Good quotes that get you going

"if you're jealous of someone,don't sharpen your knives.sharpen your ACT."

not sure if this is originally from Penguin or...but last seen on her page. I like her Lady Is Tramp attitude and of course, camera skills.


"The very beginning of Genesis tells us that God created man in order to give him dominion over fish and fowl and all creatures. Of course, Genesis was written by a man, not a horse. There is no certainty that God actually grant man dominion over other creatures. What seems more likely, in fact, is that man invented God to sanctify the dominion that he had usurped for himself over the cow and the horse. Yes, the right to kill a deer or a cow is the only thing all of mankind can agree upon, during during the bloodiest of wars.

The reason we take that right for granted is that we stand at the top of the hierarchy. But let a third party enter the game - a visitor from another planet, for example, someone to whom God says, 'Thous shalt have dominion over creatures of all other stars' -- and all at once taking Genesis for granted becomes problematical. Perhaps a man hitched to the cart of a Martian or roasted on the spit by inhabitants of the Milky Way will recall the veal cutlet he used to slice on his dinner plate and apologize (belatedly) to the cow."

from Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being, page 281. He rocks!


On reading, I'm starting on Is It Just Me Or Is Everything Shit, The Encyclopedia Of Modern Life, Steve Loew & Alan McArthur. J bought that for me among five other books by local authors in Pakistan. Not sure we have it here, by you might want to look it up under humour...


J & I chilled at cafe with my new book and his, two books on Buddhism, for his curious mind, "I want to know what she's got to say here..." Master Cheng Yen of Tzi Chi Buddhist organisation.

Before the cafe (on Saturday) we found this boutique on Jalan Alor, the colors attracted me to snap a few shots, not forgetting the pink dress that was really eye catching..

curiosity didn't kill the cat, the cat bought the dress, in both pink and black! J watched me in wonder, but not in surprise. The boutique lady buttered him (and me, "Waaa you so pretty and slim you could be a model") up, left, right, centre...and offered us packet drinks. J called it the guilt approach...me, I just wanted the ah lian dress.


On a separate note, went to The Attic and caught Zal on conga and vocals. I video her singing Cry Me A River and Something Stupid (with Llew). This is my favourite shot...

Lovely butterflies

Intensive rehearsals well underway, weekend (almost) full day rehearsals are turning into somewhat well organised pot luck party with scene work done round the hours. Cast taking turns to take pee break, drinkie break with a bit of nutrient from the `pot luck' table outside rehearsal rooms.

Anyway looks like I'm starting my Butterfly Lovers scrap book soon, starting with today's StarTwo story. Show postcards are out too...you'll be sure I will handing you a copy soon.

Rehearsals have been interesting and less laborious, we always get to start rehearsal with different - by different, I mean it's never the same - rehearsal games. I take my hat off to Mr Director (Kai Loon) for the games, I haven't met anyone with such a huge, myriad collection of games for actors. If I had started taking notes of the games from day one, I would have quite a full book by now.

Well, I can't wait till the tech rehearsals come....


BUTTERFLY LOVERS
THE MUSICAL 梁 山 伯 與 祝 英 台

China in 265-420AD… A woman… against tradition… in a love, doomed from the start… Romeo & Juliet meet Yentl… in a contemporary Chinese musical… a Dama Orchestra production not to be missed.

Pun Kai Loon producer / artistic director / director
Khor Seng Chew producer / music director
Gan Boon We concert master
Loo Fung Chiat & Loo Fung Ying composers / arrangers
Wong Kit Yaw choreographer
Dominique Devorsine costume designer

featuring

Tan Soo Suan, Yang Wei Han & Liau Siau Suan

with

Edwin Sumun english narrator

Ho Yock Lin, Janet Lee, Jason Lai, Chan Nyim, Teoh Sheew Yong, June Kwa, Karen Kwan, Seah Song Fan, Sebastian Ng, Cheng Sing Kiong, Yang Sy Yeong, Oon Kim Siong, Lim Jyh Jian, Martin Leong, Adam Sang


venue
Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC)
Sentul West, Jalan Strachan, Off Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur
Venue Map

date & time
27 / 28 / 29 / 30 Sep / 1 / 4 /5 / 6 / 7 / 8 Oct 2006, 8.30pm
1 & 8 Oct 2006, 3.00pm

ticket
RM62 / RM92 / RM122 / RM152 / RM182 / RM222
Seating plan

27 Sep :
Lions Club of Kuala Lumpur Bukit Kiara Fund Raising Charity Event
ticket: RM65 / RM105 / RM155 / RM255
enquiry: Jennifer Khoo: 012 9171196 / Belinda See : 012 6566794

1 Oct :
Charity Event for (a) Nalanda Buddhist Society – Education and Development Fund (b) Shah Alam Buddhist Society – Education Fund
ticket: RM120 / RM250 / RM500
enquiry: GG Tan: 016 3230834 / Reena Lim: 012 3323787

box office opens
Monday 21st Aug 2006

earlybird discount
15% DISCOUNT for ticket purchases before 15 Sep 2006

ticket outlet / hotline
The Actors Studio Bangsar
3rd Floor, Bangsar Shopping Centre, Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2094 0400 / 1400 Fax: 03-2093 8400
Email: tickets@theactorsstudio.com.my

The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre
Sentul West, Jalan Strachan, Off Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-4047 9000 / 9003 / 9005 Fax: 03-4047 9011
E-mail: tickets@klpac.com

enquiry
M-2-10 Plaza Damas, 60 Jalan Sri Hartamas 1,
Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 6201 9107 / 9108 Fax: 6201 9109
Email: dama@damaorchestra.com

patron
Datin Linda Koay

supported by

HSBC in the ARTS
Astro
A Cut Above
Creditassess.com
CHT-Natural Solutions
Wah Li Drycleaner

Time versus Money

You got money, but I got time

Lots of money but lots of late nights; plenty of time for all those leisure strolls but empty bank accounts, so what..

I'm broke but I'm free

No surround sound theatre system so I read books

No designer labels so I prowl flea markets, and see how I shine better than the Datin covered in Prada :)

No luxurious SUV but I have Sunny, still run faster than the silly SUV driven by a Dior-clad mommy whose driver is on leave






No expensive gallery in my pad but hear how I sing beautiful music in my hallway












Don't fancy Lafitte at Shang but love my *Zaatar sandwich with gourmet cheese (same thing what, gourmet sandwich)



*Zaatar Lebanese sandwiches is at Plaza Mont Kiara, next to Secret Recipes. Zaatar sandwiches (think Falafel) oozes goodness in olive oil, sesame seeds, cucumber, tomatoes & yummy home made yogurt cheese and gourmet cheese....price from RM4 - RM10

Milan Kundera & Monday

"The goals we pursue are always veiled. A girl who longs for marriage longs for something she knows nothing about. They boy who hankers after fame has no idea what fame is. The thing that gives our every move its meaning is always totally unknown to us."

Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being

I want to know what you think of what he said, do you agree?

Was at my car mechanic today, half way thro the book now. I got out of the air con waiting room a couple of times to stretch and to check on my car's progress. Replacing a broken water jacket near the engine gasket.

Took a picture of what water jackets look like.











Another client there looked at me and said, "Hey I know you are from this block at my condo."

He chatted with me for a short while and went back to his car parked next to mine.

Later he told me someone at the condo jumped off from 16th floor last month, dunring World Cup. He said he was up watching the game and he heard it.

Now I think it was either a bloody loud thud or he had his TV mute?

Anyway, this guy said it didn't show up in the papers.

How strange. I went to the mechanic to meet a neighbour to tell me about the sick n sad incident.

****

Back to Kundera, I think we always think we know enough of the things we are pursuing and that gives us motivation to go after it. Some of us just know in our skin that we like certain things.

I like to think that I have never known what it's like being rich and so I don't really feel life being anything less being the way I am, not rich but happy.

But I don't know whether the fact that I don't crave being famous is due to my laziness and being unambitious, or just, I don't go after it because I haven't tasted its goodness?

It's only Monday, see what a good book does to your week?

Looking at life from rehearsals

Here's looking at interest, and real passion, in capital letters.

I got home from rehearsal, read some emails, showered, got quite hungry and man, it was 1am already -- so when my phone rang I was surprised and thought it must be J who is travelling.

It was another J from rehearsal, she rang up to run through some singing lines with me so that she could spend the next day at home perfecting it. Apparently she went to the rehearsal earlier with `sore eyes' and her eyes got her an MC (medical certificate) to be off work the next day. Now I know one other person who'd practise at home at 1am after a 3-hour evening rehearsal, plus she had a full day at work before going to rehearsal.

You would call it Passion, wouldn't you?

BTW she really had eye infection.

Another one from rehearsal whined before the rehearsal about heavy rehearsal schedule that is keeping him away from his band practise, he also has a full time college schedule to pull off....I don't know whether that justified him bringing the wrong score to rehearsal, and failed to inform stage manager of his absence from rehearsal the evening before....not forgetting the lack of initiative to work on what he missed.

He asked me if I have a day job besides the part in the musical.

No, I said.

Does it make my effort and contribution in the production any less worthy because I don't come rushing to rehearsals from an office job?

Does it mean a lot more to the production when someone brave traffic from office to rehearsals?

I have the reputation to be early at rehearsals, first to learn all my lines...etc and until recently I think it's an obscenity to be the teacher's pet (in this case, stage manager's or director's pet) and to be known for discipline and punctuality instead of talent. But I have changed the way I see myself, I have no right to deny myself of doing what comes naturally to me -- it's to live whole-heartedly each production I take part in. I will stop apologizing to myself for being passionate about each and every theatre production I part take in.

Speaking of attitude...there will always be actors who are great justifiers...in most productions I have been in. They can justify everything under the sun, why they are always late (work, bosses, traffic, car, unforeseen meetings, kids, pets, plants, church, laundry...), why they still haven't memorize their lines (work, bosses, stage manager, computer down, fever, etc), why they can't sing proper today (sore throat, ill, tired....) and list does on.

While we know that you reap what you sow, sometimes we forget to be responsible for our actions. Excuses will remain as excuses....

Before I bore you with more self-righteous (we all are) talk....I better start making sure today I arrive at rehearsal before time Again :)

Doctor on air

Your resident doctor will be on air tomorrow,
Aug 2,
Wednesday
on
Red 104.9
with
Beauty and The Beast
(Nell & David)
from 745am till 9am,
chatting about flea market shopping.

Tune in for some tips on shopping second hand.... :)