So weird...
I cried when I watched 'chicken run' yesterday.. uh-oh, how far gone am I?? These things dont' happen! I don't watch cartoons and cry!
My sister is planning to buy a juicer with her Ang Bao money...(Ha?Wha...?)
My sister is planning to buy a juicer with her Ang Bao money...(Ha?Wha...?)
print or screen???
You can't play with time in films as you can play with it in novels/stories. Things which haven't happened yet can be aligned with a past that has been. A writer can craft a story which does not follow logical movements in sequence, time, place. There's montage in film, but then, just cutting images from one time frame to another or one place frame to another, would not make sense to a viewer. In the way, it can still make sense to a reader. Writing is definitely more fluid than movie making, which is itself a very segmented project.
But film is multi-sensory. And it involves a deeper kind of immersion than reading a book. Which can be a very distracted activity. Water boils, telephone rings, the book will be put down. The mind will wander. Words may lose their draw on a reader's attention. It's harder for that to happen in films. Yes, there is the mediated eye in the camera, but I think all it takes is for new film techniques to challenge that. To make it such that the eyes can be exposed to a juxtaposition of various images simultaneously and still process the information in ways that still makes sense. If not to make sense at least still meaningful.
But films are reliant on the human as a central figure/prop, in a way that novels don't. Stories can still flow in the absence of people. Grass grows, papers decay, stones get worn down, oceans move. But you can't have all that without the presence of some actor to give these inanimate elements some meaning in terms of film narrative. It has to do with the way people watch movies and the way books are read. I think it really is high time some new film technique break the grounds and disrupt the conventional way people watch movies. LIke Virginia woolf's books, readers actualy have to learn to acquire a new way of reading. And often it means forsaking a clear, linear understanding of the story/plot movement.
I think movie-goers tend to have an expectation on the way the movie will play itself out. Even 'memento' which is supposed to be quite ground breaking it still follow the conventions which has become the typical way people watch films. I wonder if confusion in films is not sometmies a very good thing. Other than symbolic images and sublimal stuff. I think some kind of disjuncture should take place soon. Afterall film is so mature an industry already, but the stuff they have been producing is still always more or less the same... A real challenge to people in terms of the way movies are watch should be coming around the corner.
Although, thinking about it 'eternal sunshine of the spotless mind' has been quite experimental, giving psychical spaces a cinematic space. And yes, it is definitely confusing. I don't think it got as far as to challenge a more fundamental way, people watch films... Problem problem..BUt an interesting one. And I wait and wonder..
*^+--Lie|= s
The word Alien is fascinating.
In this word is denoted 'strange, foreign and extrinsic'.
even incompatibility.
An illusion of an 'Other'
from outside, elsewhere.
A reference to another Thing.
A paranoia
Felt by a familiar me.
When so often alien-ness is a feeling from the inside,
the fears of that fragmented 'me'
so full of Aliens.
-spoken from 1 alien out of many more in here
---
Alien 2: "I bored the shit out of me"
Alien 5: "You saved our lives, we're eternally grateful"
Alien 6: Everything that has been said, can be ignored."
Alien 7: " very helpful."
strange encouter with the feline kind
I was walking along, pondering on something frivolous: charisma. [Just thinking about this strange thing called charisma] And I saw this oddly shaped pebble. Kicked it, picked it up and decided to keep it. caught sight of this cat around my neighbourhood with rabbit fluff-like fur lounging on the bench. So in a moment of distracted frame of mind,I sat down next to it. This turned out to be a very bad decision. I started to stroke the cat when another cat who so far is not in the frame of picture, lept up onto the bench. I ignored it, thinking that it was trying to gain attention. the next thing I know it jumped into the space between my backpack and my back and started sleeping there. I was thinking, acutally I wasn't thinking. I had the knee-jerk reaction of " Ooh, so sweet..." I thought I should just let it sleep there. It was so happily cuddled up using my back and bag as a cosy corner, while I was stuck in this odd position trying not to move so I won't squash it. Stuck in a crazy odd frozen position with passer-bys giving me the 'you're weird' look. I was sitting on the edge of the bench with my waist twisted hardly keeping my balance for 15 minutes. Until thankfully, it started to rain. I thought "here's my chance to escape'.
But no, the happy cat continues to occupy its new found territory blissfully. I removed my bag and tried to make it lose its balance so I can get going, but it clung on. I carried my bag and it treated it as a sedan chair. Peering at the moving world as it continues to sit comfortably. I walked (with the cat)to a nearby pagoda to formulate my next escape plan. By now the bag is off my back, lying next to me with a cat lazing on it. scratching and biting parts of my bag. To cut the long story sort, after it marked my bag as its territory and refused to budge, I finally stood up and swung my bag a bit, I reconquered my bag, took off, with the cat looking at me in puzzlement, nonchalance, what only it knows.
In that 50 mins, I've a revelation. Cats see us humans as moving furnitures-maybe even something like trees. they mark territories see us as food providers. in the eyes of cats, we are convinient parts of the environment which forms part of the background. NOt to generalize, I'm sure alot of cat owners would say otherwise. But I suddenly wonder if perhaps nature is a bit like the silent furniture(e role I played to the cat) , food provider which we too often forget is alive too.. But I know, I'm being weird again. so I'll stop this now.
observations
Memoirs of a geisha - terrible.
[sorry, Li, I know I'm suppose to watch it with you on 31st. But I don't think I can put myself through it again. I watched it with my family today. I didn't like it, but then again, this is subjective.]
Photocopy room in central library- is a sweat shop. I feel like I'm some crazed factory worker during early days of industrial revolution. Some 3rd world sweat-shop worker.
HMV clearout sale- is one of the best things in life. I bought a Suede cd for $1.95. A Bjork cd for $9.95. Happiness.
The world is small.
I wish I can come up with those one-liners, the type that can sinks ships to describe how incredibly bored I feel.
the "even god can't sink her" kind of quotes.
the only one I can think of is overused and in no way does it express the intensity of my boredom.
No, the total lack of creativity and impact that is a must for all ship sinking one-liners.
All I have is "school sucks". Bummers.
Sickness ish a terriblesh thingsh...
At the rate I am rubbing my nose, it is going to fall apart. Flake off like old plasters or even become powder. Terrible terrible... yes this time I can truly blame the weather. It should rightfully take its blame. The crazy flu bug is the newest fad. Everyone's either got it, is getting one, or will eventually get one. Yes, and it will come and go. I love that. Flu- the new fad. Or maybe fads are the new flus. Forgive me for my nonsensical ramblings. Sickness can do strange things to one.
My leaky tap a.k.a my nose is killing me, but I refuse to see a doctor. I'm behaving like an 80 year old, those "I don't trust doctors" kind of old folks. But seriously, I wonder why their meidcations hardly work, makes me feel worse, and I have to pay them for bad effects. (maybe I'll end up eating my words when my condition gets worse) But for now, I am holding out. I'll just let my body do its job.
School- uneventful. [Not even worth mentioning, but because I have no life. I shall just let it be a footnote]
Newton 太了解我啦
Newton's first law of motion is often stated as
An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
That is precisely how I feel in school now a days. I feel like my feet(the object) have tendency to stay at rest, unless I use brute will power (unbalanced force) to act upon them to make them move....Yeah, my mind is very unbalanced right now. Similarly, my mind is forever blank (object at rest) acted on by unbalanced force (all sorts of info I'm suppose to absorb, but who knows what happened to them). Unbalanced force.
And the object staying in motion is my hand doodling nonsense on my notebook,(at constant speed and direction too). Die lah! I cannot be like that. It's only the 3rd day of the semester and I'm behaving like it's the last 3 days before term ends. Terrible but I think it's really a year 3 syndrome. I always wonder why yr 3s look so sian. Now I've turned into one of them too.
Janice, you very lucky, you like your modules. I, on the other hand, have to 培养interest in my modules. Seems like most of my modules this sem have a boring intro. Didn't fire any enthusiasm. Maybe it's just me and my yr 3 syndrome.
Aiya, Maybe I should just blame the weather... It's so grey, who can be 'enthu' anout school on these kind of days.
philosophy did this to me:
Can't ---think
no more
Can't-----believe
I tried to read stupid reading by German philosopher
on public holiday
Regret.
Brain malfunctron? malfriction?
I mean malfunction.
(bloody hell)
caption on NUS website
"Why puffer fish do not poison themselves"
Good question.
I'm so stupid.
Can't ------understand
what this guy is saying.
RUbbish.
End up blogging (shit)
will be stuck.
And hope philosophy lovers will not stone me
But, really really:
RUbbish.
Rubbish
A-bish*
of rubbish and rubbish (or synonymously: of philosophy and philosophy)
Nothing lives which would be worthy.
of your striving, and the earth deserves not a sigh.
Pain and boredom is our being and the world is excrement,
—nothing else.
Calm yourself
-Giacomo Leopardi
{The collection of words above is 'friggin fascinating'. And to find it in a reading. Delightful. SImply delightful.
I love people who say such things. (The thing is not to take them too seriously, but not to chuck them out like rubbish either)
My personal heroes : Douglas Adam, Monty Python and 周星驰. Their motto of : Nothing is too sacred to be poked fun at.
"Don't Panic", "Always look on the bright side of life" (and my favourite) "Death is over hyped."}
The line between rubbish and philosohpical truths: In process of investigating its existence. Though my very 'intellectual and well-researched guess" is: NO.
I do not apologise for rubbishy posts. Afterall, if there is no line between rubbish and philosophical truth, then it's all self-explanatory. Should you be unable to understand "What's the whole point" that's the idea too. [You are supposed to feel such a way regarding philosophy (/,=,+) rubbish].
(Don't)Ask Socrates, He's (not) going to tell you (anything anyway).
Although he will help you out of your discomfort by destroying your question. No, he's going to make you destroy it yourself.
A rojak post
NO more about school reopening, I've tuned into the mood (mroe or less).
Rojak rojak post:
I amazed myself. Haha I still can't believed it happened. I quarrelled with my violin teacher. Haha= actually I'm not proud of myself, more shocked. But actually, maybe I'm not that surprised. It's strange and damn funny in its aftermath, (sorry I can't help finding it amusing) We raised our voices at each other over lousy playing. (and we rolled our eyes at each other) BUT thankfully, departed on a friendly note still. MAn, It is one bizzare incident.
My sis told me about how students in Australia collected moon cake tins(the nicer ones) and sold them for a bomb there. Cos the ang mohs there really liked such stuff. So after mooncake festival they'll collect heaps of such boxes and sell them. While everybody in Singapore, Hongkong, China are chucking out these worthless junks. Over in Australia, students are selling all sorts of junks, (exotic junks if you like) Any rubbish with a hint of Chinese-ness can sell, or so I heard. Well I guess, rubbish in one's eyes can be treasure in another's. (still I find it funny). I wonder, how much rubbish I have bought taking them as 宝 when I went travelling. Maybe all the nicest stuff I ever bought were made from pieces of rags hanging around in the locals' home. Or trubbishy things they want to get rid of (haha who knows)
back to school (again!): complain complain complain
Groan. Dread dread dread dread. DREAD.(sigh) Why is the DEcember holiday so short?
Hai hai hai. (sigh)
Thinking of how pack 96 will be from Clementi. DREAD.
Central library is going full of maniacs zapping readings. SHUTS. (distasteful)
MAd house canteen at lunch hour. Possible stampedes.
Living on 2 hour schedules. 8-10 10-12 12-2 (rushing about)
Internal shuttle: hell on wheels . with biting doors
Readings....
I don't think I should go on any longer with this post. Too depressing.
Now that I have gotten it off my chest... I shall try to be more excited about school reopening...( if that is possible that is.嘆.)
[STOP COMPLAINING Leh!..烦死人...] orh. ok loh.
2006 through the eys of many out there
I find it strange. Strangely beautiful that blog surfing one day after new year, I see the new year through the eyes of so many people. Some reflecting on what the new year holds for them in their hopes, promises to themselves and resolutions. Others in their ordinary day. Others, in their discovery of their fears and their faith. And still others in an imaginary thought half way across the globe, half way across the galaxy. In what makes sense only to us. And it's really strange seeing the single day in and through these various expressions.
Often, I feel that language is so limited. It can only express so limited a range of experiences. Always reducing these experiences to scrawly signs. But today, I am quite amazed at langauge -is a window to the others. Windows, not to sights and sounds of the physical realm but to the mental, and the emotional. If I am romantic enough, I would even say: their very soul. Sometimes, feeling such connection to people makes me a bit crazy and teary. I feel safe, in a way. Knowing that I am never as alone as I may think I am. And that there are people out there who are thinking various thoughts, living lives just like me out there. Maybe that's why I feel so attracted to blogging. On one hand, it is leaving traces of my life, but being such a romantic, maybe I honestly believe that there is a community out there that I belong to. Some strange cosmic connection that holds it all together.
Maybe I'm starting to sound crazy, but sometimes I get like that. Like when I attend Christmas servies and hear everyone singing in one voice. And knowing that somewhere else millions of miles away, someone else is singing about the very same thing. Being thankful for the very same thing. And experiencing strange connections to other human beings. I get a bit crazy, but I get a bit thankful too, that we have the power of language, the power to share, to create and to celebrate, something as simple and yet as beautiful as the passing and the coming 356 days of a year. It is on days like this, I start having fancies that maybe, maybe deep down , we really are all connected in more ways than we can ever fathom. But then again, there is always a chance that this is merely crazy talk after getting too hung up on the new year.
Life long resolution in a song
Pilgrim by Enya
Pilgrim, how you journey
on the road you choose
to find out why the winds die
and where the stories go.
All days come from one day
that much you must know,
you cannot change what's over
but only where you go.
One way leads to diamonds,
one way leads to gold,
another leads you only
to everything you're told.
In your heart you wonder
which of these is true;
the road that leads to nowhere
the road that leads to you.
Will you find the answer
in all you say and do?
Will you find the answer
in you?
Each heart is a pilgrim,
each one wants to know
the reason why the winds die
and where the stories go.
Pilgrim, in your journey
you may travel far,
for pilgrim it's a long way
to find out who you are...
Pilgrim, it's a long way
to find out who you are...
Pilgrim, it's a long way
to find out who you are...