self-indulgent post
2:23 a.m. || 2011-08-23 |
For the past weekend, I read a set of media law readings, I went to Esplanade library and borrowed books for drama class and I discussed FYP. I also wrote fashion pages, researched on food feature, took photos for Jin, went back to office and got more new assignments, in the name of work. I also had the time to sleep, to drink, to go Baybeats, to go swimming pool, to go town, to stone, to watch shows on xinmsn catchup tv. Yet it feels like I'm doing all the useless stuff, the unnecessary stuff instead of the important ones. I didn't have to work, I didn't have to borrow and read drama books. I just didn't want opportunities in work (and to earn money) to slip away when I actually enjoy doing it. I'm competitive in drama that way, because I'm not good at it and I want to be. The next few days are already packed with activities such as summer school outing, drama showcase and presidential election rallies. Again, not the things that I SHOULD do, like FYP (so that I won't feel so worried and guilty) and proper assignments. 2 more articles due this week too. hur.
and an acting workshop paper that is 50% of the grade not known when due.
Screw medialaw.
"First to go have been the photojournalists, next it�s the writers Sure, there may always be the need for specialist sports photographers, portraitists, fashion photographers and a news guy to smudge the President when he shows up to a press conference, but what about the guys who produce stories, who cover issues rather than events? Newspapers and magazines don�t employ them anymore. Should we care? Well yes we should. The other photographers cover events which are organised by someone else; events arranged by spin-doctors, PR agents, press secretaries, advertising and marketing executives. Looking at all news and current affairs these days it�s so obvious that what you are seeing or reading is regurgitated information fed to the news organisation by someone else�s press department. The photojournalists were the first to go, but once the destruction of the printed media business model is complete and still no-one has come up with a new one, then the writers will have to go as well. So we�ll end up with a couple of sub-editors re-phrasing press-releases and dropping in supplied photos. Hell, that�s happening already! I believe we owe it to our children to tell them that the profession of �photojournalist� no longer exists. There are thousands of the poor bastards, creating massive debt for themselves hoping to graduate and get a job which no-one is prepared to pay for anymore. Even when photographers create brilliant stories and the magazine editors really want to publish them, they cannot pay a realistic price for the work." What went through my head throughout reading this was..WAHLAU DAMN TRUE. That is what I have been witnessing everyday in the 6 months of internship. hurhur.
Currently typing this at a campsite in Venice, waiting for some photos to finish uploading. It's midnight here, and it's been a while since I stayed up late. (because there's seldom laptop+internet and there's nothing else to do at night.) Summer school in Paris ended. I'll share my cross-cultural exam essay here: Qns: Did the image of France changed? This is the first time I've been in Europe, so I didn't have much of an impression of the image of France to begin with. To me France would be like the movies-romantic and high-class. Having visited the France pavillion when I was at the Shanghai World expo last year, I remember France showcasing their cuisine, wine and there was even a model putting on a performance with a LV bag. In Singapore, when I had the opportunity to visit French restuarants, the French waiters were extremely friendly, asking after every dish is served if the dish is alright and recommending different wines to go with every dish. They had the air and class of a French person, and I remember being really impressed at that time. The food was high-class and luxurious, however it wasn't really to my liking, although usually I eat everything and anything. For this summer school programme, unlike most of my peers who want to come to France for France, I only chosed it because it was the only programme my school in Singapore partnered that doesn't clash with my internship which ended late June. It was a hunger to travel out of Singapore more than anything else. Hence I didn't have much expectations of France, and came with an open mind. I like cafes, so my first positive impression of France was the cafes at the airport when I first arrived. It was what I imagined-the architecture, the people, the food. They were all so different from Singapore. Almost all the cafes in Paris has the same look, but if the cafe is seen in Singapore, Singaporeans would be really impressed. The second day, we went to Paris for the Fete de la Musique. It was the first time I went to Paris, and the cafes caught my attention again. There were just so many cafes on every street and they were all packed with people, mostly sitting outside. In Singapore, people would only sit outside if there's no space inside, and those we see sitting outside would always be foreigners. Personally I like to people-watch, but it's not a culture Singapore has. I wonder how do all the France people sitting at cafes have the time to do so, life seemed so relaxing which was actually a huge contrast to the the image of France people rushing for the metro and trains. Centre Paris, is romantic. There's rivers and lights and couple kissing everywhere. But just off-centre, perhaps in zone 3, it is another world altogether. That's a part of France I didn't expect. I was at the South of the city center just yesterday, and it just felt like being in China. (I was living in China for half a year last year.) Dirty streets and building in non-artistic ruins..I guess most of Paris is like that. (the flea market areas etc that I visited in Paris as well) Coming to Paris made me appreciate Singapore more. Because Singapore is so small, the whole Singapore is clean and the living standard felt higher. We often complain about the high cost of living in Singapore, but it is so much higher in France. As a foodie and food writer, I could appreciate the food in France, they were good, but not good enough to pay the hefty price for them. As Bernard said in class, crossants are considered to be luxurious food and French people do not usually have good meals. I guess that makes living in France quite difficult for the average person-even if they save on meals, transport costs are crazily expensive, leading to the "cheating the metro" syndrome. Before the trip, my parents and friends have been telling me that everyone who goes to Paris get pickpocketed/mugged/some kind of crime, and that French people are unfriendly and nobody speaks English. I didn't really care then, but fortunately I didn't experienced any crimes, and the people I've met in Paris are all friendly and helped. Almost everybody speaks at least a little English as well. There was once my friend and I missed the last train in Paris back to Evry, and we really want to get back. We asked a woman for help and she gave us a few options and we decided to take a cab back. However there was hardly any cabs around in Paris, and she spent almost an hour helping us to hail a cab in the middle of the road. Even in Singapore people on the streets would help, but not go out of their way to help. Aother times when I was trying to find my way around Paris, the people I asked for directions were all very helpful as well. Hence my image of French people has definitely changed. In conclusion, I think that the place a person lives in and its culture does make a difference to the way of living and our life experiences, but ultimately it's a world of humanity and it's actually quite similar all over the world. Expectations are also moulded by comparations, comparations with what we heard from people, what we see in the media, as well as comparations with our own countries and the places that we've visited. Perhaps we shouldn't be so quick to judge and compare, but to just enjoy being in wherever we are. :) Then I flew to Edinburg and spent a day as a tourist going around on the citytourbus, (it was raining the whole day so it was actually a good idea) before meeting Huihuan & Shiying the next day for our Scotlands highland tour! Hence Scotlands is a really "tourist" experience for me, but after swearing off "tours" since my travelling last year, the brainless experience (and lots of sleeping on the tour buses) was actually a welcoming change. :) We met a Japanese mother-daughter and a taiwanese couple on the tour as well! Then it was back to Edinburg where hh spent a really random 21st! Ghost tour, beer drinking with a China guy we met at the hostel, watching Harry Potter, and a authentic Chinese dinner-the kind of good stuff I ate in Beijing! 羊肉窜gosh. and we took a family portrait photo with an old italian couple, bumped into the taiwanese couple again, and two swedish girls as well. 7 "strangers" in a day! London was next after a coachride. My 3 days in London was basically spent on theatre-literature related stuff. Watched Wicked, Les Mis and Dr Faustus. Reminds me very much of Acsian theatre productions, of Mulan's nunu's scenes..of TCN spirit. Wicked was entertaining, Les Mis was mindblowing, but I like Dr Faustus best. Maybe I prefer old-fashioned theatre rather than musicals. heh. I toured Shakespeare Globe & went to the flea market which is HUGE. (but spending most of my time in old bookshops.) I really like London, it reminds me of Singapore. Almost didn't get back to Paris, because I couldn't find the coach when it was time to get back aboard when the ship reached. Damn heng, this black guy sitting next to me actually came out to find me. :D Then I almost didn't have accommodation in Paris, because D forgot to pick up my keys and the office was closed. Ended up spending the night in his apartment instead. They're really nice though. :D Went to watch Tour De France finals (which was what I planned to go back to Paris for) and it was amazing. I can't believe cycling at such a godly speed was possible. An overnight train from Paris to Italy and now I'm in Venice. My sunrise moments: chatted a bit with an American woman on the train, met a Singaporean guy and bumped into him again on the streets and went to watch some performance with him and his friends, met 2 taiwanese women, hanged out with them the whole day and now I've her credit card (she left it behind at the reception) and we're meeting again in Pisa. :D
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