Nov-Dec '12 Snapshots

 

2012, Q4: Books and Movies

Books

The Magician King: The Magicians fills me with dread and gloom, whereas this sequel is so much more brighter and optimistic. It does have bizarre scenes and philosophical discussions like the first, but at least it doesn't slam unexpected turns of events in your face and walk away, leaving you wondering. Flawless writing, tight plot - I'm in love with the story already.

One Day: The movie adaption convinced me to go for the original work. The author has found a really good way of telling his story: using one day, several years. Discussions of social and political issues are slipped in so unobtrusively that you don't feel like you're being lectured. Reading this gets me thinking about my past, present and future (an effect not every book has). The shift in tenses though, is rather untidy (I need to re-read to see if the author has special justifications for this).

Wolf Hall: This is one hellish tome of words artfully arranged. Thankfully, each chapter, though mercilessly long, is broken down to small segments. I don't like the way the author uses the pronoun "he" and the colon, though. Most of the time these petty annoyances confuse whatever meaning the author intends to convey. Other than that, the prose is impeccable. None of the books I've read thus far carries such ingenuity.

The Key: Sequel to Sanctus, this story is narrated using rather simple words and sentence constructions. The images that the author invokes are sharp and interesting, especially the parts which have modern day technology. However, after the explosive opening that is Sanctus, The Key is plain boring. Everything progresses steadily towards a weak climax. Disappointing.  

Movies

What to Expect while You're Expecting: Focusing on several would-be parents which are only related on a six degree kind of way is marvelous. The rich, the poor, the unmarried, younger couples, older couples - everyone experiences birth differently, even though it is universal. With a few laughs thrown in, it's fine, but sometimes the director just overstretches the limit. Some funny scenes thus become forced. Those aside, the heart-to-heart talk and confessions are warm, genuine and really, a good break from the laughs.

Brave: Simple story with simple lessons, but what I like about this movie is how everything is creatively and skillfully woven into a fine work. Not childish, not condescending - just a right balance of the two.

Pitch Perfect: This one tickles my funny bone greatly. All the smart, sharp remarks passing between characters are moderately entertaining; what I like the most about this movie is the a capella covers of famous pop songs. To be frank, only the funny scenes and singing scenes are memorable to me. The romance is just so unnatural and cliched.

Premium Rush: It is really interesting to learn about bike messenger service from this movie. The shooting angle is just right, capturing the swift motion of bicycle wheels gliding down busy streets. I will not argue against the inclusion of Chinese snakeheads (human traffickers) in the movie, but the depiction of Chinese people is rather negative. One might say it is close to racism. 

Looper: Another sci-fi with time travel as its theme, and thus the logic and timeline of certain events do not add up. Understandable, but I digress. It starts out with lots of drugs, booze, sex and murder, which bores me out but I know that these cliched elements are must-haves as they are well-established throughout human history. Conversations are whispered between characters, but sudden switches to action scenes bring loud bangs and loud music. Annoying, but luckily I have control over the volume. The whole story pans out gorgeously and the ending is poignant but plausible. I like this movie despite its untidy details about memory and time travel.

My Thoughts about "Five Fingers"

Done watching the Korean drama "Five Fingers" just now. Like, at last. After so many weeks of abandoning it because of my studies and other things. 

I must say, the drama was quite promising at the beginning. Conflicts, rivalry, backstabbing, plots - very dark, very delicious. I also like the choice of piano music. Not your usual Beethoven or Mozart, but something more recent and refreshing. Further, the characters portrayed within were not wholly good or wholly bad, but a convincing mixture of the two. Especially the main characters. There were so many layers to them, so many angles. Deftly done, good job.

However, the few episodes towards the end didn't make sense at all: dead people came back alive, somebody got blind (a bad somebody), then all good guys and bad guys decided to be friends again (though of course not without some misery). What in the world! Something from the first episode was missing, too (it was that that got me hooked). What's more, we have a few cliffhangers and an open ending (sequel possible?). What does "Five Fingers" refer to?

What surprised me were the moral lessons and unusual ending. The bad guys who did all those atrocities were punished - legally and psychologically. Nice. You don't get that often. Endless crying, denials and rejections at first, slowly moving towards tentative acceptance and then, finally, some sort of peace. It was strange seeing them making peace instead of waging war, but on hindsight, I think it was for the best.

Previously I thought "Five Fingers" would be my all time favourite drama, but turns out it isn't (maybe second favourite?). It's one of the few dramas that I watched till the end, though, so it's not entirely without merit.

那一天：23/12/12

周日我和妈妈去探望外婆。
难得一见的表哥已经陪外婆好几天了。
我跟他呀，过去几年都没什么见面，
通常都是在正式场合相聚的。

起初，他用广府话跟我聊天。
看着他的眼睛翻上面、滚左右边，
想着想着，好像很辛苦的样子。
我本想换去华语的，
可是出于礼貌，我陪他聊个够。
对于一个新加坡永久居民来说，
他的程度还算不错。

话题几乎只围绕在我身上——
我的学业、梦想、故事、未来大计划等等。
我不敢问关于他的事情，
因为从亲戚、妈妈口中听说过他家里的问题。
我们就这样，一问一答地跳这支舞。

他生于富贵人家，从小不愁衣食住行。
长得也蛮帅的，近年来健身变得
更“大只” （我妈跟阿姨们这么形容的）。
后来到英国留学，学会自立更生。
自己煮、自己洗衣物、自己打扫。

跟他聊天的时候，及看他照顾外婆、
做家务的样子，
可以见得他的细心和好心肠。
很高兴认识你呀，表哥。

临别时，我祝他一路顺风，
因为隔天（平安夜）
他将飞往香港去会女友。
外婆还笑问他，
几时带女朋友回来呀？

Happy Christmas!

Happy Christmas to my family, relatives and friends, whether local or abroad! : )

Follow-up to The Promise

This is the reply we get regarding the absurdly difficult Introduction to Psychology 2 final exam:

At the beginning of the semester, students were informed to read the assigned textbook as recommended by the module. However, some of the information might have been too difficult to understand without having first been taught in class (e.g. the topic on Therapy in Abnormal Psych). As such, upon discussions with your lecturers, it was decided that 10 questions on the topic of 'Therapy' will be removed from the final exam. So instead of 100 MCQs (amounting to 50% of the final marks), the exam will not comprise of 90 MCQs (with the original score of 50% still being maintained).

The assigned textbook? Actually there were three: a general psychology text, a developmental psychology text and a social psychology text. Tell me this: which one did you refer to? None of them dealt in-depth with abnormal psychology.

Good for them to admit that some things were not taught in class ... but came out in the exam. Certainly, not only the Therapy part. Certainly, not only some Abnormal Psych parts, but some Social Psych parts as well. Certainly, not only 10 questions! This is an outrage. Is there a further implication of the "e.g."? Do you hint at the fact that "the topic on Therapy in Abnormal Psych" was merely one of the many topics that weren't taught but came out it the exam? Exempli gratia is not the same as id est!

I borrowed three textbooks - mind you, three! - to read for the exam, but the questions in the paper were beyond our level and most of them were not covered in lectures nor tutorials.

I think we need a face-to-face meeting with the lecturers.

My "Doomsday" Eve

Duck comfit spaghetti with sun-dried tomatoes.

Lunched with my course mates at Ben's (Pavilion branch) on Thursday, after our last exam of the semester. Bit pricey, but the food was superb. Plus this was a farewell lunch for two of my friends who will be studying abroad next year.

Shopped/window-shopped and marveled at those Christmas decorations. Took lots of pictures with silly poses. Dashed through the rain beneath shared umbrellas. Fooled around in those high end stores, buying nothing. Considered watching a lengthy movie, but thought better of it. Stuck in the jam for a while and yakked away at nothing in particular. 

Don't know where our first year went, but thanks for the memories.

The Promise 약속

Today we sat for our Introduction to Psychology 2 paper. I arrived just on time for the final, after having helped out a course mate with his revision of another, totally unrelated subject. 

100 multiple choice questions, covering three out of the many domains of psychology: developmental psychology, abnormal psychology and social psychology. The biggest chunk of it was about abnormal psychology, asking things like detection and treatment of psychological disorders. The second-largest chunk was about social psychology, dealing with concepts like self, interpersonal relationships and group behaviour. The smallest portion concerned developmental psychology, asking about prenatal progresses and general psychological theories. All to be completed within two hours.

The first question itself knocked the breath out of me. The subsequent 40 questions or so chilled my heart's core. After those? My heart just froze all over. More than half of the whole paper asked about things that were not covered by the lecturers (different lecturers we had, for the three domains). I'd expected tough questions and had prepared for the worst by borrowing and consuming extra textbooks from the library. Apparently I misjudged the worst case scenario.

When the exam was over, my friends and I collectively moaned about this turn of events. We agreed it was a bad joke. One of us shared that this was not the first one to happen. Last year the same occurred to another batch of students in another subject. In that case, those abhorrently wrong questions were discarded, and the candidates' scores were calculated based on the remaining questions.

A complaint was lodged and the lecturers who received it gave their word that they will "investigate" the matter. It has come to this, then? I'll not go quietly. But first, let them carry out their promise. I trust both of them with their word. 

We shall wait, and we shall see. In the meantime, I'll prepare for the last paper. 

Out of the Blue ...

#1
"What time does this class end? Oh, eleven. Next number, eleven!"

My teacher announced the third supposedly-random number for a lucky draw he held for the participants of his study. Sort of a compensation. And oh my, I was the third lucky winner of a book voucher worth ten ringgit! Excuse my sarcasm.

I was happy, nonetheless.

#2
"Good book."

I was queuing up when the woman in front of me turned around, peeked at the cover of the book I was holding and pronounced it as "good". Complete with the necessary facial expressions.

Startled, I offered a tentative "yeah?"

"Oh have you watched the movie?" She pursued.

"Yeah. That's why I ..." I replied and added a smile. Satisfied, she left me alone.

All the more reason to read the book.

One More Month!

Last pieces of assignments were handed in, now with quizzes and finals left. Already the holiday mood is settling in for me.

One month to Christmas! :D

One Day

Celebrated the end of nightmarish assignments today by watching a movie adaptation of the novel "One Day". So beautiful. I even thought of picking up the book version to read. 

Whatever happens tomorrow, we've had today. 

解脱

该死的报告
已经交上了
觉得安心很多
也有觉好睡

接下来
就要专心考试
然后
放假啦

等着解脱！

Sept-Nov '12 Snapshots

 

Just A Guideline

(From previous. See Parts One, Two & Three.)

P #1: You have a different way of thinking. Radically different. When people listen to your ideas, they would react, "eh, we never thought of this!" Most of the time, when authority figures like your teachers ask you to do something, you'll still do it, no problem, but in an unexpected, different way. You're probably good in leadership, because of your thinking. However, sometimes you feel that your ideas cannot be expressed through words. Like they're stuck inside you. When people tell you things, you'll listen but you won't necessarily accept them. Oh yeah, and you're sensitive as well. People don't mean something, but you can pick it up.

Mum: Yes, sometimes he's like that. I noticed as well.

Thanks mum for confirming the bias. To continue (this time the other promoter joined in):

P #2: I had an uncle who had not one, but two inverted loops. Since I was a kid, I found him an oddball. There was once when somebody told him that he couldn't do something. He proved them wrong. He did it. Stunned everybody. If you can harness your potential, I tell you, you can make good use of it in the future.

Me: On what basis you predict such things?

P #2: Oh, we are an established company. Been doing this for five years already. You can trust us. At first I don't believe about all these too. I was skeptical, like you. When my daughter graduated from high school, she couldn't decide on what to do. She had some problems, so I brought her to a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist prescribed some medications for her and said, "eat them and you'll be alright". It had minimal effect. I never believed in those drugs. So I did some research and found this alternative way. Dermatoglyphics. I sent my daughter to be tested and apparently she had an aptitude for finance and marketing. She did a degree on those. Four years and look, she's all successful now.

Too bad you met a pretty lousy psychiatrist. You should see a psychologist instead. Or a career guidance counselor. Come to my uni, maybe? Nice story, but my question went unanswered. Again:

 Me: How accurate can this test be?

The promoters went on and on with stories about other clients, but they just couldn't answer my questions right away. I guess what they were trying to tell me is this: they've been around for some time and have gathered enough data to notch up their accuracy percentage and credibility. See? I can explain better than them. QED.

The promoters tried to secure me as their newest client, offering me a "promotional price which ends after today". I let slip that I have two younger sisters, so they turned to my mum, "if your daughters want to test as well, we can offer you a package ..." Blah, blah, blah.

My mum replied, "let my son decide. If he gives the OK, I have no problem." I could see that she wanted me to do, but at the same time she still wanted to respect my decision. Enough, mum, you've spent too much today. Let me help you with your budget.

One of my mum's acquaintance cut in, "But he didn't agree also!"

P #1 cleverly answered, "he didn't say no."

Enough is enough, I rebuffed, "I don't want this."

P #2 said, "Why not? Even the blah-blah-blah also did it, why not you? Why not muster some courage and do this? Just once in your lifetime?" 

"We can go to your house and do it for your daughters, by the way," P #2 changed tactics and told my mum. "You know, when you understand what's behind your fingerprints, you'll be at peace. You'll know how to chart your path. It's a guideline you can use."

In the end, after my mum and I discussed privately, we declined the offer, throwing in excuses like thinking it over lunch. The three ladies thanked them before leaving, but I had no time for manners. Straightaway exited without so much as a thank you or a backwards glance. I was so mad that I couldn't say anything.

Come to think of it, I can't really dismiss dermatoglyphics like most people laugh off Freud's theories. Yes, genes do play a part in personality, if you want to have this nature-nuture debate. Genes are inborn, yes, we can't see them unless they're expressed outwardly, like fingerprints. That much I agree with the promoters.

To say with such conviction that our traits are purely biologically determined, no, I can't accept it. Environments also have their influence, so you mustn't take them out of the equation! I have that set of fingerprints, then I also have that set of characteristics? Too deterministic for me.

Analysis of fingerprints as a guideline? True, but after knowing what's what, you'll be obsessively worrying. I don't know. I know I will, because the more I know, the more uncomfortable I become. Guide you, yes, but to where? And why need a guideline in the first place? Life is so much more fun if you just explore it. Live it. You'll stumble, arrive at dead ends, backtrack and everything, but you accumulate experiences to enrich your life. Waste time at dead ends? That's the price you pay, like tuition fee. 

Maybe before I left the promoters I should use their own words back at them: "You can tell me things; I can listen but I'm not obligated to accept."


Suddenly Sandé's song, Read All About It (Part III) came to my mind and made perfect sense, especially the front part. My eyes were pricked by unbidden tears, but I quietly blinked them away. To let them fall would mean that I give in and they win.

A day wasted for this? Urgh! I'll try to get over this episode before I sleep tonight. No meaning dwelling in this negativity.

FIN.

Inverted Loop

(From previous. See Parts One & Two.)

THE three ladies gave off a weird vibe when I found them at a corner booth in the centre. There were two professionally dressed women at the booth. Let's call them promoters (P). The three ladies indicated that I should take the vacant seat next to P #1. Mistake #6.

P #1 briefly marched me through fingerprints, genetics, personality and deviant behaviour. One of my mum's acquaintances looked at me intently, which I found uncomfortable. With my guard up and red alert on, I listened with half-interest. The following is a rough flow of our conversation:

P #1: What do you know about fingerprints?
Me: The basics, nothing much.
P #1: Do they change, or are they fixed?
Me: Hmmn. Largely they do not change, like about 90% of the time. Even if you have an accident, your fingerprints will still be the same.
P #1: So you're saying that they do not change at all?
Me: Maybe a little. I'm not sure. Your fingerprint before and after the accident should generally be the same. Maybe some part of it got lost?
P #1: Then do they have to scan fingerprints again, like for identity card (IC), if they have accident?
Me: I don't think you need that. Your fingerprints will be the same. The general features are still there.
P #1: Actually, fingerprints do not change at all. You said that we see fingerprints generally. No such thing. Everyone can be a criminal if you say that fingerprints can change and we see fingerprints generally. You'll need to re-scan your fingerprints for your IC.

I was absolutely, royally pissed off with her questions. How could she catch people like that? Playing tricks with the details. She didn't understand me at all and never bothered to clarify with me. Okay, maybe I don't like to be proven wrong, but still.

She made a movement, as if to grab my thumb to scan it with a handheld scanner. Oh no, you don't!

Me: Let me get this straight. If I scan, will you use the thumbprints for ...
Mum's acquaintance: Why ask so many questions?
P #1: No, it's fine. It'll have a bearing later.
Me: So, will you save it? The scans?
P #1: No we don't do that. We don't even take our client's IC or anything.

Satisfied, I let her scan my thumbs and index fingers. Mistake #7. They actually matched most of my mum's, in terms of whorls and their directions.

P #1: Hmmn, interesting. You have an inverted loop.
Me: What is that?
P #1: See here (points to laptop screen). Your whorls, they flow the other way 'round. 
Me: Which means?
P #1: You're unique. Let me link this to personalities. You can have lots of friends, but those who are close to you? They're few.

By this time, the three ladies were sitting closely like three birds on a tree branch and listening like nobody's business. Unique? You can say that everyone's unique. Fingerprints and personalities? Sorry, I need so much more evidence than these!

(To be continued. See Part Four.)

How's Your Drink?

(From previous. See Part One.)

HAD a steaming cup of hot chocolate just before noon. With whipped cream, this time. Pleasure #2. A barista asked for my name and chatted with me in a friendly, offhanded manner. Lighted up my day instantly. Pleasure #3.

Went to get some napkins from my barista. He asked, "How's your drink?" I took that as "House drink?" Only on the third time I got him, so I smiled and replied, "I haven't tried yet."

With the  stupid smile still lingering on my face, I took a seat, pulled out my books and studiously perused them. Actually my plan for today was to do transcription. In English, that means that I still have two recordings of interviews that I need to transform from verbal to written words. I thought of going back home after sending the three ladies to the centre, but things like petrol, parking ticket and time made me reconsider. Hence the wait at the Curve. Mistake #4.

The books I brought had really good description, explanation and analysis of human developmental theories. I like! So good that I read them properly this time, with my hot chocolate. Pleasure #4. Actually I borrowed them from my uni library to write an assignment, which is due this coming Friday. I killed it off in about one day, but the books just got me hooked.

Occasionally I looked up from my book. Laughter and whispers rose and fell gently all around me. Some people were alone, others with friends or family. There was this melancholic-looking guy with his headphones on and an opened book in his lap, staring out of the windows. Following his line of sight, I could see the rain drizzling beyond the glass walls.

After I've had enough of Vygotsky and his theories, I wandered around the bookstore once more. The biography on Queen Elizabeth II was still very tempting, but when I took it into my hands, the feeling of buying it just vanished. Ah, some other time then!

About one-forty in the afternoon, my mum finally called me. She asked whether they should come down or I go and pick them up. Feeling that I should guide them in case they couldn't see their way, we agreed to meet at the "eye centre". Mistake #5.

(To be continued. See Part Three.) 

Nobody's

JUST came back from the Curve. I'm now so full of negativity.

This morning I accompanied my mum and two of her acquaintances to an "eye centre" for their check-up. Because they'd signed up for a comprehensive eye test and they wouldn't be able to drive after the test, I was asked to be their driver. I consented. Mistake #1.

I brought along some books and planned to study them somewhere. I dropped the three ladies at the eye centre, but didn't immediately leave. Mistake #2.

One of the staff there saw that I wore glasses and asked whether I wanted to do a check-up as well. I said no and turned away. She didn't leave me at that, hounding after me and handing me a form to fill up. One of my mum's acquaintances slightly pressured me to just do a free test. Seeing no harm in doing so, I accepted her advice. Mistake #3.

I went through the boring series of eye tests and intended to flee as soon as possible. A member of the staff explained to us with great patience and in detail things like cataract, laser eye surgery and other sorts of treatments. Money, money, money. My mum and another acquaintance decided to go through the comprehensive eye test, while I was persuaded to have mine done at a later date, within the next three months.

I left them waiting for their turn of comprehensive eye tests and asked mum to call me when they finished. Off I went to my refuge, the bookstore.

I browsed through the books listlessly, in the comfortable stillness and chillness. Nobody's son, nobody's brother, nobody's client, nobody's student. Free from obligations and duty, in that timeless space. Pleasure #1.

(To be continued. See Part Two.)

HELP World Mental Health Day 2012

What a weekend! I think I spent more than half of it to transcribe the interviews I'd had with my qualitative research participants. My fingers were so sore and cramped from typing. The player itself crashed a few times because I replayed the audio recordings too many times!

On Saturday, before I started transcribing, I attended an event called HELP World Mental Health Day 2012 organised by my psychology coursemates. Just wanted to give my friends some moral support, plus they invited me verbally AND through Facebook. I was given the impression that it would include exhibition, info booths, activities and yes, performances. How can I not go? 

It was held at Piazza, the Curve. I thought I'd let them warm up first, so instead of surprising them with my presence I headed over to Borders. I'd actually prepared a list of books that I wanted to get, so I hunted them down. Row by row, aisle by aisle. They were all out of stock.

Slightly dejected, I paid a visit to each of the bookstores in the vicinity,  but all of them lacked the books I require. Oh, well.

One book caught my eye: a biography of Queen Elizabeth II. Something about royal families never ceases to amaze me. With my interest piqued, I picked it up and read the prelude. Well-written, light and sure-footed - a thoroughly enjoyable read (at least, judging by the prelude). Considered buying it (the price is, to me, reasonable), but I found other biographies on the same subject-matter. I feel so torn and ended up buying nothing.

Anyway, back to the exhibition. I observed from the balconies overlooking Piazza and saw that it was time for speeches. So I listened. There were so many people on the organising team, all wearing the same type of T-shirt (blindingly white under the hot sun). Midway through a speech, I made my *ahem* not-so-grand entrance. 

Saw my friends and waved at them. Truth be told, the venue was not really suitable (exposed to the elements). Spotted a guy holding up a black umbrella to provide shade for some girls. Other members from the organising team stayed near Laundry Bar. Me? I stood beneath a charmingly tall, not-so-leafy potted plant. After a while I sneaked away and went to have a cup of hot chocolate (warming for my runny nose). 

Re-visited the exhibition after noon and was in time for one of the first performances, then I left, for real this time.

Good job, my dear friends, you have finally pulled it off successfully!

Went Bananas!

I had a mid-term exam yesterday morning, but before sitting for it I went to look for the last few participants for my quantitative research. It was crazy to do so! I know, but if I didn't secure the remaining participants, then I don't think I'll ever look for them. 

When I finally got it all done, I felt relieved before the nervousness kicked in as I rushed to the exam hall. I was breathless from all the quick-paced walking and short distance running. Plus I was sick (still am, but now progressively better). Apparently the invigilators decided to let us in about five minutes before eight, instead of the usual ten to fifteen minutes. No harm done (I thought I would be late).

We were given sixty multiple choice questions. Piece of cake, most would say and yes, most of my fellow candidates breezed through the questions and left the hall early. I finished it easily but stayed until the very end. Some strange habit of mine, which was shared by one other friend. I think our invigilator was damned pissed at us, or outright mad with fury. I tried not to make eye contact with her, in case she mistook that for a signal that says "I want to leave". She might've been staring daggers at us for all I know.

Well, well, who set the time "8.00-9.30 a.m."? :P

Pic credit: On Zhi Xiang

After the exam, my friends decided to have a trip to Bangsar to settle some business and have some time-out. I tagged along, since I didn't have any class until about two hours later. 

We boarded a bus and had a mightily crazy time. Some of us never took bus before and acted like they'd just entered a spaceship or something (I could only stare, mouth agape, at them). We took group photos to "commemorate" the occasion.

Pic credit: Vivien Wong

We reached Bangsar about 10.40 a.m. There were thirteen of us, so when we walked around and explored the streets of Bangsar, we looked like tourists. We passed by cafés, boutiques and restaurants, all of which are high-end establishments. Many of them were not open (was it too early?). 

It was difficult to decide on where to eat, even after we agreed on a budget. At last somebody dragged the rest of us into an Indian cuisine restaurant. South Indian, I guessed. Fragrant, delicious rice served on pieces of banana leaves. No bread. Sour, appetising soup. Thin slices of bitter gourd fried to a deep red. Cucumber salad. Spinach. Crunchy papadom. My first banana leaf rice - it was so unbelievably good that I helped my friends to finish part of theirs. They didn't seem too enthusiastic to know that those "red thingy" were actually bitter gourd slices. How can you NOT love bitter gourd?

Pic credit: Michelle Yong

After our vegetarian meal we went to an art supplies shop. Some friends were looking for stationery, while the rest of us walked 'round and 'round the aisles, admiring things but really buying nothing. 

Around noon, we missed the bus. It didn't stop, even when two among us waved like mad at it. We waited under some trees but it was still scorching hot. Sweating like waterfalls we were. 

The trip back to uni was much more peaceful and quiet, though we still talked as loud. We didn't really want to attend the Anthropology tutorial, but we did anyway. As usual we were separated into small groups to discuss and later present solutions to short-answer questions. I was picked by the lecturer to present. Oh well, bring it on. My group mates found the answers and I presented first, extemporising. Through the microphone I babbled incoherently. My words sounded incomprehensible, even to my ears. 

During another tutorial later in the afternoon, we talked about two inhumane treatments for patients suffering from mental illnesses. Had group discussions again and I presented once more (this time with some help from my mates). When we were given a situational exercise to work on, I even offered some views of my own on the use of new prescriptive drugs. More coherent this time, I think.

Can't believe I behaved quite normally even while being under the weather yesterday, except when I talked or presented. I'm grateful to have been able to be around with friends, experiencing things and making memories. 

It's a mad, mad world

On Monday, my group mates and I dedicated the better part of our off-day to doing our second Anthropology assignment. We had to extract points from the audio-recorded interviews we'd had with our interviewees. That task itself took up several hours, no joke. We all had our own interpretations of our interviewees' verbal contributions, so we discussed at length about our findings and views. At times we deviated from our "serious" discussion and talked about other lighter topics. It may seem unprofessional or unproductive, but it actually helped us from being overstrung. At the end of the day we came up with a concise map that linked our points better. Before we parted we all agreed that we had fun working with each other. Yeah, true. When you get people with the right energies, you'll have good group dynamics.

During tutorial on Tuesday, our tutor enlightened us on some Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) concepts like double hermeneutics and hermeneutic circle:

Double hermeneutics: According to my tutor, when researchers examine what participants have said, researchers are actually interpreting the participants' interpretations of phenomena. Hence, researchers are merely entering the subjective worlds founded by participants, which can be interpreted but can never be accurately described. 

Hermeneutic circle involves two things: the "whole" and the "parts". Sometimes we understand a whole text by referring to the meaning of its individual parts; other times we grasp the meaning of each individual part to understand the text as a whole.

We were split into groups and given extracts of interviews to practise on. After that we presented our *ahem* interpretations. Our tutor's friends (other tutors) decided to crash the party, so to speak. I wrote my group's points on the whiteboard before we gave a brief sketch of the points. At the sight of my handwriting, one of the tutor's friends gasped and said, "I thought all guys' handwriting are terrible. Now I realise it's only you [our tutor]." To which our tutor rebutted with "You realise you're either insulting me or him [me: YEAHH!!]. I'm more advanced ... doctor's handwriting." A mate from the back of the room jokingly asked, "you know what is chicken feet? cakar ayam in Malay?" Then, as if in synchrony, several people made scratching motions in the air, imitating lion's paw or chicken feet, I don't know which. So funny.

The Sociology tutorial on Wednesday was the worst I ever had. We were shown pictures that connote subliminal messages, mostly having something to do with sex. Then we watched Youtube videos illustrating Disney's biased portrayals of social and gender roles in its cartoons. After that, instead of watching the horror movie "Shutter" as suggested by our lecturer/tutor (we all yelled "NO!"), we "read" a short online Korean horror comic, replete with sound effects. Lesson learned: don't read horror comics online. What tutorial is this? Wasted our time!

Awoke in the wee hours of Thursday morning, feeling feverish. In a dreamlike fashion I switched off the fan, pulled the curtains closer and wrapped myself in my blanket. Hours later, when I woke up at my usual six a.m., I found myself in a better state. Touched my neck and felt normal skin temperature. My mum just couldn't believe it when I narrated this to her.

I started my quantitative research's data collection on Thursday afternoon. It was a largely good (and humbling) experience, but I'm not really allowed to blog about it due to ethical concerns (have to protect my participants' rights to anonymity). I'll post it later, after the completion of my study.

Learned about the human history of mental illnesses during Thursday morning's class. People way back in the past treated these ailments in a horrifyingly different manner (I'll spare you the gory details). "Mad" people were being discriminated and ostracised just because they were mentally ill and couldn't behave like "normal" people did. Mistreatment of asylums' patients was common and cruel. I think our lecturer did a pretty decent job in preparing us before launching into next week's topic: abnormal psychology. Somehow some of us are perversely attracted to that branch of psychology. It's a mad, mad world.

Let the sky fall, when it crumbles

I was flabbergasted when word reached me on Tuesday that my studies have gained ethical approval. I'd expected a "conditional approval", feared "conditional rejection" and outright "rejection" like everyone else as well as thought "approval" a remote possibility. Imagine my disbelief when my tutor didn't return my forms because they were approved (!?) and the lecturers saw it fit to submit them to MQA (short for Malaysian Qualifications Agency) for review!

At first it felt unreal. I should be happy or excited but no, I never had any of that. Instead, I was worried. Like, deeply. I knew I screwed up somewhere - I even had in mind certain improvements about the procedures. When I finally received a photocopy of the forms from my tutor, I felt even more worried (how can they not see the flaws?) because I need to proceed with the next step: conducting the studies! I'm a newbie in this! How to do it? #dilemma

Oh, well. I'll just have to take one step at a time and see how it goes.

Adele's theme for the upcoming James Bond movie, Skyfall has been released. It's so arresting, despite the rather schoolchildren-ish rhyming words in the lyrics. People are speculating whether or not the song will be as memorable/long-lasting as other famous Bond themes. I think it might attract the audience after they have watched the movie itself instead of before. Whether it will be big or not I'm not sure, but certainly it has won over the hearts of Adele's fans and critics alike.

Now ... if I were to bake something for the occasion of Skyfall's release (both theme and movie), I would name my baked goods as "Skyfall Crumble". It should taste "heavenly" if I baked it good. :P

得到“恩准”

大约两周前
我发出几封电邮
向一位教授
寻求准许
使用他的问卷

后来从同学那里
得知其实老师
不需要我们
这么做
所以我就
没期望
教授会回复

今早开我的信箱
赫然发现
那位教授回信
说我可以用他的问卷
而且他还寄来
问卷、评分准则
并问我
需不需要问卷的出处
（他的论文）

开心死我了
真的很意外
非常感激他

2012, Q3: Books and Movies

Books

Sherlock Holmes - The Complete Novels and Stories Volumes 1 & 2: Thought it would be a slow and difficult reading (typical of Victorian/Edwardian-era novels) but I was quickly proven wrong. Doyle's work, presented in its original form, was strangely easy to read.

What Your Teacher Didn't Tell You: The Annexe Lectures Volume 1: One of the best non-fictions I've read so far. The author, for some reason, keeps repeating the same idea in different paragraphs. For emphasis? Or merely redundant? I don't know which. He likes to communicate his thoughts using really long sentences (difficult to grasp) and big words (have to check dictionary). Apart from these little annoyances, it is a great book that opened my eyes. Might consider checking out Volume 2.

The Moonstone: Published in 1868, the title of this "first detective novel" refers to a yellow diamond which was left as a birthday present to Rachel Verinder, one of the main characters in the story. The diamond was lost and so begun a search for it. The whole story is narrated by different characters related to Rachel Verinder using reports, narratives, journals etc. So convincingly told, sprinkled with bits of humour. The only drawback is that the style and language used were difficult to read (maybe the author used too archaic layman terms). I had to read a sentence twice, sometimes thrice, to understand what the author wanted to say. Slow reading, but profitable.

The Magicians: An ode to Narnia and Harry Potter. Good mixture of fantasy and philosophy, but the excellent bits of descriptive writing are clustered around the beginning and the end of the book (not evenly spread). The protagonist is depressed, insecure, cowardly, self-hating, and avoidant-ambivalent. Smart, talented, powerful - he doesn't recognise these three strengths of his. Constantly emo-ing. There are some cruel twists of fate that George R.R. Martin would have approved of. The different characters introduced everywhere in the book serve their purposes - the author doesn't put in anyone for prop or embellishment, like Rowling and Lewis sometimes did. I like the way he goes about laying out what Magic is, from his perspective. I think the author likes wine a lot and so magic is like wine - it has certain terroir, circumstances to be fulfilled. This is a book that I do not like wholeheartedly, but one that I enjoy reading. Strange but true.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: A poignant, simple, funny and ingenious tearjerker, this narrative traces a boy's journey in search of the lock to a key his father left him. A simple story made complicated by the characters' reluctance to communicate freely and openly with each other. Add to that the jumbled timeline and gaps in discovery - the reader gets hooked to read on. The lessons are straightforward. One: Do the things you want to, so that you won't regret later in life. Two: It's never too late to do the things you always wanted to. The author uses not only words but also photos and scribblings to effectively deliver a heartwarming tale. I like his insight.

The Marriage Plot: Unconventional, this one - not a book I'd normally pick for reading. There are references that I'm too young to understand (the story is set in 1980's), but overall it is cohesive, readable and relatable. I like the way the author develops Madeleine, the female protagonist's character, inner thoughts, reflections etc - very sensitively written. Also, there are discussions of a religious nature, put in plain words. The authors doesn't surprise you with big bombastic words. Instead, he steals your heart with his carefully, tactfully plotted storytelling.

Movies

The Other Boleyn Girl: I think this movie should be named The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn as it is centred on Anne Boleyn's life story. Beautiful and colourful scenes, nonetheless. The female characters in the movie, like Anne, her sister Mary, her mother Elizabeth and Katherine of Aragon, have more depth than the males. Kudos to the actresses. Laudable effort on the part of the American actors who carried an English accent (passable). Out of ten, I'll give this movie an eight.  

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Parts 1 & 2: It makes better sense to talk about these two movies together as they are adapted from a single book. The movies have scenes that are different from the book - some added, some deleted, some combined. The result? Diluted movies. The back/parallel stories were briefly touched on but not fully addressed. Nevertheless there are some parts that I like: Harry and Hermione dancing (not in book), teachers constructing a protective dome over Hogwarts (stunning) and the destruction of a Horcrux in the Chamber of Secrets (embellished). These adaptations are poor job - mildly interesting, yes, but not touching the Heart nor the Mind.  

The Possession: Take away the loud, sudden music and censor some of the scenes, actually there is nothing terrifying about this movie. Most of the parts are sickening if not disgusting. I'm impressed that the little girl can act quite well (but she fails to be scary, sigh). Overall, a disappointing movie. 

Acting all Zen about it

Where should I start?

Last Friday I lost my pendrive. Retraced my steps and inquired after it, anything just to recover my dear possession. Wild goose chase. Geez. It's still missing. I'm all but given up hope.

Felt down for a few days, but what to do? Life goes on, they say, so I stopped mourning and moping around. I started doing a movie review for my Sociology class. It was hellish. Until now I'm still editing that thing, but at least I need not worry about procrastinating. 

Had a bubble tea on Tuesday. Wu Cha Dao's the name. Cheaper and tasted better than the-famous-brand-in-purple (I mention no name).

Watched "The Possession" with two friends on Wednesday. I don't usually watch spooky movies, but then again I don't usually watch movies at the cinema. The movie was just plain disgusting, not scary. I shivered out of intense cold, not horror. 

On Thursday I tried out this Taiwan-hawker-style chicken chop sold at a fund-raising stall. It was superb. Where have you been all my life?

Now I'm busy preparing documents for Ethical Review Board to evaluate my research procedures. If approved, I'll be conducting two studies (class projects actually), one qualitative, the other quantitative. 

Speaking about qualitative research, we had mock interviews for our tutorial this week. We worked in pairs, interviewing and being interviewed by each other. It was tough mainly because your are not to lead your participant in any way (no hints, suggestions etc) but at the same time you need to get your participant answer your interview questions. Ooh, challenging. 

Many of my mates are stressing themselves out and I cannot but feel pressured as well. Well, most of them need to redo their topics because the qualitative research they proposed last semester use participants from special groups in the society, e.g. homosexuals. 

I'm burning fiercely with pride, inside, because I made the right choice of "doing it properly". They all said "simply do la" and see what happened ... *bigevilsmile* Still, I cannot be lax. Can only rest when the documents are submitted on Monday. 

Oh, I found a "new" song by Emeli Sandé called "River". Musick has Charms to sooth a savage Breast. Well said, Congreve. I totally agree.

《时光战俘》

我在中学时期关注的作家之一——陈怡廷的作品见报了！

《时光战俘》延续了作者以往微略惆怅的风格，用的字眼依然深奥。

题材还是围绕着友情、回忆和校园生活。

不同的是，此作巧妙地融入了一些较为成熟的写作手法。

读了让人回味无穷，淡淡愁思由心而生。

作品原文请见2012年9月9日《星洲日报／文艺春秋》

别忘了你当初的真

开课咯
踏入第三学期
第一个星期
就已经有压力了

功课将会很繁忙
虽然现在还悠哉悠哉的
但我必须得开始筹备
未来几个星期课业上的东西

我有个讲师很毒舌
笑话不好笑还要讲出来
然后要我们配合地笑
单纯地问她个问题
又不会好好地回答
慢半拍跟不上她节奏
或者跟不上她的水准
她不会让你好过的
我们推测她过去
可能受过极大的打击
才会有今天的品性

要不是因为
我对她教的科目有兴趣
我才不会留下来
哼
要是她敢踩我的底线
看我如何还击

前几天和朋友们
来个真心交谈
揭伤疤解心结
说说笑笑的
笑到脸部肌肉疼
好久没这样开心过

几个小时前
堂侄女临别时
给我一个拥抱
多讨喜的小女孩啊
让我联想到
烦恼没那么严重的童年

人生漂漂浮浮
起起落落
别忘了当初
最真实的你

《夺命游戏》

Pic credit: ntv7

《夺命游戏》是一部本地制作的实境剧。
这种不依赖剧本的拍摄手法有褒有贬。
有几场戏很闷、节奏前不搭后，
可是演员们的情绪逼真，扣人心弦。

看完整部戏，我觉得它不落俗套。
虽然它像是小学生写的“一场恶梦”，
但它胜在变化多端难以推测。

知道谁是凶手之后，我发现
有些场景、细节简直就是多余。
不过，这些东西吊观众们的胃口，
删掉就没好戏看咯。

戏里提到“逆行性遗忘”——
既然人家是个病患，
怎么可以刺激人家呢？
恢复记忆也好，查明真相也罢，
这样来设局“帮”病患是一大过错。
罔顾伦理议题和人权，啧啧。

演员们一时低语（幸好有字幕）
一时呼叫（还好有遥控器在手），
而且粤语讲得怪怪的、生疏。
因此，这部剧只能满足视觉感受。
听觉？没那么享受。

尽管很多地方有待改善，
这部剧还是不错看的。

Five Fingers

When I first heard about Five Fingers, piano and five-finger practice came immediately into my mind. I've watched the trailers and read about the plot, but wasn't too eager to watch it as tragedies/melodramas aren't my type. 

Sibling rivalry. Pic credit: SBS

This morning, on a whim I decided to give it a try. So far I can only say it's wicked and riveting (waiting to see whose digits the title refers to). Not sure about the whole genre, but maybe I'll like this melodrama. Wonder how it'll all unravel. For recaps of the episodes: see Mad Dino Asylum's (short and funny) or Scotch and Asparagus' (detailed, informative, somewhat amusing).

Jul-Aug '12 Snapshots

纸巾出奇地好写。

小孩不宜。真的。


午后艳阳。


写错字。用“Lit”简写就搞定咯。


多了一个“r”，碍事又闹笑话。

Next to Me

Written by Emeli Sandé, Hugo Chegwin, Harry Craze
Produced by Craze & Hoax
Performed by Emeli Sandé

You won't find him drinking under tables

Rolling dice or staying out 'til three

You won't ever find him be unfaithful

You will find him, you'll find him next to me

You won't find him tryna change the devil

For money, fame, for power, out of greed

You won't ever find him where the rest go

You will find him, you'll find him next to me

Next to me - wooh hooo

Next to me - wooh hooo

Next to me - wooh hooo

You will find him, you'll find him next to me

When the money's spent and all my friends have vanished

And I can't seem to find no help or love for free

I know there's no need for me to panic

Cos I'll find him, I'll find him next to me

When the skies are grey and all the doors are closing

And the rising pressure makes it hard to breathe

When all I need's a hand to stop the tears from falling

I will find him, I'll find him next to me

Next to me - wooh hooo

Next to me - wooh hooo

Next to me - wooh hooo

I will find him, I'll find him next to me

When the end has come and buildings falling down fast

When we've spoilt the land and dried up all the sea

When everyone has lost their heads around us

You will find him, you'll find him next to me

Next to me - wooh hooo

Next to me - wooh hooo

Next to me - wooh hooo

You will find him, you'll find him next to me

Next to me - wooh hooo

Next to me - wooh hooo

Next to me - wooh hooo

You will find him you'll find him next to me 

Taken from the album "Our Version of Events"

Closing Ceremony of London 2012 Olympic Games

The creative team behind the closing ceremony of London 2012 Olympic Games has pulled out all stops to successfully deliver what was promised to be "the greatest after-party in the world". Indeed, the careful planning and secret rehearsals paid off very nicely. Titled "A Symphony of British Music", the extravaganza showcased British music (duh!), art and fashion using creativity and humour (yes, again). Human cannonball. Giant octopus. Dancing nurses. Sugar cubes. One Direction (why not Adele?!) Ed Sheeran! :D Confetti. Fireworks. The list just goes on.

A replica of Big Ben chimed inside the stadium to signal the start of the closing ceremony.

From left: Replicas of Big Ben, Royal Albert Hall, Battersea Power Station

A miniature London was created in the stadium, replete with London's landmarks, streets and cars. Giant newsprint were used to wrap cars and trucks, which were later "unwrapped" to reveal their true identity: party buses (a LOL moment for me).

Next came a succession of songs from the past and present. I like that that part where a choir sung the opening verses of John Lennon's "Imagine", only to have the singer himself to "join in" later (using a video). Very sweet. DJ Fatboy Slim appeared on a giant inflatable octopus while "Right Here, Right Now" and "The Rockafeller Skank" were played. Boy band One Direction performed their single "What Makes You Beautiful" atop a lorry! Quirky fun. Dressed in a hoodie and jeans (wow), Ed Sheeran (who was mistaken by some as Prince Harry, I don't know why) did an emotional cover of Pink Floyd's 1975 classic "Wish You Were Here." There were other performances (Emeli Sandé, Annie Lennox, Jessie J etc) but these four left the most impact in me.

From left: Boris Johnson, Jacques Rogge, Eduardo Paes

Now came the serious moment. Anthems were sung and speeches given. International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge used the adjectives "happy" and "glorious" to describe this edition of the Games. "When our time came, Britain, we did it right," offered Lord Sebastian Coe, London 2012 organising committee chairman.

The Olympic Flag was lowered and handed from Mayor of London, Boris Johnson to IOC President Jacques Rogge, who passed it along to Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes.

Remember the "fire flower" from the opening ceremony? The Olympic cauldron that looked nothing like a cauldron? Now the individual torches that made up the Olympic flame splayed to bloom like a proper flower. A flaming phoenix was soaring over the stadium after the Olympic flame was extinguished. Pair that with the audible groan from the audience - they didn't want it to end too.

Sixteen days of joy, tears, laughter and inspiration. Thank you, London. 

Best Bits from London 2012 Olympics

For the past two weeks, we've been treated to a whole range of sporting spectacles from the London 2012 Olympic Games. In no particular order, my picks of the best bits from the Games:

Female Michael Phelps?

Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen swam to victory in the 400m and 200m individual medleys, bagging two gold medals, two Olympic records and one world record. Watch out for her future feats!

So astounding her performance was that certain critics claimed the swimmer might have been doping. Of course such accusations are unfounded.

On a lighter note, Ye's final leg of her 400m individual medley victory was actually faster than the final leg of American Ryan Lochte's gold medal performance in the same event.

The Greatest Olympian

U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps won six medals at the London 2012 Games and was crowned the greatest Olympian ever. He has an overall of 22 Olympic medals, 18 of which are gold.

Check out the U.S. Olympic swimming team lip-synching Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" as well as a parody video "Call Me Lochte" that drew on the rivalry between teammates Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps. What a fun-loving team!

Bolt:"I'm a legend!"

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, dubbed the "fastest man on Earth" has defended both his 100m and 200m titles, finishing with 9.63 second and 19.32 second respectively. He is the first sprinter to win both races in two consecutive Olympics.

What I like about him is his display of sportsmanship: when the U.S. national anthem was played, he interrupted an interview he was having with a reporter to honour the anthem. Respect! 

Waited for a Century

Great Britain claimed a silver in the men's team gymnastics, but after the Japanese team made an appeal to the judges team GB got a bronze instead.

Never mind the colour - it's Britain's first medal in that event for 100 years, since the 1912 Stockholm Olympics!

Turning Tables

Andy Murray tasted Olympic gold victory over the world's top-ranked player Roger Federer in tennis men's final in straight sets (6-2, 6-1, 6-4) at Wimbledon, the site where Federer defeated Murray in a Grand Slam final in July. In Malaysian terms, it's like the dream of Lee Chong Wei beating Lin Dan comes true. 

That's the Spirit!

South Africa's sprinter Oscar Pistorius was the first double amputee to compete in the Games. Born without a fibula in both legs, he competed wearing carbon fibre prosthetic blades and finished last in the men's 400m race.

The "Blade Runner" received a hug from fellow competitor Kirani James of Grenada and was then asked to exchange name bibs. Poignant moment.

Emotional Win

Felix Sanchez outran other competitors in the 400m hurdles in 47.63 seconds, winning a gold for the Dominican Republic and dedicating his victory to his late grandmother Lillian.

Lillian passed away just hours before the first round of 400m hurdles qualifying in Beijing Games four years ago. In this edition of the Games, Sanchez ran with a picture of her tucked beneath his vest and with "abuela" (Spanish for "grandmother") inscribed on his running shoes.

Pulling the picture out of his vest and kissing it after his win notwithstanding, Sanchez sobbed uncontrollably on the podium with the gold medal dangling around his neck. Touching, really.

Attagirl!

Saudi Arabia's Sarah Attar became the first female to represent the kingdom and compete in an Olympic track and field event.

She clocked 2 minutes 44.95 seconds (more than 43 seconds behind the heat's winner) in the 800m race, but the audience received her with loud cheers anyway to recognise the symbolic value of her participation.

No More Badminton Monopoly

Malaysian diver Pandelela Rinong Pamg clinched a bronze after she finished third in the final of women’s 10m individual platform.

Her win is significant because it is the first Olympic medal in Malaysian history besides badminton. Also, Pandelela is the first Malaysian female to become an Olympic medalist. 

With Pandelela’s success, Malaysia replicates its performance at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics (one silver and one bronze).

Two Golds for His Girls

Britain's long-distance runner Mohamed "Mo" Farah has won both 10,000m and 5,000m, becoming the first ever Briton to secure either title. He is also the seventh man to win both aforementioned races.

Mo's wife is expecting twin daughters, so he said, cheekily: "Those two medals are to my two girls that are coming. They could arrive any day."

[ Disclaimer: The images contained herein belong to their respective owners. ]