Sunday, January 29, 2012

Giselle–Act I Peasant Variation

My teacher has taken a renewed interest in using the music for the peasant variation in Giselle, which I happen to really like as well.

Here’s a crazy performance of this variation, with the fastest footwork I’ve ever seen – she seems to be flying across the stage!

Here’s another variation with jumps in the second theme instead of pointe work. It makes me sad, cos we did jumps in class to this music and they’re so difficult to just do the simplest of entrechats, much less what you see on stage.

Again – why is ballet so difficult?!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The Oxford Comma

Remember all the times in school when you were told that you shouldn’t put a comma before “and”?

That comma is called an Oxford comma, and, despite its name, is acceptable in American English.

While I’ve been trained not to use it, I find that it is useful in breaking up a written sentence to imitate how one would read it, and it has therefore crept into my writing – as you can see above.

The comma is especially useful when listing things, as illustrated in the first example below:

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It should be pointed out, however, that the creator’s argument for the result of omitting the Oxford comma is incorrect, as the example sentence is grammatically wrong – as we all know, an “and” must come before the last item in the list.

Thus, for that example to be grammatically sound, it should read “I had eggs and toast and orange juice” – which in itself is confusing. Hence it would be better to say “I had eggs and toast with orange juice”.

Nonetheless, I am wholly of the opinion that Oxford commas are useful – just not weak/incorrect arguments for it. The Oxford comma reduces confusion when used in a complex sentence, and alerts the reader to when a pause in reading and in thought should be made.

I’m glad to have seen this though, as it got my brain working for a while :)

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Rabbit food

I ate too much today – again – and the first thought that came to mind was that I should eat grass for the next few days, especially with Chinese New Year coming up.

Then it occurred to me that grass was precisely what I had this afternoon for lunch, and it kinda screwed up my eating pattern cos I was hungry before 6pm.

The grass was, more precisely, salad from The Salad Shop*. I feel somewhat guilty that I’m dissing the place despite my colleague being so kind as to help us get lunch from there, but I’ve given the place a second and a third chance and I think that’s as many chances as it’s getting from me.

Their salads are tasty, but are getting even more expensive than before. Portions have decreased, and they didn’t even bother to mix the salad properly this time – my boiled egg slices were still fused together at the bottom of the bowl. The pasta and grilled pumpkin used to be able to fill me up nicely, and I used to have feta cheese in nearly every mouthful, but now those ingredients are few and far between. The 2 additional ingredients (at $1.50 each if additional orders are placed) were a few measly slices of grilled eggplant and several small pieces of sundried tomato – and, naturally, did nothing to fill the emptiness in my tummy.

What amazed me more was how a new colleague came over after the lunch-time event to express how great the salad was. Apparently, he used to spend $15 or $16 on salads that weren’t as satisfying as this (about $10). Which made me wonder – how does anyone have the money to spend that much on food, and how can anyone like salads so much as to spend that amount of money on them? Their salads are rather tasty – and I do like eating vegetables – but until they increase their portions I don’t think I’m ever gonna purchase from them again.

 

*: They also have the most annoying website ever, which you can view here.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Why is ballet so difficult?

I was asking myself this question last night, after watching the (poorly recorded) DVD recording of my ballet school’s recital, and it’s on my mind again after today’s ballet class.

It occurred to me that people can spend tens of years on ballet but still struggle with the moves, as evident from friends and the rest of us in my ballet class. One minimum criterion is to lift and sustain one’s leg at 90 degrees in any direction – ballerinas must attain at least 160 – 170 degrees – and that requires tremendous amount of core, back and leg strength, as well as balance.

Yet, for some other types of dance, one could enter competitions or perform on stage with just a couple of years of practise.

In contrast, I don’t think any ballet dancer will look passably nice without at least reaching  Grade 8 in ballet – and let’s not even talk about dancing en pointe. Competitions are out of the question for adult ballet dancers too, as these are judged by age group.

A bunch of us are practising for our RAD Grade 8 exam at the moment, we are putting lots of work into just executing the steps, and much greater effort will be required to perform the dances with the grace, style and impression of effortless-ness required. All the balance, control, lifting up from the waist, timing, musicality…

How did ballet evolve into such a difficult style of dance?

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Weddings and Bags

Some random shots I took, of a bag and the church where my friend got married, back when I had this “Retro Camera” app on my phone.

I think I have since given up with using my phone’s camera for anything more than a regular photo to help me remember or note down things – it’s really lousy despite supposedly being 5 megapixels.

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A bag which has since spoilt

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Hymn books tucked neatly

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I love the arches in churches

The Resurgence of Asia?

It’s always interesting to read articles or books which remind us that the world order was not always as it is; that the might didn’t always lie with the West and that Asia was once at the forefront of civilisation and development.

Yet, it also always begs the question – what happened to make it all change?

Just some paragraphs from Predicting the Unpredictable (The Diplomat, 23 Dec 2011), by Jason Miks:

After all, in the middle of the 18th century, Asia accounted for 58 percent of the global economy, a share that gradually slid as the West underwent its Industrial Revolution. Rapid development in the West saw Asia’s share of GDP tumble to around 15 percent by 1952.

So is the rapid development that economic reforms have unleashed all thanks to a Communist Party master plan? Gordon Chang, in our first essay, thinks not.

“The world credits the diminutive Deng Xiaoping for the startling transformation of Chinese society.  We believe, according to the universal narrative, that his dictatorial state first debated, then planned, and finally decreed change,” Chang writes. “Yet reform, in reality, progressed more by disobedience than design.”

“China has enjoyed an ‘economic miracle’ largely because desperate peasants and frustrated bureaucrats openly made themselves into plucky entrepreneurs.  By ignoring central government decrees, they built large and small private businesses and changed the Chinese economy beyond recognition.”

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Amazon UK rocks

Despite the popularity of online shopping on blog shops, Gmarket and the like, online shopping in Singapore is in no way comparable to what is available in some other countries, like the UK for example.

For one, there’s a larger variety of retailers that offer online shopping and many retailers with physical shops also allow for online orders via their website and delivery.

Also, while online shopping in Singapore is more or less limited to women’s fashion – clothes, accessories, shoes and jewellery – you can buy and sell just about anything in the UK.

The jewel in the crown is definitely the presence of Amazon – it’s amazing how one website can offer a phenomenal variety of products from a whole range of suppliers. I love that individuals can set up an online presence on Amazon too, and ride on the brand name, search function and site traffic to sell their products – thanks to Amazon’s marketplace, I managed to sell quite a few books and CDs when I was in Japan.

I’ve been shopping online at UK websites and stores a lot more in the past year and a half, and I have to admit that the variety and choice available makes buying gifts SO MUCH EASIER.

Nonetheless, I was quite stumped when trying to buy a cake – Google searches weren’t very helpful, and the few relevant websites that I managed to find via Google didn’t deliver to my requested destination, didn’t offer quite what I wanted or never responded to my enquiry.

Stumped, I went back to Amazon UK just to try my luck – I didn’t expect them to sell much food. However, lo and behold, it actually managed to give me quite a few good results! I’ve placed my order with a shop which I found through Amazon – they have a physical presence too – and I’m really happy because my mission is complete :)

Now I just have to wait for the items to be delivered – hopefully the recipient will be delighted too!

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Yum yum

Fluffy beer battered prawns – recipe here.

Strawberry mojitos – recipe and photo from here.

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Sweet Treats

All recipes and pictures from here.

Soft Pretzels

Soft pretzels

 

Mini Banoffee Pies

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Spiced Apple Cider

Spiced spider

 

Spiced Cider Whoopie PIe

Spiced cider whoopie pie

Nutella Sandwich Cookies

Original post and photo here:

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Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Backbone

Wasn’t too happy today – perhaps I was being overly sensitive – when it was suggested that I walk all over my boyfriend and do not compromise just because I am opinionated, have a strong character and do not shy from expressing my opinions.

It was also said that I’m definitely more tempered when around him – “You meet only once in a while, of course you’ll be more tempered. Wait till you see him more often or every day! (then your true colours will show!)”

Ok, to say that I wasn’t too happy is an understatement. The above offends two people: me, for implying that I am the sort of person who treads all over my boyfriend, and him, for suggesting that he is the sort of spineless, useless man who lets his girlfriend trample all over him, his opinions, his feelings and his pride.

As if I would ever – EVER – be with a guy like that?

No man of mine will be in want of a backbone, for I’ll have little to do with men I can’t respect.

Plus, there was a time when we did see each other every day, or nearly every day – and that lasted for more than a year. I think he has had ample time to see my “true colours”, and they are certainly not anything like what was suggested.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

If I had a daughter

I hope she'll learn Chinese, just so she can understand - without translation - these awesome words from Sandy Lam's "伤痕":

女人独有的天真
和温柔的天分
要留给真爱你的人
不管未来多苦多难
有他陪你完成


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Sunday, January 1, 2012

Marina Bay Sands (MBS), Singapore

I had a complimentary stay at MBS thanks to my mum’s friend, but unfortunately I left concluding that MBS is a hotel that’s not worth paying for.

The room itself is nice enough – we added an extra bed as there were 3 of us – it’s very spacious as the space from the door to room is quite long. Unfortunately I’m not one to appreciate space in a room – as long as there’s enough space for everyone to move around and put the luggage, I’m ok with a cosy room. So many of the people staying at MBS are there for the casinos anyway and have little need for such a big room.

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Bear in mind also that this room we have goes for about $400 per person per night – not cheap hor! There wasn’t even any view to speak of from our balcony – the Singapore Flyer was not visible from where we were, and the Singapore River was on side of the rooms across the corridor.

At least they give TWG tea I suppose?

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The bathroom was nice enough, but I felt it was unnecessarily big and overly spacious, with slightly poor design – there was nowhere to hang the hand towels from.

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The room’s design was really something I had to quibble with.

Take for example the shower stall. It was large enough to put a bathtub, yet there was no tub – who pays $400 a night (and no breakfast included) for a room without a tub?

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Moreover, the glass panel seen above didn’t extend far enough to prevent water from splashing out when showering. The only way to mitigate that is to angle the showerhead towards the wall – but then you’ll be uncomfortably close to the wall and the ledge for toiletries.

There also was only one immovable showerhead – any hotel which doesn’t have a detachable showerhead gets an automatic strikeout from me, as I like being being able to hold it in my hand, plus it costs next to nothing for the hotel to have such a feature!

The poor design of the room also extends to the location of power outlets – I think the below exemplifies it well. How dangerous to have the wire stretching across the sole passage to the toilet, and how awkward that the wire was just barely long enough to reach the mirror! There were no power outlets for hairdryers in the bathroom, and the mirror you see in below was the ONLY mirror outside the bathroom – most 4 star hotels have at least one more at the alcove (seen to the right below) where the minibar and food are located.

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As said, I wouldn’t recommend any tourists to stay at MBS unless it’s free, they really want to gamble or they’re ok with the price they’re paying despite the various inadequacies of the room.

 
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