourite pastime seems to lack its usual lustre, and I blame the instantaneousness of the internet. Reading seems like too much hard work, OMG I have turned into an idiot! I AM that person I used to look down on!

It's been a month of lightheadedness and I am going to track any developments here. Meantime - Idol!

My sentiments remain the same. Adam Lambert should win and now I am bored of the whole process and feel like we are basically going through the motions just to get to that point where he wins. However, as usual, you can't trust the viewers to have any taste at all, in fact, I am sure there is a large section of the audience that thinks he is way too gay or talented for his own good.

This week, I did enjoy Scott, surprisingly, but not enough to feel like he should be top three. Anoop was annoying. Kris, though good, seemed forgettable. I don't even remember seeing him before tonight's performance. Still like Danny, but he's no Adam. I am liking Megan more but man that song was pretty crap. Why are all these young kids singing songs chosen from a hippy bohemian hobo trash dumpster person? I like Bob Marley, but that song was oatmeal compared to his other zingers. Lil rounds is probably the next most talented after Adam, but she is sinking into the grey.

Sigh. Seems like the world is going grey all over. And over-cluttered. And filled with angry people I get angry over.

Someone give me a lifetime of spa massages!?

C

Idol Schmidol

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 03:27:00 +0000

Feeling quite disenchanted by the whole Idol experience. No one seems to really stand out except for Adam Lambert, and he seems to be getting a little over the top - though I wonder if the general dissatisfaction I seem to find with everything Idol is what brings this about.

With hindsight, I am feeling annoyed by the changes in the format. One, the new judge, and two, the new extra rounds of elimination to draw out the viewing "pleasure" or torture as it may be. I feel a little used when I think about the latter. Just announce the top 12 and be done with it! Kara started out so well, but since they got into Hollywood, her judgments seem to be more about saying the right thing the right way. A little like how Paula always wants to say the nice thing, even when the performance was a dog's dinner of a show. They seem to be fuelling each other's mini-performances. Too much time spent on them - I want to see Simon rant! (Hi, Simon!)

Since picking up Ryan Seacrest on Twitter, I am liking him more and more. I am rethinking my prior rants on Seapuff. It seems the nice guy with the sly undertone is, if not a put on, then not the byproduct of a mean or unintelligent creature, as I once believed.

I am also feeling a little disappointed with the voting system, seeing as one of my faves, Alexis, was voted off last night. However, the judges' decision not to "save" her, a new feature which I find really annoying and stress-inducing, was quite right if you were to judge purely on her performance. Sure, she had a bad night, but then what about Scott the Blind Guy who really can't sing? He's obviously there on the whole popularity thing. Or worse, pity.

There's better TV in Lost, but that only happens once a week and for me, only over the net. I've been spnding a lot of time on youtube, catching up with British programmes I missed after returning home from Oz. Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Have I Got New For You, Mock The Week, QI with Stephen Fry et al. Mark Lamarr, come back to television!

this pic doesn't belong to me
In other news, we have started a new shoot for hubby boo's talk show, due out sometime in April / May. Head on over to looksout for a picture and further picture updates in the future.

Lovey, C

Idolling

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 11:44:00 +0000

Tonight's theme, the BeGloved One, Michael Jackson.

My favourite is still over-the-top Adam Lambert, so self-assured and certain. But do the 'Mericans like him? I also like Alexis Grace and Danny Gokey, and the rest are pretty much dross to me. Don't necessarily think the latter two gave the best performances tonight, but I still like 'em. Gokey better stop doing the hokey-pokey.

pics courtesy american idol

Anoop and Jorge seem to stick in my mind, but in particular with Jorge, I think it's because Paula Judge and Kara Judge seem to think he can't express himself in English. As Simon put it, "that's patronising", and gosh, I wish they would stop harping on about his bloody accent. He is obviously conversant in English, does it matter how he speaks? They can't seem to make the mental leap past his ethnic background, to actually take in the fact that he is responding to them in Engerlish. Sheesh.

Someone check who's styling these poor kids!

Nice to see Kara Judge and Paula Judge's sentimentalism and earnestness haven't rubbed off on you, Simon baby. See you next week, cuddles.

C

come april. do.

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:18:00 +0000

My daughter came in this morning and huffed and puffed as I struggled out of bed, claiming I would make her late for school. I grumped at her and then saw the mess I had left by the bedside - books, textiles, bits and pieces - and realised that I have become a homeless person in my own home.

I have gathered to me all the accoutrements of projects-to-be, as if to give me the impetus I need to kickstart myself into productivity. The fact of the matter is, I haven't begun all those things I meant to begin, either because they were doomed to my indifference or doomed by my misguided enthusiasm... same diff I suppose.

Now I am at work (by which I mean I go to our company office and wait for people to ask me something) and have been studiously ignoring the piles of paper that surround me. This is stuff I am saving in case it's important. I think I have insurance and car grants in there somewhere. I look at my files and realise the last time I fingered them was about eight months ago. Poor, unmolested files. Even my beloved coffee tastes bitter and feels our in my stomach.

I keep thinking, a fit of cleaning and filtering an focusing and dustbusting will surely make me feel better, as it always used to. Then I think on all those cleaning fits I had last year, all those garage sales where I made a surprising amount of money. That all just made way for all the other stuff in the house that came out of hiding. Back to square one. I just want to get rid of it all, yet here I am, clutching at things and keeping them close.

It would help if there weren't other family members in my family, but then I'd just have an empty, clean and neat house, which is not much good to you if you're a mum. Been fantasising about boarding schools for kids and hubbies. Or maybe for listless, mindless mothers. It's alright, I wouldn't do that to them, at least not till they hit puberty.

Been tweeting on Twitter lately and it's much fun. The most fun is following celebs for whom I've had enormous admiration since I was a teen in lovely old Perth, when I discovered that British TV humour is the best. Yes. Americans can be funny but they can't take a joke sometimes. The closest they have gotten to satire is dry wit. If they aren't awash with sentimentalism, it isn't primetime. The closest they've come is Steve Carrell with The Office (British import) and the Spinal Tap types, who might as well be British. I guess the American fascination with keeping things sterile and WASPy keeps the humour, well, sterile. American standups, well, that's another story. Chris Rock, Denis Leary, Bill Hicks etc. They're fabulous.

April is the F1. Though I don't care much for the sport, I can imagine how exciting a day at the car races would be! Anyway, Jamiroquai will be playing post-race for all ticket holders, though I suspect it will be a five-song set. Still, I'd boogie to Jay Kay anytime. It's the little things in life that keep me going!

Speaking of which:

Puteri Gunung Ledang Mark 3

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:39:00 +0000

So I got tickets to the preview of PGLM.

Oh.My.God.

In case it makes a difference to you, *SPOILERS AHEAD*.

If you loved PGLM last time, there is no doubt you will love it this time, but this show has gone beyond expectations in so many ways!

There's a Fabulous New Vehicle. Disney On Ice eat your heart out!

It's Magical. And there's fireworks, the best being the tiniest.

Ida Mariana as Bayan is a witch-goddess beauty, and the producers have made her role more dynamic, to the benefit of the story and of course, showcasing her wondrous ability to make you fear and fall for her character.

AC Mizal puts the "wwwwaaaaa!" back in "dewa". He truly personifies Adipati. His performance is less blustery and more nuanced, making Ningrat more human. But somehow he has managed to keep the character slightly elevated, always a heightened being, and gosh does that make for great theatre.

What does lemak sound like? Stephen Rahman Hughes. What's a curry without the santan? What's a voice without resonance? When he sings, it's like buttah. Milk, honey and buttah. The girl next to me kinda squirmed and threw her head back and sighed "God, he's hot."

Tiara as Puteri. This one's interesting. Parts of the show have been changed a little. Numbers that used to be extremely upbeat have been toned down a little, giving interesting tones to the overall story. Bits that were left out in the last run (and I described my peevishness here) were put back in, to my utter excitement! When it comes to Puteri this time around, it seems that not only have the producers given her space to perform, but also more space to act - and this is great because 1) it shows more of Tiara's talent and 2) it gives the character of Puteri so much more depth that I didn't realise was actually missing in the last runs.

The final confrontation between Puteri and Mahmood was so much more moving this time, because of two things. One, Mahmood's reasons for almost sacrificing his son were articulated, making it more obvious that he was not only angered by Puteri, but evil enough to risk his son's life just to spite her. Ooooo, kejamnyeeeeee. Two, Puteri's final plea to Mahmood is so much more urgent than before, making her sacrifice of her pride even more meaningful - she does it because of her love for Hang Tuah.

Before, the scene pretty much played out as, Superficial Sultan Mahmood is about to stab his own son, and Puteri descends from the heavens to stop him. With total dignity she "Requests" that he forgets everything and lets her and Hang Tuah go. I simply took it as a given and never really gave that much thought.

But now, Mahmood says why he will go through with it as he prepares to make the sacrifice, thus making him cruel, psychotic, and you really realise the rage that must be coursing through him. Then she rushes forward and a tussle ensues, which I totally loved!! After the relative high dramatic performance all the way through the second act, this part of the scene still manages to top it with the drama. After this, she realises what a monster she is dealing with, and begs for Hang Tuah to be spared. I thought Hang Tuah was the hero, but no, she truly is.

ANything I wish they hadn't changed? Yes, one particular dance scene which showcased the physical prowess of Tiara and her dancers. It has been replaced with something altogether more sensual or spiritual. But, I must admit it did wonders for heightening the burgeoning awareness between the two star-crossed lovers. The batik-flick was such a fantastical, visual moment of attraction because it was bracketed by the slower, calmer dance. Before, I guess that moment was obscured by the flurry of activity the faster dance brought with it.

I'd go a hundred times if they'd let me.

Go see it at Istana Budaya beginning 6 Feb.

C

Back To Life

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:01:00 +0000

Life begins again with the new season of American Idol.

Welcome back, Simon, I missed you. I have reserved your favourite spot on the tv for our biweekly dates.

They're now in Hollywood going through the crap stage. This part of the season is the part I find uncomfortable to watch. They're all put through the wringer and sometimes get eliminated, not because of their talent, but because of how they handled the pressure: not very well. It's hard to watch humanity disappearing, but every now and then, gorgeous souls bubble up and remind me that good people are everywhere! I especially adored love-butterfly Rose, who after a terrible night, turned to the only singer who got through and gave her a congratulatory hug, despite losing out.

THankfully the judges tend to weed out the nasty ones along with the poor victims.

I have some favourites already, and hope they get through to the next round.

Adam Lambert - bring it on girl! If you don't make it on Idol, you can make it on Broadway, or at least a cabaret speakeasy. With a little less flamboyance, emo rock! The world is at your feet!

David Osmond. Yes. O-s-m-o-n-d. Hope he doesn't turn out to be a dick or crazy or something.

Jorge Bandana Banana Man. Patrecia Lewis Roman. I loved Rose, lovebutterflygirl, but she is definitely out.

Till next time~C

Out of the Mouths of Babes

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 03:15:00 +0000

Let your children send words of love and encouragement to the children of Gaza. Check out this initiative and do it before 20th February.

Whaddup, Phoenix?

chrisoro@gmail.com (mamasan) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 01:10:00 +0000

Remember when you first saw Joaquin Phoenix, barely a man, playing weedy bad guys or off-to-the-side characters? You kind of knew who he was, maybe you put two and two together and figured out he is River's brother, then you saw Gladiator and thought, hmm, he makes a great bigger-than-life bad guy. Then you saw Quills and never looked at a man in a cassock the same way after. Then he did Walk The Line and sealed his fate as a charming leading man forever.

It's a tragic day when this slow cultivation of a man-hero gets suddenly deflated. As I trawled through my early-morning-no-one-around-to-bother-me gossip and fashion sites, I come across this nugget, though definitely not of gold:

thanks to the Fug Girls for this pic

Joaquin. Joaquin! What happened? Where are the green grey eyes, the chiseled chin, the run-your-fingers-through-my-hair-baby hair? You look like Peter Russell Clarke (Ozbies should remember him), except he looked better!

Where did all this go?

And this?

Your people haven't been very observant, or else they would have noticed the tell-tale signs. The growing of the beard, the non-brushing of the hair, the sunglasses, the whole thing. It's a short step from this:

-which is kind of below-the-radar yuckiness, a little ashton kutcher-y, but acceptable in a casual, slightly slick sort of way - to the mug shot you see above.

But obviously your peeps didn't catch you at the moment you went over the edge, and now it seems there is no turning back. Don't throw it all away, JP, we need you! There's only so many times I can rewind and flash forward my Quills DVD, dude.

Can you tell I have absolutely nothing to do today?
C