The King's Speech (2010)

The King's Speech (2010)

Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter

Firth was robbed an Oscar for last year's "A Single Man".

Robbing him second year in a row this year is a sin!

Jamie Cullum is Back

After "Catching Tales" and "Twenty Something" which received heaps of praises and acclaims, Cullum is back with his new album to be released in March 2010; the 1st one in 4 your years hiatus. Heard his new single via CR903. Hmm... waiting for the better 2nd single I would say....

Wicked

Bought it after watching the fantastic show in London last year.

For Good - Wicked (The Musical)

(Elphaba):

I'm limited Just look at me -

I'm limited And just look at you

You can do all I couldn't do, Glinda

So now it's up to you

For both of us - now it's up to you...

(Glinda):

I've heard it said

That people come into our lives for a reason

Bringing something we must learn

And we are led

To those who help us most to grow

If we let them

And we help them in return

Well, I don't know if I believe that's true

But I know I'm who I am today

Because I knew you...

Like a comet pulled from orbit

As it passes a sun

Like a stream that meets a boulder

Halfway through the wood

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?

But because I knew you I have been changed for good

(Elphaba):

It well may be

That we will never meet again

In this lifetime So let me say before we part

So much of me Is made of what I learned from you

You'll be with me

Like a handprint on my heart

And now whatever way our stories end

I know you have re-written mine

By being my friend...

Like a ship blown from its mooring

By a wind off the sea

Like a seed dropped by a skybird

In a distant wood

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?

But because I knew you

(Glinda): Because I knew you

(Both): I have been changed for good

(Elphaba): And just to clear the air I ask forgiveness

For the things I've done you blame me for

(Glinda): But then, I guess we know

There's blame to share

(Both): And none of it seems to matter anymore

(Glinda): Like a comet pulled from orbit As it passes a sun

Like a stream that meets a boulder Halfway through the wood

(Elphaba): Like a ship blown from its mooring By a wind off the sea

Like a seed dropped by a bird in the wood

(Both): Who can say if I've been Changed for the better?

I do believe I have been Changed for the better

(Glinda): And because I knew you...

(Elphaba): Because I knew you...

(Both): Because I knew you... I have been changed for good...

lyrics courtesy of www.metrolyrics.com

I do hope I changed for good.

A Wickedly Spent Afternoon

I always wanted to watch a show or a musical in London. During my previous trip 3 years ago, I missed the chance and this time around, I will never gonna let that happen again. So, I searched the internet and found the cheapest ticket available for a matinee show on Saturday will be GBP37.75 inclusive of tax. That's the cheapest and I have no other alternative. My Korean colleague who was also in the meeting with me bought tickets to watch Mamma Mia and it cost them GBP80!!! That was about half a k in ringgit, and he said it's about GBP100 when the show went to Seoul and they couldn't even get a ticket. So, I think I'm blessed to get this GBP37.75 though it's equivalent to the flight ticket that brought me from London Stansted to Montpellier, France 3 weeks before that!!!

I booked via internet and have to collect the ticket on the day itself at the theatre and I just have to tell my name at the box office counter. Haha... the envelope above is with name and yes, it feels like VIP though the seat is what we call "san deng wai" or "peak seat" in Cantonese referring to the highest and furthest seats from the stage.



Oh, the musical I watched is called Wicked. Wiki here . It's based on a book which was first staged in Broadway before being moved to London's West End and grabbed the No. 1 show in London in just a short while. The book/musical is loosely based on the The Wizard of Oz. Great singing and entertaining piece.



My "peak seat" or it's formally called Dress Circle high up inside the theatre. The downside of it is that I couldn't barely see the expression of the actors on stage, most of the time just manage to see the top of their head... Oh, they rent binocular in front of each of the seat for 50pc!! Great!!!

The stage is full of high-tech props and sound system is brilliant with good sound-proof wall etc. The usual light and smoke and mechanical/robotic props aplenty.


Taken after the end of the show. It's a great show, funnily entertaining and gives you something to ponder too, the same as other worth watching works of art. There were other musicals playing at the other theatres too but I guess liangmoi will definitely wanna watch one based on the story of the pop boyband Take That. Not for me though. And lots of Shakespeare play with big names like Dame Judy Dench and popular movie stars such as Josh Harnett but I don't understand Shakespeare as much as I want to so I will skip it.

Anyway, all I wanna say is a wickedly spent afternoon....

140808 London National Gallery

London’s National Gallery is always good to visit. You can do it within one hour if that’s your fancy or that’s so much that you can soak yourself with or if you have plenty of time with you and looking for activities to fill the gap, it’s really a must go. I discover the joy of the gallery when I first went to London 3 years ago. Scouting for places to go and making sure that I “at least” step in the gallery. Overlooking Trafalgar Sq, it’s extremely easy to find and it’s a good place to take cover during the surprise shower London is famous for.

This time around, there’s a special segment done on LOVE. Yeah, the gallery explored the topics and love is the theme. A video presentation conducted on the portrayal of love in the drawings and notably a project by Yoko Ono called Secret Piece III, 2007. It’s actually a collaboration of the masses where visitors wrote on a stick-on note and paste on the canvass before being shipped to America for her to complete the piece. She actually asked for photos to be stuck together too but few follow the instruction. So, imagine looking at a giant drop-me-a-message notice board filled with love messages or just imagine reading the vandalized carvings on certain trees in the public park you get what it is all about.

I dedicate this pic I took to liangmoi since his idol lost in his Olympic single bid; apparently someone supported their idol till National Gallery

And art appreciation is being done in its best here as I saw. On the day of my visit there was a workshop for children and also one together with their parents. 2 falicitators took turn to talk to the children and asked them questions on one of the paintings. The painting referred is one with kids as well (you gotta engage the audience with similarities right?), music box, food, a bird in the cage and also a cat. You will be surprised to see how kids “interpret” the paintings and it’s surely an eye-opener to what kids pay attention to. The whole session is open and the kids were sitting in front of the painting and their answers induced laughter and amusement from the public and not to mention some awed feeling by the children’s innocence and creativity. The facilitators also treat the kids as adult in the way they ask questions such as “What do you think the cat wants?” instead of the superficially-cheerful-but-mindlessly-dumbing tone and cutesy facial expression that you always watch in the kids programme. I know children like things fun and active but it doesn’t mean that they can’t be serious right?

never-fail-to-make-a-statement note besides a photo and note expressing the love for the children

I wish our museums or galleries in Malaysia do the same thing to encourage more art appreciation. Being the typical Malaysian, I already had countless excuses or reason why it can’t be done. First of all, most of the administrators in government bodies/department in charge of museums and galleries are not artistic or at least “know” about art. Most (at the risk of generalizing or stereotyping but I’m referring to majority) of them are just graduates from unrelated course who can’t find job in the market place. How to educate the public on art if the educators themselves know nothing about it??? And also if the session is ever being conducted, it will be one way session with the facilitators become “lecturers” and no feedback from the audience. Haven’t we see enough of this?

Passing the day slowly with no specific plan in mind, how luxuriously stressless is that??? I just need to reach Stansted airport by midnight where I sleep for the night before catching a flight to Montpellier.

Big Ben, Tube, Coffee, Free WiFi and Olympic

Well, the title pretty much sums up what I am doing here. Yeah... WiFi not only to blog but to settle some unsettled work as well, OK that's the frustrating part. More over, my official business/work task which starts after my fat lan sai trip requires tonnes of preparation and I am expecting this will be a partial holiday for me, means work and travel gosh!!!! OK, I should learn to be grateful and yes, I learn to accept that.

Took the efficient Tube from Heathrow to Central London to leave my luggage at the drop off place so I won't carry my fancy work/formal attire along my fat lan sai trip. Now sipping overpriced coffee at a place called Coffee Republic (deliberately avoiding Starbucks but still paying for the hefty coffee and free WiFi). Enjoying the view of people walking to work or jogging (it's 8am now Aug 14) while charging my phone, borrowed iPod (thanks liangmoi) and watching the Olympic swimming event on TV.

Will revisit some London landmark later or just walk around enjoying the summer sun. Will take late night train to Stansted airport, stay overnight to catch a flight to France tmr morning 850am. Yeah... call me a cheapo hahhaha!!!!

Take k everyone!!!!

Fat Lan Sai.... Here I Come

Fat Lan Sai..... here I Come!!! But before that, I will say Hi to Big Ben!!!!

I Gotta Distract Myself....

Come this August... I wonder how far will our current bickering, I-have-secret-information-don't-force-me-to-reveal, backstabbing, street-demo, road-block-induced traffic jam evolve. And I couldn't help wondering how the government plan to celebrate the 1st year after 50 years of independence in the current political climate too....

Buckingham Palace again???

Luckily the VISA requirement only starts next January hence I am spared of the trouble of getting one but are you wondering why a lot of Malaysian "jump-aeroplane" to UK? And speaking of which, it's definitely another Malaysia Boleh moment as we are the ONLY country from South East Asia oh nooooo from ONLY COUNTRY FROM ASIA in the new list of 11 countries in risk of needing a VISA for UK entry.

or the Big Ben again?????

or bumped into a group of British lass in the tube station, clad in cowboy outfit on the way to the Hen party?

No, this time, I will still ignore the UK as a whole but Mona Lisa, The Lourve, Eiffel, Cannes, here moi come!!!!!!!!!!

my bedside read.....

The World's Endangered Destinations

Of all the 16 listed the following are those I visited before. Check out the link to see why it was endangered and what had been done.

VENICE

St. Mark's Square

http://travel.msn.com//Guides/greenSlideShow.aspx?cp-documentid=385955&imageindex=9

HA LONG BAY, VIETNAM


http://travel.msn.com//Guides/greenSlideShow.aspx?cp-documentid=385955&imageindex=13

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

London Bridge

Tower Bridge

http://travel.msn.com//Guides/greenSlideShow.aspx?cp-documentid=385955&imageindex=15

Flooding Everywhere

China is flooding again. The Three Gorges Dam has to be opened its 18 gates to release the water which reached the danger level.

Cheltenham

UK is flooded as well with area Southern London were seriously affected. The Glouchestershire area where my company's HQ's located is one of them.

Glouchestershire

Camden Market, London, UK (2005)

Old pics when I was in UK for my company's training. Went to the Camden, the less illustrated brother of Portobello Market. Nice flea markets for window shopping. Only window shop cox GBP is almost 7 vs MYR that time.