Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Lady Gaga's latest video

The video shows glimpses of the lyrics pertaining to John Lennon's Imagine. It shows her giving birth to a group of people who love everyone. However, the repulsive elements come in when she pulls out a gun from her private parts and rolls about with other people in a puddle of oil. It gets worse at the start of the video when she gives birth to a "creamy egg with a face" and then makes her face up as a skeleton's. Granted, the lyrics of her song are not as devilish but images are potent in their effect.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

FB is not synonymous with manners

With the increasingly developed aspect of technology, people have been using FB as part of their social communication. However, I feel there are some "taboos" pertaining to this.

Updating one's FB status during one's own wedding is not polite. So is updating one's FB status on every single activity done, for example, going to answer nature's call, not proper. Even updating one's FB status on what one ate for lunch is not necessary. Do people really need to know? It offends my sensibilities too when I get incessant and redundant comments on my posts and photos. What about wall posts that are merely daily greetings? That takes the cake. Another irksome phenomenon is viewing photos that are weird, like rice or one's insignificant purchases.

Of course, this entry is very subjective. FB users have the prerogative to post whatever they wish to on their wall, as long as it does not defy FB's guidelines. This entry is merely based on my own dislikes.

The Importance of Being Well-read

I am a fanatic over books. Just as Budget Tai Tai had been exposed to them since young, I too got started on books at a young age. I remember fondly my Sundays with my family at Centrepoint. My parents used to leave me at Times the bookshop for a few hours while I read my way through the books, from mysteries to cookery books. As an adult, I now never fail to bring at least 1 to 2 books when I go out. They help me pass the time as I wait for my friend, or tide over the self-consciousness I feel while alone.

Reading what she wrote on people smugly remarking that they do not read, irks me. How can reading be regarded as a childish pursuit? It is really an intellectual and elite activity, depending on the type of books read. Then again, I notice most locals tend to browse the magazines rather than fiction books in bookshops. Is there no inkling of reading for pleasure in their minds? Are they so consumed with work that they do not know how to take a break from the real world? If this is so, it is rather sad.

The article disturbed me further with the narration of an unimaginative and narrow-minded teacher restricting the writing content of her student. What is wrong with "Fancy that!" as part of the ending to a story? She had learnt that phrase from a storybook. It is definitely not "irrelevant" as the teacher labelled. She was merely applying what she had read and there was no justification for the teacher to put her down like that. It will cause the girl to be hesitant about showing creativity in her essays in the future. It will be the teacher's fault for having quelled her creativity. I agree with Budget Tai Tai's opinion on the teacher thinking that the student should confine her reading material to textbooks. This makes the teacher seem inflexible. Indeed, this will affect the reading habits of the girl as she gets older.

This reminds me of an incident I was privy to. A mother wanted to cultivate the reading habit in her son and so chose books for him to read. She however, chose books based on grammar and forced him to read them. One can learn proper grammar from reading stories too. Besides, it is boring for children to read such books at that age. They should be allowed to read whatever they genre they like and then select their favourites, as I was given leeway to do.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Questions based on Chick Flicks and Lit

(This is taken from the book The Ultimate Guide to Chick Flicks by Kim Adelman.)

1. The Princess Bride: Who in your opinion are the three most beautiful women alive today?
Ans: Kate Pang has to be one of them.

2. Grease: If you had to assemble your own Pink Ladies entourage, whom would you initiate into the group?
Ans: Lizzy Bennet, Fanny Price, Grace Kelly, Tao Li.

3. Freaky Friday: If you could be someone else for a Friday, who would be your dream switch?
Ans: My mum.

4. Working Girl: When it comes to hairstyles suitable for the workplace, is less more and how high is too high?
Ans: Yes and if it refers to the position of a ponytail, just below the top of the head. If it refers to the length of hair, just below the earlobes.

5. Ever After: What other fairy tales need to be updated to the twenty-first century way of thinking?
Ans: Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty.

6. City of Angels: Do you believe there are angels among us?
Ans: Yes.

7. On A Clear Day You Can See Forever: Do you believe in reincarnation?
Ans: No.

8. Private Benjamin: What extreme action would you take if you wanted to radically change your life?
Ans: Migrate to Bath or anywhere in England.

9. Miss Congeniality: If you were forced to compete in a beauty pageant tomorrow, which do you think would be your strongest category: swimsuit, evening gown, poise or talent?
Ans: Talent.

10. Salma Hayek as Frida Kahlo: If Hollywood were to make a movie of your life, who should play you?
Ans: Emma Thompson.

(This is based on a book review of The Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux.)

1. If you were given the chance to relive three weeks of your past, when would they be and why?
Ans: They would be the last three weeks before the examination of my final year as an undergraduate. If I had adjusted my studying attitude and habits, I would have attained a higher category of honours.

Monday, March 7, 2011

New Tricks BBC series

I really love the detective series produced by BBC because real dilemmas are presented in the process of solving crimes. The team in New Tricks has to deal with one when deciding whether to reveal information to the media. The head feels that the public deserves to know how the case is progressing but the lawyer working on the case too, feels that the information should be concealed as it is not good for them to know about it. He seems to be protecting their interests.

Both points of view seem to be for the good of the people. I think I would agree with the lawyer's. They can be informed of the overall progress but perhaps not every detail, especially since revealing certain things can throw them into a frenzy.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

A very appealing quote

"On a good day,sunlight glitters through their leaves, setting them aglow in a halo of light, and in the breeze they become dancers, their leaves and branches swaying in an ever-shifting ballet."

When the leaves are aglow, it somehow reminds me of a woman's hair bathed in light when she goes out in the day. I love the idea of dance incorporated into the moving leaves. The personification here is so beautiful and artistic.