eternal sunshine of the spotless mind
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Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Thursday, August 17, 2006
the beautiful and the ugly
It is amazing how such a simple object as a pair of shoes can be the inspiration for beautiful and romantic words.
" I give you this pair of shoes. From now on, we will walk through life together. "
- 3rd Generation -
" His love is like a pair of shoes in my heart. "
" A pair of shoes? "
" Yes. A pair of shoes. It seems as if he is ready to walk away anytime. "
" You are thinking too much. "
" Maybe you are right. Maybe he will not take off his shoes and walk away, for he is afraid that he will leave footprints in my heart. "
- Beautiful Days -
" This relationship is like a pair of shoes. You take a step, and I follow suit. I take another step, you struggle behind. There will come a day when we will stand together side by side, but then, we won't be reaching anywhere. "
- dklf -
.
.
.
.
.
It is also amazing how a simple object such as a pair of shoes can be the inspiration for the other kind.
" Sai eh, give me shoes...you want fast-fast break up with me ah?! "
" You talk summore I let you eat my shoes! "
" Throw your mother old (you know what)!! "
Ahh... the extremes of human beings.
" I give you this pair of shoes. From now on, we will walk through life together. "
- 3rd Generation -
" His love is like a pair of shoes in my heart. "
" A pair of shoes? "
" Yes. A pair of shoes. It seems as if he is ready to walk away anytime. "
" You are thinking too much. "
" Maybe you are right. Maybe he will not take off his shoes and walk away, for he is afraid that he will leave footprints in my heart. "
- Beautiful Days -
" This relationship is like a pair of shoes. You take a step, and I follow suit. I take another step, you struggle behind. There will come a day when we will stand together side by side, but then, we won't be reaching anywhere. "
- dklf -
.
.
.
.
.
It is also amazing how a simple object such as a pair of shoes can be the inspiration for the other kind.
" Sai eh, give me shoes...you want fast-fast break up with me ah?! "
" You talk summore I let you eat my shoes! "
" Throw your mother old (you know what)!! "
Ahh... the extremes of human beings.
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Wednesday, August 16, 2006
beauty? beast?
This article from today's Star newspaper caught my attention:
Sophia Loren, 71, has been voted the most naturally beautiful person in the world, Digital Spy reports.
The Italian actress, who has put her success down to “life, spaghetti, and the odd bath in virgin olive oil”, beat competitors such as Cameron Diaz, Johnny Depp and George Clooney for the top spot.
Loren has spoken out about rejecting cosmetic surgery on her nose when she was younger and is well known for her looks. The Archbishop of Genoa has joked of his opposition to cloning: “An exception might be made in the case of Sophia Loren.”
The top 10 in full:
1. Sophia Loren
2. George Clooney
3. Charlotte Church
4. Catherine Zeta Jones
5. Johnny Depp
6. Kate Winslet
7. Gwyneth Paltrow
8. Jack Black
9. Cameron Diaz
10. Gail Porter
This , my friend, is the same Sophia that prompt Kenny Sia to dedicate a whole article on her here.
(Source: http://www.kennysia.com)
Also making it to the no.8 on the list is Jack Black.
Now what was the Archbishop of Genoa thinking of when he made that cloning statement???
Ok, bashings aside, I think Sophia must have been really pretty in her youth. There were countless accounts where she's-so-pretty-that-she-hurts Monica Bellucci, my goddess, has been dubbed as the second Sophia Loren. I mean, if all Monica can do is to fill up Sophia Loren's shoes, then Sophia's shoes must be very big shoes (?).
And here is Monica, plain and natural as I like it.
Sophia Loren, 71, has been voted the most naturally beautiful person in the world, Digital Spy reports.
The Italian actress, who has put her success down to “life, spaghetti, and the odd bath in virgin olive oil”, beat competitors such as Cameron Diaz, Johnny Depp and George Clooney for the top spot.
Loren has spoken out about rejecting cosmetic surgery on her nose when she was younger and is well known for her looks. The Archbishop of Genoa has joked of his opposition to cloning: “An exception might be made in the case of Sophia Loren.”
The top 10 in full:
1. Sophia Loren
2. George Clooney
3. Charlotte Church
4. Catherine Zeta Jones
5. Johnny Depp
6. Kate Winslet
7. Gwyneth Paltrow
8. Jack Black
9. Cameron Diaz
10. Gail Porter
This , my friend, is the same Sophia that prompt Kenny Sia to dedicate a whole article on her here.
(Source: http://www.kennysia.com)
Also making it to the no.8 on the list is Jack Black.
Now what was the Archbishop of Genoa thinking of when he made that cloning statement???
Ok, bashings aside, I think Sophia must have been really pretty in her youth. There were countless accounts where she's-so-pretty-that-she-hurts Monica Bellucci, my goddess, has been dubbed as the second Sophia Loren. I mean, if all Monica can do is to fill up Sophia Loren's shoes, then Sophia's shoes must be very big shoes (?).
And here is Monica, plain and natural as I like it.
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Monday, August 14, 2006
the Princess and I
Thanks to Christina and Wendy for this pic, you gals rock! And yah, how can I forget Tiara Jacquelina... *_*
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Friday, August 11, 2006
is the world still a safe place?
I don't think anyone will agree with the question above. All the incidents that have been reported in the newspaper along these years have shown that the world that we live in today is nothing more than a huge, spherical, den floating in space. Of course, there are still human beings living here, just, sensible, rational being, but we are merely living under the mercy of these ruthless animals that we are forced to share the world with. How can it turn out to be this way? Human beings are supposed to have control over the world, but it seems like the animals are taking over our place.
For me, fear is not when death comes a-knocking, but it is the terror in me when I realize that there's nothing I can do to prevent those that I love and care from the threats of these animals. Sometimes, it feels like hopeless is not having no hope left for myself, instead it is in not having the faith and power in keeping my hearts safe and sound with me. And for that I am scared.
For me, fear is not when death comes a-knocking, but it is the terror in me when I realize that there's nothing I can do to prevent those that I love and care from the threats of these animals. Sometimes, it feels like hopeless is not having no hope left for myself, instead it is in not having the faith and power in keeping my hearts safe and sound with me. And for that I am scared.
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Thursday, August 10, 2006
spectacular
....that's the word to describe Puteri Gunung Ledang: The Musical Season 2. Although I am no expert in the theaterical world, I think I should make an effort to put up my very own review on the show that I attended last night.
The experience started with me driving all by myself to Istana Budaya. Since I have never been to there before, yes, I got lost. The location map provided from its website didn't help much. I wasted so much time, and petrol, doing round turns and caught in unneccessary jams, and by the time I finally found Istana Budaya, it was already 8.30 pm, the show time.
Fortunately, our Malaysian bad habit of unpunctuality worked to my favour last night. I was greeted by two ushers fully dressed up in traditional Malay customes at the entrance to the main theather, Panggung Sari. Upon entering, our beloved National Anthem can be heard playing in the background, signalling the start of the show, and being the patriotic person that I am, I stood still observing the song together with other similarly patriotic and similarly unpunctual Malaysians, including one lady whose priority seemed to shift halfway through the song when her handphone rang. By the time I was seated, it was already 8.50 pm, and the show was starting. Perfect timing!
Before I start with the review, let me give you the sypnosis of the story, taken and elaborated from the programme booklet (lazy to write my own sypnosis):
Adipati, the ruler of the kingdom of Majapahit are on the verge of defeat due to threat of attack from neighbouring Demak. A messenger has been sent to Melaka to propose a joint force to combat Demak. Adipati has a sister, Gusti Putri, a dreamy, determined princess, who yearns for nothing more than finding her true love. The emptiness in her heart begins to be filled when the Malacca delegation led by Hang Tuah arrives. Their first meeting sparks romance between the two. A sudden attack by Demak invokes the rage in Adipati, thus leading him to declare war between Majapahit and Demak. However, Sultan Mahmud Shah of Malacca proposes a way out by combining the forces of Majapahit and Demak. If Demak refuses to back out, the two kingdoms will kick Demak's ass, and it will be one real sore kick. Hang Tuah is sent to give warning to Demak.
The separation becomes unbearable for Gusti Putri, and after a long thought, coupled with the blessings and support from her loyal nanny, Bayan, she decided to follow her heart, and sets sail to Mount Ledang to await her Hang Tuah. Unbeknownst to Gusti Putri, Adipati has already agreed to wed her to Sultan Mahmud should Malacca succeed in preventing Demak from attacking Majapahit, which Malacca eventually did. When he realizes that Gusti Putri has gone missing, he flew into a rage, and sentences Bayan to death. Bayan decides to kill herself rather than be killed.
When Sultan Mahmud knows that Gusti Putri is already on Mount Ledang, he commands Hang Tuah to lead a delegation up the mountain to propose to the princess. Heart broken but torn between his loyalty to the Sultan and his own love, Hang Tuah decides to forgo his own heart. After enduring countless difficulties on the expedition up to Mount Ledang, Hang Tuah finally meets Gusti Putri again. The princess's joy is short-lived when she realizes that Hang Tuah didn't come up the mountain to look for her out of his heart, but by the decree of the Sultan in asking her hand for marriage. Hurt, she decides to marry the Sultan on the condition that her seven 'syarat' (pre-conditions), which are basically ridiculuos, can be met. She is hoping that the Sultan will let go of his intention to marry her upon hearing the impossible conditions.
However, the Sultan sees this as a humiliation, and decides to meet all the conditions at all costs, even if he has to kill his own son, Raja Ahmad. Gusti Putri appears just as the Sultan was about to do this dirty deed and stops him. She appeals for the sultan to let her remain on Mount Ledang. Enraged and humiliated, Sultan Mahmud puts a curse on Gusti Putri, so that whoever sets eyes upon her from hence onwards will die a bloody death.
Stricken, the princess goes back to Mount Ledang and hopes to see Hang Tuah again for one last time before dawn breaks, but he came too late, and the two lovers remain as two beings on Mount Ledang, separated by time for eternity.
Cool?
As this was the musical version of PGL, it was remarkedly different from the movie version. For a start, the story of how Gusti Putri and Hang Tuah met, which was totally missing in the movie, was told in the musical. Second, because of the elaborate casts and a live orchestra, the dance scenes were executed to perfection and it was truly spectacular! The usage of traditional instruments, coupled with the blend of Hindu and Malay musics, heightened the cultural experience to a state of dizziness, and the audiences simply loved it. The props and stage scenes were done with utmost creativity. I especially loved the 'wayang kulit' effect in the scene where Bayan was teaching Gusti Putri dance moves and two giant shadows were casted on the silk screen behind them which extends from the ceiling to floor.
(Source: http://www.jeffooi.com)
Another is a scene where Gusti Putri has decided to set sail to Malacca, and she was standing with her back facing the audience, looking upwards to the heaven, and the same giant silk screen was released and fell down to form the rolling waves of the Straits of Malacca. The traditional Javanese dance was so enchanting. I bet many girls who have watched the dance will sign up, or at least wish to, for the dance classes. Tiara Jacquelina actually went to Java to learn the dance steps from the royal family that still remains there, and she did a very good job. I thought that she has decided to leave out my beloved 'flick' step when in a moment of glory, she made a flick, the one and only thorughout the entire show. Good things come seldom! some of the scenes were better executed inthe movie than the musical, such as the poignant moment when Gusti Putri awaits for Hang Tuah to come before the break of dawn. This is a very powerful scene in the movie, but in the musical, it failed to invoke the same feeling of pain and shattered hopes.
Tiara Jacquelina was elegent and perfect to play the role of Gusti Putri.
(Source: http://www.jeffooi.com)
AC Mizal, who played Gusti Adipati, was my favourite character. He was so convincing, and a tad scary, with his Majapahit accent (?) and Kabuki-like moves.
(Source: http://www.jeffooi.com)
Stephen Rahman-Huhges's role as Hang Tuah was commendable, but it was his voice that caught the audience's hearts, not to mention his good looks.
(Source: http://www.jeffooi.com)
The support casts were very funny and they provide comical relief to the show.
I don't really expect the show to be this good, frankly. Of course, there were a few technical glitches, but the props, stage scenes, special effects, and of course the casts were on par with any international standard musical shows. I have watched the video version of the Cats musical, performed by some of the best casts in musical history including Elaine Paige, and PGLM certainly does not lose out, technical-wise. Crude comparison, but you have to see it to believe yourself.
And to end the night, I got the signatures of the casts on my programme book, and I finally, finally, have my picture taken with the Princess herself.
But I still got lost on my way back home. Damn.
The experience started with me driving all by myself to Istana Budaya. Since I have never been to there before, yes, I got lost. The location map provided from its website didn't help much. I wasted so much time, and petrol, doing round turns and caught in unneccessary jams, and by the time I finally found Istana Budaya, it was already 8.30 pm, the show time.
Fortunately, our Malaysian bad habit of unpunctuality worked to my favour last night. I was greeted by two ushers fully dressed up in traditional Malay customes at the entrance to the main theather, Panggung Sari. Upon entering, our beloved National Anthem can be heard playing in the background, signalling the start of the show, and being the patriotic person that I am, I stood still observing the song together with other similarly patriotic and similarly unpunctual Malaysians, including one lady whose priority seemed to shift halfway through the song when her handphone rang. By the time I was seated, it was already 8.50 pm, and the show was starting. Perfect timing!
Before I start with the review, let me give you the sypnosis of the story, taken and elaborated from the programme booklet (lazy to write my own sypnosis):
Adipati, the ruler of the kingdom of Majapahit are on the verge of defeat due to threat of attack from neighbouring Demak. A messenger has been sent to Melaka to propose a joint force to combat Demak. Adipati has a sister, Gusti Putri, a dreamy, determined princess, who yearns for nothing more than finding her true love. The emptiness in her heart begins to be filled when the Malacca delegation led by Hang Tuah arrives. Their first meeting sparks romance between the two. A sudden attack by Demak invokes the rage in Adipati, thus leading him to declare war between Majapahit and Demak. However, Sultan Mahmud Shah of Malacca proposes a way out by combining the forces of Majapahit and Demak. If Demak refuses to back out, the two kingdoms will kick Demak's ass, and it will be one real sore kick. Hang Tuah is sent to give warning to Demak.
The separation becomes unbearable for Gusti Putri, and after a long thought, coupled with the blessings and support from her loyal nanny, Bayan, she decided to follow her heart, and sets sail to Mount Ledang to await her Hang Tuah. Unbeknownst to Gusti Putri, Adipati has already agreed to wed her to Sultan Mahmud should Malacca succeed in preventing Demak from attacking Majapahit, which Malacca eventually did. When he realizes that Gusti Putri has gone missing, he flew into a rage, and sentences Bayan to death. Bayan decides to kill herself rather than be killed.
When Sultan Mahmud knows that Gusti Putri is already on Mount Ledang, he commands Hang Tuah to lead a delegation up the mountain to propose to the princess. Heart broken but torn between his loyalty to the Sultan and his own love, Hang Tuah decides to forgo his own heart. After enduring countless difficulties on the expedition up to Mount Ledang, Hang Tuah finally meets Gusti Putri again. The princess's joy is short-lived when she realizes that Hang Tuah didn't come up the mountain to look for her out of his heart, but by the decree of the Sultan in asking her hand for marriage. Hurt, she decides to marry the Sultan on the condition that her seven 'syarat' (pre-conditions), which are basically ridiculuos, can be met. She is hoping that the Sultan will let go of his intention to marry her upon hearing the impossible conditions.
However, the Sultan sees this as a humiliation, and decides to meet all the conditions at all costs, even if he has to kill his own son, Raja Ahmad. Gusti Putri appears just as the Sultan was about to do this dirty deed and stops him. She appeals for the sultan to let her remain on Mount Ledang. Enraged and humiliated, Sultan Mahmud puts a curse on Gusti Putri, so that whoever sets eyes upon her from hence onwards will die a bloody death.
Stricken, the princess goes back to Mount Ledang and hopes to see Hang Tuah again for one last time before dawn breaks, but he came too late, and the two lovers remain as two beings on Mount Ledang, separated by time for eternity.
Cool?
As this was the musical version of PGL, it was remarkedly different from the movie version. For a start, the story of how Gusti Putri and Hang Tuah met, which was totally missing in the movie, was told in the musical. Second, because of the elaborate casts and a live orchestra, the dance scenes were executed to perfection and it was truly spectacular! The usage of traditional instruments, coupled with the blend of Hindu and Malay musics, heightened the cultural experience to a state of dizziness, and the audiences simply loved it. The props and stage scenes were done with utmost creativity. I especially loved the 'wayang kulit' effect in the scene where Bayan was teaching Gusti Putri dance moves and two giant shadows were casted on the silk screen behind them which extends from the ceiling to floor.
(Source: http://www.jeffooi.com)
Another is a scene where Gusti Putri has decided to set sail to Malacca, and she was standing with her back facing the audience, looking upwards to the heaven, and the same giant silk screen was released and fell down to form the rolling waves of the Straits of Malacca. The traditional Javanese dance was so enchanting. I bet many girls who have watched the dance will sign up, or at least wish to, for the dance classes. Tiara Jacquelina actually went to Java to learn the dance steps from the royal family that still remains there, and she did a very good job. I thought that she has decided to leave out my beloved 'flick' step when in a moment of glory, she made a flick, the one and only thorughout the entire show. Good things come seldom! some of the scenes were better executed inthe movie than the musical, such as the poignant moment when Gusti Putri awaits for Hang Tuah to come before the break of dawn. This is a very powerful scene in the movie, but in the musical, it failed to invoke the same feeling of pain and shattered hopes.
Tiara Jacquelina was elegent and perfect to play the role of Gusti Putri.
(Source: http://www.jeffooi.com)
AC Mizal, who played Gusti Adipati, was my favourite character. He was so convincing, and a tad scary, with his Majapahit accent (?) and Kabuki-like moves.
(Source: http://www.jeffooi.com)
Stephen Rahman-Huhges's role as Hang Tuah was commendable, but it was his voice that caught the audience's hearts, not to mention his good looks.
(Source: http://www.jeffooi.com)
The support casts were very funny and they provide comical relief to the show.
I don't really expect the show to be this good, frankly. Of course, there were a few technical glitches, but the props, stage scenes, special effects, and of course the casts were on par with any international standard musical shows. I have watched the video version of the Cats musical, performed by some of the best casts in musical history including Elaine Paige, and PGLM certainly does not lose out, technical-wise. Crude comparison, but you have to see it to believe yourself.
And to end the night, I got the signatures of the casts on my programme book, and I finally, finally, have my picture taken with the Princess herself.
But I still got lost on my way back home. Damn.
| Permalink |
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
meeting the Princess
My company is being generous, and it is giving out free entrance tickets to our staffs for Puteri Gunung Ledang: The Musical. Staged in Istana Budaya, this is the second comeback for the musical due to popular demands. I got the tic for tomorrow night's performance, and a chance to meet the "Princess".
"Biar patah sayap rajawali, bertongkat jua kanda kembali."
Don't kill me, Hang Tuah.
However, they gave me a freaking X-row stall seat. That's like two rows away from the exit. Good enough for me to dash off to the nearest 'pee-pee' room if I need to, but i digress.
I doubt that I can see much from so far away. Well, maybe the view that I will get is like what you see in the pic above. But at a selling price of RM100 for this seat of mine, I at least hope that it will be better than above. It better be.
In spite of what I just wrote, I am not complaining here. I have watched, and loved, the PGL movie, and I have a lot of expectations for the musical version of it too. Getting a chance to watch it live, and f.o.c., is quite unexpected really. So, again, here I come, Princess, but before that, time for me to chao from work.
"Biar patah sayap rajawali, bertongkat jua kanda kembali."
Don't kill me, Hang Tuah.
However, they gave me a freaking X-row stall seat. That's like two rows away from the exit. Good enough for me to dash off to the nearest 'pee-pee' room if I need to, but i digress.
I doubt that I can see much from so far away. Well, maybe the view that I will get is like what you see in the pic above. But at a selling price of RM100 for this seat of mine, I at least hope that it will be better than above. It better be.
In spite of what I just wrote, I am not complaining here. I have watched, and loved, the PGL movie, and I have a lot of expectations for the musical version of it too. Getting a chance to watch it live, and f.o.c., is quite unexpected really. So, again, here I come, Princess, but before that, time for me to chao from work.
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Reconnect to me
- I'm Davkong
- From City A1, Malaysia
- A dreamer...who thrives on family, love and friendship.. Nothing else matters for me
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Davkong took the free ColorQuiz.com personality test! "Wants to make a favorable impression and be reward..." Click here to read the rest of the results. |
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