Work Hard, Play Harder
by Chung Lyn-Yi ( TODAY Paper)
Nowadays, it is nothing short of a Sudoku challenge to try and schedule gatherings with friends. It seems that beyond the long hours of work, they have their lives packed to the gunnels with classes of some sort. Yoga, French, art appreciation and even, knitting, darn it, to name a few. This is on top of other commitments like volunteering and going to the gym to pound the treadmill like a dogged hamster on a wheel. Looking goof and feeling great despite the occasional indulgence in rich foods remain overarching priorities. So, it is a cycle of slog, jog, rinse and repeat.
The outings are pushed back by days, weeks, even months. When we finally meet, someone will invariably ask: “Wait, whose birthday or promotion are we celebrating?” And as the night wears on, I will see a knowing smile meet every stifled yawn. Conversations will also by punctuated by the words “busy” and “tired”.
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To many of us, this is our last gasp of freedom before greater work responsibilities and parenthood rein us in. And there is desire to exhaust our inner child before we ourselves are with child.
Could this sense of time running out and the “be all you can be” mentality honed from young. It will explain why the lot of us are trying frantically to eke out a meaning (albeit manic) existence. I often end the day walking like a slow loris with a peg leg and feeling like my eyeballs are bouncing on spikes.
But it’s all good. The days are long but the years are short. No time like the present to experiment.
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Quick Updates
– Crazy shopping spree for Christmas greeting cards
– The Essential. The usual catch-up sessions & dine with many friends, over the recent weeks. Tried out a new activity with my SIM gfs and got hooked to it. Via Ferrata.
– Sponsor A Bunny for HRSS.
– Busy with preparation for an upcoming service-learning trip to Cambodia
– Just like all students, Archie just graduated from his Comprehensive Obedience Class, despite being the most notorious. Cheers to both Archie & his trainer, MK !!!
Having interned for ZCP & worked on the publicity campaign for VICTOR/VICTORIA, Im definitely proud to see the company’s efforts in rocketing Singapore’s Arts scene to a higher level, coming to fruition. Personally, I think VV did spectacularly brilliant for a local production … the orchestra, dance choreography, fashion styles, set designs. Nicole Stint did remarkably well, for her performance as the dizzy, bimbotic Norma. In fact, the audience adores her!
Honestly, it wouldn’t be that fair to compare VV to other big-class musicals such as CATS, Phantom of the Opera ( my favourite), Hairspray as the Singapore arts scene still has much room for improvement. It’s a huge step ( and risk ) for a small and new production co. like ZCP, to take on such a huge project and I truly think they deserve a standing ovation for daring to take the step to turning their ambitions into reality! Come next yr, there’s Chicago & The Lion King to look out for. Awesome shit!
Congrats to Loretta, Felina, Mabel & Doris !
– Movie Time : Paranormal Activity
Caught the much hyped-about horror flick, Paranormal Activity. With only a budget of USD $11,000, this indie horror movie was filmed at only one location, over a period of 7 days! Yes, you got that right … A week, that was all it took for the director to film this movie. Exploiting the “hand-held video-filming” techniques popularized by “Blair Witch Project”, “Paranormal Activity” is likewise, filmed in such a way to create suspense & realism. Many cinema-goers left the cinema, thinking that the movie was actually based on a true story!
It’s easy to see why so many people were freaked out by this film. Instead of relying on the usual blockbuster shock/gruesome factors, “Paranormal Activity” however, bangs on the creation of the mood and realism. After all, all the hair-raising incidents happened at unearthly hours when the starring couple was asleep. Nights that played tricks with our minds. Doesn’t that sound like a common scenario? At least, it sounds more realistic than having a psycho killer ( who NEVER EVER dies – eg. Jason, Freddie, Mike) on a killing rampage. As such, this movie gave the audience a chance to relate to the incidents and let their minds run wild.
Rating: 3/5. The huge popularity of this film is a perfect illustration of the impact & success of viral marketing. Unfortunately, both Chantelle & I were left slightly disappointed as we expected something spookier and unpredictable.
blisschic
the girl at the traffic light junction 