Christmas through Kids' Eyes

Delon
"The Sweetest Christmas" Performance
Mal Kelapa Gading 3
25 December 2010, 7.15pm-8.30pm

When I found out that Delon was gonna perform for the Christmas event in the mall, I'd never had a doubt in my mind. See, Christmas is my thing. And since the location was reachable, the show timing was good, and it's Delon, why wouldn't I go there? I took Mat, Karen, my sister and my mom with me. Knowing the place would be packed, I only worried about the kids' convenience. Based on my experience watching public shows like this, the view from center side was always the best, but it was also the worse. Eventually audiences would lose control and started pushing people forward just to get nearer to the stage. That's why all securities were allocated there. So we managed to get a loose spot at rear side. The only spot without securities around.

This was how it looked like to watch Delon from the kids point of view:

~ I wanna see Christmas through your eyes. Want everything to be the way it used to be. Back to being a child again, thinking the world was kind. I wanna see Christmas .. Christmas through your eyes ~
by Gloria Estefan

That's right. That tiny figure wearing Santa's hat was Delon. Kids didn't complain, though. They enjoyed his performance as much as we, the adults, did. Considering I had to keep my eyes on Mat and Karen, I let go of my plan recording the songs. Back to the old days, when I could see his shows without any camera on.

Delon sang 8 songs. Or was it 7? I lost my counting since he started his first one. First, the acoustic of the atrium was pretty bad. Second, I couldn't concentrate on what's happening on the stage. I was more amazed by what's happening around the stage. It was alive. A fact that Delon was still loved by many, many people. Young and old. A fellow audience at my right side, brought her daughter. I heard she said to her little one, that the man on the stage was "Koko Delon". Then in her conscience, she corrected herself and telling her daughter to call him "Oom Delon" instead, since she was still a baby when Oom Delon held her and took photo together.

W-O-W. Talking about the leap of generations.

Chances of Delon to go to our spot was quite slim, since most of the enthusiasts were at the center. I also noted, maybe one of the reasons was also because there would be no security to help him, in case the rear audience dragged him to the dark side of irresponsible fans action. But hey! We got two, no, three potential young fans in here. I told Karen and Mat to raise their hands and wave to Delon whenever he looked at our spot. Thus, together with the little girl mentioned above, the choir had started: "Oom Delon! OOM DELON!! OOM DELOOOOOONNNN!!!!!!!"

It worked. I got a really good hunch when he was about to start singing one song. One particular song that kept swimming in my head whenever Christmas came around. A timeless, beautiful song written by David Foster and Linda Thompson-Jenner, originally performed by Natalie Cole. One of the best song that was also included in "The Sweetest Gift from Delon" album. Instinctively I turned on my camera.

And there it went ..

"Grown-Up Christmas List":
Natalie Cole (with David Foster), Natalie Cole (with London Symphony Orchestra), Amy Grant, Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Anthony Callea & Sylvie Paldino, Charice (with David Foster), Jane Monheit, Michael Buble

That's the only video I captured. The one with "Grown-Up Christmas List". The one when Delon finally acknowledged the kids calling and he approached us to say Merry Christmas. Mat got his handshakes.

Then near the end of the song, the kids got Delon's Christmas pins, privately distributed by Vena. These limited number of pins, were also distributed to the crowd by Delon and the MC. Only the lucky ones at the front row could grab it. Many others were left drooling over it. At one point, Mat dropped his pin. It flew over the railing and dropped near the stage. I couldn't reach it. Some audience around us had already locked their hungry eyes on that lonely pin on the floor. Oh no. Mayday! Mayday! Luckily, Wawan was around. I called him out and asked his help to pick that pin up stat. He returned the pin to us, thank you, and I immediately pin it to Mat's t-shirt. Ha-Ha. Now it couldn't leave anywhere.

So the rest of the evening was enjoyable. No one pushed us forward, nor stepped on our feet. When the kids were tired standing, they sat on the floor. Really. Like Mother, Like Son. (If I could sit on the floor, I wouldn't hesitate as well). I recalled some songs: "Hai, Mari Berhimpun", "O Holy Night", "Grown-Up Christmas List", "Negeri di Awan" (his new single, originally by Katon Bagaskara) and "Mary's Boy Child" as the closing song. Three other songs I couldn't remember, one of them I suspected written by Delon himself (gosh, I was such a lousy fan).

I could say Delon and Christmas were a perfect match.

This was Mat's first public Christmas show to see. I knew kids wouldn't care for details, and perhaps what he saw was different than what I saw. Or maybe it was the same. Seeing he could stay nicely among the crowd and the noise, eyes on the stage, I thought it caught his attention very well indeed. I was happy I took him along with me.


Thanks to Vena Kresnan, Delon and Yeslin Wang.

Indonesia vs. ??

"Udah pakai kaos merah, tempel bendera merah putih di pipi kiri-kanan, terompet ditiup ga bunyi, yang nonton berisik bener, penalti ga gol pula .. mending dengerin iPod aja dah."

Akhirnya Mat ga tau hasil akhir pertandingan.

Mat: "Mama, ayo ceritain tadi Mathieu nonton bola gimana."

Mama: "Jadi tadi di babak pertama, Indonesia dapet penalti, tapi ga gol. Nilainya masih nol-nol."

Mat: "Iya. Terus?"

Mama: "Terus di babak kedua, Malaysia tendang gol satu. Jadi nilainya satu-nol."

Mat: "Iyaaa. Terus apa lagi?"

Mama: "Terus Indonesia tendang gol satu. Jadi satu-satu. Ga lama, Indonesia tendang gol lagi. Jadi nilainya dua-satu. Indonesia menang. Malaysia kalah." (Mama ga mau pusing jelasin masalah gol 0-3 hari Minggu kemaren dan kenapa hari ini Indonesia menang, tapi ga dapet piala.)

Mat: "Oooo."

Mama: "Jadi tadi Indonesia main sama siapa?"

Mat: ".........." (mikir)

Mama: "Sama Ma ..."

Mat: "..... maaaaaa .."

Mama: "Lho??? Kok Indonesia main sama Mama?"

Mat: "Iyaa. Kan pipi Mama ga ditempel itu (maksudnya sticker bendera merah putih). Jadi Mama bukan Indonesia. Jadi Indonesia main sama Mama."

Mama: "............" (jatuh dan menggelinding dua kali seperti bola kaki masuk gawang Malaysia.)

T'was the Night Before Christmas

Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart... filled it, too, with melody that would last forever. ~Bess Streeter Aldrich

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.~ Norman Vincent Peale

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree is the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~Burton Hillis

Once again we find ourselves enmeshed in the Holiday Season, that very special time of year when we join with our loved ones in sharing centuries-old traditions such as trying to find a parking space at the mall. We traditionally do this in my family by driving around the parking lot until we see a shopper emerge from the mall, then we follow her, in very much the same spirit as the Three Wise Men, who 2,000 years ago followed a star, week after week, until it led them to a parking space. ~ Dave Barry

Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people once a year. ~Victor Borge

Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall. ~ Larry Wilde

One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly. ~Andy Rooney

May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope;
The spirit of Christmas which is peace;
The heart of Christmas which is love.
~Ada V. Hendricks

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love! ~Hamilton Wright Mabie

Christmas is the day that holds all time together. ~Alexander Smith

I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month. ~Harlan Miller

The Way Kids Celebrating Christmas .. by Dancing

There's always something to tell about kids' performances. They're so eager, so naive. Whether or not they have talents in art (i.e. singing, dancing), you can be certain you'll have delightful experience watching them on the stage. Anything could happen. And they were never the same. In practice, general rehearsal or in the performance, they could switch partners, standing outside their designated spots, throwing last minute tantrum on stage, falling down, shoes flying off .. anything. All in all, adorable.

Christmas Celebration
Global Montessori School
17 December 2010 @ 4pm-6pm
Lippo Supermal Karawaci
(photo and video exclusively on Facebook)

"Winter Cheer", Toddler - GMS Lippo Karawaci

Seven kids were planned to perform, one backed away crying as hard as she could. And she was not even the youngest one. The youngest one, was the best dancer in the group. Some teachers had to stand by very close to the stage cause she barely aware of the stage end.

"Shout to the Lord", Toddler - GMS Lippo Karawaci

The same six kids (one was still very much reluctant being a star on stage), doing some afternoon exercise. Up, down, up, down, move your legs, wave your hands .. they were just like a bunch of flowers, with one or two bended toward the opposite direction.

To the Sky", Pre Elementary - GMS Lippo Karawaci

Mat was in this group, along with his seven friends. In four pairs. The boys wore tux and raindeers headpiece. The girls were in white dresses, with white ribbons on their hair and wrists. The only non-Christmas song, but I admit, this one kinda grew on me (click here to see the original MV). This was a perfect example of how various the kids gave us their performance. From the school practice to the stage, not one was the same. Mat and his partner looked like they both were having a fight with each other. I kept signaling Mat to move closer to her, but instead, he moved even farther apart. He might have trouble understanding the concept of "left" and "right", or maybe it was me who didn't know how to do a sign language. I ended up getting Mat confused till he stopped dancing for a moment. "Where do you want me to go, Mom? Speak clearly!!" Uh-oh! So I left him alone. Turned out all was fine and cute. Kids gotta work on their chemistry. And there should be big Xs that mark the spots. But I was very entertained seeing this dance.

"Christmas Eve (Poem)", Pre Elementary - GMS Lippo Karawaci
12 kids performing a poem. Each of them wore different animal or flower costume, and a letter sign hanging by the neck. Mat was the Icicle and he was the only male flower among his friends. At the end of the performance, when the kids were jumping, his flower headpiece refused to stay put. Mat was obviously upset by the headpiece betrayal.

Now, repeat after me:
C is for the Christ
H is for the Heaven
R is for Remembering
I is for Icicle
S is for Stocking Stuffs
T is for Tinsel
M is for Misletoe
A is for Advent-calendar
S is for Santa Ho-Ho-Ho
E is for Eggnog
V is for Visiting
E is for Everyone

"Jingle Bells", Pre Elementary - GMS Serpong
An honorary mention from the sister school. A very cool choice of song, a neat choreography, executed very well by the kids. I only managed to capture the last couple of minutes, because I'd been busy chasing a clown with Mat (yea, he's still upset by the headpiece, so he intended to make his revenge on the ugly clown).

"Christmas Tree", Pre Elementary - GMS Lippo Karawaci
By far, the best performance from Mat's school. Or I could say, the best of all performances. The pom-poms were cheery, the song was uplifting, the choreography was tricky, but those six kids were INCREDIBLE! God, I'd seen other performances by the kids at their age (maybe older), and they were never this good. Kids were very loose, enjoying their time on stage. And it was contagious, parents (and audience) couldn't help cheering. I sensed pride. Big time. It was heart-warming.

All kids closed the performances by singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" on stage. And Santa Claus finally came for giving out presents.

I'm taking this moment to thank all teachers. For their wonderful efforts in preparing the event. For the song choices, the choreographs, the costumes, those little details that might go unnoticed. But the most of all, for their patience in working with the kids, acknowledging their talents, full-fulling their hopes.

Merry Christmas.

The Best Time of the Year

I love December. For so many reasons. These are just some of them.

Mat's birthday is one day after Santa Claus' arrival. So the routine of Christmas shopping always merges into birthday arrangements. It doubles the cost, but the most important thing, it triples the fun as well. Santa day, birthday, Christmas day. See?

It's a good time to clear up my leaves. Yeah. Nobody can work in this holiday mood anyway.

Though it doesn't get to snow around here, December is always a beautiful month in all terms. It certainly does feel like it when the Christmas tree is lit up and the Christmas decorations are hanging around and cheering up even the gloomiest spots. That put a smile on your face seeing those red, green and gold colors everywhere. (Or maybe it's just me).

A perfect excuse to set everything in Christmas themes. At home and in Litterzone.

As in summer, December is a good month for family movies. This year it got The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and Tangled (a.k.a. Rapunzel: A Tangled Tale. It has a bunch of teasers that are hilarious. I'm lazy to put the links in here, so you go ahead browse them). And I'd like to recall: The Polar Express as the best 2D-feel-like-3D Christmas movie, Home Alone as simply the best Christmas movie ever with the best Christmas soundtracks and Miracle on 34th Street as the movie that set Sir Richard Attenborough as the real Santa Claus in my mind forever.

Christmas songs. Enough said. It's on the sidebar and in here. And the honorary awards go to (click on title to view video and place your pointer on it for lyrics):

"Somewhere in My Memory" ~ Home Alone introduces me to this song. I love it. Love love love it. The children choir brings a longing, indescribable sweetness. John Williams is truly the master composer, though some may say his works are sometimes repetitive. I love these two versions too: "Main Title" and "Finale".

"Carol of the Bells" ~ A traditional song I've heard it the first time from, again, Home Alone here. In a non-English-tongue country I live in, very rare I hear this sung in church. At its original tempo, it's a tongue-twister and a breath-taking song. Literally.

"Star of Bethlehem" ~ Have I told you that John Williams a genius? No? Well, listen closely to this song and "Setting the Trap", from Home Alone.

"O Holy Night" ~ Another traditional song, my all-time favorite, whoever sings this song. But Celine Dion got it through me most.

"The Sound of Life" ~ Exactly how it feels. Oh, and one night a couple of years back, I was alone in my house, accompanied by my twinkling little Christmas tree. I grabbed my Canon A80 and set it on tripod. There, the background pics on the video.

"When Christmas Comes to Town" ~ Always makes me cry. From the OST The Polar Express, here's the original scene.

"Believe" ~ This is all over The Polar Express. A beautiful score, beautiful lyrics, and gosh, Josh Groban.

"Holidays are Coming" ~ Despite of my addiction to Coca-Cola, this 2009 advertisement is definitely put the mood on a different level. The best Christmas ad to date. Wonderful! And yeap, holidays are coming indeed, and it's contagious.

The Social Network

Have you ever received this on your social networking sites?

"Mark Zuckerberg is hospitalised due to serious injuries. Chuck Norris poked him on Facebook."

I have. On my Twitter. I'd really like to share it on my Facebook. (Yea, I got both accounts).

And I forgot to share it until I saw The Social Network. Then I wish someone as tough as Chuck Norris could really gave him a good punch on the face, I mean, by not virtually. So he would end up not just being hospitalised, but also paralysed. Then Facebook would go off line, and we would have world peace because we spent time better in a quality life.

Where was I in 2005? Oh. Busy sending sms, blogging, writing to this group and enjoying my daily life without having to read some other people's narcissism-they-called-it-socializing. Now, at least once a day I open Facebook for: 1) To curse on things I don't get; 2) To share things THEY most likely don't get.

Make it 3) To give myself a cynical laugh at the stupidity, hypocrisy and all the idiotic things posted on it.

When you think someone would actually care when you had a successful poo-time.

Seriously, people?!

Zuckerberg has invented a really genius thing. Despite of how he'd done it by stealing and betraying (suspiciously). The movie told us about the process. What happened at first it was meant as a mockery, it expanded large enough to crash a university network, and then the whole world bow down to his success as the youngest billionaire. Turning someone who was just annoyingly (and really smart) nerd into someone who was frighteningly cold and ambitious. Mark Zuckerberg was not an asshole, so they said, but he was trying hard to be one. I wonder why his name always rings "Sucker-berg" all this time.

I'd never really feel like digging into the real Mark Zuckerberg's story. I just admire him in one way or another because he's in a generation who are simply relentless in information and technology. People like him, can (and will) make a better world for us to live in. They connect us easily. Here and there I read successful causes raise to help humanity. Family and friends found each other.

I still love Facebook. It is an effective media for advertising and self-promoting. Though sometimes it is totally unnecessary and overwhelming, thinking about those crap people, and I, threw onto the wall for all to read. Do we love being a narcissist? Absolutely.

But The Social Network teaches me about some cost people have to pay for an ambition. And the secret of the success, makes me wanna cease the social networking. A bit.

Whether or not it's a fictional, a movie, some dramatised plot based on a true story.

Chuck, go get him quick. Before Oscar visits the acting, writing and directing department. Before the sucker fixes his color blind and change Facebook into electric shocking pink.

Before my friends, who currently have more than 1,000 friends (and they're not even celebrities), can get to 500,000,000 friends and make some enemies.

Me, I will just simply remove my enemies from my friendlist.

And you bet I'm posting this on my social networking sites too.

-- as posted in CineFriends --

On Twitter:


Twitter linked to Facebook:


See the zero "Like" or "Comment" there? I share things they DON'T get. Exactly.

Beating the Evening Jam

Back in early 2002, when the rain poured down heavily for two days non-stop, I spent four hours waiting for the evening bus home. I waited standing in the rain, under my umbrella, in the long line of people queuing. I couldn't leave my spot, not even to go to toilet. Nobody moved too. Then the bus came, I managed to get a seat. Many others couldn't. The driver encouraged all of us to just go in and stand in the aisle. It was a wet, cold and dark night. Electricity was down due to heavy flood. Traffic was horrible beyond measure. The trip home took another good four hours. We arrived at destination at midnight. And apparently, that bus was the last bus that could reach final station that night. Other buses couldn't make it, they had to spend overnight on the road .. together with the unlucky passengers.

Last Friday, it almost happened again. Only this time, it was a 15-minute rain and thunderstorm instead of 2-day rain. I was this close from running out of my office building to catch my bus home, but the storm was faster. Nothing would survive that thing. So I ended up going back to the office and waited there cautiously, I had planned to run as soon as the rain a bit lightened. When I finally could arrive at the bus stop, through showers, I realized that this was not eight years ago. A short pouring could cause traffic as heavy as it was in 2002. But I didn't want to wait in the rain. I went straight to the building lobby entrance, found an empty spot at the corner and sat on the floor. I waited, wearing my waterproof hooded-jacket, listening to my iPod and playing with my Blackberry. The bus was 2 hours late, I got a seat and it took 1 hour trip to home.

Never would I think I'd be in this situation again two days after. This Monday evening, the next working day from the above mentioned, it was the worst jam of the year. The rainstorm started at 4 pm and lasted for about 3 hours afterwards. I got out of the building early to anticipate the rain, didn't do any good. Still lucky I could get this motorbike-cab rider who was patient enough riding through the rain and leg-deep flood. Though I was wearing my waterproof jacket, it was so cold I couldn't stop shivering. Again, after reaching the bus stop, I went straight to the building lobby entrance and looked for an empty spot to sit. I took my shoes off because it got water in it, and started waiting. Listening to my iPod, playing with my Blackberry, and I got a really good book to read. I also bought my dinner in a box, ate it right there while sitting on the floor. (One lady complimented me on my successful dinner hunting in that difficult situation). When the waiting reached its 3rd hour, I was not the only one sitting at the lobby entrance floor. The bus finally came at the 4th hour. And the trip home took another 2 hours. I reached my home nearly midnight.

So. Looked like I did learn some things to a better comfort from one situation to another. Made the unbearable waiting time bearable to some extend.

(The bus driver suffered worse. I couldn't complain).

Here were the things I did on the 2nd and 3rd waiting:

• Staying warm inside my jacket with hood on.
• Sitting on the floor. I had no shame.
• Listening to Wang Leehom's songs: "Fallen Leaves Return to Roots", "Everything", "Another Heaven", "I Can't Stop Loving You", "The First Morning" and "Forever Love" on repeats.
• Listening to Vic Zhou's songs: "Love is Loving You", "Shattered Tears", "Your Familiar Gentleness", "Suddenly", "A Gentle Goodnight" and "Just for You" on repeats.
• Singing along all songs. Nobody cared. Or if anyone cared, I wouldn't care.
• Reading I'm Stalking Jake! by Becky Heineke for the second time.
• Catching up with all posts from I'm Stalking Jake!, Jake Watch and The Forum.
• Reading tweets on Twitter.
• Re-reading all posts from this blog. Just for killing time.
• Having fried rice I bought from a hawker stall for dinner.
• Drinking lots and lots of water.
• Going for some restroom breaks, of course!
• Googling some unimportant things.
• Enjoying the view of cars parking bumper to bumper on the road, with beautiful red and golden lights around.
• Snapping a self-pics, captioned it and posted it online for the first time on Facebook.

.. and ..

• Spamming Facebook:

I hereby thank:

Waterproof jacket, iPod, Blackberry, ISJ book, Facebook, Twitter, Google, Wang Leehom, Vic Zhou, Becky Heineke, Gyllenhaalics, the motorbike-cab rider, the food seller, the restroom, the lobby entrance, my friends who commented and liked my Facebook status, my family who kept monitoring my whereabout, the bus driver and Litterzone.

Add:
My iPod is designed to accompany me during traffic jam. This playlist is the most effective evening jam beater.

I Finally Met Jake through His Ultimate Watcher(s)

Very few people have noticed that the way I admire actors, or artists in general, is by following their works. Sure, once in a while I do collect pictures and read articles from the net, but that will stop at one point cause I'm a lazy surfer. I'm not really into chasing autographs or snapping pictures together with the actors (that is too difficult to get anyway, so why bother?). I don't give a damn about their personal lives as much as I don't like people nosing on mine (and bless some actors that made it to my list, they're men of privacy). I despise infotainment. I have a very strong ignorance on gossips. I'm the one who can meet celebrities eye to eye and pull an act like I'm not the one who should give any recognition. (Hey, you want to be recognized, please introduce yourself to me).

I value artists only by their works. I chase their movies as many as it's available, and watch them in repeat viewings. I go to their live performances, mostly it's free but I don't mind paying for reasonable admission fees. I do join some fan community, but my purpose is to get insight on the projects. I write reviews or coverage for the sake of my own memoirs, but I have no fear to share, including negative comments, right into the heart of the community (well, sometimes someone needs to bring some senses. I never care if they take those comments personally or not, they shouldn't. As if I care they ever read any of it). I praise easily too, I'm not all negatives.

I mostly am a silent observer. I rarely show my Fan-O-Meter. I love admiring people from a far and below the radar, it's the only way I think I can give them fair judgments and this can make me stay longer. I can be a fan, but all that takes me to be a huge fan is how good they represent their works to me. Constantly.

I'm also known for my unusual taste in terms of favorite actors, since I tend to choose obscurities. It doesn't surprise me anymore to hear people go "Huh?" or "Who?", or just rolling their eyes whenever I mention some actors' names. This apply to Jake Gyllenhaal among all.

And he's not helping either, he has a surname difficult to pronounce and to spell (click here for "tutorial"). So far I've heard only one of my family members who could say it correctly just by single look at Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time DVD cover. *sigh*. Life would be much simpler if the name's Brad Pitt.

Quoted from a Moonlight Mile review:

I find Jake Gyllenhaal to be about the most likable guy in the industry today. He plays all of the out-there, mixed up type characters; but somehow still seems to be one of the kindest of individuals. [.....] by his cover Jake looks like he would be one of the worst actors on the planet, he has messy hair, a rumpled face, and a lazy look to him; but he really is one of the best new-comers to the business.

That should be enough to validate his existence. What else in there to say? He can act, and despite of his rumpled face, he's absolutely adorable. He's a package of irresistible dark chocolates. So I did the routines since Bubble Boy, skipping here and there (man, his filmography is almost way outta my league), until I stopped at Rendition. It stopped merely because he stopped feeding me with his works. It was Prince of Persia that brought him back the second time, and I got carried away. I'd been digging deeper, the way I'd never done before, to catch up with what I've missed. It's obviously different this time.

Then .. I found myself opening a Pandora Box in the form of this book.

The book is a clarification of everything I've experienced as a blogger, a fan and a friend of some loyal community who worship celebrities like there are no others in this universe. It's amusing and frightening at the same time, how I see myself reflected in it. The way the author described the blogging process; when one blog was not enough and how creating/designing a blog seemed much more interesting than filling it in. The way it pointed out the difference between writing for self and writing for others, no matter how interesting or boring the material was. It was all so true. Been there, done that.

I have anticipated what's the book gonna say about the celebrity, the fans and everyone else included in the loop. I've seen people change once stardom strikes. I've witnessed the reality behind deceptive public appearances. I know some celebrities who are terrified (!), insecure and uncomfortable among their own fans. From time to time I hear how far fans (some I know personally) would go for their stars, with or without agenda. Sometimes I'm disgusted, yet amazed to see how PR or publicists work in creating such a persona and images that people - us, the fans - can accept. They manipulate us to see only from one side of the coin. And we gladly accept it, because it will be our fantasy. And for some of us, it's all we want to see.

I've known all these things. Nevertheless, I'm still taken aback by the honesty and hostility it's described in the book. It's a truth-telling about fantasy reveals its naked face, that nothing's always exactly what it seems. It showed the consequences of reaching out to the nearly impossible, which happened to be Jake Gyllenhaal. And his family. And his dogs. (God!)

I won't say the book has crashed or changed all my fantasies of Jake. It gives impacts, yes, it's what good books do. There's no denial. It forces me to look back to where I stood before. To the place of me being a huge fan without even bothering all those craps. The author reminds me of myself sending out those negative comments, bringing me into my senses. And to suggest my reason to write should be for no one else but me. It's a wise book to read and to learn from. It doesn't preach. I love it.

But deep inside I still wish I'd never gone this far. Jake, I'm not gonna change my mind thinking you're brilliant, but you got a LOT to make up. Let's start over with the upcoming Love & Other Drugs. It has better be good, Jake. I mean it!



"This character is stupid, who can we cast? Well. Jake Gyllenhaal."
(Jake Gyllenhaal on playing mostly flawed characters, quoted from The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos).


*Note: This is a personal interpretation on I'm Stalking Jake!. Others' may vary.

Anti-Blackberry in Poetry

Received this poetry in my email recently.

Aku dan Adik Sayang Papa-Mama, Tapi....

Dr Widodo Judarwanto SpA

Aku dan adik sayang Mama; tapi maaf, Ma….

Mengapa saat adik menangis kehausan, Mama masih asyik ber-BBM?
Mengapa saat aku tidak bisa mengerjakan PR, Mama selalu bilang coba dulu pikir sendiri – sambil mata melotot ke BB?
Mengapa saat aku tidak bisa memasang tali sepatu, Mama selalu menyuruh Mbak untuk membantuku – sambil tangan mama lincah menyentuh BB?

Aku dan adik sayang Papa; tapi maaf, Pa….

Mengapa saat Mama minta tolong ambilkan diapers untuk adik, Papa selalu bilang ambil sendiri – sambil tertawa di depan layar BB?
Mengapa saat aku mengajak main bola, Papa selalu bilang, Papa lagi capek – tapi tanpa lelah balas BBM?
Mengapa Papa sekarang jarang sekali menyanyikan lagu saat membobokan adik – tapi Papa asyik terus pegang BB?
Mengapa Papa sekarang jarang sekali baca cerita saat sebelum tidur, tapi Papa selalu pegang BB saat membobokan aku?

Aku dan adik sayang Papa-Mama; tapi maaf, Pa, Ma....

Aku dan adik jadi benci BB, padahal PapaMama menyayanginya
Karena sejak ada BB, Papa jarang cium aku
Karena kalau pegang BB, Mama kalau ditanya PR selalu marah-marah
Karena kalau ada bunyi BB, Papa selalu melepaskan gendongan adik
Karena sejak ada BB, Mama hanya bisa tertawa dengan BB
Karena sejak kerajingan BB, Papa jarang main perang-perangan lagi denganku

Aku dan adik sayang Papa Mama; tapi maaf, Pa-Ma....

Aku pernah ajak adik berdoa, semoga BB Papa-Mama selalu low bat
Aku pernah ajak adik berdoa, mudah-mudah wajahku berubah jadi BB, biar Papa-Mama selalu pandangi aku terus
Aku pernah ajak adik berdoa, supaya BB Papa-Mama ketinggalan di kantor, biar aku dan adik bisa bersenang-senang seperti dulu lagi
Aku pernah ajak adik berdoa, supaya semua orang di rumah ini tidak beli BB kayak Papa-Mama, agar kalau Papa-Mama tak mengacuhkan aku, aku bisa main dengan mereka

Papa dan Mama, maafin aku dan adik....

Save Our Children
http://saveourchildren.wordpress.com/
(Gerakan Matikan BB di Depan Anak)

Positively, all things written in this poetry might be true. We can see by now how the addiction has interfered into our lives. Negatively I would say the author is so very threatened by Blackberry existence.

It's not only Blackberry. If he'd like to raise a cause of "Save Our Children" by "Stop Blackberry Addiction", sadly he only touched the creme. He should have blamed it all on technology. He should have raised the cause by "Stop Blogging Addiction", "Stop Internet Surfing Addiction", "Stop Sony Playstation Addiction", "Stop Yahoo! Messenger Addiction", "Stop Wii Addiction" .. and the list keeps going on and on and on until it reaches the newest tech "Stop iPad Addiction". For now.

And learning from the trend, sooner or later there will be another poetry written to raise a cause of "Save Our Parents", cause the children too .. are now using Blackberry. Then we'll be happily ignoring each other and make connection to our gadgets instead.

I agree we should be wise in using Blackberry. But I do not agree treating Blackberry as a scapegoat for our inattentiveness.

Just Because (It's Wang Leehom)

Just because I wrote this and when the rain caught me yesterday, I ended up listening to that very same song over and over again, wishing I could transform my iPod into someone I could cuddle in the cold.

Just because I like this duet very much for it's very hummable and easy on my ears, and Mat declared it this afternoon, "This one is goooooood!!", it's our Song for the Moment.

Just because a complete review of 18 Martial Arts has been posted here ..

.. I will just jump in into 3 songs.

伯牙绝弦 Bai Ya Jue Xian (Bo Ya Cuts the Strings)
I always look for a song catchy enough to get me by its first couple of seconds. This one, is not one of them. It's an okay song. I'm quite old-fashioned in terms of song choices and most of his songs are hipped. Can just say it's out of my league. Well, this doesn't disturb me, but no way I will memorize it.

天涯海角 Tian Ya Hai Jiao (The Ends of The Earth)
Now, that's more like it. A slow song, my kinda song. But frankly speaking, I don't know why it's so difficult to stick around in my head though I've listened to it so many times. I think it's because there's actually nothing special in this piece, nor there's any breakthrough trick. Except that he's singing it longingly and his voice does sound effortless. Sure, the refrein is soooooo nice, I love it. Perhaps one day it can actually sink in. Then I'll be very happy.

Just because I need to choose my favorite song specifically in this album, and because "Luo Ye Gui Gen" or "Ling Yi Ge Tian Tang" is not in it ..

你不知道的事 Ni Bu Zhi Dao De Shi (All the Things You Never Knew)
Movie soundtracks rarely disappoint. Speaking of catchy and memorable tunes, this one certainly got it. There's a bit strain on the voice like it's in "Kiss Goodbye". But I personally don't mind when I can follow the song easily. And I'm pretty sure it will be even better and better once I've seen Love in Disguise.

Just because I don't always agree on every songs of his and can only choose very few over hundreds, doesn't mean I can't see how amazing he is as a musician.

Just because words sometimes fail me.

So let me select some of his videos, save it into my playlist and put him up onto the Idolization page.

Let's celebrate with all the fanfares .. this is my first love among the rest. Groove along!

Old-fashioned, am I?

Dawai 2 Asmara

Sebelumnya, gue mau ngaku dulu. Kalo bukan dikasih kesempatan nonton premiere gratis bareng Delon, gue bakalan berpikir tujuh kali buat nonton Dawai 2 Asmara.

Karena:

1. Gue masih ragu sama kemampuan akting Delon, setelah pengalaman nonton film yang ini.

2. Gue bukan orang yang religius. Dan kerap sinis sama hal-hal yang berbau agama kolot dan menggurui. Mengingat ada nama Rhoma Irama bertebaran di film ini .. er. Yeah. That.

3. Gue sama sekali bukan penggemar the music of my country. (Sure, I love .. I mean, LOVE "Kopi Dangdut". But then I found out it's not original. No wonder it tasted different). Gue sempet liat TV spot-nya sehari sebelum acara nonton bareng. Di sana keliatan Ridho Irama sedang berjoget dangdutan. Uh-oh. What've I got myself into?

Right. Gue warganegara Indonesia yang durhaka, ga nasionalis, tukang kritik dan pintu neraka jelas dah terbuka lebar buat gue (biarpun amit-amit, gue tetep pengen masuk surga). Jadi kalo elo ga siap baca komentar gue di bawah ini .. better skip it and find something else to do .. let's say .. nonton ulang Dawai 2 Asmara sampe elo bisa ikutan joget ala Ridho atau sekalian bertransformasi jadi Satria Bergitar??

Masih tetep mau baca? You've been warned.

DAWAI 2 ASMARA

Premiere di Hollywood KC 21

7 September 2010

Dawai 2 Asmara mengangkat kisah cinta segitiga antara karakter Ridho Irama, Thufa (Cathy Sharon) dan Delon. Ridho diceritakan berpendidikan di luar negeri. Dan waktu pulang kembali ke negeri tercinta ini, dia didaulat sama ayahnya - Rhoma Irama, buat mengembangkan aliran musik dangdut berbalut modernisasi yang bisa sesuai dengan ciri khas anak muda. Di sini dia bertemu kembali dengan Thufa, teman masa lalunya. Yang kebetulan Thufa juga udah punya Delon sebagai pacarnya. Jadi .. jinak-jinak merpati, acuh-acuh butuh, malu-malu mau .. you name it, you got it. Ditambah kehadiran Haura (Emily Graham), seorang bule dari Australia yang simpatisan musik dangdut yang juga tertarik sama Ridho. Dan seorang sopir taksi yang mencerminkan Fans Nomor Satu yang psikopat. Ditambah dengan persaingan antar genre musik pop dan dangdut, ajaran pencak silat, kuliahan agama, penculikan dan pembunuhan .. dan lagu-lagu dangdut lagi .. dan joget-joget juga dong. Lengkap. Komplit.

Pertama yang gue perhatiin, Cathy Sharon sebagai tokoh sentral di tengah dua asmara seperti pada judulnya, sama sekali ga adil namanya ditulis di bawah nama Rhoma Irama dan Ridho Irama. Boleh coba dihitung jumlah scene-nya dibanding Rhoma Irama. Kalo mau Rhoma Irama dikedepankan because he got the top-billed or he's the executive producer, fine. Pasang ketiganya sejajar. And you would think ada kisah cinta antara Rhoma, Cathy dan Ridho. Shit. That would be very creepy.

I like Cathy. She's sweet. Her acting is surprisingly decent and she's expressive. Interaksinya dengan Ridho lumayan menarik, terlepas dari keharusan dia ikut menari di tengah jalan. Ridho also took me off-guard, in some degrees. He's so .. westernized. Dari bahasa gado-gadonya, sampe brewoknya yang bervariasi mulai dari level tipis sampe level lebat (rasanya pengen gue cukur karena ga cocok sama baby face-nya). Ada kontradiksi yang muncul dalam karakter Ridho. Penampilan kasar, tapi suaranya halus banget. Bicara sama nyanyinya pun keliatan cuma keluar dari bibir yang tertutup. Manner-nya kadang cool, kadang malah cengeng. I couldn't read him, I hate it. Ini maunya gimana sih?

Gue punya satu kata buat menggambarkan karakter Delon di sini. "Bebal". Ga ada malunya. Seriously. Gue ga ngerti kenapa Thufa bisa menjadikan Delon sebagai pilihannya bersama Ridho. Delon itu terlalu berlebihan and very comical. Apa sih yang diliat oleh Thufa dari diri Delon? Kalo gue jadi Thufa, gue ga bakalan ragu milih Ridho dari awal dia muncul, biarpun kadang Ridho pun super menyebalkan dan belagu. Ga usah pake nangis-nangis, ga usah pake berantem. Kalo mau digambarkan Delon itu baiiiiik sekali .. seperti yang diagungkan oleh Thufa di depan Ridho .. where? I didn't see that. Apa karena Delon ngasih hadiah mulu? Itu sogokan, d'oh. Masa ga tau?? Yang parah, ga ada chemistry di antara Delon dan Cathy Sharon. Gue ga bisa liat seberapa sayangnya Delon ke ceweknya itu, selain yang keluar di mulut serupa rayuan gombal. Kalo memang tujuannya Delon itu buat dijadikan saingan Ridho, please deh, jadikan dia karakter yang sedikitnya punya ketulusan.

Waktu ketiganya berkonfrontasi di tengah hujan lebat, nah seharusnya seru nih. But something was wrong. Emosinya ga nyampe. Adegan ini berpanjang-panjang, dengan lines yang seharusnya bisa dibuat meledak-ledak. Tapi gue seperti menonton adegan bisu yang diisi oleh dubber-dubber amatir. Apa yang diucapkan ga sesuai dengan ekspresi yang ditampilkan. Gaaaaaaaah .. gue frustrasiiiii .. ampuuuuun .. gregetan sampe tinju gue sempet melayang ke depan (ga nyampe deng, layarnya jaoooohhh. masih untung kaki ga ikutan melayang, penonton di depan gue bisa ketendang). This scene had SO much potential. So much. Dan dibuang-buang gitu aja.

Padahal adegan yang dibangun tepat sebelumnya, gue dah suka banget. Keliatan dilema Thufa yang harus memilih antara Ridho dan Delon, pas di pesta ulangtahunnya. Dimana masing-masing cowok menyatakan cinta dengan lagu (note: lagu "Kucinta Kau" betul-betul sederhana dan bagus. Suara Delon bagaikan angin segar di tengah terjangan badai dangdut. Bzzzt!). Sewaktu Thufa memandang Ridho yang lagi nyanyi, dengan Delon yang memperhatikan diam-diam di belakangnya .. really. When I watch a movie, this kind of thing always attract me more. I like to observe facial expressions, especially when the actors do it in silence. Despite all the weaknesses, I love this scene. I do. For me, this is where I believe that Cathy, Ridho and Delon, in fact, have a capability of a good actor if only they fall in the good hands. Di titik ini gue kembali diyakinkan, bahwa seberapa besar kemampuan seorang aktor dalam mengeksplorasi karakternya, pengarahan dari sutradaralah yang juga menentukan apakah karakter ini akan berhasil atau gagal.

Which brought me back to the rain scene, two paragraphs above. I'm holding a grudge over here. STUPID DIRECTING!!! BLAAAAGGGHHH!!!

Gue dengan senang hati akan melupakan karakter Haura dan si sopir taksi. Clearly, mereka cuma tempelan doang buat nambah suspense dan kelengkapan cerita ala Bollywood. Ga penting banget. Malah mengurangi fokus penonton terhadap kisah Ridho-Thufa-Delon. Apalagi adegan berantem Ridho dan si sopir taksi bisa pindah ke atas bukit dengan landscape yang lumayan berwarna. Gee!! Adu jotos in style. And I have no remorse of saying this: karakter sopir taksi di sini hanyalah alat untuk mendewakan Rhoma Irama. No bad intention, but I won't take it back. IMHO, seberapa pun salehnya seseorang, hanya di dalam film ada karakter yang bisa dengan tenang menghadapi acungan senjata di hadapannya dan bahkan mempersilakan dirinya untuk ditembak. Dan cuma di dalam film, ada karakter yang bisa memaafkan seorang asing yang sudah menembak anak satu-satunya. Where's justice in all of this?? (Charles Bronson yang berani melawan musuh bersenjata pun paling tidak masih bisa punya dendam, and for sure he didn't recite any prayers whatsoever. And that's in Hollywood, not here).

STUPID WRITING!!! BAH!!!

Am I in hell already?

Having said that, I'm gonna submit my redemption now. I appreciate the music. I'm not a fan, but I do know kalo musik yang dibawakan Soneta Band (dan dari sini gue tau ada Sonet 2 Band) bukanlah dangdut biasa. Paling nggak, musiknya ga mendayu-dayu dan ga melankolis. Juga banyak yang sarat petuah. Walaupun ada beberapa track yang mengambil terlalu banyak waktu, bahkan jadi berasa kurang menyatu sama adegan-adegan pendukungnya (someone has gotta learn to be humble enough to trim those tracks in the movie and put the full version only in the soundtrack CD instead). Ada beberapa saat gue merasa diforsir ngedengernya, but hey, I survived, didn't I? But mostly I could take it, I surprised myself. Ada juga yang layak banget buat disimak, terutama track milik Ridho di end credit, "Let's Have Fun Together". It's exceptional. Very typical all-cast dancing, yet it still entertains. I would say it's also an eye-opening to see Rhoma Irama lowering down his ego and could ACTUALLY melt and join into the fun.

And I'd very much love to mention the most brilliant scene in Dawai 2 Asmara. Di dalam restoran, Ridho "mengajari" teman-temannya buat menahan lapar dengan berpuasa dan membukanya dengan doa terlebih dahulu. Hilarious! Fresh! Totally smooth. Only by this, the stupid directors and the stupid writer have redeemed themselves by 50%. See, I'm THAT generous. You go see the movie and learn how to dance. Ridho-style.


-- as posted in CineFriends --

p.s.: Special thanks to Vena and DC

Bubble Boy: The Innocent Kiss that Made Me Fall

As I mentioned in here, this is the very scene that made me fall for Jake Gyllenhaal at the first place.

..
..

WARNING:
Major spoiler!! Basically it's everything about Bubble Boy. You watch this and you may not need to watch the rest of the movie. Play at your own risk.

"I'd rather spend one minute holding you than the rest of my life knowing I never could. "

Bubble Boy (2001)

..
..

See .. I've told you it's MAJOR. Couldn't help it, could you? ^_^

Breaking News:

When I was re-watching the video with Mat last night, at one point he stared at the monitor .. looking at Jake's face closely. And seconds after, probably he'd already had this thought for quite sometime since the movie started, he blurted out, "Mom, why does he look like Prince Dastan?" (ed: free translation of "Ma, kok kayak Prince Dastan?).

Where did he get the idea from?

Holy cow, it's a 9-year gap! Either my little son is a really good observer, or I must have taught him right on being a good fans.

p.s. And now Mat is happy calling him "Jake Dastan".

Hey, Can We Merge Jakarta & Bandung?

Things to do in Bandung:
1. Jam the road and parking lots with your vehicles. Ride bumper to bumper, exchanging honks. The more the merrier. Fun, eh?
2. Visit the malls and factory outlets. If you don't have any shopping list, just be there and impulsively you will end up buying one or two things you might or might not regret.
3. Dine in some fancy restaurants. Buy the ambience. Eventhough it means that you have to dig your way through traffic for more than an hour to reach that place, spending another hour or so to wait for your order to be served and paying for the overpriced delicacy.

Things to do in Jakarta:
1. Traffic jamming.
2. Shopping.
3. Dining.

My proposal:
1. The distance between Jakarta and Bandung is only about 2.5-5 hours. It's more likely the same travel time inside Jakarta during heavy traffic.
2. Jakarta is crowded on weekdays, Bandung is crowded on weekends and public holidays.
3. People do business and leisure, both in Jakarta and Bandung. One day travel back and forth is easy.
4. What people like to do and get in Bandung, they can do and get the same in Jakarta. Vise versa.
5. So why make things difficult? Merge! And we will have 24/7 traffic jams, crowded malls, full-house restaurants .. 365 days a year. We can exchange travellers, spreading out evenly cause basically we live in the same city.

Viva Bandarta! Viva Jabandung! Together, we remain.

What Did Mickey Do?

Mat talked in his sleep. He said, "Hi, Mickey!". And then, "BONG!". Probably was dreaming of punching Mickey Mouse on the nose. Wonder what grudge he's holding to that poor mouse.

"I Will Survive" - Star Style!

Stumbled upon this video where the stars were singing a karaoke for Ellen DeGeneres 50th Birthday back in 2008. It's an odd song choice for a birthday gift, but you know the stars .. they can do anything they want and people will still adore them high and low.

Listen to what they're saying to Ellen.

(In appearance order, and if you don't know who they are, GOOGLE it!)

Jamie Foxx: At first I was afraid
Jake Gyllenhaal: I was petrified
Sharon Osbourne: Kept thinking I could never live ..
Paris Hilton: .. without you by my side
Victoria Beckham: But then I spent so many nights
Heidi Klum: Thinking how you did me wrong
Jack McBrayer: And I grew strong
Jake Gyllenhaal: And I learned how to get along
Queen Latifah: And so you're back from outer space
Kate Walsh: I just walked in to find you here ..
Jamie Foxx: .. with that sad look upon your face
Jack McBrayer: I should have changed that stupid lock
David Spade: I should have made you leave your key
Paris Hilton: If I'd have known for just one second you'd be back to bother me
Celine Dion: Go on, now go ..
Queen Latifah: .. walk out the door!
Jake Gyllenhaal: Just turn around now
Heidi Klum: You're not welcome anymore
David Spade: Weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye, did you think ..
Masi Oka: .. I'd crumble?
Victoria Beckham: Did you think I'd lay down and die?
David Spade: Oh no, not I, I will survive
Heidi Klum: Oh, as long as I know how ..
Jake Gyllenhaal: .. to love I know I'll stay alive
Celine Dion: I've got all my life to live, I've got all my love to give
Jamie Foxx: I will survive, I will survive, yeah, yeah

And Ellen, she'd just laugh no matter how hard they tried to kick her out of the door with that harsh song. Isn't she amazing? No. I rephrase. Aren't THEY all amazing?

Now let's do statistic.

Number of Appearance:

Jake Gyllenhaal (4), Jamie Foxx/David Spade/Heidi Klum (3), Paris Hilton/Queen Latifah/Victoria Beckham/Celine Dion/Jack McBrayer (2), Sharon Osbourne/Kate Walsh/Masi Oka (1)

The Best Dancer:
Queen Latifah

The Funniest:
David Spade. (well I could say it's Jake *grin*, but David totally cracked me up. Oh, and Heidi's batting-eyelashes .. adorable!).

Click here to view "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor.

Fallen Leaves Return to Roots

In this rainy afternoon, where the wind shakes all trees and blows the leaves down to earth
..
..

who could think of anything more perfect than listening to this song?

落葉歸根
Luo Ye Gui Gen
Fallen Leaves Return to Roots
Composed by: Wang Leehom
Lyrics by: Wang Leehom

* 舉頭望無盡灰雲
ju tou wang wu jin hui yun
My head lifts to gaze the endless gray clouds

那季節叫做寂寞
na ji jie jiao zuo ji mo
That season is called loneliness

背包塞滿了家用
bei bao sai man le jia yong
My backpack is full of personal necessities

路就這樣開始走
lo jiu zhe yang kai shi zou
And that is how my road began

日不見太陽的暖
ri bu jian tai yang de nuan
The warmth of the sun cannot be seen in the day

夜不見月光的藍
ye bu jian yue guang de lan
The blue of the moonlight cannot be seen in the night

不得不選擇寒冷的開始
bu de bu xuan ze han leng de kai shi
There is no choice but to choose a cold beginning

留下只擁有遺憾
liu xia zhi yong you yi han
Staying here will only have regret

命運 的安排
ming yun de an pai
Fate's arrangement

遵守自然的邏輯
zun shou zi ran de luo ji
Abiding nature's logic

誰 都無法揭謎底
shei dou wu fa jie mi di
No one is able to uncover the riddle

喔～
e ~
Oh ~

** 遠離家鄉 不甚唏噓
yuan li jia xiang, bu shen xi xu
Far from hometown, no extreme sobbing

幻化成秋夜
huan hua cheng qiu ye
Transforming into autumn leaves

而我卻像落葉歸根
er wo que xiang luo ye gui gen
But I’m feeling like fallen leaves return to roots

墜在你心間
zhui zai ni xin jian
Falling into your heart

幾分憂鬱 幾分孤單
ji fen you yu, ji fen gu dan
A little of sorrow, a little of loneliness

都心甘情願
dou xin gan qing yuan
I am all willing to

我的愛像落葉歸根
wo de ai xiang luo ye gui gen
My love is like fallen leaves return to roots

家 唯獨在你身邊
jia... wei du zai ni shen bian
Home… will only be by your side

Repeat *, **

但願陪你找回
dan yun pei ni zhao hui
I wish to accompany you to find back

所遺失的永恆
sui yi shi de yong heng
The eternity which was lost

當我開口你卻沈默
dang wo kai kou ni que shen mo
When I speak you were silent

只剩一場夢
zhi sheng yi chang meng
And only a dream was left

我卻像落葉歸根
wo que xiang luo ye gui gen
I’m feeling like fallen leaves return to roots

墜在你心間
zhui zai ni xin jian
Falling into your heart

幾分憂鬱 幾分孤單
ji fen you yu, ji fen gu dan
A little of sorrow, a little of loneliness

都心甘情願
dou xin gan qing yuan
I am all willing to

我的愛像落葉歸根
wo de ai xiang luo ye gui gen
My love is like fallen leaves return to roots

家 唯獨在你身邊
jia... wei du zai ni shen bian
Home… will only be by your side

Lyrics are taken from here

I don't understand every single word of it. Not even the English translation makes much sense. I love this song is because it has such a powerful simplicity that can trigger goosebumps every time I hear it.

There are only three dominant elements I hear in "Luo Ye Gui Gen". 1st: Piano, the queen of music instruments. 2nd: Violin, the king of music instruments. 3rd: Vocal, behold, it's the master of all.

When I caught Wang Leehom perfoming this song on his 2008 Music Man Live Concert DVD, for me, it's the highlight of the show. They put Lust, Caution (2007) gallery as background - yea, that's Kuang Yu Min and all the ladies were hysterical. The music was a bit heavier in the second part of the song (was it drum I heard?), but it hardly ruined the piece. The golden lightings were beautiful. And I love the way camera's capturing Leehom. He stood there playing his violin, rendering the song as soulful as he could be.

Truly an intense performance. The best of his songs to date.

Some People are Just Too Dumb

Let's talk about rating and parenting. Movie related.

As you may or may not know, that there is a film-rating system that can give you a lead of what is suitable or not suitable for viewings in regards to age of moviegoers. For every movie that is rated, it's always written in certain logo or symbol that can be easily found on posters, trailers or even before the movie's started.

This is the Motion Picture Association of America's film rating system for dummies:

Bet you saw that before. Whether or not you understand the meaning, it's oftenly neglected by you nonetheless. Did you think it's for decoration only?? You still take your children to cinema watching an R-rated movie. Or your baby - that's right, your baby - watching a PG-13 movie. You will say that you love movies so much, that you're not willing to put it a rest just because you can't leave your children at home. You will say that you love your children so dearly, that you'd like to take them anywhere with you including to see a violent movie. In some extreme cases, you send the under-age to cinema without guardian, so that you can have your shopping-spree undisturbed for two hours. Can't you send them to the playground instead??? You won't know what your children are doing inside the studio. Throwing popcorn-fights, kicking the back of people's seats, laughing hard, screaming and running up-and-down the aisle, completely an annoyance to the rest of the audience. Oh, and what movie they're watching, say again? You won't remember the title, let alone knowing the rating.

Later if you found that your children had something inside their closets, or if they inhabitted some kind of an attitude imitating whoever or whatever they got from the movies, who would you blame?? Sure, the theater management can implement age-restriction, the personnels can always check some IDs or simply observe the size of mini-audience that go into the studio. Sure, you can always blame the movie importers or producers for releasing such negative movies. But don't count on it. You think those people will listen to your stupid complaints?? Think again!! It's YOU who don't follow the ratings. It's YOU who're taking the children to the cinema. It's YOU who're buying the tickets. YOU are the one who responsible for your own children!! Yeah, it all solely lies on YOU, the parents!!

You do know that there's always a way to enjoy movies. Sneak out of your children's nap time. Leave them with their grannies. Take turn with your spouse if you don't mind going to the cinema alone. As the last resort, you can always buy or rent videos and watch it after your children are secured in their bedroom at night.

If you still don't give a damn, well, there is one more rating-system that will apply perfectly on you.

mo·ron
Function: noun
a person affected with mild mental retardation
a very stupid person

im·be·cile
Function: noun
a person affected with moderate mental retardation
fool, idiot

id·i·ot
Function: noun
a person affected with extreme mental retardation
a foolish or stupid person

Choose one and congratulations, you're eligible for a free spanking as well. Now go to your room, you're grounded, you dumb-stupid-fool!!

-- as posted in CineFriends --