"bad teacher"

I've been waiting for this ever since a colleague showed me the trailer. Finally manage to sneek in a wee bit of time to watch this movie and Mean Girls 2. 

I enjoyed it thoroughly! The first few scenes really resonated with me especially when she put on movie after movie for her kids to watch and they all looked as drugged as she was. That and how money always talks. I expected it to degenerate into some soppy story of bad teacher who works only for money turn wonderful-altruistic-teacher of the year. And was pleasantly surprise that it did not, well, at least not entirely in the way it usually does! 

I'm probably going to finally watch Alice in Wonderland next since I'm right now also reading the novel (which I've found quite hilarious though some bits give me such a headache sometimes. I hope I eventually finish the entire story since this is my 6746790th attempt) And afterwards I'll watch Du Levande which some of my friends tell me is quite funny and entertaining. 

Ponyo on a Cliff

I watched Ponyo after a friend's recommendation and I love it! I'm not usually a fan of animation films and so far, only "Spirited Away", "Persepolis" and "Ponyo on a cliff" has made its ways into my worthy of re-watching list.

Miyazaki is absolutely talented, isn't he?

Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go

I'm finally done with Kazuo Ishiguro's novel "Never Let Me Go". I started reading this novel more than a month ago, but work and the internet really got in the way of my progress and it sat on my shelf, waiting as my interest waned.

While cleaning my bookshelf this afternoon, I realized my bookmark wedged between the pages and started from where I had left off. I'm glad I did. "Never Let Me Go" is a beautiful novel with dark themes of repression, cloning, creativity, human life, freedom and personal choice. Katy H. and Tommy D. are amongst many other clones modelled on "trash", brought into the world as commodities to serve the needs of a population eager for science to conduct miracles on the sick and the dying with little regard for what was to become of these creations. 

Most people categorize the novel as a dystopian text, but I believe it is also a celebration of life and the human being's capacity to create and love in return - even if we were born into a system that we cannot escape from, the question of our lives should not cause us existential angst; instead continue to create with our hearts and show that even commodities have soul. 

"Look at you both now! I'm so proud to see you both. You built your lives on what we gave you. You wouldn't e who you are today if wed not protected you You wouldn't have become absorbed in your lessons, you wouldn't have lost yourself in your art and your writing. Why should you have done, knowing what lay in store for each of you? You would have told us it was all pointless and how could we have argued with you?"

They've made a movie out of it as well and I had a peek at the trailer, I think it looks it'd be awesome! :)

Black Swan

When I watched The Red Shoes, I cried and cried and cried. The story of an aspiring ballerina having to choose between her passion and her lover, each vying for her soul is heart-wrenching.

Like the story of the ballet, Swan Lake, the protagonist, Vicky dies in a poignant scene, falling from her balcony and hitting an oncoming train. She then asks her lover, Julian to remove her red shoes before taking her last breath, signaling that in this life she can neither be wholly dancer nor dedicated lover, leaving the audience to wonder if it were the red shoes that compelled her to do a pirouette to her death.

I have always known that in order for ballet to be beautiful it had to be painful as well and how sometimes, one has to destroy oneself to attain artistic perfection. But I certainly did not expect Black Swan to be as horrifying as it was. So props to the director for defying conventions and disfiguring the ballerina, her body and her ballet. Sure there were many beautiful sequences on stage but there were also many ridiculous moments that made the film-going experience more akin to a rollar coaster  ride through a haunted house disneyland style.

At every corner there was an evil doppelgaenger in the waiting, armed with the same bag of gory tricks stolen from a haunted house, ready to blur the line between reality and pretense, and then there was, Leroy who essentially suggested that in order to be a successful ballerina, one has to "touch themselves and live a little".  So when the credits rolled rather abruptly, I felt like my car had finally come to a standstill, the safety bars were lifted and we were being taken back to the safe zone. I had enjoyed the ride but I did not feel for the characters in the show, and more troublingly perhaps that I neither cared if Nina lived to tiptoe for another night or if in that moment of catharsis she had attained perfection.

And as if that was not bad enough, I was haunted by Freud and the voice of a certain lecturer who use to drum freudian theories into my head. The fact that Nina sat down on a couch before being grilled by Swan Lake's director, Leroy who prescribes sex and more sex for "breakthroughs", her overbearing mother as superego, the absent father, and their crowded and equally fragile apartment crammed with pink stuffed toys and a delicate musical box, and then there is her absolutely wild and unrestrained 'black' swan side, standing for the ID, I suppose.

Of course the film has the potential to impact every viewer because the forces that have been dramatized on screen are forces (that according to Frued) preside in each of us.

I guess it left little impact on me mostly because this is my Ego writing, cloaking my unconscious.

But here's one thing I did like about the movie - the beautiful dress Nina wore to the toasting. It was especially divine!

I can't find a picture of it! :(

across the causeway and back

I don't work on Tuesdays. And in a rare alignment of the stars, G did not have to work as well. It was the first day of the official school term here in Singapore and we knew that families and officer workers would have made the dreaded passage across the causeway, leaving the both of us starry-eyed lovers (not) free to wander across at leisure.

On a good day like this Tuesday, one only needs less than an hour to get from Central Singapore to the fringe of Johor Bahru. There are in general two bus companies with services plying the Singapore-Johor Bahru route for Woodlands or Kranji MRT station: SBS and TIBS. We chose TIBS although it was slightly more pricey because our experience told us that TIBS tends to be more reliable, speedier, more comfy, less crowded and more 'gung-ho' (risk-taking) drivers. "Risk-taker" might not be the ideal adjective to look out for when selecting a bus company let alone a driver, but when the route in question is the ghastly woodlands-johor causeway, you need gusty drivers who will do everything inside and outside the rule book to get their passengers to their destination.

Our journey was a smooth one and slightly less than an hour later we found ourselves in the cool air-condition comfort of City Square Mall (Johor Bahru). It is not the most exciting of malls but it does have less pricey shops and a Cathay Cinema as well as international outlets such as Mango, Coffee Bean, Starbucks, Buskin Robins and City Chain. Cheap, delicious food is the main draw for me in Johor Bahru as although the ringgit is not so strong against the (Singapore) dollar, international outlets usually have price tags that reflect this and eventually work out to be the same. In fact, some things such as SWATCH watches cost a whole lot more in JB. The only advantageous thing was that watch shops in JB are very updated and they sell the latest models unlike those in Singapore. As for the coffee outlets and international eateries, expect prices to be slightly lower than that of Singapore's.

Our first stop was to a little "chinatown" area to the left of City Square for our favourite bowl of wan ton mee.

The couple who mans the stall are infinitely generous with their helpings.

We braced the heat (for some reason it always seems a lot hotter in JB than in Singapore although we are mere kilometres apart) and made a beeline for the Cathay Cineplax where our 1:30pm tickets for Fair Game was waiting for us. Again for a reasons unknown to us, Fair Game (released in the first week of Nov) has not made its way to the Republic's shores.

Anyhow, I was shocked to learn that the movie was largely based on factual events and felt that on a whole it was rather well executed, gripping, informative and entertaining. But we all know that movies tend towards idealistic solutions to life's very complex problems based on the premise that all viewers like a good story with loose ends tied up or ... a worthy sequel in the making. This film seemed to convey the sense that Truth had ultimately prevailed and the individual and her American family and husband had transcended the layers of paper work and red tape to have her voice heard all over America and the world. It is as if the film were a testimony to the strength of America and its democracy, an assurance that they were still after all that shebang, a FREE nation. Afterall, humans make mistakes, don't they?

the public and the private

Shortly after our movie date, G and I roamed the malls. Surprisingly, I found some gems ... I mean, I never ever manage to buy anything in Johor Bahru so this came as a pleasant shock to me! :)

Shortly after my last post about Anna Sui purses, I realized how exorbidant Anna Sui purses really cost as I was happy to stumble upon a chic bag shop selling (what I presume) are ordinary purses with the Anna Sui label sewn on. This was only for 5SGD!

I also bought for myself three huge pairs of earrings. I've an weak spot for earrings and over the years, I've amass quite a serious collection, never really having the heart to throw away any of these precious jewels.  I thought these three simple but elegant pieces would go well with dresses and gowns for more formal affairs, parties and weddings. Plus they cost me only slightly less than 6SGD for all three pairs. What a steal!

One of the other things I truly enjoy about City Square is their MPH bookstore. The selection is not really that great, but once in awhile I stumble upon special finds. I usually try to resist giving in to yet another book purchase but I succumbed to two purchases which I thought were utterly necessary for ANY respectable bookshelf!

I bought this thick collection for a little less than 18SGD. Friends will know that the new Sherlock (BBC ONE) series has cast a deadly spell on me and I seem to be hooked to my beloved detective. I have several of his books at home but alas, not all of them! I'm well-aware I could get these stories free off the internet, but electronic books and I have not experienced any sort of success beyond page 1 yet.

My second pick was Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby". I've wanted to buy this novel on a number of occasions but have never done it because I like the story, but the prices have always been slightly more than what I would pay for a classic which an ugly cover. This exact edition cost 9.90dollars here in Singapore but only 3 dollars in JB. I saw my chance and I grabbed it!

This, I promise will be the end of my book buying! I've a tonne of fresh novels to read since I went a little bonkers in borders two months ago. I hope the kino. sales do not hit our shores too soon.

Sherlock (BBC ONE)

I'm a big fan of the Conan Arthur Doyle's series. His Sherlock stories are so quick-paced and exhilarating that I've always completed each of his stories in one sitting. They are also very much more satisfying than the long-drawn out mysteries of  Wilkie Collins's. So, I  was very happy to hear that the people behind Doctor Who were updating Sherlock! I've always enjoyed CSI, The Mentalist and House-typed shows, so I knew for sure, that I would definitely enjoy Sherlock and dedicated most of my flight time on Emirates watching it.

Inbetween nursing a terrible cough and flu, I spent a good part of my day re-watching Sherlock and Watson roam the streets of London weeding out bombers, psychopaths and even a chinese drug smuggling ring. I love the Professor Moriarty  touch and I can't wait for next Season's (which sadly will only be out autumn 2011) episodes to be out!

in recent times

I caught The Social Network on the big screen 2 weeks ago with A.

A rated it only three stars while I felt it deserved four. I particularly liked the character of Mark Zuckerberg. He's funny, weird, and so deep that it makes it quite impossible to read between and beyond the  lineaments of his face, his occasional smiles, and his long pauses. He's like the character of Citizen Kane - someone whom you can't put into a box and can't quite get a firm grasp of. Who is he? The evil villain eager to make a name for himself or good, largely confused protagonist? What really motivated him to set up and pursue facebook? It didn't seem like he was solely in it because he wanted to walk the path of money.

Narratives like these leave me with a creepy, unsettled feeling - I could not go back to using Facebook the way I used facebook (pre- The Social Network) because a large part of me wanted to know if I was plugged into a system whose creator had 'evil' intentions.


all pictures from IMDB

And then last weekend, I caught Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It was a public holiday here in Singapore and G and I made the extra effort to book tickets for a 9am show - unprecedented on two counts - we never ever watch 9am shows and we never ever book tickets for morning shows.

I enjoyed the show because I absolutely love watching Hermione, Ron and Harry together. The feeling is akin to reading Enid Blyton's St Clare's and Malory Towers, trailing behind the little girls as they move from first form to the next and being pulled into all kinds of scratchy situations as they attempt to wriggle out of them. This time however, Hogwarts is hardly featured, the three kids are thrown into the wilderness and surrounded by the most gorgeous scenery set. This wilderness however, when coupled with their familiar jabbering, ribbing and bickering (even in the midst of dark and troubled times) ignites warm, fuzzy feelings, making the show very worth the while if only to catch the trio in action again. I like its unhurried piecemeal pace (unlike the other films where each scene precedes the other at full tilt), as if allowing the audience to savor the little that is left of the Harry Potter series. Perhaps it is deferring to the characters and acknowledging their step into the real world as purposeful adults armed with a mission to save humanity from all evil.

When considered on its own, the film pales in comparison to the rest of the other potter films. Yet, when considered as the seventh installment of the Potter sequel, it is a beautiful piece worth the watch!

image from IMDB

The Fake Trade

My school chose an extract from Deborah Fallow's new book Dreaming in China to teach students about the nature of language. I really enjoyed the extract and it has spurred me to look for the book in the public library. The book explores the way the "minilist" Chinese language is intertwined with its culture - the cultural revolution emphasized the importance of the well-being of society as a whole over the individual. It was the group and the team that would benefit from the labour of each individual. As such, the pronouns in chinese language feature less in speech and writing, obviously in complete opposition to the English Language where the "I" is at the center of democracy and the source of capitalism.

At a restaurant with friends, a delicate choreography will have one person carefully select a few choice morsels from the common bowl and place them on a neighbour's plate. Itis a small, perfect gesture. Another person will pour tea or beer for everyone else before even considering pouring his own. And then, another will announce, "Gei Wo yan!". literally "give me salt!" with no sign of a plese or thank you involved. I'm always taken aback and, after so many years of training children in Western table manners, bite my tongue to stifle a "say please!"

While preparing for this class, I scoured the net for youtube clips and tangents that would "hook" my students. They are at an age where they know their brands better than I do, their eyes glazed by the glitz and glamour of haute couture strutting down the cat walk, so I picked knock-off goods as a way in. This documentary -  "the fake trade" - by channel 4 was very useful because it showed the far reach of counterfeit goods - that they were no longer limited to small market stalls in asia hawking imitation LVs, Hermes, Pradas, Burberry but also to the US and the UK, affecting even pharmaceutical companies - even nature has lost its monopoly - chicken eggs (once a "product" of nature) have been counterfeited.

These companies had built massive factories in China in the 1990s, sold to prospect of higher profits and lower wages per worker. The documentary reckons that one in four parts (of a car/ airplane etc) are counterfeits even when we buy them from legitimate suppliers. This is scary - Quantas has been in the news recently for repeated engine failures on many of its airplanes - were any of these parts 'supplied by' engine manufacturer, Rolls Royce made in parallel Rolls Royce factories in China and sold as real parts?  The line between what's real and what's not is blurring; China is the new frontier.

The 2 segment documentary can be found at the following links. They have been divided into four parts of 24 minutes each.

http://www.disclose.tv/action/viewvideo/33409/the_fake_trade_1_2/

http://www.disclose.tv/action/viewvideo/33410/the_fake_trade_2_2/

http://www.disclose.tv/action/viewvideo/33411/the_fake_trade_new___/

http://www.disclose.tv/action/viewvideo/33443/The_Fake_Trade_New_____2_2

Title: Dreaming in China
By: Deborah Fallow

Title: The Fake Trade
By: Channel 4.

Logorama

I think one could watch this film repeatedly and not get bored of it. Each time I watch this, I uncover something that I missed the last time and find myself chuckling to myself.

Logorama is a hilarious and poignant showcase of our over-marketed world. As its name implies, a bustling city (Los Angeles)  is built entirely out of logos and trademarks only to be finally torn asunder by two natural disasters - an earthquake and an oil spill.

movie poster

taken from wikipedia

Click here to watch the full 16 minute film. I absolutely loved it! And I think readers (few as they are) will love it too!

title: Logorama
written and directed by H5