Us at Phnom Penh Pochentong International Airport
Yes, you read it correctly. Karen and I are in Cambodia.
Karen is doing her Independent Study Module (ISM) this semester and her chosen topic is on the growing NGO bubble in Cambodia. Unfortunately, there was insufficient information in NUS Central Library. But Karen went ahead and wrote her first draft with the available information she had. As expected, her supervisor gave her feedback that she can either (a) change her title to one just about NGOs in general or (b) find more information about NGOs in Cambodia. As it happens, there is actually a NGO resource library in Cambodia which documents their activities.
Needless to say, Karen decided to make a trip to Cambodia to get more information and here I am as well because I didn't think it was safe for her to travel alone. Also, as her good friend, I know that this is something she really wants to do and I should support her all the way.
Waited half and hour for our hotel pick-up. Locals started talking to us while we were waiting and when we told them we were from Singapore, they were estatic!
"You are from Singapore? Your Prime Minister came this morning! Had a talk with the Prime Minister and the King. Left just now in the afternoon. Did you see him on your way out?"
I didn't know PM Lee was on his Asean regional tour. But it was certainly a big event in Cambodia. The street lamps on the road out of the airport were lined with Singapore flags. It was as if the whole nation was welcoming him!
It was also really heartwarming to see the Singpore flag on alternate lamposts and big banners saying "Long Live the Solidarity and Friendship between Cambodia and Singapore!" hanging in the streets. The flags were displayed for the whole stretch of road from the airport to the city centre, culminating in a big placard welcoming PM Lee.
Placard Welcoming PM Lee
This visit by PM Lee is really a big thing in Cambodia. They treat it as such an important affair that they display these flags and placards welcoming him. This is what I call Cambodian hospitality. Like Karen mentioned, I cannot imagine Orchard Road lined with Cambodian flags if the Cambodian PM made a visit to Singapore.
My deepest gratitude first goes to Associate Professor Anthony Chin, who had faith to let me take my first step in this journey under his supervision. I am very thankful for his patience and encouragement in the writing of this thesis as well as his tutelage in the economics of crime. My grateful appreciation goes to Cholan as well, who has been very kind and patient. His insights into criminology had been an invaluable help in the writing of my thesis. I am also thankful to Desmond, Geoff, Yee KS and Li Yang for their help in sorting the data.
I would also like to thank my family, especially my parents, for always being very supportive of whatever I have done in my life. Without their moral support and encouragement, I would not have been able to achieve all that I had.
The completion of this journey would not have been possible without the help and encouragement of all my friends, who have accompanied me every step along the way. I am especially grateful to my best friend Karen, whose humour and wit cheered me when I encountered problems in my writing. My thanks goes to Randy for assisting me in the data analysis, Bee Kuan for reminding me to have lunch, Wanpei for inspiring me with her diligence and Alex for his IT assistance as well. Special thanks to Chee Kum too; who has taught me much about life and showed me what I can be.
Finally, many thanks go to those whose names I have not mentioned but have helped in my writing.
This has been an incredible journey.
Yeow Minyi
March 2005
NB: Just a quick update on my relationship with Prof C. When I met him on Monday to collect my "first" draft (after standing outside his office for 1h waiting for him - and he didn't apologise), he finally volunteered to give me his mobile number! He said that he thought he had given it to me all along. Also, when I asked him if I should cut my thesis discussion to make the page limit, he said that he will try not to do that because he knows that I have put in alot of effort in the discussion and he wants the other marker to know that too. He actually mentioned that he knew I put in alot of effort! Maybe things aren't that bad afterall between us. (",)
(edited: some pictures in the quiz got broken so I took it off.)
Pink icon: Behind my smile is everything you'll never understand
Initially, I felt that this icon was not very reflective of me because it gave me the impression that it was saying that I'm very hypocritical. Like hiding all my feelings behind my smile.
On second thoughts, I realised that actually it's quite accurate if you view it from another perspective. For one, I do smile alot and thus people have this impression that I'm a happy-go-lucky girl who's a perennial optimist. This is not entirely a wrong impression because I am a happy person in general. But there is another side of my personality which is the complete opposite. I do get sad when things overwhelm me and fail to see the brighter side sometimes. Guess there are really things behind my smile which people will never understand
Blue icon: Beauty and the Beast
"Am I not very wicked," said she, "to act so unkindly to Beast, that has studied so much, to please me in everything? Is it his fault if he is so ugly, and has so little sense? He is kind and good, and that is sufficient. Why did I refuse to marry him? I should be happier with the monster than my sisters are with their husbands; it is neither wit, nor a fine person, in a husband, that makes a woman happy, but virtue, sweetness of temper, and complaisance, and Beast has all these valuable qualifications. It is true, I do not feel the tenderness of affection for him, but I find I have the highest gratitude, esteem, and friendship; I will not make him miserable, were I to be so ungrateful I should never forgive myself."
I'm a romantic at heart. Read alot of fairytales when I was young and remembered that my conclusion from Beauty and the Beast was that love is beyond appearance. It's all about feeling a special bond for someone else. The other fairytale which I love is Cinderella. As you can probably tell by now, I like stories which have typical rags-to-riches storylines. :)
It has always been my belief that love conquers all. Unfortunately, things haven't really turned out the way I thought it would in reality. But hey, being the eternal optimist, I'm still waiting for my fairytale to come true.
Yellow icon: Puss in Boots
I like cats. :) I like the movie Shrek too.
Green icon: Living on Caffeine
This icon is not very accurate. I don't really like coffee so how can I be living on caffeine?
Red icon: Coke bottle
Although I'm not a big fan of Coke, I like the red icon because the picture is very spunky. Think the coke bottle bursting is very spontanteous and is full of energy.
Purple icon: Dance like no one is watching
I like the picture of the little girl jumping. To begin with, it's in black and white; which is my favourite medium for photography. I like the happy expression on her face too. Feels as if she's jumping for the first time on a trampoline (something which I would like to do - I think it would feel like you are flying).
The sentence also struck a chord with me. A little-known fact to people is that my ECA in secondary school was Dance Society (yes, yes, I know. I don't look like one). I must admit that my basic dance foundation is very weak (i.e. all the stretching, splits and bending over backwards). But I love dance as a form of artistic expression. I enjoyed my days of performance in Kallang Theatre for SYF. Missed those days where I spent many Saturday afternoons in rehearsals and chitchatting with my good friends Peixin and Shiling.
Orange icon: Umbrella
I love rainy days. Except when I need to go out. I don't like to carry umbrellas around.
Melina : Pleasure is a sin, but sinning is a pleasure. ~G. Byron
Christina: Loves gives and takes everything for itself. ~Anonimo
Karen: In love, pleasure should never hurried. ~Ovidio
Myself: One look, and our feelings are released in a kiss. ~Anonimo
These are not randomly thought-up sentences but quoted from famous people!
Did you realise too that all of them are love quotes? These quotes reminded me of the fortune cookies I used to have in USA's Chinese restaurants. But those were random sentences. I vauguely remember a conversation about people actually being hired full-time to be a fortune cookie writer. Can you imagine yourself as one? Have to sit and think all day of vague one-liners which will make sense to anyone! It sounds like an easy job but really, if you think hard, it's not. Have to spend time thinking of random fortunes which will apply to anyone.
"What looks like an appealing offer may not be."
"Hailing frequencies open, Captain."
"Is it love or is it pity? Try not to think about it."
"Get away from home awhile to restore your energies."
"He who laughs last is laughing at you."
"Your ability to juggle many tasks will take you far."
And this is my favourite.
"Don't lose face! Insist on buying dinner for your tablemates."
The reeds and brass have been weaving
Leading into a single note
In this place
Where your arms unfold
Here at last you see your ancient face
Now you know
Now you know
The cadence rolls in broken
Plays it over and then goes
One flight down
There's a song on low
And it's been there playing all along
Now you know
Now you know
~Norah Jones
THE BUCK DOESN'T STOP HERE
Alice was chasing after a rabbit when she tumbled into Wonderland. Now we won't liken "0104" to Wonderland, but we'd like to think the date Royston is racing to keep with the Red Queen (in this analogy, the personification of Cinematic Greatness, surely?) will at least result in an interesting journey... regardless of whether he ever gets to meet Her Majesty. We certainly hope you agree. And will stick around to find out where the bunny takes us - and Singapore Cinema - next. We thank you for coming. Please enjoy the show, and be kind to any animal you come across. Cheerio, amigo.
IMPRESSIONS
I was greeted by a cow with a red ribbon pinned to its udder at the door who tore my ticket. The theatre was darkly lit with strange characters in costumes walking around. Before I could figure out what was going on, a monkey with a pink feather boa pressed a small coupon in my hands and pleaded with me to find a rabbit. I could tell this was going to be fun - a rabbit hunt!
It was free seating and the theatre was filling up fast. The law of economics is defied in charity. At $21 for a 100-minute screening of Royston's shortfilms filmed from 2001 to 2004, the price is certainly steep. But guess what? The theatre at Alliance Francaise was packed. In fact, it was packed to the brim that it was overflowing - patrons were sitting on the steps! I overheard someone commenting " Wah! First time I come movie and have to sit on the steps!"
As I settled down comfortably, I began to take note of the characters walking around. For a start, there was Wonder Woman, a guy with a shiny red sequinned jacket carrying a clothes hanging rack and a guy bobbing a butterfly kite. As I read the synopsis under the dim lights, it dawned on me that these people were characters from some of Royston's short films.
Wonder Woman and Monkey Trying Costumes from the Rack
Wonder Woman and Clothes Hanging Rack Guy
Beautiful Stage Backdrop - Using Only 2 OHP Projectors!
SELECTED FILM REVIEWS
New York Girl (starring Karen Khoo)
2004/2005
DV
15 minutes
Q: So it's a popular misconception that the irritating people in Singapore are the bengs and lians?
A: Yes. I find some educated people very irritating. (My new short film)"New York Girl" is targeted at the ones who are educated and like to twang and slang when they talk. And in (my other new short) "Careless Whisperer" introduction, we mention that the fake Caucasian slang has been included as a form of mental disease. It's all very unlike the bengs who don't have to try even when they say -!**#!*?!!* (expletives in Hokkien).
Wonder Woman was Karen. In the short, she plays a character who has just returned from New York and speaks with an American accent. She has diverse talents and one of them is accent imitations. It was hilarious watching her do British, French and Japanese accents. The best was when she sang Aerosmith's "Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" in a Singaporean accent.
She loves to act as well and her dream role is to be Wonder Woman. An Asian Wonder Woman in Hollywood. She feels very strongly for Asian actresses in Hollywood having minimal speaking lines and sterotyped as waitresses ("Yes, that is Kung Po chicken") or prostitutes. She also feels that Fann Wong is a disgrace in Hollywood for her lousy English, given that it is our first language (I agree with both hands up - both about Fann and the marginalisation of Asian actresses in Hollywood).
"So what other talents do you have?"
"I can sing."
Karen ended the short with live singing complete in Wonder Woman costume.
Careless Whisperer (starring Patrick)
2004/2005
35mm
12 minutes
Remember the guy who sang "Careless Whisper" during the Singapore Idol auditions? Yup, the one who sang so softly, the judges could not hear anything. The one which had "This is the actual volume. Do not turn up the volume in your set." printed on screen when he sang. He (Patrick) returns in this short as a lovestruck security guard who sings to impress a girl (Pinky). He sees butterflies everywhere after falling in love and is so infatuated with Pinky that he imagines her with butterfly wings. (So he's the guy bobbing the butterfly kite before the screening began - I thought it was quite ingenious to mix theatre in this screening. Have characters from shorts doing random acts in the theatre.)
This is my second favourite short after Hock Hiap Leong. I think Royston did an excellent job depicting his soft singing skills humorously without ridicule. It was very tasteful humour on Patrick's lack of volume singing. In fact, when he does sing audibly at the end, it wasn't that bad. At least he doesn't go off-key like William Hung.
In case you are curious whether his singing did impress Pinky in the end, her thought bubble was "No sound = No comments" before she ran offscreen.
Hock Hiap Leong
2001
35mm
7 minutes
After "Sons" (not included in this showcase), I was supposed to shoot a mega-production with a cast of 30, but it was cancelled at the last minute. In my depression, I didn't speak to anybody and spent all my time "hiding" in an old kopitiam, the Hock Hiap Leong of this story. I went there so often I got to know all the hawkers there, as well as the boss, who told me about the kopitiam's impending demolition. When he spoke to me, they supposedly only had two more weeks before closing shop! As I had gotten very attached to the place, I was sad, of course... In a moment of inspiration, I decided to make a short film about it, and somehow manahed to dash off a script and get a cast and crew together in record time.
I love this short. For a start, I love retro and they were singing a retro Chinese cha cha song in the film. Complete with dancing, umbrellas, polka dot shirts and skirts and big shades. (",)
Humour aside, I feel very strongly for the nostalgia in the short because I feel the same. Things in Singapore change too fast and people don't have time to remember and relive memories. The choice of a kopitiam as the focal point was excellent because it is a place which is very unique to Singapore and which most of us frequent for meals. Personally, I identify very much with the kopitiam as an icon of Singapore living. Not the S-11 type, but the old-fashioned kind which is found only in very old residential estates like Tiong Bahru. The kind where they have small floor tiles and 60s decoration. Many people it looks very dirty and outdated, but I love it.
I especially enjoyed the way Royston filmed the short where he managed to let people relive the golden days of the kopitiam in the 60s cha cha song without seeming to deride it. I think his ability of filming humorous films without the feeling of ridicule is very appealing to me.
These two lines from the film left an impression on me:
"Those that are close to you may not know you at all."
"Those that are distant may in fact know you very well."
He was commenting on how the hawkers actually watch the customers grow through the years and though they may seem distant (in terms of blood ties) but they may actually know the customers very well. Isn't this very true? How our closest confidantes are not our kins but our friends or a even stranger we are chatting with on the internet? Especially now with the popularity of blogging, strangers who read my blogs know more about what's happening in my life than the my family.
TO END IT ALL
Q: What brings you joy?
A: When I can make someone smile, especially a young kid. And when I get to voice aloud my disgust at ugly Singaporeans rushing into an MRT train or talking aloud in the cinema. I have no qualms about saying !**#!*?!!* (expletives in Hokkien). That makes me happy. My friends know that part about me. After all, everybody complains here but no one dares to do anything. Once, two gangsters confronted me at a cinema and I said aloud to them - you want my phone number or you want to have sex with me? They were so embarrassed, they just walked away. I enjoy irritating irritating-people.
By the way, the guy with the clothes hanging rack sells pirated DVDs and VCDs is from Cut.
Acknowledgements
Some materials from this entry are taken from 0104 film screening programme book.
All pictures were taken by yours truly with Shiling's Olympus miu400 digital camera.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
kAren: who does the laundry at home?
cherub: mum
kAren: ooh. what if your mum goes on a holiday?
cherub: then i'll use what i have
kAren: how many pairs of underwear do you own?
cherub: 7 in all - 3 whites, 2 blues, 1 red, 1 pink
kAren: so what if she goes away for 8 days?
cherub: then i'll flip it over and reuse
kAren: what if she goes away for 15 days?
cherub: then no choice... have to use panty liners.
kAren: eewwwww
Front View
History
Original Honduras team jacket design from the 1982 World Cup in Spain.
Description
Honduras patch on front; Screen print "Honduras" across back Raglan sleeves with 3-Stripes taping. Zip closure slash pockets. Ribbed collar, cuffs and waistband. Embroidered brandmark on front. 100% polyester. Imported.
Actually, I saw this Honduras jacket about a month back in Heeren Adidas. I thought it looked very cool and "fierce" (don't ask me to explain what do I mean by fierce, that's the impression I had when I saw the jacket. Think of it like tough?). But I didn't buy it then because it was selling at $119. Too expensive for my budget.
Dear Prof C and CN,
Attached are the eagerly awaited chapters 4 and 5 of my thesis. :)
CN: Although you only wanted to see the result analysis, I thought you might want to take a look at what I wrote for experimental set-up as well.
Prof C: I have already sent you chapter 4 earlier but after writing the analysis, I made a slight revision in my experimental set-up objectives. What I did was basically edit the second paragraph in the 1st page of experimental objectives. You haven't replied to my earlier emails about whether it would be better to meet you on Monday or Tuesday before you leave for Hong Kong. If you get to read this before Monday morning, could you please let me know your preference? I'll be in school tomorrow morning so I'll just pop by in case you don't get to read this in time.
I have done a quick reading of your paper. There are some inconsistencies that we need to work through i.e. error in description of experimental design, experiment intent,etc. Considering Prof C's pending trip and your dateline these fundamental aspects need to be rectified before Prof C can correct and comment on the technical and overall aspect of the study.
Let's meet on Monday at 5pm if you can. Thanks and talk to you soon.
CN
Pls consider a bridge para from Chap 2 to Chap 3 so that your thesis reads like a continous thread of thoughts.
Based on your readings and research it will be helpful to state what we know now and what we do not know. Something alog the line of how is your research going to contribute towards areas of paucity in existing research.
6 pm good.
Cheers
CN
Dear Prof C and CN,
Attached are the remaining sections of my thesis. The first draft is done! :)
Prof C: My sincere apologies for submitting it to you late. I hope it’s not going to inconvenient you much given that you have to go Hong Kong.
CN: Where would you like to meet tomorrow evening at 6 p.m.? I’ll be having lessons at LT14.
Cheers,
Minyi
The best quote to me was this.
"The whole point of being a teacher is to endure teaching naughty students and try very hard not to scold them or hit them else you will get complaint"
Everyone wondered what kind of teachers (and what kind of education) Bee Kuan had in her 12 years of schooling before university.
In her defence, she says she's from a girls' school and has never been hit by a teacher.