Archive for February 8th, 2010
There is a Chinese saying that says that for every cause, there will always be a consequence. We all have to make choices at some point in our lives; some may be simple and mundane, like deciding on what to eat, while others may result in consequences which may impact our lives in ways we might have never imagined.
Such is one of the underlying themes of the book, where the story explores how the unintended consequences of some of the choices we make can affect our lives.
The story of The Abortionist’s Daughter takes place in a small town in Colorado. When Diana Duprey, a famous abortion doctor, was found mysteriously murdered in her own house, it sparked off much controversy and her family inevitably finds itself in the center of it all – with her husband, Frank, being the prime suspect, having had a huge fight with her right before her murder. Diana’s daughter, Megan, also had a minor dispute with her mother in the morning of her murder, and her role in her mother’s death proved to be less inconsequential than she could have ever thought it would be.
With its intriguing title, one would have some expectations for the story to be as interesting as its name suggests. And the book certainly does not disappoint – with its rich plot, and the strong and descriptive language through which it was delivered, the book would keep you hooked from the first page all the way to the last.
Like with any typical criminal case, you can’t get the full picture without seeing the story from different points of view, which was what the author used to bring out the themes in the book. Written in third-person, the story delves into the minds of the family members of the murdered doctor, showing the different thoughts and feelings they experienced over the course of the investigation, as well as some of the actions they took based on their feelings, and the consequences of the things they did. The author describes vividly the struggles the family experienced, and how their lives were changed by the incident, illustrating the impact some decisions may have on our lives.
The story also explores many social and family issues, such as the consequences of pre-martial intercourse (evidently, as one can tell from the title) and how parenting affects the child. Readers need not worry about the story taking on too sombre a tone (as with certain murder-themed stories), as the story is interjected by thoughts and comments of some of the characters every now and then which lightens the overall mood. That said though, I do have a little warning: some scenes, and I’m talking non-murder ones here, are described rather explicitly so if you’re one of those that cannot stomach intimate stuff, I suggest you’d better brace yourself.
With its original and compelling plot, The Abortionist’s Daughter is definitely a must-read for thriller-lovers. Many teenagers would also be able to relate well to Diana’s daughter as she goes through the adolescent phase of her life. There are many lessons to be learnt in the story, so even if you are not a big fan of thrillers, it would still be very worthwhile to check the book out.
~ e3m1n
Movie Review: An Education
Posted on: February 8, 2010
An Education (2009) is a film written by Nick Hornby, based on a memoir of Lynn Barber. This ninety-minute movie was nominated for the Critics Choice Movie Awards 2010 under the category of ‘Best Picture’ and had its cast nominated for ‘Best Actress’ and ‘Best Supporting Actor’. The movie stars Carey Mulligan as Jenny Miller, and Peter Sarsgaard as David Goldman.
The story is set in the 1960s of Suburban England where sixteen-year-old Jenny aspires to be an Oxford University student and she craves for another sort of life when she gets into university. When Jenny befriends thirty-five-year-old David, he opens up for her, a broader view of the cultured lifestyle she desires for, and brings her to concerts, auctions and high-class Cafés. Soon, Jenny loses interests in her school work and quits school after David proposes to her, thinking that David could give her a better life and that there is no point in studying anymore. The climax of the movie really begins when Jenny realises that David is not the man she thought he was and that David is actually a married man. Jenny finally understood that education comes from experiences and there are really no shortcuts in life.
I felt that the ‘feel’ of the whole movie was really great. The director- Lone Scherfig, took special effort into ensuring that every prop used during the movies were all appropriate for the 1960s era, such as the vintage cars and the costumes worn by the characters. The use of music of the film also added a nice artistic touch to the whole thing. Also, the pacing of the movie was rather slow but I guess that it was intentional so as to allow the audience to slowly blend into Jenny’s life and hence we would be able to relate to her during the movie. I would also like to commend on Carey Mulligan’s acting as Jenny Miller. I felt that Carey did a great job as she managed to show a smooth transition of Jenny maturing and becoming wiser as she went through her experiences with David Goldman. Mulligan really deserves her nomination as the ‘Best Actress’ in the Critics Choice Movie Awards 2010. From this movie, audiences can also expect some slight sense of humour between the dialogues of characters, a few heartbreaking scenes and many fantastic sceneries (of Paris and England in its 1960s) captured by Scherfig.
Overall, this film is really fresh and the storyline is really unique. I am sure that everyone will be able to relate to this movie especially teenagers. This movie definitely leaves audiences with some food for thought.(Does education only mean information learnt from textbooks, or can it also come from our daily experiences? Getting into a good university may matter, but are there any other important things in life that we have to experience? Are there any shortcuts in life? ) This movie is a definite must-see!
Rating: 8/10
-Miriam
Puccini’s La Boheme
Posted on: February 8, 2010
Puccini’s La Boheme, staged by the Singapore Lyric Opera from 29 January to 3rd February was extremely well received with a full house attendance on 3 of the 5 days and a nearly full attendance on the other 2 days.
I found the casting for this Opera rather interesting with a mix of locals and overseas professionals.
Mimi: Nancy Yuen
Rodolfo: Kota Murakami, Simon Kyung Lee (Yes there are two Rodolfos because it’s very taxing for one person to sing all 5 nights in a row)
Marcello: Song Kee Chang
Musetta: Kristin Symes
Colline: Martin Ng
Schaunard: Brent Allcock
Benoit/Alcindro: William Lim
The production is set in the 1930s during the Great Depression Years and is directed by Mr Andrew Sinclair. The soloists are accompanied by the SLO Orchestra and backed by the Singapore Lyric Chorus and Children’s Choir. I was in the chorus so I only managed to watch Act 1 and 2 during rehearsals but SLO was kind enough to give me a ticket to watch Act 3 and 4 in the theatre itself.
My deepest impression of the entire Opera would be Act 2 and 4.
In Act 2, Musetta’s waltz aria was enchanting but it was a pity that her voice was a tad too small to fit the musical demands. My Symes had excellent acting skills though. She managed to convincingly portray herself as a flirtacious sociallite yet remain solemn enough when Mimi was dying in Act 4.
La Yuen’s round and light tone is music to the ears indeed. Her voice backed by the orchestra soared through the theatre and pierced through the hearts of the audience. La Yuen, the mistress of acting portrayed Mimi the poor seamstress so well it seemed like the role was made for her. Her superb acting skills managed to conveyed the sorrow Mimi felt to the audience. In fact, many were dabbing their eyes with tissue after Act 3.
Song Kee Chang’s senstive baritone voiced was the highlight of the evening. His pitching was stable and the orchestra complimeted him perfectly. Together, he and the orchestra soared. Kee Chang’s warm voiced touched the hearts of the audience and his fantastic acting skills were shown when he portrayed the anger felt by Marcello when he found out that Musetta had a lover.
Kota Murakami as Rodolfo was excellent music wise. He had a beautiful vibrato and wonderful projection. However he appeared quite stiff on stage and looked like he didn’t know what to do. Simon Kyung Lee on the other hand appeared more experience but he was a disaster musically. He seemed intent on drowning out his colleagues in duets or quartets. He was unsure at some parts as to the rhythm and he shouted through most of the Opera rather than sing.
The street scene which the chorus appeared in Act 2 was in my opinion, too chaotic and lacked order. The Opera Chorus drowned out the Children’s chorus when they sang in unison but the kids manage to shine when their time came. The solo of the little boy was quite weak and needed more projection. He was also unsure of his pitching.
The costumes designed by Priscil Poh were quite a failure. The costumes of the chorus representing the crowd (Hawkers, street arabs, people milling about) were so colourful and vibrant that it stole the limelight away from the soloist because they were mostly wearing dull colours with the exception of Musetta. Musetta’s costumes had a lot of sequins that steered the attention to her. She also wore 4 inch heels that made people notice her even more.
Overall, I had a wonderful 5 nights but the Opera would have been better had SLO been more careful in their casting of soloists and designing of costumes.
-Sarah
DBSK NEW SINGLE-Break Out!
Posted on: February 8, 2010
DBSK(Dong Bang Shin Ki/Tohoshiki) has released their 29th single (Break Out!) on 27th January 2010．Personally, I have listened to the song. Break Out! has a catchy and fast tempo which I think will attract many to listen.
In my opinion, this is a very powerful song as the chorus contains lyrics like
＂Break out! Break out!
For the door to tomorrow, the key is safe in your hand
Break out! Break out!
Grab hold of your future, there is no destiny
Make yourself! It’s up to you＂
The words are relatively strong. With the strong vocals from the group(Jaejoong,Changmin,Yunho,Junsu and Micky) and the impactful background accompaniment, the whole song is pleasing to people who love pop/R&B type of music.
I would recommend this song to all as I also think that the lyrics are very meaningful.For eg, the lyrics “grab hold of our future” has a very deep meaning, telling us that we control how our future turns out to be like.
Other than the song, the MV is a relatively eerie one(in a good way) as it brings out he emotions and intensity of the song. In my opinion, the members seemed to be cooped up on a very dark tower where they met different things and people. At the ending, light can be seen at the door of the tower. That probably means that they are able to break out of the dark tower.
yifan:)
Fashion trends of 2009
Posted on: February 8, 2010
As we bid farewell to 2009 and usher in 2010, let us look at some of the hottest and the worst fashion trends in 2009.
2009 was a year comprising of the retro-feminine style with a touch of boho-chic. The year started off with the all-in-one jumpsuit trend. It does not matter if you are petite, curvy or long and lean; the exact jumpsuit will make you look picture perfect. The styles are sizzling hot, ranging from printed to tailored. The playsuit trend continued to grow and flourish and has well blossomed into the new year.
Next, army-inspired military jackets became part of everyone’s fashion arsenal. A simple look can be toughened up with this item of clothing. Also known as the band jacket, they are usually paired with feminine outfits such as skinny jeans and dresses since the jacket itself is already masculine. This is to avoid looking too combative as a whole.
Lastly, high waisted dresses made a huge comeback looking more feminine and retro than ever. This design may be hard to pull off as it highlights the feminine curves of the body. I am sad to say that not everyone is blessed with an hourglass figure. However, with the right proportion, the dress looks flattering on anyone. Classic and chic, I am sure this trend will continue to shine this season.
The worst of 2009:
Harem pants are one of the worst trends in fashion. They are voluminous and look like sweat pants. I doubt that anyone would want to wear something that gives the impression of a trash bag tied to the hips. The baggy trousers were constantly ridiculed throughout the year. Appearing full bloom in public is something you might want to miss out.
Let me put this across as frankly as possible- everywhere I go, I still see people wearing Crocs. The mums, the dads, even the kids, all don the infamous pair of shoes that comes in many different colours. I know that they are supposed to be incredibly comfortable but they look big and clunky. It is definitely not what a fashionista would wear, right? Hence, it’s not so good a fashion trend. And so, the holey shoes known as Crocs, should stay on the rack… for eternity.
Finally, some ladies who wear strapless tops or dresses may look gorgeous, but have you heard of guys wearing anything strapless? Strapless trends for men are simply the worst and the ugliest I have ever seen. In the field of men’s fashion, I hope that this style will never rise. Strapless substance and men just don’t get along well. Enough said.
To sum it up, I wish that the best fashion styles will stay with us in 2010 while the bad (I hope) will never make a return.
-Mich(:
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