Friday, March 26, 2010

"Dads+Moms" playground

What could be more interesting than spending the evening doing activity with lots of 'adults'..

Yes, I just have spent 2hrs practicing on Church Choir. But today is friday,not saturday that I have regular practice with Gita Seraphim Choir (GSC) which all members are almost the same age as mine.

This is friday, the day I engroup with many Dads and Moms. Yes, parents, people whose age equals my age in double, even multiple.

My mom asked me to join our church choir singing in the good friday. Well, at the first place I thought it would be interisting to sing with many old(er) people, who are experience. But the interst was disappeared rightaway as we start to sing the first song. They, and me unfortunately, sing all of their own. Sopran, Alto, Tenor, Bass part written in the partiture were sung differently as we got too 'creative' in making another sound.

Not being mean (and high-profiling), but I can sing better. Of course, not better than Josh Groban, Maria Callas, Mariah Carey, you name it , but at least I know notes and how to sing it, 'appropriately'.

What makes worse? As I tried to correct them, they were just still doing on their own, MISTAKES, which is false to the sharp. I didn't know, whether it was all happened because of their incapability to sing it, or 'unexperienced', or because they, parents, are stubborn, as they are getting older. The best part was they talked too much, even when other choir-mates were practicing their part. Too much of carelessness. They were also throwing jokes, like us, which was not cool for me. I think it was awkward to see your parents acting like youth (but it's cool to have a youth spirit). What a playground there!

Somehow, they are still our parents (why our? sons+daughters also there). Looking at how they act, it's like our reflection maybe in the next 20-30 years, which I'm not interested to be. Very natural, as we get older, reaching half century, well thanks to God, we will act like what parents should be done. But I don't wanna be a stubborn parent who is getting 'cold' when my son/daughter try to correct me how do I look, how bad I am when cooking the breakfast. they aren't on my parent-guide list.

Quite awkward to involve in the situation like that, but "Dads+Moms" playground is just another reflection of how 'stupid' we will be

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

another good flick: 'Benji Button'




Today is another day watching 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' on tv.

Well, Benjamin ( or I easily call him Benji Button) has scored my taught to 'license' it as one of my favourite drama movies, after CRASH (won 2006's Oscars), and bff inspired movie 'Simon Birch'.

I don't know if i'm good at picking a good movie since i'm not on of AMPAS members, but I can tell you this one is so effing outstanding. A story about Benji Button who was born in rare disease (not sure it's a disease). He has our grandpa's condition as he was a baby, growing to be young. Living backward againsts the 'time' of any normal human beings. A condition some people will prefer since it becomes younger, and pretty as Brad Pitt.

Watching the movie a couple of times makes me wondering. Be born already with burdens and growing up easily as the burdens wash away. Living hell at first, and taste the heaven at last.

Benji had been nominated in last year Academy Award, but the eup just came in, to me, as i get smart enough to endorse a great movie, and wiser to pick one. Well broken dvd player is another major reason, making so much delay to keep updated w/ good movies for a year.

The 1st Classical Band Aid





25 years Ago, 'We Are The World' was recorded for fighting African hunger.
year before Bob Geldof motorized the infamous UK 'Band Aid'.

and now, yes there is the new 'We Are The World' (Which is not I'am going to talk about :)) but what I'm up to is the first classical 'band aid': Classical Relief for Haiti.

The relief is joined by 23 classical performers, including Britain's Got Talent winner Faryl Smith, Paul Potts, Rhydian. Not to mention British success group Libera, Blake, All Angels, Bond and soloists like Cammila Kerslake and Darius. the gorgeous 'The Prayer'(writen by David Foster, famously performed by Dion and Bocelli)is selected in marking the first classical band aid.

The Track is now available. Download the track in www.mailonsunday.co.uk/haiticd. the profits will be 100% donated to the Disasters Emergency Committee

Well, if you can't download because of any 'understandable' circumstances :), you can still watch the footage of course. Just insert 'haiti classical relief' in your youtube key-search.



The full list of artists taking part are as follows (in alphabetical order): Aled Jones, All Angels, Blake, Bond, Camilla Kerslake, Charlie Siem, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Darius Campbell, Elysium, Faryl Smith, Gardar Thor Cortez, Julian Lloyd Webber, Julian Smith, Libera, Natasha Marsh, Only Men Aloud, Operababes, Paul Potts, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Rhydian, Sara Kempe, The Priests, Wynne Evans.

the list is still damn good, but it's a pity other big names, like Charlotte Church (making a good come-back I thought), Hayley Westenra, Katherine Jenkins, to Josh Groban, couldn't join this gang..

(photos are taken from classicfm.co.uk and zimbio.com)

Friday, March 12, 2010

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards: The All New Oscar Records






The Academy has over, but bunch of new records have just been made in 82 years of its celebration saga.

Kathryn Bigelow becomes the first woman ever to win the Oscar for the best director of a motion picture. Her directed movie, The Hurt Locker, which story out-lines the war in Iraq, also won the major award for the best motion picture. This winning bit 3D blockbuster Avatar expectation to rule the night and make the director James Cameron having ‘I am the king of the world’ moment again, after the success of his 1997’s Titanic in Oscar.

Bigelow was not the only one who hit a record in the prom. Major prices were also given for many first-time recipients. Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart) and Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side), biting the most nominated actor Meryl Streep in Oscars history, got their first Oscars for Actor/Actress in a leading role. It was Sandy’s first Oscar in her career, also her first to get nominated. Mo’Nique made another list of African-American woman to win the price after Halley Berry in 2002 and Hattie McDaniel whom MoNique mentioned in her outstanding speech. She received her first Oscar for her supporting role in Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire, an inspiring movie co-produced by Oprah Winfrey.

In this year the Academy team made a little bit enhancement by nominating 10 movies in Best Motion Picture, instead of the usual five since 1946. Disney favorite animated flick Up and sci-fi District 9 are among of them, which are very rare for non-drama picture to get nominated.

The Hurt Locker wins 6 Oscars of their 9 nominations, including Best Screen Play and Best Editing.

Full list winners and nominations: http://www.imdb.com/features/rto/2010/oscars