When parents visit
Advice is given by the barrel
They will question your beliefs and actions
Trying to get you to fit into a mold
Even when you believe the only way to succeed is to be unique.
Of course, you know...
That all they want is the best for you.
To see you happy, healthy and financially comfortable.
Things that were denied when they were your age.
Things that you have taken for granted.
So although your ears may be tired from listening.
Just remember...
They do have the experience.
And they have given you all you could ever wanted.
And all they can afford.
So listen.
and read in between the lines.
They are only here for a week.
And all they want for you is...
To do what you love, to work hard and don't quit.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Getting the basics wrong
I am a snob.
As I am about to graduate with a degree in Drama, I realized that having worked on several productions only with other people who majored in the performing arts has made me a snob. It is rare for me to attend a performance or event organized or performed by non-performing arts people. (My working life is in a theatre. Why would I spend my free time in another theatre?!)
Last Thursday, I attended the 1st Annual East Asian Studies Night, which was a talent show performance meant to showcase the East Asian languages (Mandarin, Korean and Japanese), performed by the students who volunteered (and get full points on presentation for their class grade). The main reason why I went was to support a classmate who was dancing to Jay Chou's "青花瓷", and it was going to be the last performance of the night.
I knew that the organization of the event was bad the moment I arrived at the venue.
When I arrived 10 minutes before the show was supposed to start, I was asked whether I was a performer or an audience member by the usher. This made me raise an eyebrow, because I assumed that all the performers would have arrived WAY before me. Alas, no. Half of the performers have not arrived and the ushers were not informed of who the performers were supposed to be.
After getting a seat, I noticed that most of the performers that were there had programs. Thinking that I may have walked past the usher without getting one, I walked back to the entrance and asked for one. I was told that there were none for the audience and to please refer to the program that was taped up onto the pillar for information about the performances. ...Okay, l understand the need to conserve paper and ink and the time and labor to fold them. But, seriously?!
Fine, fine. I will let that pass.
Sitting down, I finally got to observe the venue and the way that everything was being handled in the preparation for the performance. The venue was a lecture hall, and it was clearly never meant to be a performance hall. The track lighting that was pointed towards the stage was all pointing towards the sides of the stage, which is meant to showcase the speaker on the podium while he was speaking about whatever presentation he had on the screen.
The whole thing was that it was organized with too many cooks in the kitchen. All the performances separated to their respective teachers and it seemed nobody was concerned about the technical aspects about it, whether it be checking placement on stage or doing a sound check. However, I could be incorrect about this, because I did arrive only 10 minutes before show time.
Nah, I was right. Each scene started out with the performers having a little huddle meeting to talk about where everyone should stand and what technical equipment they can use. :/
Cringe-worthy moments:
Singers did not sing into a real vocal microphone. They sang into the little itty bitty microphone that sits on top of the podium...and the podium went along with the microphone. And if there were a chorus, they were too soft to be heard because the podium would be shifted off-stage. Of course, since it wasn't a vocal microphone, it screeched, caught pops and breaths and other unsightly sounds which we would not wish to hear.
As we lost natural lighting through the windows, it was evident that the stage was half lit, and the darkness was most apparent...in the center of the stage, where many of the performers have chosen to situate themselves in.
One scene had roses tossed onto the stage by the performers. When their scene ended, they just picked up the numerous roses and didn't sweep the floor. My friend's dance performance was right after and involved a lot of floor movement. I saw red scratches on their arms at the end. :/
There were several moments where I also just blanked out. Particularly, those moments came whenever a low energy performance (such as a presentation about Confucius from Elementary Mandarin 1) followed a high energy performance (such as "Be A Man" from Mulan in Mandarin from Intermediate Mandarin 2), and performances where I don't understand the language at all (Korean, Japanese). I'm sure the people who couldn't understand Mandarin were bored of the Chinese performances as well. English subtitles could have been included in the missing program for everyone to enjoy the whole night.
I felt very sorry for my friend who had to perform last, because by then, 90% of the audience was gone. Although I know that several were there to support friends and then leave right after...they could have retained more audience members if the performance was held in a better venue with the correct technical equipment, the performance order was changed to hold the interest of the audience and better organization was done for the smoothness of the show and the safety of the performers.
Although a disappointing night, I did learn one thing.
I am a snob because I expect perfection from every performance I see, no matter who it's done by. Or at the very least, get the basics right!
As I am about to graduate with a degree in Drama, I realized that having worked on several productions only with other people who majored in the performing arts has made me a snob. It is rare for me to attend a performance or event organized or performed by non-performing arts people. (My working life is in a theatre. Why would I spend my free time in another theatre?!)
Last Thursday, I attended the 1st Annual East Asian Studies Night, which was a talent show performance meant to showcase the East Asian languages (Mandarin, Korean and Japanese), performed by the students who volunteered (and get full points on presentation for their class grade). The main reason why I went was to support a classmate who was dancing to Jay Chou's "青花瓷", and it was going to be the last performance of the night.
I knew that the organization of the event was bad the moment I arrived at the venue.
When I arrived 10 minutes before the show was supposed to start, I was asked whether I was a performer or an audience member by the usher. This made me raise an eyebrow, because I assumed that all the performers would have arrived WAY before me. Alas, no. Half of the performers have not arrived and the ushers were not informed of who the performers were supposed to be.
After getting a seat, I noticed that most of the performers that were there had programs. Thinking that I may have walked past the usher without getting one, I walked back to the entrance and asked for one. I was told that there were none for the audience and to please refer to the program that was taped up onto the pillar for information about the performances. ...Okay, l understand the need to conserve paper and ink and the time and labor to fold them. But, seriously?!
Fine, fine. I will let that pass.
Sitting down, I finally got to observe the venue and the way that everything was being handled in the preparation for the performance. The venue was a lecture hall, and it was clearly never meant to be a performance hall. The track lighting that was pointed towards the stage was all pointing towards the sides of the stage, which is meant to showcase the speaker on the podium while he was speaking about whatever presentation he had on the screen.
The whole thing was that it was organized with too many cooks in the kitchen. All the performances separated to their respective teachers and it seemed nobody was concerned about the technical aspects about it, whether it be checking placement on stage or doing a sound check. However, I could be incorrect about this, because I did arrive only 10 minutes before show time.
Nah, I was right. Each scene started out with the performers having a little huddle meeting to talk about where everyone should stand and what technical equipment they can use. :/
Cringe-worthy moments:
Singers did not sing into a real vocal microphone. They sang into the little itty bitty microphone that sits on top of the podium...and the podium went along with the microphone. And if there were a chorus, they were too soft to be heard because the podium would be shifted off-stage. Of course, since it wasn't a vocal microphone, it screeched, caught pops and breaths and other unsightly sounds which we would not wish to hear.
As we lost natural lighting through the windows, it was evident that the stage was half lit, and the darkness was most apparent...in the center of the stage, where many of the performers have chosen to situate themselves in.
One scene had roses tossed onto the stage by the performers. When their scene ended, they just picked up the numerous roses and didn't sweep the floor. My friend's dance performance was right after and involved a lot of floor movement. I saw red scratches on their arms at the end. :/
There were several moments where I also just blanked out. Particularly, those moments came whenever a low energy performance (such as a presentation about Confucius from Elementary Mandarin 1) followed a high energy performance (such as "Be A Man" from Mulan in Mandarin from Intermediate Mandarin 2), and performances where I don't understand the language at all (Korean, Japanese). I'm sure the people who couldn't understand Mandarin were bored of the Chinese performances as well. English subtitles could have been included in the missing program for everyone to enjoy the whole night.
I felt very sorry for my friend who had to perform last, because by then, 90% of the audience was gone. Although I know that several were there to support friends and then leave right after...they could have retained more audience members if the performance was held in a better venue with the correct technical equipment, the performance order was changed to hold the interest of the audience and better organization was done for the smoothness of the show and the safety of the performers.
Although a disappointing night, I did learn one thing.
I am a snob because I expect perfection from every performance I see, no matter who it's done by. Or at the very least, get the basics right!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
A Place To Walk To
My name is Ling and I am a Malaysian-Chinese currently studying the backstage side of the entertainment world in New York City. I will be graduating soon in May 2011 and am fortunate enough to have landed a job at the prestigious voice-over studio, Edge Studios, which has both a training facility for aspiring voice talent and a production house.
My past is complicated like any international third-culture kid: moved when I was 10 to New Jersey in the USA from Malaysia, moved back when I was 13 to Malaysia, moved to Taiwan when I was 14, moved back to Malaysia when I was 16 and then moved to NYC for university. This makes me a semi-banana (banana - white on the inside, yellow on the outside), because neither my Malay or any Chinese language or dialect are very good.
I am also neither a neat freak, nor a very productive cleaner of my apartment in Brooklyn. That all changes when my parents or close family relatives comes to visit, however.
I like playing cute G-rated video games on my Nintendo DS Lite. Top 3 Game Series: Pokemon, Harvest Moon and Professor Layton. I like to read. Rather than watching a Korean/Japanese/Chinese drama series, I would rather read the synopsis or the recap. The same goes for Anime, I would rather read the Manga (if there was one available).
I am also a girly tomboy. By that, I mean that I do not like wearing dresses or skirts, preferring jeans instead, but I do get excited over exciting accessories, like bracelets, earrings, pantyhose etc. I am not the thin Asian girl size. Instead I have boobs and a booty like a black girl. All this while being 5' 3", by the way. On good days, I'll bask in the curviness of my body. On bad days, I will point to a picture of a skinny Asian girl and wish I had that.
I like listening to music from countries whose languages I don't understand. The songs I have on my phone are mostly from Kpop and really from one band: Big Bang. Say what you will, but I love them, their music, fashion sense and design elements for their stages and music videos. Yes, you are speaking to a fangirl here. <3~
I have a wonderful boyfriend named Bia. He lives 2 hours away from me, so I only get to see him for a weekend every month, but we have been surviving in this relationship for 3 years and a half now, and I honestly could not have conquered the obstacles I have gone through without him. Current obstacle: Trying to walk again after having fractured my ankle 9 weeks ago.
My past is complicated like any international third-culture kid: moved when I was 10 to New Jersey in the USA from Malaysia, moved back when I was 13 to Malaysia, moved to Taiwan when I was 14, moved back to Malaysia when I was 16 and then moved to NYC for university. This makes me a semi-banana (banana - white on the inside, yellow on the outside), because neither my Malay or any Chinese language or dialect are very good.
I am also neither a neat freak, nor a very productive cleaner of my apartment in Brooklyn. That all changes when my parents or close family relatives comes to visit, however.
I like playing cute G-rated video games on my Nintendo DS Lite. Top 3 Game Series: Pokemon, Harvest Moon and Professor Layton. I like to read. Rather than watching a Korean/Japanese/Chinese drama series, I would rather read the synopsis or the recap. The same goes for Anime, I would rather read the Manga (if there was one available).
I am also a girly tomboy. By that, I mean that I do not like wearing dresses or skirts, preferring jeans instead, but I do get excited over exciting accessories, like bracelets, earrings, pantyhose etc. I am not the thin Asian girl size. Instead I have boobs and a booty like a black girl. All this while being 5' 3", by the way. On good days, I'll bask in the curviness of my body. On bad days, I will point to a picture of a skinny Asian girl and wish I had that.
I like listening to music from countries whose languages I don't understand. The songs I have on my phone are mostly from Kpop and really from one band: Big Bang. Say what you will, but I love them, their music, fashion sense and design elements for their stages and music videos. Yes, you are speaking to a fangirl here. <3~
I have a wonderful boyfriend named Bia. He lives 2 hours away from me, so I only get to see him for a weekend every month, but we have been surviving in this relationship for 3 years and a half now, and I honestly could not have conquered the obstacles I have gone through without him. Current obstacle: Trying to walk again after having fractured my ankle 9 weeks ago.
what a vibrant purple that is...I slipped on ice near my school building the weekend before Valentine's Day, which was the time I was supposed to go to his place to see him and surprise him for the holiday. And then I got injured. He came over every weekend to take care of me, even in my moody state. Three weeks in the purple cast was absolutely torture. Everyone should lose their mobility at least once in their life to truly appreciate how much their legs do.
So what can you expect in this blog?
A mosh pit of my life, to put it simply. It's not going to be a specialized blog. It's going to have food reviews (whether it be restaurants, cooking or take out), random sketches that I drew while sitting in the park and random comments, compliments and questions about life in general.
Why did I want to start blogging again? Because my leg is in a cam walker right now, I'm not able to exercise in the gym and can only do the one thing I was denied for 8 weeks - walking. So I will walk, bringing a sketchbook, a camera and an umbrella, and maybe sometimes Bia. To start exploring the places in NYC that I have not gone to already in my 4 years here. To start doing the things I've been hoping to do (like eat live octopus). All of the places that I want to go, I can walk to them. No need for a car, not even the train, everything is and always will be within walking distance.
I have a history in blogging. I kept a steady (and very emo) blog on livejournal throughout my middle school and high school years, and was so into it that I pulled my close friends into blogging as well. It was a great way to know what was happening in each others' lives, even though we saw each other every day - the polar opposite of what is happening now as we have moved for higher education in different places all over the world.
During my university years, I would blog on and off. Blog a small post. Miss three months. Blog another post apologizing for not posting. Don't post again for another six months. That won't happen with this blog. Sure, there may be days I miss a few days, due to being busy studying for exams, but it won't be being missing for a few months anymore. Well, let's hope not, at least.
I hope you enjoy my stories. If you didn't like anything I've written, then I hope you at least flirt with someone attractive tonight. The day shouldn't be a total waste.
So what can you expect in this blog?
A mosh pit of my life, to put it simply. It's not going to be a specialized blog. It's going to have food reviews (whether it be restaurants, cooking or take out), random sketches that I drew while sitting in the park and random comments, compliments and questions about life in general.
Why did I want to start blogging again? Because my leg is in a cam walker right now, I'm not able to exercise in the gym and can only do the one thing I was denied for 8 weeks - walking. So I will walk, bringing a sketchbook, a camera and an umbrella, and maybe sometimes Bia. To start exploring the places in NYC that I have not gone to already in my 4 years here. To start doing the things I've been hoping to do (like eat live octopus). All of the places that I want to go, I can walk to them. No need for a car, not even the train, everything is and always will be within walking distance.
I have a history in blogging. I kept a steady (and very emo) blog on livejournal throughout my middle school and high school years, and was so into it that I pulled my close friends into blogging as well. It was a great way to know what was happening in each others' lives, even though we saw each other every day - the polar opposite of what is happening now as we have moved for higher education in different places all over the world.
During my university years, I would blog on and off. Blog a small post. Miss three months. Blog another post apologizing for not posting. Don't post again for another six months. That won't happen with this blog. Sure, there may be days I miss a few days, due to being busy studying for exams, but it won't be being missing for a few months anymore. Well, let's hope not, at least.
I hope you enjoy my stories. If you didn't like anything I've written, then I hope you at least flirt with someone attractive tonight. The day shouldn't be a total waste.
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