Monday, September 24, 2007

The Thing About The Truth Is...It's Scary.

(forgot to click 'PUBLISH POST' last week...long overdue one)
Quote of the day: It's easy to be mean.

All the Season's rose flavoured snow skin mooncakes are sold out. I should be thankful I had the chance to eat one this year. I was craving for it so much for the past two days but all I get is disappointment when I reach the Season's stall with bated breath. Now I have to wait for one whole year.

Anyone watched The Brave One? It's a thinker's movie. It has this subtle growing effect on you after watching it. Very 'stirring'. If you want to know about the movie, read on.

It's about a woman (played by Jodie Foster) whose life changed after she and her beloved fiance were victims of a brutal assault which resulted in his death. All this after an innocent walk in the park, by a group of drunkard violent youths. I find this eerily familiar, because I live in a city where this kind of crime is not impossible. Not drunkards, but drug addicts.

After a 3-weeks coma and a long hard recovery, she goes home. She tries to accept the fact and move on, but fear haunts her. She's afraid to leave her home. She's afraid of walking the streets of New York. She's afraid of people.

She buys a gun, for $1000, off the black market, unlicenced. I bet a lot of Johoreans wished they could do that huh.

She keeps it in her bag for protection. On a fateful day, she used it for the first time in the subway train. A couple of African-American youths were terrorizing this other kid. They take his iPod. They go on to terrorize this grandfather and his frightened grandchild. All this while, she just sits in the corner. Detached and nonchalant.

The frightened trio left the train leaving her and the two aggressors in the train. They notice her. They start to intimidate her. One of them took a knife out and pointed it at her neck. She just looks up numbly at them. Then...

BANG BANG! The two youths are down in a pool of their own blood. She walks out at the next stop and goes home.

"I have become this different person"

I'll stop here. And that's not even the climax. Go watch it! Apart from the superb performance by Jodie Foster and Terence Howard (that awesomely charming Black-mix actor with honey eyes), it's the message that boggles your mind. Now I know why it's number 1 blockbuster in US. She didn't become bad. It's controversial. For some, her new-found mad courage is supported because she is, after all, killing bad people. And I think here's the punch: Deep down, you'd want to kill the person who brought harm to you and your loved ones, but you just can't because ...you JUST can't! But this woman, she could somehow cross the line between right and wrong although she's a righteous, sensible and mentally normal person. The shock, trauma and the loss of her loved one is so great that forgiveness is something that doesn't exist.

It's a brilliant movie.

Here's my dark confession... something probable. I WILL kill my perpetrator, if given the opportunity. Not hurt, not immobilize him, not even hesitating. I think I have the courage. I build this courage of vengeance over the years of reading news of violent crimes happening in my own city. I imagine a lot. With that, I think I will be able to bring myself to kill someone who is at the other side of the law. I'm not scared of blood. I have no humane feelings for bad people. I am capable of detachment.

It's scary when you discover how genuinely evil you can be. Have I become a monster?

***
Little joke to tickle you IT whizkids: "Where did I come from?"
Mom and Dad met each other in a cyber cafe. In the restrooms of that cyber cafe,dad connected to mom. Mom at that time made some downloads from dad's memory stick. When dad finished uploading we discovered we used no firewall. Since it was too late to cancel or delete, nine months later we ended up with a virus.

Nia hahahahaha!

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Politicians Getting Older

Quote of the day: Women might be able to fake orgasms. But men can fake whole relationships –Sharon Stone

Let's see what we have here on the political arena that is getting hotter recently.

1. Our Minister of Foreign Affairs Hardtalk with BBC. Can be found in youtube. Just search for "BALDING LIAR". Ooops, I mean "Malaysian Foreign Affair Minister BBC Hardtalk" in any order. There are 4 parts, and if you want your blood cells to rupture in an explosive fashion/laugh hysterically and keel over/both, please do check it out. And be patient, as you know how long these things take to load.

2. The recent video made public by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, a video of the conversation in 2002, between "prominent lawyer" VK Lingam and Ahmad Fairuz, then Chief Judge of Malaya, which what looks like a process of 'appointment fixing'. Few months after that phone conversation, Ahmad Fairuz became the Chief Justice.

Drama.

Transcript of the conversation

Don't we just love the internet...

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Whatever...

Quote of the day: If all else fail, act stupid.

My SMARTASS husband fed the baby some koko krunch right before his bedtime. Sanely, who wants nen-nen when you have koko krunch right. If baby had his nen-nen, then he'd sleep through the night. But NOOOOOOOO, smartass just had to tempt the baby. And guess who had to feed him at 4 in the morning.

I can't stand stupidity.

Then I spent an hour tossing in bed, angry. I even had a dream feeling angry. Then here's the juicy part about one of my dream. I was driving a car, with 3 or 4 other people in it. My hubbie, his buddies and one of my female colleague and her boyfriend. They were comparing penis size!! Golly!! My female colleague had a penis!!! And I remember thinking, "Wow, this is my chance to see what other penises look like upclose in real life". But I kept my eyes focused on the road. Even in my dream I am a responsible driver. Come to think of it, it is pretty sick seeing that erect thing being part of her. Very strange dream indeed.

I'm going to feel sleepy for the rest of day.

***
Here's for the blessed folks who are Bahasa-literate.


Berikut adalah perbezaan antara filem/drama MELAYU, CINA dan INDIA.

Drama/Filem Melayu

1. 80% jalan cerita berkisar tentang:

Cinta.
Cinta 3 segi.
Cinta 4 segi.
Anak-anak rebut harta pusaka.
Kalau keluarga kaya, anak2 rebut sapa nak gantikan Tan Sri (ayah) jadi Pengerusi, CEO atau Presiden syarikat.
2. Walau pun cerita pasal awek kilang, rumah awek kilang ni mesti complete furnished. Ada TV 29", Home Teatre, peti sejuk besar, set sofa mewah. (Director tak buat homework ker? Pegi la tengok umah awek kilang kat Sungei Way tu).

3. Cerita polis lak, dialah pegawai penyiasat, dialah jadi forensic, dialah jadi pathologist, dialah yang gi ambush. Semuanya DIA yang buat. Polis lak dialog pakai bahasa baku. "Saya rasa kita patut siasat dengan lebih terperinci tuan". " Betul cadangan awak itu. Kita bertindak sekarang".

4. Kalau cerita pasal Construction, bawak satu pelan gulung, pakai topi KUNING, tunjuk-tunjuk kat bangunan tengah buat, discuss dengan 'kepala' Indon komplen kenapa projek lambat siap kat Indon tadi. ( Topi kuning utk pekerja buruh la bang ).

5. Adegan doktor kat Wad check pesakit. Ambik fail hujung katil, selak-selak. Dialog wajib : "Kesihatan awak bertambah baik. Banyakkan berehat dan jangan lupa makan ubat " . (Woi bang, tengokla cerita ER tu, Dr ada medical terms dia ).

6. Adegan kat umah. Ayah mesti tengah baca paper, Mak mesti tengah menjahit atau lipat baju. Orang gaji tengah basuh pinggan. Orang gaji mesti nama dia Mak Nab atau Mak Jah.

7. Nak panjangkan rakaman filem mesti ada adegan kereta sampai kat umah, bukak pintu kereta, bukak pintu pagar, masuk balik kereta, drive masuk car porch, keluar, tutup pintu pagar.

8. Adegan sembahyang mesti dah salam akhir or adegan mengaji Quran mesti dah sampai part sadakallah hulazim. (Cover line kot ).

9. Gangster atau kuncu orang jahat mesti pakai baju takder lengan, pakai rantai dan pakai bracelet.

10. Nak bagi sedih gila, mesti buat adegan dah tahu nak mati pasal kena barah otak.

Drama/Filem Cina.

1. Cerita Kungfu, hero terror boleh terbang. Tapi sambung pengembaraan mesti jalan kaki. Apsal tak terbang jek. Kan cepat sampai.

2. Hero mesti miskin gila. Tapi mesti ada sekeping or 2 keping duit siling kat celah lengan besar jubah dia.

3. Kalau cerita moden hero boleh lawan dan tewaskan 30 orang penjahat serentak.

4. Biasalah, kalau kena tembak mesti kat bahu or kat kaki. Tak mati.

5. Heroin mesti jadi bini or girlfriend boss penjahat dan jatuh cinta kat hero.

6. Hero mesti menembak pakai 2 pistol, kiri dan kanan. Macam Chow Yuen Fatt dalam filem 'A Better Tomorrow'. Tapi best ooo.....

7. Pistol hero mesti peluru tak habis2. Tak payah reload.

8. Cerita hantu, hantu dia biasanya pakai bedak muka tebal2 dan hitamkan keliling mata. Kat bibir ada darah meleleh. ( Tak seram pun ).

9. Kalau cerita lucu plak, mesti ada adegan air liur meleleh keluar mulut macam air paip.

10. Cerita Blue dia pun tak best. Awek mengerang jek lebih .

Drama/Filem India/Hindustan.

1. Biasalah, kebanyakan cerita bermula dengan 2 beradik terpisah. Sorang di bela oleh orang jahat dan sorang lagi dibela oleh orang baik. Dah besar, abang jadi Inspektor Sahab dan adik jadi gangster. Nak abih cerita mesti adik kena tembak ngan abang dan waktu nazak baru si abang tahu yang dia tembak tadi adalah adiknya sendiri melalui tanda parut.

2. Orang jahat digambarkan tersangat jahat sampai lembu pun takut.

3. Selalunya depa suka ciplak bulat2 filem barat macam Pretty Woman, Face Off dan Heat.

4. Paling pendek pun jangkamasa tayangan adalah 3 jam.

5. Orang jahat dan hero payah nak mati walaupun kepala dah kena ketuk dengan tukul besi.

6. Hero tak kena tembak walaupun ditembak dari jarak satu kaki.

7. Adegan joget sambil menyanyi akan melibatkan penari iringan seramai satu kampong dan bertukar 7 atau 8 pasang pakaian untuk setiap lokasi hanya untuk satu lagu.

8. Adegan keretapi tak leh tertinggal. Joget reramai sampai atas bumbung keretapi.

9. Kalau cerita moden, dialog mesti bercampur bahasa omputeh dan Hindi. Contoh ' I'm sorry. I didn't know that na pere tomhe cha....bla.. ..bla.... bla...' .

10. Biasanya plot dan jalan cerita da boleh baca apa penyudahnya. Tu yang pelik ramai plak yang tunggu sampai abih.

Sekian laporan ikhlas untuk pedoman tuan2 director filem.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Recent Achievements

Quote of the day: Planning for happiness is rarely successful. Happiness just happens. - Robert Half.
The morning look.

I really love my beanbag. It hugs you. It makes you sink deeper and makes it harder to get up. I should replace the couch with beanbags. Guests who visit will sit on beanbags. Two people can even share a beanbag. Hmmm... on second thoughts, my aging mom and dad might not be able to get up. But that's ok, they can sit on the rocking chair and eat biscuits.

The breakfast on the floor.

This was taken after we came back from our first childcare trial (previous post). Did I mention I washed his hands twice, with dettol handwash? I'm getting paranoid aren't I.

My favourite mascara. Loreal's Double Extension with Fortifying Base Coat and Ultra-Lengthening Mascara.

It's free. Courtesy of hubbie who attended Guardian fair, and brought back a truckload of bodycare goodies. He even bodek some promoters for some trial packs of Clinique 3-step facecare... for HIMSELF. That vainpot.

My wedding studio scrappages.






The attention is on the paper's design. I mean who cares about the bride and groom right.

Other scrapbook layout I managed to complete these past few weeks.










I just can't get enough of it.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Barney Overdose

I bought 3 Barney VCDs, and a Sesame Street All-Star Alphabet, and I gotta tell you, as a 30 year-old adult, I enjoyed the Sesame Street immensely. I was dancin' and groovin' along!! I love Sesame Street! It's so entertaining!

I wished the childcare class was as fun as Barney's learning sessions. Yesterday, I was on leave and had too much time on my hands, so I took the little rascal to his first and LAST day at the childcare centre. Actually, we only spent an hour in class. Daniel liked it. I didn't. It's called being-a-fussy-adult syndrome.

SO. We went to look for the principal, but she wasn't in yet ( 9am already lor ). So, a kind teacher led me to the childcare class to sit in for a while and to observe.

There were about 20 kids, and 4 teachers/assistants. A Chinese lady/'auntie' was teaching simple Chinese characters and how to write the Chinese strokes. She wasn't very ...eerrrm, I would say, kid-friendly. Maybe I watch too much Barney. I think a teacher who teaches kids have to make the lessons interesting in a kiddy way, like when you speak, you gotta have enthusiasm, and be animated. But the teachers in there seems 'detached', like they were teaching for the sake of working. I understand being a kindergarten teacher is exhausting. And maybe I'm asking for too much.

Daniel thinks he's the class monitor. He 'tegur' a budak who wasn't paying attention in class. Taiko betul.

Seriously, it was a boring class to me. And it was class of GERMS. I don't even want to talk about that.

So we left. The principal was busy anyway.

I went to another house-converted-to-mini-childcare-centre. It's called Hi-Five. Cool, I thought. Maybe it's as fun as Hi-Five.

I peered through the living room window and I saw new-ish colourful children's furniture. Good start, I thought. I peered through another window to see if there was any adult I could talk to. I saw a group of children, 5 kids, about 4-5 year olds, sitting on the marble floor in a circle, playing with something. It was quiet. It was unbelievable. I've never seen a QUIET group of kids! Daniel would disrupt this peace-loving little community. So, I saved them. I walked away.

We went home and spend the rest of the day at Barney and Ally's little childcarelove centre. It's called home. It's the best.

I know someday I will have to let go.

Monday, September 03, 2007

Stinky Cuttlefish Overdose

Quote of the day: “If you have never been hated by your child, you have never been a parent.” -Bette Davis


My mouth stinks. I ate too much crispy sotong. Oh-so-good.

It's been raining everyday. Is it the curse of Rihanna's over-played song 'Umbrella" -ella -ella -ella?
No kidding. It's either heavy clouds, dark clouds or rain. I'm getting seasonally depressed. I need SUN. I need to photosynthesize big-time.

My blessed weekend was as usual, filled with excitement of going to the market, cooking meals and playing with the terrorist. I couldn't scrapbook because I slept whenever I could. Thank goodness, hubbie is around to keep the little one busy, but it's fair I guess since I had my share of single-parent moments.

I bought a bean bag cover and 8 bags (adult pillow size) of foam beads to fill it. Daniel loves it so much, he keeps diving into it. Hubbie and I love it too, we 'christened' it last night.

***
If I was the teacher reading this, I'd die rolling on the floor. I'd probably give him markah 95 before I die. Kids these days huh, evil humour. (Click on image to get enlarged version. For those who totally cannot read his handwriting or don't understand what the hell he is writing, just tell me, I will translate)