77 posts tagged “rambling”
So who isn't happy about the Golden Bell result, especially for Best Actor?
Now, for best actor, I was hoping, and expecting, Zaizai to win.
Okay, Zhao You Ting (Mark) was good but I agree with most netizens' observation that the GBA panel seemed to have judged him based on his being a newbie. For a newbie, certainly, Mark acted well.
BUT.
His role was one-dimensional, it did not show depth in characterization. On the other hand, Zaizai's role was more difficult to do. He was good and at the same time bad. He was funny, at the same time pathetic. And Zaizai managed to get across the constant struggle of his character.
That is why I think Zaizai deserves the award more.
Ah well, another year, another GBA. They don't fail to disappoint anyway, always.
Let's see now if there's truth to the GBA curse. That would be unfortunate for a newcomer like Mark who still has a lot to offer though.
I missed LH, my former Chinese colleague from Shanghai, so when SS from Beijing came to take over, I felt kind of aloof. I felt no connection between us unlike with LH that we'd go for massages or shop and have lunch on weekends together. I even said that SS and I simply do not have anything in common.
And then came The Call from Mr Manager for Yang Cheng Lin's interview and I had no choice but to pass the phone on to SS. I was scared at first not knowing how mainlanders take to Rainie and I wasn't sure if it would be OK for her to translate. I just had no choice that moment because it was last-minute.
I kept asking her on the way to the interview if it was really OK for her to translate and how she finds Rainie. She said she's OK with her. And she even said that Rainie is very famous especially among the young people in the mainland; young people, who she said, do not care about the "controversies" that got her into hot water with the "nationalists" before. Knowing that, I was somehow assured.
Then the interview happened.
And afterwards, I wasn't the only one dazed. On the way home, both of us said not a few times "she's so nice; her manager is nice" with matching dazed look. And came the confession, that she has turned into a fan of Rainie.
We started talking about other stuff until eventually we talked about Chou Jie Lun. And we found one more common ground. She's a big fan too.
This article answers the question perfectly.
Gray is a color.
Grey is a colour.
I always get confused with my American and British English. The Philippine educational system is based on an American model, so naturally, we spell things the American way. But at work now, we use British English and it could get confusing at times. Outside work, people have asked why I spell "z" with an "s", for instance. And that's just one of them.
But that is not the point of this.
I finally tackled my three weeks worth of laundry thanks to hell week and the domino effect of hell that followed afterwards. And I noticed I have a lot of grey in my closet! I can't just stop buying grey things. It's my new black, I just like the neutrality of the colour.
And yeah, it's a grey day today.
Today was the ultimate Hell Day.
But there's a silver lining in everything if you just look closely.
1. The Thai PM proved to be very articulate and he would take time to answer questions, one of which was a very sensitive topic but he managed to answer it diplomatically. This wasn't the first time I've seen him in person so his being handsome did not surprise me but our guests from outside Thailand were duly impressed.
2. I finally met in person our young Taiwan CEO/publisher (he is an SOB/ son of the boss). OMG. He is like a Taiwanese pop idol incarnate. He talks with an American twang (which makes me suspect he is an ABC, or to be accurate, an ABT or American-born Taiwanese), which reminds me of Wang Lee Hom or Van Ness Wu. And then, there is the fashion, which finally convinced me he is just pretending to be a media tycoon and in reality is actually one of those "idols" back in his native Taipei like the likes of Xiao Mei and Joe.
3. I saw DS again, the deputy boss from Indonesia. He was witty as usual and when we had cocktails at The Dome, he was very chatty. Even with the champagne, I could not match his wittiness but he was fun to talk to as usual. I just had to swoon to NV all the way in Jakarta.
4. And last but not the least, Nice Boss from China. Though I think my attention span is getting shorter.
P.S. on my BB, sometimes we have this LQ and I just want to wring his neck and makes me entertain thoughts of resigning. But he's impervious, he doesn't probably notice it that I already want to kill him.
Okay... hell week is about to end. One more day. I hope I won't speak too soon.
I was browsing at Kino over the weekend looking for Outliers (SOLD OUT!!!) when I came across a book on writing and I lazily flipped through the pages. One thing, I really avoid reading books that tell you how to write well, how to improve your writing etc etc. Short of dummies' guide to writing although reading that would be fun I suppose than reading an all-too-serious book telling you you should write like this or that. An editor told me that the best way to improve your writing is to read other people's writings. And to practice until you achieve a style that you're comfortable with. And never to follow a book that guides you step by step on how to or not to write.
Going back to the book, I came across one of the advice. And that is, write like you're viewing the scene through a camera. Meaning don't view it from a single angle alone. View it from different angles. 3D. Like a camera was turning around the scene and capturing the peripheries.
I really found that interesting. I've been told I'm so detailed in my writing. I've noticed that too. I guess it's either I have an overactive imagination or I turn a scene round and round in my head to get the story I want. But yeah, I like reading stories that do not just tell you from one POV. I just hope that while telling my story, I do not get lost in the details. Though I really enjoy it when I can visualise the story and makes me feel like watching a movie.
We should have three-day weekends.
The first day to give us time to wrap things up for the week, you know, like time to do errands or meet up with friends or do some shopping/ grocery.
The second day to do chores like laundry, cleaning, whatever it is you need to do that you weren't able to do the first day of the weekend; and maybe go to the dentist for that appointment.
The third day just rest and sleep and practically do nothing.
Then voila, when work week comes around, you would have accomplished things you needed to do, and feel energized to meet your work headlong.
Yeah, I guess I think and live like a bum sometimes.
Last week, someone pronounced L'occitane as "lok-see-tayne" (in a loud over confident voice) and I kind of paused thinking, uh, have I been mispronouncing it wrongly all this time? (I mean, wouldn't you doubt if you hear someone talk so loud for all the world to hear.) I took French lessons at uni and I think I still know the basic pronounciation rules, but then I'm not an expert so I had my doubts that it's pronounced "lok-si-tahn". Thanks to Kaytee who directed me to Forvo that guides you on pronunciation. And thanks to Forvo, my tuition wasn't really a total waste after all.
"Cold weather, fading Christmas memories and broken New Year resolutions mean this period is usually miserable, but the effects of the economic downturn makes this year worse than ever."
Today hasn't been going well... and I'm glad it's ending soon, in about half an hour.
Then I get the explanation: Monday, January 19, is the most depressing day of the year.
Just reading that it's going to be the most miserable day of 2009 is miserable enough.
Whenever I feel the blues, I let my cerebral part of me work.
Why am I blue? Why am I out of sorts? Why is there like a permanent thud in my heart?
I tried to retrace my weekend... or how the day started but none gave me an adequate answer.
None justified why I was down in the dumps.
My usual happy pills were not even enough to cheer me up.
Not even BB Gandanghari could take me out of the blues after a few laughs.
So they actually have an explanation for it?
Oh I'm just glad this day is going to be over soon.
"Why is it that in order to be close to someone
you have to tell them your secrets?" -- Joon Young, Worlds Within
So true. Sometimes, you unwittingly give too much of yourself away that before you realise it, it's too late and you can't take those secrets back. And then somehow, that makes you feel so vulnerable knowing that they can hurt you anytime and so easily too.
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can
and the wisdom to know the difference.
CHANGE
... negative thoughts and turn them to positive ones so there will be good vibes.
... fears to confidence so I can take the first step to my dream.
... spending habits so I can save more; less on passing fancies and just go for classics and essentials.
... sleeping habits so I won't have a difficulty getting up in the morning.
... eating habits and be like the Thais who eat even raw string beans.
... Virgo ways and be more flexible occasionally.
ACCEPT that
... I don't have a green thumb (my beloved poinsettias didn't get to see the New Year).
... I'm not great at cooking but I can always improve by practice.
... there are people who are better at certain things than you are.
... people think differently, behave differently, believe differently.
... not every wish comes true but I can always have faith that if I believe hard enough, they will.
