Minions Rule The World.

I've had just enough time to...  try to foil the Minions domination of the world.

The 9 Minions that invaded Malaysia...

There is a despicable plot going on. And it is worse than World War Z – worse than the hungry zombies. After all, the zombies only bite. But Minions do worse! They turned you into giggling idiots singing bananana and potatos! They made you listened to a language you do not understand but laughed at hideously anyway. No one understands how they did it but world leaders are seriously discussing a global wide immunization or even lobotomy as a last stand against this insidious infestation.

Minions Attack!

And the Minions are doing it through the assistance of diabolical McDonald entering homes unsuspectingly through the happy meal. There have been reported cases of madness and fights in every McD outlets in Malaysia where the most serious cases of Minion Mania in the world were observed to occur. It has been speculated that the “Kiasu” (“scared to lose”) syndrome of the average Malaysian must have made them especially susceptible to the Minions attacks. It was reported that a lunatic bid of RM38 millions for a set of the minions was made in ebay.

This is an emergency announcement. Up to now, it has been confirmed that 9 “species” of Minions have been sighted in the country. They are all highly dangerous. Do Not, I repeat Do Not tackle them on your own, do not own them, do not bring them into your house. Shut your ears and eyes and run away as fast as you can if you come across one. Our Special Intelligent sent out this warning regarding these dangerous “creatures” among us. They are –

(1)  Tim Giggling,  (2) Tim Giggle Grabber,  (3) Dave Gadget Grabber

(4) Evil Minion Chomper, (5) Tom Googly Eyes Grabber

(6) Stuart Light Up Grabber, (7) Stuart Babbler Grabber

(8) Jerry Breakdancing, (9) Evil Minion Noisemaker

Stop giggling. You have been warned! 

Did You Fall In Love With The Music or Musician?

I've had just enough time to...   wonder if I love the musician or her music?

Taken one spring night in Shanghai...

It was a pleasant spring night and I was having a stroll in the entertainment district of Shanghai where old and new buildings are well blended into an interesting and sometimes incongruous mix of modernity and history. This place then is aptly named新天地; "New Heaven and Earth". In the distance I saw brightly lighted kiosk selling this “mixture of everything” – Chinese helmets (why?) and Chinese Soldiers cap (this I can understand), ladies purse of modern design and traditional colours, and dolls. Porcelain dolls wearing traditional Chinese costume in elegant poses. And graceful modern dolls in gowns playing musical instruments. Maybe, it is this mix of contradictions that made me asked “Did I fall in love wih the music or musician

...of the musicians and their music and...

Did You Fall In Love With The Music or Musician?

Did I fall in love –

With the music or musician?

I couldn’t tell

Not when she is playing, not when

Her sound wraps round me

Like fur on a winter morning

Before the sun melts the icicles,

Lifts the heavy fog

Off the sleepy lake and

Prods lives under thick blankets

She wakes me up

And leads me to the sun

Did I fall in love –

With her or the sun?

Chinese ladies in their traditional costumes...

Street Football, Yangon (Myanmar) Style.

I've had just enough time...   to remember the little boy kicking the ball in the street

These images are drive-by shootings. I was in a car in Yangon Myanmar, squeezing through the crowded streets where old cars (government policy only allows import of second hand cars) shared the same space with bicycles, trishaws and trucks. Thankfully, there were no motor-bikes which are banned in the street of Yangon for the cars are confusing enough with right-handed drives and left-handed drives sharing the same road moving in both directions. I saw a crowd occupying one part of the road next to the shoulder and wondered why they are gathered there.

It seemed they are watching a game in progress. One guy obviously a player himself by his uniform is sitting on a trishaw with his knee up watching the game even though other spectators were blocking his view. There were spectators watching from the balconies and windows of the shop block. Some of the spectators were wearing trousers while more are wearing sarongs but all non-players were wearing flip-flops. This is street football, Myanmar style.

The curb marked one side of the ‘field’ while a raffle string that separated the road marked the outer boundary with crates and parked cars and trucks marked both ends. The ‘field’ itself is just the paved surface of the road with crude chalk markings. 

Please take note of the players’ footwear. The player challenging for the ball wore boots, the other defender wore socks with the big toe sticking out and a knee guard below the knee while the attacker was wearing an ankle guard on one leg. This seemed to be a good representation of the footwears of the players.

The game was proceeding at a lively pace with the ball moved up and down the court with each side trying to take it to the scoring zone where a tiny and low goalpost sat at each end. Imagine raw feet charging on the hot, rough, and abrasive road surface and you will wince. But this does not shock me as much as bringing back nostalgic memories for that was precisely what we did too as kids. And the way to differentiate the teams then was always, those with shirts and those without and we always hoped we will be the shirtless team so they won’t turn up torn.  I so wanted to stop and watched the game but the car was moving on…

I'm In-Between...

I've had just enough time to...   get out from in-between...

Shot on the last day in Singapore...

The last few days I was in Singapore with my team to do development work on a new project with some really nice people. Every morning when I went down from the 24^th floor and coming out of the lift when I returned at night; I will look out the window sandwiched between the two rows of lifts. Always looking for something worthy to shoot and each time wondering whether I have a story for the little child’s bicycle with the pink frame outside the balcony. But I did not shoot that. On the last morning as I was about to rush down to check out, I again looked out the window. It was a dark and rainy morning, kind of gloomy. It was then, for the first time I noticed the world in-between the two apartment blocks…

...on a rainy and gloomy morning,

In-betweens

I’m in-between.

In-between jobs

The last one’s no good

The new one’s not promising

But I’m in-between

So I guess that’s okay

I’m in-between relationships

The old one’s heart-breaking

The current one’s temporary

So I guess

That makes it tolerable

I’m in-between Lives

Up to now, it is kinda disappointing

So I need some re-inventing

For my Life is in-between

In-between

All those in-betweens…

I saw for the first time, the world in-between.. in-betweens

The Eternal Beauty (of the Himalayas) - Yang Jima (央吉玛)

I've had just enough time to...   be amazed by the songs of the Tibetan Highlands

Taken as the sun rises over the Himalayas

Adam Lambert gaped in amazement and a smile spread across his face as he listened to her sing. When she finished, he clapped “Beautiful, it was so angelic. You’re so grounded in energy, focused. It was beautiful. I love it.”

Turning the white hills to gold

They heard the bells on her before they saw her. When invited to sing, she sat cross-legged on the floor and imbued the room with the ring of tiny cymbals tied to her fingers. With her first note, she transported them to a strange land far away in a language they have not heard before. She was unlike any they have ever auditioned.

Illuminating its beauty and majesty

When asked about the meaning of the song, in a gentle voice she said – “The summits of the mountains are white, covered with snow. When the golden sun comes out, it shines upon the mountains turning the white into gold. And the people look at this and pray. Pray that this beauty will last forever. That is why the song is called – The Eternal Beauty.”

Yang Jima (央吉玛) sings The Eternal Beauty 

While the valley sleeps peacefully below...

Her name is Yang Jima (央吉玛 yangjima), a member of the Chinese ethnic minority tribe – Menba, that lives in Tibet in a region straddling the Himalayas. She was auditioning for the 2013 Chinese Idol. Taught to sing by her grandmother, she aspired to bring the songs of her native lands to the world. In the next round, together with 3 others from different ethnic groups (You Yunfu of Hui, Ah Lai of Kazakhstan, Hu Sileng of Mongolia), they formed the “Tribal Group” each bringing their distinctive ethnic flavour and gave the most fantastic performance ever by a group in an Idol competition. Listen to them singing Coco Lee's "Thinking of You 365 days" 想你的365天 and be amazed how they take a modern song and enriched it with tribal flavor.

p.s.: Go to Youtube and see if they all made it to the finals.

The "Tribal Group" singing their hearts out in Chinese Idol 2013

This is the song of the highlands

The Crossroad: A Fight In The Dark – Part II

I've had just enough time...   to avoid a fight in the dark

Someone's got my head!

During the Northern Song Dynasty, General Jiao Zan was exiled to Shamen, a desert island for killing the son-in-law of a corrupt official. Yang Yanzhao of the famous Yang family that defended the borders of China against the Liao Dynasty, ordered Warrior Ren to secretly follow and protect the general as he feared the disgraced general is targeted for assassination on the journey. Warrior Ren is a “Wu Sheng” (male character with martial skills that protects a “Painted Face” main character).

Is that my knee?

When General Jiao rested in an inn during the journey, the innkeeper who played the role of a “Wu Chou” (martial clown) sympathized with his plight and pledged to protect him. However, when Warrior Ren turned up, the innkeeper mistook him for the assassin. That night, the innkeeper and Warrior Ren put a fierce fight in complete darkness each mistaking the other to be the assassin.

 

Now where is that sneaky fellow?

There is no singing, dialogues or recitation for this portion of the play but it is easily understood and highly appreciated by the audience as it is comical and full of martial actions allowing the two characters to exhibit their martial artistry. The “Wu Chou” (martial clown) role is to me the more demanding role as in addition to the al the demands of performance, he has to make the audience laugh. The whole play is a re-acting of a fight in the dark though the stage is lighted. The only props are a chair and a table which is creatively used in the fight sequence. This is a good representation of a combat performance and the role of a “Wu Sheng” (warrior) and “Wu Chou” (martial clown).

The Crossroad: A Fight In The Dark – Part I

I've had just enough time to...   figure a way out of the crossroad

Taken of "The Crossroad" in Liyuan Theatre, Beijing

Continuing my series on the Beijing Opera, this is “The Crossroad” where two adversaries fought in complete darkness. Each assuming the other to be the enemy. Each putting his life on the line for an honourable task. But in the darkness, is anything what they are supposed to be? When you live your whole life responding to what you see, how will you respond to it when you cannot see? Do you trust unfamiliar senses when the one you trust can no longer be trusted?

Black Spy vs White Spy

At the crossroad

a fight in the dark.

How does one fight an enemy

he cannot see? 

Will you trust senses unfamiliar

Or not trust them to be?

Is it danger that you sense

Or is it the danger, your scent?

Will you swing your sword wildly 

Or wait for the spear thrust? 

Will you wait for danger to appear 

Or step forth in the dark? 

What will you do at the crossroads?

What will you do in the dark?

Are you afraid of the discovery?

Or are you afraid of the mark?

A fight too fast for my camera :)

Former Posts on Beijing Opera - 

BeijingOpera #1 – I Am A Painted Face But Not A Clown!

Farewell To My Concubine Part I - The Song of Gaixia (垓下之战)

Farewell To My Concubine Part II - The Song of Gaixia (垓下之战)

Stawberries Ready To Be Eaten, Moldy When Not

I've had just enough time to...   let strawberries go to waste...

Taken in my hotel room in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Strawberries

Ready to be eaten

Left the night over

The next morning

Moldy

Who will buy

This wonderful morning?

Such a sky

You never did see! 

Who will tie 

It up with a ribbon 

And put it in a box for me? 

Who Will Buy? - OLIVER

The Sound Of Falling Leaves

I've had just enough time to...   listen to the sound of falling leaves...

Taken one chilly morning in the backstreet of The Rock, Sdyney

Leaves fall

The speed of tears

Smash the ground

Silently splash

Quivering echoes

Through silent streets

The Giant cries

Tears as many as leaves

Catching the mournful wind

Through skeletal branches

Till no more leaf is left to shed

Then deadly silence

Winter is here to stay

Sometimes you are sad. You may not be able to point out a single incident or even a number of incidents that are making you sad. They may have some effects but you know they should not make you as sad as you are. You are just sad. Stop looking for the reasons. Indulged in it for a while. A sad movie, a sad story or a sentimental song. Or a chat with an old friend, a long walk in the park, an evening by the sea. Do whatever works for you. Sadness prepare us for happier times. Just don't lay on It for too long. It may get so comfortable that you would not want to get up again.

Leaves Falling - Sound of Silence by Regon Kuo

叶子 - Leaves

I've had just enough time to...   be thankful for leaves

Taken in the garden village of Sungei Buloh, Malaysia

I was in the town of Sungei Buloh (River of Bamboo) shopping for orchids before the Chinese New Year. In those old less enlightened days, this place was used to isolate a leper colony from the general populace. A vocation was needed for these displaced people and in an ironic way, growing flowers and plants was the profession chosen for them. Now it is a thriving town engaged predominantly in the gardening business. The city has expanded and engulfed the area making it a very valuable real estate. Now, those once shunted lepers and their descendants are not only businessmen and women but also millionaires putting a final irony to the Town of The River of Bamboo.

Everyone was looking down because there were flowers in glorious bloom everywhere. On both sides of the small lane, on every multiple racks, in every stall and corners, any space that can be squeezed in, flowers of all varieties and colors and forms smiled back at you. But my attention was up, at that wondrous spread of rain tree branches and the millions of tiny leaves blinking at me. Whenever the wind stirred, a few shook themselves from the branches and floated down in an erratic but graceful dance to join the other fallen leaves on the roof. 

I love flowers but it was the leaves that talked to me that day.  And leaves always reminded me of that sad song  叶子yèzi (Leaf ). I heard that haunting voice as I stood by the road shoulder looking up feeling deliciously sad while boisterous trading were happening all round me. And what made it even more poignant is that I will never hear her singing a new song again. '阿桑' (Ah Sang) had a hard life. She was discovered singing in a pub and “Leaf” made her famous. Just when it appeared that Life is finally giving her the break she deserved, she quietly left the entertainment scene. Not long later, the world was shocked to learn that she has succumbed to breast cancer. She was only 34.

叶子                                                                         Leaves

阿桑                                   Ah Sang

叶子 是不会飞翔的翅膀                   Leaves are wings that cannot fly

翅膀是落在天上的叶子                    Wings are leaves dropped in the sky

天堂 原来应该不是妄想                  Heaven is not wishful thinking after all

只是我早已经遗忘                           It's just I've forgotten long ago

当初怎么开始飞翔                           How it is then, I could fly

孤单 是一个人的狂欢                      Loneliness is the reverly of the lonely

狂欢是一群人的孤单                       Reverly is the loneliness of the crowd

爱情 原来的开始是陪伴                 Love has its beginning in togetherness

但我也渐渐地遗忘                           But I've gradually forgotten

当时是怎样有人陪伴                       How it is I had you for company

我一个人吃饭旅行                           Now I eat and travel alone

到处走走停停                                  Wandering aimlessly

也一个人看书写信                           I read and write alone

自己对话谈心                                  With myself, conversing

只是心又飘到了哪里                       But where is my heart floating to?

就连自己看也看不清                       I can't see clearly

我想我不仅仅是失去你                  Just feel it is not only you I lost