Runs on food and music, will sing for chips and pasta.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

happy being depressed?

ok, I guess the mature way to look at it would be to think - lessons learned, move on to better things, to better myself.

...while the human way to feel it would be to stop in the track and cry, pointing a few fingers at people (including at myself), over analyse things and dwell in the situation.

there must be this strange kind of reward that we give our brains when we get depressed and often decide to dwell on it...to get attention from others? To enjoy the bitterness while we are at it? ...am sure somewhere in The Science of Happiness, Stefan Klein explained it quite well.

haven't you met people who seem to be in a perpetual state of complaining (about everything) and moody (all year round)? They must be the kind who are getting their fix of high from being upset all the time.

...ok enough air time for bad mood. Time to move on....



Editorial Reviews from Amazon on the book mentioned above...

From Publishers Weekly
A leading German science journalist explores the nature of happiness through the latest research in brain science in this instructive study. Positive and negative feelings, he says, are generated by different mental systems; thus, people whose right frontal lobe dominates tend to be more pessimistic, while those with a stronger left lobe are predisposed to optimism and self-confidence. Despite genetic programming, the author says, the brain is "malleable," and anyone with a desire for happiness is able to perceive and experience more pleasurable emotions. Drawing on complex experiments with animals, he suggests specific strategies to overcome depression, including engaging in activities, especially physical activities or simple tasks that easily offer a sense of success; and writing down negative thoughts, then marshaling the evidence against them. Klein looks at the complex relationship between income and satisfaction and the importance of self-determination and social connections. The surest path to happiness, Klein is convinced, is to know oneself. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description
Clinical psychologists have been dealing with miserable feelings since their discipline was established. In the last 30 years, neuroscientists have made major headway in the understanding of the sources of anger, depression, and fear. Today, whole industries profit from this knowledge—producing pills for every sort of pathological mood disturbance. But until recently, few neuroscientists focused on the subject of happiness. Now, in The Science of Happiness, leading German science journalist Stefan Klein ranges widely across the latest frontiers of neuroscience and neuropsychology to explain how happiness is fostered in our brains and what biological purpose it serves (and, importantly, how we can control our negative feelings and emotions). In addition, he explains the neurophysiology of our passions (the elementary rules of which are hardwired into our brains), the power of consciousness, and how we can use it. In a final section, Klein explores the conditions required to foster the "pursuit of happiness." A remarkable synthesis of a growing body of research that has not heretofore been brought together in one accessible book, The Science of Happiness will ultimately help each of us understand our own quest for happiness—and our fostering of it, as well.

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Friday, July 25, 2008

Edging on....

a pic from dress rehearsal

The Edge , a musical in workshop performance opening night.

49 pages
18 scenes
6 characters
1 composer cum book writer
1 director
1 stage manager
...
..
.

this is us, after the opening performance last night...
am happy to be back in the action (of theatre), this is a meatier role and it means a lot of work for someone like me...untrained in theatre and not much experience in music theatre.

It's a real honour to be cast to work on Nick's work. Everyday in the rehearsals and then at the theatre itself, I find new things to improve on for my craft. Sometimes I feel good sometimes I feel shitty but I guess....rising from the shit is part of the reason why I am here?

Three more performances and then the work will be `put on ice' (how director Chris Ling put it) until rehearsals to start in December 08 to prepare for the full staging in Feb 09 (watch this space).

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Friday, July 04, 2008

I'm on the Edge

whats keeping me busy and happy this July....rehearsals! I love rehearsing for new music, good music makes work heavenly :)

Six people's lives are turned upside-down when someone near and dear to them decides to take the plunge...
- off the ledge of a building...
The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac)
presents
a workshop performance of
a new musical by NICK CHOO
THE EDGE
Directed by CHRIS LING
Suddenly mother, brother, girlfriend and three close friends are forced to reexamine their individual histories with the boy. In the process, they learn things both startling and redeeming about themselves and one another - about family and friends, love and betrayal.
The Edge is a musical that explores the complex relationships between six persons and a young man moved to the point of despair.
24 - 27 July 2008
Thursday - Saturday @ 8.30pm / Sunday @ 3pm
Entrance by minimum donation of RM10
IndiCine, KLPac
(Click here for location map and public transport options)
FEATURING
Ho Soon Yoon, Samuel Tseu, Michael Chen, Zalina Lee, Janet Lee & Sheryl Chong
Questions? Ring the KLPac Box Office at 03 - 4047 9000.

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