MOMENTS WITHIN

Love Drives You Crazy

2012-01-24T01:33:00.010+08:00

Drive

Directed by Nicholas Winding Refn

Starring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan and Bryan Cranston, screenplay by Hossein Amini, book written by James Sallis

What drives love and fuels passion to love so deeply that it cuts right through? Drenched with unexpected twist of storytelling and plots, soaked with the intensity of rooted feelings between those unspoken words of the two main characters (played splendidly by Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan respectively), DRIVE delivers an out-of-this-world sort of love that is almost suffocating that it leaves me breathless and all choked up inside. It wrenches with such great pain (psychologically) and violence that I had to clinch with fear at some points of the film. Nonetheless, it manages to cast an invisible spell over me that I almost had no choice but to follow the revelation of the film right up till the end. An extremely smart film with very intelligent dialogues (the lack of it) makes it a pleasure just to observe the nuances of the two main leads and how feelings are being exchanged through pure great acting (body language). What's more important and meaningful is which that is not being spoken at all. I was mesmerized, especially by the scene in the elevator, how Ryan's character moves over, protectively and gives Carey's character a long kiss, at that point, the lighting and mood of the whole scene alters to such perfection that I could almost felt the intensity and urgency of what will ensue after. It was a pivotal moment for the two characters. It plays out so well that it stunned the life out of me. The film drains you, emotionally. It brings you down right at the bottom and picks you up again, to only drop you crashing even harder each time. Crude and ruthless, almost like the situations and circumstances that Ryan's character are forced to be in. It moans with such crazy pain that I could hardly forget what I saw. A film worth taking a second look again, once my emotions are more settled down...

Love That Man

2011-11-22T22:54:00.008+08:00

Directed by Tom Ford, starring Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode and Nicholas Hoult. Music by Abel Korzeniowski

When you love that much, you forget who you truly are, yet that intensity of love remains ingrained in your heart, like a piece of that written note left in the drawer of your memory, waiting to be rediscovered one day. When you love that much, the sheer absence of that special someone in your life no longer holds the significance of how you feel in their absence, but more of how well and how much you could remember of that person, your recollection of the person's once existence in your life. Anguish, pain, loneliness, suffocation, happiness, blissfulness, contentment, all feelings that you are entitled to, should be right in front of you, when you contemplate suicide. You can no longer bear such pain of emptiness. I could feel how Colin Firth's character is feeling, through the vivid portrayal of him playing a man who has lost the love of his life, in the film. Can the brief encounter and appearance of another person in your life make any difference? It can and it won't at the same time. It can alter your perception towards how much you have missed your special someone (Nicholas's role as Kenny makes Colin changes his intention of ending his own life), it won't simply because you intend to keep those memories of yours private anyway (yet Colin will always love his lover, played by the charmingly handsome Matthew Goode). It is amazingly intoxicating to see how Tom Ford, in his first debut as a director, manages to capture such minute details of emotions in a man and how this man (Colin Firth) then inches his day, hours, minutes, seconds, towards his own death (intentionally or otherwise). Tragic ending indeed. Julianne's performance has always been that top notch. Completely mesmerized by the way the story was told, by the way it was shot, by how the music sounded, and how sensitive Tom Ford is in peeling the layers away to reveal true human emotions, at times buried so deep within that it is screaming on top of one's lung to break free. Brilliant casts, beautiful visuals and haunting music. Stylishly done!

WUXIA

2011-09-03T22:25:00.009+08:00

Directed by Peter Chan, starring Donnie Yen, Tang Wei and Takeshi Kaneshiro

Nudged by my hubby to go watch WUXIA, I went into the theatre without any prior notion of what this kung-fu film is all about, except knowing the director, Donnie Yen, Tang Wei and Takeshi. They made up of some of my favourite people in the film industry, hence I gave it a go. My my I was in for a ride. It was such a different kind of kung-fu film that it made me think hard and fast. Hard was the fact that it reveals itself not like your typical Chinese martial art film as it was very investigative, almost detective-like, similar toCSI crime solving film. Thinking fast was the fact that the action sequences came really fast and swift when watching Donnie Yen fight. I was impressed. I love how this martial art film disguised itself smartly by heavily concentrating on the character(s) development and storytelling. I have not seen Donnie Yen played his character in such a understated manner and tone. It almost seem out of this world. Takeshi takes on a very complex role, investigating this case related to Donnie Yen, but at the same time, he pulls himself out from those re-anacted scenes to look at how each fight scene unfolds, a 3rd person point of view, which makes his character the more engaging and interesting. Tang Wei's performance has always been subtle yet powerful. The film explores the notion of one's judgement and decision to leave the past behind, and change for the better. But can you do so when the past seems to be catching up with you? I love the simplicity of the film, yet, I adore the many levels and layers that it presented and how it was told. I am sure many kung-fu fans may find this hard to digest as it is not your typical fight film (actions all the way). It has a heart, and a soul, and most definitely, smart. Definitely one of my favourite kung-fu films this year!

A Date With Destiny

2011-06-06T21:48:00.008+08:00

Lined up and wired, you are predestined to walk this path, or are you? Some of us believe in the notion of a bigger force seemingly guiding us along our walk of life, almost everything that have happened, going to happen have already been set, yet, there also seems to be certain areas of our lives we feel we are in control of, or are we? I belong to those who believe in both, the bigger picture and the smaller puzzles which needed to be assembled by ONESELF in order to enjoy the beauty of the whole. I may not know what's in stored for me just yet, but making a change in life can bring about a different set of results (at least, that was what my hubby told me when we decided to move, it did change our lives). I love the whole notion of the film - The Adjustment Bureau, taking on a subject matter that is so delicate and heavy, yet the director is approaching it in such a grounded and realistic manner that it made me wanting for more. One will definitely be absorbed by the incidents that are revealing themselves as we follow these two amazing characters played by Matt Damon and Emily Blunt along their quest of "changing their fate and destiny". By the way, great chemistry there I must say. It makes an engrossing love story. Which woman would not fall for a man who takes the bus every single day for the next three years hoping to meet you again?? Gosh! I would melt:) I simply love the sense of realness in the film. It successfully marries dramatic storytelling and a brilliant love element in one nicely presented film. Definitely one of my favourite philosophically inclined love stories this year, so far. I think my life is being adjusted as I write:)

Lost In Time

2011-04-27T23:04:00.006+08:00

Lost in time, writing has become a stranger of a lost soul, a soul that drifted in the daily grind of pursuing what is necessary, but longing that much more for a glimpse of space, a space to be free to let the thoughts just flow, to just be. It was never the intention of the writer to do so, but it just naturally did, unconsciously. She tries so very the hard to regain that little of control over time, but some times, it just slips through her fragile little fingers. She was never to remember why she started writing in the first place, yet she can't seem to forget the pleasure and satisfaction that comes with it. Stressed, pressured, those intense moments are emotions that she fear not to be left alone, for now she is bestowed with that much more of responsibilities to do more, and more, each time she moves on with her life. She feels helpless, weighed down with such great expectation, yet she could not seem to release herself of such tasks. It makes her wonder if there is more to life than just what it is now? It is forever an on going quest, a burning question still left unanswered. Let there be an end to all these, let there be a purpose to it all.

Black Swan

2011-03-14T20:32:00.010+08:00

Directed by Darren Aronofsky, starring Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis and Vincent Cassel.

The inner yearning to excel in one's own craft feeds so deeply that it hurts right down to the core of the heart and soul of an artist. The burning desire to BE the part fuels her to do whatever it takes to achieve such high quality of performance and showmanship. Such intensely psychological reflection of her and her split personality buries dark revelations of hopes, disappointments, expectations and commitments and reveals the best and worst of a human being. Is she being wrong for searching for perfection in her craft and attainment to be the impeccable White Swan, Princess Odette? Or is she being right for dwelling deeper and deeper into the dark soul of her evil character, Odille, Black Swan and eventually brings the show to the ultimate pinnacle of success? Fashionably stylised, brutally real yet intimately voyeuristic, we fall hard and fast into the magnetic and poignant life of a ballad dancer. flawlessly played by the talented Oscar winner actor, Natalie Portman. I love her in most of the roles she played, from the overly adult kid role in THE PROFESSIONAL, to an intensely free-spirited-lover in CLOSER. She exudes such grace and emotions that not many female lead is capable of, at her age. I can't help but feel helpless for Nina, we rejoice with her for getting the lead role in Swan Lake, yet my heart aches to see her fall more and more into the abyss of her own created illusion of perfection. Such powerful performance that the film left me speechless and breathless at the same time. The only time I felt such great suffocation, pain and heaviness from a film was when I watched Swedish director, Ingmar Bergman's PERSONA. It left me with such a big hole in my heart that it can't seem to heal itself after a few days. Intoxicated, intense, psychological and brave - these are some words that I could think of for such an amazing film.

The King's Speech

2011-03-10T22:48:00.006+08:00

Long long long pauses, silence fills the air, sips through the spaces between those rambling thoughts of not worthiness of a position bestowed upon him, it must have been deafening and alarming at the same time. Sometimes, we don't really have the best in life, but things can always be changed and improved upon, as long as we have the will to do so. Watching Colin Firth playing this part is utterly empathetic and excruciatingly painful, yet, it yields the most fulfilling feeling that one can triumph over physical predicament after all. I believe the bigger obstacle that Colin's character has to overcome was never his stutter, but of meeting the expectation which was put upon him from the very beginning, of living up to that standard required of him, as a public figure. It must have been tremendously mortifying. I felt all these feelings while watching the film. Such great acting of his, and not forgetting, Geoffrey Rush! The sparring between the two was extremely amazing, such fine acting from both of them. I absolutely adore the art direction, the set design (the peeled wall in Geoffreys' clinic) and the whole look and feel of the entire film - such romantically hopeless in its colour palate, yet so warm in its element of humanity. Definitely worthy of an Oscar Best Actor Award and Best Director! I guess we all need to find our own place in this world, and in this life time ultimately, be it you are the king or just mere mortals like you and me:)

Fallen

2011-03-02T22:15:00.003+08:00

Was working on a trailer last Sunday night, not realizing it was way pass sleeping time, but I don't like to stop when I know I can finish it in one session as it was quite short a video. Ended up having sore throat the next day...am still having it, hope to recover soon. Creative work is indeed exciting, as well as exhausting at the same time...but all is well, I love the outcome of it, and I am glad that my client feels the same way too...maybe what I need now is a nice cup of warm tea to soothe my itching throat and ease my stress of working on preparing proposals and planning for our next move in the very near future...moving place is never a fun thing for me, but moving into a new space could be something good for a change...instead of looking over the city skyline and shopping malls, will be facing the greenery's of the hills instead, a nice refreshing change, maybe?

What Women Want

2011-02-13T21:23:00.003+08:00

Gong Li, my favourite actress, hence brought me to the cinema for this show, What Women Want, a remake of the Hollywood version played by Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt. Have not seen the Hollywood version, but watching Andy Lau and Gong Li as a couple seems a little odd, for me. Nonetheless, I was willing to give the film a try since it features one of my favourite female leads. Separately, both look stunning for the part, Andy Lau very lean and slim, Gong Li gorgeous and at her top fit form, being a women at her age, yet, both together, something seems to be missing. Not that I expect a great deal out of a romantic comedy, in terms of story and what not, but the chemistry and the relationship part has to be just right. Maybe as a film, it tries a little too hard to be funny? But having being able to read a woman's mind and thoughts is good enough to know a woman well, I wonder? What women really wants out of men or even their lives for that matter beats me, though I am a woman myself. But there are some things in life that we do know for sure what we want and don't. You will need to go the extra mile to find out if you are the opposite sex. By the way, Happy Valentine's Day.

The Eve of Lunar New Year

2011-02-02T10:32:00.008+08:00

It's that time of the year now, my memory of Chinese New Year back in our small hometown was filled with activities like spring cleaning, putting up CNY ornaments (CNY new year cards received, paper cut-outs, ang pows, Chinese Calligraphy written by my dad, or at times me and my twin sister, hanging up lanterns), cooking and baking (flipping and folding kueh kapik in white gloves, in front of the steamy hot stove, cookies and more), visiting relatives and friends all around town and collecting ang pows. Chinese New Year has since evolved into something more subtle and less chaotic, with some of us not in town these days, family get together got a little smaller and simpler. Funny in a way, when you have more people and bigger family together, things tend to be merrier and so much more fun...I guess Chinese New Year celebration can still be fun, as long as you celebrate it with your love ones. It may not be as exciting as I remembered as a small little kid, but nonetheless, meaningful. Let's put on your best cheongsam, a bright smile on your face and go celebrate this 2011 Lunar New Year in great style and fashion. Talking about cheongsam, it will always remind me of Maggie Cheung clad in her beautifully body hugging one in my favourite film, In The Mood For Love. My old post on the film and 2046 here. Have a fabulous year of the BUNNY and may it be a prosperous one for everyone out there xoxo GONG XI FA CAI

Close My Eyes For Better Days

2011-02-01T00:42:00.005+08:00

Out of all the anger, frustration and disappointment lately, just feel like watching a heart-warming love story on big screen (again, the foolishness of liking to be fooled and disillusioned). Why should we not live a beautiful love story in real life when you can fabricate all things pretty in an alternate world of fantasy and images, which is never close to real after all. But real love in real life is never as simple as being portrayed in the make believe world of empty promises. Why should there be expectation, why should there be commitments and responsibilities, why should there be obligations, why can't it be just doing it out of love, out of pure care and genuine concern for the other person? Why should it be told, why should it be requested, why should it be asked? Tired, exhausted, disappointed, fatigue and utterly speechless all rolled into one big balloon of questionable doubt, are all these still worth while after all these years? Who am I doing this for and why I am doing this again? Let's get onto the hot air balloon of wishful thinking and just float away, far far away, into the land of no return, away from all these meaningless expectations...away, away, away, away, away, away from it all, away from mySELF, away, just go, go, go away...that's all I need, that's all I want, that's all, that's just all. Too much? Never...

Tangled I See The Light

2011-01-24T22:42:00.003+08:00

Such a beautiful song xoxo

Tangled in Beauty

2011-01-19T21:48:00.007+08:00

Tangled, The Rapunzel Tale is most beloved, one of the most beautiful animation films I have seen of late, laced with enchanting music and songs, filled with amazingly mesmerizing scenes, and topped with a little whip cream of laughters! A perfect mix for a perfect family viewing. Disney does make all dreams come true...and on dreams, I have recently also discovered some really beautiful blogs to have some crushes on - Modern Day Vintage, Lace and Tea and Inspiration. All shares very similar passion, the love for all things beautiful in life. Such moments in life are truly moments worth take a break and ponder on...life can be beautiful if you want it to, REALLY..

Bruce Lee My Brother

2011-01-12T22:54:00.008+08:00

Amazing opening long take of the house where Bruce Lee used to grow up with the family, it almost already sets the tone and mood for the entire film to follow, and grabbed me right in my seat. One of my favourite scenes came right in the beginning, a black and white hallway shot of Tony Leung Kar Fai waiting patiently for the delivery of Bruce Lee in the hospital. The swirling smoke in the air, the anticipation, oh, it was a marvellous cinematic moment! Unmistakably stylish yet strong sense of storytelling which made this film a surprising one for me. I never thought that another Bruce Lee film could be that good, after all the many films that were made of this legendary figure. Thanks to Pat, who urged me to go watch the film, it pays great details to the art direction, the character developments of the family members in the story, as well the music score itself. I was definitely impressed and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I believe this was one of the best Hong Kong films I have seen last year...of course, this would not have been possible if not for the great performance by Aarif Lee, playing Bruce. Christy Chung is pretty good as well as the mother who needs to at times, hold up the entire family during the absence of the husband. Tony leung worked the father role refreshingly well too. Definitely a must watch!

Speechless

2010-12-14T23:17:00.002+08:00

Such a day this was...I had nothing else to say. Words have run dry, feelings can not be mended...at times, I feel as though I am a runaway train, hailing behind me a truck load of weights...I hope tomorrow will be a better day, it always will be by the morning:)

View From Our Bedroom Window

2010-12-13T22:59:00.007+08:00

Since we moved our bed facing the other way, thanks to my hubby, we have a much better view of the happening malls right infront of us, and most of all, the vast area of the skyline, as far as our eyes can see. Sometimes, it's great to just have something to look forward to everyday, especially at the end of the day! Though it's still not my most ideal view of a window, but it will have to do for now:)

Your Friend Forever

2010-12-13T19:53:00.007+08:00

"I am all alone, the world out there is a cruel place, no one can ever understand how I truly feel deep down inside..."

I was at such a place, long long time ago, while growing up in a small town at the East coast of Malaysia, at a place that is so deep and dark that I could almost feel like I can never exist another second on this earth. As if everything else in this world spells disaster and ultimate sadness. Most of all, hopeless. That pain, that feeling of alienation and loneliness is deafening, and heart-breaking...I can almost feel how he feels. Owen is our character in this movie, LET ME IN, who is trapped within his own world of cocoon. To make matters worst, he is constantly being bullied by some boys at school. Then comes Abby, a skinny little long-haired girl whom he befriends but later turns out to be a vampire, who somehow protects him from all harms, at all cost. A strange sort of friendship develops, so special that neither of them could comprehend, or want anyone to know. For me, it was really really sad. The only friend whom Owen has turns out to be non human after all! Of course, secrets are meant to be discovered, especially one that is so vividly BLOODY. One can almost smell it coming...but as we strip away all the eeriness, violence and blood (I almost fainted), yes, it was creepily EERRRIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE for me, my heart was weighed down with so much pain and sadness that it affected me few days after watching it. I was completely drained, emotionally. Such a heavy film...though I love the film tremendously, I am not too sure I could ever sit through it all over again...ever again for I could not bear to be brought back into those days of teenage angst. By the way, excellent acting by both the leads, amazing chemistry there.

A Brand New Blog

2010-12-06T22:18:00.004+08:00

I have decided to start a brand new blog on all things dreamy and beautiful - fashion, arts, images, designs, interior and everything else that makes me happy and lovely. I have sort of make it a space for imagination, a space to dream all I want. It can be dreams I want to achieve, or it can just be some wishful thinking of mine. It is simply liberating. I hope to be able to maintain more than one blog at a time...so wish me luck. See you there too...oh, by the way, it's called Dream A Little Dream By Jenn.

A Fresh New Friday

2010-12-03T20:21:00.003+08:00

Ryan turns 10 today. 10 years is most definitely a milestone. What have I accomplished for the past 10 years? Gave birth to two lovely sons, established our own business of film and television, getting to know myself better along the way, among other ups and downs in life. I am still on this journey, a journey I truly believe is never-ending. There is always something new to be discovered each passing day, like a day like this one. I accidentally realized how to do certain things better, how to tweak this blog of mine into something new and refreshing, an improved version. I guess it's a tradition, to make a small little change to my blog every year. I am very pleased indeed, for I now believe, and have always been, there is always new things to be learnt, to be discovered, to be treasured and great memories to be remembered. My feelings now? Truly ABOVE and BEYOND! Happy Happy birthday, my dear Ryan. Love always and forever, your mommy:)

My Dream Of A Fashion TV

2010-11-23T23:54:00.004+08:00

I have been fascinated with fashion for quite a while, and of course, my first love, moving images. Discovering yet another great piece of work like this one is exciting. It reaffirms my believe that if you put in your passion and dedication in what you do, it shows. Be it film, be it fashion in film. I had a dream, this dream has been hovering in me for quite a while, which is to marry the two medium together, in perfect union and harmony. I find the lacking of seriousness in fashion TV in Malaysia itself disheartening, but I feel it is also a great opportunity to just venture into one. Why can't Malaysian fashion TV be as great as this one? Excellent visuals, simple yet effective storytelling. Fashion is not frivolous, fashion is a real serious business and work, the same goes to filmmaking. I feel there is a need to make it serious and REALLY good here in Malaysia itself as we have abundant of talents, it's just the matter of telling the stories the way it should be - passionately, beautifully and informatively.

Bambi Northwood-Blyth For Harper's BAZAAR from PEDESTRIAN.TV on Vimeo.

Eat Pray Love and Think of Cloud

2010-11-15T20:39:00.004+08:00

It was one of those days that I have to spend it on watching a film in the cinema. I have heard of quite some not-that-great comments about EAT PRAY LOVE the movie but would still wanted to check it out myself. Having no prior notion of what it is all about, I mean the book (cause I have not read it), so I went in with not much expectation, except for Julia Roberts' acting as she has always been one of my favourite female actors. The film moves along quite expectantly. Although I believe most audience would fall in love with the Italy part of the film (me included), I somehow found that her India's journey was the most "uneventful" but surprisingly most significant and made an impact on me, especially the scene of the revelation of her friend. Bali was a standard lovely segment to admire. All in all, the film did speak to me, somehow, in an oddly personal and silent kind of level, yet, as a film, it seemed to remain a tag draggy and uneven in terms of story flow. I felt at some points, pretty close to Julia's character, yet, at other times, I only drifted along and felt detached. It does make me feel as though life is like a huge puzzle, you can only pick up and rearrange your pieces as you go along, yet, without realizing, we are already having our destiny made along the way. Life is not just like a box of chocolate, it is also like a puzzle! Charlie St. Cloud on the other hand is not great but quite a light romantic mysterious kind of feel-good movie that made my other afternoon a more vibrant one. I love the underlying subject matter of guilt and brotherly love that was attached to Zac's character. It has a sense of refreshing idea, feels like the scent that comes with the breezy wind of the ocean - dreamy and obviously real. I hope to catch up with more great films to come.

Lovely and Wonderful Discoveries

2010-11-01T21:17:00.007+08:00

I recently discovered more wonders in life, two new blogs that truly inspire all things beautiful - PLUSH PALATE and WANDERLUST & CO. The former is more interior design oriented while the latter is more fashion and beauty. Nonetheless, they both share something in common, to see life through the eyes of beauty in a sense which is calming and uplifting. I especially love Plush Palate as the voice behind the blog, Crystal, and also the founding editor of Rue Magazine has an acute sense of style and taste. Wanderlust writes with such lyrical words that one can only admire and constantly go back for more. Wanderlust is also an online jewellery and accessories website offering unique pieces for those who love things different yet dainty to a certain level. I am begining to think that I should seriously consider taking up photography as a hobby and capture all things beautiful in life. I truly believe what makes things beautiful is really how they are being perfectly captured in a still photo. It is an art form by itself which takes some discipline to master, but seems so fulfilling at the same time. It is very much similar to us creating stories through visuals and sound. I have just embarked on a new journey, a journey of self discovery and self development. Am in the midst of reading a book called A New You by Nicola Cook. I find it engaging and practical at the same time. Though I am progressing along slowly, but I know I am surely going to get to the end of it, and come out being a better person! Here's a glimpse of the wonders behind such blogs. Happy reading.

New Discoveries

2010-09-15T01:20:00.004+08:00

Browsing through the internet has its wonders. One tends to discover gems along the way. I found these two sites really captivating and inspiring - Simply Sed uctive and Plush Palate. One on all things nice and lovely, and the other is a blog on fashion, interior designs and the RUE magazine. I believe all of us, in one way or another, appreciate beauty in its rare and multi dimensional forms. It can really lift our spirits and emotions up to a happy state of mind. Amazing discovery. Life is, after all, about the small little wonders we discover each passing day. If we can't even stop to admire such beauty, what else more to life?

Swimming At Night

2010-07-21T23:14:00.006+08:00

Moving to a new environment meant doing something new, a little different. One of them, swimming at night. The icy cold water hits you, the very first time, seems surreal yet so real that those naked part of your flesh reacts instantaneously to the sudden sensation, it sends a shiver down your spine, screaming for an escape yet once your body listens to the coldness and starts to dance with the rhythm of the night, it pleases your mind and body. There is something very serene and peaceful about swimming at night, especially if the whole pool belongs to you (besides my two boys swimming at the other shallow far end). The lights underwater are your only source of directions. Your breathing is more vivid and deeper, your thoughts seem clearer, yet can't help but wander away to the unknown abyss of the darker end of the pool where the light is not working. Certain ideas or imagery flash across your frozen mind again and again, as if playing the hide and seek game in your overly active subconscious mind and imagination. Movement is never contrived. Here, you are but your own true self, reflecting upon your good intentions and bad thoughts, at times for the day, sometimes for the entire life that you have spent thus far, knowing very well, the only judge here are your constant strokes of unwavering peddling forward so as to finish those laps that you set forth achieving. At times, you lose count of the laps, but by all means, it's just a swim. Just enjoy the night and your swim will turn out to be fine after all.

Valentine's Day

2010-06-27T21:54:00.003+08:00

A string of well known actors come together to give us an insight into the many facets of love - falling in love, falling out of love, even in between love. I must admit I was sold to go give this movie a try because of that - Julia Roberts, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Garner, Jessica Biel, Anne Hathaway, Patrick Dempsey, Ashton Kutcher, Bradley Cooper, Jamie Foxx, and many others (even THE Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner??). It was a small heartwarming piece of movie, human connections, emotions and what not. It is probably a good movie to catch while celebrating Valentine's Day. Nothing fancy, no more and no less. An enjoyable piece after all.

Working Alongside Beauties With Brains

2010-06-06T14:53:00.003+08:00

From corporate videos to high fashion, we started the new year with yet another exciting TV project - charting the course of searching for our beautiful girls in Malaysia and ultimately crowning our very own Miss Universe Malaysia 2010, with a brand new approach and new theme entitled HIP, URBAN, RELEVANT and REAL, spearheaded by former Miss Malaysia Universe herself, Andrea Fonseka, assisted by her close friends, Mae, Jojo and Eugenie, aptly called Team MUMO (Miss Universe Malaysia Organization). We were entrusted to produce the webisodes online, as well as producing the TV episodes for ntv7, which is now showing every Sunday night at 10.30pm till 20th June. Hectic shoots aside, this was a much more controlled production all in all. To find out more about the pageant, head over to their official website here.

AVATAR I See You

2010-05-17T22:00:00.008+08:00

It was fate that brought us to the sneak peek of AVATAR, even way before it was released, thanks to a dear distributor friend of ours at 20th Century Fox. I think it was some time last year. Leaving Patrick and myself all drooling and still in shock over what we had just seen on the big screen (it was such a short trailer but a damn AMAZING ONE!), we had to wait patiently for the release of the full length version as it was not until early this year that we got a taste of the REAL deal! Such cruelty but fortunately a good one as we ended up watching the film three times and still could not get enough of it. Now, we are patiently waiting for the more extensive version of AVATAR in blu-ray. The imaginative world of AVATAR is definitely one to behold and the acute attention to details in the film obviously reflects the high standards and demands of the director himself, James Cameron. For instance, not until the third watching that only I discovered the Na'vi tribe has only four fingers! The box-office smash hits aside, this epic science fiction motion picture truly embodies the perfect marriage of great storytelling and impeccable 3-D animation technology (substance and style), it keeps you entertained right up till the end and still wonders how on earth he manages to pull this off with such magical touch and wonders of a world called Pandora, is beyond my understanding. Absolutely a visionary director, this film is definitely one of my most favourite films this year and what a fantastic way to begin a brand new year!

The WHITE rabbit

2010-04-05T23:32:00.007+08:00

Time seems to be hiding within the layers of events and things which have been unfolding within my life. It does not show itself vividly, but pretending to be a shy WHITE rabbit which takes a step back and jumps right back into her hole and hides away. However, the lure of the juicy carrot seems to have a little effect on her now. She is gradually crawling right back up to the surface of humanity. I have not been writing for many reasons which I will not elaborate, but December ended with a nice note, the new year came by so swiftly that Patrick and myself could hardly remember. All there is to remember was that we had made an important decision to shift gear in our lives - to move out of our comfort zone, into an unknown, yet we felt a better place to be, for us as well as for the boys. February became a whirlwind of packing, unpacking, running back and forth while juggling a few projects at the same time...It is also a month of sweet encounter as I received, thanks to Patrick, a new phone for Valentine's Day. March followed suit and blowing candles remain just a small little celebration to remind myself that I have yet, crossed over another year of my life, and I could only wish that there are many more exciting ones to come. The truth is, I never really take notice of how old I am as I age, simply because it does not seem to matter to me after all. A new place, a new beginning, and most definitely, a fresh breath of inspiration and synergy to strive to be better in all areas of my life.

A Cup and A High Heel

2010-02-19T01:11:00.005+08:00

Loving life, loving the intensity of work just hitting me, right at my naked face and splitting brain. At times, can be VERY VERY overwhelming, but makes you feel alive, at least. Work define me? Perhaps. Who would not be in this new millennium, being a

modern woman? Reminds me of my favourite song - If I Were A Boy by Beyonce featuring R Kelly...Ooouuhh! We can never understand one another, simply because we are from different planets, not??! It's crazy, almost making me insane with all these work, yet work will not be work if you really love what you do. Now, the image from the hit TV series, GLEE pop up. Now I know why it is so popular for it is REALLY good! It speaks to your heart the moment they open their mouths to sing. It's about HOPES and DREAMS, it's about BEING yourSELF, it's about believing in yourself, searching for that innate talent and feelings, and most of all, to discover WHO you really ARE in this world! The songs are fabulous! Music IS the fuel of life, always and will be, for me.

The other 10

2010-01-01T00:57:00.005+08:00

2009 was an interesting year. It started off pretty rough, having to work on a project which we thought could have positioned our company and brand to a different level, but it turned out otherwise. We are grateful for those who have worked and stuck by us in the project were kind enough to understand the predicament that we were in, financially, and mentally and have not been harsh on us. Nonetheless, business remains business. The damage has been done, and we could only work much much harder to redeem our reputation and others faith put upon us. The responsibility is huge, but we have definitely learnt a huge lesson. Surprisingly, the projects which ensued after were a blessing. We had the opportunity to work on projects like Miss Malaysia Universe and the annual Malaysia International Fashion Week, thanks to MIFA, LANCOME, among others. On a personal level, I have come to discover the EGOs that I have always been having, and have learnt to see the best in my other half, and accepting, to a certain degree, who he really is and how much he means to me. Of course, I have bigger and higher hopes and dreams for the new year, 2010. I have realized, anything is possible, as long as I adopt a new perspective and mindset towards whatever I do, and be passionately stubborn about seeing that I reach each and every one of the goals I set forth. A new year, a new beginning. Let this be a year that I could look back to with a BIG SMILE on my face, at the end of the 365th day and tell myself that I have indeed, become wiser and have a little more wisdom than the old me. A long journey ahead, but I believe, it is a beautiful one.

Defeated Queen

2009-12-12T23:29:00.003+08:00

My distant memories of Taiwanese dramas has always been the image of Ching Han and Ling Ching Xia back in those days when TV series rule most of my growing up life, apart from my obsession of taping each music video that played on TV every now and then on VHS and compiling them to watch after. Taiwainese dramas then never were that significant but yet seem needed back then, like those addictive Hong Kong series. Chance brought me to this recent Taiwanese drama called Defeated Queen. I watched with little expectation as most modern Taiwanese dramas seem to be obsessed with using teenage stars who do not seem to appeal to me. Surprisingly, this series shows a certain maturity in terms of handling relationship issues between its characters and it seems more honest in portraying how they are being dealt with. I enjoyed watching it ultimately. It did not seem overly draggy like most Korean dramas, though it started off being to overly contrived in its comedic approach, for me, but it picked up as the story progresses. I guess who wouldn't like to watch something which gives you hope, especially in love, even though this love is one that is 8 years apart, but tells you that anything is possible in life after all.

The Other Side of High Fashion

2009-11-11T23:45:00.007+08:00

Fashion fade, style remains. Working behind the scene of one of Malaysia's most anticipated events of the year within the fashion industry was definitely an honour, but this time around, it was filled with mixed emotions and feelings. It felt so much like throwing a pebble into the vast lake of disappointment that it just sinks right into the deep abyss. There was so much more that could be done and achieved, in the TV production that we were producing. Having said that, I was fortunate enough to personally meet top supermodel, Ai Tominaga for a face to face interview, and mingled with China supermodels backstage. To top it of, it was the joy of working with our local designers that made this journey worthwhile and bearable. It is definitely a collaborative effort, the make-up team, the hairstylists, the host, the photographers, etc. I was thrilled, but would not do this again, if certain conditions are not met upfront. I need to know that I am in control of the outcome. What's so wrong about being a control freak? We should deliver the best and know that we have done our best, in whatever we do in life. A huge lesson learnt.

Love Is Possible

2009-09-25T01:08:00.011+08:00

Hello Schoolgirl (2008)

Directed by Ryu Jeong-ha

Starring Yoo Ji-tae, Lee Yeon-hee, Chae Jung-an and Kang-in

Heart warming visuals that almost feel right at home, familiar settings, interesting characters, fascinating pairing of individuals, but most of all, a non-chalant way of revealing the story and the subtlety of the love between these couples which make the film unbelievably easy to watch. It felt like sitting by the window in a lazy Sunday afternoon reading your favourite book, listening to music in your ears, over a cup of warm milo, bathing in the tenderness of the sun, while tasting every bit of the pages that fill the air with a sense of light comedy and grounded sense of dreamy reality, it is that soothingly refreshing. I love how the issue of age differences are being dealth with, yet in such great softness of it all that it feels relaxing all together. If ever there is a song to go with the feeling of watching this film, it would be the voices of Colbie Caillat, against the gushing of the wind, by the serenity of the blue slightly wavy blanket of ocean. Sandals kicked back, it is truly a rewarding experience.

Broken Love

2009-08-16T16:53:00.005+08:00

The husky voice, the passionate notes of different voices, those layers of emotions, you draw me into your world of fantasy, of make believe love for the impossibles. How could this be even real? Chance brushes by like shades of white lights on navy blue rippling water, creating wave of lightness that is hardly tangible to the senses, only visible to the heart. I was trapped, instantly by your long starring gaze from afar. Those pain, those words echoing in my ears, again and again, not wanting to leave, not willing to linger beyond. They whisper to me in the dead empty night. We were naive, we were young, we could not comprehend it all, the heaviness that will come crushing on us, eventually. Too much love to hold within our palms of unwilling silence. Those tears run dry, those suffocating breath of denial, those sharp pain across the chest, it bleeds words of despair. That was one real love that never made it to the finish line...the beginning of a love story.

Antique Bakery

2009-07-13T00:37:00.013+08:00

Antique Bakery (Korean, 2008)
Directed by Min Gyu Dong
Starring Joo Ji Hun, Kim Jae Wok, Yoo Ah In, Choi Ji Ho and Andy Gillet
Adapted from a Japanese Manga by Fumi Yoshinaga

Without any expectation, watching Antique Bakery is like baking a cake for the very first time for me, it is full of anticipation, wonders, imagination and most of all, intrigued and impatient to see the final outcome of it all. A film full of unexpected humour and magical delights, like an icing on a cake, yet it is moist full of heavy layering of textured fillings. It is glazed with eye-candy art direction and unique cinematography, yet the director approaches the subject matter in such great seriousness, with sprinkles of lightness of dusted chocolate powder that it oozes realness in every bite. A mixture of suspense, thriller, romance, comedy and drama in one film that is hard to let go. Four men, a bakery shop, what sort of stories can be told here, you may wonder? Plentiful. Nonetheless, to make a perfect cake, everything has to come together in the most precise manner, the exact amount of ingredients, the freshness of it, the amount, the proportions, the temperature, and so much more. Baking a cake is as therapeutic as watching an interestingly told film like this one. The result, a mouth watering and satisfying bite till the last piece. My cake turned out to be more than I could have imagined - the softness of love between men and the fullness of the simplicity of how love could be presented.

Beauty With Grace

2009-07-05T00:38:00.008+08:00

Fate has it mysterious ways of working into your life, silently and motionlessly, like a careless whispers of the sleepless night like this one. A brush with the recent TV work for 18 young beauty finalists brings us now yet another whole new journey with two beauties with grace to match. We are grateful indeed to an old friend for us being here, doing this now. Two very different persons by nature and personality, yet they both share the same qualities that embody the true human spirit, the beauty, the intelligence, the wittiness, the cheekiness and above all, the kindness and understanding of gentle souls. It is true when all the right things and people come together, sparks ignite, and something magical is about to unfold...

Beauty Beyond

2009-06-15T01:25:00.004+08:00

The long awaited post after such a long absence. We were busy, with WORLDSTARS. It was quite a journey, having trusted someone but realized it is not what it seemed. A huge lesson learnt. Then, we moved onto Miss Malaysia Universe 2009. It is a chance meet up with an old acquaintance and then, we were on the job, mingling with 18 lovely young finalists, who were vying for the title of Miss Malaysia Universe 2009, and will eventually represent Malaysia to Bahamas for the Internationally renowned pageant. Each of them are uniquely different in their own way. It was great fun. Watch out for the TV show coming 28th June 2009 on ntv7!

Reading Between The Lines

2009-04-07T02:05:00.018+08:00

Words make up stories, lines convey meanings, and the voice behind these elements evoke human emotions that may seem unfamiliar yet deep rooted within our psychic, addictive love, a kind of love that is forbidden, powerful yet render the lovers powerless to resist, too seductive to the point of long painful guilt that lingers on for a life time. A young growing boy with enormous sexual fantasy and curiosity, a woman who yearns for affection and attention, the words between those lines leaping right out of those pages bring them closer and closer together each time they meet in secrecy, explode into endless physical pleasures, along the way spells disaster in the making almost immediately. How could that have lasted? Wishful thinking, yet it somehow did. Those recordings, his voice over and over again, repeatedly recorded for her, her undying desire to communicate, to learn new words, in reading and writing, making it even harder for her to face the harsh bite of reality when they finally met after so many years of separation. She is believable, he is adorable, but grows up to be a man who does not even have the courage to face their love, shameful almost to admit their affair, not only until the very end, but that was not even enough for her. It was too late. Where has all the love gone? Or was there any in the first place? A clever film disguised within an awkward "love story" to bring forth a glimpse of a chapter of the unspeakable history. Crushed it may seem for her, I was devastated by the truth of things, the harsh truth about the matters of the HEART...we are but facade, hiding behind the different masks that we created along our life time, all the while, at times, not even revealing our true feelings to the ones whom we love most or loved us most. We have come to accept for unconsciously, we have become one with the seemingly true self we allow ourselves to believe...undeniably tragic.

Serenity in Chaos

2009-02-18T02:25:00.004+08:00

Yiruma's simple musical notes soaked in serenity sipped through the ears with tenderness, amidst my recent chaotic life. It soothes the soul and offers a place to hide away, momentarily. Just sporadic moments are enough to stay away from the heaviness of everyday work. Early morning hours provide the solution to quiet thoughts, writings, reflection. A moment to just stop and breathe, a moment to close my eyes and just let the melody shoulders the weight of grind. Living a life against the grain should be an ideal garden of hope, but never the perfect petal of life, it seems for petals wither under the scorching sun of harsh reality. Where has my train of thoughts gone to? To live the life of the contented being, or to transcend such minute irrelevant elements to create a better, renewed and more powerful meaning to life, a life that is rich, full and endless flow of acute understanding of the ways of the world. Perhaps it is how to transcend this world that I live in and beyond that still seems to remain a puzzle to me.

Proposal Daisakusen (Operation Love)

2009-01-27T01:07:00.006+08:00

Starting a new lunar year with lots of love is part of my plan. Writing involves a little planning in the mind as well, though inspirations come in the spur of the moment, at times, through thoughts swirling in the brain, most of the time, it is the picture that I come across that sparks the interest to scribble. Believing that writing should most of the time derives from emotional weight, falling into a long absence is quite common for me these days. I love the beautiful images of Proposal Daisakusen, especially the movie version. Most of all, it is the music and the natural acting and chemistry between all the friends that create the lasting impression. To me, the love that is almost there, yet unspoken of, is the most engaging and interesting one. Should loving a person remain silent for such a long time? Have we not had the courage to at least reveal our feelings to the one whom we truly love? I guess love is quite a completely strange language all together. Many a times, it leaves you speechless, breathless, motionless and totally incomprehensible. Yet, we love the idea of falling in love, being in love, disappointed by love but always intrigued by LOVE. Let the new year begin with a tinge of love, for all and most importantly, for your own SELF-:) Happy Niu Year!

Leaving A Legacy

2008-12-31T21:11:00.007+08:00

IP MAN (2008)

Directed by Wilson Yip, Action Director: Sammo Hung

Starring Donnie Yen, Lynn Hung, Simon Yam, Hiroyuki Iikeuchi, Fan Siu Wong, Lam Ka Tung and Wong You Nam

Lost in the ashes of time, but not forgotten, a hero is resurrected on screen, very enigmatically and cinematically, simply due to the relentless effort by a team of people who truly believe and love the spirit of martial art of Yong Chun. Mesmerized by the charismatic performances (and agility) of Donnie Yen, I was indeed glad that I was urged to go watch this film quite a number of times. I love the subtlety of Donnie's emotional delivery, the simplicity of its comedic moments, and the rooted frustration of a silent hero beneath. What does it really take to be a true hero of the nation? But more importantly, a hero of the people? The character of Ip Man represents that spirit of being a Chinese, being a Chinese martial art kungfu fighter, who not only fight to uphold the peace of the community, but to uplift and defend the morality and spirit of a unified Chinese nation - the ideology and mentality of BEING a Chinese. Of course, it is not to say that we have to be a kungfu fighter in order to be CHINESE, but rather, the spirit of BEING who we truly are. I have always been led to believe that I am not Chinese enough, but at times, it makes me wonder, what does it take or mean to be a Chinese at this time, age and place? Our history? Our language? Our beliefs and culture? Food and religion? Calligraphy? Way of life? or maybe it is a culmination of a bit of everything? What about being a MALAYSIAN CHINESE? It got me thinking...nonetheless, it is a film full of hope, in spite of it all, the sufferings, torture and humiliation that they had to endure during those period of time. I could almost feel the anger and anguish. Definitely a film that makes a mark in 2008, for me. ASSEMBLY evokes a whole different feeling and emotion, nonetheless, equally true and right to the core. A human story cleverly disguised beneath a war film, Feng Xiaogang skillfully carved the path and journey of a soldier (captain in the 9th company) who strives to bring back honour and dignity to his fellow perished comrades of 46, after years of guilt and sufferings of civil wars and the denial of a government to acknowledge their contribution and sacrifices. Heart felt indeed. A legacy left behind by these Chinese heros of history in time, a lesson to be learnt and appreciated by our new generation of CHINESE. What have we done to leave our own legacy behind, I wonder?

Getting Into SHAPE

2008-11-23T22:49:00.002+08:00

This is one of my fav magazines these days. Not only the articles and write-ups on heath and fitness are a great read, their covers are getting better and better. Look at Natasha here, who wouldn't want to have a fit and healthy figure like hers? Been busy with work lately that I hardly have the time to do my usual workout, except for some occasional swims, classes and running on treadmill. But I guess time is only an excuse, it's more of the discipline and the lazy mind that is doing the talking here. I really envy my other half, for he not only successfully lost quite a significant amount of weight over the past two years going to gym, he manages to maintain and keep a diligent schedule and make the extra effort to always put workout as him NO.1 priority these days! I guess there's no two ways about having a fit body, you just got to work HARD for it. SHAPE is definitely a magazine worth reading for any modern day woman!

The Bond In Daniel Craig

2008-11-22T19:13:00.012+08:00

007: Quantum of Solace (2008)

Directed by Marc Foster

starring Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini and Olga Kurylenko

I have to confess, I was never an ardent fan of James Bond films, but I absolutely love Daniel Craig playing bond (apart from Sean Connery, of course) simply because he is agile, charismatic and less than perfect a man. Co-incidentally, I recently saw a magnificent film by the same director, Marc Foster (The Kite Runner) and I must say he is a versatile director, being able to tackle different genre films so seamlessly. What is fascinating about this bond film is its variety of exotic locales, the art direction and the very much character driven type of storytelling. Of course, action sequences are top notch. The interesting after thoughts from the film, for me, is realizing how much more what is happening surrounding the film, than the film itself. The anticipation, the build-up publicity, the tie-ins with big brands like Sony Ericsson and the ancillaries that follow after (the games, the merchandising like toy cars and many others (even a perfume inspired for bond girl). Hollywood is indeed a huge business after all. I like the character played by Olga. She has a certain determination trying to achieve her personal goal, which is to seek revenge. All in all, it was an entertaining piece of work.

The Fever

2008-10-27T20:40:00.004+08:00

The long silence seems deafening, underlined by tones of electrifying complacency of the heart and mind. The almost ruptured mind did not seem to be able to grasp the certainty of what is about to come. Lazy thoughts filled the spaces between times of being awaken and the unconscious. THE FEVER came at such accurate timing that it shook me by surprised. A powerful depiction of how deteriorated my modern mind have become, intoxicated by the illusions of how this world should be, not knowing how to be connected to the much more grounded self and own voice. To be living in such great adversities, yet to be able to experience the simple truths in things, is something been overlooked for quite a moment. I wish this inner and external struggle remains true to the meaning of it all. To be able to realize the ultimate meaning of my own existence, my true identity, in order to shed the masks of continuous confusion, remains seemingly futile at this point. An awakening. Too much questions, too little answers. The journey continues...

Mama Mia!

2008-10-06T22:48:00.007+08:00

Clear blue sky, waves beating, beautiful landscapes, what better way to do a musical in such a perfect scenario? I was mesmerised by the captivating location, Aidan was totally thrilled by the songs (me included)! It was an uplifting experience - so much energy, playfulness and hope. As always, Meryl Streep did not fail to entertain (and she can sing too!). The same cannot be said for Pierce Brosnan though. My most favourite scene was the one when Meryl Streep runs up those flight of meandering steps to the church - amazingly breathtaking. The one thing that strikes a chord in me in the film was the notion of "being yourself" and you can only be who you are at the end of the day. No matter how hard you try to hide away, keep and fold your "true self" away in a closet, somewhere in a faraway island, the TRUE woman in you will eventually have to emerge again and shine. Coming out of the cinema, Aidan was already humming a verse from the song Mama Mia! and asked to buy the soundtrack. We truly had a great time! Now, both Ryan and Aidan are crazy over the songs of ABBA-:)

Sweetness of Death

2008-09-29T17:30:00.007+08:00

Sweet Rain (Accuracy of Death), Japan 2008

Directed by Kakehi Masaya, starring Takeshi Kaneshiro, Manami Konishi, Fuji Sumiko

Rain brings the smell of death along, with a fresh mint of loneliness that seeps right through your hair. When death walks through your door, would you stare him right at his charming face or would you let him just take you away? Are you ready for your own fate by then? I guess this is a question remained unable to be answered accurately until you are faced with it...at least for me, it is...for now. We are connected, in a strange way with others in life, be it in a different time, or a separate space in time. Beautiful it may seem, a heart that is broken is only left shattered like the waves that break the shore. A twist of fate turns a depressed and hopeless girl into a new person who believes she deserves more than just having death following her wherever she goes. She lives life to its fullest from there onwards and the next time she meets DEATH again, she is contented. A dog that communicates, a sky that would not stop raining, the long walk between different space and time, all made the film more surreal yet very real at the same time. Japanese music almost ALWAYS comes in at the right time, the right place. A poetic look at a grim subject in life. Characters intertwine, hope survives. It's a beautiful clear day after all.

Morning Wisdom

2008-09-23T22:55:00.003+08:00

When Aidan woke up this morning, the first thing he said to me was, "Reality has become real". I was surprised by his statement. When I asked him again later today what he meant, he said he doesn't know...and he asked me back, "Can reality be real one-ah?" I had no clear answer to that question. I really wonder what was going through his mind this morning, when he said those words? Was he dreaming of something "real" right before those few minutes he woke up? What made him utter those words?? I am still puzzled by it. Maybe a child's mind is as elusive as the drawings that they make?

Voices of Love

2008-09-17T23:56:00.004+08:00

The heart breaks, but the voice mends. A single shot of her singing, tears gradually slide down her face, all the way till the song ends, it is truly captivating. Warwick Avenue is the song that has been playing on and on, over and over again. I love Duffy's honesty, it shines in her voice, no pretence, just a woman singing her soul out. It feels as though you have fallen out of love the very first time and the whole world turns all grey and blue. The rain seems the more painful to watch, even harder to taste its bitter sweet but you somehow love it to death for it feels your pain and sorrow. The loneliness of the unspeakable. Love bleeds when you cared too much. But it is still something that you could only pretend not to want, but fail to resist every single time when it passes you by, like the aroma of the cup of white coffee, right beside your table, while you type away (not writing these days). The voice of Leona Lewis is just pure power and grandness, soulful all together. It gives you great comfort and strength at the same time. Both beautiful, in their own way. Women with the voice for the heart and soul.

A Night of Deception

2008-08-20T01:44:00.007+08:00

I wish a night like this one remains forever mine...a space all for myself to just be with ME...nothing else but my thoughts, my feelings, my desire to just write without analyzing, thinking too much, digesting, savouring, self absorbing, all the usual nonsense, just my fingers, my mind, my emotions, my instincts...sleep is but a luxury, but then my logic starts to kick in already...without music...sleep becomes a necessity...gosh, silence, emptiness, the coldness of the air conditioning...my fingers feel a little frozen, my mind as well...it is reality after all

Sharing The Joy of ONE

2008-08-20T00:58:00.005+08:00

Flying four hours from where I stayed to a destination which I could only sensed the familiarity through their common dialect, the nostalgia of the infamous TVB drama series, the crude yet interesting gangster films, this place called Hong Kong was definitely as alien as it can be for me. We were there not for a leisure holiday, but a journey of self discovery, a step to understanding our "flow" much better in life, in order to lead an extraordinary life, ultimately. But is that so? or is there more to it than just about our SELF? A new place, a totally different feeling. At first glace, I love the green, the sun, the mountains, the superhigh highways that fly on top of each other. The people were not as "rough" as we have come to hear. The area we first stayed in, Tsuen Wan is most definitely an area for food lovers. The sights, the sound, the smell, the people, the bamboo shafts, everything seemed very much down to earth and real. Two and a half day of meeting people, listening, talking, digesting, thinking, connecting was something quite special all together. But I guess my greatest learning came from after I bought this book by Masami Sato called ONE: Sharing The Joy of Giving. The words from her are so straightforward yet they ring deep in my subconscious. At some point, I realized what she meant by connecting. We are living in a place as ONE, a place where sharing is really possible. We may not speak the same language, or dress the same outfit, or even know which part of China they came from, but that moment, we connected. I cherished their generosity, I loved the way they smiled back at me when I asked to take a photo with them, I loved their shyness but openness at the same time. It is the beginning of something extraordinary, I believe.

The Pride of Love

2008-07-26T23:45:00.007+08:00

Pride and Prejudice (2005)

Directed by Joe Wright

Starring Keira Knightley, Matthew MacFadyen

Loving a person most ardently seems familiar yet unassuming. The language of love takes centre stage in this seemingly quiet film, yet there is nothing quiet about the feelings and emotions certain scenes evoke. I am not quite fond of Keira Knightly but she will suffice, I guess. Love which is in denial for a period of time is deafening, suffocating yet interesting. It feels as though you have entered into the cave of absolute vacuum, you could no longer hear your own heart beating against your chest, you could no longer hear the pounding of your mind, you could only sense the warmth of the breath of loneliness, you could only smell the fragrance of despair and desperate longing, you could only almost touch the deepest end of your feelings, walking along with your eyes closed. Lights flicker, waving with colours of infinite journey, the journey that you hope to end with joy and clarity. Images that imprint in your memory as dots and dots of minute particles, conjuring and converge to become the picture of love are unbelievably beautiful but absolutely real, can only mean something special to you. The slowness and gentleness of the music makes a perfect blend to the whole mood and atmosphere of the film, I most fond of. Like any love that is worth waiting, the film takes its time to unfold and transform into its full bloom, not with a spectacular ending, but a meaningful one indeed.

The Dark In The Light Of A Hero

2008-07-24T23:28:00.007+08:00

To do good is to first understand what you stand for. It is completely insane to fight for justice when there is no just in a city where hope is bleak; human is mere living corpse of the living. It comes across as a city of such, in the beginning, but the city slowly awakens to a gradual understanding of the fact that we do need a hero in every society, in every time of the civilization, in the real world, or in a world of illusion of the existence of the celluloid, in the minds of the audience. Mesmerized by the recreation of a world that used to exist in the pages of countless comic books, this piece of amazing creative work transcends all films of such which came before it. Joker provides the smile of suffering, the happiness of devastation, the blissfulness of a tormented soul to such great perfection and details that I could only shiver and shed silent tears in my heart, for we have truly lost a true young emerging talent. His character symbolizes a certain hidden part of our deepest emotions and human nature - the darkness that lurks in the furthest corner of our conscience. If provoked, it can be unleashed to great proportion of destruction. The strength of a hero should then be able to carry the burden of responsibilities, the great expectations of the world, to make it a better place to be, and most of all, to fight that evil that buries in all of us, as long as we remain human, to give us the hope of humanity. But that hero may not be out there, but rather maybe inhibit within each and everyone of us. We are surrounded by everyday hero (and heroines), and at times, we could be one of them ourselves. A complex picture of the world we live in, the world we believe in, the world we have become and the world we would like to see CHANGED. I have never felt so exhausted walking out of a theatre this year...thus far.

Love and Action

2008-06-28T20:14:00.008+08:00

Life has been crazily insane, in the worst and good way. Creating your own stories has never been easy but one can almost always fall back onto the readily available. I have seen some real good action films lately. Of course, action hero IRONMAN tops the list because it managed to really pack a punch with amazing actions and story to go with. I laughed my heads off when watching KUNGFU PANDA, not knowing what to expect when I stepped into the cinema with my two eagerly anticipating young boys and a BIG old boy (He laughed the loudest among the four of us). I was completely thrilled till the very end. Incredible animation, impeccable attention to details and interesting storytelling, fantastic charaterization. MADE OF HONOUR initially reminded me of My Best Friend's Wedding, when I first heard of the synopsis. The film was just a get away sort of film for me, an afternoon just hide away, not having to face those daily grinds of work and all. Nothing unusual, fairly predictable but what mesmerized me the most was the breathtaking scenary of Scotland! One image that I would not forget for a long long time was a full view of a moon with the vast night landscape that your eyes could possibly take in. The silence of exhaustion, the loosing battle that I fear I could no longer cope, I wished I could go on a vacation, strip those frustrations away and come back a new person...or maybe it is not the journey beyond that I should be looking out for, but rather the road within that I have to take to emerge as a new person, a stronger person, ready to the face yet, another long and challenging battle ahead...

Home With A Heart

2008-06-14T20:11:00.004+08:00

Home is where the heart is?
Another day of just drifting along
along with the sand of the road
picking up the dust of mundane work
in this town of no path of history that I could trace
work that only serve to live but not uplifting
The heart longs to go home
yet it is not the home that the heart feels belong to, at times
The ideal home seems to remain as sketches in the head
illustrations that only serve as a guide in the mind of the future
desperately yearning to break free
dutifully waiting to be realized
Dreams can be that close yet still far
but not for long
Vision will be the guiding light
Clarity will reveal itself when more thoughts are put into actions
hop onto the getaway car
put on the radio of happiness
no pretence, no fear, no regrets
you make me sing, you make me cry
you are my
dream of a dream

Is Life An Illusion?

2008-06-02T00:44:00.005+08:00

The Illusionist (2006)

Directed by Neil Burger, Starring Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti and Jessica Biel

The illusion of a possible resurrection of a soul is a deception in itself, for some, but they seem real for others who believe in the existence of the other dimension. Interesting enough, it is quite similar to the Prestige, yet quite different in its own terms. First of all, I love Edward Norton. My most vivid performance of his was in the Fight Club. I always thought that he is a superb actor, pretty much effortless, which makes it memorable. Somehow, the ending was quite predictable for you knew somehow it will go that way. The cinematography was simply amazing. Could life be an illusion as well, most of the time? We see yet we don't see, or we choose to see what we only choose to see. Most of us see through our own filter of how things should be, not how things the way they are. We feel the pain yet it seeps so deep into the body and soul that the subconscious makes you believe that they may or may not be real after all, depends on your perception of things. Life is a great illusion after all, and we are but the characters that take part in the process of storytelling. Whether the story of life is compelling, frustrating, imaginative, adventurous, torturous, fulfilling, or not, it all depends on who are the characters and who is telling the story? And maybe, whose story are we telling? As someone who dreams to be a writer someday, I will write my own story and tell it the way I see fit. No more lies, no more illusions, no more hiding, and no more buried treasures of the unwanted feelings. The illusionist no longer remain.

Leaping Out of The Pages

2008-04-25T21:23:00.011+08:00

To love a film is to love its characters and the journey that they bring us along. Despair, struggle, happiness, sadness and all possible emotions that human could possibly possess. It has always been that same beginning, those same images flash across my mind, it has been there for the longest time, she finally leaped out of those pages that I was trying desperately to finish, simply to see her walk till the end of the script and eventually stroll down the space and time of moving images, on screen. It still remains an unanswered question till this moment, hibernating in the hands of others, who presumably know better, know how to see a good story, but do they really? Only time will tell. She seems to change and transform into a slightly different woman now, in this new chapter of the story. Story evolves, it has a life of its own, it breathes the breath of the writer, it feeds on the sheer imagination of the hopeless closeted romantic fool whom the writer believes to be. She smiles, she weeps, she is determined to pursue the happiness she believes she is entitled to pursue or life is meaningless after all. Bathe in the shades of facade of happiness, she transcends the true nature of what a woman should be, not how the society deemed her should be. Oftentimes, she runs into her own shadow of doubts and disbelieves, but the journey sees her mature into a beautiful woman, like how a cocooned larvae morphs into a beautiful butterfly at the break of an awakening dawn. Do you see a piece of you in her?

Catching A Rainbow

2008-04-08T00:14:00.005+08:00

Cars and long stretches of road flash by, in front of the big window. Having the very front row seat, up in a double-decked bus does have its advantages, as your vision spreads beyond those lush green padi fields, those opposite cars and vehicles that seem ever more intimidating as they rush towards you, and somehow makes you feel vulnerable. I have come to accustom myself to these trips from now on, travelling in between cities, like souls searching for their rightful place to rest. Disoriented, disillusioned at times, disfigured to a certain extend in regards to what is the ultimate purpose of my true existence in life, but it is always for the better, I constantly convinced myself. I have responsibilities, I have obligations to those around me. Living a life of an artist can never be easy, the path of absolute freedom of mind and creativity is like these roads ahead - they seem destined, yet never ending. They seem promising, yet exhausting. When I was most self deceiving, a rainbow whispered into my mind, "You will...triumph, continue with your struggle"...there was once a saying I saw on a cooking show, that resonates..."Life is short, start with dessert first"...maybe that very afternoon, amidst the drizzle, that was my dessert, and a sign...tomorrow will be another long journey away from home...

The Ghost of A Memorable Storyteller

2008-03-22T02:16:00.007+08:00

Broken images, long silence, abrupt end, forever remembered. What happens when someone just left, so suddenly. I wished I knew him earlier, I wished I read his words long before all these, but it remained a wish. Distance, difference, departure, yet it left a dent in my heart, though I hardly knew him. It was only through his eyes of how the world of moving images should be - should feel like, should look like, how his characters in the films should talk and react to one another that I got a glimpse of how he sees this world. His words were poetic, his images vivid and unforgettable, his stories were always told in the most enganging manner. The sand of desert will soon cover the trail of this once important director, the cold mountain mourns of sorrows, echoeing through the depth of the long empty valleys, the many facets of an artistic creator will soon fade away but we will always remember him as one of the greatest storytellers of our time.

Love For The Love of Love Stories

2008-03-10T22:51:00.007+08:00

Paris Je T'aime (2007)

I was sold by the trailer, and I thought to myself, maybe I should give this film a go. I have always loved love story and better still, this is kind of a compilation of so many of them, in one go! Cool. Off I went into the theatre and realized that I was only one of the audiences among the three of us there...good, that's the way I like it, at times, a little peace and quiet while watching a movie. No fancy opening but as we move along, I started to experience the many facets of love, many different interpretations of this very primitive yet long journeyed and forever evolving emotion called LOVE. It could be explained, it could be filmed, it could be spoken, translated, digested, felt, touched, held, smelt, tasted, argued, confronted, comforted, yet, it could be none of them at the same time. It can be as tangible as it can be, yet so intangible at the same time. It's full of opposite attractions: explosion, conflicts, confusion, sophistication, incomprehensible. That's how intoxicated we are about love. Love can be fast and it can be slow, it can be beautiful, it can also be an ugly beast when love no longer exist in your own dictionary, as if those words just disappeared, without a trace, like a whisper into your tender soft ears. I love you, I love you no more...the very next second...like how a husband decided to love his wife again when he found out that she is sick, and broke the heart of another woman he was having an affair with...we dread the heartaches that it brings along, yet we can't live without it. Chris Doyle's one stood out, among all, but I loved most of them. How best to talk about love? I guess with a collage of this series of shorts about LOVE. It felt disjointed, as a film, after awhile, but it works as a documentation of how human perceive love to be and of course, PARIS, the place where it all happens, so they say...

Coco by Colbie Caillat

2008-02-15T23:26:00.023+08:00

It opens up with a breath of fresh air, like oxygen...you could almost instantly feel the breeze on your face, the sun all over your body, yet you could still feel the little pebbles beneath your feet. It is kind of rough to begin with, but as it moves along, you soon move into finer grains of sand, the songs gradually refine themselves like how you have now reached the more sandy and silky part of the beach. You can now throw out your matt, kick away your sandals, slap on a thin layer of sun-tanned lotion, and last but not least, opens up your most favourite book. It makes you feel all bubbly and true enough, all your feelings of happiness and blissfulness show. My sons now refer to this song as the "ratatouille" song for I used it in my previous post on that movie. It is never bubbly. She has such a natural sunny voice, it does come across in her songs. After a day at the beach, under the sun, it would be perfect to settle into the night with a midnight bottle of sweet memories, hopes and dreams. You then realized that you actually had a great day after all. Everything seems tailor made to unfold the way they intend to be. Listening to Colbie is synonymous to the word, magic...

The Love That Could Have Been

2008-02-14T21:10:00.010+08:00

The English Patient (1996)

Directed by Anthony Minghella

Starring Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Kristin Scoot Thomas, Willem Dafoe, Naveen Andrews

Based on the Booker Prize-winning novel by Sri Lankan Canadian novelist, Michael Ondaatje

An unexpected love, a possessive desire, an addictive longing, set against a vast sand of uncertainties, a desert of unsuspected revelations, poetically told, it reads of the agony of the forbidden love between two passionate souls. Could it be deemed wrong? Of course, from the very beginning, one is a married woman, the other is an explorer who has the wrong name. But as the film progresses, one could be mistakenly misunderstood for you begin to feel for the reasons for them to be together, especially towards the end. What would be right, and what would be deemed wrong by then? It is so character driven that no matter how fragmented the story and events unfold in the film, one could somehow follow these two main characters: One being the patient (Almasy played by Ralph Fiennes), and one being the caretaker (Hana played by Juliette Binoche). Come to think of it, it does remind me a little of PERSONA, but on very different levels, they reveal different aspects of life and love, and how human perceive love should be, with each other. Music is splendid, haunting yet captivating. I simply adore the writing. Of course, it helps when you have good actors to begin with. Ralph is such a great subtle and intense actor that he made the character of Almasy lovable after all. One tends to emphatize with his stubbornly devoted obssessiveness over Kristin's character. After much hardship and struggle, he did fulfill his promise of going back for her. The love in the film is so suffocating that it almost evokes the feeling of breathlessness. A tragic love story is almost always a beautiful love story. But I must say this is definitely one of the best told human stories of our time. On this note, Happy Valentine's Day!

Old and New Friends

2008-02-11T20:59:00.000+08:00

I wanted to throw a suprised birthday party for Patrick recently but I failed miserably. I guess when you are around each other so often that I realized it could be hard to be a surprise anymore for it is bound to be discovered, that little secret mission of yours. That was what happened to me, to be exact. Anyway, I wanted this year's birthday celebration to be a little different, and also the fact that I missed some of my old friends quite a fair bit. When you move along with your daily life, you tend to be less reachable for everyone is occupied with the mundane life of earning a living. I got some of our very first work colleague together and these are some of the most memorable first bunch of friends whom I had made in my first job, after graduation! Sid came in the next day after me, and later turned out to be Patrick and my best friend in sharing our passion and love for films. Joey, always busy working away infront of her PC but would be "crazy" enough to offer herself to be the female "victim" in our small little horror movie we eventually made while working there. My most memorable memory of Gary has always been his keen interest in entertaining us all with his jokes and advices, and lots of interesting stories. Fung will always be the inquisitive and charming supporter of all. Boy, we had fun back then, we created our own small FILM CLUB fondly called E=MC2 where we would screen movies once a week at the mini theatre, we enlisted ourselves in a short film appreciation course offered by the infamous PATRICK TAM, who was co-incidentally, working there, under a different division - script development. We were bombarded with more foreign films, films that we would not have had a chance to watch if it were not for the classes then. Looking back, though I was never in the film and TV department, I was blessed enough for that first job was the one that fueled my passion for the moving images, and for now, which I still harbour the hope to one day excel in my own world of movie making! Thanks friends, for coming back again, for the sake of good old times, and see, now that we have extended our circles to more kids, and new little friendships along the way! I had a great time that day, I sincerely hope that the birthday "boy" had experienced the same too.

The Little Keen Observer

2008-01-23T23:10:00.001+08:00

The best part of being a kid is having an acute sense of adventure and curiosity. You could almost ask an adult (in this case, it is usually the parents) any questions you like, or anything that flashes across your mind. The childhood I remembered was playing with my twin sister, later on with my two younger brothers, running around the huge lawn around our house (now seemed so small since the last time I went back for a short visit), going tuition, taking swimming lessons, piano lessons, and eventually playing tennis and so much more. Don't remember myself being a very talkative person. Looking at my two boys now, they do talk and ask a lot, which is a good thing, to us. Just the other day, coming out from a restaurant, Aidan pointed at the tree and asked me to look. "Mama, see...so many birds up at the tree...come on, take a picture of the tree-lah!" Well, I did. Most of the time, I hardly make an effort to take a moment off and take a glimpse of what's up there in the sky, but kids would notice such little little things which seemed so ordinary to us, but in their little eyes, are simple life pleasures, things that could excite them. I wish the child in me would always be refreshed by my two sons curiosity and inquisitive minds. The good thing about the boys is that they love to have fun, like what Aidan did here one afternoon in the kitchen. Sometimes, the headaches that they bring along melt away instantly whenever you have moments like this. Life is almost always more meaningful, from the eyes of a little kid. At times, I do miss being a kid...

The Last Day of 2007

2008-01-09T15:51:00.000+08:00

Directed by Zack Synder

Starring: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, Dominic West, David Wenham, Vincent Regan, Rodrigo Santoro

How did we spend our last day of the year 2007? At home. The outside world could be a fiesta by itself. We were sure that KL would have been crazy, hence we stayed as far away as possible. Those are usually for the young and brave. For people like us, we preferred to count down with the boys, nonetheless, another type of chaotic as well - watching the movie 300. That was my first time watching the film, after so much hype about it when it first came to the theatre, I never really had the chance to catch it. How should I describe this "not-so-much-my-type-of-film" kind of movie? Let's leave it to others then: "Based on the epic graphic novel by Frank Miller, "300 Movie" is a ferocious retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. Facing insurmountable odds, their valor and sacrifice inspire all of Greece to unite against their Persian enemy, drawing a line in the sand for democracy. The film brings Miller's ("Sin City") acclaimed graphic novel to life by combining live action with virtual backgrounds that capture his distinct vision of this ancient historic tale - "300 Movie." I didn't finish watching 300 that night for I was very exhausted when the clock hit 12 already. From what I had seen that night, I was truly at awe by their art direction and graphic design of the film, their painstaking effort to make it look so close to the novel (tho I have not read it). The fight sequence were amazingly choreographed and shot. Of course, one of the things I enjoyed watching most were the fabulous abs of Gerald Butler and his men! Gorgeous bodies. Like the film, our year 2007 was a very challenging one, having to kick start our own company, at the same time trying to keep all things in tacted. It was nonetheless a good year to begin with, we are thankful to all those who have supported us thus far, we hope to achieve greater heights and success for the year to come. 2008, here we come!!

2007-12-25T01:30:00.000+08:00

Even though we don't really celebrate Christmas but I guess it is one of the favourite occasions, apart from Chinese New Year. The mood it brings during this time of the year is almost magical and inspirational, with all the decorations, lights, Christmas trees, carols, stage performances all around the shopping malls in town. This is also one of the best time to go shopping! We love to bring the boys out to join in the fun. This year, it is extra special for we get to meet my grandmother who comes all the way from KB, as well as a get together with my uncle and auntie who are flying in from the States. A time to count the blessings and have a joyous time.

Lions For Lambs

2007-12-05T21:24:00.000+08:00

Directed by Robert Redford

Starring Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise, Robert Redford, Michael Pena and Derek Luke

The power to move and therefore inspire is one of the greatest gifts one could ever wish to have. Tom Cruise's character tries to push forward his political campaign which he strongly believes, at the end of the day, has a fair share of personal political agenda attached to it. Robert Redford's character tries to move himself closer towards understanding what teenagers these days are looking forward to, in return, makes him understands that he too has the power to move and change his environment and the people around him. It makes one feels good when one knows that he/she is in the position to transpire change in others, especially if it is a change for the better. The character that Meryl Streep plays moves towards finding the truth, believing that Journalism truly should be doing what it is supposed to do - uphold the justice of truth for the people, to serve the people, after so many years of only "doing her job", she finally realizes how she is being trapped in the illusion of so called freedom of journalism. Each one of them is yet again, being challenged by the choices that either they have made, or they are about to make. I love how the three seemingly unrelated stories, initially portrayed, gradually unfold and eventually make a lot of sense towards the end. Michael Pena and Derek Luke characters are the ones that anchor all the stories down and link them together. It is also the most selfless as you see them eventually sacrificed their lives for something that they believed, that moved me a great deal. It is about politics, but layered with a very human way of telling it, from various points of view. It is even more so about how we as individual deals with the issues around us and the decisions that you make, which could ultimately change your life. It is very easy to be judgemental towards the political ideology behind it, but take on a different perspective of looking at it, it is also simply a philosophy of the understanding of humans desire to be in control, to make decisions and choices, but also, like how Meryl Streep puts it, very easy to NOT make those choices in life. Heavy yet poetic in a way, not a film for everyone, but a film that I would include as one of my favourites this year! Simply adores the acting in this. A bold step for Robert Redford to make such a film. I salute him for that.

Broken Words

2007-11-25T01:48:00.000+08:00

Inspiration inspired that could hardly be captured and pinned down with a thought that lingers, and most definitely could hardly be weighed down by the lightness of wandering madness of endless ideas. One could only look beyond the horizon, and re imagine the unspoken. Visuals keep flashing, music sings to the beat of the creative thought process, only to be crushed by the waves of harsh reality. Could mundane and mediocre be the fault of all this sudden rock bottom of the spirit that smells like damped laundry? Truly believe the art of writing is the originality of the voices: the voices of utmost out of this world kind of logic. It may not make any sense at all for the ordinary, but could fit perfectly well in a bigger jigsaw puzzle of the universe of language - the language of the abstract mind. Yet, the writing mind is heavily disturbed by the oversimplified of the everyday life, the responsibilities that are required to be fulfilled. How the mind wishes to just run away, escape and go on a journey of the unknown, the far away land of eternity, escape into a world of no limits, no expectations, where ideas could roam freely, without the crutches of the shattered disappointment. It catches the brightest sunlight, it reflects the more invisible of the visible - it breathes meaning to the beauty of loss words, yet words seem lost beneath such beauty.

A friend from afar

2007-11-25T01:20:00.000+08:00

Don't know why. I suddenly missed my friend who just got back from Canada and now has flown back there. Could be we have not met for such a long time. We used to share an apartment together, she left for Canada for supposedly a holiday that December, but surprised all of us by getting married and settled down there right after. That was more than eight years ago, but I could still remember the little stunt that she pulled then. Two weeks ago, she came back with her two sons. They were so cute! Kids who grow up from a different environment are quite different in terms of their thought process and gestures, but when both of them got together with Ryan and Aidan, basically, all boys are the same, they share some common interests. I was glad that they were not shy boys and warmed up to new friends pretty easily. I barely had time to talk to my friend for we had to rush off to the clinic as Ryan was down with a pretty bad rash all over his body. Nonetheless, am glad we met, after all.

Travelling With Thoughts

2007-11-11T18:48:00.000+08:00

Loosing grip of precious sleeps and time is like living in a capsule of void and emptiness, a cross road within that is for me. Felt as though there is a long stretch of silence in between those long drives at night and travelling in between small towns and big city. Singapore was a refreshing journey to a whole new place. Walking through tunnels, and MRT stations, crawling underneath a vibrant city up above feels awkwardly strange yet surprisingly inviting. Organized structured within creative maneuvers seem the only way to live there is something new for me, but pretty thought provoking indeed. Taking time off did help to put things into better perspective. From one end, you have the draw and attraction of the ultra modern, the other a wide open space of the invigorating ocean and wind of Damai Laut, one could hardly draw a comparison, yet both deliver great revelation to the soul and uplift the spirit, under the same blue sky. Drawing closer to the end of the year, I wished I could have accomplished more...but then, I have come this far, haven't I?

The Intensity Of The Unspoken

2007-10-18T23:27:00.000+08:00

Lust, Caution (2007)

Directed by Ang Lee

Starring Tang Wei, Tony Leung, Joan Chen, Wang Leehom

Written by Wang Hui Ling, James Schamus, based on the short story by Eileen Chang

Lusting for the absence and ambiguity of love tears a woman apart and breaks her down completely - wasted time, fractured memories, tormented emotions and left her with a broken heart and life being taken away, at the end of her struggling journey. Her last breath was of revelation, yet, without regret. Was that love for the nation or what it an assumption of love for the one whom she should not have loved? It leaves a question in my head, but my heart has already been rendered paralyzed by her long lasting quest to conquer him, or was it the other way round? Her immaculate acting and subtlety in her being a Chinese "married" woman, little seemingly insignificant mannerism, the bottled up chocking feelings she feels whenever she is with him is enough to make me hold my breath each time I see this on screen. It seems to overflow and flood right into my heart. I feel the cut that she feels, the scar runs deep - a woman trapped within her own disillusions about love and how it should be, false hopes, misjudgement of character. Yet, she is strong and weak at the same time, in some ways only a woman could identify. Which woman would not fall for Tony Leung? (Though I could be wrong to generalize). Our visions start to blur, between him and the character that he is playing, for he captivates us each time he surfaces from his evil endeavours. Yet one can't help but to fall for the bad boy...can we? The woman you love surrenders her body and soul to the devil but you could only silent yourself, watching from afar, words disappear and eat you away every single minute, that must have torn leehom apart, but I could not see that coming across well enough...the intensity is deafening and threatening, it feels as though you could explode any moment if you watch on any longer. A story amazingly told.

The Sweetness of Young Love

2007-10-10T00:45:00.000+08:00

Honey and Clover (2006), Japanese

Directed by Masahiro Takada

Starring Sho Sakurai, Yu Aoi, Yusuke Iseya, Ryo Kase and Megumi Seki

Paint love in the shades of different colours, brushes away the strokes of naivete towards someone so near yet so far, you thought love should be like this - silently, buried in the deepest corner of your heart. Words seem to fade into the background, blend into the rest of the bigger picture. They turn into soft whispers in the ears. Red - passion, love, blue - innocent, freedom, creativity, green - natural, openness and new, yellow, orange, black, too many, too fast, too fierce! Colours collide, emotions overflow with intense weight of this secret love, so much so that it cuts and leave all our characters incomplete and confused. The creative mind cease to breathe, the retarded brain jolts to a start, it dashes in full speed, thinking that all strains of thoughts could easily be fabricated, duplicated and multiplied. But no creative mind could ever be conquered. The sparks stay quiet, only for a brief moment, and they will burst into a dance of rainbow colours, all because of the love for arts and you begin to somehow understand the art of falling in love, the courage very much needed to brighten the dullest form of love. Each time you fall, you pick yourself up, and move on, courageously. Love the vibrant colours in the film, love the characters and the complicated yet intricate love relationships they share with each other, most of all, love the music of love, ultimately.

Reaching For Your Dream, No Matter How Small You Are

2007-10-02T17:47:00.000+08:00

Ratatouille (2007)

Disney Pixar Animation

Directed by Brad Bird

Voiced by Patton Oswalt (Remy), Lou Romano (Linguini), Janeane Garofalo (Collette), Ian Holm (Skinner), Peter Sohn (Emile), Peter O'Toole (Ego) and Brad Garrett (Gusteau)

This should be my most favourite animation I have seen so far this year. It is hilarious to begin with, amazing story telling, captivating scenarios, excellent cinematography and character development, impeccable animation and attention to details are the perfect ingredients for this piece of art put together. Everything seems to fall at its rightful place, like each piece of ingredients you decide to use in your recipe, to cook up the perfect dish, serves with such great imagination and passion. The film draws you in with the notion that you live only to do what you are destined to do. It lifts your spirit high to reach for your dream, no matter, at times, how low you may feel - insignificant you are in achieving those seemingly unreachable dreams in real life...that's the Pixar magic and that is also the wonder of animation! You could almost smell the spices, could almost taste the delicious food prepared along the way. It ignites your senses and you come out of the film feeling all HUNGRY. My tummy is churning already. Gotta go!!

Beyond Travelling

2007-09-21T23:33:00.000+08:00

A short escape that was, we drove up to Penang with the kids as Patrick needed to attend the recent Malaysian Film Festival 2007 (he was one of the judges for one of the categories). We had a room at the Penang Hotel Equatorial. Going to Penang each time made me realized how fast this island changes. I almost find it hard to catch up with her developments - the latest additions of mega malls which include Queensbay Mall, coastline highway which bypasses the old tight lanes of Jelutong Road which I once used to travel on my old Yamaha (and later Honda Cup C70) motorbikes whenever me and my roommate Kim wanted to go down Georgetown, the one University that I attended which had some sort of face lifts now (Where had the tennis courts relocated to? Those familiar courts which I used to train in under the scorching heat of the afternoon sun day in and day out are no longer at the same spot...). I missed those days in uni, days of the wild and the carefree, the best time to get to know yourself a little better, the person you were and the person you aspire to become one day, you were full of hopes and dreams. You felt as though the world is yours to conquer eventually. Each corner of the campus brings a different sets of lost memories - the delicious food of the REDHOUSE, the vast green football field and race track, the hill slope where my old friend and I lied on, gazing at the starry night sky, the grand piano at DewanA up the hill, a sanctuary of mine whenever I feel like playing my heart out in the middle of the nights/days, the swimming pool where I could check out the cutest guys in campus, gosh, so much more. Do we miss the things in our life or do we miss the feelings that these places bring with it, with the friends and company we had then? I believe, places become distinct and vivid characters and the people associated with these places brought life and formed meaning for you, meanings that you could only recapture in the book of life I called love and gratitude. Why do I feel like the wind of change has blown my old memories away and turn them into dust, suddenly? Now I have become the silhouette to my own shadow, standing here, haunting myself - a familiar stranger.

A Love Affair With Jay Chou's SECRET

2007-09-20T21:41:00.000+08:00

SECRET, 2007

Directed by Jay Chou, starring Lun-Mei Kwai, Jay Chou and Anthony Wong

In a distant memory, separated by space and time, lies beneath the music of nature, a budding love blooms after a morning rain and a bicycle ride. Love comes so naturally for the two main characters, they seem to just "fall" in love, so seamlessly. The subtlety approach to young love and the chemistry between the two are some of the elements that make the film work. You tend to fore go the believability of the other driving factors to the story - space and time. Of course, the most captivating part for me would be the music. It reminds me a lot about the feelings it evoke whenever I watch those Japanese films. Some of my favourite moments in the film would be to see Jay Chou plays the piano. How I wish I could play as well as him. Anthony's acting skills sharpen as he ages, pretty good as the father but his character falls short towards the end, it did not seem to have a closure for him. Most definitely, Lun-Mei stole the whole show as this innocent, vulnerable yet refreshing girl who can't help but to fall in love with the illusion of a missing love, thrown into the deepest end of the universe, only to be united in two separate worlds of spirit and mind. Beautiful landscapes, layered over great cinematography and music, weaved together this tragic love story of what love could have been when all of us were once that young and naive towards the notion of love. Love it for what it is, no more, no less.

The Possibilities Of Imagination

2007-09-14T01:30:00.000+08:00

Aidan and Ryan has been busy toying with their drawing skills. I could see their creative juice is gradually flowing in them. Here are some of the sketches they have come up with on the PC. The imaginative mind of a child is amazingly powerful and expressive. It speaks softly to you, yet it spells a great degree of sensibility. Their innocent perspectives towards everyday things around them, at times, intrigue and remind us that we used to have this same quality in us. But then, it was such a long time ago, as if we have left it all locked up in a treasure closet, awaiting to be released any moment. They draw without reservations, without any caution, without prejudice and judgement. Ryan has his own version of batman, while Aidan sees a waiter serving a customer, and another man sitting down drinking his coffee. What do you see in these drawings?

A Surprise From Netherlands

2007-09-11T05:12:00.000+08:00

To be reunited with a friend of more than 30 years is something for we have not seen each other for almost 15 years, since we graduated from high school. My friend, June and her small family came all the way from Netherlands. It was her trip back home. We were fortunate enough to meet up this time around. This is also the first time I was introduced to her son, Jian Carlo. He was fast asleep in the hotel room when I arrived, but I also had a chance to meet Peter, her husband. The coming week was a lovely one, especially for Ryan and Aidan for they found a new friend to splash water with in the pool. We also met up that weekend at Penang (It was a co-incident that we were heading up north during that time). What for, one might think? FOOD, of course! We had a great time and I hope that my friend enjoyed our company as much as we have enjoyed having them around! Hope we meet again the next time you come home to Malaysia - June, Peter and Jian Carlo!

Agents, Actions & Consequences

2007-08-27T00:24:00.000+08:00

Time flies. I felt it was only yesterday that Patrick and myself have attended his cousin, Justin Lim's solo arts exhibition titled MOMENTUM last September, and there we were, last Thursday, at TAKSU yet again, for his latest exhibition, AGENTS, ACTIONS & CONSEQUENCES (I love the title already). That night, we had two extra young arts "enthusiasts" tagging along - Ryan and Aidan. They seemed to be very intrigued by the paintings. Ryan loved the finger food while Aidan loved having me taking pictures of him by the paintings. Aidan even went to the extend of taking the booklet and went around the gallery to find and identify which painting is featured from the booklet! I could hardly concentrate on the series this time around, due to the distractions of them going in and out of toilet for whatever businesses that they were busy doing! Nonetheless, I managed to catch up with Justin himself, very briefly and also with a dear old friend, Sidney, who is also an artist himself. The most rewarding experience for the boys, I guess would be having Justin personally signed their booklets. My most favourite piece is Marathon. The Parachutes theme really hits me for they seem to draw me in completely with those floating parachutes in the air, as well as the very obvious naked butts staring right back at me, as an observer - pretty cool, I must admit. As we were leaving, the rain started to kick in (I faintly remembered it rained the last time as well) and it seems to secretly tell me that next year's rain will bring me back to his exhibition once again...

Change Me/ Wang Leehom

2007-08-09T22:12:00.000+08:00

A change is an evolution of the new self, a new approach, a new sound, a new kind of soulful voice, a fresh perspective into things. Change is always something interesting. I once heard of the saying, the very truth of nature is the law of impermanence. Change is inevitable, it pushes one out of its comfort zone. The one thing that is unchanged is change itself, in life. Two of my favourite songs from this new Leehom album are Saturday Midnight and Fallen Leave (Luo Ye Gui Gen). Saturday midnight delivers a sense of nostalgia, one single midnight where you are bored to your wits, a sleepless night when your mind is suddenly flooded with old memories, ancient pain that gradually seeps into the night and straight into your heart. It echoes a certain sense of sadness that is hard to utter with simple words. It has to be felt. It is those moments when you would probably recall a lost love, you shed a few tears for your young and naive foolishness, no one could replace such a space of solitude, at that point in time. The song speaks just that. Fallen Leave on the other hand overflows with the abundance of the influence of old Chinese - very cultural, very rooted in the love for a family member. It brings back the feeling of the very first time you leave HOME, taking on a long and lonely journey for the very first time in your entire growing up life. The violin undertone is very hypnotic, filled with the intensity of a very different kind of love, a very universal love. While listening to this song, I closed my eyes and all I could see are the images of myself taking those long night buses journey back home, from Penang to Kelantan, sitting alone by the window, starring out into the night. The moon, almost always overhanging above a vast land of padi fields...all those images just flashed me by, very swiftly but surely. Those were the good old memories. Am I home already, I wonder? Definitely an album worth spending time listening to!

The Universe of Eternal Love

2007-07-15T00:23:00.000+08:00

The Fountain (2006)
Directed and screenplay by: Darren Aronofsky
Starring Hugh Jackman and Rachel Reisz
Director of photography: Matthew Libatique
Production Designer: James Chinlund
Edited by Jay Rabinowitz
Visual Effects Designed by: Dan Schrecker and Jeremy Dawson
Music by Clint Mansell

Costume Designer: Renee April

A promise to love someone for your entire life is a promise that fades with time or does it not fade because of the sheer determined energy of the mind and memory? Love is an obsession that poisons the soul and mind. It makes you believe that you could perform the most impossible. Yet, it is the very inspiration that lifts our passion and desire to live and continue living the lives that we lead. Love gives hope, love forms meaning. How could one love another with such rooted determination, I wonder? We give in to the illusion of the notion of eternal love. We truly believe that it does exist and it could transcend space and time. When death whispers into the ears of our loved one, we are suddenly crushed by this very illusion. Tommy (Hugh Jackman) is someone who believes that he could save his wife (Rachel Reisz) from imminent death. This surreal yet poignant film about love and the very philosophy of eternal love weaves together different dimensions of our mind and how it affects the way we see this very fragile world. Very symbolically portrayed, beautifully shot and magnificently illustrated, love is something attainable, yet the most difficult to sustain or even owned. What Tommy could hold onto essentially, is the fragmented image of Izzy's past, and her last moments of truth, facing death, with utmost dignity and courage. I simply adores the art direction, the story within the story way of how the film is structured, edited and manipulated, very intentionally done by Darren Aronofsky, but with the willingness of the participation from an active audience. We are constantly charmed by the haunting yet hypnotic music that almost spells the tragic notes of so called undying love. The film bleeds the heaviness of the human heart, it smells the scent of sweet pain. It weighs you down with so much emotions yet you don't feel a trace of fatique in the mind. Why is love so painful?? The Buddhist approach is to walk the middle path, to love with compassion, not obsession. Could this be done, so effortlessly? I believe real love hurts. Love is simply loving the art of love.

Nada Sou Sou

2007-07-10T20:45:00.000+08:00

Nada Sou Sou (2006), Japanese

Directed by Nobuhiro Doi, starring Satoshi Tsumabuki, Masami Nagasawa

I have seen Satoshi in the Japanese food drama called Queen of Lunch Time, quite a lovable character, I would say. I saw Masami's performance in Crying Out Loud From the Center of The Earth, a very innocent and moving performance. To watch the two of them together in this Japanese romantic drama breaths new life into this small film called Nada Sou Sou (Tears For You). The chemistry between the two seems just right for their parts. Satoshi plays Yotaro, who gains a step-sister, Kaoru, at the age of eight and since then has been harbouring this unspoken love towards his half sister, but subconsciously, tries to deny or suppress his feelings towards her. To me, the intercut between the past and the present has always been one of the biggest attractions of Japanese films, apart from their great sense of melody and choice of music for films. Somehow, it plays out perfectly in a story like this one. The subtlety of the relationship between the two is beautifully portrayed through fine acting from both. You can't help but feel devastated by the circumstances that they have to face, growing up. It makes you wonder how could we possibly define such love, as intimate as theirs, when love comes in the most unexpected ways. I am sure no matter how hard you try to hold back those tears, you will somehow succumb to the feelings that the film evoke on you...trust me. A film not to be missed.

More Than Meets The Eyes

2007-07-01T03:36:00.000+08:00

Though I never grew up watching Transformers, but one can't help but being intrigued by those robots that could talk like humans, can we?! Watching Transformers come to live on big screen is definitely one hell of an experience for me. Even though I may not be a big fan but the film is heart pumping enough to kick me into the right gear. I love Bumblebee. I love the upgraded version of this yellow machine! Of course, who could forget Optimus Prime? His voice is so commanding that I have to raise my hat to Peter Cullen for lending such a powerful voice to this amazing character. Shia LaBeouf is pretty good here as well. Great action sequences, especially some slow motion effects and camera work. The CGI of all the autobots and decepticons was so unbelievably realistic that it adds more dimensions to the entire film. Overall, it was definitely one of the best action films I have seen so far, this year (not that I have seen many till now...)

Aidan in polka dot pants

2007-06-23T10:34:00.000+08:00

It's been a while since I put any pictures of Ryan and Aidan. Co-incidentally, I found this in one of my folders. This was taken when Ryan and Aidan first went to day care two months ago - one of the days when he wee wee on his pants and the teacher gave him this polka dot pants to wear instead! I told him I must definitely have this picture taken, and he happily agreed to post for me! Looking back, Aidan has grown so much! Time flies when life is filled with so many things going on at the same time.

The Beauty of Being Alone

2007-06-07T20:41:00.000+08:00

Music full blast + the void of human interaction + vastness of the mind = the best recipe for being alone. The sense of being alone does not necessarily equate loneliness. I am a specimen of conflict elements by nature. I love the company of people, yet, I adore the spaces of solitude in between the hustle bustle of life. Night comes in such an inviting manner now that it is hard for me to resist or even refuse. Music speaks louder than any other spoken languages I can possibly comprehend, yet, it lulls you with the sweetest and most silent attraction that it can almost kill. Suddenly, the soft textures of my keyboard become extraordinarily soothing and comfortable, on this very singled out night, a night without any distractions from the outside world. The only thing that separates me and this lethargic physic yet over working mind is the endless words that try just too hard to make sense to me. Now, they do make sense to me, yet, they somehow lack depth and meaning. I don’t seem to feel them, like how I would always feel whenever I write. Is something missing? Maybe it’s this room – 0910, or maybe it is the bedside lights which seem to have a mind of their own...or could it be that I just write out of the fact that I just want to write, not because I am inspired to write? Or could it be the curtains are all pulled together? Maybe I should just pull them back and take a good look at the KL night scene from this wide window? What a bunch of excuses! Why have you failed me, words? Or was it my mind? Darn. Stop now! Let this music take over this body and this retarded brain of mine for now.

V for Vincy

2007-06-02T01:15:00.000+08:00

Writing in front of my table lamp, listening to music was something of a lost image, a long forgotten ritual for me, but not this early Saturday morning. Fueled by her voice, Vincy, she brought me to places that I had missed so often - one particular place where I could just click away, without much reservations and worries, no second guessing myself, no self censorship and what so ever, just thoughts, thoughts that flow in me. Good music does just that. She has a very clean and crystal clear voice, I love that - her simplicity. It is so grounded. This is definitely the place to be - RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME...enjoying the night. Everything seems to fall into place. Fall far behind are the worries of daily struggles with deadlines, schedules, work, what comes right into the foreground are more immediate issues like reflections, concentration, refining the creative thought process, those that I hold close and dear to myself. Like what she just sang, loving the air that I breathe, feeling that one feeling that you hinge on, whenever you need to write, that is what I called sterilized inspiration.

New Addition to the Liew Family

2007-05-13T23:15:00.000+08:00

This definitely calls for a post, though I am extremely occupied with preparations for work at the moment. My Kenny bro just became a father. Baby Jeremy was born last Thursday, 10th May around noon, weighing at 3.13KG. Not bad at all. He looks more like the mother. Am sure my brother is thrilled. When we visited them last night, Ryan and Aidan were mesmerized by the fact that how tiny this little baby is. They have never seen such a small thing in their lives so far, at least, not up close like this. Aidan kept going on and on about his tiny little head, fingers, hands, and body. I told him, you were once like that. He smiled in disbelief. Time really flies. I almost forgot how it feels like holding such a small bundle in my own arms. Welcome to the club, man! Will update with a photo once it's available.

Who Am I To Be Brilliant?

2007-04-20T01:27:00.000+08:00

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us

We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant?"

Actually, who are you NOT to be?

You are a child of God

Your playing small doesn't serve the world

There's nothing enlightened about shrinking

So that other people don't feel insecure around you

We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us

It is not just in some of us, it's in everyone

And as we let our light shine

We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same

As we are liberated from our own fear

Our presence automatically liberates others

Inaugural speech: Nelson Mandela (1994)

The Absence of Words, The Presence of Thoughts

2007-04-16T00:14:00.000+08:00

It has been almost two weeks, close to 15 days that I have not been writing. I have been reading instead. Planning for things to come together in work seems to be the priority for me these days. It has been quite a learning process - learning it the hard way, as well as the fun and mind blowing sort of manner. I have never expected taking a different approach to certain things in life can be that rewarding and intriguing. Some things present themselves in quite a unique way that I would not have seem to be able to comprehend before but now, they seem to be able to work their way into my system of thoughts very freely. Now, I do believe what we focus on expand...I only wish I could speed things up a little more. But then again, the universe has its own course to take and I can only try my best to work towards making sure to let it manifests itself when the right time comes along.

A Stolen Scene From The Bicycle Thief

2007-03-30T15:33:00.000+08:00

1948 was the year this Italian Neorealism film was made, but it somehow flashed across my mind the moment I was about to write this post, now, more than 59 years later. It made an impact on me when I watched it more than ten years ago. Our dinner last night reminded me of a simple yet vividly truthful and realistic scene from the film. The amount of joy the children found in their dinner last night made me believe that our sacrifices is a worthwhile effort. Great companionship from my hubby and good laughs from the boys. One does not need a picture to imagine the beauty of the unspoken after all.

Down and out kind of Mu Nan Ri

2007-03-29T16:27:00.000+08:00

What has happened to me?

Down with a really bad cough for the past one and a half week

my hubby was too caught up with work that he almost forgot

and last night, I visited my mum and she did not seem to be in a good mood, which got me worried

and in the middle of the night, our small room leaked water from the roof top during a very heavy rain (with strong wind).

Isn't this not the way to celebrate one's birthday?

But too bad, this is what is happening to me now...

let's hope that tonight's dinner is a better one.

We have been really busy with preparations for things to come.

We need to set the stage right for all things to happen and it has to happen this year, we feel!

I feel that I am getting older by the day to not have achieved the things that I aspire to achieve and the person I aspire to be...

can life be any simpler? I guess not.

The Amazing 3 Divas Concert

2007-03-29T15:59:00.000+08:00

It is always great when you can get free concert tickets. Patrick went and picked up two tickets (courtesy of his colleague) to the 3 Divas concert at Bukit Jalil for last Sunday show. I was thrilled that I could go, though I am sure he would love to go too, but somebody has to jaga the kids, right? So, I went with an old friend of mine. It consisted of somewhat like a full orchestra band, with quite a unique oval shaped stage where the 3 divas could perform. The minute the lights went off and the music flowed in, the whole crowd was immediately transported into that live performance mode. I was mesmerized by the visuals projected on stage, and most of all, enthralled by the vocal strength of these three Indonesian female singers - Kris Dayanti, Ruth Sahanaya and Titi DJ. They dazzled the audiences with glittering costumes, heavy make-up, lovely ballads and some really upbeat numbers. What makes it extra special was that they paid tribute to Siti Nurhaliza and Sheila Majid, who were among the audiences that night by singing some of their famous numbers like Lagenda and Sinaran (Siti's song I don't know the titles, haha!). Even Tun Mahathir and his wife were there. It was unforgettable simply because I had three young female Indonesian fans cheering, roaring and singing along all the way through the night, right beside me! It somehow lifted my mood and spirit for the concert itself. Most importantly, I enjoyed it tremendously. Nothing beats the experience of watching a GOOD live concert - you are bathed in the sights and sound of good music, great orchestra performances and truly EXCELLENT vocals. What more can I ask for?

A Day In A Fishing Village

2007-03-23T22:10:00.000+08:00

Just 45 minutes away from the ever growing small town of Sungai Petani, Kedah, lies a world out of this world. A world that is fast depleting in its Chinese root as well as economic social standing in its primal source of economy - the fishing industry. A fish farm is located far in the middle of the ocean, right in the heart of this tiny fishing village called Tanjong Dawai, a small town which made up of mostly fishermen and their families, a small main street, one famous Chinese seafood restaurant and an Archaeological Museum called Lembah Bujang. This was my second trip to the fish farm. My first visit was more than five years ago, while I was still pregnant with Ryan back then! I have always loved the notion of a long wooden jetty, stretches right into the horizon of an open sea. I don't know why. It just seems to mesmerize me, as if inviting me to run along and just jump right into the ocean and simply swim away. We arrived at the small wooden jetty early in the morning and we were immediately greeted by Uncle Huat, his wife and son. We hopped onto their boat and what greeted us were the captivating fresh air, the open ocean, the crushing waves on the boat and fishing boats and fish factories along the coastline. Of course, last but not least, the glorious rising sun on this beautiful Saturday morning and its sparkling reflections in the water. We were there to actually reccee the place for it will be the location where we would base our feature film in, if it does come true. Once we reached the fish farm, everything there seems to take on a whole new different meaning and perspectives. One could almost feel the constant wind blowing in the air, the squeaking sound of the wooden fish farm whenever the waves come in, and a wide open horizon of sea water, more water and other fish farms nearby. All these melt into one single word that simply spells serenity, away from the hustle bustle of the usual KL life. A place where one could simply take a nap and not having to think of anything else. But of course, it is not the case for Uncle Huat and his family, who basically runs the fish farm here. Their work include checking the fishing net for holes, checking the fish, when the fish food comes, they need to clean them, sort them, grind them into smaller chunks and later on feed them to the fishes here. It is truly hard labour and time consuming kind of work. We took a lunch break back in the main town and took more pictures of the fishing village itself. Later, we went back to the fish farm in the afternoon and that was when most bulk of the work was done. Looking at them, it made me somehow realize that life is truly an amazing one. What we do can be as diverse as rearing fish and making films, but at the end of the day, all we strive to achieve is ultimately the same - to put meals on the table. We had the most heartiest and freshest (of course, most delicious) seafood dinner we have ever had for a very long time. Suddenly, writing this in my blog or any other scripts and writings that I have to do seem less "heavy" after this inspiring trip. Nature and human existence truly have their way of delivering their intended dose of booster when I needed it the most. Definitely a trip worth revisiting again and again...

The Papa Cook

2007-03-23T09:48:00.000+08:00

When the kids were in SP recently, apart from busy watching Flushed Away, The Invincible Ironman and HellBoy the animated series, they were also intrigued by one software we have in the PC downstairs - PAINT. They have been playing around with it so many times that now they are hooked on it. This was what Ryan came up with last night. He imagined the father being the cook and all, partly also due to the fact that we watch Travel and Living channel's cooking shows very often. They love Jamie Oliver and Nigella's shows a great deal. My hubby adores Made to Order and me? Almost all the cooking shows! It's amazing to see how well these cooking programmes are being done compared to the ones we have locally.

India Rajasthan - A Cultural Revelation

2007-03-11T15:31:00.000+08:00

Today, Patrick just came back from a trip to Rajasthan, Northern India. He was there for a five-day film festival cum seminar called Films of Desire: Sexuality and the Cinematic Imagination. It is also the fact that his short film CHOICE is being shown there, hence, they flew him there to participate. It was a joint effort by organizers like CREA, The South and Southeast Asia Resource Centre on Sexuality, hosted at a picturesque venue called Neemrana Hotels. When I saw the photos taken, I could not help but to also include them here for I think there were some really nice pictures taken of that place. Though I was not there personally, I could sense the vast difference in terms of social, cultural and economic status Rajasthan is compared to here at home. Patrick said this trip made him believe that there is no where else better than home. He said the Neemrana Fort Palace that they were housed in cast a huge difference between the resort and the small down down below, which is only a 5-minute walk away. His first stop was an outskirt small town near Delhi. The town is dry, dusty and wild boars literally roams the streets. Cars honking everywhere. From there, they still need to take a 2-hour bus ride before they could reach Rajasthan, the place of the event. But all in all, he said it was an unforgettable experience and though this was the first year, the Festival is very well coordinated and organized. Don't you just love those steep staircases leading to the rooms?! Amazing!

Here are some interesting facts about the place:

History
Built since 1464 AD, Neemrana Fort-Palace is among India's oldest heritage resorts. Neemrana became the third capital of the descendants of Prithviraj Chauhan III, who was killed in battle by Mohammad Ghori in 1192 AD. This picturesque site was chosen by Raja Rajdeo and Neemrana derived its name from a brave local chieftain Nimola Meo, who when defeated by the Chauhans, pleaded that his name be given to his lost kingdom.

Location and Sightseeing
It is Rajasthan's closest palace from New Delhi, situated at 122 kms. on the Delhi-Jaipur highway - only 100 kms from Delhi's international airport. Sited on a majestic plateau, concealed in a horseshoe formation of the billion year old Aravalli ranges.

Description
The property covers 25 acres/10 hectares and the stepped palaces of this architectural jewel cut into the hillside to sprawl over 3 acres/1.2 hectares and rises to 10 levels commanding the most splendid views. Including a vista pool to the horizon. From 1986, the ruins of this Fort-Palace have been sensitively restored and reconstructed. The rooms are furnished with aneclectic mix of traditional Indian and colonial furniture, antiques and objets d'art. Most rooms have private balconies or terraces and the loos are designed to have views!

The Bride

2007-03-11T03:14:00.000+08:00

Running and running

The gown runs after her

the veil catches the sun light

Her face is barely seen,

but we believe it will be a beautiful one

Almost most heroines are beautiful anyway

The make believe world of moving images

needs something familiar to anchor onto

the nostalgic and illusive notion of beauty

She rushes into a cafe

Again

another familiarity

We look at her intensely

As if she is being watched, constantly

She quickly finds a corner and sits herself down

Panting a little, she looks out the glass window

She looks around and sees a pair of deep set eyes

looking back at her over the counter

She blushes and looks away instantly

What is she running away from

Who is she running away from exactly

Is she really getting married this hot afternoon?

Why is she bare footed?

Where is her bridal high heels?

Is it red? Blue? White as snow?

Questions

The Pursuit of Happyness

2007-03-07T00:29:00.000+08:00

Pursuing happiness requires a great deal of imagination. It represents a part of our subconscious mind that awaits discovery. The beauty in it is that it can be reached so easily, yet at times, is so unattainable that one could just fall flat. Life is a great teacher. It treats us with great compassion, but most of the time, throws us off guard, again and again, to see if we could pick ourselves up with courage and dignity and move on with life. For me, to comprehend true happiness, at certain points in life, I must fully experience and understand sadness and pain for it is this opposite force that pushes us closer and closer to our pursuit of happiness in this life time. Happiness can be short lived. It can also be deceiving. It is as illusive as the air we breathe, so fragile yet beautiful in its nature. Happiness, like all things beautiful, is never meant to last. It is meant to be rediscovered, each time we tumble and fall on the path to having owned a fraction of this feeling called happyness.

A Wet Lunar New Year

2007-02-18T23:33:00.000+08:00

Can't remember when was the last time I went around Jalan Pudu area for makan, must be ages ago. This year, my little brother, Ricky initiated our family Chinese New Year reunion lunch (not dinner) in this Chinese restaurant called Sek Yun. When we were about to leave, it started to rain. By the time we reached the restaurant, it was pouring cats and dogs. The food was delicate and deliciously prepared. It almost reminded me of my mum's home cooked food - simple yet is always satisfyingly tasty. This restaurant must have been around for quite some time for they even have a pretty old fashioned lantern hanging from the ceiling! (and also lobsters as decorations on the wall, do you believe it??) It's an interesting place to be. Later in the night, we went over to my sister's place for a real home cooked meal. As usual, my mum never fails to cook up a feast and leave us wanting for more. Thanks mum for the great food and tremendous effort. Happy Chinese New Year, everyone!

The Holiday

2007-02-17T01:01:00.000+08:00

In line with the recent Valentine's Day, maybe I should write a little about this romantic comedy, starring Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law and Jack Black and directed by Nancy Meyers. The opening voice over of Kate already captured my heart. I thought to myself, she is really good...and the writing is equally impressive as well. What can I say about the story? It is just your typical romantic comedy. Everything seems to happen the way we want them to happen, very conveniently. Kate Winslet scores a winning point for her acting and Cameron Diaz can only try to match hers. Jude Law, as always, forever playing this charming and sensitive type of character, which honestly, to me, he plays it decently well. The only problem I found was that Jack's character was not well developed. He seems to evaporate into nothingness when he is next to Kate. It would have been better if more meat were given to this supposedly interesting character in the film. It is definitely your feel good kind of movie, something that you could sit back and relax, just watch it for what it is meant to be - to entertain. It is easy to find love, but the question is, how to then maintain and sustain the passion in a relationship that has become as natural as drinking a glass of water and not feel a thing about it? Not that interesting after all, right? Maybe a slice of lemon to spice it up? Put the zest of falling-in-love-all-over-again kind of feeling right back where it should belong. Where goes the element of surprise?...Like any other days, Happy Valentine's Day!

Juwita's For Real

2007-02-09T15:08:00.000+08:00

A very clean and down to earth sort of voice she has, almost quite rugged and gritty, the way she sings her songs in this album. Very talented indeed, she writes most of the songs in this album. I love the day to day sort of lyrics she produces, very human yet seems more extraordinary this way. My most favourite song is entitled Teman Sejati. It reminds me a little of how Sheila Majib sings when I listen to this track. Among others are Walking Again, Destiny's Calling, All This Time. Her rendition of Desperado is pretty good too. One of those rare gems in the local music industry.

A Millionaire's First Love

2007-01-31T16:33:00.000+08:00

The notion of simplicity in love is the most complicated to establish. Love has baffled all of us since human existence. We celebrate love, we honour love, we sing about it, we even make moving images about it, some even hate it and bring it to grave. Yet, is love science or pure instinct and feelings? Can we even try to explain love in simple words? Ever since the Korean wave, I have noticed loads of love stories (be it on film or drama series) reach almost every corner of this part of the Asian region. I do find one thing quite common throughout these ever green subject matter called love in Korean movies - the naivete outlook towards love. I am not saying they are bad, I guess they found a way to some audiences' hearts by pulling the most sensitive chords in us, the weakness of being human. But then, why am I trying to decipher and dissect love and the treatment of love in film when part of me do believe that it can never be explained in simple terms? And what makes a love story great and ever lasting, in the minds of the audiences? To drown yourself in the made believe and fantasy like "almost out of this world" kind of love story approach like this film called A Millionaire's First Love (2006) or to get down to the gritty and dirty reality of the other side of "real love" like in CLOSER? I personally love the two extremes for I believe love has many facades, like what is being portrayed in 2046 by Wong Kar Wai. A Millionaire's First Love - I adore the cinematography and the approach the director, Kim Tae-gyun used to portray the simple love between this young couple. Hyun Bin has matured quite a bit in this film (though I have only seen him in the drama series called My Lovely Samsoon). Lee Yeon-hee is exceptionally stunning in her acting! She has that innocence of a girl-next-door that almost reminded me of Miho Nakayama in the Japanese film, Love Letter. She plays the role with such fragility that I could almost sense her pain and sadness. The chemistry between the two is quite convincing. The breathtaking yet not imposing long shots of the golden field of the village in the summer are some of my favourites. I love the opening of the film. It is also interesting, to me, to find that the film takes its time to gradually reveal its plots. It is one of the better Korean movies I have seen. Oh, thanks to my sis for lending me the film-:)

When I got my camera back...

2007-01-27T16:08:00.000+08:00

When we were at Canon office to pick up our camera on Monday, the first test picture I took was Ryan, with his small booklet, given to all school children at school. He loves this one because the illustrations are quite hilarious. I asked him why this pose and he said he wants to hide his face behind his comic. Later in the day, when Ryan went to school and Aidan was with me, he woke up and wanted me to take a picture of him instead. So, this is the picture I took of him, with one of his (and Ryan's) favourite toys and hero action figures - ultramen! Both of them, incidentally had almost the similar poses, though taken at different times. How delightful, I thought. They do miss one another these days since Ryan started his standard one for both of them go to school at different time of the day. Growing up means taking up more responsibilities now...