Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Puyal 2010 Alumni



These are the videos of the dance, that I helped to choreograph with my senior, for my old jc's alumni dance. Its a technological feat in itself that I managed to get these videos uploaded, IF they can be viewed.

love love!

Friday, April 23, 2010

Love

I visited the blog belonging to a friend of mine's recently. I haven't been following it regularly (sorry honey!) but I do know that he had a few issues with love. It might be safe to say that those issues are slowly being cleared up(?). I bring this up because I thought of something and thinking about it reminded me of him.

The only kind of love I've experienced is that from family. So in a way I guess that you could say my information is incomplete, but what can you do? Nevertheless, I think that its sufficient for me to be able to decipher my thoughts on this subject in a fairly clear manner.

I think that if you know that you're loved by others, you're a much more different person. As in, take two people. Both are brought up the same. They get married, and both give birth to 5 children. (I'm talking about women here) These women bring up their children. Unfortunately, I can't keep things constant here, because one's family lives in a middle-class suburb and the other, in a kampung. However, we shall assume that their external surroundings suit them. Now, as these women grow old and their children slowly get married off to start their own families, we see the product of their parenting skills. One's children adore her and her husband. They are well taken care of. So much so that when her husband passes away, she too follows suit a few years later. There isn't much scientific evidence here but you can make your own assumptions. The other woman's husband passes away however she lives a long long life till present day. This other woman who lives a long life, lives to see most of her children get married and even has grandchildren approaching their 20s.

However, she has not been loved. She had been virtually shuffled around among her children. Her plan of living with her youngest fell through, when her youngest chose the spouse over her. She spent her life serving her husband and children, and yet when she is old now, somewhere something went wrong because there is not an ounce of filial piety or love in any of the children except what is forced. It takes a month-long-stay in the hospital and a disease that is supposedly going to kill her to get all 5 children in the same room together. When asked, what caused the disease to suddenly appear in a woman who was so conscientious about her health, concrete answers aren't given. Mutterings of "it just happens in old people" are then quickly heard.

Looking at the entire life story of the two women, only one conclusion comes to mind as warped and distorted as it is. One woman was safe in the knowledge that she was loved by those who knew her. The only time she was alone was when she passed. Her children even comment occasionally now, that it was strange that no one was with her at that time but I think it was meant to happen that way. It could explain why she went so quickly and was not in any prolong state of suffering.

However the other woman, though she lived longer, much much longer she was not loved or cared for. The children she wanted to live with pushed her away and the ones who wanted her to live with them, she pushed away. Age catches up and a disease suddenly hits her. Perhaps, the consequence of not being loved and cared for properly after giving so much in her early life, possibly brought on by herself in her unhappiness. For if you don't feel loved, or cared for, chances are you're not particularly happy. Doctors say you can't die from a broken heart, but they also say that if you're sick, if you have the will to survive and your medical condition could swing either way, you will survive. If you're unhappy, so so unhappy, that its been accumulated for at least 25 years, then it could be said that you lose your will to live. Furthermore, your body no matter how conscientious you are, will break down slowly. The lack of will, in my opinion will speed up the process.

This has been the most round-about way of me explaining a thought, but frankly I couldn't think of any other way.
Lesson of the day? Probably the most cliched of them all: tell or at least show your close ones that they ARE at the very least loved by YOU. I know it is not an easy thing to do, specially when being brought up in an Asian society where affection is not openly displayed by family members. However, I think that even just trying to make sure that your loved ones have a good day, especially when you can do something about it, is good enough. It's not a one-off thing mind you! Do try everyday. That way, at the end of the road, when he or she looks back, it looks pretty good and decent and that will let them not mind the obstacles and grumbles and other unhappiness they might have experienced and perhaps pass on peacefully. Afterall, that is the moment we are all worried about right? The moment on your deathbed and you look back and think "did I have a good life?". The answer to that is important not only to yourself but your loved ones who are (hopefully) gathered round your bed. A positive answer will help your surviving family members move on more calmly after you're gone.

So yes, do your best everyday so that at the end, all izz well. Apologies for such a somber post. loves to all (the FEW who read this blog)

love,
shini

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Transgenders



This is an interview, on Yahoo!
A transgendered person, Adriana Roslan talked about her opinions and life.
I just happened to come across it actually and I mean, personally I just view them as normally people. Some people will sneer, jeer, make crude jokes and I don't think its funny. They really ARE the same as everyone else, they just happened to be born in the wrong body. I mean I guess they got a bad rep from those who solicit as prostitutes. Then again, they should just be looked at as prostitutes and not as transgendered prostitutes. Maybe they had to turn to it cuz noone was hiring? See how that perpetuates into a vicious cycle? So yeah. If you aren't sure what to call them, then just ask. Its simple and polite.

The thing is, when I DO see an transgendered person, I do stare. Not because I'm a hypocrite or anything. Its just that they look so PERFECT. Like seriously!!! Their legs are as long as my entire body, gorgeous figure and expertly applied makeup! I mean how can you NOT stare at them, in ADMIRATION! Seriously. That's all it is. sigh. I swear, the amount of effort they put into their outfits, would put any female to shame.

There is that arguement that if you're BORN a female or a male, you are SUPPOSED to behave like that and have your physical appearence as such. However, I don't believe that. Wouldn't you rather dress as how you FEEL? If you feel and know without a shred of doubt that you're not supposed to be male, or not supposed to be female, then yeah, by all means, change. Change so that you're comfortable. I know this is all very easy to say when no one close to is changing. I mean people would say that well what it your son wanted to have a sex op? Would you be happy? Well, frankly, there'd be some shock. Unless I knew all along, there would be some shock. BUT, I'd be happy. I mean hello? I get to have another shopping partner! Who'd look gorgeous! Of course there's that whole "will she get married and will I get my grandkids?", but there's always adoption! So yeah. And any friends who are thinking about permanent changes, in any form, I say, if you're sure and comfortbale with it, GO FOR IT. Just know that if everybody else abandons you, you'd still have ME:)

love love,
shini