Hang Drum - That "musical alien ship" that sat in our home for a few months.

Our friend, Gotty was kind enough to let us bring this giant "musical alien ship" home with us and have fun, make music with it when we chilled at their place months ago .

Now this ship is back in their motherland, making beautiful, celestial music to their newborn, Benjamin. I find this a great instrument for the baby's ear. Most of the sound put together that comes out from a hang drum sounds like music but if you are great enough, you can play like this:

AKI-RA sunrise: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hajtPFhTeck

Rest in peace

7th. This particular december morning, I went back to this neighbourhood I used to be so familiar with when I was 19. It was surreal, it being a morning of more than 10 years later, me being in that area for the wake of this father of a very dear person in my life. I like his father a lot, so much it even surprises me. So much, it surprised me how much it affected me when I got the news of his passing.

He was this tall, quiet father who almost always finishes his conversation with me with an adorable clumsy laugh or a grin. I always told his son he's gonna grow up like his father, always smiling, always grinning while scratching his head, not really knowing how to respond except "Please eat", "Please drink" with kindness. This tall, gentle giant.

I remembered him coming home with bean curd almost every night after his shift work for his children (and me) if I'm around. I know this was his way of showing his love for his children, him being a single father trying to hold a family up. I'm this outsider who happened to be around to witness during that period of my life, seeing all those tiny little things he does for his children quietly then and it warmed me inside to see this big man's routine.

I cried so hard at his wake that morning I don't know why. Perhaps, I thought he just wasn't meant to pass on so early in his life or perhaps, I thought he was meant to enjoy the fruit of his labour more, have more time to enjoy life. Or perhaps, it's the pain I know his children will feel from his passing. I know his son loves his father a lot but he's never really talked about it and it's gonna break his heart so much. At least I know his children were there for him during the last few months of his life. I know I can't be there for his final walk with his family but I was there in spirit. I hope he has a good life. I know he has. He has wonderful children who grew up to be good unique individuals.

May he rest in peace.

Movie Review: Eat, Pray, Love...more like Eat, Whine, Travel

Watched the movie version of Eat, Pray Love last night and I really did not like it. In fact, I am near hating it. Yuya thought it was an ultra girly movie with whining and women yakking and he fell asleep. I agreed and thought all the whining escalated when the movie reaches it's India part. In my head, I can list out so many things I do not like about the movie...

1.

Most of the things I've liked about the book were excluded from the movie. In fact, the movie consists of everything I hate about the book put together...the whining, the complaining and the narcissism of the character to the MAX.

2.

The entire movie is like an extremely superficial skeleton of the book's essence and what it had wanted to tell. Totally devoid of the emotional and spiritual aspect, the storyline is so shallow. I do not feel any bit of pity for Julia Robert's self-absorbed character at all. I find the ex-husband and the ex-boyfriend so much more sincere.

3.

I do not feel there is any growth in Liz's character AT ALL . I felt her character is so full of bad and negative energy throughout the entire movie. She just felt so pessimistic and selfish up until the end of the whole movie. The only thing that helps fan off a bit of her negativity is Julia Robert's bright wide smile planted randomly throughout the movie. Most of the time, she was just a miserable, whiny person.

4.

It does not AT ALL feels like a journey of discovery, it feels like she was just another typical tourist having another holiday trip where she meets a bunch of random people. Nothing of a journey of any sort of discovery.

5.

There was absolutely no chemistry or any special bonds she was supposed to has with some of the characters. The ex-boyfriend, the medicine man, the Balinese healer, Felipe etc... Felipe felt more like a one night stand in contrast to the book.

6.

The medicine man is way too young. He speaks English too well. He was supposed to be older with a more Gandhi-like physique to be able to pass off as 60 something or 100 and something years old.

7.

I super hate the whole Bali part of the whole movie especially. Even the medicine man looks commercialised.

There are more but there is just too many things I do not like about the movie.

What I like:

1. Nice scenery

2. I like most of the main casts. It's nice to see who's cast as the character I read in the book.

3. The beginning of the movie when it's narrated by Julia Robert.

4. The Italy part is ok...funny at certain parts. not as bad. and the food.

5. Jame Franco's smile. He smiles with his eyes.

6. Some of Julia Robert's outfits although it seems like she brought a wardrobe full of clothes to India.

7. Julia Robert's smile

Well, at least I get to play my game of reading the book, imagining the character and then watch the movie. :)

Weekend Beaded Hemp Anklet

Weaved this anklet last night at 2am with Yuya guiding me through the steps coz we were trying to find something to do and he suggested bringing out the hemps and make something new. Did the remaining finishing this morning. Super super love it!

I'm gonna name this love. :)

My Beaded Hemp Anklet :

Name: Ra

Date of Birth: 23 October 2010, 10 am

Star sign: Libra

Materials: Hemp String, Colorful Wooden Beads, Joy

Book, Mind, Film • Eat, Pray, Love

Been reading the book "Eat, Pray, Love" slowly, a little before I sleep one some nights and a little before work some mornings, a few chapters every other day. It is one of those overhyped books that is advertised at every single corner on earth and then made into a jump-onto-the-profit-wagon-movie, like " The Da Vinci Code ". I love The Da Vinci Code book a lot, hate the maroon cover design though. Don't remember much about the movie.

There is this book/film game that I love playing once a while. I shall name it lamely as "Book, Mind, Film" (after "Eat, Pray, Love")! I have a kick out of watching a film based on a book I have read. I will read the book first, imagine how all the characters look and sound like and then watch the film and see if the characters, the settings I have built in my head and the ones the director has were similar in any ways. Also, seeing all those words on paperback transforming into visuals. For better or worse, it's still an incredible experience for me. It's like looking at an object from different angles or knowing the actual lyrics of a song for the very first time after knowing the song and melody for years. You look at it from a fresh new point of view.

Have watched a bunch of mediocre book/film combination like "The Kite Runner" (I love the book so much but the film felt like a haste summary with some characters miscasted), "Perfume" (My favorite book of all time so it's really too hard to make a film up to my dream expectation.)

The best book/film combination I have came upon is Shawshank Redemption. It was a great journey of "Book, Mind, Film". Both the book and the movie were so good I had goosebumps reading and watching them. The characters were so perfect I only see Tim Robbins as that particular brilliant character in any other movies I seen him in after that. Morgan Freeman is an even better Red than the Red I have created in my head.

Shawshank Redemption • The Kite Runner • The Da Vinci Code • Perfume • Eat, Pray, Love

read the book > imagine the characters and settings > watch the film :)

I am in the Bali chapters of "Eat, Pray, Love" now, the Love section. This book is part funny, part whiny and super duper girly. I love her humor a lot but I can't stand the whiny part about relationships but I guess it was an essential and relevant part of her discovery and it was meant to be this way to show progression as well. Till this moment, I have to say although it's overly hyped, I know why it's a great read because there are so many parts of it a lot of people and I can relate to. Almost done with the reading but I don't want to rush through it. There's more than enough time before my plan to watch the film version this weekend if time permits.

Yay..finally it's over!

No more putting it off till the next year to do it,

No more writing on my new year's resolutions every year to do it,

No more waking up at 5.45am for session one,

No more taking an hour's bus ride to class, then, to work before fun.

Y A A Y Y ... F I N A L L Y I T S O V E R .

Finally, I managed to get my driving license at age 30.

Well, it's a little late but better late than never.

Finally off my chest. :)

Karinding

Got this little musical instrument from an Indonesian friend, Bintang when he flew in to Singapore for the Mamady Djembe Workshop. Simple, fascinating and reminds me of a slightly similar one I bought years ago from Vietnam but made with metal.

KARINDING:

This is a traditional music instrument made from bamboo from Sunda - West Java, Indonesia.

When it's played, it sounds like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FImv6ahLtGg

Find this one on youtube. :)