Capote

I took time off from work this afternoon and decided to rent a DVD. Only problem is I wasn't sure which movie to rent. But after perusing the shelves, I decided on Capote for which Philip Seymour Hoffman won a Best Actor Oscar. I was abit concerned about how brutal the murder scene was going to be but I didn't have to worry, except for one scene.


I watched the first 40 mins of the movie and cos I couldn't hold up my head, decided to take a nap and slept for 2 hours! Sweet!


So when Phill returned home, we watched it together and really loved it. I didn't quite know how to describe the movie cos it wasn't fast paced nor was it that slow to make it boring. And then I watched the extras and the director used the word - "controlled" - and that's what it is. A very controlled film but one which I enjoyed because the director wasn't milking my emotions as some movies tend to do. And Philip Seymour Hoffman really shone through. I read a review that said his acting was subdued and measured and not over the top as one might be tempted to do with a character like Truman Capote. And I agree. If I hadn't watched the actual Truman Capote speak, I'm sure I'll be wondering why Hoffman spoke in that whiny voice. He really had it down pat. I was more mesmerised with Hoffman and his chemistry with Catherine Keener (who played Harper Lee, who wrote "To Kill A Mockingbird"). And it is definitely a movie that will have you thinking and talking long after the credits are wound up.

The actual Truman Capote

Anger...Frustration

I received a call from the guy who hit my car 2 weeks ago after passing him three quotes from 3 different smash repairs centres. The highest quote was $330, followed by $250 and then $150. I had written a note to say my preference was for the smash repair centre that quoted $330 but if he disagreed, we could discuss. Well, guess which one the guy went for? Yes, that's right - $150!

I was so shocked. I tried reasoning with him to at least go for the middle range but he refused and stood his ground that the company who gave the cheapest quote could do as good a job. He said his boss' wife also sent her car there to have it repaired (I'm not her, am I?). And then added that it's only a small scratch and not a major one. He said if it was a major one, he could understand why I would want it done by the other smash repairs. What was frustrating was that the way he talked was as if the car was his, and not mine. First and foremost, he forgot he hit my car!!! It was just sitting there nicely in the car park and he hit my car!

Even my colleagues felt for me and was so mad with him. One of my colleagues said he forgot that I had to run around asking for quotes and will be inconvenienced for at least a day cos my car has to be repaired. But I've argued with him to no avail and there is no point arguing with a person who values money more than his reputation.

I know in my case, I will at least go for the middle quote, even if I can't afford the highest quote.

Masters?

I've been abit discouraged and abit down about the future of my career and so decided to explore studying for my Masters last Friday. I've always wanted to further my studies but had no idea which area I should specialise in. I thought about doing a Masters in Communications but am realistic that its usefulness in the country town I live in may be limited. I want my post-graduate qualifications to be useful for my career too - I sound like a realistic Singaporean, don't I?

And then I came across the job ad for a regional planner with the government. The boss of that department was the nice guy who explored other job opportunities for me even though I was unsuccessful for the admin officer job I went for. And I thought about it and realised that perhaps a qualification in planning (like town planning) will be useful in both the country and the city. It will also certainly be useful in my current job in understanding how our district is changing and how current plans and permits will affect its future landscape.

So I went to the websites of several universities - La Trobe, RMIT, Monash - and decided on RMIT's Master of Social Sciences (environment and planning). Monash only started a Bachelor's Degree in Planning this year and La Trobe's planning courses were for the architectural department (not what I was looking for).

And I sent off an email to the nice guy to ask him if the RMIT course was relevant and he said it looked fine and he's exploring some options for me and will get back to me. Isn't he nice!

And I've spoken to my parents about it. Thankfully, they are encouraging, cos I need to borrow money from them to pay for the course first (apparently, I can claim it back on my tax return). Phill said people must think what kind of a husband he is not to be able to pay for his wife's Masters but I told him I couldn't even pay for myself. And I'm also encouraging him to pursue a Masters course with me. As my mum said, "better do it before the baby comes".

I'm not sure if I'm Masters material but I've downloaded the application form and will send it off shortly, before the 10 November deadline. I hope and pray I do get it because for once, I am quite upbeat about my present position, knowing I have my studies to focus on, and am more hopeful about the future.

Thank You For Smoking

Phill and I went to our local cinema to watch "Thank You For Smoking" (a must-watch) and it was hilarious! I loved every bit of it. It was so interesting to see how the mind of Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart's character) works. In one particular scene, he was explaining to his son his job and the art of arguing and he had this to say.

"I don't have to prove I'm right as long as I prove you're wrong."

This is the synopsis from IMDB:

Tobacco industry lobbyist Nick Naylor has a seemingly impossible task: promoting cigarette smoking in a time when the health hazards of the activity have become too plain to ignore. Nick, however, revels in his job, using argument and twisted logic to place, as often as not, his clients in the positions of either altruistic do-gooders or victims. Nick's son Joey needs to understand and respect his dad's philosophy, and Nick works hard to respond to that need without compromising his lack of values. When a beautiful news reporter betrays Nick's sexually-achieved trust, his world seems in danger of collapsing. But there's always one more coffin nail in Nick's pack.

Fete & Movies

Phill and I and my in laws went to a local church annual popular fete today where throngs of people apparently wait for the plant sale which starts at 9.30am. We arrived at that time but by then, the sale had started and there were many people buying up plants. And when the indoor stalls opened at 10am, we had a quick look around and had some devonshire teas and later returned for some bbq sausages - yummy!




My favourite scene from the movie, when Pierre and Morgan danced the Argentinian tango - Sexy!

When we returned to our home, my mum-in-law and I sat down to watch "Take the Lead" starring Antonio Banderas on DVD while my father-in-law and Phill were busy trimming our garden and pulling out the weeds. It was a really enjoyable show although I wondered if the hip-hop sections may have been abit much for my mum-in-law.

It's a true story of a great dancer, Pierre Dulaine, and how he wanted to give back to the community and decided to start dance classes in public schools in America. He was laughed at by teachers, principals and parents but he persevered and now his program is rapidly spreading throughout the country and very popular. I remember him saying that learning to dance wasn't just about the dances but about instilling values in the kids like learning to trust, to be confident in one self and for the kids to know how to treat each other respectfully. And the kids sure had fun!

"Dancing isn't about the steps. It's what happens between the steps." - Pierre Dulaine

Year 12

I went to a local accommodation resort last night to take photos of the year 12 students having their formal (a party which they organised themselves). I wasn't very keen on going cos I was so tired but I went and the guys just made me laugh so much. The gals all look really good too.

This particular 2 guys posed a raunchy shot and I kept saying I didn't want that kind of photo for the paper. But they kept insisting and said it'll be for my personal collection. Anyway, they were the ones who cracked me up. This is the pic for "my personal collection".

And then this morning, the year 12 students gathered at school for a breakfast with their principal and teacher to herald their last day of school before their examinations kick off next Friday with their English exam. This is the breakfast photo I took of them:

Phill said it's actually quite a sad day because they'll be farewelling friends they have made from Year 7-12 but my reasoning is "you will keep in touch with those you're closer with".

And one of the guys I interviewed had this to say when I ask if it was sad that his formal education had ended - "it's not goodbye, it's see you later".

Biking - I Am No Good

My gym class instructor started a bike class last week. But I missed out on it last week because I had an afternoon nap. =P I thought it'll be a quick shut-eye and I succeeded the first time, sleeping from 5.15pm to 5.25pm, but then I decided on another 10 mins nap cos the class starts at 5.45pm. But of course, the next time I woke up was 6.30pm! =O(

Today, I was keen on making the class so no nap for me. When I got the bike, my confidence just drained from me. I could put one foot on the floor but not both feet. The bike was so high and it was a mountain bike with gears. I didn't know how to use it. The class consisted of riding off the beaten track, on dirt road and down a dip and up a small slope. It was so difficult. In Singapore, I ride on concrete tracks so this was beyond me. I long for the day when I can ride so well like many people in town.

And there were times I got so nervous on a narrow track and slammed into a fence. And I had some bruises from it. This was the worst one:

Me, the Sour Grapes

I was notified end of last Thursday that I wasn't successful in my job interview (shucks!). I took it pretty well and I think cos I didn't want this job as much as the previous one I went for. But over the weekend, I thought about it and wondered about the news the manager relayed to me. He said there was one applicant who had more experience than me and the others in the group. Which was fine, cos in his position, I will also pick the person with the most experience.

But...

My question is having work experience is one thing, but it does not say how good or bad you were at your job. Did one just plough along or excel at it? Were you an equal contributor or a leader, or someone who just slowed the team down?

I suppose the manager won't know until the person starts working and he can tell if she/ he was a right choice. I've seen how some staff were chosen at the interview and their resumes were very impressive but then their work didn't prove it.

But...is there a better way?

I'm far from bitter though. I think I've achieved a certain peace at this stage (after job-hunting for more than 6 months) although I kick and struggle sometimes. I'm still trying to understand why God wants me to remain in my current job. Hopefully, I'll find out and share this one day. =O)

2006 Nobel Peace Prize

It was heartening to watch on the news that Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank jointly won this year's Nobel Peace Prize - what a deserving winner!

I remember watching a documentary of Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank previously and was very encouraged that in this day and age of financial consultants telling us how to amass more wealth for ourselves, this man saw it fit to devise a way to help others out of poverty. If not for him, the many women and families he helped won't have the hope they now have.

While watching the news about the Nobel Peace Prize, one man was asked how could he let his wife take charge of their business (they have a plot of land and his wife engaged 2 workers to till the land). He said something to the effect the wife does it well and he feels it best to leave her to do it. What a great answer! To me, it wasn't about the empowerment of a woman but in a marriage, recognising that one partner had a certain strength in a specific area and letting him or in this case, her, take charge of that. I know it's significant in Bangladesh cos the men tend to be seen as the head of the house and take charge, rather than the women (although they tend to be the ones that work really hard for their families).

Muhammad Yunus was also interviewed and he said the commercial banks charge high interest at rates the poor cannot repay - so true! These are a few comments taken from the Nobel Peace Prize website on what Yunus said straight after he was notified about his win.

"The one message that we are trying to promote all the time, that poverty in the world is an artificial creation. It doesn't belong to human civilization, and we can change that, we can make people come out of poverty and have the real state of affairs. So the only thing we have to do is to redesign our institutions and policies, and there will be no people who will be suffering from poverty. So I would hope that this award will make this message heard many times, and in a kind of forceful way, so that people start believing that we can create a poverty-free world. That's what I would like to do.

"Oh yes, very much, we see the demonstration of it every day. People come out of poverty every day. So it's right in front of us what happens and it can be done globally, it can be done more forcefully, we can organize more things to go with it, so this is something not theoretical issue, it's a very real issue. People can change their own lives, provided they have the right kind of institutional support. They're not asking for charity, charity is no solution to poverty. Poverty is the creation of opportunities like everybody else has, not the poor people, so bring them to the poor people, so that they can change their lives. That's all we are doing. We didn't do anything special; lend money to the people so – but they never lent it to the poor people – all we did was we lent it to the poor people, and that makes the trick. That makes the change."

What A Day!

Sian (my colleague) and I were on our usual lunchtime walks today when I smelled something and when we turned a street corner, she pointed to a fire on couch on the front verandah of a house. It was only a small fire on one of the cushions on the couch so we ran to the house and started knocking on the windows and rang the doorbell to alert the occupant. But by the time the young occupant answered the door, the flames engulfed the entire couch. We told him to get buckets of water to douse the fire and then ran to get the fire brigade cos we didn't have our mobiles on us.

But when we arrive at the fire brigade, the lady wanted the exact address. We told her the house is on the main street and she can tell by the smoke rising from the house and she asked us if it was this side of the road or the opposite side. At that time, we were frantic cos we won't sure if the young teenager was okay, and he needed back-up. We just told her to quickly get the brigade and ran back to the office to grab our camera and notebook to cover the story.

Another colleague, Steve, came along with us when we returned to the house. By this time, almost half of the house was on fire and the fire was travelling to the house next door. Fortunately, the fire brigade came shortly after and doused the flames in time. Only the tree in the neighbour's house was thoroughly burnt.

We felt sorry for the guy and his father though. They have lost alot of their personal belongings. We're just glad he's alright.

It's scary how windy today has been, which we believe is the reason the fire just travelled so quickly, beyond our control.

Incidentally, it's a total fire ban day too, which means "No fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight in the open air", and Sian and I don't usually cover that route. We only changed our walking route because magpies were swooping at us. We are glad we were there and we like to think we had alerted the teenager to a danger he might not otherwise have known. And I believe God meant us to be there.

Electric Wok

I went and bought an electric wok today after a conversation with my colleague and my frustrations with cooking in a wok on an electric stove. Because the stove in our rental house isn't great (it takes ages for the coil to heat up), we couldn't season our wok properly and it gets rusty. Initially, I thought it was just the quality of the wok I bought and changed it twice before I finally gave up today. And I learned from my colleague how great an electric wok is because the entire wok is heated, not just its base. So Phill cooked chicken satay (bottled sauce) for dinner tonight and it was so quick and easy. I love the new wok!

I've always told Phill that I prefer a gas stove, but in the country here, I was told it's only possible if we buy bottled gas, cos we have no piped gas. But gas is apparently not energy efficient (less than 50% efficient) and sometimes, the waiting period for another gas bottle can be fairly long (depending on the delivery guy's schedule). So the wiser option is a good electric stove or the trend now is induction stove. We'll make our decision when the time comes.

My Accent

I received a call today from a lady who gave me feedback on an article I wrote and who wanted to clarify an error I had made in an article. She said she had nothing against what I wrote and didn't want a correction. I had written that her husband and her applied for a two lot subdivision and that one house was meant for her daughter and another for them. But she said one house wasn't for them. But I said I heard it mentioned at the meeting. She clarified that her husband said "for our uses", which I thought meant the house was for them. Well, this has taught me to just put it down in future as it was said.

And then she began to ask me about my accent. She asked where I was from. I told her Singapore. And she asked if I ever grew up in Canada cos she has a Canadian granddaughter and I sounded like her. I said many people had commented on my accent and said I either sounded American or Canadian, but there are some words I say that sounds English too. And just like someone mentioned to me previously, I have what one may call a "cosmopolitan accent".

Thing is, I have never had these questions posed to me when I'm in Singapore. Only questions I get in Singapore were "are you from here"? And this were questions I had since I was in my early teens, about 15. I remember having problems with some people at school cos I sounded different and they thought my accent was put on. I don't think I have a forced accent (I hope not!) but I do know that my voice changes and sometimes I sound different than usual (things that are not within my control).

But what is it that makes me sound different? I enjoy public speaking and I suppose from young, I may have paid more attention to public speakers. And I think I select words I like the sound of, and put them in my vocabulary.

But that's not to say my pronounciation is spot-on. It's sometimes out-of-whack and very different to how people in Australia pronounce the very same words. But then even within Australia, different people pronounce the same word differently.

Like when I went to a video shop last week and asked for the movie "Clerks". I pronounced it one way ("klurks") and the lady at the store thought I said "clocks". Then she corrected me and said English Australians pronounce "clerks" as "clarks". So I asked her how does one differentiate between the 2 words "clerks" and "clarks" since they sound the same. She didn't reply. Anyway, I told my colleagues this story and they said she's so rude. But she said it in a matter-of-fact way and I don't think she meant to be rude. And anyway, Phill and my colleagues pronounce it the same way I do. So, then again, within English Australians, there are differences too.

Movie: Jindabyne

Phill and I just watched the movie, Jindabyne (an Aussie made movie), at our local cinema. It was a more enjoyable movie than "The Break-Up" (starring Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn). More than anything, I enjoyed watching Laura Linney and Gabriel Byrne and how natural they were in their characters and with each other. Both are under-rated actors. Some scenes in the movie showcased the beautiful landscape too and it was breathtaking. Although the movie was somewhat slow-moving at certain parts, it feels like when one is having a degustation meal, so that towards the end, you feel really satisfied and enjoyed the experience but not overly full.

I had read some reviews prior to watching the movie and agree with one review which objected to the audience being shown right at the beginning that the four guys in the film were not responsible for the young girl's death. What ensues when they returned to their town after completing their fishing trip (they did not hurry home upon discovering the body) was the audience cannot understand the full extent of the rage and anger the town felt against the men and their families. I felt that the town had channelled their anger at the killer against these men, who did not do the right thing but were not the killers. However...the town did not know, the audience did.

It threw up abit of discussion between Phill and I about parenting styles too. In one scene, Laura Linney's character grounded her young son but Gabriel Byrne's character overturned that and frustrated her no end. Phill and I agreed that even if we don't agree with each other's decision, we'll stick with it when it comes to our kids so they don't play one against the other. But having been a child myself, I know which parent to go to for certain things to guarantee a "yes". Phill said he'll just tell the kid, "what did Mum say? No? That's it then, no."

Another scenario that featured in the movie was the disagreement between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Both had their points of view but I felt that it's best when parents leave their children to run their own households rather then to take over. In the movie, the mother of Byrne's character moved into the house, helped them run the house, then criticised her daughter-in-law (Linney's character) and reminded her how much she had done to help her. I saw how much she had helped but felt sad that Linney's character was trying hard but it wasn't understood.

Parking Fine!

I got a parking fine in the afternoon today...arrrgghhh! I parked for more than 2 hours in the 2 hour zone. But the town is not known to be strict on fines. But the officer said he had complaints so they had to act.

And the thing is, my car was the first to be booked and the officer (in Victoria, they are called local laws officer) told me to tell my colleague (who parked next to me) to drive her car away as he hasn't written her ticket yet. When I got to my office, I told my colleagues about it and one colleague, S, said the other colleague who got away with the fine should split the cost of my $50 fine. But she didn't offer and I didn't want to ask. Later in the evening, when I spoke to Phill, he said it doesn't work that way and that it's not too bad. I think he was more relieved I didn't prang the car. =P

And another worse thing was another colleague telling me his girlfriend got away without being fined cos she knew the officer...arrgghhh! It's just me, among people I know parking in a 2 hour zone, who got it!!! =O(

Mee Siam!

Phill and I made mee siam for dinner from the Prima Taste packs we bought from Melbourne weeks ago when we were there. And boy, was it yum (very authentic)! Love it...

A Pat On the Back

In this week's paper, I was mentioned in 2 letters to the editor, complimenting my coverage of the Islamic seminar held some 2 weeks ago. I had also received a call regarding another article I had written too. It's really encouraging to receive the letters and calls, especially when my motivation is low sometimes. =O)

But I do recognise that a journalist is only as good as its source and I am thankful for the wealth of information most people I speak to, provide. Otherwise, my article would have been reduced to a brief... =P

Interview

I went for a job interview today and I think it went well. The position is a project support officer for a controversial project (alot of community debate and unhappiness). The project director was very kind and encouraging. At some points, he said my answers were good. But they are interviewing other applicants and will let me know how it goes.

I recall a conversation with my friend, Christina, about the different interview/ application styles in Singapore and Australia. I know in Singapore they reserve the right to only inform the successful applicants. So, after several weeks, you can safely assume you were not successful even though they are just tardy in their selection. In Australia, they have to acknowledge they have received your application and also inform you if you were successful or not. I'm not sure if it's legal but I think it's basic courtesy. I remember reading an ad by the Ministry of Education (Singapore) seeking teachers. And at the end of the ad, it had this line which read something like 'we reserve the right not to reveal the reasons for your selection or not'. I thought the line was really rude. The other ads from other countries' ministeries were more towards the line of "come and speak to us, discuss with us, we are happy to speak to you about this job"...and then Singapore's ad read like they called the shots. We know every employer does but couldn't they put it in a nicer way?

And in Australia, if you were unsuccessful, you have every right to call the organisation and ask why you were not selected (so you can do better next time) and understand the rationale behind their decision.

I hope Singapore will arrive at a stage where they are more polite and make the point to appreciate the applications that come in because applicants make the effort to write it.

To Kill A MockingBird

Together with the overnight rental of "Syriana", Phill and I watched "To Kill A Mockingbird" (free weekly rental) and boy, I miss the strengths of a classic movie. I've never watched it before and love every minute of it! It had strong moral values and even showed how to raise kids. And I thought Gregory Peck was the classic gentleman and am glad he won an Oscar for it cos he deserved every bit of it! And now I will like to put the name Atticus in my list of possible male names (if I have a son in the future).

Link to an article about the death of the actor, Brock Peters, who played Tom Robinson (standing next to Gregory Peck) - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4179560.stm (the article lends more weight to the gentleman Gregory Peck is.)

After watching the movie, I remembered a line that Terri Irwin (Steve Irwin's wife) said in a public interview several days ago, a line that Steve Irwin believed in, and the line still lingers in my mind:

The ONE thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do NOTHING - Edmund Burke, 1795

Small Eyes

My church members, Serena and Brian, dedicated their child, Allen, to God and we had a celebration with some of their friends attending too. One of my church members asked one of their friends, a filipina, how she met Serena and she said in a jewellery store. She explained that Serena had gone up to her and asked if she was Chinese. And her reply? "My eyes are not small". I laughed along with her but felt slightly offended. She was a great gal though and wonderful to talk to but I wonder what perceptions she may have of Chinese and if she had met other Chinese who had big eyes, cos small eyes isn't restricted to just the Chinese race.

And she had an Australian guy, at least 10 years older than her, with her, who was so unfriendly. She introduced me to him and he just gave me a blank look without even saying "hi". But whoever she spoke to, he hovered around her and sometimes, even put an arm around her. He was creepy...