I suppose the human interest part of 'The King's Speech' was the contrast in the relationships of the two royals and the foreign-born commoners they have come to depend upon. Edward VIII, Prince of Wales and heir to the British throne, abdicates for the love of American divorcee, Mrs Simpson; while George VI, Duke of York and second in line reluctantly takes up the crown in duty to his country, coached by Australian speech therapist (unqualified), Lionel Logue.
But what interested me more was how the introduction of wireless broadcast media changed Everything. The media brought down and magnified the most human frailties of both royals, Edward and George. In going public, Edward's improprieties rendered him unworthy as a king, whereas George's stutter made him unable to speak with confidence in public, and if not for Logue's unconventional methods would have made England lose confidence in itself.
While the media were making traditional royalty most frightfully human, on the other side of the Channel they were deifying the most common of commoners, Adolph Hitler, who knew exactly how to use them to amass the nearly blind loyalty and adoration of a nation. The Brits were still struggling to deal with radio, but Hitler had already mastered both the audio and visual imagery of film to awe his audience and intimidate his opposition.
The rise of the mass media heralded the end of the power of royalty over the people. Edward and George both recognized this sweeping new change, and perhaps for the first time in history the crown princes of an empire were so loath to follow in their father's footsteps. Edward practically disqualifies himself from the crown, leaving George to make the best of it. Thanks to Logue, George does well enough to galvanize a shaken Britain to prevail over the German war machine.
And now I'm mulling over historical events not covered in the movie (although I expected them to be). Perhaps what won the war for the Brits was the calm resolve that resonated from the voice on the radio. It sought not to whip the masses up into a frothing, mindless rabble but rather reminded them to stay human despite the hardship they were facing in the dark days to come. What lost the war for Herr Hitler was possibly what started the war in the first place: his need to fill airtime with an ever-escalating choreography of excitement, culminating in the orgy of violence that was WWII with himself taking full credit as producer, director and star in order to keep the people mesmerized and pliant under his leadership. Hitler lost it because he ran out of ideas on how to keep the A Hitler Show on prime time TV without eventually grossing out his audience and making them tune him out.
Too bad they don't give Best Actor Oscars to inanimate objects. The nominee representing 'The King's Speech' should have been the shiny BBC microphone and its supporting infrastructure. They were what the movie was about in the first place.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Congrats to the piano ppl
Hi Shaun
Please convey my congratulations to the Piano Ensemble for a magical, memorable evening at "PS I Love You".
From the opening scene, you had the audience hooked and rooting for your Romeo and Juliet. For me, the magic was in how much you all grew over the course of our journey together. How far you have come as stage performers, ready to shine in all aspects of the performance whether it was behind a musical instrument or putting it all on the line with the risky business of "acting".
I hope you all believe now that the audience appreciates the actor's clarity of intention far more than intensity of emotion. You have proven that there is no such thing as a "natural" talent for acting, but that acting is merely a trained skill honed by practice and perseverance. often beyond one's comfort zone.
The Piano Ensemble owned the stage tonight with a smooth, inspired interweaving of a varied selection of music with a simple but utterly engaging storyline, brought to life by the energy of a cast that truly believed in the value of what it was doing. In other words, I thoroughly enjoyed tonight's show!
To the Piano Ensemble, thank you for allowing me the experience of working with you. Your dedication, your work ethic, your willingness to learn and your eagerness to experiment (the stuff many of you threw in that we didn't rehearse took me by surprise and delight) have showed NYJC that you guys don't just rock at piano, you guys DO THEATRE!
And thank you for the unexpected plaque that is now decorating my desk in the staff room. It'll make a great souvenir of all the work we went through together for the sake of an evening we can be proud of... and I'm sure the SPCA greatly appreciates.
May you all continue to seek success in your future endeavours!
Regards
Xmac
Please convey my congratulations to the Piano Ensemble for a magical, memorable evening at "PS I Love You".
From the opening scene, you had the audience hooked and rooting for your Romeo and Juliet. For me, the magic was in how much you all grew over the course of our journey together. How far you have come as stage performers, ready to shine in all aspects of the performance whether it was behind a musical instrument or putting it all on the line with the risky business of "acting".
I hope you all believe now that the audience appreciates the actor's clarity of intention far more than intensity of emotion. You have proven that there is no such thing as a "natural" talent for acting, but that acting is merely a trained skill honed by practice and perseverance. often beyond one's comfort zone.
The Piano Ensemble owned the stage tonight with a smooth, inspired interweaving of a varied selection of music with a simple but utterly engaging storyline, brought to life by the energy of a cast that truly believed in the value of what it was doing. In other words, I thoroughly enjoyed tonight's show!
To the Piano Ensemble, thank you for allowing me the experience of working with you. Your dedication, your work ethic, your willingness to learn and your eagerness to experiment (the stuff many of you threw in that we didn't rehearse took me by surprise and delight) have showed NYJC that you guys don't just rock at piano, you guys DO THEATRE!
And thank you for the unexpected plaque that is now decorating my desk in the staff room. It'll make a great souvenir of all the work we went through together for the sake of an evening we can be proud of... and I'm sure the SPCA greatly appreciates.
May you all continue to seek success in your future endeavours!
Regards
Xmac
Thursday, February 17, 2011
All the world's a stage
The year's barely begun and already I sense it will be unlike any other. As it is, it's been one nearly non-stop slog albeit with a CNY break in between. But most days are long and draggy, many evenings filled with one rehearsal or another, and I'm tired.
It's a self-inflicted pain, however. The NYeDC kids are running full tilt, volunteering at any opportunity they hear about, and when they volunteer, we staff volunteer right along with them. And they're not done yet. I'm looking at the list of upcoming events culminating in Drama Night with dread anticipation. So many things they have planned, so much energy and ambition, so organized and presenting better thought-out proposals than I've ever seen before, and for once my first instinct isn't 'no, we can't do that...'. Rather, it's the opposite: 'Yes! Go! Do!' even though their plans will take me through activities that require more work than this lazybone slacker is used to.
With all this going on, my attention today was on the piano kids and their Full Dress Rehearsal of this Friday's piano concert. This is me volunteering as drama coach for the simple reason that they could really use one. It's also this group that's been filling up my evenings so far. This group has been terrific to work with. They know they can't act their way out of a paper bag, being convinced their talent is only in music, but they've put in so much time and effort into preparing for this concert they were desperate enough to accept my direction without question.
It was an interesting experience to take these kids out of their comfort zone and watch them develop the show to the level I was watching today. There were lots of compromises between what they were comfortable doing and what I could get them to do. Given time I believe I could have pushed them further, but they've done well, nevertheless, to present 'P.S. I love you', a piano concert packaged within an adaptation of Romeo & Juliet.
The important thing is that they now agree with me that acting isn't so much a natural-born talent but a trained skill. They surprised me today with some voiceover improvisations during the rehearsal, so yes, I do believe the piano kids are becoming quite comfortable as actors too. It's a step forward for them as a performing group. For me, it was an opportunity to provide another bunch of kids with a form of theatrical experience to broaden market interest and the talent pool in campus aesthetics. In other words, just doin' my job, ma'am.
As the next few weeks progress, that job scope is looking to increase significantly as other deadlines approach. Yes, it's going to be an interesting year.
It's a self-inflicted pain, however. The NYeDC kids are running full tilt, volunteering at any opportunity they hear about, and when they volunteer, we staff volunteer right along with them. And they're not done yet. I'm looking at the list of upcoming events culminating in Drama Night with dread anticipation. So many things they have planned, so much energy and ambition, so organized and presenting better thought-out proposals than I've ever seen before, and for once my first instinct isn't 'no, we can't do that...'. Rather, it's the opposite: 'Yes! Go! Do!' even though their plans will take me through activities that require more work than this lazybone slacker is used to.
With all this going on, my attention today was on the piano kids and their Full Dress Rehearsal of this Friday's piano concert. This is me volunteering as drama coach for the simple reason that they could really use one. It's also this group that's been filling up my evenings so far. This group has been terrific to work with. They know they can't act their way out of a paper bag, being convinced their talent is only in music, but they've put in so much time and effort into preparing for this concert they were desperate enough to accept my direction without question.
It was an interesting experience to take these kids out of their comfort zone and watch them develop the show to the level I was watching today. There were lots of compromises between what they were comfortable doing and what I could get them to do. Given time I believe I could have pushed them further, but they've done well, nevertheless, to present 'P.S. I love you', a piano concert packaged within an adaptation of Romeo & Juliet.
The important thing is that they now agree with me that acting isn't so much a natural-born talent but a trained skill. They surprised me today with some voiceover improvisations during the rehearsal, so yes, I do believe the piano kids are becoming quite comfortable as actors too. It's a step forward for them as a performing group. For me, it was an opportunity to provide another bunch of kids with a form of theatrical experience to broaden market interest and the talent pool in campus aesthetics. In other words, just doin' my job, ma'am.
As the next few weeks progress, that job scope is looking to increase significantly as other deadlines approach. Yes, it's going to be an interesting year.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Swansong
I like ballet. In short snippets at a time anyway. 'The Black Swan' presented enough to show how beautiful ballet is as a form of movement art. But it's also an art that demands pain as a sacrifice. Broken cuticles and ligament damage are par for the course. So is keeping weight off by avoiding food. For Nina Sayer (Natalie Portman), she also has to rely on constant social-life-killing practice to get her moves right, while struggling to grow up from an obsessive and overbearing parent, and maintaining her top billing for opening night.
Not surprisingly, the stress does eventually catch up with her, particularly over her understudy, Lily (Mila Kunis) who is more free-spirited and everything else she is not, traits she observes are more valued by the show's director than just her unwavering dedication to her craft.
Nina's paranoid delusions become increasingly disturbing. And because the camera tends to follow her around from a third-person over-the-shoulder perspective, the audience appears to be a silent, helpless observer dragged through her waking nightmares. We can only watch as her perfectly controlled life and the achievement of her much desired success actually becomes the point where it all spirals downward, and Nina, pretty ballerina, crashes and burns.
It's good to be single-minded, and strive to achieve our goals in life. But 'The Black Swan' is a warning that there is a fine line between dedication and obsession. By sacrificing the development of every other aspect of one's humanity for the sake of perfecting one desired aspect, we lose more than we stand to gain. Or, in other words, work too hard, go crazy. Nothing new there.
Not surprisingly, the stress does eventually catch up with her, particularly over her understudy, Lily (Mila Kunis) who is more free-spirited and everything else she is not, traits she observes are more valued by the show's director than just her unwavering dedication to her craft.
Nina's paranoid delusions become increasingly disturbing. And because the camera tends to follow her around from a third-person over-the-shoulder perspective, the audience appears to be a silent, helpless observer dragged through her waking nightmares. We can only watch as her perfectly controlled life and the achievement of her much desired success actually becomes the point where it all spirals downward, and Nina, pretty ballerina, crashes and burns.
It's good to be single-minded, and strive to achieve our goals in life. But 'The Black Swan' is a warning that there is a fine line between dedication and obsession. By sacrificing the development of every other aspect of one's humanity for the sake of perfecting one desired aspect, we lose more than we stand to gain. Or, in other words, work too hard, go crazy. Nothing new there.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Decentralized gathering
The long-planned and anticipated evening of feasting and gaming took an unexpected detour when our gracious hostess succumbed to the flu bug that's been going around. Not wishing to interrupt her convalescence with our usual brand of social mayhem, and since the cake had already been bought, and since we'd already invited our old friends to meet and eat, the party split into two main groups for dinner in separate locations.
The newbies, being newbies, went to paint the town red... that is, red with the blood of "roast scallops, swordfish, fatty salmon, flounder, conch, octopus, binchou tuna, striped jack, sea bass, and zaru shell.... As well as roast egg with curry lobster, piping hot green tea, eye-watering horseradish" (qtd from Liz).
The more sedentary folks had a more sedate supper in the heartlands of AMK Hub where we also dined on some version of Japanese cuisine. Old friends we were glad to encounter once again were Mel (she in whose honour the cake was sacrificed), and NBS looking rather harried from her day at Head Office but none the worse for wear.
And, surprise, surprise, as I was on my way back to the parking lot, I bumped into Vays and family. The vibe through the Force must have been strong indeed to bring dNYel and our prodigals together today.
The newbies, being newbies, went to paint the town red... that is, red with the blood of "roast scallops, swordfish, fatty salmon, flounder, conch, octopus, binchou tuna, striped jack, sea bass, and zaru shell.... As well as roast egg with curry lobster, piping hot green tea, eye-watering horseradish" (qtd from Liz).
The more sedentary folks had a more sedate supper in the heartlands of AMK Hub where we also dined on some version of Japanese cuisine. Old friends we were glad to encounter once again were Mel (she in whose honour the cake was sacrificed), and NBS looking rather harried from her day at Head Office but none the worse for wear.
And, surprise, surprise, as I was on my way back to the parking lot, I bumped into Vays and family. The vibe through the Force must have been strong indeed to bring dNYel and our prodigals together today.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
No free lunches
Officially been tasked as a Project Work supervisor for my civics group. Six project teams in all.
The Idea Factory dropped in to give us some ideas for in-class activities to stimulate collaborative and innovative thinking among the group members. A key point of this afternoon's workshop was that although we allow the initial creative process to flourish without the prejudice of both internal and external censor, all that creativity has to be eventually focused upon addressing a particular stakeholder's needs, wants or inconveniences. The better innovations deal with problems the client couldn't articulate or even didn't even know it had.
It was good for me to confirm an angle I was going for with my groups this year. The kids tend to think of their projects as philanthropic exercises. They usually want to help the disabled or the disadvantaged and hence would never consider charging for their eventual product or service. Noble, but ultimately pointless. Instead, I'd like them to think about providing a product or service they would pay hard cash for. The money factor is a practical reality check. It also reminds them that if no one would pay for their project, then no one would accept it for free either.
The Idea Factory dropped in to give us some ideas for in-class activities to stimulate collaborative and innovative thinking among the group members. A key point of this afternoon's workshop was that although we allow the initial creative process to flourish without the prejudice of both internal and external censor, all that creativity has to be eventually focused upon addressing a particular stakeholder's needs, wants or inconveniences. The better innovations deal with problems the client couldn't articulate or even didn't even know it had.
It was good for me to confirm an angle I was going for with my groups this year. The kids tend to think of their projects as philanthropic exercises. They usually want to help the disabled or the disadvantaged and hence would never consider charging for their eventual product or service. Noble, but ultimately pointless. Instead, I'd like them to think about providing a product or service they would pay hard cash for. The money factor is a practical reality check. It also reminds them that if no one would pay for their project, then no one would accept it for free either.
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
First foot forward
NYeDC was off to a shaky start to the year as far as our budget went. We suffered big cuts and a temporary withholding of funds pending approval from some (much) higher authority. Nevertheless, the show has to go on.
As of today, we have decided on a script. It looks ambitious -- we haven't done a feature-length presentation in years -- and we only have 12 weeks to put it together. We have no full-time professional coach as yet, but Tina has at least agreed to help us with whatever time she can spare commensurate with whatever we can reasonably afford to pay her.
But what gives me hope for this year's production is the gung-ho spirit of the J2 exco coupled with a willingness to get things done. It's a group with ideas and is quite happy to run on its own. It's good when the staff (us) only need to provide moral support and encouragement rather than have to dictate and micromanage every step.
Other CCA groups are also keen to pitch in and help despite their own SYF commitments, so it's up to us to coordinate our schedules well and find the most efficient way to incorporate so many offers into a coherent production.
The journey to Drama Night 2011 begins with the first step. We have just placed our left foot forward, 'splat!'
Oh, and check out our official webbie (http://nyedc.tumblr.com) for updates from the kids' pov.
As of today, we have decided on a script. It looks ambitious -- we haven't done a feature-length presentation in years -- and we only have 12 weeks to put it together. We have no full-time professional coach as yet, but Tina has at least agreed to help us with whatever time she can spare commensurate with whatever we can reasonably afford to pay her.
But what gives me hope for this year's production is the gung-ho spirit of the J2 exco coupled with a willingness to get things done. It's a group with ideas and is quite happy to run on its own. It's good when the staff (us) only need to provide moral support and encouragement rather than have to dictate and micromanage every step.
Other CCA groups are also keen to pitch in and help despite their own SYF commitments, so it's up to us to coordinate our schedules well and find the most efficient way to incorporate so many offers into a coherent production.
The journey to Drama Night 2011 begins with the first step. We have just placed our left foot forward, 'splat!'
Oh, and check out our official webbie (http://nyedc.tumblr.com) for updates from the kids' pov.
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Chinese New Year 2011, Day 4
A rather large gathering of the in-law clan including relatives visiting from Hainan. I look enormous in this pix, but it's really only an optical illusion. Really.
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Chinese New Year 2011, Day 3
Family portrait with the in-laws. This shot follows an annual ritual of dressing in our new year finery and descending to a dimsum restaurant for morning 'tea'. Taking a similar shot every year is like a record of how much we've grown over the past year. And with the amount of food consumed during this period, the annual rate of mass increase has to be pretty significant.
The lucky dimsum restaurant selected to host our carnage this year is Mandarin Court. Enjoyed the spread here because above all, there was no trace of the oily flavour that tends to taint the deep-fried dishes and makes me feel sick after. It may have been pricey here, but the food went down easy. Good choice.
Friday, February 04, 2011
Hornet buzz
Being a superhero is easy. You either need a lot of money and a media empire or technical wizardry and kung-fu. Or preferably, both. So, Britt Reid (a.k.a. The Green Hornet) provides the resources and big-picture inspiration while Kato (a.k.a., Kato) builds the toys and brings the kung-fu smackdown. Egro, outlaw crime-fighting duo with 'normal' powers fighting for justice.
The comedy isn't in fighting the bad guys, but in the background bickering between Reid and Kato over the nature of the partnership, who has the better plan, who gets the credit and of course, who gets Cameron Diaz. Just another day in the office.
The comedy isn't in fighting the bad guys, but in the background bickering between Reid and Kato over the nature of the partnership, who has the better plan, who gets the credit and of course, who gets Cameron Diaz. Just another day in the office.
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
NYeDC needs you!
Proud of NYeDC for taking the initiative to volunteer an item for today's campus CNY celebration concert.
Serendipitously, it was a tactically wise move because it coincided with our one-and-only CCA bazaar (a.k.a., recruitment drive) for the newly-arrived J1s. Due to time constraints, the few aesthetic CCAs allowed to perform at the bazaar were those participating in the SYF, so we wouldn't have been allocated a slot. Besides, performing a theatrical piece would have been pointless in a noisy atrium space with a free-flowing itinerant audience.
But playing on the hall stage, we had the entire J1 cohort as a captive sit-down audience. Being miked, we were totally audible -- right down to the disparaging remarks against a popular EPL club that we engineered into our script for shock value. Kids did well to keep the energy consistently high, hitting their marks and getting the appropriate responses from the audience as expected. I will always say a couple more rehearsals on-site would have covered a few more sins. But given our prep time, I believe we did the best we could.
With the full attention of our target market, hopefully that'll translate to a better impression of us and our capabilities, and a stronger recruitment for the club. Funding's down this year, so we really need the numbers for a more advantageous bargaining position during next year's budget review.
Serendipitously, it was a tactically wise move because it coincided with our one-and-only CCA bazaar (a.k.a., recruitment drive) for the newly-arrived J1s. Due to time constraints, the few aesthetic CCAs allowed to perform at the bazaar were those participating in the SYF, so we wouldn't have been allocated a slot. Besides, performing a theatrical piece would have been pointless in a noisy atrium space with a free-flowing itinerant audience.
But playing on the hall stage, we had the entire J1 cohort as a captive sit-down audience. Being miked, we were totally audible -- right down to the disparaging remarks against a popular EPL club that we engineered into our script for shock value. Kids did well to keep the energy consistently high, hitting their marks and getting the appropriate responses from the audience as expected. I will always say a couple more rehearsals on-site would have covered a few more sins. But given our prep time, I believe we did the best we could.
With the full attention of our target market, hopefully that'll translate to a better impression of us and our capabilities, and a stronger recruitment for the club. Funding's down this year, so we really need the numbers for a more advantageous bargaining position during next year's budget review.
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
My poor, starving child!
Kindergarten food concern
STI, Feb 1, 2011
I AM a parent of a child (congratulations on your contribution to our local population. You're still short of 1.1 children to reach the ideal replacement rate, however) studying at Radin Mas PAP Community Foundation kindergarten (can the activities at kindergarten actually be considered 'studying'? I remember the plasticine molding, the messing around with finger paints, the running around and terrorizing my fellow kindermates as my primary function in life back then. Can times really have changed so much?).
I thought schools in Singapore are trying to promote healthy eating (Ooh, a Bandwagon+Appeal to Authority combo attack! Nice one!), but my child's school serves mostly biscuits during snack time (aren't biscuits a legitimate form of snack food?). And each child is given about six pieces each time (Q-tip gets five every morning. Sounds fair to me).
Given the duration of four hours in school, how filling can the six biscuits be (spoiling his appetite for lunch is not a good idea, according to the Surgeon General)? If it is not biscuits, it would be a hotdog bun (but no hotdog? That's a violation of human rights!). Occasionally, they are given cake (Marie Antoinette would approve!).
A few parents checked with the teachers and the answer they were given (wait, what was the question?) was that the general election (GE) was coming (well, it is rather early in the year to expect Santa Claus). The room with a pantry and a stove has been locked up for some time because of the GE (we're a corruption-free society. We don't want our election officials helping themselves to kindergarten food while on duty, do we?), so they have not been able to cook macaroni, which is what the pupils got to eat at least once a week before (first, you complain that six biccies a day aren't enough; but you'd rather feed the kids macaroni once a week? Hmm... I suppose that would save some washing-up time).
I hope the relevant authorities will look into the healthy eating habits of pupils (or maybe they could improve campus security, what with all these parents trying to break into the kitchen looking for macaroni, and all).
Cecilia Teo (Ms)
STI, Feb 1, 2011
I AM a parent of a child (congratulations on your contribution to our local population. You're still short of 1.1 children to reach the ideal replacement rate, however) studying at Radin Mas PAP Community Foundation kindergarten (can the activities at kindergarten actually be considered 'studying'? I remember the plasticine molding, the messing around with finger paints, the running around and terrorizing my fellow kindermates as my primary function in life back then. Can times really have changed so much?).
I thought schools in Singapore are trying to promote healthy eating (Ooh, a Bandwagon+Appeal to Authority combo attack! Nice one!), but my child's school serves mostly biscuits during snack time (aren't biscuits a legitimate form of snack food?). And each child is given about six pieces each time (Q-tip gets five every morning. Sounds fair to me).
Given the duration of four hours in school, how filling can the six biscuits be (spoiling his appetite for lunch is not a good idea, according to the Surgeon General)? If it is not biscuits, it would be a hotdog bun (but no hotdog? That's a violation of human rights!). Occasionally, they are given cake (Marie Antoinette would approve!).
A few parents checked with the teachers and the answer they were given (wait, what was the question?) was that the general election (GE) was coming (well, it is rather early in the year to expect Santa Claus). The room with a pantry and a stove has been locked up for some time because of the GE (we're a corruption-free society. We don't want our election officials helping themselves to kindergarten food while on duty, do we?), so they have not been able to cook macaroni, which is what the pupils got to eat at least once a week before (first, you complain that six biccies a day aren't enough; but you'd rather feed the kids macaroni once a week? Hmm... I suppose that would save some washing-up time).
I hope the relevant authorities will look into the healthy eating habits of pupils (or maybe they could improve campus security, what with all these parents trying to break into the kitchen looking for macaroni, and all).
Cecilia Teo (Ms)
Monday, January 31, 2011
Pigeonholing people
Crash course in DISC profiling. Was quite resistant to it 'cos I don't like pigeonholing people. Trainer did say, however, that depending on context people's behaviour will change. For example, if the situation is competitive, my compliant 'C' side pops up cos I tend to follow the rules. Whereas if there is no competition, my inspirational 'I' side takes over as I enjoy the silly fun of the activity. So now, supposedly, I should be able to identify similar traits in the kids I 'mentor' within the narrow contexts within which I interact with them, and respond to them according to their DISC needs.
But what's interesting about the DISC workshops the kids will be attending is the training they will undergo in decision-making and conflict-resolution skills. Think I can ride on this initial groundwork and incorporate them in GP since these skill sets coincide quite nicely. The cognitive domains (Yikes! I should wash my mouth out with soap and water for using such language!) may be different, but the processes and the results are pretty much the same.
But what's interesting about the DISC workshops the kids will be attending is the training they will undergo in decision-making and conflict-resolution skills. Think I can ride on this initial groundwork and incorporate them in GP since these skill sets coincide quite nicely. The cognitive domains (Yikes! I should wash my mouth out with soap and water for using such language!) may be different, but the processes and the results are pretty much the same.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
2 balls to start the year with
What have I got myself into? By day a denizen of the classroom, by night and weekends a production advisor to campus theatrical performances. Self-inflicted, too, so this isn't a complaint about increasing workload or anything. It's wonderful to work with such obedient and appreciative kids, and the improvements they're making is visible, almost instantaneous. All they need is a little specific direction and lots of encouragement, and little else.
Currently looking after NYeDC's CNY performance -- Elim and 3L have been terrific co-workers, staying evenings with me working with the kids -- and I'm also helping Mengs with her piano kids' upcoming R+J adaptation.
It's only the beginning of the year, and we're barely getting warmed up. It'll be really interesting to juggle everything else when the J1 timetable kicks into full gear real soon.
Currently looking after NYeDC's CNY performance -- Elim and 3L have been terrific co-workers, staying evenings with me working with the kids -- and I'm also helping Mengs with her piano kids' upcoming R+J adaptation.
It's only the beginning of the year, and we're barely getting warmed up. It'll be really interesting to juggle everything else when the J1 timetable kicks into full gear real soon.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Chocolate blocked
The J1 crowd got bussed to Sentosa for a day of fun and games. Me, I wanted to use this opportunity to try out the Megazip Adventure Park. Sadly, the rain washed out my ambitions of flying through the air with the greatest of ease, so I went to join these guys instead for a caffeine fix at the Hard Rock Cafe... and a quick snapshot with this rather animated Hershey's bar. As for the title of today's post: sorry, Chris -- didn't notice you back there!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Error not in banker's favour
Ooh, look! A guy gets beaten up because some people think he's a loan shark when he's actually a bank manager. Wait... there's a difference?
Monday, January 24, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
East meets West
In the recent flurry to compare "Eastern" and "Western (i.e., American) teaching models, there is no perfect system. Eastern students yearn for a more creative, independent-thinking, even fun approach, while the West wants more school discipline and a stronger emphasis on hard science and math.
Here, we're pulled in both directions. We're building an educational superstructure of Western cool on a foundation of Eastern geek. No wonder we're all running confused; kids, teachers, management, all. But maybe we've been doing something right all along without knowing it...? CNN seems to think so. :P
Here, we're pulled in both directions. We're building an educational superstructure of Western cool on a foundation of Eastern geek. No wonder we're all running confused; kids, teachers, management, all. But maybe we've been doing something right all along without knowing it...? CNN seems to think so. :P
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Shaolin: philosophy that packs a punch
As I was watching Shaolin, I couldn't help thinking of the villagers constantly running back and forth towards one tragedy or another. Their lives are seriously wretched, consuming all the mantou buns the Shaolin temple can provide them from an ever-dwindling rice store, yet not really contributing anything useful in return. Every time the villagers raise a lament (which is quite often) the monks risk life and limb to make them happy again (which isn't for long).
That Shaolin stars Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse and Jackie Chan, but I'm thinking more about the plights of the nameless extras makes this movie quite extraordinary. Lau, Tse and Chan do play very strong and compelling characters, however as this movie is an ensemble piece, they and their supporting cast play very integral roles and no one star pulls attention away from another -- not even Tse with his whimsical pseudo-European military garb and manga-inspired hairdo.
If not for the villagers, there would be no point to the wars fought over them, no opportunity for the monks to display compassion and heroism towards their fellow human beings. The Generals fight each other for the power to exploit the seemingly inexhaustible human resource before them, the monks are bound to protect the flock and feed its insatiable hunger gathered outside its gates.
Lau's character, General Huo, experiences both sides. His reversal of fortunes brings him down from a warlord with everything to an outcast with a price on his head. But this reduction to zero is also the beginning of his redemption as a person when he learns to stop thinking of himself and instead start placing others's needs before his own -- even if they are the unending needs of the hopeless, hapless and practically useless villagers.
There is also wisdom in discerning what can be helped and what can not. Times may call for first aid, others for last rites, and sometimes no action at all can help a situation. Fortunately for the cinema audience there are lots of opportunities where kung fu fighting is the order of the day for the monks to show off their close-up hand-to-hand skills against gun wielding enemies.
But kicks, punches and chops cannot save the day. Though destruction and sacrifice are inevitable and constant, they are also a necessary starting point for reconstruction and transformation. The other constant is the people and their continued suffering but, as Huo learns, compassion and charity are the key to transcending the common mass, thus finding peace.
So much philosophy resonating ideas from Eastern religion, Socratic thought and the Sith-Jedi conflict neatly packaged in great cinematography; each shot lovingly, occasionally indulgently crafted, rich with an emotionally powerful aesthetic. My first movie viewing of 2011 was quite a mind-blowing experience. Hope it's a sign of more movie greatness to come.
That Shaolin stars Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse and Jackie Chan, but I'm thinking more about the plights of the nameless extras makes this movie quite extraordinary. Lau, Tse and Chan do play very strong and compelling characters, however as this movie is an ensemble piece, they and their supporting cast play very integral roles and no one star pulls attention away from another -- not even Tse with his whimsical pseudo-European military garb and manga-inspired hairdo.
If not for the villagers, there would be no point to the wars fought over them, no opportunity for the monks to display compassion and heroism towards their fellow human beings. The Generals fight each other for the power to exploit the seemingly inexhaustible human resource before them, the monks are bound to protect the flock and feed its insatiable hunger gathered outside its gates.
Lau's character, General Huo, experiences both sides. His reversal of fortunes brings him down from a warlord with everything to an outcast with a price on his head. But this reduction to zero is also the beginning of his redemption as a person when he learns to stop thinking of himself and instead start placing others's needs before his own -- even if they are the unending needs of the hopeless, hapless and practically useless villagers.
There is also wisdom in discerning what can be helped and what can not. Times may call for first aid, others for last rites, and sometimes no action at all can help a situation. Fortunately for the cinema audience there are lots of opportunities where kung fu fighting is the order of the day for the monks to show off their close-up hand-to-hand skills against gun wielding enemies.
But kicks, punches and chops cannot save the day. Though destruction and sacrifice are inevitable and constant, they are also a necessary starting point for reconstruction and transformation. The other constant is the people and their continued suffering but, as Huo learns, compassion and charity are the key to transcending the common mass, thus finding peace.
So much philosophy resonating ideas from Eastern religion, Socratic thought and the Sith-Jedi conflict neatly packaged in great cinematography; each shot lovingly, occasionally indulgently crafted, rich with an emotionally powerful aesthetic. My first movie viewing of 2011 was quite a mind-blowing experience. Hope it's a sign of more movie greatness to come.
Friday, January 21, 2011
A study of study
When we talk about 'learning', do we mean the ability to recall prior input on demand or do we mean the ability to recall prior input that is contextually appropriate to the need at the time of the recall? Either way, the ability to recall is what's important, whether on an academic test or in a real problem-solving situation. So there is no doubt that retrieving information from our memories is a skill worth honing. But which method trains our memories to function best?
A recent study of studying practices looked at techniques of rote memorization (ancient and boring), concept mapping (modern, colourful and hip) and 'retrieval practice', a.k.a., essay writing (generally thought to be painful and boring) and concluded that essay writing yielded the best results in terms of recall and logical application of the retrieved material compared to the other two. However, the essay-writing method didn't give its practitioners as much confidence in what they had learned compared to the practitioners of rote or mapping techniques who reported that they felt they had learned more, even though their test results fell behind the essayists.
Proves Socrates right, doesn't it? "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing".
I believe why essay writing works best is because the writer is actively connecting prior knowledge with new incoming knowledge through logical processes, aided by the application of language -- the glue that binds thoughts together. Learning by rote or mapping only requires a retrieval system comprehensible by the person memorizing the material. It may work for him or her, but no one else is likely to make sense of it, not immediately anyway. Whereas essays are written to share thought with an audience, and the need to communicate coherently with another person means that filing, referencing, retrieving information has to be done by a system that offers common access to everyone. Hence sharing the knowledge adds a second layer of learning to the learning process. How's that for reinforcement?
The challenge for GP is convincing our kids that essay writing is actually a shared learning experience and not simply a selfish process aimed at amassing a paltry handful of individual success scores. And maybe it's also an encouragement for me to keep posting here when so often these days I succumb to writer's block. But that's probably another story for another day.
A recent study of studying practices looked at techniques of rote memorization (ancient and boring), concept mapping (modern, colourful and hip) and 'retrieval practice', a.k.a., essay writing (generally thought to be painful and boring) and concluded that essay writing yielded the best results in terms of recall and logical application of the retrieved material compared to the other two. However, the essay-writing method didn't give its practitioners as much confidence in what they had learned compared to the practitioners of rote or mapping techniques who reported that they felt they had learned more, even though their test results fell behind the essayists.
Proves Socrates right, doesn't it? "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing".
I believe why essay writing works best is because the writer is actively connecting prior knowledge with new incoming knowledge through logical processes, aided by the application of language -- the glue that binds thoughts together. Learning by rote or mapping only requires a retrieval system comprehensible by the person memorizing the material. It may work for him or her, but no one else is likely to make sense of it, not immediately anyway. Whereas essays are written to share thought with an audience, and the need to communicate coherently with another person means that filing, referencing, retrieving information has to be done by a system that offers common access to everyone. Hence sharing the knowledge adds a second layer of learning to the learning process. How's that for reinforcement?
The challenge for GP is convincing our kids that essay writing is actually a shared learning experience and not simply a selfish process aimed at amassing a paltry handful of individual success scores. And maybe it's also an encouragement for me to keep posting here when so often these days I succumb to writer's block. But that's probably another story for another day.
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