Three artistes chitchatting about Cantonese opera

 

邱剑英， 张美丽

新羽初成展新姿 2018 5 月 19日 和 20日

Photos sent by Choon Lan

Chinese New Year - The Year of the Dog

Chinese New Year is an excuse or reason for many things.

I use it a as excuse to buy new things and to eat more or eat things that I usually don't eat on normal days.

I use it as reason to tidy up the house and throw away old things or things that have not been used for a long time.

This year I made a schedule of the work to be done and the number of days required to do it. For example: cleaning windows (1 day). Well, up to today I have completed 80% of the tasks.

 
Last night saw a performance at Kreta Ayer Square. Some of the performers were from a university in China.

 

楚云玉星光灿烂四十载师生粵曲演唱会

Photos supplied courtesy of Choon Lan

蔣文端好友粵劇金曲演唱會(選段)

陳小漢

Be happy with what you have

Happy Lunar New Year

 

These few weeks, sometimes there were heavy rain on certain days and very hot weather on other days. These alternate extreme weathers can make you rather gloomy. But I think I have come to get used to it.

Did you read about the massive floods in Malaysia and Thailand and the ominous smog in China? Compared to these, our hot/rain weather is really nothing. So I think we should not complain. Though some people complain, I think they just want to release their stress.

Did you read about the 'home' some Hong Kong people live in. These are just tiny cubicles which are about the size of a car park. Incredulous, right? My three-room flat is mansion to them.

Actually I am happy with my flat and my Country although there are things that I complain about.

Everyone knows that our small size is a great disadvantage. Another negative factor is that we are surrounded by Islamic countries. I believe when we formulate policies, whether local or foreign, we have to take into account the sensitivities of our Muslim neighbours.

For example, When Indonesians are anti-China can we be too friendly with China?

Independence for Hong Kong ?

Recently two young elected lawmakers (similar to our MPs) were kicked out of HK's Legco (HK's parliament) because they foiled up their oath-taking ceremony. Actually they made a big mess out of their stupidity. They also advocate independence for HK.

When they were barred from entering Legco, one of them just rushed in, took out a microphone and proceed to take her oath by herself. It was incomprehensible that an elected lawmaker resorted to such ridiculous and hilarious action. Why not proclaim HK independence as well.

Have these people who advocate independence given serious thought about it?

China will not allow it to happen. No country will recognize HK as a nation and HK cannot defend itself.

If Beijing sends PLA troops down to HK, are these independence-advocates going to protest or fight the soldiers. It is not like throwing dustbins at the police during the Mongkok riot. Are they prepared to sacrifice their lives to defend HK? I doubt it.

I think the best way forward for HK is the 'One Country, two system' path. Make good use of the two systems and get it to go beyond the 50 years.

燕雨琵琶演奏会 1997

Yan Yu is a pipa player in a Cantonese opera orchestra. I remember I watched her pipa performance many years ago. So I checked some old files and found the programme.

It was in 1997, 19 years ago, at the Tampines Cultural Centre (Tampines East Community Club). It was an enjoyable concert and I had a good impression of Yan Yu. I couldn't remember much else about the concert.

All along I have been attending Chinese music concerts mostly those by the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. I also like solo performances especially those on the string instruments like the erhu and the pipa.

Cantonese Opera Festival 2016

At The Drama Centre, from 21 to 24 July 2916

Cherries

These cherries were on offer at a supermarket. I like cherries. Usually I buy those that are packed in a container. I do not quite like those that are in a tray and people can choose one by one. A person picks up one, he doesn't like it and throws it back. Each cherry is touched by dozens of fingers. Some of these fingers have touched many other things before.

I wash the cherries under a tap before eating them. Other fruits like apples sometimes I remove the skin.

Leadership renewal

Some of the performers at Kong Chow's 176th anniversary show :
温海馀, 郑艳梅, 王碧云, 黎艳眉, 陆艳芬, 陈福鸿

Last Saturday I watched the Kong Chow Wui Koon 176^th anniversary Cantonese opera show. It set me thinking about leadership renewal. Who will take over from Woo Wai Fong (head of Kong Chow's Cantonese opera group) and Joanna Wong (leader of Chinese Theatre Circle). Both of them are in their seventies.

To be an effective leader I think the person must have these qualities:

Have good skills in communication and organization and be able to gain respect and support from others in the groups. They should be competent artists themselves and have good knowledge of Cantonese opera as well as some knowledge of other types of Chinese opera.

Those of you who have an interest in Cantonese opera in Singapore would know that there are many local Cantonese opera groups or troupes. Most of them are small and are based in Community Clubs. I don't know how many members they have. Some of them are not active; they have not performed for two years or more.

CTC and Kong Chow are two established and more active groups, so their leadership renewal is more important as they continue their task of not only promoting Cantonese opera and training new talents but also keeping the local scene alive and bustling.

It is a very difficult task with dwindling audience and aging performers.  

Do you know who I am

If you ask people 'Do you know who I am?', it means that you are somebody – someone with some fame or power or authority and probably you are in the news regularly so you expect people to know who you are.

Normally we say ' Do you know me' not 'Do you know who I am'.

For example:

“Do you know me? Why do you keep looking at me?”

“Do you know me? I stay in this block too.”

無情寶劍有情天 - 刘瑞初, 陈文娟

Happy day-dreaming

I rarely buy TOTO. Last week I bought $2 TOTO because of the big prize. As we know the probability of getting the first prize is very very very very very very small. But you could fantasize yourself winning and what you would do with the money.

It is quite enjoyable to think of what you would do with the millions of dollars.

This was what I was dreaming about:

I would give $1 million to each of my brothers and sister. I would reserve $1 million to be donated to charitable organizations. I would set aside $500,000 to support local Cantonese opera groups or foreign troupes coming here to perform. This sum would be used for 3 to 5 years or until the money runs out.

As for myself I would buy a better camera, a few other IT things and some personal items. These won't cost a lot of money.

I have no intention of buying a house, a luxurious car or travelling round the world.

Results for 'frannxis'

Have you ever tried searching for 'frannxis'. These are what I get:

 The images:

Some of the results were from my older websites. At that time I am not sure whether there was Blogger or not. I have forgotten my usernames and/or passwords for these older sites, so I couldn't delete them.

If you use another search engine you may get something slightly different.

I went through a few of my older posts. I think many of my views on certain things have not changed. Here is one from an older post:

“Last week one new post65 MP said it was cool to be square. He was commenting on the PAP trying to be hip in order to connect with the younger generation. No need, he said, people support the PAP for what it is – serious and square.

In our relationship with friends, I feel you don’t have to put on an act if you don’t like or enjoy it. Your friends should accept you as yourself.

My friends sometimes say I am not sporting or not sociable when I refuse to join them do certain things. Never mind what they say.”

再折長亭柳 - 陳玲玉

Chinese opera show at Victoria Theatre

Last week I went to Victoria Theatre to watch two shows - one Cantonese opera excerpts and one Cantonese songs concert. It was the first time I was there after the Theatre's renovation. The outside and inside of the Theatre have changed quite significantly.

I think the new seating arrangement is similar to that of the Esplanade Theatre. I was at the stalls section. The circle section was higher.

After the shows, feedback from audience who were at the circle seats were all negative - “steps too steep, no handrails, too dark, too high, can't see”.

As we all know, a lot of fans who watch Chinese opera shows are elderly folks. Some have weak legs. They walk slowly and carefully. Some use walking aids. A fall could have disastrous consequences.

Perhaps in future, organizers who want to use Victoria Theatre for Chinese opera shows could leave out the circle section.  

Performances at The Serangoon Community Club

on 26 and  27 September 2015
Photos supplied courtesy of Choon Lan (the lady in the first photo)