I know your not as romantic as the guy who serenade to his girlfriend with his guitar, but you've made it up by finding me this amazing song. Thanks.
xoxo
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Swimming Pool
After being a lazy bum for almost 2 months, I've decided to take my chances and went to the sports complex one Wednesday afternoon. I said chances because that evening was cloudy without any sunshine and you can hear thunderstorms in the distance. Here in uum, if it does rain, rarely does the rain hit n run. If it pours, it pours slowly, like some lazy government officer, taking their own sweet time to finish their task, even though u wish and wish that they can hurry up and be done with it so that you can jump canon ball style into the swimming pool.
I had to go alone because all my friends were busy doing... something. Some had assignments, others have class, one even said that he'd rather practise his guitar. On the way the weather didn't really looked promising. I arrived around 5.40pm and not one soul was there in the olympic sized pool. There was two lifeguards in their orange tees sitting at the side and an Europian guy warming up. I put down my stuffs n climb elegantly down the pool. ( I missed cannon ball badly. I can do that no more ever since i entered my young adulthood) The water felt gooood... I know the risk was worth it because now i have the whole pool to myself, plus the weather is cloudy but not too dark so i wont get tanned.
It feels so good to be back here again. I put my palms on top of the surface and i can feel the soft tickling surface tension like a piece of silk. And when i wave my arms in the water i can feel waves sailing down my legs like cool soft blanket. The water is warm and after a few laps it feels almost too hot. I surfaced n the cool wind just blew at me. After 10 mins swimming, 4 or 5 more ppl arrived. They started to use different fancy styles like backstroke and butterfly. Since there were so few of us, we basically just swim however we want in the pool; horizontally or vertically. Once when i was swimming, i guy swam pass me in freestyle, and there was a trail of tiny air bubbles trailing him, floating gracefully and dissappeared at the surface. It was so beautiful...
Somehow my memory wanders back to a few months ago that may have been forgotten by others, but it made a great big impact on me. I will never ever forget that day. That person. That look he gave me. Sometimes i even wonder if it was my imagination, facts that have been twisted by my mind to see what i wanted to see; what i was hoping to see.
After an half hour bath, I had my dinner at the cafe with a view of the pool. Took me another half an hour to finish it, before finally walk myself back to my room. These are the days that are worth writing it down so that i will never forget it. =)
May 2009
I had to go alone because all my friends were busy doing... something. Some had assignments, others have class, one even said that he'd rather practise his guitar. On the way the weather didn't really looked promising. I arrived around 5.40pm and not one soul was there in the olympic sized pool. There was two lifeguards in their orange tees sitting at the side and an Europian guy warming up. I put down my stuffs n climb elegantly down the pool. ( I missed cannon ball badly. I can do that no more ever since i entered my young adulthood) The water felt gooood... I know the risk was worth it because now i have the whole pool to myself, plus the weather is cloudy but not too dark so i wont get tanned.
It feels so good to be back here again. I put my palms on top of the surface and i can feel the soft tickling surface tension like a piece of silk. And when i wave my arms in the water i can feel waves sailing down my legs like cool soft blanket. The water is warm and after a few laps it feels almost too hot. I surfaced n the cool wind just blew at me. After 10 mins swimming, 4 or 5 more ppl arrived. They started to use different fancy styles like backstroke and butterfly. Since there were so few of us, we basically just swim however we want in the pool; horizontally or vertically. Once when i was swimming, i guy swam pass me in freestyle, and there was a trail of tiny air bubbles trailing him, floating gracefully and dissappeared at the surface. It was so beautiful...
Somehow my memory wanders back to a few months ago that may have been forgotten by others, but it made a great big impact on me. I will never ever forget that day. That person. That look he gave me. Sometimes i even wonder if it was my imagination, facts that have been twisted by my mind to see what i wanted to see; what i was hoping to see.
After an half hour bath, I had my dinner at the cafe with a view of the pool. Took me another half an hour to finish it, before finally walk myself back to my room. These are the days that are worth writing it down so that i will never forget it. =)
May 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
New Year Bash
I've always been curious bout this guys-drinking-thing. So after consideration i went to this lil' gathering where a bunch friends gather around n... well... just drink. My bf n I arrived late. When we get there, 1 guy's down in d kitchen sleeping. 2 guys' hyper active, another guy just reminds of a... well hav u seen those ojisan that talks as though d whole wide world owes him? I think there's only 3 sane guys left.
When d night is over everything just make as much sense as d words that's coming out frm britney Spears's mouth. All they do is drink, then talk non-sense, then vomit, drink again, then finally sleep. The ones that kept shouting "I'M NOT DRUNK!!!" are the ones that are really, and i mean REALLY drunk.
I mean, big deal. All they had was 2 bottles of henessy, a bottle of red wine, and a couple of carlsberg. I myself took 3 glass. It was fun watching everyone go haywire. Bunch of Noobtards. Did alot of cleaning up with the host.
So now im writing this at 4am in my friend's kitchen, with 2 guys on the floor, 3 in d living room n 4 more upstairs. aint this a gd way to spend CNY. =P
When d night is over everything just make as much sense as d words that's coming out frm britney Spears's mouth. All they do is drink, then talk non-sense, then vomit, drink again, then finally sleep. The ones that kept shouting "I'M NOT DRUNK!!!" are the ones that are really, and i mean REALLY drunk.
I mean, big deal. All they had was 2 bottles of henessy, a bottle of red wine, and a couple of carlsberg. I myself took 3 glass. It was fun watching everyone go haywire. Bunch of Noobtards. Did alot of cleaning up with the host.
So now im writing this at 4am in my friend's kitchen, with 2 guys on the floor, 3 in d living room n 4 more upstairs. aint this a gd way to spend CNY. =P
Monday, October 6, 2008
Disney Princesses
Are the Disney 8 princesses really princesses??? I happen to came across this post by Carolingian from Boston when i was searching for disney images and who knew? An interesting post no doubt. Apart from making me laugh, it made me realise that there is always the untold truth behind every fairytale, where some I've always known it JUST doesn't make any sense, while some have twisted moral values, such as Rapunzel. ( I mean, the witch loved Rapunzel to bits, spending her life taking care and nurturing her but apparently the author thinks that's not enough. In the end Rapunzel ran away from home to marry a prince and th witch is left there all alone, never to be seen again, forgotten by the only one she loved. Some grattitude she deserves.) But then she's not one of Disney's princesses, so she doesn't count.
Anyway, this is what she wrote:
"The Middle Ages, it seems, has been cinematically sneaking into the lives of children through such animated guises as “Robin Hood” and “Sleeping Beauty,” both of which I have now seen more than twenty times each in my duty as nanny. As many are probably aware, especially those caring for small children, there are certain characters in the Disney film vault who lay claim to some sort of royal title. Most popular today are the Disney princesses who have shown up everywhere from dolls to lunchboxes to elaborately planned birthday parties. Generally the princesses include Belle from “Beauty and the Beast,” Jasmine from “Aladdin,” Cinderella from “Cinderella,” Aurora from “Sleeping Beauty,” Ariel from “The Little Mermaid,” and Snow White from “Snow White.” But are these princesses, in fact, legitimate? What is the strength of their claims to the royal title and right to rule? Under careful scrutiny it appears that only a few of these Disney characters can actually bear the lawful name of princess and only one is uncontested.
Belle, Cinderella, and Snow White hold what appear to be the weakest claims to their surreptitiously given titles. All are relatively economically disadvantaged women who, through the aid—magical or otherwise—of another, fall in love with a real prince with an established claim. In their respective stories, however, the three women do not hold claims to rule in virtue of themselves. Each woman is solely dependent on the status of her husband, the prince, for her role as princess.* Yet, while the conclusions of these Disney tales suggest a future marriage, it is not at all sure whether or not they are lawfully married, so their status as royal wives is clearly debatable. These “princesses” could be no more than concubines in the eyes of the law. It is also a misnomer to label these women as “princesses” when –if we accept that they are, in fact, legitimately married in a ceremony approved by the reigning government—they are only married at the conclusion to the tale and thus, only enjoy their princess status at the end of the movie. Can we the viewers truly call these characters, then, princesses, when we have only known them as such for a few minutes before the closing credits? And, in the absence of a royal son and heir (which each woman lacks in their respective films) their ability to hold their positions against challenges from other noble claimants in the event of the death of their prince is nearly certain, considering their economic backgrounds, slim political experience, and lack of familial support.
Jasmine, Aurora and Ariel present different problems: all three are daughters of a king and so can legitimately hold the title of princess from the start of the films in virtue of their births (there is a point to be made that Ariel is not, in fact, human, and therefore cannot hold the name of princess, but that will be overlooked for the moment). Since Jasmine, Aurora and Ariel are all also the sole heirs in each of their tales, they will, presumably, be the successors to their fathers’ kingdoms upon their deaths; indeed, no other male heir or claimants are even discussed as possible heirs in the films. Their positions as Disney princesses are improved by the fact that each has found true love with a prince in a recognized marriage. Yet only in the tales of Aurora and Ariel is this marriage with a real prince. In Jasmine’s case, Aladdin is not—despite the magical attempts of his blue genii friend—a real prince. While the sultan’s change of heart at the conclusion to the film permits their marriage, the fact remains that Aladdin is not of royal stock. Thus, Jasmine’s claims to royal status are not strengthened by her prince whereas those of Ariel and Aurora, by marrying, respectively, Princes Eric and Phillip, are. Ariel has occasionally been elevated in her princess status by bearing the title of “princess of both sea and land” because of her mermaid identity. When she was transformed, however, Ariel received a human body and, thus, lost her sea title along with her tail. It is not a stretch to assume that neither her merman father nor his kingdom would want a human (who could only be ruling in absentia) for a ruler. So, while Ariel gains love and title from Prince Eric, she remains solely dependent on her husband for her princess status, for she has forsaken her father’s identity and royal claims not once but twice: first through her willing transformation by Ursula and secondly through the her later, permanent transformation by the king.
It is my opinion that Aurora contains the best possible claims as princess and inheritor of her father’s kingdom. She is a legitimate princess in virtue of her birth, she marries the legitimate prince of a neighboring kingdom, Prince Phillip, she has the support of her family and magical figures for her rule, and there is even brief mention of Aurora producing an heir, assuring that the kingdom remains intact. Some might object that Aurora’s sixteen year absence from the kingdom while hiding from Maleficent estranges her from her people, but it is clear from her reception and acclamation upon her birthday return to the castle (fireworks, outbursts of song, and parades) that she is clearly loved by all and would face no opposition in the succession. Ariel, however, abandons her claims for sovereignty of the ocean and, while becoming a princess of the land through her marriage, surely would face opposition and no doubt anti-mermaid activists in any of her attempts to rule as. Jasmine and Aladdin might have found true love and managed to have the senile sultan alter the law, but nevertheless her prince is no prince, and the people of Agrabah would most likely rebel under the rule of a woman who married a thief.
There are perhaps other Disney characters that lay claim to princess or other royal titles, such as Thumbelina, however, the aforementioned six are the most popular and therefore the most pertinent to examine. Likewise, there are many various sequels to the classic films that may perhaps have some bearing on these princesses’ claims to legitimacy, but I have made use of only the originals. In summary, the princess with the strongest claim is Princess Aurora of “Sleeping Beauty,” as she is royal by birth, by clear lawful marriage, and by the hinted production of a legitimate heir. Though we the viewers never get to see the future of Aurora’s kingdom in the film, based on rudimentary medieval standards of queenship and legitimacy, it most likely would have flourished under her rule; unless, of course, she found another spinning wheel.
* Note: As highlyeccentric mentioned (by the way, do check out her blog), Snow White herself is a princess by birth, but was cast out of her royal inheritance and, indeed, perhaps even her title by her wicked stepmother, the evil queen. Snow White's claims remain in league with the first group of princesses Belle and Cinderella, however, due to the absence of family, her poverty, and the fact that she never moves to take up her rightful claim to her own kingdom, choosing to live in the kingdom of her prince instead and leaving the dwarves behind. Also, interestingly enough, there is not an actual wedding in Snow White either, so if one wanted to be intensely critical, one could say Snow White did not, despite her birthright, press her claims and instead ran away to live unwed as a concubine. Her prince, though no doubt very charming, was not legally her husband and, thus, not having taken her own kingdom after her stepmother's death and not legally married to a legitimate prince, she rules nothing. There could be something to be said regarding the legitimacy of this "Prince Charming" as well, for what kind of royal family names their heir "Charming?"".
Carolingian
http://medievalisms.blogspot.com/2007/07/disney.html
So there you have it. 5min well spent reading this post. For me I've always loved the movie Beauty and the Beast. And even though Disney keeps protraying belle as a princess in their toys, products, etc., I've never really think of her as a decendent of a royal family in the Disney movie because, well her dad's an inventor for crying out loud. I've always thought that it's just a stunt to make her more glamorous n thus her products would sell.
Girl meets beast, beast turns out to be a prince. Ain't that a happy ending? ;)
Anyway, this is what she wrote:
"The Middle Ages, it seems, has been cinematically sneaking into the lives of children through such animated guises as “Robin Hood” and “Sleeping Beauty,” both of which I have now seen more than twenty times each in my duty as nanny. As many are probably aware, especially those caring for small children, there are certain characters in the Disney film vault who lay claim to some sort of royal title. Most popular today are the Disney princesses who have shown up everywhere from dolls to lunchboxes to elaborately planned birthday parties. Generally the princesses include Belle from “Beauty and the Beast,” Jasmine from “Aladdin,” Cinderella from “Cinderella,” Aurora from “Sleeping Beauty,” Ariel from “The Little Mermaid,” and Snow White from “Snow White.” But are these princesses, in fact, legitimate? What is the strength of their claims to the royal title and right to rule? Under careful scrutiny it appears that only a few of these Disney characters can actually bear the lawful name of princess and only one is uncontested.
Belle, Cinderella, and Snow White hold what appear to be the weakest claims to their surreptitiously given titles. All are relatively economically disadvantaged women who, through the aid—magical or otherwise—of another, fall in love with a real prince with an established claim. In their respective stories, however, the three women do not hold claims to rule in virtue of themselves. Each woman is solely dependent on the status of her husband, the prince, for her role as princess.* Yet, while the conclusions of these Disney tales suggest a future marriage, it is not at all sure whether or not they are lawfully married, so their status as royal wives is clearly debatable. These “princesses” could be no more than concubines in the eyes of the law. It is also a misnomer to label these women as “princesses” when –if we accept that they are, in fact, legitimately married in a ceremony approved by the reigning government—they are only married at the conclusion to the tale and thus, only enjoy their princess status at the end of the movie. Can we the viewers truly call these characters, then, princesses, when we have only known them as such for a few minutes before the closing credits? And, in the absence of a royal son and heir (which each woman lacks in their respective films) their ability to hold their positions against challenges from other noble claimants in the event of the death of their prince is nearly certain, considering their economic backgrounds, slim political experience, and lack of familial support.
Jasmine, Aurora and Ariel present different problems: all three are daughters of a king and so can legitimately hold the title of princess from the start of the films in virtue of their births (there is a point to be made that Ariel is not, in fact, human, and therefore cannot hold the name of princess, but that will be overlooked for the moment). Since Jasmine, Aurora and Ariel are all also the sole heirs in each of their tales, they will, presumably, be the successors to their fathers’ kingdoms upon their deaths; indeed, no other male heir or claimants are even discussed as possible heirs in the films. Their positions as Disney princesses are improved by the fact that each has found true love with a prince in a recognized marriage. Yet only in the tales of Aurora and Ariel is this marriage with a real prince. In Jasmine’s case, Aladdin is not—despite the magical attempts of his blue genii friend—a real prince. While the sultan’s change of heart at the conclusion to the film permits their marriage, the fact remains that Aladdin is not of royal stock. Thus, Jasmine’s claims to royal status are not strengthened by her prince whereas those of Ariel and Aurora, by marrying, respectively, Princes Eric and Phillip, are. Ariel has occasionally been elevated in her princess status by bearing the title of “princess of both sea and land” because of her mermaid identity. When she was transformed, however, Ariel received a human body and, thus, lost her sea title along with her tail. It is not a stretch to assume that neither her merman father nor his kingdom would want a human (who could only be ruling in absentia) for a ruler. So, while Ariel gains love and title from Prince Eric, she remains solely dependent on her husband for her princess status, for she has forsaken her father’s identity and royal claims not once but twice: first through her willing transformation by Ursula and secondly through the her later, permanent transformation by the king.
It is my opinion that Aurora contains the best possible claims as princess and inheritor of her father’s kingdom. She is a legitimate princess in virtue of her birth, she marries the legitimate prince of a neighboring kingdom, Prince Phillip, she has the support of her family and magical figures for her rule, and there is even brief mention of Aurora producing an heir, assuring that the kingdom remains intact. Some might object that Aurora’s sixteen year absence from the kingdom while hiding from Maleficent estranges her from her people, but it is clear from her reception and acclamation upon her birthday return to the castle (fireworks, outbursts of song, and parades) that she is clearly loved by all and would face no opposition in the succession. Ariel, however, abandons her claims for sovereignty of the ocean and, while becoming a princess of the land through her marriage, surely would face opposition and no doubt anti-mermaid activists in any of her attempts to rule as. Jasmine and Aladdin might have found true love and managed to have the senile sultan alter the law, but nevertheless her prince is no prince, and the people of Agrabah would most likely rebel under the rule of a woman who married a thief.
There are perhaps other Disney characters that lay claim to princess or other royal titles, such as Thumbelina, however, the aforementioned six are the most popular and therefore the most pertinent to examine. Likewise, there are many various sequels to the classic films that may perhaps have some bearing on these princesses’ claims to legitimacy, but I have made use of only the originals. In summary, the princess with the strongest claim is Princess Aurora of “Sleeping Beauty,” as she is royal by birth, by clear lawful marriage, and by the hinted production of a legitimate heir. Though we the viewers never get to see the future of Aurora’s kingdom in the film, based on rudimentary medieval standards of queenship and legitimacy, it most likely would have flourished under her rule; unless, of course, she found another spinning wheel.
* Note: As highlyeccentric mentioned (by the way, do check out her blog), Snow White herself is a princess by birth, but was cast out of her royal inheritance and, indeed, perhaps even her title by her wicked stepmother, the evil queen. Snow White's claims remain in league with the first group of princesses Belle and Cinderella, however, due to the absence of family, her poverty, and the fact that she never moves to take up her rightful claim to her own kingdom, choosing to live in the kingdom of her prince instead and leaving the dwarves behind. Also, interestingly enough, there is not an actual wedding in Snow White either, so if one wanted to be intensely critical, one could say Snow White did not, despite her birthright, press her claims and instead ran away to live unwed as a concubine. Her prince, though no doubt very charming, was not legally her husband and, thus, not having taken her own kingdom after her stepmother's death and not legally married to a legitimate prince, she rules nothing. There could be something to be said regarding the legitimacy of this "Prince Charming" as well, for what kind of royal family names their heir "Charming?"".
Carolingian
http://medievalisms.blogspot.com/2007/07/disney.html
So there you have it. 5min well spent reading this post. For me I've always loved the movie Beauty and the Beast. And even though Disney keeps protraying belle as a princess in their toys, products, etc., I've never really think of her as a decendent of a royal family in the Disney movie because, well her dad's an inventor for crying out loud. I've always thought that it's just a stunt to make her more glamorous n thus her products would sell.
Girl meets beast, beast turns out to be a prince. Ain't that a happy ending? ;)
Monday, August 4, 2008
I get High after a cuppa
I've always hated coffee. Or beer. Never trully understands why people love them. I hate bitter things. Which includes most coffee n alcohol beverages.
But then i tried ice blended coffees frm starbucks. Ohhh~ did i changed my mind. Its sweet n icy n creamy n i love d taste! After a cup my bf will notice i laugh a whole lot more, i shout more n i'll become hyperactive. I can feel my heart pumping more oxygen to my brain. In short, Im high.
Trying hard not to get addicted to it.
But then i tried ice blended coffees frm starbucks. Ohhh~ did i changed my mind. Its sweet n icy n creamy n i love d taste! After a cup my bf will notice i laugh a whole lot more, i shout more n i'll become hyperactive. I can feel my heart pumping more oxygen to my brain. In short, Im high.
Trying hard not to get addicted to it.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Just-Some-Boring-Post-Which-Is-Not-Interesting
Date: 11-06-08 Day: Wed Time: 2.24pm Mood: Okay-ish
Drats, Im kinda bored, n sleepy. Suppose to work hard out there, bt it was boring without any customers so i came in n surf d net. Still boring, I might as well write sth here.
I got my results (phew) C+ for my programming. No surprise there. I shud thank god tat i didn't fail that subject. Dunno how i got through d classes... 1A n 1A- REALLY big surprise there. Loved the lecturer. Heard she's pregnant. Coolest lecturer so far.
End
(Told u it was boring)
Drats, Im kinda bored, n sleepy. Suppose to work hard out there, bt it was boring without any customers so i came in n surf d net. Still boring, I might as well write sth here.
I got my results (phew) C+ for my programming. No surprise there. I shud thank god tat i didn't fail that subject. Dunno how i got through d classes... 1A n 1A- REALLY big surprise there. Loved the lecturer. Heard she's pregnant. Coolest lecturer so far.
End
(Told u it was boring)
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Of exams and finals and mother's day.
Just a quicky b4 i continue my study for my exams. Basically i just write down anything i can think of right nw.
2 more papers to go. My room mate's been packing for the last few days n finally she's shipping herself back to Perak this morning. Sigh... Wish I can do tat too. Instead I got 2 more papers on the 13th n 14, after my dreaded Java on the 3rd. 10 DAYS OF GAP!!! Yeah u might say I got 10 nice days to study bt for me it means 10 days of boring communication between myself n tat useless useless Hubungan Etnik. If you knew me, you would've imagined me playing games on my laptop for 9 days, then study on the last day, while cursing n regretting y didn't i start my studies much earlier b4. Bt somehow I gt d impulse n the determination to lock my laptop in the cupboard for a week n start revisioning on my finals. Bt somehow, I noticed tat I've finish reading every word in CLEO(May) from the first page to the last, dreaming of wad im gonna buy when i set foot in sunway or mid valley. sigh....
Oh well, the only reason Im here cuz i nid to return some stuff to my friend n also get some songs from him, which require my laptop. Imagine the amount of dust I wipe off it.
Oh yeah another thing,
I took half an hour 2 type an mother's day sms for my mom this noon. Its not that im writing an essay to her, its just that some how its really hard for me to express my feeling to her. Even more now when she's having a difficult time. I get so so so shy. how do i tell her i love her n care bout her without feeling awkward? Took me great courage to add "Love you always" at the end of my message. Anyway... Mom, your always no1 in my heart, n I want you to know that we all love you n will always support you. Happy mothers day =D
Ling
11-5-08
2 more papers to go. My room mate's been packing for the last few days n finally she's shipping herself back to Perak this morning. Sigh... Wish I can do tat too. Instead I got 2 more papers on the 13th n 14, after my dreaded Java on the 3rd. 10 DAYS OF GAP!!! Yeah u might say I got 10 nice days to study bt for me it means 10 days of boring communication between myself n tat useless useless Hubungan Etnik. If you knew me, you would've imagined me playing games on my laptop for 9 days, then study on the last day, while cursing n regretting y didn't i start my studies much earlier b4. Bt somehow I gt d impulse n the determination to lock my laptop in the cupboard for a week n start revisioning on my finals. Bt somehow, I noticed tat I've finish reading every word in CLEO(May) from the first page to the last, dreaming of wad im gonna buy when i set foot in sunway or mid valley. sigh....
Oh well, the only reason Im here cuz i nid to return some stuff to my friend n also get some songs from him, which require my laptop. Imagine the amount of dust I wipe off it.
Oh yeah another thing,
I took half an hour 2 type an mother's day sms for my mom this noon. Its not that im writing an essay to her, its just that some how its really hard for me to express my feeling to her. Even more now when she's having a difficult time. I get so so so shy. how do i tell her i love her n care bout her without feeling awkward? Took me great courage to add "Love you always" at the end of my message. Anyway... Mom, your always no1 in my heart, n I want you to know that we all love you n will always support you. Happy mothers day =D
Ling
11-5-08
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
