Fun Fun Fun

Fun is never enough in a playful family

No matter what we do in life, there is always the split moment that we could have fun. Without this simple ingredient in the mixture of life itself, it would seem all so bland and tasteless. Good thing about fun is that it can be found and created very easily and effortlessly, anytime, anywhere. At home, in class, at a playground. It's really up to us to capture that moment in time. As a parent, I would like to think that my two boys are at least, happily growing up, for we strive to give them the best that we could. It may not be material comfort at times, but at least, our precious time to spend a little more time with them. Both Ryan and Aidan are really active kids. There seems to be no single moment of quietness in them (except when they are asleep) . They are inquisitive, creative, artistic. They love music, movies, cartoons (obviously), drawings, running around with toy cars and guns and all the things that boys would do. Though we want them to enjoy growing up, we do want them to equally concentrate on their studies and work. As parents, we are constantly learning and observing them to make sure that we are always available for them, physically and emotionally. Gosh! Come to think of it, there is still a long way to go. Ryan's school had a Talent Competition recently where he and the rest of the kids in school are required to join in the fun through drawing, quiz and singing contest. Look, here's a picture of him with his drawing. Of course, you can see Aidan beside him, as always, he wouldn't want to miss out on anything that the older brother is doing!

Lord of War

Lord of War (2005)

Starring Nicholas Cage, Ethan Hawke, Jared leto

Directed by Andrew Niccol

I was not expecting to watch a film like this one but hey, it has Nicholas Cage and Ethan Hawke (my favourite Gattaca actor), so why not? Well, it turned out to be quite an interesting film. Nicholas plays the role of a gun dealer in such a cool and calm manner, which is almost unbelievably remarkable, that it almost made me "sympathize" with him at the end of the film. Of course, this was only during the course of watching the film, but when the end credit roles, and the music comes to an end, it almost snaps me back to reality again. Need I say more about Ethan Hawke's performance? It is a stylishly designed film, but what captured me most was how such a serious universal issue on illegal gun dealings/ trafficking is being approached by the director himself - a tinge of realism, a pinch of humour and sarcasms and an acute sense of angling the film completely from the point of view of a gun dealer himself, which made it seem so legitimate that it almost scares me. Nonetheless, we are then awaken by the real brutality towards the end of the film when the most innocents are the ones who were sacrificed along this lucrative and crazy global business. What a shame but that is reality to us and it is happening right this moment as I write.

The Breakers Vocal Band

The Breakers Vocal Band. It was a rare chance that I got to involve in this project - to shoot The Breakers Vocal Band concert brought to the KL people by NOKIA N91. That was what I had been up to since I came back from SP. It was also a co-incident that, while shooting the project, I was reunited with an old friend back in Kelantan whom I have lost touched so long ago. What timing! The concert at the Bangsar Actor Studio was an interesting one. The Breakers is a five piece all-male vocal tour de force, with a set of unique sound that not many can match up to. They are Adam, Steve, Andy, Chris and Greg. Each of them comes from quite a different background, musically, but the one thing that brings them together, of course, is their passion for pure sound and music and the love to humour each other. When I met and worked with them throughout the week they were here, they were friendly and are always ready to share their love of music with the people around them. As for the latest Nokia N91 phone, which was why the Breakers Vocal Band was here recently to launch, it is an extremely slick and beautiful phone to own if you are a music lover on-the-go. The quality of sound is superb for a mobile phone! It's like listening to a live concert right in front of you! How cool can it be?

A Dinner with Mom

Last Saturday was a day packed with outings. After breakfast, we went to Ampang Point area for a meeting with the boys and then to a friend's place for discussion. The boys were intrigued by the condo swimming pool which is now under construction - no water at all. They were just running around. The sky suddenly turned paled and it was time for us to head home. Less than an hour later, we were out again for mother's day dinner with mom and dad, and our brother Kenny and his wife, Lynn around puchong. The boys enjoyed the food there, hope my mom loved the food too!

Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles

Directed by Zhang Yimou, Screenplay by Zhang Yimou and Jingzhi Zou

Casts: ken Takakura, Kiichi Nakai, Shinobu Terajima

Watching a Zhang Yimou film is a must for me, now. It does not matter what many says about Hero and House of Flying Dagger previously (of which both films I really loved) and how hard film critics bashed those stylishly made "wuxia" (ancient chinese fighting) films of his, I still believe that his films resonate a certain belief and quality that is almost so "chinese" that they ring true in my heart and my world view of being a Chinese. With his latest film, he goes back to his old style of making films, quite similar to Not One Less and The Road Home, very straightforward, almost like a documentary and equally humanistic in approach. Ken Takakura's portrayal of a somewhat stoic and straightfaced father is so typical from that generation, yet you could almost see his hidden sadness and emotions through those eyes that are now wrinkled with time and age. His determination to film the old Yunnan Province opera for his son only serves as his final motive and gift to fulfil his dying wish (which he assumes it is). Along his journey back to China, he gradually realized that filming that becomes secondary, what he slowly discovered was also how much he had lost in all these years of neglecting that invisible growing space between a father and son - the lack of real communications and expression of inner feelings towards each other. I for one understood this matter completely. It hits right into the core of my heart. It makes me wonder why it is so hard for us to reveal our true feelings for the ones we love dearly? Maybe it is the up bringing, or it could be just a bigger asian cultural approach to dealing with our own human emotions, to be reserved is what we should be and cherished. Straightforwardness is not in our blood? For me, I see it as a balance of both worlds is the best way to go - always the middle path, the buddhist way.

A Bouquet of Love

Being a mother is like shouldering the world's brightest sun shine and the heaviest rain for as long as it takes. The love and dedication in a mother's responsibilities to her child is as intangible as the cool breeze after a stormy december night downpour. It hits your face with tingling sensations. The serenity it brings is so fresh that it could intoxicate your whole mind yet the risk of catching a cold is as inevitable. Raising a child comes in a total package - you have the laughters and you have your fair share of heartaches and frustrations, at times. Not many could understand what it takes to be one, until you are actually a mother yourself. I could still remember how tough in spirit my mother was when we were growing up as kids back in Kelantan. Though we are not a mischievous bunch of four but I am sure, she must have had some hard times with us as well. Now, a mother to two cheeky boys myself, I realized how strong a woman has to be, to juggle life and still have the best of both worlds. At times, I look into the mirror and the split image of two women's faces merged as one in PERSONA pops right in front of me! They seem so identical to one another yet so different in so many ways. We take up so much roles in this life time that changing masks (persona) is almost a task that is unavoidable. But, at least, at the end of the day, we have to be able to still remember who we really are, in front of our child. Let me dedicate this bouquet of love to my dearest mum and just want to say, "I Love You, Mum" and thanks for everything.

I Want Happiness

I Want Happiness. What a sweet title for an album. Her voice has come home to her original style - pure, simple, direct and clean. It hits right into my soul of existence and presents the truth in the purpose of delivering music - to sooth and to uplift. It seems like almost every one of us living human being desires this one single element called happiness, but surprisingly, not all of us get to taste the ultimate happiness for it comes in so many shapes and forms, and it flows within our own perception of what could be termed happiness. Happiness can be as simple as the flow of each moving images captured through our eyes, every single minute seconds, or it could be as complicated as achieving nirvana in the journey of truth in life - so direct yet so illusive all together. But I guess nothing is more captivating than what happiness can bring and trigger in the mind when all senses are awaken to our simple realization that happiness can only be found if we had looked within and not without.