Fun post

See, good to learn more skills...


I think it is more natural for the hands to point the opposite way.

Requests

A lady was looking for a maths tutor for her son who just entered sec school. She asked me for recommendations. This was not the first time I had such request. So I know which friends and colleagues are qualified but I also know that they are either too busy or not interested in giving tuition. Cannot anyhow recommend, right? At least must have good maths foundation and familiar with the syllabus. So I told her I couldn’t help her.

She was not happy. Understandable! She thought I was not helpful - it seemed to her I replied without even trying first. I should have waited a few days before giving her the answer.

I was thinking of these meet-the-people sessions by MPs. I guess they encounter cases like this. If someone makes a request which an MP knows cannot be done, I think he still has to write in, waits for the reply and shows it to the person. If he says cannot straightaway, people will say he is not caring.

The death sentence

I was thinking what could happen if judges were given the discretion to impose or not to impose the death sentence in capital offences.

I feel it is not a good idea.

If the judges can choose, then judges who are reluctant to give out the death sentence will generally not do so. This will make the other judges look unfeeling and heartless. Then there will be disparities – a less serious case might get the DS while a more serious one might not get.

Criminals will also try to get their cases heard before the ‘kind’ judges.

And if the person appeals, it will put the appeal judges in a difficult position. In the end, I guess no judge will want to give the death sentence. Or all the judges will come to a consensus themselves – give the DS.

Although there are not many this type of cases and I think there are also not many high court judges, all these are possible, right?

So, either have the death penalty or abolish it, no point giving the judge the discretion. Just my simple view.

越劇 - 五女拜壽

The Guangzhou Cantonese Opera Troupe is going to perform this in Singapore. For details please see Chinese Opera Performances. Link on the right.

Here is a Yueju from friend Amai.

寧波小百花越劇二團演出的[五女拜壽]

隨緣

The following article is from a Chinese newspaper. I find the writer's views quite interesting, It looks like a 'resigned to fate' attitude to me. So I copied it for you to read.

有時候覺得, 人生是一件很飄渺, 很遙远, 很无奈的事。每一个時期我们都会认识一些朋 友, 有些朋友能令你动情, 有些朋友还会让你刻骨铭心, 有些朋友却会令你心痛, 失望。这是一定的, 因为朋友有很多种, 很多类, 而且还有多种层次。

经验告诉我, 千万不要对朋友有过份苛求, 一切隨緣好了, 隨緣不是消极, 而是让你看得开, 使你的胸襟比较宽大。这种态度虽然帶点宿命, 对我, 却很受用。

我不同意一辈子只爱一个人的说法, 但的确有人一辈子只去爱一个人, 不为什么, 只因他们有緣。

緣, 是一种感觉, 不同的人有不同的緣, 千万不要強求。

My flat

Did you read Sunday's article about an expat couple go hunting for a flat and how the rents kept rising? Madness!!!

So I looked at my simple flat in a new dimension. Minor faults become insignificant. There are soooo many good points.

First, the location is good. Nearby, the Paya Lebar MRT station is coming up. Bus services are good. Fairprice, Shop & Save, hawkers’ center, market, 4D outlet, TVB rental shop, and other facilities are all within 2 to10 mins walk.

Doctor, barber, dentist, optician, and other services are also all nearby.

Furthermore, my block faces north-south; the sunlight doesn’t come into my flat. Then the blocks in this area are not affected by earthquake.

Still somemore, my block is safe. Of I know, so far no flat broken into, no girl molested. In the carpark, no car vandalized, no motorcycle burnt.

Suddenly my flat becomes so lovable!!!

Updates

Chinese opera performances - updates for October & November
Link on the right ===>

Li Hou Zhu @ Kreta Ayer People's Theatre

I have not seen any local troupe perform this opera before. I saw this performed by a foreign troupe only once and also at KAPT – in 2005 by a HK troupe led by Wun Fei Yin and Wei Jun Ying.

The opera was quite long. It started at about 7.50pm after a souvenir-giving ceremony by the guest-of-honour, Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed, senior minister of state for foreign affairs. There was no interval. It ended at about 11.35pm. But a few changing of scenes took quite some time and people took these opportunities to go to the toilets or to stretch their legs. Four of the scenes were very long.

The leading sheng and dan were Chan Fook Hong and Wong Mei Ling. I have watched them perform many times before including full-length operas like The Patriotic Princess and Dream of the Red Chamber.

On the whole the show was enjoyable and performance was good. We could see that the troupe (ECHO Cantonese opera troupe from Eunos CC) has put in a lot of effort and resources. I think most of the young performers playing minor roles are new and probably it was the first time they stepped onto a Chinese opera stage after a few lessons. Thanks to Mei Ling and her troupe for presenting this show.

The costumes were lavish, especially those worn by the two lead artistes. There were two dance items. The dance at The Grand Wedding was impressive and the lead dancer was skillful as well as graceful.

It is not an easy opera to perform. There are copious dialogue and songs to memorize. The theme songs are also very long. There were several times when the main cast including the leads forgot their lines, omitted or repeated them. In two conspicuous instances, there was silence for three or four seconds as either the artiste forgot his line or forgot that it was his turn.

Two minor points - there were too many artistes, around 30, on stage in the last scene where some officials and songstresses send off their emperor and empress. It made the stage look congested. I think about 16 to 20 will do. Second, the subtitles were too small. I doubt those sitting in the upper half of the theatre could make them out clearly.

Li Hou Zhu - backstage snapshots

Leading huadan Wong Mei Ling, leader of the Echo Troupe. In this photo I think she looks a bit like Ngai Wai Ying, the Guangzhou huadan.

Leading xiao sheng Chan Fook Hong.

Some of the young lads doing minor roles.

This one got special attention.

The calm one..."Relax, don't be excited."

Make-up for a dancer.

Three pretty dancers.

Doing some warm-up.

These are ge ji in the palace.

What surprised her?

Miscellaneous

Every few months I take a break from the computer. If at home, I take just a few days. If abroad on holiday, sometimes two weeks although I will go to an internet café to check emails once a week. The break does me good. It always cured my neck ache and eye strain. Then I have more time for other things like reading.

The other day there was an article about over-zealous Korean missionaries going everywhere trying to convert everyone. In Singapore I don't think the church sends its members overseas on such mission. But I ever had eager young people coming to my flat trying to talk to me about their religion.

I told them I already believe in God. They like not believed me and asked me what I knew about God and which church I went to. Why not just say glad to know that and go away. So I told them not to waste their time talking to me. I also told them there are Malay families in my block and not to go and disturb them.

Being too persistent and too zealous do not help them. Instead it might alienate them from others.

The solder who deserted his post and went off with his rifle and bullets did a foolish thing. It ruined his future. What if he became agitated or if he lost the rifle. Scary thoughts! Thank God, nothing happened. But as reported, it has caused grief and pain to his grandmother.

Sometimes it is better to think trice before we act.

Making the news public has advantages and disadvantages but I feel the risks outweighed it. We don't know how he will react if knows that everyone is on the lookout for him.

Visitors

Hello friends, according to my survey I got only 19 visitors.

But, I can think of some excellent reasons why some visitors didn't 'vote'.

Some were blur, they not sure about what visitors I want to survey - like what Victor said, visit to the pub or temple, opera show or cabaret show, or casino or Batam or whatever.

With this kidnap scam in the news everyday, some thought it was another scam. They scared later I ask them to send money to my bank account.

Then got people who won't do any survey if there are no gifts or prizes. (thought of this reason from Victor's comment)

So if each reason got another 19 people, then I got 76 visitors.

Hahaha......just talking nonsense lah. Anyway Thank You for visiting......... This Blog.