There is a catalogue being distributed at all Popular Bookshop outlets on items to get for Children's Day. I picked out a few to recommend to one of my students.
-USBORNE Little Encyclopedia Series: Greek Myths
-Bibles and Stories of Faith selections
-Let's Visit series
-Roald Dahl's The Witches
He was enticed by one of the book series: Using Maths. I bought the one on Extreme Sports Challenge for him. It applies Math lessons to real life, so he can see that there is usefulness in learning Math. It was also a method to cheer him up as he felt he could have done better for my homework. I hope it works...
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Latest movies
I've been watching movies more than ever and my date is my dad. Thank goodness we have almost the same interests and his choices are as good as my two god-brothers'. Also, since I am not really into movies and will not initiate going for one, I am open to whatever choices they make.
Here are some I recommend, with some personal comments inserted:
-Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, Witch and Wardrobe(Aslan comes back to life)
-Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian(kiss between Caspian and Susan)
-Red Cliff(can't wait for the second part to be shown next year!)
-Batman:Dark Knight(dycotomy between personal integrity and social justice)
-The Mummy 3:Tomb of the Dragon Emperor(Isabella Leong, Michelle Yeoh's English and Shangri-La)
-Journey to the Centre of the Earth(prefer the older version with Pat Boone in it)
-Music and Lyrics(Pop! Goes My Heart, Don't Write Me Off, Meaningless Kiss, Dance With Me Tonight and Way Out Of Love; bought the soundtrack too, chemistry between Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant)
-Emma(the one starring Gwyneth Paltrow)
-Becoming Jane(based on Austen's love and starring Anne Hathaway)
Here are some I recommend, with some personal comments inserted:
-Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, Witch and Wardrobe(Aslan comes back to life)
-Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian(kiss between Caspian and Susan)
-Red Cliff(can't wait for the second part to be shown next year!)
-Batman:Dark Knight(dycotomy between personal integrity and social justice)
-The Mummy 3:Tomb of the Dragon Emperor(Isabella Leong, Michelle Yeoh's English and Shangri-La)
-Journey to the Centre of the Earth(prefer the older version with Pat Boone in it)
-Music and Lyrics(Pop! Goes My Heart, Don't Write Me Off, Meaningless Kiss, Dance With Me Tonight and Way Out Of Love; bought the soundtrack too, chemistry between Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant)
-Emma(the one starring Gwyneth Paltrow)
-Becoming Jane(based on Austen's love and starring Anne Hathaway)
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
More books, and magazines too!
There is a Harris Book Sale at Suntec's Tropics Atrium from now to the first week of Sept. Most books are at 25% off their prices but there is a catch. The Popular card cannot be used for further discount. Still, there are really good coffeetable books. I saw one on Biblical Illustrations, another on Archaeology, yet another on Greek Treasures, out of the many. There are many paperback novels and even religious books as well. I chanced upon the book Stepford Wives and the ending is rather tragic as compared to the movie's. Joanna tries to escape but is caught. She becomes a robotic wife too and just like the rest, seems strange to newcomers into the town. Her personal pursuits are shelved in deference to household preoccupations.
The best bookshops in town are Harris Suntec and PageOne at Vivocity. They are the biggest ones. The difference is that the former has more stationery while the latter has more books. It is more of a literature undergraduate's haven than the former, except that the former allows Popular members to use their cards for discounts. I especially like the Children's Reference section at the former. I came across Usborne books on Cooking and also a photographical book on Anne Frank, as well as a story based on Peter Van Dann's life after WWI. He was Anne's 'crush'. The Literature section at PageOne revealed gems on Jane Austen's era and how to live in it. The Children's section uncovered some jewels too like Tiara Club's Dressup book and Cosmogirl's Quiz Book. I prefer the latter.
SAN Bookshop at Plaza Singapura and Heartland Mall has good books too, and they are at a cheaper rate. You can either buy them or rent them. The rental period is for a month. I found the Twitches series. The characters are the same but the girls on the cover are whites. Still, they are worth reading. The Usborne Series for kids turned out a very digestible biography on Marie Antoinette. I found some good books from Milan Kundera, so Literature undergrads can get some of their texts from there. The only thing is that you are not allowed to read there. You have to rent or buy something. Guess they are rather protective over their goods and indicate that the shop is not a library or a bookshop like Times, Kinokuniya, Borders, PageOne, MPH or Harris. *shrug*
Here are some books I recommend:
-Return to Summerhouse(time-travel)
-Charmed: Mystic Knoll, The Queen's Curse and High Spirits(more than the usual Charmed plots)
-Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice(Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Benett, what more can I say?)
-Secrets of Love(Sense and Sensibility for teenagers)
-Carole Matthew's Welcome to the Real World(Music and Lyrics in novel form)
-Archie Comics: Betty and Veronica's Digest(an ultimate favourite for teenage girls)
-Chronicles of Narnia
-Jealousy Junkie(for magazine fans; based on seeking advice from magazines to deal with life's problems)
-Mr Midnight(horror stories but sometimes with a twist of realism)
-Seventeen Presents 500 Style Tips
Magazines are my favourite reads too. Their features on fashion and hairstyles are what attracts me. I do indulge in some gossip about celebrities as well, especially on the upcoming movie HSM3. Here are some I recommend:
-Seventeen(both Singapore and overseas)
-Girlfriend
-CosmoGirl
-Dolly
-Shout(free gifts included)
-Cleo(reader-friendly in terms of language and contents)
-Her World
-Real Simple(makes the little things in life more precious)
-Woman's Weekly
-Sugar
The best bookshops in town are Harris Suntec and PageOne at Vivocity. They are the biggest ones. The difference is that the former has more stationery while the latter has more books. It is more of a literature undergraduate's haven than the former, except that the former allows Popular members to use their cards for discounts. I especially like the Children's Reference section at the former. I came across Usborne books on Cooking and also a photographical book on Anne Frank, as well as a story based on Peter Van Dann's life after WWI. He was Anne's 'crush'. The Literature section at PageOne revealed gems on Jane Austen's era and how to live in it. The Children's section uncovered some jewels too like Tiara Club's Dressup book and Cosmogirl's Quiz Book. I prefer the latter.
SAN Bookshop at Plaza Singapura and Heartland Mall has good books too, and they are at a cheaper rate. You can either buy them or rent them. The rental period is for a month. I found the Twitches series. The characters are the same but the girls on the cover are whites. Still, they are worth reading. The Usborne Series for kids turned out a very digestible biography on Marie Antoinette. I found some good books from Milan Kundera, so Literature undergrads can get some of their texts from there. The only thing is that you are not allowed to read there. You have to rent or buy something. Guess they are rather protective over their goods and indicate that the shop is not a library or a bookshop like Times, Kinokuniya, Borders, PageOne, MPH or Harris. *shrug*
Here are some books I recommend:
-Return to Summerhouse(time-travel)
-Charmed: Mystic Knoll, The Queen's Curse and High Spirits(more than the usual Charmed plots)
-Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice(Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Benett, what more can I say?)
-Secrets of Love(Sense and Sensibility for teenagers)
-Carole Matthew's Welcome to the Real World(Music and Lyrics in novel form)
-Archie Comics: Betty and Veronica's Digest(an ultimate favourite for teenage girls)
-Chronicles of Narnia
-Jealousy Junkie(for magazine fans; based on seeking advice from magazines to deal with life's problems)
-Mr Midnight(horror stories but sometimes with a twist of realism)
-Seventeen Presents 500 Style Tips
Magazines are my favourite reads too. Their features on fashion and hairstyles are what attracts me. I do indulge in some gossip about celebrities as well, especially on the upcoming movie HSM3. Here are some I recommend:
-Seventeen(both Singapore and overseas)
-Girlfriend
-CosmoGirl
-Dolly
-Shout(free gifts included)
-Cleo(reader-friendly in terms of language and contents)
-Her World
-Real Simple(makes the little things in life more precious)
-Woman's Weekly
-Sugar
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Tutor advertisements of Hong Kong
Tuition agencies in the former British colony have portrayed their tutors in a different light from the usual, in their advertisements. They focus on their appearance as well. Tutors may be styled to look professional but underneath it all is really their work attitude and performance.
This may give people a wrong impression of the tutors.
Unscrupulous agencies can use the tutors' looks to conceal the fact that the tutors may not possess the relevant qualifications and experience as well.
Even qualifications take a step back to the work performance. They only determine the salaries and initial capabilities of the candidates.
What is worse is that the advertisements go into the sex appeal of the tutors and imply that taking up tuition at their agencies is a trendy habit. Agencies even organise celebrity performances and dangle materialistic gifts to lure students. Obviously, the target audience is that of teenagers who will then persuade their parents to pay for their tuition.
This may give people a wrong impression of the tutors.
Unscrupulous agencies can use the tutors' looks to conceal the fact that the tutors may not possess the relevant qualifications and experience as well.
Even qualifications take a step back to the work performance. They only determine the salaries and initial capabilities of the candidates.
What is worse is that the advertisements go into the sex appeal of the tutors and imply that taking up tuition at their agencies is a trendy habit. Agencies even organise celebrity performances and dangle materialistic gifts to lure students. Obviously, the target audience is that of teenagers who will then persuade their parents to pay for their tuition.
Christmas movies
I watched A Christmas Carol: the Musical and Muppets' A Christmas Carol. The former was a television premiere and I cried thrice while watching, primarily due to the songs sung by the characters. Music has a special meaning to me. A reflection chanced upon me in the process of watching it. I was asking God where He is with all the suffering in the world still happening. I was really crying for those in such dire straits. Then I realised that if the world is perfectly happy, there will be no desire for Him. Besides, some things happen out of our free will to choose the path we walk.
The Nativity Story
The Nativity Story was introduced amidst the Christmas season and it had attracted reviews of different extremes. One of it on the Internet was that it was a boring movie.
As a Catholic, this does affect me tremendously, as the movie really amplifies the birth of our Lord in a visual form. As a learned person, it just shows me that people nowadays go for things that excite and titillate them. Look at the amount of violence, sex and controversies that pervade the media forms in society. Even though The Passion of Christ was on our Lord's life too, it attracted more viewers because of the violence seen in it.
As a Catholic, this does affect me tremendously, as the movie really amplifies the birth of our Lord in a visual form. As a learned person, it just shows me that people nowadays go for things that excite and titillate them. Look at the amount of violence, sex and controversies that pervade the media forms in society. Even though The Passion of Christ was on our Lord's life too, it attracted more viewers because of the violence seen in it.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
A return trip to my first pianist love
Richard Clayderman was my first introduction to piano music and I was exposed to him in secondary school. I decided to make a return trip to his music and I find that I still love the songs I loved then. As usual, I went to Youtube to look for his music. My favourite pieces are: Nostalgy, Lyphard Melody, Lady Di, Souvenir De Enfrance, Cavatina, and Trista Coeur.
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