Last blog post for storytelling :(

Right on. Kinda late, but I was preparing some materials for this. Please do scroll down, allow the videos to buffer then come back here and start from the top so you won’t have to wait for the videos to buffer later on.

Right now, I’m all pissed at being denied entrance to Singapore Short Cuts because I couldn’t bluff my way through into the R21 screening. After all the begging, the furthest I got through was to being allowed in during the Q&A session, which left an even more sour taste in the mouth since I got to realised how much I missed out on.

After spending 15 minutes reasoning with the lady manning the counter, explaining to her I was a film student, the best reason she could really muster to deny me was not that I was under 21, but that “MDA people could do random spot checks.”

Whurt dreh fark.

Before I jump into the exciting bits of this post, let me briefly introduce the MDA – Media Development Authority, or also known as Morally Demented Assholes. Till date, their only significant contribution to the Singapore media scene would be this short video over here :

I cringed and all my hair stood up because I didn’t click on “pause” first enough. Do watch the entire video though, don’t miss the guy in a red underwear.

A quick online research on Wikipedia revealed some shocking truths to me – Of all the countries with theatres around the world, only 4 countries has a rating for audiences above 21, the three countries being Singapore, Thailand, Mexico and Poland.

Of all these three countries, two of them place restrictions for audiences above 21 only for pornographic films, one rarely applies it.  No guessing which “conservative” country has other ideas.

Okay, if Singapore is a truly “conservative” society, there’s no need to ban YouPorn. “Conservative” people would naturally stay away. Oh, MDA sliced 45 seconds off Red Cliff due to the presence of an “evil” scene.

If anyone got turned on by that 91 seconds clip, you’re just deprieved.But that what’s our Morally Deprieved Assholes think anyway. For all you know, we movie goers might be tempted to go rape someone in the neighbourhood after that watching that 45 seconds scene if it was allowed to be shown in Singapore cinemas.

Honestly, why on earth do we need an organisation of old fogies way belonging to the era where policemen wore short pants to tell us what is immoral and unsuitable? Who are they even anyway? Fallen angels?

It’s ridiculous that here in Singapore, we place R21 ratings just for sexual themes, where we might not even see the actual act taking place. If anyone truly wanted porn, Youtube is full of soft porn, Google would get you porn, seasoned consumates would work with proxies and continue surfing YouPorn. Even Bittorrent works as well.

Frankly, if anyone wanted to get turned on, which insane citizen would pay 8 bucks to catch a R21 film in Singapore cinemas? Any 15 year old connected to the internet can get it for free.

Singapore honestly does not need a R21 rating. The highest rating we would probably need is to cap to audiences above 17 or 18. Even for the film Lust Caution, after doing through the sisscors of those old fogies so it would be suitable for “younger” audiences, all that was left was a history film. MDA probably thought it would corrupt young minds. *shrugs*

Time for a conclusion. What Singapore needs to do is to accept that we’re not as “conservative” as certain Men In White may think. We’re now in the era of globalisation, not rearing chickens in a kampung. The outstanding illogical thinking of MDA is a joke, cutting out scenes in movies they deem as unsuitable for Singaporean audiences (refer back to second youtube clip). I shan’t even get down to the antics they get down to as the online enforcement agency of the PAP.

I now thus conclude my post. And here’s a _|_ to MDA for denying me a birthday treat when all I really wanted to do was to learn from Singapore film-makers on the 2nd of August.

Is a good thing always a good thing.

Even after being trounced 7 – 3 by Uzbekistan, Singapore still stands a chance of making it to the 2010 World Cup. Not just a mathematical chance, but a pretty realistic chance.

But do we really want Singapore in the world cup? I caught the game on TV and it was horrible. Defence was none existance, goalkeeper was being a clown.

Of course, criticism flowed after the game. I was surfing hardware zone forums and I saw a pretty few comments which knocked me of my seat.

Quotes from EDMW, hardzone forums

“10 goals all scored by non singaporeans..”

“Free money.. before GST package.”

“Not bad lah. Considering void deck vs international standard.”

Heck, people were even boasting of how they whacked at least a thousand on AOS and collected a cool 7.5k in winnings.

But to tell the truth, I wasn’t angry at the score. I was pissed at how the score came about. I’m not joking, Singapore could actually have pulled off a shock win or even managed a draw. After asking for the support of the nation How did the 7 -3 scoreline come about?

The way the defence was playing, it won’t make a difference if we actually rolled out a red carpet leading them to the goal. It was a horrendous sight to see opposing strikers running amok with no defenders in sight.

7-3. And we’re still talking about Uzbekistan. What happens when Singapore qualifies for the World Cup? Get masscred by France or Holland by at double digit margin? I shudder to think. Till we learn to play decently as a team, I suppose. And maybe when we’re able to field a team we as a nation can be proud of, not one filled with players who can’t represent their home countries, hence coming to Singapore instead.

Inspiration (or the lack of it)

Why we do our work on Monday nights – tongue in cheek, of course.

I must say that as a FSV student doing part 2 semester, the timetable sucks.

Monday is IS day. -pukes- Tuesdays end at 6, Wednesdays are almost sleeping days, Thursdays end at 5 for my classmates. Fridays end at 12, but who seriously has mood for work after that.

Which effectively leaves us the weekends and Monday to rush out our work.

Who the heck would have work on first priority on weekends?!

I believe most of us sleep in on Saturdays. That’s alooooooooot of productive time already gone. Then there are those who go clubbing at night, dance and pick up girls…

Thinking of work at this time is serious

Annoying.

If you leave the club (and the girl/guy you pick/got picked by) before 1, you gotta be nuts. Then we factor in the hangover one will suffer from…. it’s gonna be late rising time on Sunday ( and productive time lost ).

Of course, not everyone visit clubs. But I bet the rest got appointments such as

or

Who the heck will want to start work when you’re making the David Beckham, Lionel Messi or even Cristiano Ronaldo obey your every command at every whim and whine of your joystick or on a 200 men killing spree?

Or even pull yourself away from your chatting partner on MSN until the wee hours of the morning.

Assuming you wake up at midday on Sunday, you set out after lunch to engage in whatever activities your family has in store (Sunday IS family day).

By the time it’s over.. it’d be evening and after a hectic Saturday night, the only activity I can think of is slumber.

Before school started, FMS seniors declared that the trait of procrastinating a must to be a true blue FMS student. Until Monday night, we go (oh-shit-Mr-Leslie-will-get-angry-and-ask-Leonard-to-debar-me) we force every ounce of brain juice to complete our assignment.

You can’t really blame us for doing work last minute, really.

F*k!

So yeah, this’s the reason why I’m out of school for now. I crocked my leg on Sunday morning, apart from the Mr CCB we met at the hospital, I got to witness how pathetic our medical facilities can be too.

It took 7 hours before the frigging doctors could conclude what the eff was wrong with my foot and to decide to put a cast. Like com’on, I knew that my bone was displaced the moment I got the injury. Did the doctor have to take 5 hours to do 6 X-rays on my foot before he could decide it was the bone and not a muscle injury too?

Half the time, he seemed to be hoping I tore my ligaments instead so he could have an easier time. Kept feeling around my entire even after I told him very firmly where the affected area was TWICE..

I don’t even want to bitch about the fact he actually ran off to operate on someone while I waited for his diagnosis.

Either way, I got itches I can’t even scratch now..

To make this a proper post, I’ve been trying to move around on 3 legs these days and the experience is horrible, thus providing me inspiration on another aspect of life we might have overlooked.

It’s a big privilege to be even normal. I can’t reach for 100 plus in my fridge without somewhat of a struggle, can’t even piss without the threat of falling over. Simple tasks we taken for granted, not so simple for the handicapped.

If I can’t take it after just a few more days, what about those on crutches permanently? Bloody hell, I can’t even reach for an apple without considering the chance of imprinting my face on the floor. But they have never even experienced what is it like to move around normally before.

Hey guys, the next time you see some handicapped soul on the streets, at least stop to ask/see if he needs help. You never know the impact you can leave on him or the amount of help you can render.

Unseens and unheards.

 

Tried really hard to come up with something which might brighten up Mr. RedLurkingAroundPants job of reading about 30 blog posts a week. Failed, will try my best to do it for next week.

 

 

This week is another social issue. (Again) All along, I always had an impression of Singaporeans having high respect for “those we can’t see.” I take the public transport all the time, it irks me when some commuters sit on the outside of the chair to avoid offending some unseen being sitting on the inside, denying “those who can be seen” a place to sit.

 

 

Standing commuters are next in the firing line. I got no -bleeping- idea why some commuters refuse to move aaaaaaall the way in so more could board the bus. I can only attribute this problem to existence of beings which I cannot see but visible to them.

 

 

And yes. Mr Dingz has been late because of these annoying pricks for more than once back in his innocent secondary school days

 

 

Three days back, I saw something unexpected though.

 

A man and a woman were standing directly infront of the chair, and I pretty much wondered why the heck was any of them taking the seat. The man then tried to catch her attention by waving her hand in her direction, trying to mention her to take the seat. The woman, unfortunately, was too far in her dreamland not notice.

 

I still condemn bus commuters because they were major factors for my lateness a few years back. Many complained that Singaporeans simply lack courtesy. Now, I’m more inclined to say, maybe, a lot of them are just too shy to express their courtesy. 

 

Like my man in my post in his shy attempts to capture the woman’s attention. 

 

 

Playing the piano,

 

This post was pretty inspired by “Secret Heaven” which we watched two weeks ago. The younger girl struck me as really, really innocent and I was upset as I watched how she was mistreated(or at least to me) over the piano.

Cute, no? There are times when I ponder over this. Do we destroy innocence, or is innocence lost as one grows up? 

 

 

I’m more inclined to think it’s the former. In the Secret Heaven, the girl is forced to learn and practice the piano even though she openly displays her hatred for it.

 

A thousand possible reasons ran across my head as to why her mother might be so insistent on her learning the piano. There’s the prestige that comes with learning the piano. Scientific research seems to suggest that children who play the piano tend to be more academically inclined. 

 

Gosh. When was the last time kids did stuff just because they liked it? The great Beethoven composed his last classics while on the verge of losing his hearing. The legendary Mozart “cut” the skin between his fingers so he could play the piano better. I believe such acts are actually driven on by passion. Whatever would they say if they knew that music was being learnt for other more superficial reasons?

I believe that today, children are forced to “leave” childhood early. At the age of 7, they all join in primary schools to take part in the academic rat race. For some of them, they were given extra help years before to help ensure they had an edge when the race starts. 

 

Seriously. I think a lot of parents gotta rethink over forcing or encourage their children doing stuff only if it is somehow benefical. Basketball is a game with a hell lot of passion and friendship, but parents would probably prefer their kids to learn the piano which is so much more pragmatic and prestigious. Who wants their child to get all stinky when they can elude so much class by playing the piano? 

 

 

Playing the piano should be a beautiful thing enjoyed by its players. What’s the point if one is forced to master the piano? He will never find love for it. 

Parents out there, think twice before getting your kids to do stuff which you feel is more beneficial to his academics and what not. A child’s innocence is one of the most precious and beautiful things on Earth and definitely worth holding on to.

 

 

Invisible beauties.

Sunsets and sunrises.

 

On the bus 109 last evening, I lifted my head from footballing news and was awe-strike by this scene I saw.

 

The sky was a rich orange and blood red against the dark clouds. A tinge of soft lavender could be seen too.

 

Surely in my almost 17 –bleeping- years on Earth, this is not the first time it appeared? How the heck is it that no one seems to notice these beautiful sights?

 

I rued at not being able to capture that side on my laughable Motorola V9 phone.

 

Over the last few years I’ve attempted to capture these majestic sights to the best of  my abilities with my mediocre and amateur photography devices and skills. And whenever I fail to owing to conditions, I rue at missing out capturing that beautiful sight.

      
Two among my proudest collections.
 

 

Hey guys, look up more often whenever you can, be it in the morning, evening or even the afternoon. Appreciate the beautiful clouds against the clear blue sky, the majestic crimson red rising sun or even the gorgeous evening sky which resembles a painting which a artist decided to paint with random colours. We never know for how long more we can enjoy such sights given the way a certain white haired monkey in America seems so okay with our Earth being destroyed by pollutants.

     

Appreciate the beautiful things invisible but definitely around and life is bound to be colourful. 

 

Power of the individual.

I always believed that no man was too insignificant to make a difference. There’s this pretty romantic line that goes like “To the world, you may seem like a nobody. But to somebody, you mean the world.”

 

Deadly true.

 

Even if you’re in some place faraway, your actions will definitely have far ending repercussions on someone out there. Not sure about you guys, but I sure believe so.

Before any of you ladies go ga-ga because he’s “ang moh”, this bloke here is actually Rob Styles, a referee who screwed up a mighty few matches. Liverpool fans should know.

 

And he is the man whose actions stirred strong feelings among all ManUtd fans and neutrals on sunday morning 12.15am to 2.30am.

 

How on earth did he not see the ball pass the byline remains a mystery to me. Instead of calling for a throw in, play continued. How on earth did he dismiss 4 penalty shouts ( three from Manutd and one from Blackburn ) will be one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in humanity’s history. My only conclusion was that he was on the pitch to be a first class spectator to catch the action live in front of him instead of sitting in the stands.

 

Logically, the linesman and assistant should share the blame, but I’m in no logical mood.

 

What’s my mood, you might ask.

 

and

 

See all the mean looking guns? 

Unfortunately, I’m sure there’s an Legal Act in all countries which would see me resting my thick neck on a thick rope should I try those out. Now, excuse me as I complete that Photoshop tutorial on designing templates for dartboards and hunt on eBay for some Poison Darts from North America.  

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