Qin Jia Yuan

He was sitting in his wicker chair. and his heart just stopped.

My grandpa died the same week as Ingmar Bergman. well 10 days later. still, he would've been proud. he was about 20 years younger than Ingmar though. I had prepared myself, ever since I came back from a visit 3 years ago, that it'll happen like this, we'd be far away, worrying about our own worries, and then there'd be a phone call. Three years ago I used to cry whenever I saw a pair of frail old hands, thinking that I might never see his pair again. I had hoped, some small hope, that we'd be able to get him here, fix his heart, fix his eyes, and I'd help him write his memoirs. I'd make him hand write them because I wanted the world to see his beautiful penmanship. He was eccentric the way most grandparents are eccentric. but they were his, and i understood them, and i loved them. Whenever I shake hands with someone I'd always remember how he used to tell me to go about my business, but then every few minutes would call me back into the room urgently, and then with nothing really to say he would sheepishly shake my hand. The road that I live off is Tu La Ke Lu (Toorak Road), and how picky he was about his food. I'm really just as picky as him, but nicer about it and would eat it even if I don't like it. I used to try to picture him as the flamboyant playboy of the east coast. (that's China, not Miami) the mistress he had and the daughter who's only ten years older than me.

he was always peaceful in his wicker chair. he probably had his giant jar of tea with him,an old Nestcafe jar, the Gold Blend because it has the curved sides that he can hold on to. I wonder what he was thinking about in those last moments. probably something about making a fresh pot of the good stuff he stole from mum two weeks ago. the man loved his tea. so do I when I come to think of it.

jump for more......

strawberry cookie shakes

whenever i have essays due, i become such a geek. i start signing up to things and cleaning up my bookmarks toolbar, and because a productivity guru.

i got Jaiku working today. which pulls things from my twitter, both things i got working with my mobile today. so you can all stalk me, i'll be sure to twitter exactly what i'm doing all the time, and people on jaiku can see it too, jaiku is also pulling my blog posts from here, as well as my flickr photos. my blog posts are also being pulled into my facebook. i also signed up for tumblr for a tumblelog. which i can upload videos i find on to and don't have to burden this blog with crap like that which according to darren is just useless crap anyway. i'll link you once i post something. but since it's a steram of consciousness type low key blog i feel it's probably going to be used a hell of a lot pretty soon. you can check out merlin mann's and also leo laporte's to get an idea of what it'll be like.

Other than that. big news shot through the cultural world today. Kurt Vonnegut died. which is all kinds of sad. i barely got through slaughterhouse 5 (even though it's the shortest book ever) but it was mainly because it was making me uncomfortable. just slightly unsettling. each time a "so it goes" pops up i'd get shivers up my spine. RIP kurt. so it goes

I got a job yesterday. Palace cinemas called me tuesday when i was in the middle of what would probably be the busiest line at a post office counter ever, i was unfortunately at the wrong end of the counter. but i called them back and they told me they were impressed by my resume. but i mean how could they not? they couldn't ask for more experience, or any closer. only problem was that i threw out my last pair of contacts before checking if i had any left and so after a mad scramble looking for the non-existent spare lenses (searching becomes an endlessly more tedious task while half blind) i tried to make myself as presentable as i could imagine without really looking in a mirror and went to an interview staring at the two little black dots on a face which i hoped were his eyes. but the interview was dead easy, i think they gave me the job before i even went in to meet them. they should be giving me a call soon for a first shift, he said probably this weekend just to get things started. i'm so excited. palace como has to be probably the best cinemas ever. and free tickets? say whoa?

i'm pretty screwed for these essays though. the blake class shits me so much that i don't even like to open up the book. there's a lot of work to be done the next few days. i'll try not to twitter or jaiku or tumlelog too much.

speaking of which, i should probably dive right in again.

oh wait! i went and saw The Lives of Others today and it was aaaawesome. incredible story, and the characters are all so great. i WILL definitely review it properly. this one at least. (oh wow....i need to review like 14 movies...)

jump for more......

RIP R.A.

Nashville, Gosford Park, The Player, my god even The Company.

the overlapping murmur of conversation, the flowing camera work threading through sets, a silent observer. Robert Altman has showed us a new way, an intimate way of interacting with the silver screen.

yesterday, at the age of 81, the legendary Robert Altman passed away at Cedar Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, of complications from leukemia.

i'm only sorry i didn't catch A Prairie Home Companion when it was at the cinemas, stupid boy didn't want to see it.

But you know what? He's already contributed so much to modern film making, and he was recognised for all his work at the oscars this year with his life achievement award, that all it matters now is that he passed peacefully, knowing that his work is loved and appreciated by all. I just wanted to give him a little wink and a nod from my little piece of the internet.

Let's have a Robert Altman Film Marathon. M-A-S-H, Nashville, and Prairie Home. Perhaps sometime next week? if anyone is interested, call or email me, or better yet, deany boy if you're reading why don't YOU organise it?

jump for more......