Yesterday night marked the end of the Actorlympics run, which was a whole lot of fun as usual, and a great way to cap off a busy two months.
Today I start work with a tired body that feels like it's been thrown against the wall. Lack of sleep and constant mental activity means that rest doesn't come easy at the moment. I'm even suffering the dreaded leg-shake syndrome. The more it shakes, the more I'm thinking lots about not much in particular.
I used to rely on my memory, which was pretty good once upon a time. I also used to be organised, had lots of energy and understood what prioritising was all about. Now, with two kids and a grown baby dada to run after and a company about to take the next step to another level, I am really feeling the stress. Now I understand how difficult it is to not be pursuing your passion in your work. Imagine having to slog away at something for years without ever having any love or even interest in it! Even though being a business owner can be dull and tedious and needs coping with annoying details, at least in our business I get to write and act.
It's just that recently, although I have thoroughly enjoyed the process of making Los Dan Faun (and I think it's going to be a new benchmark for Malaysian movies!), I haven't had much time to either rest properly (mentally) or to be taking care of my dreams (song title in the making)
In any case, I shall be taking a sabbatical from work on Sumo, a break I am looking forward to, to spend more time with my neglected children and be taking care of their needs for a while. So, though I shall be missing from work, I shall be retaining my internet presence.
I shall take the opportunity to write, once the new pace sets in. There's writing to be done for the company, and of course, my own writing. Maybe I'll have a movie script by the end of the year. Hmmm, I wonder if I could get in touch with any local genius directors...
Meanwhile, keep a look out for updates on Los Dan Faun. Even though the shooting has finished, there is still the post production - maybe we'll give you glimpses of the film as it gets pieced together. Then after the final cut we will have all the actors back again for their dubbing, probably sometime in September. Also keep a look out for the sumo-lah.com site which will be up and running around the time we start shoot on that.
Lovey, C
Monday, June 5, 2006
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Three movies for the price of... three.
Saw an eagerly awaited movie, the Da Vinci Code, after having read the book and its predecessor The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail. The latter I read while in high school and inspired me so much I started reading about Joseph of Aramithea, Arthurian history and as much research as I could find in a high school library. I was totally fascinated by the theory put forth, never thinking once that it was a conspiracy theory, but rather an attempt to understand Jesus and the nature of mankind.
I didn't know it at the time, but I was a great believer in the Gnostic sense of religion - that we can know God through being our best in the spiritual sense. Feeling love for another means living the Godly notion of love. I liked that because it meant that I wasn't in the dark about who or what my religion was, and I didn't have to go through a third party to get to my God, I could experience "him" myself. I was raised Greek Orthodox, in spiritual home with light hearted sensibilities. My mother always told me there is no point going to church after an argument. The point of church was to worship and feel close to God. No one feels close to God after a heated argument. So the notion of the church as a holy cleanser of souls was one that felt alien to me.
I guess I have a very pragmatic approach to religion and would rather believe in the power of human nature than the human notion of God. In other words, I believe in the acts of good that I see more than the words of so called wise people. And that's why some ads can make me cry and listening to any kind of preacher can leave me indifferent.
SO, after watching and feeling very satisfied with the Da Vinci Code, I took the kiddies to see Over The Hedge, and was pleasantly surprised by its intelligence and how it portrayed a modern day disease (waste and consumerism) in a very funny and provocative way. Go see it, and bask in the humour and great performances from Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling and William Shatner,
Then, we saw X-Men, and though the movie was fantastic, I must say I was impressed with Hugh Jackman and his amazing (ahem) acting skills - he acts strong muscles very well, and from every angle, I could tell he was acting with every pore in his body. Would I see it again? Oh YES!
I wish I could talk more about his performance, but there's not much else to say except.... PHWOAR!
Sorry, hubby boo, but I do let you salivate over that skinny Jessica Alba, so don't hold it against me!
Lovey, C
I didn't know it at the time, but I was a great believer in the Gnostic sense of religion - that we can know God through being our best in the spiritual sense. Feeling love for another means living the Godly notion of love. I liked that because it meant that I wasn't in the dark about who or what my religion was, and I didn't have to go through a third party to get to my God, I could experience "him" myself. I was raised Greek Orthodox, in spiritual home with light hearted sensibilities. My mother always told me there is no point going to church after an argument. The point of church was to worship and feel close to God. No one feels close to God after a heated argument. So the notion of the church as a holy cleanser of souls was one that felt alien to me.
I guess I have a very pragmatic approach to religion and would rather believe in the power of human nature than the human notion of God. In other words, I believe in the acts of good that I see more than the words of so called wise people. And that's why some ads can make me cry and listening to any kind of preacher can leave me indifferent.
SO, after watching and feeling very satisfied with the Da Vinci Code, I took the kiddies to see Over The Hedge, and was pleasantly surprised by its intelligence and how it portrayed a modern day disease (waste and consumerism) in a very funny and provocative way. Go see it, and bask in the humour and great performances from Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling and William Shatner,
Then, we saw X-Men, and though the movie was fantastic, I must say I was impressed with Hugh Jackman and his amazing (ahem) acting skills - he acts strong muscles very well, and from every angle, I could tell he was acting with every pore in his body. Would I see it again? Oh YES!
I wish I could talk more about his performance, but there's not much else to say except.... PHWOAR!
Sorry, hubby boo, but I do let you salivate over that skinny Jessica Alba, so don't hold it against me!
Lovey, C
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
where have all the cowboys gone?
they went home for mama's cookin'!
I've been thinking to myself lately, at what point does a man's macho-ness become irritating, or even downright wrong? I like a man to be macho enough to pull his own socks up and get his own dinner, but sensitive enough to know what's wrong without me having to say it and to drive as if the rest of us are precious cargo. Is that too much to ask?
Because even in the happiest marriages, there's always something that niggles. I'm not talking from a purely female perspective - hey, we girls can piss loads of people off all the time too! But I can only speak from my point of view within a marriage, which generally takes on the male-female aspects of relationships, rather than anything else. There definitely has to be a lot of give and take, sometimes happily done, sometimes a lifelong toleration, but that's the only way two people can live with each other for more than 50 years without taking each others' eyes out!
When I look at the single people around me, I wonder if they will ever hook up with anyone for life. People have so many "issues" and conditions about the way things should be and seem to forget there is another whole human being with a past and a future and dreams and aspirations that they have to learn to live with. We can't plug oddly shaped souls into our "partner dock"!
I say mothers really do shape the way a family progresses, and all too often good mothers put themselves down and let themselves feel guilty, or let others make them feel guilty, instead of owning their achievements and making a stand for their place inthe family. Of course, there are fathers who do more than they are expected to, as welll as single fathers and house husbands, but I want to talk about mothers today!
Even good mothers screw up, and they should just think of how they would treat their children if their kids screwed up too. Most mums feel compassion for their kids, so most mums should feel compassion for themselves too. However, if they are likely to beat up their kids for screwing up, then those mothers are either really harsh on themselves or are not good mothers at all (not a comment on spanking - I am on the fence about that, or rather, I am all over the place about that)
The other day I heard John Mayer singing "daughters" - every time I hear it I feel like having a cosmic cry over good people all over the world and cute good people like John Mayer who point out how fighting the good fight is a good thing. I love the concept of "good", not good in the religious or scholarly sense, but in the sense of us all being able to do the right thing, even when we do screw up and make mistakes, of having a good heart and being good to others for the sake of being good. Good in the truest sense of the word, good as we knew it back when reality was a nursery rhyme and everything had huge consequences.
If you can understand that meaning of good, you can see good in everyone, but I suppose that's not good for "the real world" where nobody else is practising "good"!
Lovey,
c
I've been thinking to myself lately, at what point does a man's macho-ness become irritating, or even downright wrong? I like a man to be macho enough to pull his own socks up and get his own dinner, but sensitive enough to know what's wrong without me having to say it and to drive as if the rest of us are precious cargo. Is that too much to ask?
Because even in the happiest marriages, there's always something that niggles. I'm not talking from a purely female perspective - hey, we girls can piss loads of people off all the time too! But I can only speak from my point of view within a marriage, which generally takes on the male-female aspects of relationships, rather than anything else. There definitely has to be a lot of give and take, sometimes happily done, sometimes a lifelong toleration, but that's the only way two people can live with each other for more than 50 years without taking each others' eyes out!
When I look at the single people around me, I wonder if they will ever hook up with anyone for life. People have so many "issues" and conditions about the way things should be and seem to forget there is another whole human being with a past and a future and dreams and aspirations that they have to learn to live with. We can't plug oddly shaped souls into our "partner dock"!
I say mothers really do shape the way a family progresses, and all too often good mothers put themselves down and let themselves feel guilty, or let others make them feel guilty, instead of owning their achievements and making a stand for their place inthe family. Of course, there are fathers who do more than they are expected to, as welll as single fathers and house husbands, but I want to talk about mothers today!
Even good mothers screw up, and they should just think of how they would treat their children if their kids screwed up too. Most mums feel compassion for their kids, so most mums should feel compassion for themselves too. However, if they are likely to beat up their kids for screwing up, then those mothers are either really harsh on themselves or are not good mothers at all (not a comment on spanking - I am on the fence about that, or rather, I am all over the place about that)
The other day I heard John Mayer singing "daughters" - every time I hear it I feel like having a cosmic cry over good people all over the world and cute good people like John Mayer who point out how fighting the good fight is a good thing. I love the concept of "good", not good in the religious or scholarly sense, but in the sense of us all being able to do the right thing, even when we do screw up and make mistakes, of having a good heart and being good to others for the sake of being good. Good in the truest sense of the word, good as we knew it back when reality was a nursery rhyme and everything had huge consequences.
If you can understand that meaning of good, you can see good in everyone, but I suppose that's not good for "the real world" where nobody else is practising "good"!
Lovey,
c
Sunday, May 14, 2006
three to go
Daughtry's out, can't say I'm unhappy. So, another prediction, maybe this time I'll be right again - First Taylor, then Elliott, then Katharine will be Idol. Still, my fave is Elliott, so, I'll be rooting for him.
I'm so out of it I thought tomorrow was next Monday and starting panicking about how little time I had. Then someone politely pointed out that I had my dates wrong and I was living one week ahead.
Is it school holidays soon? Please tell me it is so I can sleep in in the mornings...
Mathematical question: If I take one Melatonin tonight and sleep before midnight, when will my brain kick in in the morning??
Lovey, C
I'm so out of it I thought tomorrow was next Monday and starting panicking about how little time I had. Then someone politely pointed out that I had my dates wrong and I was living one week ahead.
Is it school holidays soon? Please tell me it is so I can sleep in in the mornings...
Mathematical question: If I take one Melatonin tonight and sleep before midnight, when will my brain kick in in the morning??
Lovey, C
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Sick of Seacrest
Why is Ryan Seacrest being such a dick? For four weeks in a row Simon Cowell has told it like it is: Taylor keeps doing bad impersonations of a karaoke lounge act. It's true! Nothing to do with the quality of his voice, which tonight (singing Jailhouse Rock) was fantastic, but all about the "quirky" and "cute" moves which more and more show us that TAYLOR CAN'T DANCE and HAS NO RHYTHM.
What did Seacrest say? In response to Simon saying "in the real world" Taylor's performance was suck-city, Seacrest said since when has Simon lived in the real world and started to list Simon's privileges in life like limos, chauffeurs etc. Hello? If you're making a third of a million daily, it's not from living in a fantasy world.
Yeah, maybe some people make a lot of money based on looks, talent or luck - but Simon is obviously rich for other reasons (I mean that in a nice way).
So, get real, Seacrest! Humph!! He is so peeving me off right now. Simon and Randy are the only people making genuine comments and keeping it real. Seacrest is getting personal and dealing low blows to which Simon responds with total professionalism.
So Paris is out, and talented though she was, I am glad not to have to watch her again (most people I know either adore her or think she's an irritating Miss Thang) I think my next prediction (to leave) was Elliott, but I have a feeling Taylor is repeating his mistakes too many times (the dancing-like-a-dag thing ain't the same as letting your body express your passion, dude). I think Taylor is going next, and possibly Daughtry will follow. Still think Katherine will win, though right now, my heart lies with Elliott.
Seacrest - OUT!
Lovey, C
What did Seacrest say? In response to Simon saying "in the real world" Taylor's performance was suck-city, Seacrest said since when has Simon lived in the real world and started to list Simon's privileges in life like limos, chauffeurs etc. Hello? If you're making a third of a million daily, it's not from living in a fantasy world.
Yeah, maybe some people make a lot of money based on looks, talent or luck - but Simon is obviously rich for other reasons (I mean that in a nice way).
So, get real, Seacrest! Humph!! He is so peeving me off right now. Simon and Randy are the only people making genuine comments and keeping it real. Seacrest is getting personal and dealing low blows to which Simon responds with total professionalism.
So Paris is out, and talented though she was, I am glad not to have to watch her again (most people I know either adore her or think she's an irritating Miss Thang) I think my next prediction (to leave) was Elliott, but I have a feeling Taylor is repeating his mistakes too many times (the dancing-like-a-dag thing ain't the same as letting your body express your passion, dude). I think Taylor is going next, and possibly Daughtry will follow. Still think Katherine will win, though right now, my heart lies with Elliott.
Seacrest - OUT!
Lovey, C
Friday, April 28, 2006
Idol Chatter
Alas, one more faced the chopping block and this week, Pickler went home. So we are left with almost the top five I predicted when it all started!!
Katherine, Taylor, Mandisa and Chris Daughtry were who I chose, and all but one remain (I know Paris is still hanging on, but I reckon next week she's out)
Elliott is a pleasant surprise, I am really glad he made it this far. I really like those four, and it will hurt when the 3 runners up have to leave.
What is my prediction for the final line up (this week only - next week i will make another prediction)?
Paris will go next, then Elliott, then Taylor, then Chris. Katharine is going to win. Though Chris has mucho charisma, he can't quite sing like Katharine. Besides, every single guest so far have loved her voice (and I'm sure the baby-fat/siren combo package helps)
Besides what's been going on with my telly life, things have really kicked in for Los Dan Faun, and I'm starting to enjoy just being the money lady and not doing much else.
Though I have to say my job was never done without the help of Shima, who knows a lot more about film-making than me, and Priscilla, who has a handle on money matters like you wouldn't believe. Thanks to them, I didn't crash when I could have and I suppose now I should take them to dinner or something ("money will do!" I hear a faint cry)
THis week was chockers, but I managed to catch up with Eddie Poo while he was on set at Los Dan Faun (check out the website on losdanfaun@blogspot.com)
Over a year ago I played Gertrude in a Bahasa version of Hamlet. I enjoyed every minute of it, but looking back, I realise it would have been so much more satisfying performance wise to have done it in English. Even Jit Murad had a tough time reviewing me without resorting to lying! (see kakiseni.com).
But I loved the experience and the cast and all. THere was a point when the director Faridah Merican tried to get Adlin Aman Ramlie to act again in it, but this time not as Hamlet, but as Claudius, Gertrude's husband, and I was really excited about that, but then he was too busy. Actually, thank goodness because then I wouldn't have to look back and cringe at my terrible bahasa (Reza Zainal Abidin, who ended up playing Claudius, was the only lead role who was a natural born Malay, but he's such a sweetie doll, even when he's criticising you it's fun)
So it was fun to see Adlin camp it up as the Sultan of Melaka, and now, be the serious geek in Los Dan Faun (though really, he's still camping it up!)
We're halfway through the movie, taking a break tomorrow, which is AIM night. I had a suit made, which I haven't had a fitting for, and if I don't get it tomorrow, well, you'll be seeing me in some black outfit again. And I've hurt both my knees, so I am debating the pros and cons of my three inch heels.
Huge debate on INside My Head, which some are turning into a huge semantics game. ALthough I get all riled up about it, enough to comment, now I feel exhausted by it. When will it all end? It doesn't seem that important. I have a bit of a headache from being indoors too long, and that seems so much more important!
TIme for beddy byes.
Good nite.
c
Katherine, Taylor, Mandisa and Chris Daughtry were who I chose, and all but one remain (I know Paris is still hanging on, but I reckon next week she's out)
Elliott is a pleasant surprise, I am really glad he made it this far. I really like those four, and it will hurt when the 3 runners up have to leave.
What is my prediction for the final line up (this week only - next week i will make another prediction)?
Paris will go next, then Elliott, then Taylor, then Chris. Katharine is going to win. Though Chris has mucho charisma, he can't quite sing like Katharine. Besides, every single guest so far have loved her voice (and I'm sure the baby-fat/siren combo package helps)
Besides what's been going on with my telly life, things have really kicked in for Los Dan Faun, and I'm starting to enjoy just being the money lady and not doing much else.
Though I have to say my job was never done without the help of Shima, who knows a lot more about film-making than me, and Priscilla, who has a handle on money matters like you wouldn't believe. Thanks to them, I didn't crash when I could have and I suppose now I should take them to dinner or something ("money will do!" I hear a faint cry)
THis week was chockers, but I managed to catch up with Eddie Poo while he was on set at Los Dan Faun (check out the website on losdanfaun@blogspot.com)
Over a year ago I played Gertrude in a Bahasa version of Hamlet. I enjoyed every minute of it, but looking back, I realise it would have been so much more satisfying performance wise to have done it in English. Even Jit Murad had a tough time reviewing me without resorting to lying! (see kakiseni.com).
But I loved the experience and the cast and all. THere was a point when the director Faridah Merican tried to get Adlin Aman Ramlie to act again in it, but this time not as Hamlet, but as Claudius, Gertrude's husband, and I was really excited about that, but then he was too busy. Actually, thank goodness because then I wouldn't have to look back and cringe at my terrible bahasa (Reza Zainal Abidin, who ended up playing Claudius, was the only lead role who was a natural born Malay, but he's such a sweetie doll, even when he's criticising you it's fun)
So it was fun to see Adlin camp it up as the Sultan of Melaka, and now, be the serious geek in Los Dan Faun (though really, he's still camping it up!)
We're halfway through the movie, taking a break tomorrow, which is AIM night. I had a suit made, which I haven't had a fitting for, and if I don't get it tomorrow, well, you'll be seeing me in some black outfit again. And I've hurt both my knees, so I am debating the pros and cons of my three inch heels.
Huge debate on INside My Head, which some are turning into a huge semantics game. ALthough I get all riled up about it, enough to comment, now I feel exhausted by it. When will it all end? It doesn't seem that important. I have a bit of a headache from being indoors too long, and that seems so much more important!
TIme for beddy byes.
Good nite.
c
Monday, April 17, 2006
NEW MOOWIE! NEW MOOWIE!
We started shoot on "Los Dan Faun" yesterday in Malacca. For onsite updates on what is happening with the shoot, please go to losdanfaun.blogspot.com.
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Pressed for Press
A couple of articles appeared in the press today regarding the Flight Attendants' Associations supposed decision to sue the Producers of Buli Balik (Grand Brilliance, Vision Works, Tall Order Productions) for the alleged libellous representation of a stewardess within the film.
Sigh. I do respect the rights of people who might feel misrepresented or cast in a bad light by a third party, I really do. I assume the press saying that they are really suing is the truth, and if so, I can't help but wonder what happens if it all goes through and a legal precedent is set - that noone can say anything about anyone in case they happen to be sensitive and take you to court. Feels like Rights-On-Overdrive if you ask me. When will it ever be possible to make any kind of honest or even fictitious comment without it possibly offending someone or some insect or some thing????
I guess being on the receiving end is no fun, particularly if you feel the jibe is personal. But hey, has there ever been a housewife in this world who tried to sue a company for showing a stereotypically hagard, dowdy, nagging, slightly psychotic, and/or frigid housewife in a film? Noooo. She would be laughed out of court.
It is fiction, dudes. Laugh a little.
Sheesh.
I am looking on the bright side - I have always felt a little publicity (good or bad) is good. Since we are about to start filming Los Dan Faun (Sunday morning in Melaka), a little limelight seems good to me. At the very least, people who might not normally be interested in Afdlin, but who have great interest in legal cases and/or the MAFAA's image, would wonder who Afdlin is and maybe check out his movie or follow the publicity about him in the upcoming weeks.
Since we have been a little kelang kabut, we haven't had a kenduri for the start of the film, so I am offering up a little prayer for our production here:
Bismillahirahmanirahim. May our hearts and feet be light and our souls thankful for having purposeful work and a desire to create something beautiful. May the good souls who have had our backs for so long be blessed, healthy and happy: Shima, Frank, Shada and the Gang, Tommy and Ashraff, O, Helmi and his Top Ten, Faiz, the Sexy Crew and of course, the Gorgeous and Talented Cast. May the light of inspiration shine down upon our Resident Genius Afdlin, and may love and kindness be the source of all our actions. Amin.
I have a confession to make: although I gave Afdlin an ultimatum to stop smoking, I didn't quite include the conditions that would be relevant to me. So, now that he has (extremely) suddenly quit smoking, I have been caught unawares and am having a real struggle to quit!! Though, in my defense, Afdlin has been having such trouble breathing that if he hadn't stopped for baby reasons, he would have stopped for breathing reasons (I know, I know, lame excuse Christina).
May I say that my diet has improved, and that I am consuming more vegetables than I think I have in my lifetime...
Lovey, C
And Now For Something Completely Frivolous:
Mayakins (mayakins.blogspot.com) tagged me about doing this, which I had already read somewhere else (was it discoquette edwin?).
What you do is set your MP3 player on shuffle and ask it (rather like a magic 8 ball with multiple-word answers) the following questions. As each question comes up, you read the next song title, which will be your answer.
I must warn you that my taste in music is unabashedly pop.
Questions:
1
How does the world see me?
Seasons of Love - Stevie Wonder/Rent
"Five Hundred Twenty Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes, Five Hundred Twenty Five Thousand Six Hundred Moments, Five Hundred Twenty Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes, How do you measure, measure a year?"
(Aw, beautiful. Alternatively it could mean I'm a real drag to be around)
2
Will I have a happy life?
I Am the Resurrection - The Stone Roses/Stone Roses
One of my fave bands, and, gosh I so love that this song is the answer!! (Note that I do not think of this as a religious song at all - it's really a song about attitude)
Oooops. I just hit the shuffle button again and the whole lineup changed. I shall continue on with a new shuffle, skipping the first two songs, shall I? How like me to jinx my own reading.
3
What do people really think of me?
Superstar (Jesus Christ Superstar) - Klaus Wunderlich/(Moog Instrumental) Hits Again2
Not only is it a cheesy rendition of a musical theme song about some sacred subject matter, it is a Moog, no less, that kind of carnivalesque organ sound from the 60s. Yikes.
4
Do people secretly lust after me?
Harus Bagaimana - Maliq and D'essentials/Maliq and D'Essentials
Besides the first part before the chorus sounding like it totally belongs in a soft porn video, the song is about a guy who has fallen in love with a childhood friend, but, he asks, is it true love, or just circumstance that has stirred these feelings?
5
How can I make myself happy?
Upon these Stones (Building the Barricade) - Les Miserables / Original Broadway Recording
"Here upon these stones we will build our barricade, In the heart of the city we claim as our own, Each man to his duty, and don't be afraid..."
I take this to mean I have to realise what my boundaries are and make a stand for what I believe in (I really am such a pushover)
6
What should I do with my life?
Punk Animals - Shonen Knife/Unknown
"He is a cow with a mohawk, He likes the Dead Kennedies
Fighting, Fighting, Fighting with his family
He insists he isn't happy
She can't bring her friends home.
Mama can say, drink your milk,
He moos, Leave me alone.
Chorus
He's a rude cow, we've got to get him off the band
He's obnoxen, he's going to do himself harm..."
As you can see, the message here is to have fun.
7
What would be good advice for me?
Hey Mambo - Dean Martin
"Hey Mambo, Mambo Italiano
Hey Mambo, You mixed up Siciliano
...take some advice paesano, learn how to mambo
if you're going to be a square, you're not gonna get anywhere..."
Loosen up and have some fun, Christina, mambo mama!
8
What do I think my current theme song is?
Faded - Soul Decision
"When I get you all alone, I'm gonna take off all your clothes..."
Sigh, despite the lyrics, this really is because the music is so floppy-haired/denim overalls inspired boy band-ish, cheesy, disco, full on macho attitude coupled with totally gay looking guys. I swear, if you got me in a good mood and feeling uninhibited, I would break into a Take That dance combo just for attention.
9
What does everyone think my currect theme song is?
It's Still rock and Roll With Me - Billy Joel
"What's the matter with the clothes I'm wearing, can't you tell that your tie's too wide?"
HAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!! So does this mean people think I am out of touch, or do they think I think I am out of touch (but really, Iam in touch...) And to think it was only ten years ago I was still making fun of my parents being "classic".
10
What song will play at my funeral?
Wedding Qawwalli - Sukhwinder Singh / Bombay Dreams Musical
Since I have no idea what they are singing about, I shall go on gut instinct and proclaim that this song signifies my reunion with the earth, and the blessed celebration that will be!
11
What type of men do you like?
Promise - Utada Hikaru (english version)
"Promise Me, Promise Me... That your love will never ever change... That you will never make me weep... and I will do all I can to be your everything... please don't say maybe..."
I suppose this means men with integrity, or a fear of women crying...
12
What's my day going to be like?
Chaiyya Chaiyya - Bombay Dreams
But what does it mean? Can anyone tell me? The opening sounds like sunrise. But then it could be all about something morbid.
13
Why am I here?
Bedshaped - Keane
Before you all make assumptions about what this means, listen to the lyrics, lah! Only thing is I can't decide if my voice is the singer's or the subject's.
14
What will people remember me for?
I Don't Wanna Cry - Mariah Carey
"Once again we sit in silence, after all that's said and done, only emptiness inside us, baby look what we've become."
Oh dear. Well, let's forget the lyrics and listen to how beautifully crafted the song is...
15
Are there people outside waiting to take me away?
No Es Lo Mismo - Alejandro Sanz
Aaargh!!! What does it mean? So should I open my door or not?? I think I shall be spening some time on the net trying to find the meaning to all these song titles...
However I should point out that this song was, I think, Sexy Sanz's crossover hit, so, maybe it portends a happy move to some other side?
16
What will this year be about?
Loosen Up My Buttons - Pussycat Dolls
Well. Casting a careful eye over the nature of the song titles I got, either the message is to have fun, loosen up and let go, or be totally in the dark and try using my intuition to "feel" my way to meaning.
Totally Fun!
Sigh. I do respect the rights of people who might feel misrepresented or cast in a bad light by a third party, I really do. I assume the press saying that they are really suing is the truth, and if so, I can't help but wonder what happens if it all goes through and a legal precedent is set - that noone can say anything about anyone in case they happen to be sensitive and take you to court. Feels like Rights-On-Overdrive if you ask me. When will it ever be possible to make any kind of honest or even fictitious comment without it possibly offending someone or some insect or some thing????
I guess being on the receiving end is no fun, particularly if you feel the jibe is personal. But hey, has there ever been a housewife in this world who tried to sue a company for showing a stereotypically hagard, dowdy, nagging, slightly psychotic, and/or frigid housewife in a film? Noooo. She would be laughed out of court.
It is fiction, dudes. Laugh a little.
Sheesh.
I am looking on the bright side - I have always felt a little publicity (good or bad) is good. Since we are about to start filming Los Dan Faun (Sunday morning in Melaka), a little limelight seems good to me. At the very least, people who might not normally be interested in Afdlin, but who have great interest in legal cases and/or the MAFAA's image, would wonder who Afdlin is and maybe check out his movie or follow the publicity about him in the upcoming weeks.
Since we have been a little kelang kabut, we haven't had a kenduri for the start of the film, so I am offering up a little prayer for our production here:
Bismillahirahmanirahim. May our hearts and feet be light and our souls thankful for having purposeful work and a desire to create something beautiful. May the good souls who have had our backs for so long be blessed, healthy and happy: Shima, Frank, Shada and the Gang, Tommy and Ashraff, O, Helmi and his Top Ten, Faiz, the Sexy Crew and of course, the Gorgeous and Talented Cast. May the light of inspiration shine down upon our Resident Genius Afdlin, and may love and kindness be the source of all our actions. Amin.
I have a confession to make: although I gave Afdlin an ultimatum to stop smoking, I didn't quite include the conditions that would be relevant to me. So, now that he has (extremely) suddenly quit smoking, I have been caught unawares and am having a real struggle to quit!! Though, in my defense, Afdlin has been having such trouble breathing that if he hadn't stopped for baby reasons, he would have stopped for breathing reasons (I know, I know, lame excuse Christina).
May I say that my diet has improved, and that I am consuming more vegetables than I think I have in my lifetime...
Lovey, C
And Now For Something Completely Frivolous:
Mayakins (mayakins.blogspot.com) tagged me about doing this, which I had already read somewhere else (was it discoquette edwin?).
What you do is set your MP3 player on shuffle and ask it (rather like a magic 8 ball with multiple-word answers) the following questions. As each question comes up, you read the next song title, which will be your answer.
I must warn you that my taste in music is unabashedly pop.
Questions:
1
How does the world see me?
Seasons of Love - Stevie Wonder/Rent
"Five Hundred Twenty Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes, Five Hundred Twenty Five Thousand Six Hundred Moments, Five Hundred Twenty Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes, How do you measure, measure a year?"
(Aw, beautiful. Alternatively it could mean I'm a real drag to be around)
2
Will I have a happy life?
I Am the Resurrection - The Stone Roses/Stone Roses
One of my fave bands, and, gosh I so love that this song is the answer!! (Note that I do not think of this as a religious song at all - it's really a song about attitude)
Oooops. I just hit the shuffle button again and the whole lineup changed. I shall continue on with a new shuffle, skipping the first two songs, shall I? How like me to jinx my own reading.
3
What do people really think of me?
Superstar (Jesus Christ Superstar) - Klaus Wunderlich/(Moog Instrumental) Hits Again2
Not only is it a cheesy rendition of a musical theme song about some sacred subject matter, it is a Moog, no less, that kind of carnivalesque organ sound from the 60s. Yikes.
4
Do people secretly lust after me?
Harus Bagaimana - Maliq and D'essentials/Maliq and D'Essentials
Besides the first part before the chorus sounding like it totally belongs in a soft porn video, the song is about a guy who has fallen in love with a childhood friend, but, he asks, is it true love, or just circumstance that has stirred these feelings?
5
How can I make myself happy?
Upon these Stones (Building the Barricade) - Les Miserables / Original Broadway Recording
"Here upon these stones we will build our barricade, In the heart of the city we claim as our own, Each man to his duty, and don't be afraid..."
I take this to mean I have to realise what my boundaries are and make a stand for what I believe in (I really am such a pushover)
6
What should I do with my life?
Punk Animals - Shonen Knife/Unknown
"He is a cow with a mohawk, He likes the Dead Kennedies
Fighting, Fighting, Fighting with his family
He insists he isn't happy
She can't bring her friends home.
Mama can say, drink your milk,
He moos, Leave me alone.
Chorus
He's a rude cow, we've got to get him off the band
He's obnoxen, he's going to do himself harm..."
As you can see, the message here is to have fun.
7
What would be good advice for me?
Hey Mambo - Dean Martin
"Hey Mambo, Mambo Italiano
Hey Mambo, You mixed up Siciliano
...take some advice paesano, learn how to mambo
if you're going to be a square, you're not gonna get anywhere..."
Loosen up and have some fun, Christina, mambo mama!
8
What do I think my current theme song is?
Faded - Soul Decision
"When I get you all alone, I'm gonna take off all your clothes..."
Sigh, despite the lyrics, this really is because the music is so floppy-haired/denim overalls inspired boy band-ish, cheesy, disco, full on macho attitude coupled with totally gay looking guys. I swear, if you got me in a good mood and feeling uninhibited, I would break into a Take That dance combo just for attention.
9
What does everyone think my currect theme song is?
It's Still rock and Roll With Me - Billy Joel
"What's the matter with the clothes I'm wearing, can't you tell that your tie's too wide?"
HAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!! So does this mean people think I am out of touch, or do they think I think I am out of touch (but really, Iam in touch...) And to think it was only ten years ago I was still making fun of my parents being "classic".
10
What song will play at my funeral?
Wedding Qawwalli - Sukhwinder Singh / Bombay Dreams Musical
Since I have no idea what they are singing about, I shall go on gut instinct and proclaim that this song signifies my reunion with the earth, and the blessed celebration that will be!
11
What type of men do you like?
Promise - Utada Hikaru (english version)
"Promise Me, Promise Me... That your love will never ever change... That you will never make me weep... and I will do all I can to be your everything... please don't say maybe..."
I suppose this means men with integrity, or a fear of women crying...
12
What's my day going to be like?
Chaiyya Chaiyya - Bombay Dreams
But what does it mean? Can anyone tell me? The opening sounds like sunrise. But then it could be all about something morbid.
13
Why am I here?
Bedshaped - Keane
Before you all make assumptions about what this means, listen to the lyrics, lah! Only thing is I can't decide if my voice is the singer's or the subject's.
14
What will people remember me for?
I Don't Wanna Cry - Mariah Carey
"Once again we sit in silence, after all that's said and done, only emptiness inside us, baby look what we've become."
Oh dear. Well, let's forget the lyrics and listen to how beautifully crafted the song is...
15
Are there people outside waiting to take me away?
No Es Lo Mismo - Alejandro Sanz
Aaargh!!! What does it mean? So should I open my door or not?? I think I shall be spening some time on the net trying to find the meaning to all these song titles...
However I should point out that this song was, I think, Sexy Sanz's crossover hit, so, maybe it portends a happy move to some other side?
16
What will this year be about?
Loosen Up My Buttons - Pussycat Dolls
Well. Casting a careful eye over the nature of the song titles I got, either the message is to have fun, loosen up and let go, or be totally in the dark and try using my intuition to "feel" my way to meaning.
Totally Fun!
Friday, April 7, 2006
Frivolous Friday
Arrived at work to be greeted with yet another day of non-connectivity (thank you phone company), so went on back home to continue work there. Have answered as many emails as I can and have yet to start making my phone calls, but, since I have to leave in about half an hour, I decided to catch up on my blogging, and what better way than with another Top Ten!
TOP TEN SEXY GUYS ON TELEVISION (Hubba Hubba, Phwoar!)
(in no particular order)
Bob Blumer
What better way to impress the chicks than having a studly car and a way with your hands? Bob's toastmobile and easy moves around the kitchen signal a wry sense of humour and ultraconfidence. With his ska-retro appeal and easy-cheesy recipes, Bob's as odd to look at as his hair. But crinkly eyes and a smile that could shine mirrors makes Blumer one of my pebrets.
Colin Firth
Before Colin got famous being Darcy in Bridget Jones, he was busy breaking hearts being Darcy on the BBC. Oh, have I said all this before? Ok, so I guess you understand just what kind of standing Colin Firth has with me :)
SImon Cowell
Sardonic, twisted and refreshingly English in the bubblegum world of Idol. This guy knows who he is and what he likes and he stands by what he thinks and says - I mean, has anyone ever see him in anything other than a black t-shirt? That says something about sticking to your guns, by Jove! Truth of it is, everyone wants to hear what Simon has to say, and even when people boo him for his flat honesty, everyone's thinking there's truth in what he said, and wishing they had the guts tobe as honest to their boss every day.
Sir David Attenborough
I once watched Attenborough go belly-down under an anthill into which a camera and lights had been squeezed along with him. As he was starting his spiel to camera, the ants started swarming over him and biting, and though he twitched with every bite, he kept on going till he was told to get out of there. If you want to know what passion is, what open-eyed wonderment kept fresh after decades is, and what being humbled by the creations of God and nature is, Sir Attenborough is your (my) man.
Jamie Oliver
Despite the fact that he has a lisp as thick as they get, Chef Oliver with his casual style and self-effacing good humour (not to mention delish dishes) captured the heart of a nation and parts of the world. Boyish, cute, this Oliver showed gumption when he took on community complacency and changed the way British school children eat. His indignation and tenacity won meover, especially when I saw what he had to go through personally on his School Break programme. I admire his guts and dimples too.
Joe Rogan
Surprisingly, it ain't for his looks, cause though he might appeal to loads of ladies, he looks a little too swarthy for me. But I am not one to let good looks get in the way - it's this guy's actions which appeal most. Ever notice how he acts towards people who start to falter in a challenge? If it's someone nice and good, he goes right in to their side and starts talking like a coach, and he does it with heart, something I adore seeing in anyone. Go Rogan.
Nigel Barker
A little kooky looking, Nigel looks best seated right next to Janice Dickinson. Really, it's his reactions to her craziness and his willingness to jump in with her insanity that appeals most, particularly because he's a particularly straight-laced judge, married and hard to please. As Janice would say, Bite me, Barker.
William Peterson
Gil Grissom, the personification of driven geekiness, obsessive, distracted, tantalisingly restrained. William Peterson brought Gil to life, though he was a bit of a film star already (see him as Reese Witherspoon's concerned dad in the movie she did with Mark Wahlberg)
David Caruso
Horatio Crane, stylish, compassionate, sexy, yet with albino-esque skin and red hair. Need I elaborate on the power of this guy to overcome seemingly major physcial setbacks? Caruso rules, man.
The Lost Boy(s)
MAtthew Fox
After the saccharine sweetness of thirtysomething Matthew looks rather lovely in Lost. I also love the complexity of his role. Leader, saviour, yet sometimes tortured and haunted - ooo, what girl wouldn't want to be in on the psychosis??! Girls can also indugle a bit of mothering because he knows how to take it without looking like a mamma's boy.
Reserve Players
NAveen Andrews
I used to watch him in all sorts of b-grade or made for tv films. I just knew his face. Then I saw him in an art film where he played a sikh security guard being pursued by his english pre-war mistress of the house. It was her fascination with his otherness that caused her to fall in love, and one lovely moment is when Naveen (with his beautiful black hair down to his waist in the movie) is washing outside in the garden over a tub of water. As she approaches him, flicks his hair up and back, and the whole moment is captured in slow motion. Not only does he flick his hair in a very adept manner (it's hard to do without looking gay, come on!), we get a lingering shot of his muscular shoulders and bare torso....
Josh Holloway
Blue eyes, dimples to die for and that bad-boy Sawyer that he plays, oo, someone we can watch with both desire and disgust, all at the same time. Most appealing when he smoulders with jealousy....
Anthony Bourdain
Gangly New York Frenchy very much in touch with his inner glutton and indolent! Like a real butch Jit Murad, sardonic, dry and slightly tough, though worth the bite!
NON-SEXY GUYS ON TV
(in no particular order)
Steve Irwin
Those stubbies (his shorts of choice)! That hair (mullet)!
Karan the Koffee MAn
Can be clever but is self-indulgent. I only watch the show for the guests (kinda like playboy)
George Costanza (Seinfeld) Not to be confused with Jason Alexander, the actor who plays George.
Jeez, wouldya turn into someone's mother already?
Just an opinion, and a silly one at that!
Lovey, C
TOP TEN SEXY GUYS ON TELEVISION (Hubba Hubba, Phwoar!)
(in no particular order)
Bob Blumer
What better way to impress the chicks than having a studly car and a way with your hands? Bob's toastmobile and easy moves around the kitchen signal a wry sense of humour and ultraconfidence. With his ska-retro appeal and easy-cheesy recipes, Bob's as odd to look at as his hair. But crinkly eyes and a smile that could shine mirrors makes Blumer one of my pebrets.
Colin Firth
Before Colin got famous being Darcy in Bridget Jones, he was busy breaking hearts being Darcy on the BBC. Oh, have I said all this before? Ok, so I guess you understand just what kind of standing Colin Firth has with me :)
SImon Cowell
Sardonic, twisted and refreshingly English in the bubblegum world of Idol. This guy knows who he is and what he likes and he stands by what he thinks and says - I mean, has anyone ever see him in anything other than a black t-shirt? That says something about sticking to your guns, by Jove! Truth of it is, everyone wants to hear what Simon has to say, and even when people boo him for his flat honesty, everyone's thinking there's truth in what he said, and wishing they had the guts tobe as honest to their boss every day.
Sir David Attenborough
I once watched Attenborough go belly-down under an anthill into which a camera and lights had been squeezed along with him. As he was starting his spiel to camera, the ants started swarming over him and biting, and though he twitched with every bite, he kept on going till he was told to get out of there. If you want to know what passion is, what open-eyed wonderment kept fresh after decades is, and what being humbled by the creations of God and nature is, Sir Attenborough is your (my) man.
Jamie Oliver
Despite the fact that he has a lisp as thick as they get, Chef Oliver with his casual style and self-effacing good humour (not to mention delish dishes) captured the heart of a nation and parts of the world. Boyish, cute, this Oliver showed gumption when he took on community complacency and changed the way British school children eat. His indignation and tenacity won meover, especially when I saw what he had to go through personally on his School Break programme. I admire his guts and dimples too.
Joe Rogan
Surprisingly, it ain't for his looks, cause though he might appeal to loads of ladies, he looks a little too swarthy for me. But I am not one to let good looks get in the way - it's this guy's actions which appeal most. Ever notice how he acts towards people who start to falter in a challenge? If it's someone nice and good, he goes right in to their side and starts talking like a coach, and he does it with heart, something I adore seeing in anyone. Go Rogan.
Nigel Barker
A little kooky looking, Nigel looks best seated right next to Janice Dickinson. Really, it's his reactions to her craziness and his willingness to jump in with her insanity that appeals most, particularly because he's a particularly straight-laced judge, married and hard to please. As Janice would say, Bite me, Barker.
William Peterson
Gil Grissom, the personification of driven geekiness, obsessive, distracted, tantalisingly restrained. William Peterson brought Gil to life, though he was a bit of a film star already (see him as Reese Witherspoon's concerned dad in the movie she did with Mark Wahlberg)
David Caruso
Horatio Crane, stylish, compassionate, sexy, yet with albino-esque skin and red hair. Need I elaborate on the power of this guy to overcome seemingly major physcial setbacks? Caruso rules, man.
The Lost Boy(s)
MAtthew Fox
After the saccharine sweetness of thirtysomething Matthew looks rather lovely in Lost. I also love the complexity of his role. Leader, saviour, yet sometimes tortured and haunted - ooo, what girl wouldn't want to be in on the psychosis??! Girls can also indugle a bit of mothering because he knows how to take it without looking like a mamma's boy.
Reserve Players
NAveen Andrews
I used to watch him in all sorts of b-grade or made for tv films. I just knew his face. Then I saw him in an art film where he played a sikh security guard being pursued by his english pre-war mistress of the house. It was her fascination with his otherness that caused her to fall in love, and one lovely moment is when Naveen (with his beautiful black hair down to his waist in the movie) is washing outside in the garden over a tub of water. As she approaches him, flicks his hair up and back, and the whole moment is captured in slow motion. Not only does he flick his hair in a very adept manner (it's hard to do without looking gay, come on!), we get a lingering shot of his muscular shoulders and bare torso....
Josh Holloway
Blue eyes, dimples to die for and that bad-boy Sawyer that he plays, oo, someone we can watch with both desire and disgust, all at the same time. Most appealing when he smoulders with jealousy....
Anthony Bourdain
Gangly New York Frenchy very much in touch with his inner glutton and indolent! Like a real butch Jit Murad, sardonic, dry and slightly tough, though worth the bite!
NON-SEXY GUYS ON TV
(in no particular order)
Steve Irwin
Those stubbies (his shorts of choice)! That hair (mullet)!
Karan the Koffee MAn
Can be clever but is self-indulgent. I only watch the show for the guests (kinda like playboy)
George Costanza (Seinfeld) Not to be confused with Jason Alexander, the actor who plays George.
Jeez, wouldya turn into someone's mother already?
Just an opinion, and a silly one at that!
Lovey, C
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
ye take the heigh road, eh'll take the loo road...
...'n' eh'll get te Scotlund beforr ye...
Travelling on Saturday to LA for a mega-prize Afdlin won when he won three awards during the Screen Awards last year, getting three tickets to LA plus accommodation and studio tours. After waiting months we finally get a letter telling us when we are going and as usual, it's right smack in the middle of when we really want to get going on our work!!
So we are now two days away from leaving and running like cartoon characters trying to complete jobs and set some kind of self-automated system that will kick in by itself after we leave so that nothing falls apart or gets delayed while we are away.
Some friends of mine just arrived from there and told us how a bottle of water is RM20 so a bottle a day for the whole family cost about RM100! Then some parts of LA are so geared towards the entertainment industry that they couldn't find fresh fruit, couldn't find anything but fastfood, and of course everything costs 3-4 times as much....
BUT I am looking forward to the opportunity of buying clothes off the rack and getting underwear that fits!! (Actually, I could probably do that for a quarter of the cost in Singapore) Though I can't stand the thought of being in the plane for something like 20 hours! And my fear of flying and general 20th Century Fear Unhappy Thing Happening away from my kids and home doesn't help.
In all, at the moment, the cons of going outweigh the cons of staying. The only thing that keeps me hanging on with gritted teeth to the idea of going through the whole week long exercise is my utter distaste for waste. If someone could go in my place, I would be happy, but I think it is way too late for that. Some more we kicked up a fuss about keeping the tickets because at one point we heard that Afdlin would only be given two despite being the winner of three (was he deemed to be too greedy for assuming he would get the prize he was offered?)
I am being ungrateful, I know it, but at the moment heartstrings and gut-level fears have a hold on me. Once I get through the trip I shall be happy as larry to be somewhere coldish and expensive.
Anyway, once we get back we shall be full into the swing of things, starting production on Los Dan Faun. I have been assisting Afdlin in his capacity as Producer, and must say that after a slow and cranky start, I am still ambivalent about producing. I know I have some ability, but I don't think I have as much passion for it as others may. My real passion still is writing, but unfortunately writing at home can be difficult (a real guilt trip) and writing at work can be filled with distractions. My other passion is acting but I don't have enough talent or lack of inhibition to really go somewhere with that (though being inhibited hasn;t stopped many a Malaysian actor, it's not quite that way that I want to go).
And despite my attitude about it, producing to me seems to afford me more purpose in my little working community of our company and our industry, since acting seems ultimately time-consumingly selfish, and writing by necessity requires solitude for me. So for now, producing is the kind of half-way compromise to feeling and being useful. The only real enjoyment I get out of producing is the planning, reading contracts and scripts, and writing proposals (not surprisingly, all completely introverted aspects). Once I have to start executing them, a sort of cloudy cotton-wool-headedness descends upon me and I start becoming a bit blah.
Anyways, off to a slow start today so I thought I'd indulge in a passion I haven't visited for a while. Thanks for listening!
Lovey, C
Travelling on Saturday to LA for a mega-prize Afdlin won when he won three awards during the Screen Awards last year, getting three tickets to LA plus accommodation and studio tours. After waiting months we finally get a letter telling us when we are going and as usual, it's right smack in the middle of when we really want to get going on our work!!
So we are now two days away from leaving and running like cartoon characters trying to complete jobs and set some kind of self-automated system that will kick in by itself after we leave so that nothing falls apart or gets delayed while we are away.
Some friends of mine just arrived from there and told us how a bottle of water is RM20 so a bottle a day for the whole family cost about RM100! Then some parts of LA are so geared towards the entertainment industry that they couldn't find fresh fruit, couldn't find anything but fastfood, and of course everything costs 3-4 times as much....
BUT I am looking forward to the opportunity of buying clothes off the rack and getting underwear that fits!! (Actually, I could probably do that for a quarter of the cost in Singapore) Though I can't stand the thought of being in the plane for something like 20 hours! And my fear of flying and general 20th Century Fear Unhappy Thing Happening away from my kids and home doesn't help.
In all, at the moment, the cons of going outweigh the cons of staying. The only thing that keeps me hanging on with gritted teeth to the idea of going through the whole week long exercise is my utter distaste for waste. If someone could go in my place, I would be happy, but I think it is way too late for that. Some more we kicked up a fuss about keeping the tickets because at one point we heard that Afdlin would only be given two despite being the winner of three (was he deemed to be too greedy for assuming he would get the prize he was offered?)
I am being ungrateful, I know it, but at the moment heartstrings and gut-level fears have a hold on me. Once I get through the trip I shall be happy as larry to be somewhere coldish and expensive.
Anyway, once we get back we shall be full into the swing of things, starting production on Los Dan Faun. I have been assisting Afdlin in his capacity as Producer, and must say that after a slow and cranky start, I am still ambivalent about producing. I know I have some ability, but I don't think I have as much passion for it as others may. My real passion still is writing, but unfortunately writing at home can be difficult (a real guilt trip) and writing at work can be filled with distractions. My other passion is acting but I don't have enough talent or lack of inhibition to really go somewhere with that (though being inhibited hasn;t stopped many a Malaysian actor, it's not quite that way that I want to go).
And despite my attitude about it, producing to me seems to afford me more purpose in my little working community of our company and our industry, since acting seems ultimately time-consumingly selfish, and writing by necessity requires solitude for me. So for now, producing is the kind of half-way compromise to feeling and being useful. The only real enjoyment I get out of producing is the planning, reading contracts and scripts, and writing proposals (not surprisingly, all completely introverted aspects). Once I have to start executing them, a sort of cloudy cotton-wool-headedness descends upon me and I start becoming a bit blah.
Anyways, off to a slow start today so I thought I'd indulge in a passion I haven't visited for a while. Thanks for listening!
Lovey, C
Friday, March 17, 2006
american idol, next top model, project runway and loving mother earth
The lyrics to one of my favourite songs:
Sweet Harmony
by The Beloved
Is it right or wrong
Try to find a place
We can all belong,
Be as one?
Try to get on by
If we unify,
We should really try.
All this time
Spinning round and round
Make the same mistakes
That we've always found,
Surely now
We could move along
Make a better world
No, it can't be wrong-
CHORUS
Let's come together
Right Now
Oh Yeah
In Sweet Harmony x4
Time is running out
Let there be no doubt
We should sort things out
If we care
Like we say we do
Not just empty words
For a week or two
Make the world
Your priority
Try to live your life
Economically.
Play a part
In a greater scheme
Try to live the dream
On a wider scene
CHORUS
I love this song, not just because of its lovely, slightly hippy but also techno-electropop sound, but because it speaks of a wider state of mind, that of tolerance and responsibility. If we all practise it day by day, this would be a better world (ugh, how trite!Yet how true!) Seriously, though, a little patience and reservation of judgment goes a long way, though it does need to be balanced with proactivity and standing up for good principles!
A bit of a war of words has erupted on Afdlin's site because of his comments about another actor's comments. Personally I think this particular actor's comments are a reflection of his vanity. There is a possibility that he did not realise just how insulting his words were, but whether that is true or not, it is obvious he has certain thoughts about himself that border on megalomania.
What gets to me is people telling Afdlin he shouldn't be so rude and straightforward. But those same people never went up to Rosyam and said, "Excuse me, can you not go about giving back-handed insults to your peers?" It makes a mockery of the whole idea of blogging - being able to have your say.
Anyway, on to the subject of this post - all things trite and TV. I have been keeping up with American Idol and boy, does it irritate me that we have to sit through all the crappy singers for another 6 weeks before we get to the meat of the competition! I have already identified my shortlist of male and female singers, and here it is:
MALES - Silver-haired Taylor and the rocker bald guy. Though I like Ace, he needs a real boost. I think his hair is holding him back. I like Elliot Yamin too, but I don't think he will last tto long. The long blond-haired country hick and little chicken spectacles guy better drop soon or I'm gonna go ballistic on my already-highly-strung opinion of the General American Psyche (or what I like to call the GAP - how Americans seem to present themselves to the rest of the world, when really we all know people are the same everywhere, and they do have good, nice, smart people too, despite the GAP)
FEMALES - Mandisa and Katherine (the longhaired brunette). Though there are talented younger ones in there, they annoy the hell out of me. Lisa, who looks a little odd, and Paris, oooo! she gets my goat! I wish I had the generosity of spirit to just appreciate their enormous talent, but I can't get past how rambunctious they are. I feel really disgusted with myself for saying this but I wish they would just act their age and stop being sanctimonious and adult. I wanna see them sing and dress like 16 year olds, not be preachy about doing the right thing and all.
From Idol to Idle - has anyone out there been watching Fashion Avenue? Isn't it the most delicious waste of time? Jodie Kidd and a friend going shopping, where the biggest challenge is staying under their meagre 500dollar budgets (oh, horror!). Love it, love it!
And then, Project Runway. This really is a dream programme, one where you get competition, creativity, anxiety and soap opera development all the way through! I love Jay and Kara Saun, who have managed to stay above the petty politics (oh, yes, it does happen within the sewing room ) and focus on their creativity. I absolutely loathe Wendy Pepper, who is a two-faced yuck who should have gone weeks ago, but has managed to dig in those claws and climb over the backs of better ones. This week, poor Robert Plotkin the Talentless One with the Charm, finally left. I really don't know how he stayed for so long either, but at least he was nice, if a little dim-witted.
Wanna Be on Top?
Naima, Kahlen, Keenyah, Christina and Brittany remain. I wish Keenyah would up and choke. Christina, sad to say, though very nice, looks constantly startled. Brittany is a hoot and I hope she becomes a spokesperson for 4X Beer or something - fun, raucous but with a good heart. I love love love Kahlen and Naima, and yes I do know who wins, I just wish more than one girl could get the prize.
I haven't blogged in a while, and i wish i had more meaningful things to write about, but this stuff really rocks my tv world right know, and i have to get it out of my system!!
So I suppose you'll know where I am monday, wednesday and thursday nights....
Lovey, C
Sweet Harmony
by The Beloved
Is it right or wrong
Try to find a place
We can all belong,
Be as one?
Try to get on by
If we unify,
We should really try.
All this time
Spinning round and round
Make the same mistakes
That we've always found,
Surely now
We could move along
Make a better world
No, it can't be wrong-
CHORUS
Let's come together
Right Now
Oh Yeah
In Sweet Harmony x4
Time is running out
Let there be no doubt
We should sort things out
If we care
Like we say we do
Not just empty words
For a week or two
Make the world
Your priority
Try to live your life
Economically.
Play a part
In a greater scheme
Try to live the dream
On a wider scene
CHORUS
I love this song, not just because of its lovely, slightly hippy but also techno-electropop sound, but because it speaks of a wider state of mind, that of tolerance and responsibility. If we all practise it day by day, this would be a better world (ugh, how trite!Yet how true!) Seriously, though, a little patience and reservation of judgment goes a long way, though it does need to be balanced with proactivity and standing up for good principles!
A bit of a war of words has erupted on Afdlin's site because of his comments about another actor's comments. Personally I think this particular actor's comments are a reflection of his vanity. There is a possibility that he did not realise just how insulting his words were, but whether that is true or not, it is obvious he has certain thoughts about himself that border on megalomania.
What gets to me is people telling Afdlin he shouldn't be so rude and straightforward. But those same people never went up to Rosyam and said, "Excuse me, can you not go about giving back-handed insults to your peers?" It makes a mockery of the whole idea of blogging - being able to have your say.
Anyway, on to the subject of this post - all things trite and TV. I have been keeping up with American Idol and boy, does it irritate me that we have to sit through all the crappy singers for another 6 weeks before we get to the meat of the competition! I have already identified my shortlist of male and female singers, and here it is:
MALES - Silver-haired Taylor and the rocker bald guy. Though I like Ace, he needs a real boost. I think his hair is holding him back. I like Elliot Yamin too, but I don't think he will last tto long. The long blond-haired country hick and little chicken spectacles guy better drop soon or I'm gonna go ballistic on my already-highly-strung opinion of the General American Psyche (or what I like to call the GAP - how Americans seem to present themselves to the rest of the world, when really we all know people are the same everywhere, and they do have good, nice, smart people too, despite the GAP)
FEMALES - Mandisa and Katherine (the longhaired brunette). Though there are talented younger ones in there, they annoy the hell out of me. Lisa, who looks a little odd, and Paris, oooo! she gets my goat! I wish I had the generosity of spirit to just appreciate their enormous talent, but I can't get past how rambunctious they are. I feel really disgusted with myself for saying this but I wish they would just act their age and stop being sanctimonious and adult. I wanna see them sing and dress like 16 year olds, not be preachy about doing the right thing and all.
From Idol to Idle - has anyone out there been watching Fashion Avenue? Isn't it the most delicious waste of time? Jodie Kidd and a friend going shopping, where the biggest challenge is staying under their meagre 500dollar budgets (oh, horror!). Love it, love it!
And then, Project Runway. This really is a dream programme, one where you get competition, creativity, anxiety and soap opera development all the way through! I love Jay and Kara Saun, who have managed to stay above the petty politics (oh, yes, it does happen within the sewing room ) and focus on their creativity. I absolutely loathe Wendy Pepper, who is a two-faced yuck who should have gone weeks ago, but has managed to dig in those claws and climb over the backs of better ones. This week, poor Robert Plotkin the Talentless One with the Charm, finally left. I really don't know how he stayed for so long either, but at least he was nice, if a little dim-witted.
Wanna Be on Top?
Naima, Kahlen, Keenyah, Christina and Brittany remain. I wish Keenyah would up and choke. Christina, sad to say, though very nice, looks constantly startled. Brittany is a hoot and I hope she becomes a spokesperson for 4X Beer or something - fun, raucous but with a good heart. I love love love Kahlen and Naima, and yes I do know who wins, I just wish more than one girl could get the prize.
I haven't blogged in a while, and i wish i had more meaningful things to write about, but this stuff really rocks my tv world right know, and i have to get it out of my system!!
So I suppose you'll know where I am monday, wednesday and thursday nights....
Lovey, C
Saturday, March 4, 2006
time for a top five
Waiting for someone to arrive at the office on a Saturday afternoon after a really lazy morning and late breakfast with Panini, and I think to myself it is time for a blog but for the life of me I can't think of anything really worthwhile to talk about.
So I'll do a Top Ten instead!
TOP FIVE INTERESTS I WISH I HAD THE DISCIPLINE AND SOMETIMES THE BALLS TO DO
1
Dancing
I danced ballet for about 10 years, even reaching a level where I danced on pointe for about a year before I quit. I quit because of a few reasons, the biggest being that I wasn't really ballerina material, being rather low on stamina, a bit too tall and heavy and having large, bony and weak feet and ankles. Other reasons included wanting to do cooler girls' sports like rowing (after six months of which I developed large shoulders and strong arms and stomach muscles. Legs were still on the soft side...) What I miss are being able to get a workout and be expressive and creative at the same time. Took up belly dancing once a week last year for about 3 or 4 months and loved it, but came up with a few reasons not to continue (too far away, too few lessons a month to keep the momentum going..) So, I would like to take up some kind of dancing to get back into shape.
2
Acting
I love acting on stage. I love the rush of connecting with a live audience. I hate that it takes so much time for so little pay, and unfortunately, means that I have to forego time at the office and time with the kids. The best thing about it is being able to immerse yourself into a character and indulge your passions, doubts, weaknesses, and everything else about you that you wouldn't normally share with those around you - and to make it all larger than life. Acting for film or TV is not a patch on acting on stage.
Also, the challenge of baring yourself as an actor (not physically, but emotionally, personally) in order to get to the essence of the character you are playing. That is sometimes really scary. But I'd rather face that fear than forever sit in the darkness of the audience and feel limited to my imagination only, and not be able to get in there and be the character once in a while too.
3
Travel
This is a matter of finance, really. I could make the time if I wanted too. I not only want to travel with my family, but travel alone too. I did it once with a close friend - we travelled together for a while, then split up for a while. I arrived alone in Venice, thinking I should hold on to my money as much as I could. When I arrived it was about sunset, and by the time I weaved my way in and out the tiny walkways trying to look for my cheapo hostel, it was really dark. Lugging a huge backpack and noticing that the streets were not always well lit and that there were some dark figures around every corner, I decided to go back to the Marconi Hotel on the waterfront right next to the Ponte Vecchio. I spent USD100 on a room no bigger than two vans parked side by side. Feeling safe and finally being able to wash with modern bathroom facilities, it was well-spent. I lay down and watched TV before I went for a walk looking for snacks. I felt lonely only because I had nothing to do, but to be frank, I enjoyed my solitude so much. I felt I had strength and that I didn't have to look after anyone, or be looked after. Now I think if I ever got the chance to travel alone, I would write.
4
Writing
There's so much always going on in my head that I should spend time regularly to get it down onto paper. Writing prose is a much more organic process than writing for Film or TV. With prose (long story form, I guess), you can write and write and write and let it take shape as you go. You can find a lot of material just from the emotion you begin with. With scripts, it really is a craft which you must keep applying as you go. Ad you must think visually, which isn't necessarily so with prose.
5
Cooking
I love cooking. I love watching people cook (or do anything with their hands that creates something bigger and better than the things they started with, for example builders, craftsmen, skilled labourers). I love people who cook with real passion, like Jamie Oliver, whom I watched bake some bread last night, a most sensual and passionate thing. If I had an extra RM50,000 poof out of the air and into my hot little hands, I would deck out my kitchen with industrial oven and stove and extractor hood and always have all my ingredients on hand - fresh.
On a similar note, watching people work with their hands has always been a bit of a turn-on for me. Mothers kneading bread, stone masons, carpenters, builders, seamstresses, musical instrument makers - I think it brings us all back to our ancient selves, when our real, manual abilities kept us going, requiring strength and skill, and most of all, love. Yes, an accountant may love his or her profession, and the logic and brains required, but it still is a mental skill. There's something real, human, about seeing someone working with thier hands. And creating things of beauty with that labour.
They say if you do something you love, you'll love what you do. I've never felt more gratified than when I am doing any of the above things. And I've been paid to do two of them (act and write). Funny thing is, people need me more for the other skills I have rather than my passions, and I always find myself foregoing the latter to help out with the former.
Now I am Assistant Producer for both of our next films, I realise that what I love most about doing it is when I need to think a little out of the box, and also when I have to approach sponsors - so really, all the organisational stuff no longer appeals to me like it used to, not enough to make me passionate about it anyway. It's all the fun, nice part of it that appeals only.
I think the longer I put off doing things I really want to do, and the longer I keep doing things I have the ability for but no real love for, the more I am doing myself and others a disservice. Not anyone is getting a hundred percent of me. What I lack are the balls to say no, and to go all out making a name for myself, and going through all the changes, which will be hard, to get there.
I am more of a supporter than a leader, and the biggest deal for me would be to get over feeling like I'm leaving others in the lurch and acting selfishly. I kind of did that last year, and once I got over that feeling, I felt very happy and accomplished with what I achieved. But I shall keep on keepin' on because there's a lot of fun being in the position to call myself an Assitant Film Producer. I think I have the personality for it but none of the gumption others might have!
My dream role: a beleagured woman character who makes a stand for herself and not only gets her man, but power and glory too!
Lovey, C
So I'll do a Top Ten instead!
TOP FIVE INTERESTS I WISH I HAD THE DISCIPLINE AND SOMETIMES THE BALLS TO DO
1
Dancing
I danced ballet for about 10 years, even reaching a level where I danced on pointe for about a year before I quit. I quit because of a few reasons, the biggest being that I wasn't really ballerina material, being rather low on stamina, a bit too tall and heavy and having large, bony and weak feet and ankles. Other reasons included wanting to do cooler girls' sports like rowing (after six months of which I developed large shoulders and strong arms and stomach muscles. Legs were still on the soft side...) What I miss are being able to get a workout and be expressive and creative at the same time. Took up belly dancing once a week last year for about 3 or 4 months and loved it, but came up with a few reasons not to continue (too far away, too few lessons a month to keep the momentum going..) So, I would like to take up some kind of dancing to get back into shape.
2
Acting
I love acting on stage. I love the rush of connecting with a live audience. I hate that it takes so much time for so little pay, and unfortunately, means that I have to forego time at the office and time with the kids. The best thing about it is being able to immerse yourself into a character and indulge your passions, doubts, weaknesses, and everything else about you that you wouldn't normally share with those around you - and to make it all larger than life. Acting for film or TV is not a patch on acting on stage.
Also, the challenge of baring yourself as an actor (not physically, but emotionally, personally) in order to get to the essence of the character you are playing. That is sometimes really scary. But I'd rather face that fear than forever sit in the darkness of the audience and feel limited to my imagination only, and not be able to get in there and be the character once in a while too.
3
Travel
This is a matter of finance, really. I could make the time if I wanted too. I not only want to travel with my family, but travel alone too. I did it once with a close friend - we travelled together for a while, then split up for a while. I arrived alone in Venice, thinking I should hold on to my money as much as I could. When I arrived it was about sunset, and by the time I weaved my way in and out the tiny walkways trying to look for my cheapo hostel, it was really dark. Lugging a huge backpack and noticing that the streets were not always well lit and that there were some dark figures around every corner, I decided to go back to the Marconi Hotel on the waterfront right next to the Ponte Vecchio. I spent USD100 on a room no bigger than two vans parked side by side. Feeling safe and finally being able to wash with modern bathroom facilities, it was well-spent. I lay down and watched TV before I went for a walk looking for snacks. I felt lonely only because I had nothing to do, but to be frank, I enjoyed my solitude so much. I felt I had strength and that I didn't have to look after anyone, or be looked after. Now I think if I ever got the chance to travel alone, I would write.
4
Writing
There's so much always going on in my head that I should spend time regularly to get it down onto paper. Writing prose is a much more organic process than writing for Film or TV. With prose (long story form, I guess), you can write and write and write and let it take shape as you go. You can find a lot of material just from the emotion you begin with. With scripts, it really is a craft which you must keep applying as you go. Ad you must think visually, which isn't necessarily so with prose.
5
Cooking
I love cooking. I love watching people cook (or do anything with their hands that creates something bigger and better than the things they started with, for example builders, craftsmen, skilled labourers). I love people who cook with real passion, like Jamie Oliver, whom I watched bake some bread last night, a most sensual and passionate thing. If I had an extra RM50,000 poof out of the air and into my hot little hands, I would deck out my kitchen with industrial oven and stove and extractor hood and always have all my ingredients on hand - fresh.
On a similar note, watching people work with their hands has always been a bit of a turn-on for me. Mothers kneading bread, stone masons, carpenters, builders, seamstresses, musical instrument makers - I think it brings us all back to our ancient selves, when our real, manual abilities kept us going, requiring strength and skill, and most of all, love. Yes, an accountant may love his or her profession, and the logic and brains required, but it still is a mental skill. There's something real, human, about seeing someone working with thier hands. And creating things of beauty with that labour.
They say if you do something you love, you'll love what you do. I've never felt more gratified than when I am doing any of the above things. And I've been paid to do two of them (act and write). Funny thing is, people need me more for the other skills I have rather than my passions, and I always find myself foregoing the latter to help out with the former.
Now I am Assistant Producer for both of our next films, I realise that what I love most about doing it is when I need to think a little out of the box, and also when I have to approach sponsors - so really, all the organisational stuff no longer appeals to me like it used to, not enough to make me passionate about it anyway. It's all the fun, nice part of it that appeals only.
I think the longer I put off doing things I really want to do, and the longer I keep doing things I have the ability for but no real love for, the more I am doing myself and others a disservice. Not anyone is getting a hundred percent of me. What I lack are the balls to say no, and to go all out making a name for myself, and going through all the changes, which will be hard, to get there.
I am more of a supporter than a leader, and the biggest deal for me would be to get over feeling like I'm leaving others in the lurch and acting selfishly. I kind of did that last year, and once I got over that feeling, I felt very happy and accomplished with what I achieved. But I shall keep on keepin' on because there's a lot of fun being in the position to call myself an Assitant Film Producer. I think I have the personality for it but none of the gumption others might have!
My dream role: a beleagured woman character who makes a stand for herself and not only gets her man, but power and glory too!
Lovey, C
Wednesday, March 1, 2006
tak pernah ku rasa sentuhan luar biasa... the romance that was PGL
Saw PGL again over the last two nights, and fell in love twice over again with the characters, the music and the visuals.
I spent last night watching the actors, rather than the characters, and trying to learn the music as well as enjoy it - cause unless they release a CD, I ain't gonna remember any of it! I do have their 4 song CD, but it's not a live recording, nor does it include my favourite song of the whole musical, Hang Tuah's song. Also, because it was recorded in the early days, it doesn't have the spirit that the actors imbue in their performances now.
Watching the actors, I felt a welling of emotion inside even from the very beginning. The first walk by Gusti Adipati was the last walk AC Mizal would do for this run. We found out later he felt a sudden surge of emotion as he did it.
The loveliest thing about theatre (in this case, live musical theatre) is that, once you are cast, go through rehearsals and performances, you enter a small journey with a bunch of fellow-travellers. If you are all in sync, have a passion for the play or show, and are in love with your character, no matter what kind of character it is, it is a sublime passage through time.
I thought to myself, if I was the smallest role on that stage, the most nondescript ensemble character near the wings, I would be singing my heart out for the glory of the experience - not just the experience of the night's performance, but the glory of pouring your heart and soul into something for the sake of making the world a little more beautiful, more thoughful, more kind.
As the show ended, we saw the sobbing ensemble's bodies wracked with emotion. When AC came out for his bow, he was in tears, and the naked emotion passed through to the audience, who stood en masse, in awe of what they were witnessing - not just a superb technical and creative performance, but a communion of sorts. This is a mystical, human element of theatre that I love, and simply watching theatre can sometimes move me, no matter what the show is or how well done.
When Tiara came out, her sorrow and joy was palpable - what a great experience and what sadness that it must end. I am very proud of her and revel in her exuberance, passion and natural talent... and most of all, the celebration of expression that she embodies.
So, hobbling into the office today (after a night in heels), I sms Naa Murad to see if he can do a show for us. The following sms exchange ensues:
Me to Naa:
(sung to the opening tune from PGL)
Satu hari nanti... Naa akan main Actorlympics!
Pada haribulan dua puluh lima bulan Mac!
Naa to me:
Katakanlaaaa....
Me to Naa:
(sung to love song between Hang and Puteri)
Otak temu otak, minda hapus di udara
Masa demi masa, Naa suka berbicara
Apakah salahnya, kalau banyak suka cakap
Kan tidak ada siapa dengar?
Tertibalah masa ku kepada Naa sebut "Sudah!"
Naa to Me:
Amboi, benar kata orang yang puteri Kinabalu pandai berpantun tapi agak kurang sopan santun! :)
Me to Naa
Ngkau 3 kali goblok!
Naa to me:
Ternyata awak tidak di didik dengan bersungguh-sungguh. Habiskan siang dengan SMS merata-rata. Cis!
Me to Naa:
Bedebah!
Naa to me:
Poot. Ok. Nuff!
Lovey, C
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
PGL NEWS
You may have been reading Afdlin's blog on PGL - unfortunately the 40 tickets we were allocated pernight have been filled and there is no more room to squash another kodok into our set of tickets!
BUT Istana Budaya is selling tickets from today onwards for those nights (27 and 28 Feb) so you had better go there with a wad of cash and queue!!! If you really want a ticket that is.
Don't bother calling to book - the same upset over double-booked tickets might occur. Get those tickets in your hot little hands and be certain you have a spot for your ass.
Hope to see you there.
Lovey, C
BUT Istana Budaya is selling tickets from today onwards for those nights (27 and 28 Feb) so you had better go there with a wad of cash and queue!!! If you really want a ticket that is.
Don't bother calling to book - the same upset over double-booked tickets might occur. Get those tickets in your hot little hands and be certain you have a spot for your ass.
Hope to see you there.
Lovey, C
Saturday, February 18, 2006
turning japanese, i think i'm
Hi y'all! Actorlympics begins again on Wednesday and boy, do we have a treat for you! As usual we will have an opening number which is going to surprise you - guaranteed!
If you want to catch some of the guys on the radio, tune in to X Fresh on 103.0FM on Tuesday night about 8.30pm to hear Na'a Murad ("sabo? sabo mandi?") and Hafidzuddin (Fish) have a chat about being in Actorlympics.
We are also planning a chat on Red104.9, but i will confirm time and date asap.
For your information, tickets are starting to sell, though there's plenty left if you reserve now, or better, go buy them so that you know you won't miss out!
Monday, February 13, 2006
i wana be a pwintheth
These last few days have been a little on the draggy side, what with me getting a little fluey and encountering some stumbling blocks at work which have slowed us up a little bit. Everything seems to be going in slo-mo, and my eyes are looking out of my head as if from a cloud of cotton, and my head feels a little foggy and when i make a sudden turn to the left, the visual image is delayed by a few moments.
Anyway, we went to see PGL the musical and were basically blown away. If you have ever seen a broadway musical, you know that the music is going to be kicking, the choreography and the acting will all come together in such a way as to stir you deep down inside - and you expect to be drawn into a world and be whisked away into the whole fantasy of it all. Well, although we had to leave after the first half, we got everything we expected and more - and the funny thing is, the whole idea of the Hang Tuah/PGL romance being THE romance finally came through onstage as it didnn't in the movie.
Unfortunately, I would have to say that the lack of chemistry between M Nasir's Hang and Tiara's PGL looks like it might have been due to poor Abang Nasir's restraint. I hazard the thought that maybe, being a major player in the entertainment industry perhaps Abang Nasir may have felt his actions were being scrutinised and may not have wanted too much to expose himself in the media as being too "forward" in his acting. But, dammit! This is Hang tuah and Gusti Puteri! I am waiting for the day when two actors can act out their supreme desire for each other without it being misconstrued as real-life passion between actors. Until then, we will only ever see our actors going through the motions of "looking" in love. Sorry, but it's tap water and leaves us all wanting in the satisfaction department...
Sometimes things like that, you can never really tell if they're going to work until you see the final product. But, it can safely be said that the combination of live music, the largesse of the musical format, and the change in leading man has resulted in a chemistry which jumps off the stage and invites everyone in to the romance pathos.
Of course, Adlin Aman Ramli with his signature smirk was a delight to watch. But I think the real star was AC Mizal, whose Gusti Adipati was charismatic, imposing and yet human. He is larger than life, and yet when it comes to the moment when he has to defer to the more powerful Mahmud of Melaka, his desparation is tangible, and you kind of feel for his omentarily pathetic figure - why? because AC is such a master of his body and of the theatrics of the scene. He is truly a star and if he's not careful, whill be so in demand for muscial theatre he won't have time for film!!
Anyway, if you have a chance (and they are selling well), go check it out. They can't extend the run because Stephen R-H is on a limited schedule (by the way, his voice is lovely and has a lemak quality to his ending notes, though I think he learnt his script phonetically from a coach and, though he speaks well, I am not sure he quite understands the nuances of what he is saying - still, if you're into musicals and want to see a Hunk Tuah, you won't be disappointed).
Also, my little girl who cut her own hair had her aunt see to the mess, and is now sporting a pixie cut which I think brings out her gorgeous black eyes. It worried me a little that she insisted she didn't want to look like a boy (at 3, where on earth did she pick up the notion that short hair equals boy?) but there's no danger of that with her because she always asks if she looks like a pwintheth and smells like one or not. She hates pants and will wear the same dress for days if she had her way.
So if any of you see her, don't forget to tell her how much like a pwintheth she really is (my first favor of you) and please avoid saying short hair and boy in the same sentence!
I say I wana be a pwintheth because I have been thinking of how much we rush about and run after details and dates and things and never really have a chance for a break. I was thinking how you would really have be royalty not to have to earn your way in this world. The only other way to keep a balanced, healthy, happy life is to constantly monitor yourself and make sure you don't let the pressure build - but this also sounds like a lot of constant work. Still, if it all becomes a habit, then I suppose it would be better to know you have a certain amount of down time everyday that's not for sleeping but for living, and that tomorrow you will feel better for it, and also be looking forward to another downtime for that day too.
So, I am going to let myself yearn for a silly moment and think shopping thoughts and luxury and pretend that it's okay to dream of being a pwintheth....
Lovey, C
Anyway, we went to see PGL the musical and were basically blown away. If you have ever seen a broadway musical, you know that the music is going to be kicking, the choreography and the acting will all come together in such a way as to stir you deep down inside - and you expect to be drawn into a world and be whisked away into the whole fantasy of it all. Well, although we had to leave after the first half, we got everything we expected and more - and the funny thing is, the whole idea of the Hang Tuah/PGL romance being THE romance finally came through onstage as it didnn't in the movie.
Unfortunately, I would have to say that the lack of chemistry between M Nasir's Hang and Tiara's PGL looks like it might have been due to poor Abang Nasir's restraint. I hazard the thought that maybe, being a major player in the entertainment industry perhaps Abang Nasir may have felt his actions were being scrutinised and may not have wanted too much to expose himself in the media as being too "forward" in his acting. But, dammit! This is Hang tuah and Gusti Puteri! I am waiting for the day when two actors can act out their supreme desire for each other without it being misconstrued as real-life passion between actors. Until then, we will only ever see our actors going through the motions of "looking" in love. Sorry, but it's tap water and leaves us all wanting in the satisfaction department...
Sometimes things like that, you can never really tell if they're going to work until you see the final product. But, it can safely be said that the combination of live music, the largesse of the musical format, and the change in leading man has resulted in a chemistry which jumps off the stage and invites everyone in to the romance pathos.
Of course, Adlin Aman Ramli with his signature smirk was a delight to watch. But I think the real star was AC Mizal, whose Gusti Adipati was charismatic, imposing and yet human. He is larger than life, and yet when it comes to the moment when he has to defer to the more powerful Mahmud of Melaka, his desparation is tangible, and you kind of feel for his omentarily pathetic figure - why? because AC is such a master of his body and of the theatrics of the scene. He is truly a star and if he's not careful, whill be so in demand for muscial theatre he won't have time for film!!
Anyway, if you have a chance (and they are selling well), go check it out. They can't extend the run because Stephen R-H is on a limited schedule (by the way, his voice is lovely and has a lemak quality to his ending notes, though I think he learnt his script phonetically from a coach and, though he speaks well, I am not sure he quite understands the nuances of what he is saying - still, if you're into musicals and want to see a Hunk Tuah, you won't be disappointed).
Also, my little girl who cut her own hair had her aunt see to the mess, and is now sporting a pixie cut which I think brings out her gorgeous black eyes. It worried me a little that she insisted she didn't want to look like a boy (at 3, where on earth did she pick up the notion that short hair equals boy?) but there's no danger of that with her because she always asks if she looks like a pwintheth and smells like one or not. She hates pants and will wear the same dress for days if she had her way.
So if any of you see her, don't forget to tell her how much like a pwintheth she really is (my first favor of you) and please avoid saying short hair and boy in the same sentence!
I say I wana be a pwintheth because I have been thinking of how much we rush about and run after details and dates and things and never really have a chance for a break. I was thinking how you would really have be royalty not to have to earn your way in this world. The only other way to keep a balanced, healthy, happy life is to constantly monitor yourself and make sure you don't let the pressure build - but this also sounds like a lot of constant work. Still, if it all becomes a habit, then I suppose it would be better to know you have a certain amount of down time everyday that's not for sleeping but for living, and that tomorrow you will feel better for it, and also be looking forward to another downtime for that day too.
So, I am going to let myself yearn for a silly moment and think shopping thoughts and luxury and pretend that it's okay to dream of being a pwintheth....
Lovey, C
Wednesday, February 8, 2006
I Suka Your Sukiyaki
Time for Actorlympics again!!! Here are the poster:
and the flyer (front and back)
If you're keen, book your tickets early to avoid disappointment - I shall be posting a schedule of the cast lineup as it will vary every night.
See Yas,
C
and the flyer (front and back)
If you're keen, book your tickets early to avoid disappointment - I shall be posting a schedule of the cast lineup as it will vary every night.
See Yas,
C
Sunday, February 5, 2006
salakadoola menchikaboola bippity boppity boo
Been watching Cinderella over my kids' shoulders and thinking of classic moments in movies that create that kind of viscous movie memory-feeling which real movie lovers know and love - the kind of feelings you get when you remember certain movie scenes or hear movie music or that feeling you get when you come out of a great, classic movie, feeling like you can fly or at least spend lots of money.
Then I thought, what about the ultimate girls' male character? Of course, it has a lot to do with how nice/chivalric/sexy/courageous the character is, and also a lot to do with the actor's delivery. But I'm talking specifically about those characters who have become embedded in the female psyche as the classic male movie archetype - and this I think, is a result of a successful melding of the characteristics of both the actor and the character he is playing.
What is a classic male movie archetype? I could list a few examples - and I will!
Dark, Broody But Nice
Every girl's favourite I think, however usually suffers from boring delivery and perhaps may even be mistaken for Quiet, Sulky and Dull. A successful DBbutN is dark enough to be mysterious, broody enough to hint at psychosis and only appear nice when it is clear he is doing it for love. DBbutNs ellicit feelings of falling for someone intrinsically good who will end up taking care of his girl, but who's also prepared to stand apart and maybe even be a little dangerous. The staple of Harlequin romances, this guy has been around since long before, and has been every schoolgirl's fantasy for centuries.
Prime Example - Mr Darcy, Pride and Prejudice. There have been many Darcys, least succesful was I think, BBC's version from the 80s. For a long time, Colin Firth's Darcy of the 90s BBC remake, remained champion ever since he emerged dripping with water from the Pemberley estate pond and stunned Lizzie and thousands of unwitting female saturday night TV viewers into hungry submission, purely with his physical presence and a sardonic twist on his lips. Firth enamoured himself of enough of the female population to garner himself the equivalent role in most of the movies he has made since then - including the Pride and Prejudice carbon copy Bridget Jones' Diary. And, with his sense of humour, has proceeded to cause loads of women into falling in love with Colin Firth, not just the Darcy character. The latest Pride and Prejudice with Keira I Know I Have Great Lips Kneightley didn't seem to hold much promise in the Darcy area, but I must say that despite having the physical charisma of a wet fish, the latest Darcy does manage to rise to the occasion in one of literature's most anticipated climactic confrontations - when Darcy and Lizzie have it out and Lizzie finally tells him she thinks he's rather rubbish (all a misunderstanding of course). The latest P&P succeeds in satisfying because the characters say what in the other versions they don't - a departure from the book, but a real hook for modern audiences.
Well-Meaning Dumb Ass Loser
Possibly naive, possibly hot headed - this guy has a weakness of some sort that stands in his own way. So why do girls like him? He needs to be saved. Sometimes he is a total asshole - but only because of some tragedy in the past or because his parents failed him somehow. In the end, this guy comes through after a massive realisation hits him and he changes his way. We girls like to think it's the influence of a female which causes this, but really, it'sup to the character. But I suppose why girls like to think that is because it's a great fantasy - besides, if it weren't for that, most girls would be turned off by how irritating this character can be.
Prime example - Rocky, Happy Madison, Arthur (Dudley Moore), De Niro in Taxi Driver, Johhny English. As you can see, the list is varied. Some losers like Rocky, make you cry for his sake because yes, he is a loser, yes he is dumb, but against the odds he makes it to the top. Others, like Johnny English, you want to whack with a chair.
Floppy-haired Maybe Gay Charmers
Because he's a charmer and because he's gay enough to feel uninhibited around - and then there's the tantalising prospect of conversion which many girls enjoy the thought of. He's like a girlfriend in the shape of a man, with whom you can talk secrets and also flirt with and perhaps use to make another man jealous.
Prime example - Rupert Everett's character in My Best Friend's Wedding and Hugh Grant in almost every movie he has ever made (though in a couple of them the characters he played were definitely gay, whether repressed or flamboyantly so). The secret to Hugh Grant's appeal is that he is very well aware of his own Floppiness and it shows in the way he talks about himself or even in his acting, which is pretty sexy, regardless of his spaniel-eyed looks and funny teeth. Rupert Everett is as manly a gay as you can get, who plays straight characters so well (collective female sigh at the waste), as his predecessor Ian McKellen.
Hunky Nice Guy
Booooriing.
Prime Example - Durmot Mulroney in Best Friend's Wedding. Everyone was watching Cameron, Julia and Rupert, sorry to say. Moving on quickly.
Smart Bad Guy
Ooooh, very much like DBbutN, except he's baaad. The main attraction is the possible psychological, mental, emotional problems this guy might have, along with the sharp mind and possible physical disfigurement - and of course, power. There are also some actors who do this very well, combining their dark side, physical attractiveness (or not), (sometimes) humour and great delivery very well.
Prime example - Alan Rickman as the Sheriff in Prince of Thieves and Snipe in the Harry Potty series, but best of all as Gruber in Die Hard, Agent Smith from the Matrix, and other sexier examples which I can't hink of right now...
Muscular Hard-Case with a Heart
A much more exciting version of the Hunky Nice Guy - this one always has a goal, always does whatever it takes to do what needs to be done.
Prime example - Bruce Willis in Die Hard. We were all thinking, wow, what a nice guy and how horrible that this has ahppened to him and his family, whilst admiring his rippling muscles.
My two faves are the dark and broody nice guy and the smart bad guy - both basically two sides of the same coin. There are other male movie archetypes which I haven't thought of, I'm sure, but these are the most fun for me.
Hmmm... time to pasang some DVDs and revisit the totally revisitable!
Lovey, C
Then I thought, what about the ultimate girls' male character? Of course, it has a lot to do with how nice/chivalric/sexy/courageous the character is, and also a lot to do with the actor's delivery. But I'm talking specifically about those characters who have become embedded in the female psyche as the classic male movie archetype - and this I think, is a result of a successful melding of the characteristics of both the actor and the character he is playing.
What is a classic male movie archetype? I could list a few examples - and I will!
Dark, Broody But Nice
Every girl's favourite I think, however usually suffers from boring delivery and perhaps may even be mistaken for Quiet, Sulky and Dull. A successful DBbutN is dark enough to be mysterious, broody enough to hint at psychosis and only appear nice when it is clear he is doing it for love. DBbutNs ellicit feelings of falling for someone intrinsically good who will end up taking care of his girl, but who's also prepared to stand apart and maybe even be a little dangerous. The staple of Harlequin romances, this guy has been around since long before, and has been every schoolgirl's fantasy for centuries.
Prime Example - Mr Darcy, Pride and Prejudice. There have been many Darcys, least succesful was I think, BBC's version from the 80s. For a long time, Colin Firth's Darcy of the 90s BBC remake, remained champion ever since he emerged dripping with water from the Pemberley estate pond and stunned Lizzie and thousands of unwitting female saturday night TV viewers into hungry submission, purely with his physical presence and a sardonic twist on his lips. Firth enamoured himself of enough of the female population to garner himself the equivalent role in most of the movies he has made since then - including the Pride and Prejudice carbon copy Bridget Jones' Diary. And, with his sense of humour, has proceeded to cause loads of women into falling in love with Colin Firth, not just the Darcy character. The latest Pride and Prejudice with Keira I Know I Have Great Lips Kneightley didn't seem to hold much promise in the Darcy area, but I must say that despite having the physical charisma of a wet fish, the latest Darcy does manage to rise to the occasion in one of literature's most anticipated climactic confrontations - when Darcy and Lizzie have it out and Lizzie finally tells him she thinks he's rather rubbish (all a misunderstanding of course). The latest P&P succeeds in satisfying because the characters say what in the other versions they don't - a departure from the book, but a real hook for modern audiences.
Well-Meaning Dumb Ass Loser
Possibly naive, possibly hot headed - this guy has a weakness of some sort that stands in his own way. So why do girls like him? He needs to be saved. Sometimes he is a total asshole - but only because of some tragedy in the past or because his parents failed him somehow. In the end, this guy comes through after a massive realisation hits him and he changes his way. We girls like to think it's the influence of a female which causes this, but really, it'sup to the character. But I suppose why girls like to think that is because it's a great fantasy - besides, if it weren't for that, most girls would be turned off by how irritating this character can be.
Prime example - Rocky, Happy Madison, Arthur (Dudley Moore), De Niro in Taxi Driver, Johhny English. As you can see, the list is varied. Some losers like Rocky, make you cry for his sake because yes, he is a loser, yes he is dumb, but against the odds he makes it to the top. Others, like Johnny English, you want to whack with a chair.
Floppy-haired Maybe Gay Charmers
Because he's a charmer and because he's gay enough to feel uninhibited around - and then there's the tantalising prospect of conversion which many girls enjoy the thought of. He's like a girlfriend in the shape of a man, with whom you can talk secrets and also flirt with and perhaps use to make another man jealous.
Prime example - Rupert Everett's character in My Best Friend's Wedding and Hugh Grant in almost every movie he has ever made (though in a couple of them the characters he played were definitely gay, whether repressed or flamboyantly so). The secret to Hugh Grant's appeal is that he is very well aware of his own Floppiness and it shows in the way he talks about himself or even in his acting, which is pretty sexy, regardless of his spaniel-eyed looks and funny teeth. Rupert Everett is as manly a gay as you can get, who plays straight characters so well (collective female sigh at the waste), as his predecessor Ian McKellen.
Hunky Nice Guy
Booooriing.
Prime Example - Durmot Mulroney in Best Friend's Wedding. Everyone was watching Cameron, Julia and Rupert, sorry to say. Moving on quickly.
Smart Bad Guy
Ooooh, very much like DBbutN, except he's baaad. The main attraction is the possible psychological, mental, emotional problems this guy might have, along with the sharp mind and possible physical disfigurement - and of course, power. There are also some actors who do this very well, combining their dark side, physical attractiveness (or not), (sometimes) humour and great delivery very well.
Prime example - Alan Rickman as the Sheriff in Prince of Thieves and Snipe in the Harry Potty series, but best of all as Gruber in Die Hard, Agent Smith from the Matrix, and other sexier examples which I can't hink of right now...
Muscular Hard-Case with a Heart
A much more exciting version of the Hunky Nice Guy - this one always has a goal, always does whatever it takes to do what needs to be done.
Prime example - Bruce Willis in Die Hard. We were all thinking, wow, what a nice guy and how horrible that this has ahppened to him and his family, whilst admiring his rippling muscles.
My two faves are the dark and broody nice guy and the smart bad guy - both basically two sides of the same coin. There are other male movie archetypes which I haven't thought of, I'm sure, but these are the most fun for me.
Hmmm... time to pasang some DVDs and revisit the totally revisitable!
Lovey, C
Thursday, February 2, 2006
Buli Balik smashes my records and Actorlympics comes again!
I say my records because I'm not sure whether it really smashes any records, but Buli Balik's takings have reached RM1.2 mil in less than a week and I reckon that's a world record!! For Afldin Shauki and for Vision Works.
Response has been almost all favourable and I think it's because it's funny and thought-provoking at the same time. There are of course people who can't stomach it, and that's okay. There were some who couldn't stomach Baik Punya Cilok who much preferred BB and it's all okay! Feel the love, baby!
Mr Buli is out doing a BB promo roadshow, today in KLCC and Bukit Raja. Tired though he is and suffering from smoker's cough and flu, he is soldiering on for the sake of his fans and the film - because it is the film that the fans love, he that they want to see, and they that make it all happen.
Come February, we shall be having Actorlympics again for those who missed it last year. Suffice to say that we have chosen a theme for the show, which is Everything Japanese. Now we are trying to figure out how to fit everyone into one photo! Anyway, here's a teaser our erstwhile designer Isma has generated for us, just to whet your appetites...
Response has been almost all favourable and I think it's because it's funny and thought-provoking at the same time. There are of course people who can't stomach it, and that's okay. There were some who couldn't stomach Baik Punya Cilok who much preferred BB and it's all okay! Feel the love, baby!
Mr Buli is out doing a BB promo roadshow, today in KLCC and Bukit Raja. Tired though he is and suffering from smoker's cough and flu, he is soldiering on for the sake of his fans and the film - because it is the film that the fans love, he that they want to see, and they that make it all happen.
Come February, we shall be having Actorlympics again for those who missed it last year. Suffice to say that we have chosen a theme for the show, which is Everything Japanese. Now we are trying to figure out how to fit everyone into one photo! Anyway, here's a teaser our erstwhile designer Isma has generated for us, just to whet your appetites...
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
put your hand on your heart and tell me
...how big my bum is. No don't! I know already! Relaxing in front of a Kylie Concert DVD and admiring her miniscule but totally proportionate bum as she trots across the stage. Every now and then I get really lazy about my health, even though it's always playing on my mind.
I was born with one of those bodies that is soft all over. Even when I was a skinny thing at school, I never had the kind of muscle that bulked up or even retained shape. I danced for over 10 years, managed to get lots of spring in my jumps, but never really pushed myself to the point where I was particularly good. I could proudly say I had a gift for coordination that I couldn't match with my physical abilities!
Last night I watched the Serenity DVD (all you Firefly fans out there - I suppose there's some Firefly thing I could say but I can't really think of one, so, holler!) and watched Summer Glau do her amazing fight scenes.
And now tonight I see Kylie on the TV and I wonder, where did my sort-of fitness go? I would love to be able to say I let it all go after my first kid (and what song should Kylie be singing right now? "If I had to do it all again, I wouldn't change a single thing!" She ain't the pop princess for nothing) and that the dreary cycles of life have washed away my desires to get pumped and buff. But the sad truth is, it all kind of slipped away when I was not looking and now I don't think I could ever get back to my mediocre state of health...
Every now and then I attempt some yoga at home, but never really do it enough to know the moves by heart. Then I try watching what I eat - and everything starts to look boring and I need, absolutely NEED a kentucky fried chicken skin right away. Then I try setting myself goals to quit smoking by March (hah!) and find myself thinking, well, loads of people smoked before we knew the dangers, and if they didn't die of it, they died of something else. Then I think, naughty mummy! you should be setting an example! And after that I think, who asked anyone to think of me as an example to them and their uncles?! They should be their own examples and stop pointing fingers (was that an exercise in poised deflection?)
Then I think of that lovely philosophy about not piling guilt on everything that you do otherwise you create bad health just by thinking of it (I think that was the Convy Nient Philosophy of the Gutless and Undriven).
I think moderation is the key - I just don't practise it! (Waaail!)
When you really think of it, it's envy and jealousy that gets people striving to be better. I mean, I see Kylie's dimple-free thighs and I think, I could be like that if I tried. So does that mean I have not an ounce of envy or jealousy to drive me to be better? (I wish! Haha!)
Maybe it'snot fitness that's worrying me. Maybe I should spring-clean. Or move the furniture. Or switch to unit trusts. No, I think I should just use good old fashioned common sense and eat the right foods, put the furniture where it's needed the most and stop spending my money! (Oh, how I dream of the day I can walk into a mall with 5k to spend on myself (it would all be spent on shoes if i could find any in my size))
Living in my head,
C
I was born with one of those bodies that is soft all over. Even when I was a skinny thing at school, I never had the kind of muscle that bulked up or even retained shape. I danced for over 10 years, managed to get lots of spring in my jumps, but never really pushed myself to the point where I was particularly good. I could proudly say I had a gift for coordination that I couldn't match with my physical abilities!
Last night I watched the Serenity DVD (all you Firefly fans out there - I suppose there's some Firefly thing I could say but I can't really think of one, so, holler!) and watched Summer Glau do her amazing fight scenes.
And now tonight I see Kylie on the TV and I wonder, where did my sort-of fitness go? I would love to be able to say I let it all go after my first kid (and what song should Kylie be singing right now? "If I had to do it all again, I wouldn't change a single thing!" She ain't the pop princess for nothing) and that the dreary cycles of life have washed away my desires to get pumped and buff. But the sad truth is, it all kind of slipped away when I was not looking and now I don't think I could ever get back to my mediocre state of health...
Every now and then I attempt some yoga at home, but never really do it enough to know the moves by heart. Then I try watching what I eat - and everything starts to look boring and I need, absolutely NEED a kentucky fried chicken skin right away. Then I try setting myself goals to quit smoking by March (hah!) and find myself thinking, well, loads of people smoked before we knew the dangers, and if they didn't die of it, they died of something else. Then I think, naughty mummy! you should be setting an example! And after that I think, who asked anyone to think of me as an example to them and their uncles?! They should be their own examples and stop pointing fingers (was that an exercise in poised deflection?)
Then I think of that lovely philosophy about not piling guilt on everything that you do otherwise you create bad health just by thinking of it (I think that was the Convy Nient Philosophy of the Gutless and Undriven).
I think moderation is the key - I just don't practise it! (Waaail!)
When you really think of it, it's envy and jealousy that gets people striving to be better. I mean, I see Kylie's dimple-free thighs and I think, I could be like that if I tried. So does that mean I have not an ounce of envy or jealousy to drive me to be better? (I wish! Haha!)
Maybe it'snot fitness that's worrying me. Maybe I should spring-clean. Or move the furniture. Or switch to unit trusts. No, I think I should just use good old fashioned common sense and eat the right foods, put the furniture where it's needed the most and stop spending my money! (Oh, how I dream of the day I can walk into a mall with 5k to spend on myself (it would all be spent on shoes if i could find any in my size))
Living in my head,
C
Monday, January 30, 2006
balancin' on my big blue ball (with pressure points)
In a bid to improve my posture and to avoid that horrible twisted, knotted, tied up feeling in my lower back from sitting too long at the desk, I am perched upon the bright blue exercise ball I got a year ago, and which I am finally putting to use today. Yes, my posture is quite good and yes, it is creating a bit of a sweat because my body is constantly adjusting to the minute changes my movements are causing the rest of my body to make to stay upright and on top.
Unfortunately I lost the pump thingy that came with it, and since it is a little deflated, I am sitting a little low to the ground.
Perhaps the sweat has a little to do with the sweltering heat outside, heat I haven't felt since my last summer in Perth, when the air would boil before my eyes and my skin would smell of toast. Everything always got covered in lime-flavoured sunscreen and sand and the sea air would wreak havoc with newly-washed hair. Everything was crusty and citrus flavoured. The difference is that I would not sweat in Perth because it was so dry. Here, everything goes damp and there is no end to moisture.
We are planning our next Actorlympics! which will happen Wednesday to Sunday 22-26th February 2006. Our theme is "all things Japanese", in keeping with our Sumolah endeavours this year. So keep your diaries free, cos it will be the last time you see live improv comedy till the middle of the year!
Another little list of peeves:
1
People who listen to you explain a fantastic idea to them, then suddenly interrupt and say, "I know!" and then proceed to repeat the very same thing you just said.
2
The other people in the conversation who are too blur to realise what's happened and praise the first person (aaarrgh!)
3
People who change the subject of a discussion and proceed to attack on a completely unrelated topic.
4
People whose language is always proprietary, accusatory and demanding - a complete window into the kind of people they really are. (Proprietary: everything is "mine" "my" "I" until trouble surfaces/ Accusatory: "Why do you want to know?" when you ask for someone's number/ demanding: "where are you going!?" when you take one route instead of theirs)
5
People who have expectations of you but hate it when you make any kind of assumption about them and what their obligations are.
Ooooo.. feels good to complain! Well, now that's off my chest! Back to the big blue ball and improving my muscle tone...
Lovey c
Unfortunately I lost the pump thingy that came with it, and since it is a little deflated, I am sitting a little low to the ground.
Perhaps the sweat has a little to do with the sweltering heat outside, heat I haven't felt since my last summer in Perth, when the air would boil before my eyes and my skin would smell of toast. Everything always got covered in lime-flavoured sunscreen and sand and the sea air would wreak havoc with newly-washed hair. Everything was crusty and citrus flavoured. The difference is that I would not sweat in Perth because it was so dry. Here, everything goes damp and there is no end to moisture.
We are planning our next Actorlympics! which will happen Wednesday to Sunday 22-26th February 2006. Our theme is "all things Japanese", in keeping with our Sumolah endeavours this year. So keep your diaries free, cos it will be the last time you see live improv comedy till the middle of the year!
Another little list of peeves:
1
People who listen to you explain a fantastic idea to them, then suddenly interrupt and say, "I know!" and then proceed to repeat the very same thing you just said.
2
The other people in the conversation who are too blur to realise what's happened and praise the first person (aaarrgh!)
3
People who change the subject of a discussion and proceed to attack on a completely unrelated topic.
4
People whose language is always proprietary, accusatory and demanding - a complete window into the kind of people they really are. (Proprietary: everything is "mine" "my" "I" until trouble surfaces/ Accusatory: "Why do you want to know?" when you ask for someone's number/ demanding: "where are you going!?" when you take one route instead of theirs)
5
People who have expectations of you but hate it when you make any kind of assumption about them and what their obligations are.
Ooooo.. feels good to complain! Well, now that's off my chest! Back to the big blue ball and improving my muscle tone...
Lovey c
Friday, January 27, 2006
2006 Doggy Style!!
To all my Chinese peeps out there - Patrick and family, Nell, Gavin, (gosh, Edwin, I still don't know what you are!), TAS and KLPac homies, and the rest of the kaum cina yang meraikan tahun baru cina - GONG XI FA CHAI!! And may the year of the dog not be a dog of a year for you!
My dad is a kadazandusun - specifically a lotud man from tuaran. So we think of ourselves as kadazan, but really, I think we're also a bit of a chinese mix descended from taiwanese aborigine chinese. Once, we visited Taiwan and went on some cultural tour - and the traditional costumes matched the constumes of some of the kadazan tribes in sabah! Some more muka macam kadazan sikit - not the pure chinese look but a more weathered, nepalese national geographic cover photo kind of look.
Then my mum told me that my father's father used to sing an old song which to her sounded mandarin. She found out that there was some legend about oneof his forefathers being a member of a chinese court or something.
So, not only are Panini and I highly likely to be of chinese descent, we're probably royalty too!!! Well, at least royal pains...
Anyway, what does doggy year hold for us all? I'm thinking lots of money, loyal friends and much time to lie around. We can leave all the ball-licking, crotch-sniffing and sweating for the next time doggy poo comes around!
So, have a lovely long break and drive safe!
Lovey, C
My dad is a kadazandusun - specifically a lotud man from tuaran. So we think of ourselves as kadazan, but really, I think we're also a bit of a chinese mix descended from taiwanese aborigine chinese. Once, we visited Taiwan and went on some cultural tour - and the traditional costumes matched the constumes of some of the kadazan tribes in sabah! Some more muka macam kadazan sikit - not the pure chinese look but a more weathered, nepalese national geographic cover photo kind of look.
Then my mum told me that my father's father used to sing an old song which to her sounded mandarin. She found out that there was some legend about oneof his forefathers being a member of a chinese court or something.
So, not only are Panini and I highly likely to be of chinese descent, we're probably royalty too!!! Well, at least royal pains...
Anyway, what does doggy year hold for us all? I'm thinking lots of money, loyal friends and much time to lie around. We can leave all the ball-licking, crotch-sniffing and sweating for the next time doggy poo comes around!
So, have a lovely long break and drive safe!
Lovey, C
Thursday, January 26, 2006
time goes by... so slowly... time it goes so fast
when i am a housebound mum with kids to take care of, the day goes so slowly, and when i have a list of things to do, there isn't enough time in the day...
today i felt the rush of nerves you get when a deadline comes up and you realise everyone closes in half an hour and if you don't do it now now now, it won't get done till tomorrow and tomorrow might be too late
then everything shuts down and you suddenly have loads of time to redo the rush job that you didn't even manage to complete before closing time
and then ideas hit you and its too late to change course because of promises you made today that you must see through to completion tomorrow
and then you can't sleep for thinking about what you have to do tomorrow
and on top of that you remember the promise you made to yourself to get enough sleep and plan the day so that you don't not get enough sleep
guilt sets in when you watch a movie instead of going to bed
hunger gnaws at your insides as you think about the rule of not eating before bedtime (who set that rule? Oprah, I think)
sleep tugs at your eyelids but you know that come the time you lay your head down, you think of the list you could be making to make tomorrow more efficient
then i think i should just not have committed to anything, then i would have more time on my hands
and then i think how much i squander my time when i have nothing to do
and then and then i wonder how mothers run countries (hats off to Indira, Thatcher, the NZ Premier and other ladies of steel)
and then and then and then i think they must really have their shit together
then i look at my piddly list and laugh at how small i am, how weak
and i look around me at all the people who make my life full and wonder if they ever think this way or are they just forces of nature who don't bend to their weaknesses?
and i wonder what am i to them and do i make a difference?
then i look at the time and scoff at my time-wasting tendencies
better sign off, go to sleep and wake up to send my baby to school early, that way she gets a chance to socialise before class begins
and i get to stand and watch like a goofy old cow and think how happy to be a child
lovey, c
today i felt the rush of nerves you get when a deadline comes up and you realise everyone closes in half an hour and if you don't do it now now now, it won't get done till tomorrow and tomorrow might be too late
then everything shuts down and you suddenly have loads of time to redo the rush job that you didn't even manage to complete before closing time
and then ideas hit you and its too late to change course because of promises you made today that you must see through to completion tomorrow
and then you can't sleep for thinking about what you have to do tomorrow
and on top of that you remember the promise you made to yourself to get enough sleep and plan the day so that you don't not get enough sleep
guilt sets in when you watch a movie instead of going to bed
hunger gnaws at your insides as you think about the rule of not eating before bedtime (who set that rule? Oprah, I think)
sleep tugs at your eyelids but you know that come the time you lay your head down, you think of the list you could be making to make tomorrow more efficient
then i think i should just not have committed to anything, then i would have more time on my hands
and then i think how much i squander my time when i have nothing to do
and then and then i wonder how mothers run countries (hats off to Indira, Thatcher, the NZ Premier and other ladies of steel)
and then and then and then i think they must really have their shit together
then i look at my piddly list and laugh at how small i am, how weak
and i look around me at all the people who make my life full and wonder if they ever think this way or are they just forces of nature who don't bend to their weaknesses?
and i wonder what am i to them and do i make a difference?
then i look at the time and scoff at my time-wasting tendencies
better sign off, go to sleep and wake up to send my baby to school early, that way she gets a chance to socialise before class begins
and i get to stand and watch like a goofy old cow and think how happy to be a child
lovey, c
Sunday, January 22, 2006
"oh, for gawd's sake, Neil, everyone knows sleep gives you cancer!"
I think Rik Mayall said that as Rick from the Young Ones, a Brit sitcom, if one could call it that. I used to memorise chunks of dialogue from that odd show, which was highly entertaining! It was all written by Ben Elton and the guy now famous for Four Weddings, Notting Hill, Love Actually, I think (erk, I can't remember his name). I remember Ben Elton because he used to love to stay in Perth and wrote novels while there.
Nigel Planer, the guy who played Neil went on to movies among other things, Adrian Edmondson was married to Jennifer Saunders and went on to write and sing the title song to Absolutely Fabulous ("Wheels on Fire.."), they guy who played Chris disappeared into oblivion, but he looks like the kind of guy who might play a thug on some cool Brit movie like Snatch. There was a whole bunch of them, who kind of created a few Brit comedy shows which I love very much. There were some short flicks that Peter Richardson got onto TV called "The Comic Strip presents..." and some of them were very funny! My favourites are A Fistful of Travellers' Cheques and The Bullshitters, Since I've only seen about 4 of the 30-odd films, that's not really an indication of which are the best!
Anyway, Rik Mayall is the best! You might better remember him as Lord Flasheart from the Blackadder series with Rowan Atkinson (Mr Bean) - "Are you happy to see me or is this a canoe in my pocket?!" Or as Fred from the rather silly Drop Dead Fred movie.
Why all this info? Just reminiscing about being a tv addict while at uni. I did a lazy degree - Bach of Arts in english and Theatre Studies. Lazy in that I only had to go in to the uni for about 12 hours a week! BUT the rest was spent reading the weekly books and doing lots of THINKING and ANALYSING and saying the same thing in cleverer, more unusual ways. So I had lots of time at home, plus I got a job at a classics and festival movies video rental place called Mosman Video in Glyde Street, Mosman Park (I wonder if they are still there? Has DVD ruined them forever?) So I got to take home loads of videos all the time.
Those were happy times when I could keep all the money I made (to spend) and be cool and hip and spend all my time finding out more and more about music and movies and pop culture in general. Simple times - but if I could go back there, I wouldn't. Knowing what I do now and having had more experience of life, I would be bored with myself, I think.
15 cigarettes a day. Going backwards fast...
Lovey, C
Nigel Planer, the guy who played Neil went on to movies among other things, Adrian Edmondson was married to Jennifer Saunders and went on to write and sing the title song to Absolutely Fabulous ("Wheels on Fire.."), they guy who played Chris disappeared into oblivion, but he looks like the kind of guy who might play a thug on some cool Brit movie like Snatch. There was a whole bunch of them, who kind of created a few Brit comedy shows which I love very much. There were some short flicks that Peter Richardson got onto TV called "The Comic Strip presents..." and some of them were very funny! My favourites are A Fistful of Travellers' Cheques and The Bullshitters, Since I've only seen about 4 of the 30-odd films, that's not really an indication of which are the best!
Anyway, Rik Mayall is the best! You might better remember him as Lord Flasheart from the Blackadder series with Rowan Atkinson (Mr Bean) - "Are you happy to see me or is this a canoe in my pocket?!" Or as Fred from the rather silly Drop Dead Fred movie.
Why all this info? Just reminiscing about being a tv addict while at uni. I did a lazy degree - Bach of Arts in english and Theatre Studies. Lazy in that I only had to go in to the uni for about 12 hours a week! BUT the rest was spent reading the weekly books and doing lots of THINKING and ANALYSING and saying the same thing in cleverer, more unusual ways. So I had lots of time at home, plus I got a job at a classics and festival movies video rental place called Mosman Video in Glyde Street, Mosman Park (I wonder if they are still there? Has DVD ruined them forever?) So I got to take home loads of videos all the time.
Those were happy times when I could keep all the money I made (to spend) and be cool and hip and spend all my time finding out more and more about music and movies and pop culture in general. Simple times - but if I could go back there, I wouldn't. Knowing what I do now and having had more experience of life, I would be bored with myself, I think.
15 cigarettes a day. Going backwards fast...
Lovey, C
Monday, January 16, 2006
wildflower song
This is an old Greek song with haunting lyrics full of melancholy and hurt pride - pathos, pathos, pathos, the stuff that reminds us of how small we really are and how much we need each other.
To paraphrase the words:
Don't pity me, send me away tonight
As if I'm a wildflower, cut me and my life
I've been around, I travel alone
My home is the road, and pain is my song
Send me away without pity, don't fear for my own
If it should snow or if it rains, this wildflower will go on.
I always get choked up listening to this song, and it's one of those songs that have been crafted in such a way that at the most poignant moment you must sing loudly to the heavens - and I haven't been able to without getting emotional.
I wish I could put it on the blog for you to listen to - maybe one day...
Lovey, C
To paraphrase the words:
Don't pity me, send me away tonight
As if I'm a wildflower, cut me and my life
I've been around, I travel alone
My home is the road, and pain is my song
Send me away without pity, don't fear for my own
If it should snow or if it rains, this wildflower will go on.
I always get choked up listening to this song, and it's one of those songs that have been crafted in such a way that at the most poignant moment you must sing loudly to the heavens - and I haven't been able to without getting emotional.
I wish I could put it on the blog for you to listen to - maybe one day...
Lovey, C
Saturday, January 14, 2006
take the bully by the horns
Saw Afdlin Shauki's Buli Balik yesterday at the press preview. Film opens nationwide 26 Jan.
A while has passed since Buli made its debut and proceeded to win Afdlin awards for screenplay, acting and directing. Not only was it a critical succes but a commercial one too, raking in more than 2 mil - not bad for a first time director.
I would have to say it's Afdlin's drive and utter chutzpah when it comes to sticking it in the goal. He declares what he wants to do and does what it takes to get there, all with a whole lot of talent, smarts and pure blind faith in a future success.
After Buli there was a bit of a pause while he got on with building his business and creating a name for himself in our entertainment industry, all the while working furiously on his next film projects and also acting in other people's movies.
One day he and Hans Isaac (costar of Buli and other future films) were talking about how all Malaysian films seem to follow the generic rom-com, lowbrow slapstick way, and wouldn't it be great if they could do a buddy film about guys planning to steal back a possession from a pawn shop? And just at that moment, Awie walks in the shop they're at, and little light bulbs go ping ping ping and a year or so down the line Baik Punya Cilok is raking in 2.46 mil at the box office, and is still going strong.
Hot on its heels will be Buli Balik, the movie Afdlin really wanted to make when he took Buli to the producers. Buli Balik tells the story of a man who overcomes his fear of the bully who plagued him all his life. Thing is, his only reference for confidence and success is the bully - so he begins to turn into the very thing he hates.
I must say, watching Baik Punya Cilok twice in the cinemas with the masses, and hearing real enjoyment and entertainment in their responses, Afdlin has mastered intelligent movie-making for the masses in Malaysia (IMM for the MIM). But seeing Buli Balik, I see a sophistication in the storytelling and the direction which has evolved since Buli.
I am not saying that Afdlin is the best director in Malaysia - I think there are many out there who are of worldclass standard too :)
I am saying that there is possibly no other director in Malaysia at the moment who can reach out to the masses successfully and deliver something that doesn't patronise them, nor fly way over their heads - and they love it. His work is accessible at all levels. If you're looking for a comedy, you'll get that. If you are open to the underlying messages or themes in the story, then you experiece the film at a deeper level. He's not arty-farty (in fact he's always got his eye fixed on the bottom line, no matter how crazy creative he might get) nor is he a lazy director who thinks he can get away with sloppy work.
Of course, and he would be the first to admit it, Buli had flaws, as does Baik Punya Cilok. Right now, still on a high from seeing Buli Balik, I think it's totally wonderful!
And it must be made known that working in an industry like Malaysia's, compromises are almost a necessity (unless you want to struggle fruitlessly or go crazy). It's true in any industry, but with adhoc censorship laws such as ours and petty politics Malaysian-style, we do spend an enormous amount of time negotiating for something that should happen out of logic or common sense.
Anyway, this is why we are trying to strike out on our own, to gain control of our product, and to own it. And part of it means that we have to look outward - the local returns will not support the industry in an exponentially growing way...
Hence, Sumo, Afdlin's next project.
Meantime, watch out for Buli Balik and please do not make the mistake of expecting another romp like Baik Punya Cilok. They are two completely different films about different things and I would hate for Buli Balik to suffer for the lack of distinction.
Buli Balik is a tragedy, really, but don't let that put you off. I think Woody Allen's best comedies are quite tragic - because they tell of the human condition, and how weaknesses and stubbornness can keep people caught up in their own little world.
And the ending - ah, the ending. Many confused or surprised or unhappy faces about that. I say, look at what meaning the ending has for you. If you are disturbed, or even disappointed, what is it about you that makes you feel that? Why ISN'T it okay for the ending to be like that - it has happened before, after all.
If you are prepared to look deep, you may be surprised. I hope you are, there's nothing like finding out something new about yourself.
But anyway, in case themessage is not clear: GO AND SEE BULI BALIK. IT WILL OPEN YOUR EYES (to something...)
Lovey, C
A while has passed since Buli made its debut and proceeded to win Afdlin awards for screenplay, acting and directing. Not only was it a critical succes but a commercial one too, raking in more than 2 mil - not bad for a first time director.
I would have to say it's Afdlin's drive and utter chutzpah when it comes to sticking it in the goal. He declares what he wants to do and does what it takes to get there, all with a whole lot of talent, smarts and pure blind faith in a future success.
After Buli there was a bit of a pause while he got on with building his business and creating a name for himself in our entertainment industry, all the while working furiously on his next film projects and also acting in other people's movies.
One day he and Hans Isaac (costar of Buli and other future films) were talking about how all Malaysian films seem to follow the generic rom-com, lowbrow slapstick way, and wouldn't it be great if they could do a buddy film about guys planning to steal back a possession from a pawn shop? And just at that moment, Awie walks in the shop they're at, and little light bulbs go ping ping ping and a year or so down the line Baik Punya Cilok is raking in 2.46 mil at the box office, and is still going strong.
Hot on its heels will be Buli Balik, the movie Afdlin really wanted to make when he took Buli to the producers. Buli Balik tells the story of a man who overcomes his fear of the bully who plagued him all his life. Thing is, his only reference for confidence and success is the bully - so he begins to turn into the very thing he hates.
I must say, watching Baik Punya Cilok twice in the cinemas with the masses, and hearing real enjoyment and entertainment in their responses, Afdlin has mastered intelligent movie-making for the masses in Malaysia (IMM for the MIM). But seeing Buli Balik, I see a sophistication in the storytelling and the direction which has evolved since Buli.
I am not saying that Afdlin is the best director in Malaysia - I think there are many out there who are of worldclass standard too :)
I am saying that there is possibly no other director in Malaysia at the moment who can reach out to the masses successfully and deliver something that doesn't patronise them, nor fly way over their heads - and they love it. His work is accessible at all levels. If you're looking for a comedy, you'll get that. If you are open to the underlying messages or themes in the story, then you experiece the film at a deeper level. He's not arty-farty (in fact he's always got his eye fixed on the bottom line, no matter how crazy creative he might get) nor is he a lazy director who thinks he can get away with sloppy work.
Of course, and he would be the first to admit it, Buli had flaws, as does Baik Punya Cilok. Right now, still on a high from seeing Buli Balik, I think it's totally wonderful!
And it must be made known that working in an industry like Malaysia's, compromises are almost a necessity (unless you want to struggle fruitlessly or go crazy). It's true in any industry, but with adhoc censorship laws such as ours and petty politics Malaysian-style, we do spend an enormous amount of time negotiating for something that should happen out of logic or common sense.
Anyway, this is why we are trying to strike out on our own, to gain control of our product, and to own it. And part of it means that we have to look outward - the local returns will not support the industry in an exponentially growing way...
Hence, Sumo, Afdlin's next project.
Meantime, watch out for Buli Balik and please do not make the mistake of expecting another romp like Baik Punya Cilok. They are two completely different films about different things and I would hate for Buli Balik to suffer for the lack of distinction.
Buli Balik is a tragedy, really, but don't let that put you off. I think Woody Allen's best comedies are quite tragic - because they tell of the human condition, and how weaknesses and stubbornness can keep people caught up in their own little world.
And the ending - ah, the ending. Many confused or surprised or unhappy faces about that. I say, look at what meaning the ending has for you. If you are disturbed, or even disappointed, what is it about you that makes you feel that? Why ISN'T it okay for the ending to be like that - it has happened before, after all.
If you are prepared to look deep, you may be surprised. I hope you are, there's nothing like finding out something new about yourself.
But anyway, in case themessage is not clear: GO AND SEE BULI BALIK. IT WILL OPEN YOUR EYES (to something...)
Lovey, C
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
9am and still going
No, I haven't been up all night, Ive been up all morning, since 7.30am. Don't laugh. Over the weekend and break, my kids either got better or got worse with their illnesses. I was just commenting on how robust my youngest is, and how she never gets sick, when a stomach bug hit her like crazy.
Its funny how children's characters reveal themselves. With illness, my youngest gets very quiet and lies around, looking glum. She's been vomiting, so, when the urge to vomit hits, she sits up and declares she would like to "molit", gets up and follows one of us to the toilet where she puts her hands on the seat, leans over, vomits, stands up and wipes her face.
I've never really seen a kid take vomiting so well. She reacts to fear in kind of the same way. When scared, instead of screaming or crying, she says very quietly in a manja voice, "Takut."
My eldest, on the other hand, would scream to high heaven if she could. And whenever she vomits, crying and lots of hand-wringing follows. Then again, she's very emotional and sensitive to her surroundings. If she senses you aare down, she will offer a pat or hug or try some tickling.
Yesterday I slept from 2 to 6pm with my feverish youngest by my side. We got up for a toilet break and then slept for another 2 hours. Then because I was so refreshed, I didn't sleep till 2am, and got up at 7.30 this morning. Although I slept enough, my eyes feel heavy and my muscles beg to stop holding me up - lie down, they say, lie down...
Well, maybe just a stretch for a moment...
Lovey, C
Its funny how children's characters reveal themselves. With illness, my youngest gets very quiet and lies around, looking glum. She's been vomiting, so, when the urge to vomit hits, she sits up and declares she would like to "molit", gets up and follows one of us to the toilet where she puts her hands on the seat, leans over, vomits, stands up and wipes her face.
I've never really seen a kid take vomiting so well. She reacts to fear in kind of the same way. When scared, instead of screaming or crying, she says very quietly in a manja voice, "Takut."
My eldest, on the other hand, would scream to high heaven if she could. And whenever she vomits, crying and lots of hand-wringing follows. Then again, she's very emotional and sensitive to her surroundings. If she senses you aare down, she will offer a pat or hug or try some tickling.
Yesterday I slept from 2 to 6pm with my feverish youngest by my side. We got up for a toilet break and then slept for another 2 hours. Then because I was so refreshed, I didn't sleep till 2am, and got up at 7.30 this morning. Although I slept enough, my eyes feel heavy and my muscles beg to stop holding me up - lie down, they say, lie down...
Well, maybe just a stretch for a moment...
Lovey, C
Monday, January 9, 2006
the mack truck hits
After a week of changing routine and finally settling into a new one, Monday morning hits like a tonne of bricks, along with the realisation that life will be like this for a long time to come - early morning ritual, confined time-lines and lots of driving of boring routes and waiting in line.
On the one hand I welcome the routine that I have not had the pleasure of exercising. On the other, I dread the monotony of it all. There's nothing like owning your own business small enough to dictate your own working hours to spoil you for time management. Although our business is reaching a growth spurt which calls for a little more corporate attitude and management.
Because my ADSL was fried at home, I have had to come into the office to check my emails and blog. So now, bright and early on a Monday morning, I am sitting quietly in an empty office, save for our new-ish office girl, Mini, whose presence has made everyone so much happier. Mini is one of those rare people who understand the value of initiative, conscientiousness and anticipation in an employee. We all love her very much already, and I'm sure we haven't yet explored all facets of her capabilities.
Anyway, so here I am, happy to find a park as soon as I drive up to the building, eyes tired and sandy from lack of sleep and from my eldest's early morning visit and gymnastics routine on the bed as I, rather like a shaggey-haired beached whale in a sea of bedcovers, lift one eyelid and a groggy head and bellow, "Now is the NOT the time!!" before flopping back into my sandy dreams.
Come morning she is nowhere to be seen and when I struggle into wakefulness and rush out to get her ready, I see her sleeping soundly and hear her chest rise and fall with wheezy crackles. I call the school and linger around the house for a while till she wakes, then come into the office to do some housekeeping. Soon I will be off to the bank and then another bank and all the while wishing I was in small-town Perth as it was 10 years ago when you could pull right up to the front of the shop and do what you had to do with the minimum of time spent driving around...
I love driving but driving in the city when you have banking to do, with no parking, queues and stupidity all around, can really get to you.
So I sit here, enjoying a bit of quiet but knowing that a great change in routine and the way I operate is coming, is a bit of a wake-up call.
And I say, hello? Is it me you're looking for? (Errr, I'm not here)
Lovey, C
On the one hand I welcome the routine that I have not had the pleasure of exercising. On the other, I dread the monotony of it all. There's nothing like owning your own business small enough to dictate your own working hours to spoil you for time management. Although our business is reaching a growth spurt which calls for a little more corporate attitude and management.
Because my ADSL was fried at home, I have had to come into the office to check my emails and blog. So now, bright and early on a Monday morning, I am sitting quietly in an empty office, save for our new-ish office girl, Mini, whose presence has made everyone so much happier. Mini is one of those rare people who understand the value of initiative, conscientiousness and anticipation in an employee. We all love her very much already, and I'm sure we haven't yet explored all facets of her capabilities.
Anyway, so here I am, happy to find a park as soon as I drive up to the building, eyes tired and sandy from lack of sleep and from my eldest's early morning visit and gymnastics routine on the bed as I, rather like a shaggey-haired beached whale in a sea of bedcovers, lift one eyelid and a groggy head and bellow, "Now is the NOT the time!!" before flopping back into my sandy dreams.
Come morning she is nowhere to be seen and when I struggle into wakefulness and rush out to get her ready, I see her sleeping soundly and hear her chest rise and fall with wheezy crackles. I call the school and linger around the house for a while till she wakes, then come into the office to do some housekeeping. Soon I will be off to the bank and then another bank and all the while wishing I was in small-town Perth as it was 10 years ago when you could pull right up to the front of the shop and do what you had to do with the minimum of time spent driving around...
I love driving but driving in the city when you have banking to do, with no parking, queues and stupidity all around, can really get to you.
So I sit here, enjoying a bit of quiet but knowing that a great change in routine and the way I operate is coming, is a bit of a wake-up call.
And I say, hello? Is it me you're looking for? (Errr, I'm not here)
Lovey, C
Friday, January 6, 2006
dead to the world
Dropped kid off at school. Came home. Slept. For three glorious, comatose hours under a cool fan and in a darkened room.
I'm aliiive... (a la Dr Caligari)
Lovey, C
I'm aliiive... (a la Dr Caligari)
Lovey, C
to sleep is human
Been waking up about 7 every morning, which is hard to do for me. After the initial stumbling about and splashing of water I finally return to myself and begin to enjoy the earliness, the freshness and the quiet of the morning. The kids and I play a little while I sip on lemon and water or caress a cup of coffee.
Then there's the struggling of little arms against uniform seams and the tying back of unruly hair. It always comes back looking like a rat's nest anyway, but the serenity of the morning demands orderly hair.
Then there's the thrusting of little bodies into the car and the bickering until mummy finally yells that there will be silence until we reach the school.
Then a bout of Dr Evil-esque shushing goes on as they keep talking and head-butting against my orders. Finally, silence ensues and as we sit in a line of dumb drivers, I long to start a conversation, but alas! they don't speaka my language, the dears.
Then after the blessed drop-off there is a quiet drive home while I contemplate how long I can hold out before I reach for a fag. Usually, I last till about lunchtime, because, believe it or not, I think it's bad to have a smoke on an empty stomach! (I think the mind is a mysterious thing) I also think of my lungs as having cleansed themselves overnight and put off smoking till I've had at least four hours of KL air first. Mustn't kick start too many things at once, it's bad for the body and peace of mind.
Then a lonely moment as I wonder whether they are crying or have fallen or if some untaught kid has sneezed all over them. Then I thank my lucky stars that they are enjoying school and that now I have a guilt-free day to myself again.
About this time the sun has risen above the hilltops and is blinding bright and has a kind of knock-out effect on me. "close the curtains" my eyelids say as I battle the urge to drop the car into neutral and coast onto a grassy roadside and snooze.
But I somehow make it to the office, set up my laptop and look busy for a while before I go pick up Pickup No 1 (my youngest). After a quick stop back home to lob her into the house, I go back to my desk at the office - completely child and stain-free at the moment - to potter about doing un-mummy things and generally feeling like a unique individual.
Then lunch hits and I take a fag hit and then Sleepy-Time (Can't Touch This) starts playing and I wanna, I just wanna go home to a well-made bed and close the door and have a nap for thirty minutes. Without a pleasant prod in the ribs, without a whisper to "please look at this drawing I made of you because if you don't I will be lost", without yelps or tickles or poking or thumping.
Then I remember, actaully, now I probably could, because Pickup No 2 (my eldest) is still at school and that means that my youngest would probably lie beside me with a bottle or blanket and just wait peacefully till I wake up. Then there's a phone call or I open up my blog and wonder which of my lovely readers has logged on today, and then my mind gets a little second wind and I order a coffee and have a fag.
I honestly don't think I've slept properly since 1997, about the time I got married to dear hubby boo, who doesn't really understand time. Panini once told me, having studied anthropology, that most people work on monochronic time - time that progresses in a logical and linear fashion. She said my boy works on polychronic time - apparently there are some old cultures that do or something. Think several planes or dimensions of time intersecting from various points at one single point that is my husband's brain.
Anyway, my sleeping habit of 9 hours a night and sleeping before midnight went out the window. Sometimes I look outside and wonder if it will ever come back. Last year I could afford to sleep in in the mornings, but now, that's out the window too, with my other old habit.
I don't have bags, I have ridges under my eyes. I get tired watching someone walk up the stairs. But I manage to engage with my children well, which I sometimes feel surprised about.
I never ever really wanted children. I grew up thinking I'd get married at 30 and maybe have a kid then. By 24 I was hitched, a mother at 26 and then 29. I also own a company and am doing what so few people have the luxury of doing: work that I love. As a teen I was always avoiding little children, even afraid of them. They had this frightening knack of knowing how to embarrass you (which, back then, was virtually anything). There was a way to talk to little children which I never understood. Even with my first child, I had trouble speaking baby talk. And I felt weird speaking in proper sentences to her, so she didn't really pick up speech till about 2.
Now I'm fine with kids, but I still like having my own to myself, rather than be around loads of other kids with them. Not for any other reason except that I love my own space and my home is a sanctuary, and sometimes home is not the physical place but a little moment or a little space somewhere when your closest ones are with you.
I do have great, unique relationships with both my sprogs - the older, neurotic, caring beauty who never ceases to amaze me with the depth of her emotion and compassion; and the younder, stoic, stubborn, fiery-tempered stunner who always asks me to smell her hair and asks if it's fwesh, just like a pwintheth.
I'm rambling... it's the snoozelessness. Another 5 hours and I have to get up, oh bother! I think I'll come straight back to lie down...
The ratlings while young...
Lovey, c
Then there's the struggling of little arms against uniform seams and the tying back of unruly hair. It always comes back looking like a rat's nest anyway, but the serenity of the morning demands orderly hair.
Then there's the thrusting of little bodies into the car and the bickering until mummy finally yells that there will be silence until we reach the school.
Then a bout of Dr Evil-esque shushing goes on as they keep talking and head-butting against my orders. Finally, silence ensues and as we sit in a line of dumb drivers, I long to start a conversation, but alas! they don't speaka my language, the dears.
Then after the blessed drop-off there is a quiet drive home while I contemplate how long I can hold out before I reach for a fag. Usually, I last till about lunchtime, because, believe it or not, I think it's bad to have a smoke on an empty stomach! (I think the mind is a mysterious thing) I also think of my lungs as having cleansed themselves overnight and put off smoking till I've had at least four hours of KL air first. Mustn't kick start too many things at once, it's bad for the body and peace of mind.
Then a lonely moment as I wonder whether they are crying or have fallen or if some untaught kid has sneezed all over them. Then I thank my lucky stars that they are enjoying school and that now I have a guilt-free day to myself again.
About this time the sun has risen above the hilltops and is blinding bright and has a kind of knock-out effect on me. "close the curtains" my eyelids say as I battle the urge to drop the car into neutral and coast onto a grassy roadside and snooze.
But I somehow make it to the office, set up my laptop and look busy for a while before I go pick up Pickup No 1 (my youngest). After a quick stop back home to lob her into the house, I go back to my desk at the office - completely child and stain-free at the moment - to potter about doing un-mummy things and generally feeling like a unique individual.
Then lunch hits and I take a fag hit and then Sleepy-Time (Can't Touch This) starts playing and I wanna, I just wanna go home to a well-made bed and close the door and have a nap for thirty minutes. Without a pleasant prod in the ribs, without a whisper to "please look at this drawing I made of you because if you don't I will be lost", without yelps or tickles or poking or thumping.
Then I remember, actaully, now I probably could, because Pickup No 2 (my eldest) is still at school and that means that my youngest would probably lie beside me with a bottle or blanket and just wait peacefully till I wake up. Then there's a phone call or I open up my blog and wonder which of my lovely readers has logged on today, and then my mind gets a little second wind and I order a coffee and have a fag.
I honestly don't think I've slept properly since 1997, about the time I got married to dear hubby boo, who doesn't really understand time. Panini once told me, having studied anthropology, that most people work on monochronic time - time that progresses in a logical and linear fashion. She said my boy works on polychronic time - apparently there are some old cultures that do or something. Think several planes or dimensions of time intersecting from various points at one single point that is my husband's brain.
Anyway, my sleeping habit of 9 hours a night and sleeping before midnight went out the window. Sometimes I look outside and wonder if it will ever come back. Last year I could afford to sleep in in the mornings, but now, that's out the window too, with my other old habit.
I don't have bags, I have ridges under my eyes. I get tired watching someone walk up the stairs. But I manage to engage with my children well, which I sometimes feel surprised about.
I never ever really wanted children. I grew up thinking I'd get married at 30 and maybe have a kid then. By 24 I was hitched, a mother at 26 and then 29. I also own a company and am doing what so few people have the luxury of doing: work that I love. As a teen I was always avoiding little children, even afraid of them. They had this frightening knack of knowing how to embarrass you (which, back then, was virtually anything). There was a way to talk to little children which I never understood. Even with my first child, I had trouble speaking baby talk. And I felt weird speaking in proper sentences to her, so she didn't really pick up speech till about 2.
Now I'm fine with kids, but I still like having my own to myself, rather than be around loads of other kids with them. Not for any other reason except that I love my own space and my home is a sanctuary, and sometimes home is not the physical place but a little moment or a little space somewhere when your closest ones are with you.
I do have great, unique relationships with both my sprogs - the older, neurotic, caring beauty who never ceases to amaze me with the depth of her emotion and compassion; and the younder, stoic, stubborn, fiery-tempered stunner who always asks me to smell her hair and asks if it's fwesh, just like a pwintheth.
I'm rambling... it's the snoozelessness. Another 5 hours and I have to get up, oh bother! I think I'll come straight back to lie down...
The ratlings while young...
Lovey, c
Wednesday, January 4, 2006
countdown to hell, i mean health
Today I had 4 cigarettes. By the end of the day I will probably have another 4. A few weeks ago I was smoking almost a pack a day.
I am trying to cut down. Side effects: I get cranky without one. When I do have one, now that I have fewer a day, I get really tired after.
I quit for almost two months in August, but put on weight eating chocolates instead.
By March, I want to be smoke-free. By my calculations, if I average 10 a day now, I need to cut down that figure at a rate of 1 to 2 cigarettes a week, till I reach zero come March 1.
Hopefully that won't mean a reduction in personability, kindness and general human-ness on my part.
And now, some pictures from 2005: Christmas tree and presents; Actorlympics warm-up session 5 minutes before the audience came in and fork in the wall at Parliament roundabout.
Lovey, C
I am trying to cut down. Side effects: I get cranky without one. When I do have one, now that I have fewer a day, I get really tired after.
I quit for almost two months in August, but put on weight eating chocolates instead.
By March, I want to be smoke-free. By my calculations, if I average 10 a day now, I need to cut down that figure at a rate of 1 to 2 cigarettes a week, till I reach zero come March 1.
Hopefully that won't mean a reduction in personability, kindness and general human-ness on my part.
And now, some pictures from 2005: Christmas tree and presents; Actorlympics warm-up session 5 minutes before the audience came in and fork in the wall at Parliament roundabout.
Lovey, C
Monday, January 2, 2006
enter the heavyweights
Our run of Actorlympics ended with a bang last night, probably the most successful run this year. Still feeling the fun, we all decided a night of karaoke was the ticket and spent six hours crooning and croaking into two shower-capped mikes at the BSC karaoke lounge. Even Panini was singing her little heart out to the Bee Gees and Dolly Parton!
We will be having another run at the end of February and are already trying to think of other cool themes for our poster and flyers!
Today we came into the office for a script meeting for SUMO which will be in production before the end of January. It lasted about seven hours and I am soooo tired. Although I get weary just thinking about what it takes to execute TV or Film production, I love the idea of a looming project and being a part of creating a wonderful new world, not to mention the fun it is when your team turns out to be great - then the fun is doubled, and it becomes a cherished life experience.
Anyway, the shoot starts in Japan and has some big names from the local industry. Besides the fact that MALAYSIA'S MOST INSPIRED AND POPULAR DIRECTOR Afdlin Shauki is directing and acting in it, we also have Patrick Teoh, Harith Iskander and Yassin as part of the supporting cast.
This project will be big.
It started out as a story a young Japanese director/cameraman called Michihiro Kubota had. He and his partner Tomoko have made Malaysia their home, even spent some time in Sabah, my birthland. One day, he saw BULI and decided that this was the director he was looking for. He spent two years trying to track Afdlin down, and one day was given a tip by a friend of his that Afdlin would be making an appearance somewhere for a film or something. At last! Michi turned up at the location and gathered up the gumption to approach Afdlin with his story.
Afdlin loved the idea so much, he took it on, and for more than a year they worked on the story. Finally, three quarters of the way into 2005, they came up with a next-to-final draft.
It was at this point that I was brought in to translate the draft into a feature film script suitable for the cinema. It is really one of my favourite pieces of writing - mainly because the story was fantastic and much of the essence had been worked out already. It was a dream to write.
We found an investor who basically told us they want this to go big. They wanted for this to be international, with commercial as well as critical success. They believe in Afdlin, who is the reason why I think the whole thing has everything going for it.
So, the film will open both in Japan and Malaysia. Afdlin went to Japan recently to speak to distributors and do a recce (recconnaissance - to check out locations), and managed to get a positive response from a major distributor.
Afdlin is casting Nang Nak's lady star Inthira Jaroenpura as the lead female (from Thailand). The film will be shot in three languages.
Loads of preparation has gone into the script and story, as we want to meatify the story and make it as good as it can be.
What's the story about? It's about a Malay boy, as lazy, selfish and unambitious as can be, who learns about being responsible through his relationship with a Japanese family living in Malaysia.
That's all I can do for now - I have to go home and sleep!! My kids are going to their first day of school tomorrow, and I'm dreading waking up early...
Lovey, c
We will be having another run at the end of February and are already trying to think of other cool themes for our poster and flyers!
Today we came into the office for a script meeting for SUMO which will be in production before the end of January. It lasted about seven hours and I am soooo tired. Although I get weary just thinking about what it takes to execute TV or Film production, I love the idea of a looming project and being a part of creating a wonderful new world, not to mention the fun it is when your team turns out to be great - then the fun is doubled, and it becomes a cherished life experience.
Anyway, the shoot starts in Japan and has some big names from the local industry. Besides the fact that MALAYSIA'S MOST INSPIRED AND POPULAR DIRECTOR Afdlin Shauki is directing and acting in it, we also have Patrick Teoh, Harith Iskander and Yassin as part of the supporting cast.
This project will be big.
It started out as a story a young Japanese director/cameraman called Michihiro Kubota had. He and his partner Tomoko have made Malaysia their home, even spent some time in Sabah, my birthland. One day, he saw BULI and decided that this was the director he was looking for. He spent two years trying to track Afdlin down, and one day was given a tip by a friend of his that Afdlin would be making an appearance somewhere for a film or something. At last! Michi turned up at the location and gathered up the gumption to approach Afdlin with his story.
Afdlin loved the idea so much, he took it on, and for more than a year they worked on the story. Finally, three quarters of the way into 2005, they came up with a next-to-final draft.
It was at this point that I was brought in to translate the draft into a feature film script suitable for the cinema. It is really one of my favourite pieces of writing - mainly because the story was fantastic and much of the essence had been worked out already. It was a dream to write.
We found an investor who basically told us they want this to go big. They wanted for this to be international, with commercial as well as critical success. They believe in Afdlin, who is the reason why I think the whole thing has everything going for it.
So, the film will open both in Japan and Malaysia. Afdlin went to Japan recently to speak to distributors and do a recce (recconnaissance - to check out locations), and managed to get a positive response from a major distributor.
Afdlin is casting Nang Nak's lady star Inthira Jaroenpura as the lead female (from Thailand). The film will be shot in three languages.
Loads of preparation has gone into the script and story, as we want to meatify the story and make it as good as it can be.
What's the story about? It's about a Malay boy, as lazy, selfish and unambitious as can be, who learns about being responsible through his relationship with a Japanese family living in Malaysia.
That's all I can do for now - I have to go home and sleep!! My kids are going to their first day of school tomorrow, and I'm dreading waking up early...
Lovey, c
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