Having someone to talk with about my stories is really gratifying. It makes you think deeper about your story. Thanks, Triv, for all your support and your general awesomeness! Here's our convo, just minutes ago:


dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
hello
i finished lilies

write_raven says:
omg i was about to ask who you were!
haha
until i saw nonsenseboobies
haha

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
haha

write_raven says:
so how's lilies??
you read so fast wow

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
i have like 3 hrs everyday
no actually more

write_raven says:
got typos and grammatical errors? haha

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
one or two
cant rem where
but no big deal
so..
i think i like moonlight

write_raven says:
yeap?
haha
really?
why?

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
i like it more
coz

write_raven says:
my friends say it's nicer too

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
the storyline is nicer

write_raven says:
but i always thought lilies was more fun to write

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
more interesting
i liked certain parts in lilies
like the part where he punched her

write_raven says:
do you like j lo? haha
oh
i played moonlight sonata during that part

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
haha

write_raven says:
to get that dark feel

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
yea that part was the nicest
j lo is a little annoying

write_raven says:
haha
dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
i like crew

write_raven says:
he's kinda like dean
lol the frat boy type

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
yea i like dean too
haha

write_raven says:
tate and reilly had cameos in moonlight

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
yea!
oh i was wondering if it was them

write_raven says:
haha i got so attached to the characters
just had to use them again
haha

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
yea even hyde and belle had cameos in mint

write_raven says:
oh right. almost forgot about that haha the old belle bookshop

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
yea
haha
i think i like moonlight better coz its not as mushy

write_raven says:
hahahhaha really?
i couldn't stop swooning
when i wrote the kissing parts in lilies

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
haha
lilies is sooo mushy
its like reading twilight

write_raven says:
heh sweet what hahaha
imagine a guy saying that to you
thinking he's not worthy of your love
sighhhhh

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
well its true if he does
no ones worthy
haha
oh the other nice part was when he went mad at the fashion show

write_raven says:
haha i thought that might have been something out of a movie. thank goodness it wasn't

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
no what
oh and i cant stand rox

write_raven says:
haha
so righteous
and hypocritical

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
so annoying

write_raven says:
haha yeah
judgmental

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
yea i wanted to slap her
can u write a story about dom

write_raven says:
ahhhhh haha dom
you have a special attachment to him

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
yea poor thing i think he deserves a happy ending

write_raven says:
but he IS hapy
*happy
because he sees raven happy
isn't that a good enough ending?

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
only on the surface

write_raven says:
haha

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
how can he be happy
seeing her with someone else and acting all mushy

write_raven says:
he's the type who doesn't have to have a person to be happy, as long as she's happy. the noble sort of love right?

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
yea i guess..

write_raven says:
i guess i can write a spinoff... but i don't really like the name, so he can't be the main character
just a side character
hahaha XP

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
haha he can be the one who loses the girl - again

write_raven says:
yes
hahaha

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
this time make him kill him self

write_raven says:
whaaaaat
lol
!
hey you know what
i can incorporate him
in my WIP
(work in progress)
but i need to change his name..... hmm

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
then its not him anymore
haha
i know he could move to another town where he makes ppl call him by his middle name

write_raven says:
middle name??
he's not angmoh!! haha

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
haha
oh yea i forgot

write_raven says:
or he changed his identity

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
how can

write_raven says:
do they seem so angmoh to you that you forget they're not?

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
illegally?

write_raven says:
lol

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
yea

write_raven says:
hmm unofficially i guess

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
they whole place they live in is so not singapore

write_raven says:
HAHAHA
it's a place i created
a utopian estate

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
its just like a western country
more like wisteria lane
where everyone gossips
in s'pore no body cares abt anything
nobody*

write_raven says:
really mehhhh hahaha
hmm actually that's kinda true
not about the sg ppl not gossipy part
but about the Wroughton part

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
but spore ppl cant care less

write_raven says:
haii trying to get published. damn difficult

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
its like very ex right?

write_raven says:
no actually
you don't have to pay anything
you only earn when
you publish your book
if they charge you, it's wrong
can report them
really really

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
oh really?
i never knew!

write_raven says:
haha
me neither

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
so why is it hard?

write_raven says:
cos there are hundreds of thousands of people trying to get published too. you have to be REALLY REALLY good
i almost got picked up a few times
but in the end still fell short somehow
so darn close
haii

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
thats great

write_raven says:
they sounded so enthusiastic in the email

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
the fact that u got so close means that ure really good!

write_raven says:
yeah i guess
uh
wait
not good lah
just maybe
other people don't really deal with
schizophrenia
all that
the agent told me it was too obscure even though it's a good premise
she didn't know how to market it

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
oh i see..
so how do you find these agents?
online?

write_raven says:
yeap
those agent websites
they accept soft copy now

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
and u just send them ur story?

write_raven says:
last time have to send by mail. super ex, cos overseas
send proposal first, then if they're interested they'll ask for the manuscript

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
maybe another agent will be interested
u can keep trying..

write_raven says:
yeap!
i will think of jerry and perservere!
and you of course hahahah

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
hahah good comeback
but why jerry?

write_raven says:
because he makes everything worth it

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
he's not even a writer
he doesnt read ur stories

write_raven says:
he's an artiste
one letter away from an artist
i can dream that he does
dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
haha wtv

write_raven says:
hahaha XP

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
so wats ur new WIP?

write_raven says:
oh! glad you asked!
it's called Patches of Blue Sky
about this girl whose younger sis
ran away
they live on a cruise
their parents open a restaurant
and then one day she meets a boy...
who has a dark part

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
omg titanic

write_raven says:
*past
hahahahha what!!

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
coz boy meets girl on ship
haha

write_raven says:
O.M.G.

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
although what happens may be diff

write_raven says:
his brother committed suicide and he feels guilty
like he should be the one who died instead

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
emo kids in love

write_raven says:
AHAHHAHA
yeah sort of

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
always
haha

write_raven says:
he IS sort of the emo type
something different you know?
haha connell, caleb
all very preppy
reynold too

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
oh haha ok
then what happens?
does he draw well?

write_raven says:
then they get to know more about each other
draw??
why draw??
haha

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
u noe titanic

write_raven says:
he plays the piano.
omg!
i'm not modelling him after leonardo dicaprio!!

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
hahaha!
why not?!

write_raven says:
cos he looks like an egg

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
hahahahaha! thats the funniest comparison

write_raven says:
his face is so... round and eggish...

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
but his movies are nice and he acts well

write_raven says:
well... you know i don't watch movies for good acting hahah XP

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
u suck

write_raven says:
XP

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
so anyway they get to know each other then?

write_raven says:
yeap! and then she finds out, with his help, why her sister ran away
cos they grew apart as they grew up
so now it's like rediscovering her sister
more like an emotional journey
less action than lilies maybe

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
so her sis is still missing?

write_raven says:
and then she helps him get over his past too
yeap her sis goes
missing from the beginning
of the story
only comes back at the end

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
so they find her?

write_raven says:
yeap
with clues they found
in the unsent letters addressed to her

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
ooh.. is it like CSI?

write_raven says:
errrr...
hahahah CSI????

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
looking for clues putting things together
twists and turns
can u make someone die?

write_raven says:
like who?
that would be nice
as in, you know...
hmmmm i don't have enough characters yet

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
know what?

write_raven says:
a bit sad if her friends die
what?
oh
you know, as in
you know, i don't mean that it's nice for someone to die

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
oh yea haha
but it would be nice in a story

write_raven says:
yeah

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
yea let one of her friends fall off the ship

write_raven says:
omg
you are morrrrbid
i was thinking of the guy doing that

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
haha no! its just more interesting

write_raven says:
he blanks off and then almost drowns

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
cool yea!
do that
thats better

write_raven says:
omg so enthusiastic about someone dying XP

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
haha interesting what
but then he wont die=(

write_raven says:
nope!! lol!

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
oh i know his brother comitted suicide right?
u can describe that part at the start of the book

write_raven says:
hmmm i was thinking slowly reveal
through like shifting points of view
first the girl, then the boy...
idk

dont open anything from me. it's a virus! says:
yea just do what u think is good
i'm just crapping coz i want someone to die

write_raven says:
XP
wth

EL1101E DW8 and the wonderful Dr Mie:

Update 1: Last EL1101E tutorial on Tuesday. We gave Dr Mie a card in which we all wrote little notes, and she was so touched she cried. Which made me cry. There is something inherently infectious about seeing someone cry. More so when they cry with joy. But Mie Sensei is one of the nicest teachers I've ever met. So genuine and earnest. I'm glad to have her as a teacher. Thank you, Mie Sensei!

Update 2: I had a dream on Wednesday night, where my best friend died and I was crying and moping all over the place, and my dad remarked, "If you go around with a gloomy face, no boy is ever going to look at you." Surreal.

Update 3: Yes. I have decided to take part in Nanowrimo. A lot of authors don't seem to be (eg, Sarah Dessen and Erica Orloff), but I figured, what the hell, might as well try it. Although I probably won't be able to complete a 50,000-word (minimum) novel in a month, seeing as how my exams are in two and half weeks' time. I'm submitting a completely new story that I don't remember if I've mentioned here before. It's tentatively titled Patches of Blue Sky, and currently stands only at 1,700-odd words, 8 pages. Yes. Infant stages. I'd given up on Mint for a while - the evil mid-story goblin ate up my words, slowing down my progress; it always happens in the middle of the story - but came up with a 50-word summary during Cultural Studies lecture on Wednesday. I'd initially decided to give up on it because I decided it didn't have enough of a plot to go on, but now that I've come up with a solid stripped-down summary of it, there's a renewed impetus to pull through.

Update 4: My prolonged absence from this blog was a result of drama addiction. Don't flagellate me for it. Dramas have such a massive cult following for a reason; they're described as addictive for a reason. I'm not at the Boys Before Flowers stage yet, though, and I don't think I ever will be, because I just can't watch a show where I'm not interested in the characters. The only Korean drama I've ever watched was when I was, say, 12? And I've not been enticed to watch any others ever since. I don't know why. I don't have anything against anything Korean, but it just doesn't appeal to me. I just finished watching Starlit yesterday, starring His Royal Hotness Jerry Yan. It was ... well ... good, if you like the type of dramas where the girl dies in the end. I don't, but it's a really good show. Dead romantic, of course, otherwise I wouldn't be gushing about it so much. And Jerry was HOT, as usual. He does well in this sort of roles, the sweet and devoted boyfriend roles. Makes me more in love with him. Anyway, I didn't expect Starlit to be this nice, but I was dying for a slice of Jerry, so I decided to watch it even though the first 2 episodes didn't hook me in straight away. I'm glad I stuck through, though, because it's quite a rewarding show.

Now. No more dramas until your exams are over, Joyce. Just one more month.

I miss Jerry already.

I came across this very long interview of Jerry (Yan) in 2002 - I think - where he revealed a large part of his life before he became famous. I had no idea he had it so tough, and when he teared up - and even cried - during the interview, I couldn't help but cry along too.

He's been so misunderstood by the media, even treated unfairly by it, that you can't help but wonder where he gets the strength to continue doing what he does. But he tells the interviewer it's mostly because of his mother. He came from a life of poverty, and had to go out and work at the age of 11 just so he could bring home extra keeps. His dad died when he was really young, and his mother was a seamstress. Seamstresses don't earn a lot, so she often had to go borrowing money from friends, and Jerry felt helpless and sad to see her doing that. She doesn't see the doctor when she's sick and they (Jerry, his mother and elder sister) sometimes don't get enough to eat. Which is why he's working so hard now to give his mother a better life, even though she still doesn't treat herself better by seeing the doctor when she's sick etc, which frustrates Jerry.

And then there's the media, which kept making up stories about him and his personality, calling him difficult and bad-tempered and surly, when all he is is just shy. He's the sort who feels inferior because he doesn't think he's as good as others in the industry and because he didn't grow up in an environment that offered him the privilege of learning the things he wanted to. He said he was interested in a lot of things (learning the piano, song-writing, etc) and wanted to go to university, but because of his family's financial circumstances he was unable to. So now he feels that he has the opportunity to do the things he's always wanted to, learn the things he's always wanted to, so he works very hard, learns very quickly, demands a lot of himself, and is a perfectionist in some sense. Because he's afraid he might lose popularity soon - fame is a fickle friend, after all - he's seizing every opportunity he has now to improve his situation.

Everyone thinks he's difficult and unfriendly, and even he acknowledges that opinion people have of him, and often wishes he can be as approachable and likeable as Vic Chou, but I think he is fine the way he is. He shouldn't be encased in a frame people want to shove him in just because they prefer him that way. These days, he often looks and behaves shyly in interviews and TV shows (rare appearances) when he used to be more uninhibited in the past, when he first entered the industry. The change is really notable: he's more reserved now, while he used to joke around like a little kid.

Now that he's worked with Ella in Down With Love, he's become slightly less reserved, and I'm really glad he's found someone who has such a positive influence on him and has changed his outlook on life.

Be strong, Jerry. Know that there are a lot of people out there who love you. You deserve more than you think, and I wish you happiness and success for the rest of your life.

A Meaningful Conversation with Khrisha About My Latest Crush (sighhhh):

shutupandwrite says:
jerry yan is friggin sex on legs
look at this clip!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHHxbfYcON4&feature=related
3:18

Khrisha says:
my god joyce

shutupandwrite says:
AHAHAHAHAHAHA XD
he is!!!

Khrisha says:
i'm loading all the dance videos right now...and ure asking me to see jerry yen's legs

shutupandwrite says:
isnt he just so hot?
hahahhaha

Khrisha says:
LOL
u know my answer

shutupandwrite says:
i'm asking you to look at him
not his legs!
that was just a figure of speech!
lol xD
it's like friggin hotness overload

Khrisha says:
oh yah
haha
gross

shutupandwrite says:
my heart is going to explode i swear
hahahahhahaha

Khrisha says:
Let it explode and be over with him

shutupandwrite says:
hahaha NO

Khrisha says:
u'll soon get someone new in mind
haha

shutupandwrite says:
let's wait till then ;P

Khrisha says:
hahahhaha

shutupandwrite says:
until then, i'll have sweet dreams about jerry

Khrisha says:
hAHAHHA
it's taking forever to load

shutupandwrite says:
then watch the clip!!

Khrisha says:
i'm watching shaolin monks perform

shutupandwrite says:
what??

Khrisha says:
i think they're way hotter

shutupandwrite says:
watch jerry

Khrisha says:
hahahhaha
loading

shutupandwrite says:
it's a lot more entertaining

Khrisha says:
haven't reached that part

shutupandwrite says:
-,-

Khrisha says:
i think pasha kovalev is much much hotter
wait finding a clip for u

shutupandwrite says:
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
jerry is WAAAAAAAAAAAAY HOTTER please!!!

Khrisha says:
wait till u see him dance

shutupandwrite says:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Skoh-lE8sO0/Rp6GFmmc2qI/AAAAAAAABuU/Pqv_pKaw3LM/s200/Pasha%2BKovalev.jpg

Khrisha says:
so hot la

shutupandwrite says:
him?

Khrisha says:
he is the real sex on legs

shutupandwrite says:
HIM?!

Khrisha says:
ya. but not talking about his looks la
his moves

shutupandwrite says:
hahaha sorry i'm superficial. i look at the face

Khrisha says:
-.-\

shutupandwrite says:
i think it's the hair that makes me so nuts about him

shutupandwrite says:
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH sx hair!

Khrisha says:
YUCKS!!!

Khrisha says:
Joyce, ure talking about jerry yen in hotshot with that hair

shutupandwrite says:
yeah!

Khrisha says:
u know that cut is ancient

shutupandwrite says:
no it's NOTTTTT

Khrisha says:
hahahhaha

shutupandwrite says:
it's HOT on him
that's all that matters

Khrisha says:
no point convincing u.
hahhaa

shutupandwrite says:
hahhaha yeah

Another Meaningful Convo with Gerlynn about An Awesome Drama:

Gerlynn says:
hiiiiiii

shutupandwrite says:
sup

Gerlynn says:
whats your twitter user
Gerlynn says:
?

shutupandwrite says:
write_raven lol why?

Gerlynn says:
no la i had to create a twitter acct for class today
Gerlynn says:
so im just adding ppl now

shutupandwrite says:
it's quite useless, twitter

Gerlynn says:
ya lor
Gerlynn says:
hate it

shutupandwrite says:
i only tweeted 10 times so far

Gerlynn says:
LOL
Gerlynn says:
mine's only 5
Gerlynn says:
it sucks la
Gerlynn says:
super irritating
Gerlynn says:
read abt how chirpy ppl are going about in their lives
Gerlynn says:
annoying as anything

shutupandwrite says:
so random and lame
shutupandwrite says:
who cares right
shutupandwrite says:
go watch mars!!!

Gerlynn says:
i just knew you'll say that

shutupandwrite says:
ahahaha

Gerlynn says:
im meeting up with jac on wednesday!
shutupandwrite says:
yay
Gerlynn says:
and she sounded sane while smsing
Gerlynn says:
twitter's a whole lot of tosh
Gerlynn says:
seriously

shutupandwrite says:
then go youtube and type mars episode 4

Gerlynn says:
LOL
Gerlynn says:
YOU ACTUALLY RMB WHERE I WATCHED TILL?!
Gerlynn says:
YOU'RE CREEPY

shutupandwrite says:
you told me ep 3 what!!!

Gerlynn says:
LOL
Gerlynn says:
yeah but you usually dont remember such things
Gerlynn says:
well, normal ppl dont anyway

shutupandwrite says:
well, it's MARS. of course I rmb

Gerlynn says:
which ep do they together?!

shutupandwrite says:
since 3rd lah!

Gerlynn says:
they're so slow
Gerlynn says:
TSK

shutupandwrite says:
since they kissed

Gerlynn says:
but vicky's such a jerk
Gerlynn says:
nonsense lor

shutupandwrite says:
NO HE'S NOT!

Gerlynn says:
kiss alr then he said oh it's a greeting

shutupandwrite says:
and his name is vic, not vicky!

Gerlynn says:
btw his english is really weird

shutupandwrite says:
but i alr explained it to you why he did that

Gerlynn says:
still can say OH I LIVED IN LA FOR 8 YRS

shutupandwrite says:
ahhha
Gerlynn says:
LOL

shutupandwrite says:
and his eng pronunciation like shit

Gerlynn says:
i was like you gotta be kidding me
Gerlynn says:
the best friend gets together with the mean ex girlfriend right?

shutupandwrite says:
yeap
shutupandwrite says:
how you know

Gerlynn says:
wiki

shutupandwrite says:
oh

Gerlynn says:
looking at mv for mars theme song
Gerlynn says:
the one where him and her are singing

shutupandwrite says:
damn friggin nice

Gerlynn says:
ok la

shutupandwrite says:
esp the piano version

Gerlynn says:
i just want to see the show's clips

shutupandwrite says:
no it's the piano version of Ling that's damn nice
shutupandwrite says:
i cried at the last part
shutupandwrite says:
where he talked about his problem with his father
shutupandwrite says:
and they played the theme song in piano

Gerlynn says:
that i havent seen yet
Gerlynn says:
so shush

shutupandwrite says:
haha ok *zip*
shutupandwrite says:
go watch nowwwww!!!!!!!!!!!

Gerlynn says:
the ex girl friend becomes nice in the end issit?

shutupandwrite says:
yeap

Gerlynn says:
WAIT LAH I LOOKING AT MV

shutupandwrite says:
best friends now
shutupandwrite says:
mv??
shutupandwrite says:
what mv??

Gerlynn says:
the mtv

shutupandwrite says:
vic and barbie??

Gerlynn says:
yeah

shutupandwrite says:
vic looks really good in that show.

Gerlynn says:
the song that they sing togethre

shutupandwrite says:
my tutee said she loved him after watching mars

Gerlynn says:
are you kidding me he looks like the merlion!

shutupandwrite says:
HE DOESN'T -,-
shutupandwrite says:
it's extensions

Gerlynn says:
HAHA

shutupandwrite says:
the extra part at the shoulders
shutupandwrite says:
but his features are good
shutupandwrite says:
i think yl's always liked vic

Gerlynn says:
the taiwanese are so dramatic

shutupandwrite says:
just that we don't talk about chinese stuff so she can't say it

Gerlynn says:
take stone to crush the hand

shutupandwrite says:
??
shutupandwrite says:
didn't happen what

Gerlynn says:
the one where the ex girlfriend was being mean
Gerlynn says:
ya lah
Gerlynn says:
but like some era of the romans

shutupandwrite says:
-,-

Gerlynn says:
i think it'll be nice to see barbie hsu open up though
Gerlynn says:
now she looks like an oyster

shutupandwrite says:
yeap she will

Gerlynn says:
all clammed up and everything

shutupandwrite says:
thanks to vic

Gerlynn says:
....
Gerlynn says:
no thanks to the script.

shutupandwrite says:
wtv lah. he acting right! haha

Gerlynn says:
i watch this show and my chinese feels horribly horribly inferior
Gerlynn says:
and the painting with him topless is freaky
Gerlynn says:
what in the world is that
Gerlynn says:
he looks like a demon

shutupandwrite says:
haha but you understand. that's all that matters
shutupandwrite says:
what demon?!
shutupandwrite says:
these only sound good in mandarin
shutupandwrite says:
if got dubbing it won't be as funny
shutupandwrite says:
or subtitles

Gerlynn says:
yeah la i need subs
Gerlynn says:
but i mean
Gerlynn says:
i can understand chinese
Gerlynn says:
but their chinese is like so fluent
Gerlynn says:
LOL

shutupandwrite says:
haha good what, then can improve chinese

shutupandwrite says:
whatcha watching now??

Gerlynn says:
mars

shutupandwrite says:
yayy
shutupandwrite says:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y40OTlrtm6U&feature=related 1:53

Gerlynn says:
whats tt?
Gerlynn says:
no sch tmr!

shutupandwrite says:
haha watch it
shutupandwrite says:
so sweet
shutupandwrite says:
barbie and vic

Gerlynn says:
the best friend is so ke lian

shutupandwrite says:
ok lah. he gets a happy ending anyway

Gerlynn says:
yeah but for now it's like
Gerlynn says:
he likes qiluo so much
Gerlynn says:
and he has to give her to his best friend
Gerlynn says:
she's such a lucky person seriously
Gerlynn says:
got 2 men pursuing her

shutupandwrite says:
that's what lei did in meteor garden
shutupandwrite says:
yeah lor! i want jerry yan and vic fighting over me too!!!!

Gerlynn says:
...............
Gerlynn says:
you're such a dreamer
Gerlynn says:
hahahaha

shutupandwrite says:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNk-KSg6DOY&feature=related
shutupandwrite says:
lmao

Gerlynn says:
jerry yen so ugly

shutupandwrite says:
OI!!!
shutupandwrite says:
HE'S CUTE OK!
shutupandwrite says:
and it's YAN
shutupandwrite says:
not yen

Gerlynn says:
i think vic chou better looking lor

shutupandwrite says:
yeah

Gerlynn says:
aiya they're all ugly

shutupandwrite says:
vic has very nice features
shutupandwrite says:
not bad what
shutupandwrite says:
nice nose
shutupandwrite says:
high cheekbones
shutupandwrite says:
strong jaw
shutupandwrite says:
vic has nice eyes

Gerlynn says:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fvbdfjPyoJw/SqQEBAUoLyI/AAAAAAAAAFA/79G5KgPaUm0/s400/ParkEunHyeVicChou.jpg
Gerlynn says:
what show is this??

shutupandwrite says:
oh yeah
shutupandwrite says:
i'm watching that show now

Gerlynn says:
that's a korean actress

shutupandwrite says:
yeah i know
shutupandwrite says:
she's a mute in the show

Gerlynn says:
LOL

shutupandwrite says:
he's damn cute in that show

Gerlynn says:
why got language barrier issit

shutupandwrite says:
he acts as some arrogant manager

Gerlynn says:
she's very pretty right!

shutupandwrite says:
yeah
shutupandwrite says:
but koreans all zheng rong what

Gerlynn says:
...
Gerlynn says:
NOT ALL LA

shutupandwrite says:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmyE8CYNM6w&feature=related
shutupandwrite says:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1Yys2ICL6w&feature=related

Gerlynn says:
if jerry yan and vic chou were to fight over you who would you choose?

shutupandwrite says:
hmmmmm.....
shutupandwrite says:
let me get back to you on that
shutupandwrite says:
if vic has his lei hairstyle i'd pick him
shutupandwrite says:
but if jerry has his Si body I'd pick him
shutupandwrite says:
aiyah take both lah!
shutupandwrite says:
why cannot!

Gerlynn says:
siao
Gerlynn says:
you think you getting male concubine issit

shutupandwrite says:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHA
shutupandwrite says:
have you watched the clips?? lol
shutupandwrite says:
funny as shit

Gerlynn says:
havent i watching mars
Gerlynn says:
i think i like the best friend more than vic chou
shutupandwrite says:
okok
Gerlynn says:
he's so poor thing

shutupandwrite says:
watch watch
shutupandwrite says:
you'll come to sympathise with vic later on. i mean his character

Gerlynn says:
he still can say "Qiluo, goodbye."
Gerlynn says:
SO SAD

shutupandwrite says:
-,-

Gerlynn says:
i feel so sorry for him
Gerlynn says:
who cares bout vicky!

shutupandwrite says:
you don't have to
shutupandwrite says:
he gets the other girl in the end lah!!!

Gerlynn says:
BUT STILL HE LIKED BARBIE MORE

shutupandwrite says:
no he doesn't
shutupandwrite says:
ling does more

Gerlynn says:
...

shutupandwrite says:
haha
shutupandwrite says:
which episode now??
shutupandwrite says:
omg i can't find any other drama as good as mars
shutupandwrite says:
so sad

New development in Mars that has left me in tears:

It turned out the girl had been raped by her stepfather in the past. That's why she's afraid of her boyfriend, afraid to get physical with him. Her boyfriend suspected she might have been raped and pretended to try to get physical, but she screamed and cried and his worst fears were confirmed.

She ran and hid in one corner of his apartment, sobbing. And he quietly asked her who did it. And then he teared up. His head was bent down and his tears slid down the bridge of his nose. I think I mentioned before how Vic's acting really impressed me. This really blew me away.

I know a lot of people who aren't impressed by Taiwanese dramas, but I think back on all the times I'd scoffed at those dramas and realise how much I've missed out. Think of all the three-dimensional characters I could have come up with, and the plotlines I could have gleaned. Think how much richer that would have made my stories.

Mars is really something, if not mind-blowing.

I had a strange dream last night.

Someone had committed suicide. Jumped off the building. I was there at the first level, standing before the elevator that looked uncannily like that at the NUS Co-op. I didn't know the guy who jumped, but his younger brother was there, sitting on the stone steps, rocking. I didn't know him either, but I approached him and asked him how he was doing. Which was a stupid thing to ask, I know, but I had to start somewhere.

He was disinclined to speak to me initially, but after some gentle prodding, he gave me his name. Strangely, I can still remember it. It was so distinct. Michael. Michael Tam. I don't know any Michaels - or any whom I'm remotely close to, at least - much less a Michael Tam. But what rocked me was the way he spoke to me. He was afraid to do anything, not even say a word, because he didn't know what else might happen if he did.

And today, I watched Mars. It turned out the guy's twin brother killed himself by jumping off the building.

I've been busy these few days.

Busy collecting ideas.

This might come as a shock, but I'm watching a Taiwanese drama series called Mars now. It stars Vic Zhou and Barbie Hsu (or however you spell their names). This sudden addiction to drama series was sparked by my sudden reminiscence that led me to watch Meteor Garden again. I remember how it was all the rage when I was about 11 or 12. Everyone watched it, or at least had heard of it. My friends and I were nuts about it, if only because it was so darn romantic. I know, what did we know about romance at the age of 11 or 12, right? But it's not like I'm any wiser about it now, at 19, so what the hell.

I'd intended to take a detached view this time round. I'd laugh at the cheesy lines and cringe-worthy acting. Honestly, I don't even know what made me decide to watch it. Maybe it's the drought that's come over the romantic genre. No romance novels, no romance TV shows. It is inherently a feminine desire, I suppose, to crave such ostensibly frivolous escapism.

So I watched it.

I did laugh at the cheesy lines. But what surprised me was how well-developed the characters were. As a writer - as well as an emotionally more matured person than I was at 11 (I hope) - it struck me immediately how special each character was. No two characters had the same personality, and each was conveyed through their actions and speech. There was subtlety in that, and I found myself drawn in by the show once again.

I remember how I rooted for Si (this arrogant a-hole who rules the school, along with his 3 other friends that forms the legendary F4) and the female protagonist, SC. But this time round, I found Lei (oh, Lei...) the more matured one, the more noble one, the more tenderhearted and long-suffering one.

Just after a few episodes of watching how Vic conveyed his character (I was more impressed by his acting skills than I'd originally expected), I slept on it and came up with a Shiny New Idea for a new story. I'd thought of a plot beforehand, that day when I went to the pier with my dad, but I was lacking in the character department. I had the conflict, and the setting, but the characters were still the stiff, two-dimensional stick figures I kept coming up with. This might be it. This might be the key to creating someone I had never dealt with before.

Oh, and I watched Meteor Garden 2 after finishing the first one. And can I just say that it really wasn't as good as the first. It was too draggy, and Si's amnesia was overly dragged out (spanning 15 episodes or so). Plus, they introduced this new girl (played by Michelle Saram) who was supposed to be Si's new love interest. Everyone protested vehemently then, and swore they would boycott the show if Si didn't end up with SC. So the producers had to change the scenes a little and let them end up together after all. Thank goodness. But that leaves my brokenhearted Lei all alone again. I actually cried several times while watching it, believe it or not. I don't usually cry over romance movies because I'm unable to relate to the situation or the characters, but Vic's acting and the storyline (where SC was left bereft because Si had fallen for someone else, after ALL that they've been through) was incredibly moving. So, yes. I am a sap. I am a woman, emotional and irrational. And now I need my fix of romantic dramas.

But I'm still not in the Korean drama zone. *shudders* A lot of people say Boys Over Flowers, the Korean version of Meteor Garden, is just as nice, but I'm sorry I just can't get over their faces. Nah. They don't appeal to me one bit.

So I'm watching Mars now. It's about this bad boy motorbike racer who has a dark secret, and who falls in love with a shy, autistic girl. His twin committed suicide and his mother died when he was 5, and he's deeply traumatised by their deaths, so much so that he displays sudden violent tendencies and had been locked in a psych ward by his father before. So the story's about how the two of them make each other face their fears and dark pasts, and lean towards each other when their inner demons get the better of them. It's a lot more intense than Meteor Garden, obviously, but I prefer MG, because of the comic relief and the romance (oh, Lei...), though Mars is shaping up to be just as good.

A very deep and meaningful conversation with Gerlynn:

i finished my socio paper!!!!!!!!!!
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:32

only just??
~ Gerlynn @ 7:33

-,- i hate you
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:33

asking only mah
~ Gerlynn @ 7:33

ahaha
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:33

so strong reaction
~ Gerlynn @ 7:33
so now you have to do your other paper?
7:36

yeah cultural studies
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:36
and did i mention
7:37
i'm gonna rewrite min
7:37
*mint
7:37

not at all
~ Gerlynn @ 7:37
the whole thing?
7:37

yeah... possibly
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:37
it's too messed up
7:37
too many superfluous scenes and interactions
7:37

ohhh
~ Gerlynn @ 7:38
gonna include more herbs?
7:38

haha yeah yeah
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:38

i saw a box beside harrods the other day
~ Gerlynn @ 7:38
similar design to the book we gave you
7:38
with a huge mint word in front
7:38
all the herbs at the sides
7:38

lol
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:38

im singing takuya's indian song to myself nowwwww
~ Gerlynn @ 7:42
i cant get it out of my head!!!!
7:42
ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
7:42

ahahahhahahaa
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:43
damn friggin funnay
7:44
omg. gimme the link again
7:44
oh nvm
7:44
i posted it on my blog alr
7:44
lmao
7:44

lol toot man
~ Gerlynn @ 7:45

to think every girl in japan went nuts over him last time
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:45

LOL
~ Gerlynn @ 7:45

he's still very popular though
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:45

he looks like a girl
~ Gerlynn @ 7:45
or some F4 gu
7:45
guy
7:45

but good facial bone structure
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:45
nice nose
7:45
it's the hair too i think
7:45
my aunts, cousin and i were nuts about him
7:45

actually i've never really watched jap dramas
~ Gerlynn @ 7:47
haha
7:47
i think growing up i just watched HK dramas
7:47

those i watched were in the 90's
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:47
they were huge then
7:47

i watched the dunno what Files though
~ Gerlynn @ 7:47

they called the 90s the golden age of japanese drama
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:47

a few episodes
~ Gerlynn @ 7:47

*dramas
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:47
kindaiki
7:47
the detective one right
7:47

i remember some japanese show called Diamond Dust
~ Gerlynn @ 7:47
and another one with Takeshi Kanaeshiro or however you spell his name
7:48
he died in the end
7:48
and his gf was pregnant
7:48
i think she died in childbirth
7:48
or something
7:48

oh no
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:48
you mean in the show right??
7:48

yah lah of course
~ Gerlynn @ 7:48

takeshi is KYOOOOOT
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:48

yes very!
~ Gerlynn @ 7:48
haha
7:48

ooh yay we agree on that! wOw
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:48

i rmb this scene where he climbed on top of the gate and bent down and kissed his gf sooo deeply ~ Gerlynn @ 7:48
he was tall enough, what in the world
7:49
cus they were separated by some barrier
7:49

sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:49

he died from various gunshots
~ Gerlynn @ 7:49
lol
7:49

i heard takeshi has a bad personality though
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:49

while he was trying to reach his girlfriend
~ Gerlynn @ 7:49
yah!
7:49

in real life
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:49
very dao
7:49

very dao right
~ Gerlynn @ 7:49
lol
7:49

yeah
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:49

imbd only has ONE quote from him
~ Gerlynn @ 7:49
how pathetic
7:49
lol
7:49

they said takuya is a lot more humble
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:49
omg you're imdb-ing him
7:49
ahahah
7:49

yah, he cant be dao what if he has to act in those ads
~ Gerlynn @ 7:50
arrogant ppl would never do that
7:50

http://www.88news.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Takeshi-Kaneshiro-new-Biotherm-Homme-commercial-for-Taiwan2.jpg
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:50

LOL
~ Gerlynn @ 7:50

ahahah true that
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:50
sexy nehhhhh
7:50

i have a teacher crazy about him and Tony Leung
~ Gerlynn @ 7:50
Takeshi i mean
7:50
huge posters in her room
7:50

ahaha then she must have gone nuts watching that show
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:50
that warrior show
7:50

yah
~ Gerlynn @ 7:50

or something
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:50

and some show where he acted as the death god
~ Gerlynn @ 7:50

what?! lol
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:51

lol
~ Gerlynn @ 7:51
but i think the hype surrounding him used to be greater
7:51
now like die down a lot
7:51

surrounding who?
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:51

takeshi
~ Gerlynn @ 7:51

oh
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:51

louis koo also
~ Gerlynn @ 7:51

takuya everyone loves
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:51
oh!
7:51
louis koo!
7:51

cute right!
~ Gerlynn @ 7:51
hahaa
7:51

gosh, EFFING HOTNESS
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:51
HOTHOTHOT!!!
7:52

ack i rmb ppl liking nicholas tse
~ Gerlynn @ 7:52

oh yeah i almost did
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:52
but he's so ah beng
7:52

LOL almost did
~ Gerlynn @ 7:52
and edison chen
7:52

i used to like edison
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:52
when i watched gen y cops
7:52
then he turned out like that...
7:52
sad man
7:52

hahahah i remember that show
~ Gerlynn @ 7:52

with maggie q
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:52
lol
7:52

eh maggie q is very pretty man
~ Gerlynn @ 7:52
oh i like daniel wu
7:52
LOL
7:53

yeah, but she looks like she takes herself too seriously
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:53
like she thinks she's hot stuff and struts about the hollywood red carpet like someone
7:53

really??
~ Gerlynn @ 7:53

i don't like daniel wu!
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:53
yeah
7:53

maybe its her face
~ Gerlynn @ 7:53
why not??
7:53

never smiles
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:53
pouts
7:53
squints at camera
7:53

who?? maggie q?
~ Gerlynn @ 7:53

trying to dazzle it
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:53
yeah
7:53
daniel wu has such thin lips and a hawk nose
7:53
bleh
7:53

noooooo
~ Gerlynn @ 7:53

louis koo cuter
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:53

what you want, fat lips?
~ Gerlynn @ 7:54
louis khoo has thin lips!
7:54
koo
7:54

but his are cute!
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:54

nonsenseee
~ Gerlynn @ 7:54

daniel's are awkward. his upper lip juts over his lower one
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:54
go and see lah
7:54

NO
~ Gerlynn @ 7:54
LOL
7:54
im not that obsessed
7:54
i just think he's cute
7:54
wahaha
7:54
sigh raymond lam
7:54
SIGH
7:54

louis louis louis. now you've gotten me into how
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:54

into how?
~Gerlynn @ 7:54

i'm googling him now
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:55
oh yeah
7:55
and those dimples!!
7:55
you know, he used to be part of the underground society
7:55

i thought those were rumours??
~ Gerlynn @ 7:55

until he was scouted by a talent agent for his good looks
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:55

aiya HK a lot one lah
~ Gerlynn @ 7:55

that's what i heard too
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:56
anw, i think jap dramas are nicer
7:56

lol
~ Gerlynn @ 7:56

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lNkzR8IdM9w/Rw4suOGtxxI/AAAAAAAABLs/SRHIi2YjwPI/s400/DanielWu01.JPG
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:56

one thing bad abt HK dramas is that they have poor production work sometimes
~ Gerlynn @ 7:56
lol
7:56
YUCK
7:56
YUCK YUCK
7:56

AHAHAH
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:56
told ya
7:56

WHY MUST YOU SHOW ME THAT
~ Gerlynn @ 7:56

ahahahhaha
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:56

LIKE PORN MAN
~ Gerlynn @ 7:56
YOU SICK PIG
7:56

to kill your fantasy
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:56

-vomits-
~ Gerlynn @ 7:57

you everything also porn lah
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:57

i feel violated
~ Gerlynn @ 7:57

bahaha
~ shutupandwrite @ 7:57
you haven't seen takuya shirtless
7:57
it's worse
7:57
he's so skinny
7:57
his collarbones jut out
7:57
well at least that's better than fat and pot-bellied
7:57

ughhh
~ Gerlynn @ 8:00

Curry Cup Noodle

Jeremy gave me this link. Just about exploded from laughing my ass off. I love Takuya as much as the next person, but this is really ... something.

I just have to post this excerpt from Sarah Dessen's blog (25 Sept '09):

This week, I went to do a little fall shopping for my daughter. She needed jeans, so I headed to Gap, because they were having a sale and keep sending me coupons. (How can I resist, I ask? How?) Anyway, I found a cute pair I liked and went to double check the size. Then I saw they were called ... Boyfriend Jeans. For a two year old? REALLY? I mean, I get it: there are also bootcut, and flare, and skinny (which is a whole other topic, don't even get me started on skinny jeans for toddlers). There's just something about the word BOYFRIEND being associated with my baby that is just plain weird. I pointed it out to the guy who was working the register. "I mean, she shouldn't HAVE a boyfriend at this age," I said. He agreed, and added, helpfully, "And if she did, she shouldn't be wearing his jeans." Amen, brother. Amen!

I just thought that was really funny. Also, thanks to the book prize I got from SA, I just bought my copy of Along for the Ride! It takes place in Colby, also the setting for Keeping the Moon, one of my favourites from her. Can't wait to read it. Lovelovelove Sarah Dessen.

Right now, I'm reading Dark Places, by Gillian Flynn, the author of the MULTI award-winning book, Sharp Objects. And can I just say that I am totally blown away? The writing style is gritty, as usual, and so much more compelling than her debut novel, which is saying a lot. It's about this girl, Libby Day, who testified that her older brother killed off her entire family, when she was 7 (I think). Right now, broke, she chances upon this Kill Club (a club where impassioned people come together and discuss a case and try to take matters into their own hands and get to the bottom of unsolved mysteries), which is willing to fund her revisitation of the crime. As the novel progresses, Libby finds that maybe her testimony was a mistake, after all.

The thing about this novel is that it's not just any old whodunit. It explores the dynamics of the Day family, and analyses what went wrong - is it the irresponsible, absent father who is a drunkard and gambler, or the weak mother who can't make decisions or makes bad ones and is always waiting for someone to save her and solve her problems? Or it is simply the fact that they're poor farmers who haven't seen enough food or money for years now? Is that why the kids, especially Ben (Libby's older brother) turned towards Devil-worship and became estranged from his family?

Plus, Gillian displays her writing chops by inserting chapters throughout the story in which the day on which the murder took place is told through a third-person narration of the characters (Ben, Patty - his mother, Runner - his father). Wow, that was a long-ass sentence. I apologise for that. What I mean is, chapter 1 - Libby (1st-person), chapter 2 - Ben (3rd-person), chapter 3 - Libby (1st-person), chapter 4 - Patty (3rd-person), etc. You get the idea. It's absolutely brilliant how Gillian was able to oscillate between these different forms of narratives. It takes A LOT of skill. You have to make sure the details tally, like what Libby learns NOW corresponds with what went down that day, 2 Jan 1985. Very skillful. And Libby's voice is consistent throughout the story - gritty, cynical, desensitised, although a vulnerable side peeks out at times.

My goodness. This woman is a genius. Thank you, wonderful writers like Gillian Flynn, Alice Hoffman and Sarah Dessen, for producing such top-rate literary works. Gillian's Sharp Objects won two Dagger Awards, and was a finalist for the Edgar Awards. Wow. For a DEBUT. Of course, she's probably written many more books before this and have a lot of unpublished manuscripts in her drawer. Still, her debut novel. Wow. Just wow. Go, you.

I'm in my Philosophy lecture now. The number of people turning up for lecture seems to be dwindling week by week. Well. Apart from one reason that I won't mention here, the other is that there's webcast for it, so that's probably why some people don't really see the need to turn up for it physically.

Anyway, I just had my Sociology of Pop Culture tutorial, where we discussed pop culture icons in representing gender and ethnicity. It was rewarding, to say the least. For our Sociology tutorial, we generally just sit in a classroom and then take turns proposing an idea each, with the tutor starting the ball rolling. He gave Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a representation of Asian American masculine figures. Some others proposed the idea of a shift towards androgyny in fashion trends (eg, boyfriend blazers and jeans, etc), as well as a move towards curveless models. Someone else talked about Barbie dolls as a representation of the ideal female, with her Kelly doll, so she's seen as a mother figure, whereas Ken doll drives a car and looks cool and often isn't sold with the Kelly doll, so it seems as though he doesn't have any responsibilities. Which is a really cool way of looking at it. The whole Barbie, Ken and Kelly doll package also represents the traditional family with heterosexual parents. And lately, Barbie has been modified to look like a real woman, and other forms of Barbie have also been created to encompass other ethnicities.

I talked about Disney's princesses, like Jasmine and Snow White. There wasn't enough time to talk about Ariel, because I also talked about Victoria's Secret Angels. 'Angels' - deification of women by males in a male-driven industry (backstage crew is mostly comprised of males). The Angels pander to male fetishes, the male gaze, but also send out messages of female empowerment because they have curves (eg, Doutzen Kroes, one of my favourite models) and are tanned, toned and strong (eg, Alessandra Ambrosio). Lately, though, VS is moving towards skinnier models like Miranda Kerr (only like her face, but not her body, because it's so skinny I feel awkward for her when I look at her). I don't like this trend. VS models are the only models I like, because they look strong yet feminine. Why feature skinny minnies like Miranda Kerr when we already have (way too many) catalogue models like Chanel Iman and Kate Moss? So what does this all say about the male gaze? And the heightened female consciousness of that male gaze? Why are we so conscious of how we look, as compared to guys, who just pull on a polo shirt and berms and are so secure in their skin? Male ego is one thing, but I think women are still inherently dependent on men, so they still see having a soulmate as their ultimate goal for security in life. Males are more financially and physically independent, so they don't care for that as much as women do.

For Jasmine, she's one of the sexiest Disney princesses, and on YouTube, I see how guys slobber over her. So even if she's in her ethnic costume, her outfit is sexually suggestive. Plus, even though she fends off Jafar's advances throughout the show, she ends up using her feminine wiles to distract him so that Aladdin can save the day. She also, despite being Oriental, has Western ideas of freedom and Aladdin is therefore the person who represents adventure and escapism, and she ends up running off with him and ignores her father's wishes of arranged marriage.

Snow White is constantly pining for her damn prince, wishing he'd sweep her off in his white horse and save her. She does end up being saved by him too, as does Sleeping Beauty, so does that suggest that women are the weaker sex and can only be saved ultimately by men? Plus, Snow White offers to do the domestic chores for the 7 short little men so that she can stay with them, because them 7 little guys, being guys, are portrayed as being unable to clean up after themselves and shouldn't be bothered with it, since the male duty is to go out and work (in the mines, in the dwarves' case) and then come home and have dinner ready for them. And her beauty, demureness and domesticity even wins over Grumpy.

And then someone else talked about magazines like Cleo and 17, and how it defined the feminine identity, etc etc. And someone else mentioned gay culture and pointed out how it's not so in the closet anymore, and how butches in girls' schools are idolised, while effeminate guys get their asses kicked in boys' schools as the ass-kickers assert their masculinity, etc etc. Other magazine examples include T3, some cars and girls magazines for guys. Someone said the girls have absolutely nothing to do for the cars, but the tutor suggested the power of the cars is translated into a (phallic) power to attain the girls. Okay, so there is a link after all, if you put it that way. Objectification of women is still a prevalent practice now - jeez, guys.

And then there was the James Bond example, where the women are given horribly degrading names like Octopussy (my lips curl in disgust). But a reversal of roles is observed, when Halle Berry in Die Another Day was the one in a bikini (or, as Ris Low says, 'bigini') coming out of the water, it is now Daniel Craig coming out of the water in his tighties in Casino Royale.

Sex and the City was mentioned too, as was Desperate Housewives, and it was pointed out how that triggered and fuelled the trend of 'cougarism'. Sarah Jessica Parker's character, Carrie Bradshaw, was the one who dreamt about marrying Mr Big - thereby reinforcing the idea of marriage as something that completes a woman, as the ultimate goal that women should strive towards - while Kim Cattrall's character, Samantha Jones, was the cougar who spied on her neighbour changing. Desperate Housewives promotes promiscuity, because of the proliferate affairs - clandestine or otherwise so - throughout the show.

And then we moved on to talking about the representation of women by the media. There were only 4 guys in our class, so it sort of felt like a women's book group when we talked about the model issue and how they are becoming skinnier, etc. While curves were celebrated in the past (see Brigitte Bardot, Marilyn Monroe, etc), thin is in now, as seen by examples like Chanel Iman (go google her if you don't know who she is), Jessica Stam and Agyness Deyn. I like Doutzen Kroes because she's got an angelic face, but womanly curves. Her beauty is breath-taking. Oh, and am I the only who thinks she kinda resembles Carolyn Murphy?

We talked about a lot more, like Buffy and Grey's Anatomy, The OC, Gossip Girl, Britney Spears and Madonna, etc. It's so cool how we get to talk about that and analyse all these pop culture icons for school.

Posted by Rachelle Gardner, literary agent, on Tuesday, September 22, 2009:

Chasing Your Dreams

Over the weekend when I was at the conference, my ten-year-old had a gymnastics meet which I was bummed to miss, but Brian texted me her scores on each event, and he took video so I could see her performances. (I put one on YouTube.)

Now, if you watch my daughter doing gymnastics, you might not think it looks like anything special, particularly if the only gymnastics you've ever seen is in the Olympics. (Just like Little League baseball doesn't look like much when you're used to watching the Colorado Rockies.) She's been quite successful competing and has won 1st place in several competitions, but there's a good chance she's average for her age and competition level. Nevertheless, she has Olympic dreams. She's as passionate about gymnastics as I've ever been about anything in my life. She loves it and she's driven and I'm not about to discourage her.

Part of me wishes I could give her some perspective, encourage her to dream more realistically. I don't want her to base her whole life on a dream that has little chance of coming true. Yet, aren't we supposed to dream big?

I would never say anything to make her think I don't believe in her. If the Olympics aren't in the cards, that's for her to discover, not for me to predict. And if my daughter eventually has to deal with disappointment, then who am I to deprive her of that crucial and character-building process? Only she can figure out how to handle it. Only she can decide what new dream will replace the old one.

She works very hard, practices diligently and has excellent coaching. But there's an element to gymastics that can't be taught, some magical inborn talent that you either have, or you don't. It's the magic fairy dust factor. I'm not sure whether my daughter has it or not; I suspect she has at least a little, but I don't know how far it will carry her. No matter how hard she works, to some extent her success is at least partially determined by what she was born with.

So that's the way I see writing. Lots of people can do it; many are passionate and driven. Many have big dreams. Some may not work hard enough; some may not have the magic fairy dust to carry them as far as they'd like. But I don't want to discourage people. I want to keep encouraging, keep cheering people on in their writing dreams.

Regardless of whether all your dreams will come true, this is your process. It's your life. Whether it brings you joy or pain or the more likely combination of both, still, it's yours. If you go through disappointment, I hope you will grow from it. If you experience heartbreak, I pray you'll heal and be stronger. If you have triumphs and success, I hope it brings you the satisfaction you crave.

Whatever happens, however this journey goes for you, be assured you're not on the wrong path if you are pursuing a passion and willing to work hard. Go for it. It's all yours.

New Moon Official Trailer #3 (HD)

REPOST! Because Blogger screwed up my clips. Same thing for the Aria one.

Aria - Chris Spheeris

It's a sensational instrumental piece by the genius that is Chris Spheeris. My dad introduced it to me. I remember how we'd drive around in the beaten-up old Subaru (when I was about 7 or so), listening to his music. Once, it poured, and I fell asleep in the car to this track, specifically. Thank you, Chris, for bringing such amazing, breath-taking music to our world. Your music holds a special place in my heart.

Aria - Chris Spheeris

REPOST!

It's a sensational instrumental piece by the genius that is Chris Spheeris. My dad introduced it to me. I remember how we'd drive around in the beaten-up old Subaru (when I was about 7 or so), listening to his music. Once, it poured, and I fell asleep in the car to this track, specifically. Thank you, Chris, for bringing such amazing, breath-taking music to our world. Your music holds a special place in my heart.

I've just finished reading The Secret Life of Prince Charming, by the ever-talented Deb Caletti, the author of Wild Roses and Honey, Baby, Sweetheart. My library card was full, but this nice lady (a mother, who was borrowing books for her pre-schooler) allowed me to use hers.

And as usual, Deb did not disappoint. My favourite is still Wild Roses - her best yet - but Prince is pretty good too. It's about this girl called Quinn, who grew up in a house full of ladies who have had their hearts broken by men - her mom, her aunt Annie, her grandma. They warn her against men, but she refuses to start getting cynical about love at the age of 17. She and her younger sister Sprout have just reunited with their father 3 years ago and are starting to know him. Quinn is hopeful, eager to find a bond with her father, and in awe of him, the performer (part of a circus band called the Jafarabad Brothers, or something like that). Sprout, however, is loyal to their mother and distrustful of their father. She's frustrated that Quinn can't see their father for the egotistical jerk he is. He loves no-one but himself.

When one day, Quinn finds a room full of prized items that she discovers were stolen from the women in her father's life, she decides to hunt down her half-sister, Frances Lee, who persuades her to go on a karmic quest to return those items to their rightful owners.

Along the way, Quinn meets Jake Kennedy, Frances Lee's younger brother (who's the same age as Quinn). And can I just say that he's the latest fictional character I've fallen in love with. He looks like a bad boy, with the serpent tattoo on his arm and those smouldering good looks (of course, Deb didn't use this expression to describe him - how cliched would that be?). But he once said to Quinn, "You're not the only one looking for something true." He's a sensitive soul who's had his heart broken before and just wants to find a love that is true and pure and simple. This is reminiscent of Cassie Morgan and Ian Water's love in Wild Roses. It's so heartbreakingly pure and uncomplicated - only Deb can create a love story like that. Plus, the guys aren't sappy. They're tender but they're not clingy or mushy; they joke around like Michael Moscovitz and have no underlying motives. They're so pure of heart it's almost impossible. But what is fiction but delightful escapism sometimes, eh?

Throughout the story, there are excerpts from the women in Quinn's father's lives, who reveal the loves - good and bad - they had in their lives. Once again, Deb Caletti has delivered a poignant, lighthearted gem of a story.


Right now, I'm on page 75 of The Story Sisters, the latest book by Alice Hoffman (yes, the Alice Hoffman who went nuts because some book critics didn't deliver such nice comments about her book - suprisingly unprofessional of her). Hoffman's writing style is almost one of a kind. I've read Practical Magic before, and it's like she's in a world of her own. In a good way. There's a heavy use of natural imagery, almost magical and detached from the real world, even though her stories do take place in our world. There's a sort of ethereal, otherworldly quality to her books. This is an exerpt from The Story Sisters:

The town was thick with Virginia creeper, wisteria, weeds that suddenly grew three feet tall. It had been that kind of summer. There were thunderstorms and hail. The news reported a strange rain of live frogs one wet, humid night. Children ran out with mayonnaise jars to capture them the way they used to catch fireflies. The air felt electric, sultry; it pressed down on you and made you want to sleep, turn away from your troubles, tell yourself lies.

Practical Magic, as you know, had been made into a movie starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock. It's about these two sisters brought up by their aunts who practice witchcraft. Nicole played Gillian, the rebel, while Sandra played Sally, the sensible one who lost her first and only love (her husband) in a magical accident. There isn't much of a plot in the story. The interesting part where they're trying to hide their practice from a cop (who eventually falls in love with Sally) wasn't expounded upon. But the captivating, enchanting way in which Hoffman creates her prose compensates for that.

For The Story Sisters, however, there are both plot and good writing - a tremendously lethal combination. The main characters are the three sisters, Elv (16), Meg and Claire (12), but Elv steals the show, so to speak. She's the one who created an Otherworld called Arnelle, and even came up with the language Arnish. Arnelle exists underground, resided by faeries, goblins and the Queen who is looking for a successor to the throne. Elv used to entertain the girls in her school, as well as her sisters, with these stories. But soon, after getting kidnapped on an outing with Claire one day, something changes in her. She falls deeper into this world she has created, and becomes more detached from the real world. She experiments with sex, drugs and the like, gets herself tattooed, cuts herself and sneaks out every night in search of experiences that will prove herself to the Queen that she is a worthy successor.

While Claire completely looks up to Elv, and wants nothing more than to be like her, Meg grows apart from her eldest sister and into a life of normalcy, of French club meetings and college catalogs, school newspapers and painting lessons. Ever since that incident where Elv and Claire set loose a horse in the park (those that people pay to ride around), which eventually got shot because it was causing lots of chaos, with Claire on its back. Claire broke both of her arms and the horse died, but Elv thinks she saved it. She believes it has gone to a better place, to Arnelle, where she imagines she would see him once she finds out how to cross over to the other side.

I know, it's really messed up. It's like she has schizophrenia, detached from reality, delusions of grandeur. The works. But it's so disturbing it's alluring. If I wasn't all that impressed by Hoffman's talent in Practical Magic, I definitely am now.

New Moon Official Trailer #3 (HD)

I AM COMPLETELY F-R-E-A-K-I-N-G OUT!!! I can't stop screaming everytime I watch this. It looks SO GOOD, way better than Twilight. OMEOMEOME, 3 Dec has to come NOW. (That scream from Bella was intense! And WOW, Dakota Fanning looks creepy as Jane - just like how she's supposed to! Awesome. And Taylor really got into the role: "Bella, he left you. He doesn't want you anymore." "Stay here. For me.")

And you know what the weird thing is? I sort of had a dream where someone was tossing Edward and pinning him to the ground (not me). He was getting his ass kicked in my dream just like he was in the trailer! Uncanny or coincedental? This isn't the first time I dreamt something that was true in real life (that I didn't know existed).

New Moon Official Trailer #3 (HD)

I AM COMPLETELY F-R-E-A-K-I-N-G OUT!!! I can't stop screaming everytime I watch this. It looks SO GOOD, way better than Twilight. OMEOMEOME, 3 Dec has to come NOW. (That scream from Bella was intense. And WOW, Dakota Fanning is creepy as Jane! Awesome! And Taylor really got into the role, I love it!)

Joyce's List of Fictional Characters She's Fallen in Love With:

1. Michael Moscovitz (the Princess Diaries series, by Meg Cabot, duh)
2. Edward Cullen (the Twilight series by Steph Meyer, duh)
3. Rob Wilkins (1800-where-r-you series, by Meg Cabot writing as Jenny Carroll)
4. Luke Brandon (the Shopaholic series, by Sophie Kinsella)
5. Ian Waters (Wild Roses, by Deb Caletti)
6. Wes (The Truth About Forever, by Sarah Dessen)
7. Marcus Flutie (the Jessica Darling series, by Megan McCafferty - I'm DYING to read Perfect Fifths, but I can't seem to find it!!! It's killing me!)
8. Shrimp (the Gingerbread series, by Rachel Cohn)
9. Raoul (Phantom of the Opera, by Gaston Leroux)
10. Jesse (the Mediator series, by Meg Cabot writing as Jenny Carroll)
11. Jacob Black (the Twilight series - he's not the male lead, though; I just like his character, but I'm not really swooooooning over him)

I just realised I seem to fall in love mostly with guys from book series.

Personal life

Mia's friends include best friend Lilly Moscovitz, Tina Hakim Baba, Shameeka Taylor, Perin and Ling Su Wong. Lilly is seen as an overly critical person, who although probably wants what's best for Mia, is always getting into arguments with her.

Love interests throughout the books have been Josh Richter, Kenny Showalter, Michael Moscovitz (Lilly's brother) and J.P.(John Paul Reynolds Abernathy IV) who was only a friend, until he proclaims his love for Mia.

1. Josh Richter was definitely a mistake. He only wanted publicity for himself.

2. Kenny Showalter was Mia's biology lab partner. Apparently he developed a liking for her while watching her copy his homework. Mia had hoped that her secret admirer was Michael Moscovitz, though it was really Kenny the whole time.

3. J.P., also known as The Guy Who hates it when They Put Corn In The Chilli, was madly in love (or so he says) with Mia. In the tenth book, it turns out, he was just using Mia as publicity for his play.

(And ... drumroll, please.)

4. Michael was Mia's main boyfriend in almost all the books. He is the only guy who actually loves Mia for who she is and not because she is royal. Getting together with him at a formal in the book "Princess in Love", making the mistake of breaking up with him in "Princess on the Brink". Though, in the last book, on prom night, Michael and Mia get back together, have sex and are still currently dating.

~ Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mia_Thermopolis

Oh, wait! I forgot to mention something.

Apparently, Mia and Lana Weinberger (yes, THE Lana Weinberger, snotty spoilt cheerleader who used to make Mia's life hell) are now friends. Close, almost-best friends. What an odd twist of circumstance.

I found 'Forever Princess' by Meg Cabot, the last Princess Diaries book, in the library the other day. So I thought, what the heck, even though I completely dislike it when Mia's with JP (BECAUSE SHE BELONGS WITH MICHAEL!!!) I'll read this last one, just to see what happens in the end.

And it was TOTALLY worth it. (Excuse my ensuing infantile vociferations. I'm revisiting my early teenage years.)

I know. Laugh all you want, at me still crazy about the Princess Diaries series. But even though I first read it when I was 11 or so, reading Forever Princess NOW reminds me of why I was completely nuts about it. I'm getting all fan-girl squealy at random intervals, and have been caught with an inane smile on my face in public (I don't think anyone bothered, though, which is a good thing.) Michael and Mia are the cutest couple ever, even cuter than Bella and Edward. I'm comparing them in terms of how giggly and swoony I get whenever the couples are together. Edward's speeches are a little too prettily arranged at times. Romantic, hell yes, but a little too Romeo-ish. (But of course, seeing as how he's from a different time, that's understandable.) Anyway, I'm falling completely in love with Michael all over again, just like I had when I first started reading it. I screamed more exuberantly over Michael and Mia than Bella and Edward. And people who know me know how nuts I already am over Bella and Edward.

Anyway, in fact, so in love with Michael I am - and so convicted of their love, whether or not Mia, dense Mia, realises that - that I didn't read those books where they weren't together. I read up to the 6th or 7th book, I think. One of it was lame, where Mia tried so hard to prove to Michael that she was a party princess and not a prude, when Michael didn't care if she was a party princess anyway (and would rather she wasn't someone she was trying to be) and loved her for being her. That was quite lame. And in another book, it was all about Doing It, and how Michael said he knew she was the one for him and that he wouldn't wait for her to be ready for It. Wtf, I could kill Meg Cabot for doing that. That just killed my opinion of Michael. How could he say he wasn't going to wait for Mia to be ready for It? He has to, because he loves her, hello?

But I still love Michael, of course. It's hard not to. He's so sweet and thoughtful, and clearly loves Mia to bits, and is always trying hard to be worthy of her (even though it's she who thinks she isn't worthy of him).

Last I read, Michael and Mia broke up because she couldn't deal with him having Done It with some other girl before they (Michael and Mia) even got together. He was worried she wouldn't be mature enough to deal with that, which was why he didn't tell her. And true enough, she made a huge deal out of it, and they ended up breaking things off. And then Michael left for Columbia University(why is it that every book I read has to have the characters going off to Columbia? Jessica Darling went there too - way to make me feel inadequate, Meg Cabot and Megan McCafferty), and Mia tried to move on with life.

And then this other guy JP showed up and like how Jacob got Bella through her dark days without Edward, JP did the same for Mia, and they've been together for almost two years (she was with Michael for 4, I think). And oh, did I mention, JP went out with Mia's best friend Lilly (well, ex-bff now, since a bff's ex is off limits) after he broke up with Lilly?

JP seemed like a nice guy; that's what Meg wanted to show. But somehow, I wasn't bought into it. My loyalties (I would use the word allegiance, but it sounded patriotic somehow) lie with Michael and always will. Michael and Mia are perfect for each other. Mia was just too immature to be in a relationship (see: Michael's Doing It with Judith Gershner, when he wasn't even with Mia at that time) then.

But she's a senior now, and Michael's invented something called the CardioArm which makes him some hot young scientist and he's getting international acclaim and each equipment is selling for a million over bucks. And he's back. To New York.

And all the truths just spill out:

1. JP is a dick. That seems the most important. Not only did he get together with Mia after breaking up with her best friend Lilly, he did that once he heard Mia had broken up with Michael and he could now get a chance to be her prince. He even wrote a play that mimicked their relationship and where he was the prince to her princess (how highly can he think of himself?). Plus, he booked a room at some swanky hotel on their prom night months before, even though Doing It was never something they'd ever discussed. AND, he wouldn't read the romance novel Mia had slaved over for 21 months and was hoping to publish, because he thought romance novel-writing was below her and that she could do so much better. He also didn't bother reading it because he was busy with his play. WHAT AN UNSUPPORTIVE DICK. Seriously, what is Mia even doing with JP?!

2. Michael has always loved Mia, even after they broke up, and when he left for University, he got one of their mutual friends to look out for her. He didn't want to get back with Mia (when she tried, after they broke up) because he was going off to University and he didn't think it was fair for her to wait around for him. PLUS, the reason why he was so bent on his work (the CardioArm) was because he was dying to prove himself to Mia's royal family that he was worthy of the Princess of Genovia (Mia), since JP had a famous dad in the theatre industry and everyone loved him (including Mia's family) and thought he was better for Mia than Michael was. Oh, how blind everyone was.

3. Lilly was mad at Mia for two books or so (I don't know, I stopped reading after the 7th book, where Michael and Mia broke up. The one that I'm reading now is the 10th and final one) not because Mia stole her boyfriend, but because she couldn't see what a dick he was and because Mia broke up with her brother (yes, Michael is Lilly's brother) and got together with JP.

And now Michael's back and trying really hard to win Mia back. Mia's never stopped loving Michael, even though she thinks she has and is in love with JP. Somehow, she's just not drawn to JP the way she was drawn to Michael.

All I can say is: SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! I know, I'm being completely juvenile and shallow here, reading a book like that. But come on, we all need a bit of escapism sometime. And hello, isn't this the cutest love story ever? How can anyone not love Michael?

So I'm left with the last 50 pages or so (sobs), so I'm going to go back to it.

Allow me to indulge in one last infantile, whimsical proclamation before I leave.

MICHAEL AND MIA FOREVER.

(Seems like I've been in love with fictional characters way before I met Edward.)

"Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains."
~ Jean Jacques Rousseau

Can there possibly be absolute freedom? We want to believe that we are free, that we are governed only by our own actions, but just on the superficial level, in every state, we already relinquish part of our freedom to those who govern us to ensure protection and order in the state. So in order to live in a country that runs smoothly, we are subjected to giving up the absolute freedom we had. This is rather utilitarian in essence. (And this is the one instance in which utilitarianism makes sense to me.)

But maybe we weren't even born free. The minute we were born, we've been under the control of our parents, or those who nurture us. Even for those who act out and defy the authority of their guardians, the law catches up with them. At least, that is the case in most societies I know.

In our society now, of course, the notion of freedom is a highly challenged one, a dubious honour that we think we have. In fact, the control over us, while it might seem to have loosened, is in fact tightening, in the form of the modern 'root of all evil': the media. The insidious way in which is extends its control over more people is overlooked because of the convenience it gives us, not to mention the entertainment value. Our society is structured around technology now. At least, the society that I'm in is. Our economy, one of the pillars of a society, is propped up by information and communication systems that connect us to the rest of the world. But I shan't get into all that detail right here, since all that has been drilled into us and written to death in JC GP essays.

So suffice it to say, technology is the main mechanism of most societies in the twenty-first century. But technology is a broad notion. It doesn't just fuel capitalism; it also affects us directly. We are bombarded by images daily, being fed signifiers that we can, if we are discerning enough, decode. We are told how to think, what to think, so consistently that we think nothing of it. Freedom of thought? What's that? We know that the cool kids listen to AT 40, and blondes are stupid, women should strive to attain figures like Megan Fox because they are desirable by men, and it is possible to 'drop a jeans size in 4 weeks!'. Wait. Is that really what we KNOW?

And then there's the affiliated freedom of choice, or freedom of autonomy. Are our choices really based on what we want, what we decide we want, what we decide is good for us, or will add to our pleasure or benefit? Given all the subliminal messages we inhale, how can we properly filter our own decisions and those already made for us?

So, I guess there never is such a thing as freedom. Even less so in the world today as we know it. I don't want to repeat myself on Plato's allegorical Cave, but this is us seeing those shadows on the Cave walls and thinking that's reality, that's the truth, when in fact, that is just a feeble imitation of the Truth (the light that casts those shadows).