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Hello my little space on the great Internet beyond! I’m planning on trying to re-direct what I’d like to do with this space, so watch this space for something new within the next weeks!

Until then, thanks for stopping by and hope you’ve been keeping up with Wimbledon. My money’s on a comeback from Mr. Safin :)

Hello, Singapore!

chinatown - what's goin' on

nightshotsdeux - bad traffic

chinatown - dinah won't you blow yer horn

All Creatures of Our God and King

I’ve always known Someone Up There has a funny sense of humour.

Because of Mr. Bean, my family and I can no longer sing “All Creatures of Our God and King” in church without chuckles that eventually burst into full-fledged laughter. This has happened on more than one occasion, and today was not an exception.

After spending the afternoon watching the Bean Movie with my dad, we prepared to go to the evening service. While my mother and I waited for the service to begin, I nudged my mother, reminded by absurdity of the Bean Movie earlier in the day, and told her my inability to sing Francis of Assisi’s wonderful hymn any longer, no thanks to Mr. Bean.

The next thing I knew, the familiar tunes were playing. I bit my lip, hard, looked away, did everything I could to avert my memories from Mr. Bean falling asleep while humming a hymn, but all attempts failed and before long the whole lot of us–father, mother and daughter–were in hysteria.

View with caution!

Coincidence? I hope You had a good laugh up there.

Wow, Look at You Now

botanical gardens - oranje

botanical gardens - laughter is the best medicine

botanical gardens - walk this way

My photography partner-in-crime Irms and I headed to the Singapore Botanical Gardens for some snaps of flora and fauna. We increased apertures, decreased shutter speeds and play a whole lot of finger jiving all in the name of photography and met with some success. I was pleased at being able to understand shutter speed and fiddle with it more and the results were smashing indeed. There was very little reason to edit the pictures, because the flowers looked best as they were.

And to commemorate the fact that Travis will be performing at August’s SingFest 2008, give “Flowers in the Window” a spin. (And grab Coldplay’s new album while you’re at it!)

Cliché Hell: A Thousand Words

out and about - thai durians

out and about - batam

out and about - pump it

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Indiana Jones. Indiana Jones. I’m not sure whether to be frustrated at the filmmakers for approving the release or to bang my head against a sturdy specimen, thinking I should’ve known better than to expect an equally jam-packed comeback of our beloved whip cracking hero. It makes me writhe in agony, thinking of the fourth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise so unworthy of its name. That the star-studded line-up (Cate Blanchett with a Russian accent, for crying out loud!) cannot do much to save the film only adds to the injury. Despite the fantastic mise-en-scene (oooh, as my friend Chris likes to say, twenty-five cent word), it wasn’t enough to support the dismally boring story. The action sequences did nothing but worsen things.

The reason we loved (or at least I did) the first three movies was because the action was a thrill ride in of itself. Despite Indy’s almost impossible circumstances where he manages to somehow miraculously escape by a mere margin, it almost seemed it could be real. We’re all smart enough to figure in the day-to-day realities, Indy’s situations and resolutions are further from the truth. But the action was choreographed perfectly, blended in seamlessly, and it was completely believeable–making it a thrill ride and a fantastic escapist movie for the average worker bee from the monotony of the nine to five routine. It made us, the general viewing masses, believe that, yes, by some random fantastic chance and the crack of a leather whip and wide-brimmed hat, yes, I too can defeat the odds. And for that split second, you were like Indiana Jones. No. You were Indiana Jones.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of a Crystal Skull is nothing more of a yawn, filled with unending, unrealistic borderline stupid action sequences, leaving you to wonder why you even bothered to spend eight and fifty of those hard earned dollars. I can’t say if the first three Indiana Jones installments had much of a story, but there was enough action to supplement any missing elements. But IJKCS lacked any cult-classic-in-the-making action of its predecessors. When Indy Jr.’s legs are bridged between the two trucks in the jungle chase, he somehow manages to remain standing for the entirety of the drive, despite getting whacked by many an obstacle. Seriously, what_is_that_?

I sat painfully through the sequences, hoping for some redemption near the end, but to no avail.

It might’ve raked up over $120 million in the box office, but the figures do the film no justice whatsoever. Maybe I’m just a sentimentalist trying to hold on to the slowly eroding past. Maybe it deserves a second watch. I don’t know. But probably not in the near future. Watch if you must, maybe you’ll get by with the John Williams soundtrack or the sight of Harrison Ford on the silver screen or even the wide shots of the landscape, but don’t expect too much out of it.

But that’s just me.

Excuse me while I mend a sad, sad and broken heart.

Watching the Fire As We Grow O-O-O-Old

As the parents and I rode down the sketchy Geyland district of Singapore, the classic boxy Mercedes Benz of fifties fame drives alongside our car. I stared out the window and was surprised to find a small, white-haired figure behind the wheel. Perhaps a speed racer of his time, I was even more surprised when the almost-skeletal figure zoomed his golden carriage past us.

“Killer of a driver for an old guy,” my mother in front seat comments while we steadily cruise traffic.

Then flashes of my late grandmother return to me. Then I wonder about the elderly population in Singapore. Then I wonder about the elderly population in general. In a society that celebrates youth, do the elderly feel neglected and unimportant? Are they only considered to be mere burdens on the lives of the bustling young ‘uns? Where is the place for the elderly in today’s society? Should something be changed to help the people celebrating the next stages of life? I wonder, because I’m selfish, and someday, some years down the road, if I live to see that long, I’ll be in the same situation. Will I be neglected? Who will care enough to take the time out of their schedule to have lunch, play a game of Scrabble or just say hello?

We’re in a society that is in complete denial of aging. Botox and plastic surgery is the twenty-first century fountain of youth. What happened to growing old gracefully? Aging is a rite of passage and it seems we try to avert it as much as science will allow. Are we attempting to beat time at its own game–of age, of death? Because we’re all going to die someday. It’s strange to think for the passing year, with every birthday that passes, so does a death date–and maybe this is a concept our youth find difficult to accept.

I think part of the problem is the common association of ‘elderly’, ‘aging’, ’senile’ and ‘useless’. I’ve always been somewhat of a hot head in the family, and listening to advice is foreign and unheard of, because apparently, I’m always right. Well, we sometimes tend to forget the wealth of wisdom that is at our disposal. Having experienced youth themselves, it would only make sense for them to be a little more knowledgeable on this crazy thing called life, no? At least they know what they’re talking about. They’re done with the purpose-in-life questions; been there, done that. There’s nothing like sitting by your grandmother’s comfy chair, sipping some hot chocolate and listening to a story of escapades to smuggle soldiers food during a war for independence.

I guess I should listen to my mother more.

So props to the gray-haired ones who never fail to surprise us, silly frolicking youth, as they whizz by—Beemers, Benz and all at full speed ahead—a reminder that age is sharpness and clarity, and not the muddy murky waters of the soul searching youth.

We could all use a little help along the way.

(Speaking of birthdays… Happy birthday, WordPress!)

Land-ho!

travels - waiting is a lonely friend quay adventures - buskers quay adventures - the most happening live music joint quay adventures - discussing unsolvable problems at the gelato store

Singapore at last!

After nearly losing my passport twice, becoming known as the ‘Peanut Butter Cup girl’ amongst Rochester JetBlue employees after discovering a suitcase stacked with the Reese’s variation, I finally arrive at my destination!

It’s only been three days here and I can tell it’s going to be exciting. Yesterday, Mimi and I made our way past the throngs of people to see the Water Fools show for the Singapore Arts Festival opening on the Singapore River. One of the treasures from our little adventure came from a tunnel with two guys strumming their guitar and singing in two part harmony.

How I’ve missed the Singapore arts scene. I can’t wait to bask in more of it this summer! Where to start?

Look Outside at the Raincoats Coming, Say Oh!

I can hardly contain my excitement any longer for the Austin City Limits Music Fest in September!

the swell season at coachella 2008 chromeo - still my tenderoni even though they won't be there

I’ll be looking forward to being re-united with Vampire Weekend and the Swell Season (Glen Hansard, await me!) and to see David Byrne, Jamie Lidell, Hot Chip, Erykah Badu, the Foo Fighters, Mates of State, Jose Gonzales, Duffy, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Iron and Wine, What Made Milwaukee Famous and M.Ward. And truth be told, Del Tha Funky Homosapien would be a fun one too. Who knows what other acts to get acquainted with!

I could only hope that they would add in M.I.A, Lykke Li, Chromeo, Pacific!, the Ting Tings and Feist to the line-up as well. But that’s only wishful thinking.

Now I just have to work on scrounging up some moo-lah to actually make the purchase. Glastonbury, you are not far off either!

And here’s a fantastic ditty by Swedish electro duo, Pacific!, to get you screaming their presence at ACL to the bigwigs. Enjoy!

“Hot Lips” by Pacific!

(That’s a lot of exclamation marks for one post… !)

Bothered, Bewitched and Bewildered

gu dinner - three peas in a pod gu dinner - springtime

i woke up in the middle of the night - If anything contagious can be associated with spring, it’s spring fever. The most stellar minds approach me, bemoaning a meaningless struggle to plant their butt cheeks on a chair and make haste to siphon empty words out of a textbook. But then again, who can blame them? The pleasantries of the outdoors, the crisp smell of freshly cut grass and the blooming pink tulips are enough to distract a sun-deprived community.

dreaming i had you by my side - The realization of leaving hit hard yesterday, following the first two goodbyes. I didn’t anticipate goodbyes to be so overwhelming–just wave and say ‘bye’, then jump on a plane, right? Only three more days in this place I hold a love-hate relationship with to find out the reverse is true. The sudden surge of emotions is a little vexing, and surprising. I distinctly remember the first time, looking out the window of the cramped Canadair jet overlooking dull brick buildings and landscape of dried-out, stalk-y weeds, thinking: this is it, my four years right here. Two years bumped me into a multitude of individuals, more than my seventeen years before that, combined. Just yesterday I discovered one of their mothers is a cousin of the Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN and Oprah fame. Where else could I have found so much entertainment with four aspiring engineers, armed with a box of Scooby snacks and psychopathic desires to cream the opponent, destroying the controls of a Nintendo in an intensely heated match of Mario Tennis on a Friday night? Then there’s the ludicrous all-nighters, wolfing down Ben & Jerry’s in midst of a blizzard, crazed concoctions of a drunk neighbour: how do you leave all that behind you?

you saw my hair look like a bird’s nest - As much as I’m tempted to remain attached to the bittersweet memories that come with being sentimental, I know I can’t and won’t. The world keeps turning, more unfamiliar faces in a foreign backdrop, but everything will be okay. The only thing you can do is remember the good, learn from the bad and move on. So I’ll just pack my boxes and bid my farewells.

i swear i’ll make you forget all the rest