I thought it would be interesting to post a reply from a Singaporean living in the UK.
"I like this piece and I agree that not all systems used in the preferred Western countries can be applied to Singapore. Lots of us don't have the mental capacity even if Mr Lee cho...oses to dish out freedom of speech tomorrow!
There may be lack of benefits in Singapore, but looking at the benefits system in the UK, I feel it is not a bad thing. In the UK, you see complacency and expection from the government. There is no responsibility for oneself or your loved ones. In reality, benefits and healthcare system works well when you are claiming for it genuinely. But in the face of an economic crisis, when there are fingers pointing in all directions, from cutting benefits, to cutting medical staff, to cutting transport budgets (when winter and ice are coming), you realise how fragile this system is. This dependent system who relies on the government for a lot of things is suddenly weak on its feet. This country who has overspent for the last few decades is frantically trying to claw back money from every department now.
What works well in Singapore, is puzzling to many in the West and even came to the attention of the UN. You can give Singapore the freedom of speech, but I feel what it is lacking now is real passion and eloquency. It is full of whinging people. But hey, people always have something to complain about. Lived and worked in a few countries and my conclusion is, there is no greener grass anywhere. Yet. It is all our state of mind.
A lot of countries don't provide benefits or freedom of speech. They grow citizens of strength. Just look at our parents and grandparents. They came from nothing and worked surely and quietly, content with their environment. It didn't hurt them or their children. Look at us now, a picture of discontent and lost."
Friday, November 05, 2010
Sunday, September 05, 2010
So I haven't spoke in a while eh?
Ha, ha.... finally! I speak!
Here's an update so far: I've just cleaned up the studio, disinfected the floor and mothballed the entire place and sealed up the holes where the mice come in from. There will be no more rodents from today!
The old shop houses in Orchard are built during the 1915s, definitely prewar and the mice have had a good hundred years to reproduce and find little nooks and crannies for themselves. But after today, they will leave unit 20 Emerald Hill alone.
The studio now must look good for our clients and for me to show my work to potential collectors.
The studio has a few purposes now: on the one hand, we operate a creative agency that does wonders for the commercial world and on the other hand, I create the philosophical stuff for my collectors!
More on that later, for now, i'm just happy to be writing in this blog again!
(and if I stop updating, could one of you please just remind me? :D
Here's an update so far: I've just cleaned up the studio, disinfected the floor and mothballed the entire place and sealed up the holes where the mice come in from. There will be no more rodents from today!
The old shop houses in Orchard are built during the 1915s, definitely prewar and the mice have had a good hundred years to reproduce and find little nooks and crannies for themselves. But after today, they will leave unit 20 Emerald Hill alone.
The studio now must look good for our clients and for me to show my work to potential collectors.
The studio has a few purposes now: on the one hand, we operate a creative agency that does wonders for the commercial world and on the other hand, I create the philosophical stuff for my collectors!
More on that later, for now, i'm just happy to be writing in this blog again!
(and if I stop updating, could one of you please just remind me? :D
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Blackbird won't fly today...
dear oh dear... the first mainstage play of the year and it's to be postponed.
When i first read the script for Blackbird, i had serious trouble imagining the sequence of dialogue. It's hard, intense and very, very angry. Thus to see the play actually being done and how the actors worked the characters was of great interest to me. Although i haven't actually seen any of the rehearsals or sat for the reading, i could hear Emma and Patrick rehearsing and there's only one way to describe it: emotionally draining.
Turns out that Patrick had to leave the production a week before it's opening. Here's what he has to say: "“As a professional actor, this has been the most challenging role I have ever taken on. The dream role for many actors is to eventually play Hamlet at least once in their career, because of its complexity. Blackbird has the potential to achieve that kind of appeal for an actor. I am sure audiences will appreciate and enjoy this as well once they’ve seen the play,” says actor Patrick Teoh, adding “I am hugely disappointed in myself that I could not deliver a performance that would do both the show and SRT proud. I appreciate all that SRT has done to help me and feel bad for letting SRT down.”
Well, if the role is that difficult to do, I'm all the more curious how the production is going to look like in it's entirety.
The replacement for Patrick's role is very, very exciting - damn, i wish i could share some gossip here, but i have sworn a solemn oath over chicken blood and on pain of death by ping pong ball not to divulge industrial secrets (or spark off global rumors). You will find out in due time!
Meanwhile, i'm looking forward to Emma's next production in "A Singaporean in Paris"!
When i first read the script for Blackbird, i had serious trouble imagining the sequence of dialogue. It's hard, intense and very, very angry. Thus to see the play actually being done and how the actors worked the characters was of great interest to me. Although i haven't actually seen any of the rehearsals or sat for the reading, i could hear Emma and Patrick rehearsing and there's only one way to describe it: emotionally draining.
Turns out that Patrick had to leave the production a week before it's opening. Here's what he has to say: "“As a professional actor, this has been the most challenging role I have ever taken on. The dream role for many actors is to eventually play Hamlet at least once in their career, because of its complexity. Blackbird has the potential to achieve that kind of appeal for an actor. I am sure audiences will appreciate and enjoy this as well once they’ve seen the play,” says actor Patrick Teoh, adding “I am hugely disappointed in myself that I could not deliver a performance that would do both the show and SRT proud. I appreciate all that SRT has done to help me and feel bad for letting SRT down.”
Well, if the role is that difficult to do, I'm all the more curious how the production is going to look like in it's entirety.
The replacement for Patrick's role is very, very exciting - damn, i wish i could share some gossip here, but i have sworn a solemn oath over chicken blood and on pain of death by ping pong ball not to divulge industrial secrets (or spark off global rumors). You will find out in due time!
Meanwhile, i'm looking forward to Emma's next production in "A Singaporean in Paris"!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Work in progress...
Sometime ago, inspired by wild and funky coiffure in glossy magazines that I was researching on, I decided to start a series on Mad Hairstyles. This is an unfinished work:
I ran into some problems shortly. Problems largely to do with proportions of the human head. Although these are not realistic renderings, there is still some challenge in getting the measurements correct. Today, although my skill in anatomy still hasn't improved much, i'm at least moderately pleased with what I have been developing. Thus, I'm continuing my work on my series of Mad Hairstyles.
Mad Hairstyles is also a foray into two interesting skills I'm studying: texturing and experimental colour combination. With influence from the world of vector rendering (I work a lot with Illustrator on the computer), I'm creating these pieces almost as if they were objects on the digital screen.
Well, good luck to me and I hope to present you the complete series soon!
I ran into some problems shortly. Problems largely to do with proportions of the human head. Although these are not realistic renderings, there is still some challenge in getting the measurements correct. Today, although my skill in anatomy still hasn't improved much, i'm at least moderately pleased with what I have been developing. Thus, I'm continuing my work on my series of Mad Hairstyles.
Mad Hairstyles is also a foray into two interesting skills I'm studying: texturing and experimental colour combination. With influence from the world of vector rendering (I work a lot with Illustrator on the computer), I'm creating these pieces almost as if they were objects on the digital screen.
Well, good luck to me and I hope to present you the complete series soon!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Contemporary Chinese Art
Was at an art gallery the night before and had an interesting chat with the gallery manager and an artist. The gallery carried works largely by Chinese artists and I just had to raise the subject that all their themes are by and large, the same: capitalism and mao. I think in the distant future, art historians will look back on this movement and call it "China-ism" - a period of time where Chinese artists either condemn or celebrate their newly found wealth and the proliferation of Mao.
Like many of the great movements of the past, in the West, artists of diverse skills and calibre have come to document the state of society around them. The Dadaists repulsed war. The Futurists were bullish about technology. Today, Chinese artists by their shear influence of each other have come to document what is happening to them immediately: China has become a get-rich-fast society, a society where you build up power and forget about everyone else.
Sexy women in seductive poses, posed with capitalist luxury goods. Medieval body armor pasted with dollar bills. Dark and ominous landscapes filled with luxury goods.
Look at these pieces by Feng Zheng Jie's famous wonky eyed women:
Disturbing aren't they? But at the same time his work try to capture the beauty of a good looking woman. What is he trying to say? Various interpretations, but there is a Chinese phrase that goes "Dong Jiang Xi Wang" - loosely translated this says, "the eyes look both east and west". In normal circumstance, it describes a person who's looking around for something. In this context, it can mean that a person is scanning her environment, scrutinizing the men, itching for a chance at seducing some wealth. (I'm not saying that this IS the interpretation, but it's a suggestion).
There is lot's to say about this new "China-ism". As yet, it's still very early in the movement (if there's a movement at all). But if you're a collector or investor, I'd say it's worth your money - as I believe that sometime in the future, art historians will recognize this as a period of time that's important to art history.
Like many of the great movements of the past, in the West, artists of diverse skills and calibre have come to document the state of society around them. The Dadaists repulsed war. The Futurists were bullish about technology. Today, Chinese artists by their shear influence of each other have come to document what is happening to them immediately: China has become a get-rich-fast society, a society where you build up power and forget about everyone else.
Sexy women in seductive poses, posed with capitalist luxury goods. Medieval body armor pasted with dollar bills. Dark and ominous landscapes filled with luxury goods.
Look at these pieces by Feng Zheng Jie's famous wonky eyed women:
Disturbing aren't they? But at the same time his work try to capture the beauty of a good looking woman. What is he trying to say? Various interpretations, but there is a Chinese phrase that goes "Dong Jiang Xi Wang" - loosely translated this says, "the eyes look both east and west". In normal circumstance, it describes a person who's looking around for something. In this context, it can mean that a person is scanning her environment, scrutinizing the men, itching for a chance at seducing some wealth. (I'm not saying that this IS the interpretation, but it's a suggestion).
There is lot's to say about this new "China-ism". As yet, it's still very early in the movement (if there's a movement at all). But if you're a collector or investor, I'd say it's worth your money - as I believe that sometime in the future, art historians will recognize this as a period of time that's important to art history.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Room On The Broom!
I've just caught Room On The Broom last weekend. A really delightful piece - puppets are brought to life, catchy music and a innocently silly story.
Witch goes for a ride with her cat to slay the dragon, witch picks up some friends along the way, cat get's jealous of her new friends, disaster strikes, cat saves the day, everyone lives happily ever after.
What really impressed me was how they simulated flying on a broomstick, tossing and turning through the air, landing and taking off...without the luxury of special effects and mechanisms! The actors looked like they were having so much fun jumping, wooshing and dancing for an hour!
I haven't seen a lot of children's theatre (although I'm sure my job will introduce me to a lot more), but there is one interesting observable difference in the behaviour between children and adults.
There were a couple of scenes where the actors were looking up in blank space, in the void behind us. Being adults, we know that they were just simulating a scene where they see a witch flying through the sky. But the kids... they all turned around in such earnest and the little gullibles actually thought there was something flying behind us!
Such is the mind of child... malleable and will believe everything you tell them. I have heard that the minds of children are not able to tell the difference between fact and fiction and as yet they are still incapable of independent thought. Sometimes it pains me to learn that the children we have are undergoing such a low quality of education faced in our schools and kindergartens. Let’s face it: the teachers in PAP kindergartens and public schools aren’t what you would call “excellent communicators”. Granted, the syllabus has been tried, tested and replicated with success: no problem with that. But in such a public environment, you don’t know the ideologies, beliefs and culture the teachers are unknowingly spreading to your child. Imagine dragging a piece of tissue across a seemingly clean desk.
It’s observable – look at the behaviour of children between public and private schools, now tell me that there isn’t a difference. Quality of education equals quality in communication. I am ashamed to admit that most of the teachers I have encountered in my life had such a poor command of linguistic skills. They don’t teach kids to stand-up for what they believe in, they don’t teach them to speak-up for their own defence, they teach them to avoid conflict, they teach them to shy away, they teach them, especially, to do as their told and not to question authority. You may think that it’s easier to manage them then, but give them a few years when they gain independent thinking, you loose all their respect. We’re raising generation after generation of sheep. Sheep who lead miserably mediocre lives and do nothing to contribute to the progress of culture, nation and human-kind.
So yes, Room On The Broom – lovely production, it’s over now in Singapore but do catch it if it comes back again!
Witch goes for a ride with her cat to slay the dragon, witch picks up some friends along the way, cat get's jealous of her new friends, disaster strikes, cat saves the day, everyone lives happily ever after.
What really impressed me was how they simulated flying on a broomstick, tossing and turning through the air, landing and taking off...without the luxury of special effects and mechanisms! The actors looked like they were having so much fun jumping, wooshing and dancing for an hour!
I haven't seen a lot of children's theatre (although I'm sure my job will introduce me to a lot more), but there is one interesting observable difference in the behaviour between children and adults.
There were a couple of scenes where the actors were looking up in blank space, in the void behind us. Being adults, we know that they were just simulating a scene where they see a witch flying through the sky. But the kids... they all turned around in such earnest and the little gullibles actually thought there was something flying behind us!
Such is the mind of child... malleable and will believe everything you tell them. I have heard that the minds of children are not able to tell the difference between fact and fiction and as yet they are still incapable of independent thought. Sometimes it pains me to learn that the children we have are undergoing such a low quality of education faced in our schools and kindergartens. Let’s face it: the teachers in PAP kindergartens and public schools aren’t what you would call “excellent communicators”. Granted, the syllabus has been tried, tested and replicated with success: no problem with that. But in such a public environment, you don’t know the ideologies, beliefs and culture the teachers are unknowingly spreading to your child. Imagine dragging a piece of tissue across a seemingly clean desk.
It’s observable – look at the behaviour of children between public and private schools, now tell me that there isn’t a difference. Quality of education equals quality in communication. I am ashamed to admit that most of the teachers I have encountered in my life had such a poor command of linguistic skills. They don’t teach kids to stand-up for what they believe in, they don’t teach them to speak-up for their own defence, they teach them to avoid conflict, they teach them to shy away, they teach them, especially, to do as their told and not to question authority. You may think that it’s easier to manage them then, but give them a few years when they gain independent thinking, you loose all their respect. We’re raising generation after generation of sheep. Sheep who lead miserably mediocre lives and do nothing to contribute to the progress of culture, nation and human-kind.
So yes, Room On The Broom – lovely production, it’s over now in Singapore but do catch it if it comes back again!
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