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)

An unfortunate incident

Last week I watched a Cantonese opera performance at a community club. The artists performed well. Unfortunately, there was an embarrassing incident.

During one opera excerpt, the headgear of the huadan in warrior costume fell down. It did not drop onto the floor; it slid onto the huadan's face. It happened another two times before the huadan went backstage to get it fixed. Then she came out to continue with the performance.

Several minutes later, the headgear slid down her face again. It happened two or three times. Poor lady, she must be feeling distressful. The audience also felt sorry for her. She was a bit unsettled but courageously performed till the end. Towards the end of the excerpt her hair wig looked like it had also come loose.

I guess it was the fault of the person who did the dressing-up for her. Maybe the person is inexperienced or he or she didn't do the job properly.

I think the performers should also ensure that the headgears are secure.

粵劇 紫钗记

学到老 Lifelong learning

If you are young or not so young and still working, probably you will need to acquire new skills and new knowledge by attending courses and workshops. If you are retired you can also do that. But in this case the courses and workshops are those that interest you and not for the sake of earning money.

However, life-long learning does not only mean you must go back to the classroom to attend lessons. You are learning if you want to know more about something and you take the effort to read more about it. Or if you ask a friend to teach you how to use Bluetooth in your phone.

So most of retired people are actually learning all the while.

There might be a few retired people, especially those older and less-educated ones, who are pessimistic. They feel that there is no point for them to learn; so they show no interest in learning anything new.

If you have friends who are like this, I think it is no use nagging them about life-long learning or telling them examples like Lee Kuan Yew. It is better to get them interested in something and then help them from there.  


Lifelong learning courses for seniors:
http://www.c3a.org.sg/SG50lifelonglearning/

Lessons from bad experiences

A few days ago, I steamed a fish. When it was cooked I used a pair of tongs to take it up from the steamer. Then my attention slipped for a second and the tongs loosened a little and some sauce and ingredients spilled onto the table. It took some effort to clean up the mess. I tell myself to concentrate on what I am doing in my future tasks.

Several years ago I was hurrying home from the car-park. The ground was wet as it had rained. There was some bird shit on the ground. I didn't notice it. I slipped on it and fell. Fortunately nothing serious happened to me. After that accident I am very careful walking on wet surfaces.

So you see, people learn through bad experiences.

We read about the accident along the PIE involving many vehicles. I think it was that the drivers were following the vehicles in front of them too closely. Even if they were attentive, the distance was too short for them to stop without hitting the vehicle in front.

There are a lot of things you have to do and a lot of inconvenience if you are involved in an accident. I'm sure these drivers will learn from the bad experience.

However, there are things we cannot afford to learn through bad experiences. Racial riots for example.

金石牡丹亭 Peony My Beauty

無車一身輕

I scrapped my car recently and I have decided not to buy another car. A big burden had gone. It was a relief; no more road taxes and insurance, no need to pay car park fees, no need to buy parking coupons or drive around looking for a parking lot, no need to send car for servicing, no need to worry about road congestion, accidents or repairs or fines.

And so much more money to spend on other things.

I believe, for most car owners, the desire to own a car dissipates as one grows older.

In recent months I have been taking more public transport, especially buses, and I am quite happy with it. I would say our public transport network is good and efficient despite minor train break-downs now and then and the big breakdown two days ago.  

Recent performances

Kreta Ayer Square

Lee Foundation Theatre (NAFA)

Drama Centre (National Library)

Performance at Tampines East Community Club