《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. ]

Guilty until Proven Innocent!

Outrage! The Evidence (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 2012 a.k.a. Section 114A was gazetted on July 31, 2012! Refer to my previous post for more information on that law.

An Internet Blackout Day is slated for next Tuesday (August 14, 2012), announced The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) Malaysia. The objectives are these:

• Create awareness among the Internet users about the negative impact of the amendment on online expression
• Urge the government to withdraw the amendment 

What will happen on that day? Said CIJ in a release, "On Aug 14, internet users who visit participating websites will see a pop-up window which contains the message of the campaign. In addition, Netizens can change their profile pictures/avatar on Twitter and Facebook to black or use downloadable images provided by CIJ."

Guilty until proven innocent? I still say NAY! 

#ThankYouLeeChongWei

Skills win you medals, but attitude wins hearts. - ESPN commentator [credibility to be confirmed]

In the eyes of people who love the sport, he is the true champion. - David Mercer of BBC on Lee Chong Wei [credibility to be confirmed]

Yesterday Lee Chong Wei and Lin Dan battled it out in London 2012 Olympic badminton men's singles final match. Small wonder when I was driving my way home the roads were so empty.

My family and I had a very quick dinner, cleaned up and stayed glued to the telly. During the first set I sensed that Lin Dan was holding back, letting Chong Wei score first and then only beating him back. There was quite a lot of "out"s from Lin Dan. Either he was too forceful or there was a wind blowing behind his back. Chong Wei played very well, committing few mistakes and winning the first set 21-15.

The second set was more intense than the first. This time around Lin Dan unstoppered his full might but Chong Wei deftly and calmly deflected Lin Dan's quick powerful shots. It was as though both of them were dancing a choreographed sequence. Left, right, up, down, everywhere. However Chong Wei was losing some of his concentration and fell for some of Lin Dan's tricks. Errors piled up. Now it was Lin Dan's turn to dominate the court. Eventually Chong Wei gave up chasing the score so that he could conserve some energy for the third set. Lin Dan won the second set 21-10.

My eyelids were crashing down again, too tired after attending my uni's 30-Hour Famine DIY camp. My excitement of watching this match was only slowly building and I struggled to stay awake. Chong Wei and Lin Dan danced even more furiously during the third set. For a while it seemed that Chong Wei was leading, but roughly halfway through the set Lin Dan came springing back and tied it up. Chong Wei led 19-18 but then he let the shuttle pass him, and it landed in! The final blow came when Chong Wei's shot dropped long and Lin Dan won 21-19.

Lin Dan went bananas after that (I'm sure I don't need to describe the way he celebrated his win). Chong Wei sat dejectedly on the floor and received Lin Dan's hugs only half-heartedly.

Chong Wei gave his very best, with much improved skills and an excellent attitude. Previously when he took on Lin Dan his face would be ashen white. This time he was so much more calmer and you could see his eyes were focused, determined. A silver medal is still a recognition and a great achievement, especially so when you take into account the last Olympic silver. There you go: winning two consecutive silvers - Olympic silver, mind you!

Playing second fiddle is never a good feeling. There will be regrets, there will be replaying of scenes, there will the "what if"s - but know this, Chong Wei, you have done us proud! So proud! You have fought a good fight even though you still have your injury with you and had only minimal training time. You did not lose, because you never quit and somebody else simply won. You've won us a silver (our first medal in this edition of the Games) and you've won us over with your determination, passion, dedication and attitude, so please don’t say you’re sorry - you have done no wrong. We should be sorry instead, for placing such a burden in the form of "expectation" on your shoulders and for raving mad about free ice-creams as well as national holiday. Thanks to you, our Jalur Gemilang was hoisted in London.

Hand on heart, I thank you Lee Chong Wei. 

[Pics sourced from Facebook and Tumblr]

Hunger No More!

First Day: 4 August 2012

Our emcees Marcus (English-speaking) and Kenzo (Chinese-speaking) kept us entertained. Marcus was well-received for his humour and Kenzo for his good looks (the girls in my group agreed on this). We started to fast at 10 a.m.. Speeches were given, oaths were taken (must pledge to fast ?!) and then camp rules were explained. We were not to take any solid food or beverage, except plain water. This year showers were expressly forbidden, because last year some campers were caught showering in the middle of the night, which defeated the purpose of experiencing the lives of poverty-stricken people. Altogether there were fourteen rules, but I mention these two because they seemed to me most important.

We spent the afternoon playing station games and a role-playing game. Designed to mimic some of the conditions faced by poor and hungry people, the station games taught us certain lessons. The role-playing game served the same purpose, but we were split into mini-groups and portrayed characters like father, mother, two children, a chicken and a cow. Originally I got to chose the role of "father" but I swapped with a group mate, playing a "cow". Yes, cow. What the "cow"s did at my uni stays at my uni ("chicken"s' as well) :P. The lessons are more crucial, and they are these:

1. During transportation of food and medical aid, there are dangers involved, such as landmines. People lose limbs because of the "invisible" landmines that are buried in the ground.
2. It is never easy to travel in the rural areas because getting from point A to point B requires a person to negotiates a path while carrying a heavy load. No vehicles - hence people carry sacks on shoulders and walk for miles.
3. People in poverty-stricken places cannot afford any house or building material whatsoever. They construct simple shelters out of things that can be acquired in Nature (wood, bamboos etc) and waster dumps (cardboards). These shelters are defenceless against the elements of nature. One earthquake, one storm or one flood will destroy the shelters and even kill the inhabitants.
4. Mud cookies are baked for children and pregnant women in rural, poverty-stricken areas like Haiti. These cookies consist of yellow dirt, salt and vegetable shortening (vegetable oil). It is the people's belief that mud cookies can provide some nutrients, but mud cookies are harmful and might even cause death (because of the microorganisms).

In the evening we were treated to a host of great performances from local artists (e.g. newbie Alvin from MY FM) and bands (HELP uni's FrequenC and Wanted Symphony). After this little concert, we were divided into two large groups, English campers and Chinese campers, for the next session, journalling. Chinese campers stayed right where they were at the Lower and Upper foyers while English campers moved to the Theatrette. Seems like I made the right choice by joining the English camp.

Quick-witted and funny Marcus assumed the solemnity of a religious figure when he talked to us in the quiet Theatrette (still like to let himself talk rather than listen, though :P). A couple of take-home points from him:

• To take you'll have to open your palms first, so why not give?
• The best thing is the ability to give. The "bestest" thing? The ability to give with the full awareness that the other party will never able to repay you. 

After sharing his perspective, some among our crowd contributed theirs. We then proceeded to put down with pen and paper three things:

1. The best and worst moments in the camp so far
2. Lessons learnt from the camp activities
3. Future personal plans/doings after 30-Hour Famine

We were able to finish the journalling and fill feedback forms earlier than the Chinese campers. In fact, we were on schedule and in time for our designated sleeping time. All campers went to their respective makeshift dorms, segregated by sex.

It was an eye-opener to see different people's sleepwear and pre-bedtime rituals. Equally shocking it was to hear all sorts of sounds popping up during the night. There were all kinds of snores - noisy, uncoordinated, melodious, periodic. Then there were strange moans and gasps of breath. Most interesting was the soft, slow and long crinkle of something metallic. I guessed it as the opening ceremony of a particularly large bar of chocolate by a particularly big-sized fella. Or it could be some sort of medication, to give the noise-makers some benefit of doubt.

I barely slept at all. I lost count of how many times I fell asleep only to be wide awake. Maybe it was the cold - air conditioners in the classrooms were specially set to low degrees to mimic the sudden drop in temperature at night in Africa. Maybe it was the long stream of snores coming from different corners of the dorm (not blaming them, because they just couldn't help it). Maybe it was my friend sleeping beside me who snored as well as pressed my arm with a leg placed at 90 degree. Most probably, the hard unforgiving floor was keeping me awake. My bed (the one I usually sleep in) is not exactly soft, but definitely not as hard as the carpeted floor. I tossed and turned to find a comfortable position so many times.

Before I knew it, a new orchestra was playing: the ringing of alarms. The second day arrived.

Second Day: 5 August 2012

Before we departed for our second venue, we did some morning exercises led by our emcees and took group photos (as well as photos with the emcees for those who chose to). As there were about 700 of us, it was a slow wait for the buses. The journey to Stadium Malawati took about 30 minutes.

Getting into the stadium was difficult. We forgot our stickers (bearing the names of areas of the stadium that we would occupy) and had to wait up for other groups of our camp. When at last we were ushered to our seats I saw that we got a good view of the 360° stage. More and more people were arriving, to the point that all seats were taken and latecomers had to settle for the grass outside the stadium.

~.~.~.~.~.~

So beautiful that I cried, literally. Never thought that I'll ever use this phrase. There I was, sitting in Stadium Malawati with my fellow campers of 30-Hour Famine, counting down the last four hours of our fasting. Tired, lethargic, sleepy, sweaty and what-not. These last four hours were filled with performances from well-known and not-so-well-known artists and bands.

I admit that halfway through all these performances my eyelids were so heavy that I almost fell asleep (all around me people were openly sleeping), but my attention was sharp again when a group of children coming all the way from Myanmar performed onstage with our local singer Luo Yi Shi. Together they sang the Burmese version of "You Raise Me Up". My eyes were brimming with tears that I fought hard to keep, but at a point one big fat tear slid out of my left eye anyway (shed a tear, literally too). Fifteen thousand of us in the stadium, plus thousands more outside, sang the chorus together. So powerful these emotions were that I felt a strong wave tingling and coursing through my entire body. Towards the end of the song, we all clapped enthusiastically and some even gave standing ovation. Later, the same choir of children performed Jessie J's "Price Tag". A boy rapped some parts of the song - though he was unclear, we cheered like mad for him.

When Lee Hom appeared, it was like the whole stadium was on fire. Those screams, cheers, vuvuzelas and applause were so deafening that I could feel the air reverberating. He shared his stories and vision after singing a song. First time seeing him in the flesh, so awesome.

Together with the guests and artists, we counted down the last ten seconds. When the moment came to break our fast, we raised and clinked our bottles of soya bean milk. Finally! The drink really soothed my dry and raw mouth as well as throat. The bread was like the tastiest thing in the world. Weird, the way fasting teaches you to appreciate whatever food that comes your way.

I think the purpose of having this countdown is to get us campers and volunteers alike know what impact our contribution has made. We raised funds and fasted, so what after that? The cynic in me would say, "you know what, this way is not the best way. How are you even sure the funds and aids will reach these poor people? It's better if I go to the actual poverty-stricken areas and help the needy people." There needs to be a connectivity of what we do here and what actually goes on in those rural areas, hence the videos depicting World Vision's work and the repeated "thank you"s coming from the artists. 

Like what Lee Hom said, the effort of battling hunger doesn't stop after full thirty hours of fasting. We fight on! Hunger no more!