Sherlock Holmes - a film worth watching

When you hear the name Sherlock Holmes, you would probably want to see the movie. Most of us would have probably read some Sherlock Holmes detective books. And we probably would have in our mind what Sherlock Holmes would be like. So Sherlock Holmes fans would not want to give this movies a miss. Although the Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson characters we see in this movie, directed by Guy Ritchie and produced by Lionel Wigram, are not like what we imagined them to be, we are not complaining. This version gives an interesting adaptation of the characters fromthe famous detective series by renowned author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The team of director and producers manages to satisfy the readers by keeping the basic background of the character, as well as the expected timeline, but giving it a new twist which would appeal to cinema goers these days. Holmes is portrayed as not only only a super-sleuth but also a super-brawler. He is not only an analytical and detail-oriented character but also a detective who uses his fists and fighting skills as effectively as he uses his analytical skills. He seems more at home in a boxing ring than in a drawing room amongst the upper-crust of society.
What is more interesting is instead of seeing Dr Watson as a side-kick, he is now not only a buddy or advisor, but sometimes also a protector. Both Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law contribute to make the movie worth watching.The movie has a busy plot, vivid locations, thorny relationships, fights, chases and explosions. There is also plenty of action, twist and turns with a few unexpected surprises along the way. Besides that, there is lierally plenty of olden day chemistry, which the director uses to provide the solutions to the mystery.
As expected of Sherlock Holmes stories, the pieces will fall together at the end but in the movie the explanations get revved up in fast-cut flashbacks cleverly done by director Guy Ritchie.
At the end of the movie, viewers walk out of the cinema satisfied looking forward to more future Sherlock Holmes movie as they realized that the villain in this movie, Dr. Moriarty, is revealed as a player in the mystery, and is not apprehended as the rest of the villains are.

活到老学到老- Life Long Learning

The direct translation for 活到老学到老 is "one is never too old to learn", but the term life-long learning is commonly used to mean this also. Learning is a life-long process, provided we open our minds to learn. As I said earlier in one of my earlier posts, if our mind is up to it there are a lot of things we can do and learn. Take for instance, computer knowledge and skills. Some older people are very much computer savvy (even more advanced than the younger people) but there are also people who just let the knowledge and technology pass them by and refuse to even bother to pick up some basic skills. Even though there are lots of opportunities for us to learn, these opportunities might not be forever with us waiting for us to take it up.
There are certain things best learned when we are young. Dr Mahathir once said in an interview that one of his greatest regrets is not having learned how to swim. The great man who can do so many mammoth tasks including running a country laments about not having learned a simple skill like swimming. At his age, it would be a bit inconvenient although not impossible to learn up swimming. It wouldn't be embarassing since he could probably engage a private instructor in a private pool all for his own use. Maybe at 84, and being a heart patient, it might not be advisable even though swimming can be a mild form of exercise. For people who are younger, they should pluck up their courage and learn while they can. The best time would be when you are still a child. But its never too late. The older you get the worse it gets. Swimming is skill which will definitely come handy. Even if you think you will never be in a situation which needs you to be able to swim, it is still a good form of exercise especially as you get older. And it is a sport you can do solo, not having to find company or partners. And when you go for beach holidays, it is a lot more fun if you know how to swim. When I was at Pulau Payar, I had a good time enjoying the underwater sights not having to restrict myself to just snorkelling. Those days, when Batu Ferringhi was still a nice beach we used to swim in the open sea from Rasa Sayang to Casuarina and further. Of course we can't do that anymore.
For me, skating, whether ice or roller, is one thing I regret not having learned. At my age it would be both ridiculous and dangerous to attempt it. I did have a chance to try out ski-ing during a trip to Korea, of course on a gentle and mild slope. It was quite fun actually once you get the hang of it. Moving, slowing down stopping or accelerating. But since it is something I would probably not do again, I just glided around the gentle slope just for the experience.
Besides swimming and working out at the gym, I don't engage in other forms of sports. During my school days, I was never a sportsman, but I did play some football with neighbourhood friends during younger days. I did try my hand at various games in college, like hockey, basketball, volleyball but was never good at it. When I started teaching Form 6, I played badminton, squash and tennis with the students but it doesn't last long because I keep getting new students every 2 years. So I stick to swimming and gym
I have always loved music since young. Coming from a poor family, I didn't have the opportunity to learn music when I was young. So when started working I bought an electronic organ and took up music lessons. I stopped learning when I was too busy studying for my degree. I used to be able to write the notes for a song I heard before and then play it on the organ. But my knowledge of music is quite elementary even though I did take some music courses as an option in the University. Music is something best learned when you are young. That is why we made sure our children had the opportunity to learn music when they were young. Both my children learned the piano and violin until Grade 8. So the saying "life-long learning" doesn't mean you can still learn when you are old. It means you don't stop learning even when you are old. But certain things should be learned while we are young. Don't let opportunities pass you by. Grab the chance to learn whether you are young or old.When people hear me sing in public, their first reaction is " wah so daring, dare to sing in front of people" Their next is " Eh how come you can sing Chinese songs?" Some people think I sing from romanised pinyin karaoke. But actually I don't look at the pinyin. I read the Mandarin characters. There are only limited very old songs in pinyin and some are not written correctly. I was totally educated in English, then how come I can speak and read Chinese. I can't write in Chinese but I can type in Chinese using the computer. With the internet, translating, writing, checking the pronunciation is not a problem. All you need is a willingness to learn. And also thick skin. If we are worried about people laughing at us we cannot learn anything. In other words we mustn't be inhibited if we want to learn. If you believe in 活到老学到老- Life Long Learning and have a mind set for learning, there are endless things to learn. Sometimes I also learn from my students. It doesn't have to be a one way direction.

刺陵 The Treasure Hunter - starring Jay Chou and Lin Chiling

After watching The Treasure Hunter on the first day, I can only give a 3 star review. Not because I didn't enjoy the show. The show does have some entertainment value but the story makes you leave the cinema wondering why the earlier scenes were included. Besides that, we also couldn't figure out many things about the story. Somehow the parts do not seem to blend together at the end.The story is about a young chivalrous man named Ciao Fei (Jay Chou) who, to save the life of his mentor's daughter Lan Ting (Lin Chiling) is forced to give up a map which is supposed to lead to a buried treasure of unbelievable riches. They embark on a dangerous journey to recover the map and fight to protect the ancient treasure. Along the way they meet other people, archaeologist Hua Ding Bang(Chen Daoming) and Pork Chop (Eric Tsang) who were also finding their way there for their own reasons.However,the overall cinematography and scenes were quite well done. It does satisfy my appetite for kung fu ballet (Matrix style and all) and special effects. We have some Indiana Jones stuff but very much less exciting and doesn't keep the audience thrilled at all. We have some Harry Porter magic but it doesn't fit in the story line, like they were just placed there for the special effects making the scenes rather out of place. There was a knight which appeared out of the sand when Ciao Fei hit a bell. After a short fight, the knight just crumbles into sand and thats the end of it. There was also a Bandage Guy (or Ribbon Guy, whatever you want to call him) who was quite bergaya when he appeared, shooting his bandages (or ribbons) form underneath his cloak. I thought he would be some tough rogue or something but somehow he just fizzles out.
There is some humour thrown in, but even Eric Tsang, who despite doing a good job providing some laughs with his natural way, cannot save the movie. I wouldn't complain about Jay Chou's acting this time, I have to admit he is improving. He is quite natural in this movie, portraying a cool image. And we get to see more of his face with this tie-back hairstyle, instead of usually seeing his face half hidden by the fringe or the baseball cap. His fight scenes were quite well done, ada gaya. That is if we don't compare him with real action stars. There wasn't much for Lin Chiling to show in this role. Most of the time she is just there as the damsel the hero wants to save. Except for the one part where she had to act like a monster for a few minutes when she was possessed. Her role in Red Cliff did her more justice.On the whole, I would say the movie doesn't live up to our expectations. It does have some entertaining value, good for an evening out just to pass the time. If you're looking for a good plot or story or a touching movie, then don't go. If you just want some entertainment, go ahead. After all it is a light comedy action movie, not the real action movies or epic movies or slapstick kung fu movie. Anyway Jay Chou fans will still watch the movie, whatever the review.

Now Everyone Can Sing

With Air Asia, now everyone can fly. With karaoke, now everyone can sing. Well in fact without karaoke everyone who can talk can sing also, right? The thing is that some people sing better than others. But karaoke does make a difference. It makes learning to sing so easy and makes amateurs sound like professionals. I have always loved music. I loved to listen to songs. In the good old days, we used to keep song books with lyrics of songs. Before karaoke, many of us would know how to strum some basic chords and sing along. We would figure out the chords and just strum the rhythm by just following our ear and feel. Now with karaoke, we have the background music, the lyrics appearing at the right time to prompt you and you can even adjust the key to suit your voice. Those days we have to arrange the chords to a different key. With this technology, singing is much easier now. But it is not as easy as it appears to be. Some people sound better than others and it still needs some effort to sound good. In this post I will share my tips on karaoke singing.
First, the voice. Some people have a nicer voice than others. But this actually a relative thing. We sometimes hear singers who sing as though they have a sore throat and yet they can be popular. The overall presentation can make a difference. But anyway, remember, I'm talking about karaoke singing so it doesn't really matter. Many people who have heard me sing have told me i have a nice voice (maybe out of politeness?) but I think its my choice of songs. We have to know our own voice and the type of songs which suit our voice. Basically I have a low voice and the crooner rather than the rocker or rapper type. But then if the song is written at a too low range, my voice would sound too monotonous. So the way is to try out various songs and find your songs to add to your repertoire. For me, my voice is more for the romantic love songs but sometimes I do sing lively and fast numbers too. My vocal range is quite limited and if I sing certain songs originally sung by male singers sometimes I need to bring down the key. There are some singers whose songs are in the mid-range and fits the tag..everyone can sing. For example Teresa Teng （邓丽君) songs are easy to sing so it explains her popularity..of course she had a very melodious voice which so far no one can equal. I can't sing 庄学忠 songs even though many men like to sing his songs. I 'll need to adjust the key for these songs. My CD collection has many golden classics which are at the key that everyone can sing. Besides the golden evergreens, I can also sing 張惠妹 Amei, 鄭秀文 Sammi Cheng, 許茹芸 Valen Hsu, 林憶蓮 Sandy Lam, Stephanie Sun 孫燕姿 numbers. On the contrary some ladies might find these songs difficult. For male singers, there are certain songs by 張信哲 (Jeff Chang), 任贤齐 (Richie Ren) ,林志炫 (Terry Lin)and 周華健 (Emil Chow) that are suitable for me to sing. The trick is, as I said, knowing your voice. And we need to try out before we know it. I know my limitations and I'll sound awful for certain songs. Some people have wider range of songs they can sing, some people have limited...nobody can sing all songs. Again, I'm not talking about professional singers but ordinary karaoke buffs like us.
Second is the pitching. What people usually describe as singing off-key or 走音, means to sing at the wrong pitch. It's not as easy as it looks. Some people can identify the pitch in their head (not necessarily knowing the actual pitch) some people cannot. Some people know the pitch but cannot sing the correct pitch. That's why some people don't even know they've gone off pitch. But this thing can be cultivated. Those who listen to a lot of music or play musical instruments can pitch better. But there are people who can play and identify pitch but find it hard to sing it correctly. Some people pick up better than others, it's an inborn thing. but I believe practise does make a difference. When I sing some songs that I haven't been singing a long time, I know I've gone off pitch. Some people won't notice but when I look at the people who might know, our smiles confirmed that the mistake has not gone unnoticed.
Third is the self-confidence, or guts. Some people have quite "thick skins" and are very bold to sing, croak or shout in front of others. Some people won't make a sound even if you put a gun on their head for fear of embarassing themselves (just joking). To sing well is one thing, but singing in public is another. Some people will sing along when a song is sung but when the mike is put near their lips they will stop immediately. Some people can sing very well but just refuse to sing in the presence of others fearing embarassment. Not many are bold enough for their voice to be heard through the sound system. But after they overcome the initial fear it comes easier. However there are some people who cannot sing well but yet love to belt out the numbers at every opportunity. . Actually it doesn't really matter whether you sing well or not. Its all for fun. As long as you have the confidence to come out of the shell and sing it out, its an achievement. We are not competing or trying to be professional singers. Singing is good therapy to relieve stress and boost your self esteem. You should try it. Karaoke can help build up our stage confidence. I've been up on the stage to sing in groups during college days. I also did a duet before more than twenty years ago in my former school. Later, with karaoke, I tried out many songs but it was all in the privacy of home. About 6 years ago, during a course I attended, we had karaoke sessions with some teachers. I got a lot of positive feedback which boosted my confidence. Then during the closing ceremony, when the VIP was late, some people called my name and requested that I sing and entertain them while waiting for the VIP to arrive. Stage fright or not, I delivered some easy songs without music and lyrics to prompt me. And I can tell you its not easy. We are so used to karaoke ...we will be lost without the help.
I usually kept a low profile and would not volunteer or walk up to sing during dinners despite being able to do so. But one dinner started it all. Somebody leaked to my boss that I sang during a course so he made me sing during the staff dinner. The next year the organisers asked me to prepare karaoke with a few other teachers to entertain. The following year we tried something more difficult. singing on stage with background music but no screen to peek at the lyrics. This was something else. We had to memorise the lyrics and know exactly when to come in. This wasn't the difficult part. Without the screen to look at, you had to look at the audience and also know how to stand or where to put our hands. But we just held the mike and the wire and just walk around the stage! And it can be quite an experience, enough to make you shiver with stage fright.
Then during a Form 6 dinner 2 years ago, the students started calling teachers to sing. None of the other teachers would be willing to do such a thing , so I had to go up so as not to disappoint the students. So I took the cordless mike, sang an easy 月亮代表我的心, walk round among the audience just like a superstar(haha) But that way I didn't have to stand hundreds of eyes staring at me singing without music, that way they all sang , waved and laughed with me when I teased the other teachers with the mike.
This year they asked me whether I want to perform or not. My answer was quick "No!" Perform? I was attending a thanksgiving dinner. perform? Not me! But when somebody suggested doing a duet with me, I thought , why not? I have sung duets before with other students so it would be nice, just to show the closeness between the teachers and students.
And that's when the news went out on facebook about this crazy teacher who sings with the students. Many are curious to hear me sing. So far they've said nice things about my singing (thank you) But remember that I'm their teacher ,so they wouldn't dare to say negative remarks, out of respect. That's also one of the good part of being a teacher...you only get to hear the nice parts...

Bodyguards and Assassins (十月圍城) - very good movie

I expected a lot from this movie and came out of the cinema feeling satisfied. This is one of those movies where the director has succeeded in creating the mood and momentum of the story and getting the audience to feel with it. The fictional story about civilians and ordinary people sacrificing themselves to protect Sun Yat-sen from assassins has many touching moments and makes the audience sympathize with the patriots.
Even though much of the action scenes are towards the last one third of the movie, the build-up towards the final clashes between the bodyguards and the assassins was very well done. The good acting by the cast makes the movie worthwhile watching. Nicholas Tse portrays a role not like his usual type. Instead of seeing him as arrogant or spoilt, this time he plays a simple minded Rickshaw Puller with a heart of gold. He brings out the character very well and this is the first time I see him putting his acting skills to good use. Veteran actor Wang Xueqi also provides a sterling performance as the Tycoon. Hu Jun as the assassin performance is also goodLeon Lai's role as the Beggar didn't give him much room to show his acting skills but I have no complains about his portrayal. Tony Leung as usual lives up to our expectation. He is one of those, besides Wang Xueqi, who makes the audience feel with him. Donnie Yen's portrayal was ok but what I like best is his fighting scenes.

The fighting scenes were also very well done. The tempo provided by the background drums throughout the action scenes add to the whole excitement. It reminds me of the fighting scenes in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. There was around 45 minutes of fighting at the end of the show. Instead of making me bored like in the Storm Warriors, the fighting left me wanting more of it. There wasn't enough of Donnie Yen's fighting to whet my appetite but then this plot doesn't allow for him to show off his martial arts prowess like in Ip Man. There was some blood letting but it was done in a more subtle yet necessary way unlike Ninja Assassins where you get the idea that blood is being splashed all over the screen.
the Cast
Photos from http://entertainment.sg.msn.com/photos/photos.aspx?cp-documentid=3742519&page=1

十月圍城- Bodyguards and Assassins

This film tells the story of a group of bodyguards protecting Dr Sun Yat Sen from assassins in Hong Kong during the early 1900's.The US$23 million (€16 million) production is the first to come under the umbrella of Cinema Popular (http://www.cinemapopular.com), a collaboration between Hong Kong producer-director Peter Chan, mainland Chinese producer Huang Jin-xin's We Pictures and China's Polybona International production house.
This is a much awaited movie, considering the star studded cast which includes Donnie Yen (recently seen in Ip Man) Leon Lai, Nicholas Tse, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Hu Jun, Fan Bingbing, ,Simon Yam and Eric Tsang .
Sun Yat-sen is popularly referred to as the Father of Modern China who played a critical role in the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty and the subsequent establishment of a short-lived republic. He is one of few political figures in 20th-century China who is admired by otherwise opposed politicians on the mainland and in Taiwan.
The story starts with "October 1905 Legends were born on that day............
Looking forward to watching the movie which opens this Friday. And I hope I can write a review after that.