Thursday, August 30, 2007
Hairspray has a theme of challenging common stereotypes. It is essentially about stepping out of a fixed and constricted mindset, exemplified when Tracy stepped into the showbiz world with her innocence and when Edna stepped out of her house after 20 over years. These addressed a less popular issue of the slim and beautiful being privileged over the others. However, what caught my attention during the show was how openly racist it was from the start. It was to the level of not being comfortable. This was (as expected) nicely woven in when Tracy skipped lessons and got caught, leading her to meet the other races in the detention class (another racism). And again leading to how protests were raised for integration of the races.
However, none is as disturbing as John Travolta acting as Edna. To a large extent, it kind of destroyed the romantic part about the parents but I think there must be some reasons why Travolta is there. I feel that it is in a way another method of challenging our mindsets. Afterall, this is one of the issues not very challenged as yet.
The Origin. 8/30/2007 11:51:00 pm
Thursday, August 23, 2007
We never pay attention to our surroundings. Maybe we do because we have to see, look and observe to navigate our way around. But that is not paying attention, at very least we don't bother to listen to them. Even as we try our best to pay attention, there is always this tiny little voice in our head which creeps and blocks out all the other sounds. It is the child when you are day-dreaming during a lecture, the planner when you stop to think of your future, the navigator to tell you how to get to where you want to go, the critic when you are shopping or the parent when you are in need of advice.
I never knew that it was so difficult to listen in on our surroundings until I caught Singapore Gaga and came across the part on 4"33. It was a brief explanation of the act and I vaguely remember (I was trying to multi-task as I watched the show) a description of how we never really do listen in on our surroundings and how the sounds changes. With this thought in mind and my plain forgetfulness in not bringing my mp3 player out, I tried on one morning to listen. It took some effort to block out that tiny little voice in the mind and even more effort to keep it out. I guess it is just talking all the time, only that its voice gets blocked out by the mp3 players or things that are naturally interesting to us.
After having blocked it out, I heard the pattering of the rain drops on the ground, the roaring of the car engines, the rolling of car tires on wet road.. Maybe it was the rain, I didn't hear the birds. I didn't hear the people either. It is like we are all cold and alone, boarding the bus to our destinations. Isn't it scary to not know anybody around your house any more? I don't because I came to this new estate some 6 -7 years ago and neighbours I grew up with moved somewhere else. It is as though there is no familiarity around your house anymore. the familiar grounds are at the destinations and in your own home. (I have no idea where I am getting at.. Ha.. Just Typing whatever that comes to the mind)
The Origin. 8/23/2007 02:04:00 pm
Monday, August 20, 2007
Believe it or not? I have to hand in a 600 words essay on this topic by Tuesday (tmr). It is only the 2nd week of school!! Argh!! Wat the hell...
Ok.. I have been very bitchy lately. Come to think about it, I am beginning to feel bad for it. Sigh.. Need to stop. I am not so high and mighty. Who am I to ostracize them?
I guess there are times when certain people get into a whinny mood and you just don't think, "How can this person work like this? Do this then make so much noise?" Why? Because they are just that important to you or mean that much to you. You don't look at them as 'this person'. You decide that you should share their burden no matter how irritated you may be with him or her if he/she were just anybody. It is not about duties but about sharing or maybe just wanting to be a part of him/her life.
The Origin. 8/20/2007 09:47:00 pm
Thursday, August 09, 2007
I'm back! Ha... Freshmen Orientation Week (FOW) will be over tomorrow! Flag Day is officially over! (I'm the flag hd for USC btw...)
Some things over the past weeks:
- I think I am getting a little more sexist by the days.. Just a little la~
- Bubble-tea is my HAPPY drink. I was in a pretty bad mood for the whole of yesterday until the one bubble-tea cheered me up. I think it is the point of going there to buy yourself, seeing the bubble-tea being sealed that counts into the happiness content.
- I really wonder if seniors or OGLs ever dislike or hate some of their freshies. I suppose they do cuz I do.
- FOW is no longer my last project in USC... Sigh.. There's still D&D.
- The degeneration of games played: dota --> gunbound --> pokemon! Basically, I quitted dota cuz it was too addicting and then went on to gunbound. And now I am playing pokemon.
- Driving the car for more than 4 hrs a day can be very tiring. And Toyota Altis has a very efficient engine.
- Never ever say, 'Let's walk to Macs at West Coast for supper' at 4 am in the morning when you have spent the whole day running around in NUS and have not slept yet. (I stupidly suggested it and my friends stupidly agreed to it.)
- There are guys who really cannot read maps. He said, 'Go straight.' But there was only turn left and turn right...
- There are actually many things in life that you can 'hiong' past, so long as u have the guts to ask.
- There are actually very nice people around who contribute alot to flag.
The Origin. 8/09/2007 10:19:00 pm