monoceros blogsIt's uncanny that another similar incident happened just recently. My brother sent me an article about a diver left behind in the ocean off California. Thankfully, a young boy spotted him and the nearby boat of boy scouts mounted a rescue operation.
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Today seems to be movie day. I've been preparing a list of must-see summer flicks (fun entertainment). Here it is, in no particular order of preference:
1. Troy
2. Van Helsing
3. Shrek 2
4. Harry Potter 3
5. Spiderman 2
6. I, Robot (a Will Smith movie based on the short stories by Isaac Asimov)
7. The Day After Tomorrow (by the director of Independence Day)
8. The Terminal (romantic comedy by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks)
9. The Village (the new movie by M. Night Shyamalan)
10. Collateral (a Tom Cruise/Michael Mann movie. Cruise is a baddie)
11. De-Lovely (about Cole Porter, starring Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd. Plenty of appearances by singers - Robbie Williams, Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello, Diana Krall, Alanis Morissette, Natalie Cole)
12. The Bourne Supremacy (sequel to The Bourne Identity)
13. Arthur (from Jerry Bruckheimer! Set in England! Starring that Pirates girl, Keira Knightley!)
Strictly for chicks:
1. Princess Diaries 2
2. 13 Going On 30 (the Alias chick actually smiles and dances here)
3. Ella Enchanted (Anne Hathaway as a princess again!)
4. The Prince And Me (Julia Stiles and royalty)
5. The Notebook (based on that heartbreaker book)
6. Before Sunset (sequel to Before Sunrise)
7. Shall We Dance? (American version of the Japanese movie)
There're also a few international films I want to see but I'll save that for another list for another day. Phew!
I've decided that watching horses and birds in action is a wonderful thing to do. Two of my favorite migratory bird shows include Fly Away Home and Winged Migration. Living in Michigan also allows me glimpses of large eagles soaring in the sky or geese lazing on a frozen river. Just the other day, at a stoplight, I caught sight of a two eagles circling high above me. Watching them for a few seconds gave me an immense sense of peace. I guess this is what Wendell Berry was talking about in his poem "The Peace of Wild Things."
Horses, ah horses. I regret that I never learned to ride one, although I did go on two long horserides in the Rockies when I was in Canada several years ago. We traversed a river and went up mountain paths. More recently, I finally got round to watching that wonderful gem of a movie, Seabiscuit. Last year was my LOTR craze so the the horse movie kind of got eclipsed by Frodo and gang. Well, I am pleased to say Seabiscuit moved me. A horse that was too small, a jocket was too tall. The movie followed the book closely, and the book detailed the true story wonderfully. So all the great moments in the movie actually happened. It's beautifully-filmed, the acting was splendid, and my heart really went to Seabiscuit.
Inspirational movies can get cheesy, but this one was uplifting, aided by a great film score. It's no wonder it was nominated for Best Picture. If I'd watched this earlier, I think I wouldn't have minded if Return Of The King had lost to Seabiscuit! Yeah, I liked it that much!
I have about half a dozen entires I should write and an editing job to finish but I couldn't resist putting up a rather interesting post to do with a movie and a sport - deep sea diving.
Open Water was shown at the Sundance Festival earlier this year and it's been getting rave reviews. Comments like "Jaws meets Blair Witch Project" and so on. Some folks didn't like Blair Witch Project, which didn't quite deliver, and Open Water is supposed to.
The movie is loosely based on a true story that involves a married couple on a dive trip. They get accidentally left behind (the bloody boat left without them!) and are literally surrounded by miles of ocean and sharks. The filming process is another story - the budget was so low that the director couldn't afford to have a CGI shark or build a mechanical one. So he packed the actors with anti-shark chain mail, dumped them in the Bahamas, dropped sharkbait in the waters and waited for the sharks to show up. Then he filmed the actors shaking with real fear in the water. The actors weren't insured. They just signed contracts stating that neither party would sue each other.
If you're interested in the true story, which happened in 1998, off the Great Barrier Reef, go here.
Reading this made me a little nervous, especially since my brother, Randy, just returned from a dive trip. He loves diving and my mom and I are always concerned when he goes. I think I'll make him read this article.
I'm not sure I can handle watching the movie. Watching the trailer was enough to make me quake. Go here for the trailer.
I do believe that's a real shark!
I attended a talk by a literary agent yesterday. Encouraging and discouraging information. Next year, as a second-year, we'll have one-on-one appointments with visiting agents. This one in particular worked with Dave Eggers - A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius - and one of her colleagues handled Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. Impressive clients they have. How does one compete with that?
Meeting #2 was a teaching meeting. Informative and made me nervous about my approaching teaching duties. I'll have loads of planning to do this summer. I just checked my course and section online and I've already got 12 students enrolled in my class. I'm doing a Tues, Thurs 10-1130 section; maybe I should have requested an 830-10 time slot and wound up with fewer students.
I plodded on to meeting #3, which was the MFA end-of-year meeting. And then met with the director of the program to talk about my work.
Third recital of the week in the evening. This week alone, I attended a trumpet and harpsicord recital and two piano recitals. Music and prose...a good life indeed. After the recital, I sneaked into a practice room and played for a bit. It's been four months since I touched a piano.
Lin Kiat is in Bintan for a company retreat so I couldn't get hold of him last night. I didn't want to do any editing so I did the next best thing, called up the editorial department in Singapore and talked to old pal, Barney. He's finally caught the Cowboy Bebop train.
Well, it's official, I'm done as a first-year in the MFA program. We just had our last workshop this evening at a friend's place. We had a little gathering with the second-years who came to celebrate our director, who's expecting a little boy this June. Good food, laughter and then we chased the second-years out (they handed in their theses today!) so we could have our last workshop of the semester and year.
Wow, it's been a great year. I can't believe how quickly it went by. I took some terrific classes, had some sleepless nights (very recently too), and I survived. I'm kind of happy about it all, glad that I made it, that I survived. The second year will be tougher and I'm a little afraid. I'll be a second-year, expected to be wiser; I'll be an instructor at the university, expected to have authority and wisdom. It'll be pretty hard to balance studying, writing and teaching. I don't know how I'll survive. Best thing to do, most important thing to do, is to write the rest of my thesis this summer so I won't have to agonize over writing new material this fall. I will just revise the first drafts written over the summer.
I'm thinking of writing a novella or the start of a novel too. It'll be tough since these long-term projects frighten me. My friend Elizabeth has been working on her novel for the past 8 years. I can't imagine working on something for so long. But I think I'd like to try completing a novel in my lifetime. To have a life's work, this one long book. The great American novel, if you're American, I suppose. I don't want mine to be a great Singaporean novel because it doesn't have the same tone to it, but well, it will be a great work in my life, I think.
And then I'd like to write a long children's novel, or young adults novel, for my kids next time. It might never get published, of course, but I'd like to write things for my children. A long adventure.
Okay, tonight is my night for a good night's rest with no fear of more work the following day. I'm still nursing my cough, which has made my throat rather congested (the phelgm makes me think of little elephants caught in my throat each morning) and my voice very husky. I've gone from alto to basso in two days.
Got up at four, did some work, slept a bit, did more work, went to class, did more work in school. The good news is that I completed my last 23 pages and handed them in before the Hopwood ceremony this afternoon.
I collected my award, didn't fall down the stairs, attended the reception, took pictures with friends, had dinner with Elizabeth, Georgi and their three great children, Tony, Yanka and Kiril, the youngest, who really likes me, if I may say so. During the reception, he'd periodically come up behind me and put his little arms round my legs. What a joy...I'll get a picture of him soon, before the summer's over because that's when he'll have his long locks cut. It's Bulgarian tradition to keep little boys' hair long until a certain age. Right now Kiril looks like a little prince with golden locks.
Now I'm back home, my throat seems choked with more phelgm, and I have three critiques waiting for me. But before that I'll be attending Peiming's recital in which she'll play Piazzolla's Le Grand Tango. Tomorrow, work work work, then a party before the workshop. After the workshop, a good night's rest. On Thursday, four meetings from morning till evening. And then, at last, I can go home and watch DVDs without feeling guilty. Oh, and I guess I'll have to get started on my editing project.
Why I am listing all this boring stuff? I suppose in an attempt to remind myself what I have to do. Cold and rainy today. Not good. But I'm just glad to be finished with my last 23 pages. Imagine that - 64 pages in three weeks!
Be back soon.
Lin Kiat called me today, after returning to Singapore safely. Alas, our pet prawn, Calbee is feared dead. He's missing from the tank and Lin Kiat thinks that the other prawn (the kind we eat. This fellow was brought back from the market to be cooked but left in our tank for storage, and he extended his stay until he ate up the resident prawn) is responsible.
I'm glad I took this picture of him. We were were proud that his feelers were incredibly long and aristocratic. It'll be tough to find another as splendid as Calbee.
I should write an ode to Calbee. An Ode To A Prawn. But not tonight. Tonight, I'll have to finish my stack of pages.
I gave a reading tonight at the Guildhouse. I was so nervous and shy about my work that I didn't inform any of my friends here about it. Peiming knew and remembered, and she called me this morning to ask where it was. I refused to tell her because I didn't want her to attend. I thought the crowd would be small and didn't want her to be subjected to listening to some 14 pages of my dribble.
But I was waiting for the reading to begin (I was reading with two others, a poet and a fiction writer), and felt an onslaught of nerves, and regretted telling Peiming not to come. I felt terribly alone and wanted to go home. Then, somewhere in my peripheral vision, I saw a petite girl with dark hair pass through the doorway and then disappear behind a wall. Was that Lim Jia? She was followed by a fellow with big hair. If that was Jake, his hair had grown considerably. It was Jake, and Peiming and Noella followed after. I was so pleased and shocked at once. I confronted them, "Oh my goodness, what the hell are you doing here?!" Jake unfolded a poster with a horrific picture of me. Someone had posted a flyer advertising our reading in the music school. I couldn't believe it. But I really was moved by their effort to come hear me read, against my wishes!
I chose to read non-fiction, an essay I wrote last year about getting married or planning a wedding at the height of SARS. If Lin Kiat were there, he'd have been mighty embarrassed, since the essay is about him too. But it turned out well. People laughed (and that's always a good thing) and often (that's even better!). And the last paragraphs were moving, people told me, not cheesy as I'd feared (when you're talking about weddings and husbands, the cheese factor can run dangerously high).
Now that the reading's over, I can rest my throat which has been sore and let my nose run free. Halfway through reading, I had to blow my nose, and people shrieked with laughter, given the topic I was reading. I couldn't help it. I had to blow my nose! Guess I should've worn a mask too, for added effect.
*Note - have finished my 20-page sample for a play. 25 more pages to go. And a pile of grading, and 3 critiques and then 4 textbooks to edit...
Since I'm doodling on the weblog, I might as well put up a fun picture while I'm at it. Doesn't it look like I'm a framed painting leaning against the wall? I'd like to call it "Unknown Girl In A White Coat." (I'd have gladly exchanged this for a better Vienna Teng picture. See entry below.)
Boon and I had Greek food for an early dinner, and we still weren't the first in line to The Ark where Vienna Teng was to perform. Well, we weren't too far behind either so things weren't so bad. It was very cold though. I'm glad I came prepared with my thick winter coat.
When the doors opened into the little cosy theater, I found Boon and myself some decent seats near the stage. I took the aisle seat for myself since I had my camera with me, which, for the first time, failed me! It usually does night shots without the flash rather well, but this time, Vienna's lovely face eluded it, and the only decent shot I have is this blurred one. Well, stylized, if you will.
In any case, Shane Nicholson from Sydney, Australia opened the show with four songs. He was pretty good and I enjoyed his guitar work and smooth vocals.
Finally, Vienna came on stage with the rest of her trio, Marika Hughes on cello and Alan Lin on violin. After reading reviews about their performances in other cities, I couldn't help but feel a little star-struck that Vienna, Marika and Alan were really here in tiny Ann Arbor. However, they were all casually dressed, the room was small and intimate and there was the air of a warm get-together between friends. Vienna is no diva, but you can really feel her talent, and how bright and tremendous her spirit is. No fancy clothes, no seriously-styled hair (I imagine she simply put a hairbrush to it), just some nice sandals and a wide smile for her audience.
She performed 14 songs (no break!) and 2 encores. The first bars of "My Medea" opened the show, and then she explained how she wrote the piece with the frightening Greek figure, Medea, in mind. I'm pleased to say she played all my favorite pieces. "Mission Street," "Unwritten Letter #1," "Homecoming"... maybe I'll just list all the songs she did. In terms of order, I can only remember the first two songs and the last one, the rest of the songs are jumbled in my list.
1. My Medea
2. Hope On Fire
3. Shasta
4. Homecoming
5. Mission Street
6. Eric's Song
7. Drought
8. Anna rose
9. Gravity
10. The Tower
11. 1000 Oceans (by Tori Amos)
12. Unwritten Letter #1
13. Feather Moon
14. Harbor
Encore #1: Soon Love Soon
Encore #2: Green Island Serenade/L?dao Xiaoyequ
The best things about live performances are that the singer plays songs which aren't on the albums, improvises the songs which are, and makes the audience feel as if they have something special during the show. Vienna asked if we'd mind her playing a cover. Since so many comparisons have been made, she thought she might as well do a Tori Amos song. And the very one that I like - 1000 Oceans.
I can safely say that she played every one of the pieces with incredible emotion and truly enjoyed singing for us. The same goes for Marika and Alan. The three played and sang wonderfully, Marika and Alan doing backup vocals occasionally. A piano, violin and cello make a beautiful acoustic performance. Unadorned; no showy production elements; just pure sound from the instruments. I was smiling like a fool through most of the show. I was so happy to be there. I only wish you were all there to experience it too, such a terrific performance that this post can't describe vividly enough.
Vienna involved the audience too, getting us to sing when she did "Soon Love Soon" as her first encore. Her second piece was the lovely traditional tune which most of us know - L?dao Xiaoyequ. You may not recognize the title, but you will the tune. She explained a little about its meaning - someone mourning the loss of affection from a person or a place. Her parents sang it to her as a child, and now she sings it with them in mind. The song could be interpreted as a political, patriotic tune, given the current political climate in Taiwan, but she sees it more as symbolizing the loss her parents embraced in order to gain a new life when they left Taiwan for the US; that their children would grow up as Americans and not Taiwanese. Vienna confessed to dropping out of Chinese class at 5th grade and apologized if her Chinese pronunciation faltered during the song. But she sang it beautifully and I was swept back to my own memories of childhood. Lost times indeed.
After the show, Vienna stood in a corner signing CDs - she's left-handed! And she's certainly prettier than in the pictures. Very lovely features - large eyes, smooth skin. She said she was happy to be so warmly welcomed in Ann Arbor and I told her she's always welcome here. *hint - come back soon!*
I disappeared from Ann Arbor over the weekend, escaping to San Francisco and Fremont to see my husband and meet a few old friends.
What a splendid trip; I think I enjoyed myself more than I did in Chicago. Probably because I got to see Lin Kiat and also because I enjoyed more of the city I was visiting, even though it was such a short trip. I left on Thursday evening and returned at dawn today, Monday.
We walked down Mission Street; visited two museums, ate crab and downed clam chowder at Fisherman's Wharf; watched the waves break at Half Moon Bay; indulged in the variety of Chinese restaurants in Fremont; paid a visit to In And Out for its famous burgers; played native and wandered round a strip mall; caught Hellboy on Easter Sunday; and drove and drove while all around us the hills rose and fell, mist clung to bridges, mountain slopes and buildings, the sky opened its blue shell and cast its splendid warm light over cypress trees, Victorian houses, habours, bridges and open waters.
And I do have pictures this time! I'll post these once I clear this week's 45 pages, readings, critiques and half a dozen other things. On a brighter note, while I was in San Mateo at a friend's place, I checked my email and learned that I won a writing award. A boost of confidence that I sorely need.
Tonight's plan: watch Vienna Teng sing! I hope she performs "Mission Street."
I just found out a little late that Vienna Teng is visiting Ann Arbor next Monday to perform at The Ark. The good seats are reserved already, but maybe I'll just get a general admission ticket and try my luck with the random seating or floor space. I've heard good things about her live performances and how laid-back she is about photography, and even recording! I'll probably pick up a ticket this Tuesday when I'm in school.
After my enthusiastic review about her albums, I should certainly grab the opportunity to watch her live.
I've got about 65 pages of prose to write from now till April 21st. In addition, I have two books to read and a stack of papers to grade at the end of the semester. Oh, and a little proofreading job too. Not very little actually. No, not little at all.
Christine, my sis-in-law, has just seen Josh Groban in conert. Lucky her. I am flying to San Franciso next week to visit Lin Kiat on training. He's here with me now in Ann Arbor, and has to put up with me and my huge pile of work. While in SF, I hope to visit a couple of museums, catch up with friends, write 20 pages of a play, and read, read, read.
I managed to see Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. Maybe a review later on. For now, I'll just say that it's a lovely, quirky movie and I liked it very much. A restrained Jim Carrey, a Kate Winslet who's wilder and more genuine than the Rose of Titanic, a sad and weak Elijah Wood (wait, that sounds like Frodo too, doesn't it?), and a jumping Kirsten Dunst, among others.