Be With Me (2005)

Caught Eric Khoo's Be With Me a few days ago. A wonderfully human show that captures man's profound longing for companionship among a whole gamut of emotions that we can all certainly identify with. Towards the end, was reminded of a friend's anguish & grief at losing a close family member.

The film also showcases the life of an exceptional person - Theresa Chan who, in spite of her impairments, is able to live life as independently and as fully as she can. I find her life story incredibly inspiring, especially when you see her carrying out everyday chores and you realize what we take for granted. One thing that struck me from her autobiography, "I cannot see the beautiful things in life but neither can I see the ugly and sad things."

...a tapestry of three stories woven around the themes of love, hope and destiny. Although the main characters come from different backgrounds and lead different lives, they all long to be with their loved one.

Meant To Be is about an ageing provision shopkeeper grappling with loneliness. Just when he is about to give up hope, he chances upon an autobiography which changes his life.

Finding Love follows the mundane life of a middle aged security guard who has two loves in life -- food and a high flying professional who works in the same building he does. The first he indulges in with great passion, the second, alas, he can only admire from afar. He decides to bridge the divide with a letter.

So In Love is the bitter-sweet chronicles of a teenage love less ordinary. A chain of events spark off a flurry of SMS's which will drastically rewrite the blueprints of their lives.

Unknown to them, these different souls will share the same stage in a play written by Fate, one which involves the themes of love, tragedy and redemption. The characters in the movie are ficititious except for Theresa Chan. Deaf and blind since she was 14, Theresa -- who is now 61 -- is a remarkable woman who has triumphed over her disabilities to live an amazing life. She will be the film's beacon, a symbol of strength and hope.

Me Inspector?

Anne sent me another 1 of those personality tests today - this 1's the HUMANMETRICS Jung Typology Test. Partly to humour her & partly curious, I did it in a couple of minutes & turns out I am an Inspector Guardian (iStJ) or Introverted Sensing Thinking Judging - keyword's "superdependable". People who know me & agree say "aye".

Don't know how accurate this is, because the results are very much dependent on a person's frame of mind. The last time I did it during JC, I was deemed to be a Introverted iNtuitive Feeling Perceiving.

One thing's for sure, I've come a long way from the person I used to be. A secondary school friend I met recently reminded me that I used to wear this pink colour Giordano jacket. My retort - I was ahead of my time, now pink is in. The real reason? It was my mom's & I couldn't afford a new one & the alternative was a dirty brown, ah pek one. Heh heh!

Rainy Days And Mondays

Carpenters

Talkin' to myself and feelin' old
Sometimes I'd like to quit
Nothing ever seems to fit
Hangin' around
Nothing to do but frown
Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down.

What I've got they used to call the blues
Nothin' is really wrong
Feelin' like I don't belong
Walkin' around
Some kind of lonely clown
Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down.

Funny but it seems I always wind up here with you
Nice to know somebody loves me
Funny but it seems that it's the only thing to do
Run and find the one who loves me.

What I feel has come and gone before
No need to talk it out
We know what it's all about
Hangin' around
Nothing to do but frown
Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down.

Look Ma, No Plaque

Just visited the dentist - for the 1st time in quite a while. As I was lying there, being attended to by the doctor and his assistant, it felt oddly surreal, like a scene out of a TV show.

First the prodding & general check-up and doc commented on the condition of my teeth and how tartar leads to plaque. This was followed by scaling - the screeching-high frequency of his mini drill bit meeting enamel while doc worked hard to free my teeth of plaque. Not only do you hear it, but you feel it too. And all the while, the assistant constantly peers from above to remove saliva.

Just as I thought he was about done, doc pointed out 2 molars which are showing initial signs of decay. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, because I dutifully brush & floss everyday. Perhaps it's time to invest in mouthwash. No biggie, he said (not in these words though), just need to patch it up with a protective layer to prevent further decay.

For the next 10minutes, instrument after instrument were put into my poor gaping mouth, including one that emits a curious blue light to harden the protective layer and a red plastic sheet to bite on.

After doc was done, I very much wanted him to explain every procedure he had put me through. But figured I'd might as well do my own research on the internet.

The first thing I did upon exiting his room was to admire my freshly cleaned teeth in the lobby mirror. Oh, teeth are definitely looking good and plaque free!

Now I can't stop tonguing the back of my lower teeth.

Running Log 040905

Took part in the 2nd Mizuno Run 2005 & ran 10km.

Timing: 47m30s

Not bad for someone who hasn't been training seriously but not good enough. 1st 5km was comfortably fast (about 20min), but ran out of gas for the next 5km. Finishing slope going up Serangoon rd into Kovan Hub was a real killer.


Click for enlarged route map

Well, at least I broke in my new Mizuno shoes, Wave Atlantis. Haha! Left me a small blister on the arch & barely blistering toes of my left foot.

Thought I saw some familiar faces around at the run, probably guys I saw around during NS days. Once again, I reiterate the 1 benefit of NS - discovering the love of running.

Up next - Stanchart Half-marathon! Woohoo!

Connect the Dots

Tried a new running route this evening:

Cut through Nanyang Poly, not many students about at this time
Passed by AMK Bus Depot
Through AMK Industrial Park 3, thankfully quiet & relatively car-less
Passed by ST Electronics & along Yio Chu Kang rd
Passed by NCS, commute would be so much shorter if I worked here
Turned left & ran with the MRT track & all the way back home

Time: 32min
Est. dist: 6km
Pace: comfortably moderate

Go with the Flow

Fast Company: The Art of Work talks about Csikszentmihalyi's concept of flow at work.

It's a condition of heightened focus, productivity, and happiness that we all intuitively understand and hunger for... People engage so completely in what they are doing that they lose track of time. Hours pass in minutes. All sense of self recedes. At the same time, they are pushing beyond their limits and developing new abilities. Indeed, the best moments usually occur when a person's body or mind is stretched to capacity. People emerge from each flow experience more complex, Csikszentmihalyi found. They become more self-confident, capable, and sensitive. The experience becomes "autotelic," meaning that the activity actually becomes its own reward. "To improve life, one must improve the quality of experience," he says. One of the chief advantages of flow is that it enables people to escape the state of "psychic entropy," the distraction, depression, and dispiritedness that constantly threaten them.

The Bandit Of Joy

Max Lucado

Black Bart terrorized the Wells Fargo stage line for thirteen years, roaring like a tornado in and out of the Sierra Nevadas, spooking the most rugged frontiersmen.

During his reign of terror between 1875 and 1883, he is credited with stealing the bags and the breath away from twenty-nine different stagecoach crews.

A hood hid his face. No victim ever saw him. No artist ever sketched his features. No sheriff could ever track his trail. He never fired a shot or took a hostage.

He didn't have to. His presence was enough to paralyze.

He reminds me of another thief-one who's still around. You know him. Oh you've never seen his face, either. You couldn't describe his voice or sketch his profile. But when he's near, you know it in a heartbeat.

If you've ever been in the hospital, you've felt the leathery brush of his hand against yours.
If you've ever sensed someone was following you, you've felt his cold breath down your neck.

If you've awakened late at night in a strange room, it was his husky whisper that stole your slumber.

You know him.

It was this thief who left your palms sweaty as you went for the job interview. It was this con man who convinced you to swap your integrity for popularity.

And it was this scoundrel who whispered in your ear as you left the cemetery, "You may be next."

He's the Black Bart of the soul. He doesn't want your money. He doesn't want your diamonds. He won't go after your car. He wants something far more precious. He wants your peace of mind-your joy.

His name? Fear.

His task is to take your courage and leave you timid and trembling. Fear of death, fear of failure, fear of God, fear of tomorrow-his arsenal is vast. His goal? To create cowardly, joyless souls.

From The Applause of Heaven
Copyright 1990, Max Lucado

Spooked, I Am Not

FCBC's The Spook Show

Was invited by Daniel Kuan to attend his church's The Spook Show at Suntec City yesterday. Although the event is an evangelistic one, it is not immediately apparent. Upon stepping into the hall, one is greeted by eerie lighting, wandering ghouls & spirits, and too many screaming girls. The spook-themed show eventually begins with an hour of magic tricks and illusions performed by Rev Lawrence Khong, the church's senior pastor.

Even as a visiting Christian, I feel unsettled and questions are abuzz in my mind - especially during one segment where Rev Khong "calls upon a spirit" to perform tasks in a "Spirit Chamber". Such a reaction is ironic because controversy isn't new to my church either. But by the end of the show, it's clear to me how both the theme and purpose of the show come together to deliver the same salvation message preached at churches all over.

We can certainly compare these two local mega-churches to determine if there is indeed a winning formula. But ultimately it's not the means that matter - as long as the means do not violate biblical principles. The Spook Show and a preaching magician, the Gospel Concert Tour and a singing pastor, a church building with a titanium body... all these are external facets. It's the congregation's attitude and spiritual hunger that matters.

I've come to realize that it takes maturity and a godly open-mindedness to engage in such secular and contemporary methods of outreach. Most importantly, it takes a calling sanctioned by God himself or else they simply become another of Man's vain activities.

Can You Smell It in the Air?

The hungry ghosts festival, that is.

Once a year, the Singapore air is thick with the smell of smoke and the void decks and pedestrian walkways are littered with piles of burnt incense paper marked with white chalk.

Being a 3rd generation chinese, I could never understand why people adhere to such traditions, despite the inconvenience and irritation caused, not to mention environmental pollution.

The first night of the festival saw people lighting up candles along staircases to form a lighted passage. Kinda creepy when you realize the intention behind it.

At least this tradition makes for less crowded pools.

Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Beatles

It was twenty years ago today
Sergeant Pepper taught the band to play,
They've been going in and out of style,
But they're guaranteed to raise the smile,
So may I introduce to you,
The act you've known for all these years,
Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

We're Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
We hope you will enjoy the show
Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sit back and let the evening go
Sergeant Pepper's Lonely
Sergeant Pepper's Lonely
Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

It's wonderful to be here,
It's certainly a thrill
You're such a lovely audience,
We'd like to take you home with us, we'd love to take you home.

I don't really want to stop the show,
But I thought you might like to know,
That the singer's going to sing a song
And he wants you all to sing along,
So let me introduce to you
The one and only Billy Shears
And Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Six Feet Under Laid to Rest

After 5 beautiful seasons, the bitter-sweet, quirky yet poignant series about life and death departed peacefully to much public mourning on July 24.

NYTimes: And They All Died Happily Ever After, Sort Of - Spoiler warning!

Bad Love Is Better Than No Love

He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet (Proverbs 27:7)

The human soul is created with a basic need of being loved and Man will persist in seeking after love. Even bad love is better than no love.

So what is love that is good, true and pure? For one, it is acceptance. Acceptance of who and what one entirely is, flaws and failings included.

Are you walking in acceptance today?

Sawdust (2005)

Sawdust Website

AND YOU THOUGHT YOUR FAMILY WAS A CIRCUS!

"Sawdust" is a documentary that explores the lives of a legendary family of circus performers, the Zoppés, who have been thrilling audiences around the world since 1842. Unfolding over the course of a week, the film chronicles the Zoppé Family Circus' first visit to Chicago, showcasing a colorful cast of characters and their sometimes life-threatening work. "Sawdust" pulls back the curtain to reveal the performers' humanity and their unique relationship with the dying art of the family circus.

Official Selection: 2004 Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
and 2005 River's Edge Film Festival

Blinking Against the Twilight

After my course at SIM today, was due to meet Chan & Wilson for dinner at Purvis St. Decided to pop over to the new central library to explore the famed building.

Approaching it from far, one would spy a white mass of newness towering over squatter buildings nearby. But truly it is an emblem of Singapore's progress, though some protest if it was necessary to tear down the old one which bore much sentimental value - myself included (all those times of photocopying horn concerto scores)!

Headed for the basement first, was delighted to find so many different newspapers available. As usual, the magazines were a mess. Decided to flee from the crowd.

As I rode the escalators, I peered up & down, left & right, looking to discover some fancy thingamajig. To my disappointment, nothing really caught my eye except for the ledges that hug the building. I imagine that they can be extended at will to divert wind or shade the occupants from the shifting sun. Maybe should have taken the guided tour.

Realized that there were exhibits happening on every level, briefly explored the HYPE gallery. Discovered the Straits Times' 160th anniversary photo exhibit on the 13th floor. Wonder why they put it so high up - the only reason I got there was because I wanted to visit the Rare Collections which turned out to be restricted to authorized personnel.




Photos courtesy of country-data.com

The photo exhibit turned out to be quite a joy and also very educational - never mind the national education slant. A few have been published in ST's 160th anniversary edition, but many more are waiting to be discovered. Photos spanning a century of our past captured all of famous (& infamous) events and the Singaporeans' life back then. Some provoked a wince, a grimace or a sympathetic "oh dear..." in me.

One captured a picture of a chinese communist whose car bomb went off prematurely. Another showed nurses protesting against being exploited. One was of children peering into a peepshow contraption to view a short movie for 5cents a pop.

Halfway through, the fire alarm went off. Instincts told me to dash for the exit, but apathy held me back. After a minute, a fire-proof partition dropped down slowly to seal the exits leading back to the lifts. A family of aunties & kids hurriedly dashed through a la Mission Impossible style, i.e. just in time.

The rest of us could do nothing but wait it out. Turned to be a false alarm and didn't wait too long, though the thought of burning to death briefly crossed my mind.

My exploratory mood unspoilt by the alarm fiasco, I headed to the Southeast Asian collection on the 11th floor.

Ahhhhh, utter peace & quiet. Grabbed a book on the history of Ang Kor and the Khmer empire and sat next to the window facing Suntec City. Took in the wonderfully calming view of the darkening sky against the awakening city lights.

Finally Chan called. Lingered a short while longer before rushing over to meet them for Hainanese tze cha - deep-fried pork chop!

Blogging in Schools?

The Students' Sketchpad

Funny!

Clowning Around

Saturday morn: Pet haven @ Serangoon North

Mysterious Skin (2005)

Quoted review from NYTimes:

Mr. Heim's lyrical, tough novel, also titled ''Mysterious Skin,'' lifts what could have been a conventional narrative of trauma and recovery (with equally conventional elements of the coming-out, coming-of-age story) into a vivid tale about the strangeness and awfulness of life.

Mr. Araki and his brilliant cast (which also includes Mary Lynn Rajskub as a self-avowed alien abductee who befriends Brian) lift it even further, into a gorgeous, heartbreaking and utterly convincing work of art. Its characters stay with you, and by concentrating on the lives of two very different young men, it seems effortlessly to illuminate a period and a milieu. To say that it is about child abuse is accurate, but incomplete. It is about the Midwest, about friendship, about the connections and disconnections between love and sex, and about a great deal more, all of it handled with clarity, simplicity and rare generosity of spirit.

A well-done but utterly disturbing show with a well-casted protagonist. Couldn't sleep last night; images & scenes persisted in my mind...

Why Jesus Can't Feed the 5,000 in SG

A humorous take: Six Reasons Why Jesus Cannot Feed The Five Thousand In Singapore.

Fleeting

Went for a run at the Botanics after cell group today. Since I've never driven there before, navigating there took both a bit of mental visualising and also some effort at staying calm.

Originally planned to change inside the car in the carpark, but saw that human traffic was too high and decided to avoid any potentially embarassing situations. Odd that a lot of indians were visiting - were they all frequent patrons of Les Amis, I thought to myself.

Daylight was already waning when I started my virgin discovery jog. Was crowdless except for picnicking families, strolling couples and other joggers.

My thoughts while jogging?

Big dog, hope he doesn't bite. Hmm, if he started chasing me, what would the owner do? Recall incident of woman mauled to death by pit bulls.

Oh, going uphill now, gotta pump it up. Ahh... nice breeze peppered with floral fragrance.

Oh, downhill - go easy, watch those knees. Hmm, real dark now, what if I faint & collapse, will anyone discover me?

Wonder where this path leads, let's find out. Alamak, slow woman ahead running in middle of narrow path. Prepare to be overtaken.

As I squeeze by her, she shifts to the left and utters, "Oh, sorry about that." Didn't reply.

Nice voice though, v. intelligent sounding. Terribly un-runner-savvy berms tho. Maybe I should have acknowledged her apology. Well, too bad now, she's way behind.

Plod plod...

Oh, here she is again. Maybe I should talk to her. Wonder how old she is, maybe she's married. Oh, she's gone by a different path now. Oh well.

Ended the 34min run with the usual cooling down stretches. Saw people gathering at the visitors' centre, thought I spied an Indian couple garbed in traditional wedding gear. That explains.

Lightness

Death Cab for Cutie

There's a tear in the fabric of your favorite dress
And i'm sneaking glances.
Looking for the patterns in static
They start to make sense the longer i'm at it.

Ivory lines lead
Oo wha-ho, oo wha-ho

Your heart is a river that flows from your chest
Through every organ
Your brain is the dam
And i am the fish who can't reach the cord.

Ivory lines lead
Oo wha-ho, oo wha-ho

Oh, instincts are misleading
You shouldn't think what you're feeling
They don't tell you what you know you should want.

Ivory lines lead
Oo wha-ho, oo wha-ho
[x2]

Oh, instincts are misleading
You shouldn't think what you're feeling
They don't tell you want you know you should want.

Ivory lines lead
Oo wha-ho.
[x2]

Little Britain

BBC7 Comedy - Little Britain

Matt Lucas and David Walliams delight in all that is mad, bad, quirky and generally bonkers about the people and places of Britain. This takes the form of a tour around the oddball world of Little Britain, with the booming god-like voice of Tom Baker providing the narration. This is a Britain where the capital city is called Sneddy, where Whizzer and Chips has a political correspondent and where, unlike other countries, there are in fact TWO genders.

Weekend, Hurrah...

click for big pic

A lazy start to the weekend.

After the fireworks, it was a real drag getting back to work on wed and I'm not the only one feeling this way. Had to fight to stay awake during night-time bible study. Belt's getting awfully tight, time to shed some weight.

Met Yongzheng for dinner on thu. Apparently there was a protest outside CPF and a ridiculously over-reaction from the police.

Was at the church bookstore last night.

Not much time to type, G's gonna get upset again at me for making her wait.

Ciao.

Happy National Day

After my morning jog, I flicked the radio on to hear Glenn Ong & FD praising the NDP. Couldn't believe my ears for a moment, till barely 2 sentences later, Ong started dissing the NDP as being staid & boring. Later as I entered the lift at my office tower, I heard Joe Augustin & Maggie commenting how slowly the performers were twirling their fire-tipped sticks.

Here's my response to them: Enough already, just enjoy the parade for what it's worth, like the rest of us S'poreans.

I honestly did feel proud and happy while watching the parade, that I'm so blessed to be living in a prosperous country and that my future's bright and beckoning.

Ong & FD did invite listeners to call in with their comments and Ong asked 1 good question, "If you could, what would you change about the NDP?" And that's food for thought.

The torch relay turned to be a flag relay and the 2km flag-off run felt like an extended sprint. Got worried when the mayor of the constituency started lagging behind, but no one said anything. Was an interesting experience, though nothing spectacular.

Remember this?

For the wannabe film buffs, discovered this cyber-gem: SGFilm.com

Woot! More running!

Signed up to take part in a 2km torch relay on National Day. Pray hard we don't drop the torch!

Coordinator tells me he selected folks who manage 9+ min timings for 2.4km. Woot! There goes!

Truly Madly Deeply

Truly Madly Deeply

Interesting blog done in graphic novel style.

Clueless About Hair

Straw Poll: Should Ed shave & become a skinhead? Drop me a comment, will ya??

Getting fed up. I've come to realize tt for all my attempts at hair-styling, it seems to be flopping. Colleagues commented my hair looks flat & bare today. Man, I should just crop everything off.

Woof

Fray.com: Pet Stories

Fray.com's always been one of my favourite sites, though I don't visit it regularly. First discovered back in 1996(?) while surfing about, the stories are posted by people from all over the world - some inspiring, some depressing - and are nicely presented for easy reading. Read on...

BeyondJazz.net

For nujazz & more.

Comes with podcast too.

Boink

Eating In

Lunch menu: Rice + Mussels + Peach chicken + Kai lan + Pineapple + Pokka Green Tea