A Gamelan Experience

A Gamelan Experience

The distinctive sounds from the gamelan drums got my utmost attention. It was something I had heard before. A sound only produced by the gamelan drums. Last night I went and watched Monkey Business, a show on gamelan music at the Actors Studio, Bangsar. It was a brilliant show, with acts all put together with the gamelan. Loads of issues can be raised in gamelan, such as homosexuality, isolation and freedom. Some of the scenes in Monkey Business were quite disturbing yet some superb.

A gamelan is an ensemble normally composed primarily of percussions. It is comprised of an orchestra of tuned gongs, bronze kettles, bronze metallophones, bamboo xylophones, drums, cymbals and flutes that fill the night air with animated music. Melodic parts interlock, divided in such a way that musicians play alternate notes to form the melody line. These interlocking parts, known as kotèkan, require cooperation and a keen sense of rhythm to perform. The two parts of a kotèkan, which are thought of as male and female, are known as "nyangsih" and "polos". The main accents of the nyangsih part are usually on the offbeat, while the main accents of the polos part are usually on the beat.

Gamelan is truly an experience. You must hear it, to know it. It has such a distinctive sound, that you would not mistake it for any other instrument. No other drum produces such a sound. It is music that moves the soul easily and alters the mood. I certainly enjoyed Monkey Business and hope to go for another Gamelan performance just like this. Monkey Business, directed by Krishen Jit was not just the traditional sounds of Gamelan but a few new experiments with the chinese drums and different styles of playing the Gamelan. Double trouble, double the fun!

Have you ever heard Gamelan? Start surfing the net for audio clips. Maybe you would be able to enjoy the tunes too... Go all out for a gamelan experience!

Shore

Shore

The waves are noisy fingers,
busy sketching their thoughts,
tickling the sand.

bubbling with delight that
it is revealed secret shells,
curiously coloured...

Taurus

Taurus

Yesterday, Romeo said that people whose star sign is a taurus are the most commanding powerful and forceful people. What could he have meant by that? How do I interpret this sentence? Can I take it literally?

I am a Taurus. Does this mean I am commanding, powerful and forceful? These are good characteristics, but they can also be bad ones. I am confused. Would you please explain what it is you do not like and I will try and change for you...

I want to tell you, but I dont know how. I want to whisper it in your ears, but you are so far away. I want to be assured that I am all you want, all you'll ever need, but you still dont know. It is not that easy after all, sometimes you get what you get at the worst of times. Sometimes maybe even deserved well, but that is how life is...

The wind blows a simple tune and that puts me in a serene position, to wonder and hope of life and love... So calm, so silent, so inspiring...

An Improvement

An Improvement

When I was assigned to do a topic I just did not like, I was devastated. The topic, law and morality, a topic with no right or wrong answers just arguments that will get you an A. I was not hoping for anything near an A. I hated topics which were so grey, and this was a grey topic.
The question: Evaluate the view that there are areas of private morality that is not the law's business.

Thats my essay...

I read a book sometime last year entitled "What's so great about America?" by Dinesh D'Souza. I dont usually enjoy reading political books but I read this book from loads of recommendations from friends. Not quite interesting, but struck a thought when writing this essay. Finally, one of these boring political books would come into use. My essay had a couple of quotes from this book. It helped with 50% percent of my work.

Now standing in front of the class under the chilly air-cond making me shiver reading my essay out loud for the class. I finish, then get these comments from the class, that made me puzzle in confusion. I just knew it! This was just not my topic, not my day. Yes it is so, I am easily saddened by critism. My teacher then made her comments, another few that made me draw the line of being confused. I so knew this day was not meant to be. I had all these sad, cold thoughts in my mind. I just felt like crying. I wanted to run...,"A very good essay I would say!" She concluded.

What just happened? Did I miss something? For a moment there I thought I was being debated down to having written such a poor essay, but I was wrong! She liked it! yahoo!!


I know it aint an A, but it is certainly an improvement. From being lost in this topic, to loving it.
I am getting there. There is certainly a God above, who loves me!!!

Dream Moods

Dream Moods

Swifts of wind blow into my ear. The cold weather brings out a gloomy mood. A mood that swings my heart to wonder of life, hope, beauty and love. The melancholy mood helps to remind me of my past, and makes me long for a sip of strawberry hot tea, and curl up in my purple bed spread and dream, dream till I can dream no more...

Welcome to Pizza Hut!

Welcome to Pizza Hut!

Dial 1300-88-2525 at 10.30 am

Welcome to Pizza Hut!
Untuk Bahasa Melayu sila tekan 1
For English press 2
(press 2)

Please be reminded that this call is a charged as a local call.
To make an order press 1
To check on delivery status press 2
(press 1)

Here is our menu, have a pick!
For Masala Chicken press 1
For Veggie Lovers press 2
For Seafood Special press 3
For Hawaiian Chicken press 4
For.... press 5
For.... press 6
.....
.....
For more pizzas press 8
For a side order press 9
*the list never ends
(press 4)

You have chosen Hawaiian Chicken
For Personal pan press 1
For Regular pan press 2
For Large pan press 3
(press2)

You have chosen Regular pan Hawaiian Chicken pizza.
For stuffed crust press 1
For regular crust press 2
(press 1)

You have chosen Stuffed crust regular pan Hawaiian Chicken pizza
For cheese crust press 1
For sausage and carrot crust press 2
For golden cheese crust press 3
For.... press 4
For.... press 5
*the list never ends
(press 1)

You have chosen Stuffed cheese crust regular pan Hawaiian Chicken pizza
Would you like to make another order with that?
Yes press 1 (its a whole new long list)
No press 2
(press 2)

Finally a telephonist speaks,
Your name: .....
Phone number:.....

Ok, So your ..... from .....(address)
You have ordered a Stuffed cheese crust regular pan Hawaiian Chicken pizza

Your total is RM 25.30. Please provide exact change.
Your pizza will arrive in 30 minutes.
It is now 10.35am, your pizza will arrive at 11.30am.

Thank You for calling Pizza Hut!

(hangs up)

We are so caught up with the flight of new technology today that we tend to be technical in our work. Just to order a simple pizza I took a whole 5 minutes. Imagine those who are not familiar to the names of Pizza's at Pizza Hut, they would have to recall the names and the numbers. We have trouble memorizing history, now why would we want to take this long list of pizzas and numbers up. At no point of this call can you return to the beginning. The only way to change your order without having to wait to the very end of the call is to hang up and start dialing again.

What happen to the old traditional, yet quicker way to order a pizza through a telephonist? If we are going to be so technical, then why do we still have a telephonist at the end of the call asking for your name and number? I think we pay too much tax, for so little labour work. Not to mention the long phone bill.

It's about time we start to acknowledge the fact that technology should only be applied to benefit another instead of slowing the work process. I agree that this automatic phone ordering system is a new technology, but it should only be applied to company's with much less things to say. After all the idea is to quicken the ordering process, not show how fluent Pizza Hut is at a language.

Plus notice, I ordered a pizza at 10.35am and it is said to only arrive at 11.30am. The line before states that my pizza will arrive in 30 minutes. Is it just me, or can Pizza Hut count? Well turns out Pizza hut only opens at 11am. So why keep their phone line on at 10.35am? Can't they just say:

"Welcome to Pizza Hut!"
"Im sorry but our phone lines are only open at 11am"
(hang up)

The problem arises simply because we try to be so technical with the way things work, that we don't stop to realise how it benefits our customers. What are your views on this system?

This is one heck of a ordering process. So it better taste good!

A Million Dollar Closet

A Million Dollar Closet

I sat and watched Oprah Winfrey today. The day's title:Oprah auctions her closet. Yes, that's right; people were biding for her beautiful designer gowns and accessories. All collections went to charity. Some of her gowns were sold at top prices like $8500 for a stunning red silk gown, which she wore at party at the White House. She also had a garage sale of more than 1 million dollar worth straight from her closet. All these clothes were of great designers only for such cheap prices. Like this Ralph Lauren Suit at only $70! That is fantastic! Walk into Ralph Lauren, and the cheapest suit are at $1000, walk into Oprah's closet and purchase one at only $70. Biddings are still going on at Ebay starting tomorrow morning for 10 days.

All you Oprah Winfrey fans and Designer wear people, this is a place you should be at. Don't miss it! Log on to Ebay tomorrow morning and get your designer wears. All proceeds go to charity.

Oh how I wish, that one day I could do something so big for charity like auctioning off my wardrobe. Unfortunately bloggers, I can't as my closet aint a million dollar one but hey, I am only 18! Give me a few years, and you'll see a blog inviting you for my auction.

Cheers!