From the monthly archives: November 2008

What’s Been Up

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A lot has happened this year. Seriously a lot. Since November hit, it seems like more things are happening in December and I wish I could take part in everything. Hence I wrote the post I‘ve Got Time. Truth of the matter is I don’t. Let me just give a list of things happening in December which I have either 50/50 chance of doing and 100 chance of being already in it.   
  1. Starmaker Bootcamp (15-30 November) Print The people at Enfiniti Productions are having a bootcamp for the drama and theatre enthutiasts. Teaching the class are Tiara Jacquelina and Stephen Rahman-Hughes. Both whom most in the industry will know are the main cast members for Puteri Gunung Ledang. I was one of the few selected to attend the workshop but I couldn’t because I have other work commitments :( . But of a downer there.  
  2. Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical Rehearsals (Dec 1 onwards)
    3. pgl-season-3 Reason for being selected for the first one, is because I was also suppose to be involved for rehearsals for Puteri Gunung Ledang. I had actually already agreed and was busy clearing my schedule for this. PGL the big hit in our Asian waters is coming back for a third time. From what i read in the papers about 30% of their ticket sales have alreayd been sold. Even before the show is announced to start. Wow! Talk about publcitiy power. I’m going to try and catch it since I didn’t for the first two seasons.  
  3. Nokia N96 Race (6th November) Nuffnang is big fan of Nokia and so is Nokia a big fan of Nuffnang. Not too long ago. Nuffnang stated on theit blog the were opening up the N96 Race to the rest of the Nuffnang members. I applied immediately, since I’ve been so out of the blogging community lately. I got through the first round.. but now I have to get through to the next round to be considered for it. I seriously want to go for this cause then i get the N96.. Whoooaa free phone.. who wouldn’t want a free phone! In the market I think its going for aroun RM2000 plus. Ouchie in my pocketie. n96-race  
  4. Astro – NIDA Dramatic Course ( 1 – 13 December) astronida Last but not least, this is the one thing I want to talk about. The ASTRO-NIDA course! What’s it about? Glad someone asked…  Driving the local performing arts industry to continue to grow creatively, this programme is initiated by ASTRO to encourage and support creative work in Malaysia. The project is yet another step for ASTRO to further its reach into the community via the Performing Arts. NIDA – National Institute of Dramatic Arts is based in Sydney. It is the home and base foundation of acting for well known actors such as Cate Blanchett, Mel Gibson, Hugo Weaving and Baz Luhrmann. Did i mention before that our very own KLPac man, Joe Hasham is also from NIDA and happens to be classmates with the “Passion of Christ” director Mel Gibson.  So yes you can see my enthuthiasm especially for this one. I first heard about it somewhere at the end of last year after taking David Lim’s class Practical Aesthetic. I went to the original site and they have three type of courses. Short Courses, part time courses and full time courses. If I had the money, I would fladly go for one of them. Even a part time course would be good. But trying to get back up was not easy. Imagine my hysteria when I found out they were having a tie up with Astro!!! Now I’m just waiting for the last updates on the course. 

Footstool Players Withdrawal

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It’s been 2 days since the show ended. I’ve already done my heart felt piece and my sharing piece. Last night I was just going through some songs. I was feeling rather alternative at that moment, with a tinge of rock. Which led me to playing songs from artists like Teddy Geiger’s “For You I Will”. And then that led me to listening John Mayer’s song “Say“…. That was one of the songs used as part of the soundtrack of “Crazy Little Thing Called Love“. Yes if I seem to be blogging a lot about the show, it’s not just cause I was of course trying to promote it (shamelessly doing so) but now that its over… i’m having withdrawal symptoms. As i played the intro of the song “Say” played on my Altec Lansing speakers. It struck me suddenly that I won’t be hearing that song in my ears as I wait for my turn in the dark. As I wait for Ming Han and Sean to help bring out the table with the props. Waiting for the song to sink into my brain as I prepare myself for the character I was to play. Pulling and adjusting small details before I go into full on emo… for lack of a better word. Then I would wonder whether what I did was enough at the end of the performance. I would look for Jon or Colin to start asking whether ok or not. (I did la!). Yeah I was paranoid, even more so cause i never saw what it looked like from an audience point of view. Last Sunday was the end of the run… hence I’m having the withdrawal symptoms… it took a while to kick in actually, oddly enough.  Look deep enough into the lyrics of this song and you will find that it means a lot. About sharing yourself, getting vulnerable. Telling your feelings to another. To those who matter la – not any Tom, Dick and Harry on the road. About how one should put away their pride and all the hurts that came along with the baggage… Ah well… I’ll just share the song and let it speak in its on ways..

   

John Mayer

“Say”

Take all of your wasted honor

Every little past frustration Take all your so called problems Better put ‘em in quotations       Say what you need to say (x7) Say what you need to saaaay…  Walking like a one man army Fighting with the shadows in your head Living out the same old moment Knowing you’d be better off instead If you could only Say what you need to say (x7) Say what you need to saaay…  Have no fear For giving in Have no fear For giving over You better know that in the end It’s better to say too much Then never to say what you need to say again Even if your hands are shaking And your faith is broken Even as the eyes are closing Do it with a heart wide open… wide…  Say what you need to say (x7) Say what you need to Say what you need to Say what you need to say…

10 Mushy Photoshop Tutorials

By On · 513 Comments · In Graphic Design
I’m still in the mood of mushiness a tad bit. With a tinge of nostalgia here and there after the past two weeks. Hence I decided to go hunting for some tutorials that are related around the theme of love. Granted they are mostly Valentine Day tutorials. But hey great timing to start brushing up on the photoshop skills to make a cute card :) Here I’ve gathere 10 of the cutest tutorials, in my opinion that are cute anyway.   

I Love You Card

iloveyou

 

Homemade Valentine Card

bemyval

 

Be My Valentine

bemyv

 

 

Wedding Card Display (Paint Shop Pro but you can adapt it for Photoshop)

weddingcard

 

Rose for Saint Valentine’s Day

rosegrunge

   

Valentines Day – Photoshop Style

valentinepurple

 

 

   

Love in the Sunshine

237loveinthesunshine16

 

Teddy Bear

 

teddy-bear

     

Valentines Heart

purpleheart

The End Of The Road…

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….for now.. Yeseterday was the last day of the run “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”. It has been a wonderful 7 months working with the team and once again, I couldn’t have asked for anything more. A true family in Christ all working together for the sake for His message. There have been a number of cynical plays out there… which maybe to an extent, one can’t blame people for wanting to portray, write and perform plays that give a bad twist to love. So with hope that this doesn’t sound preachy nor cheesy.. CLTCL hopes to be more than just pure entertainment. Bringing the message that “you know what.. yes there are hard times, there are some despairs…but there is always hope for love and in love”. Love and relationships are universal feelings and thoughts. Everyone goes through them and there will be some painful ones. Not every relationship turns out rosy. CLTCL admits that, but it’s not all dark and gloomy.  Ok that’s enough haha… I’m sure for those who have watched it. You know what I mean.  On a more personal note, there are a number of things that I want to share. Such as my relationship with my family. With my parents, my siblings, my elders and of course the ‘special one’ in my life. There’s much to say, but playing the three different characters in the play, one is sure to take something back and ponder about it. Playing a teen who just can’t make up her mind with her new boyfriend made me think about my own relationship with Mister G. I admit to being aggressive at times. When I had first read the script, I found myself getting annoyed and a bit sarcastic in the manner i spoke with Sean who played my bf in “Whatever”. In contrast to my own personality, this character is partially ditzy and is terribly sweet hoping to please the other side. Well of course I do wnat to please my other half all the time, but sometimes I get a bit edgy in the process. Perhaps I should consider making myself sweeter… On family matters.. I realised as I played my characters Lyn and Susan – both had issues with their parents due to divorce. I came to an understanding, that I’m a rather hard person. I actually don’t remember when was the last time I said to my family members I love them. I find it hard to say it. I don’t know why but I do find it difficult to utter the words ‘I love you’ to my own family member. Weird isn’t it…  I never understood why or knew why. Going throught the two characters that were hurt deeply in their lives – granted I don’t have their problems – however when I put myself in their thoughts….The thoughts of how much they needed their parents. They just wanted to talk with their parents, to have some communication to understand what was going on in their lives. I guess thats what any kid will want from their parents, their time.  When I was in school, I remember hearing one of my juniors asking for her dad to come watch her perform. The dad couldn’t make it cause he was at work. At that time, I thought to myself ‘Sheesh, why do you need your dad there… he’s always around, enough already’… My parents were always there, i suppose thats why I took it for granted. Whenever i had a performance, my school play, my school prize giving ceremony, my first time I went to college…. I was spoilt in that sense. So i never knew what it was like when they weren’t around. Perhaps that is another reason why I want to fly out the coop so much.  Then when I didn’t see them after the show on Friday night. I was stricken with shock that they weren’t around. It didn’t help too that the foyer at that moment was empty. There I was standing in that open space. Alone. Only then did i know how my junior felt. Odd that it took me what 6-7 to find out. I love my family..Despite any of their short comings. They aren’t perfect, but they are my family. So where I have made a new family in Footstool Players.. I think its time I spent some time with my ‘real’ family. The people whom I myself have ignored for a long time.

CLTCL Review: TheStar – Love’s Big Impact

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The latest review from the papers :)

star-review

Footstool Players’ Crazy Little Thing Called Love: The sketch called ‘I Love You More’, features Sean Low and Adrene Wong as a couple being kiasu about expressing their love for each other.  Love in all its wondrous forms is explored thoroughly in this collection of sketches that offer laughter as well as tears.  WHO doesn’t love a good love story? Whether they portray sweeping passions and staying true despite all odds, or bittersweet partings and tragically broken hearts, love stories never fail to stir the spirit and touch the heart. Thirteen sketches about love did just that during the opening performance of Crazy Little Thing Called Love last week at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre. Produced by local theatre group, the Footstool Players, in partnership with the not-for-profit company, Focus on the Family Malaysia, Crazy Little Thing wants to get one message across: that love comes in various forms, and has a much bigger impact on our lives than most could imagine. And it manages to do that very well, indeed. The production is divided into two 55-minute acts with the first focusing on romantic relationships and the second on issues pertaining to family life, particularly parent-child relationships. The cast members – comprising Adrene Wong, Ann Choo, Colin Kirton, Ee Soon Wei, Jonathan Tan, Linora Low, and Sean Low – do a remarkable job of bringing life and depth to the characters they play. This is particularly commendable because most of the cast members don’t have any professional acting experience. (The exceptions are Kirton, whose performance in 2006’s Broken Bridges, The Musical received a Best Solo Performance, Voice, Boh Cameronian Awards nomination; and Linora Low, who appeared in the musical Ismail, The Last Days in August this year.) I have to say, Crazy Little Thing delights from beginning to end; each of its sketches is powerful and gets straight to the point with no wasted words or motions. The sets are simple, with only the most basic of props, so the plays rely – successfully – on the strength of the actors’ performances and the music to carry the production’s themes. Lost in Transmission, written by Kirton and adapted from an essay by American humour columnist Dave Barry, was both relevant and hilarious, while A Late Lunch (written by Lawrence and Annie Enscoe) captivated thanks to its masterful script and passionate performances from Linora Low and Kirton. Ee Soon Wei excelled in his monologue during I Am My Father’s Son (written by Kirton and Jonah Sng), whileThe Ledger People (written by Paul and Nicole Johnson) was an especially inspired way of examining issues such as the importance of give-and-take in a relationship. Kirton deserves special commendation, as he is effective in comedic and dramatic scenes alike. His dedication to his roles makes him a delight to watch whether he’s playing a frustrated parent impatient with his estranged daughter (A Late Lunch) or a little boy devoted to his adopted father (Charlie and Ruth Jones’ Billy) – his performance in the latter, especially, really needs to be seen to be believed. Crazy Little Thing is a triumph of moments that are, in turns, heart-warming and heart-wrenching. It handles its subject matter exceptionally well, exploring the ups and downs of love in everyday situations that will be familiar to everyone. Indeed, that is another of the play’s strengths: anyone who’s ever felt the giddy rush of falling in love or experienced the firm, tangled ties of family relationships will find it easy to empathise with at least one of the many characters in the 13 sketches.
  Crazy Little Thing Called Love is on until Sunday at Pentas 2, at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (Jalan Strachan, off Jalan Ipoh, Sentul Park). Performances are at 8.30pm daily; there is an additional 3pm matinee tomorrow and only a matinee (no evening show) on Sunday. Tickets at RM30 (RM20 for students, senior citizens, and the disabled) are available at the box office (03-4047 9003). For more information call 03-4047 9000 or go to footstoolplayers.com/current.htm.