Culturally Preconditioned

Continuing from last year’s 2005 in review post, this is my entry for this, I mean last year. Nothing really mind-blowingly exciting has happened really. Just made me realize how fast 525,6000 minutes go by. At least I survived a full year at the same employment. That’s almost a personal record. LOL Anyway, we’ll see. I’m leaving out all ’serious’ issues out of this and leave all the news to do a proper recap. Rather than a review, this is my Top Ten Highlights of 2006.

Books/Nanowrimo/Writings

Well the book that I mentioned finally got published in Spring 2006. The book’s called “Letters To My Teacher : Tributes to the People Who Have Made A Difference” and it came out just a week after Teacher’s Day, not that it matters cause the book was not released locally (but I found out that MPH is currently carrying the title). I sent a copy of the book to my English teacher in Mara College Banting (of whom my story “Nothing Is What It Seems” was dedicated to). She said it was a wonderful surprise etc etc.. and it was nice, even though she’s not my favorite teacher. Believe me, if you’ve read the story you would know, I wasn’t trying to brown nose my way into her arse or anything, but it was a bittersweet non-conventional dedication to a teacher, which I think would apply to so many of us and the teachers we use to ‘hate’ in school.

Anyway, I just got an email from her today, saying that she had been chit chatting with my old homeroom advisor, who mentioned that she’d written that I “would be a good writer one day” in my confidential report. Oh if only they’d come across my blog, my excessive cussing and blatant disregard for grammar. I shudder at the thought. In any case, I think I have progressed quite a bit in my writings this year. For this year’s NaNoWriMo, I have managed to surpass the 4k mark, still less than 10% of the 50K total, but still, a progress of 3K from last year’s attempt. Yeah shut up.

I was also interviewed by a group of university students for their thesis on local English writers. Me. Being interviewed. On writing. What the hell, right? Anyway, I just hope they don’t end up with a D for their final report. I also had a brief stint with a regional magazine. I was proud of my “More Than A Nasi Lemak” article and even though it was a brief stint, I can now boast that I used to write as a “Malaysia correspondant” for a regional magazine on fine dining and architectural design. Well that’s over, I might go back to writing for Cinema Online if they still need part timers. Other than that, I foresee 2007 will be a slow year for my writing. I think I will spend a lot of time rewriting Daud In Distress. Okay, rewriting the first chapter of Daud In Distress.. although I have been toying with the idea of renaming the novel as Daud in This Dress.. or Daud In Durex. I can’t make up my mind.

The Amazing Race : All Star Spoiler

No, I will not mention actually mention the spoilers here, but with the help of a friend (who I now owe a firstborn to, and) who tipped me off that The Amazing Race All Star was going to be shot here in Malaysia, I had personally managed to gain a hands on, first hand experience in watching The Amazing Race All Star being filmed. There is so much more to say on this, but … for reasons that I can’t really say right now, I won’t. You’ll just have to wait till April 2007, but believe me, you would want to watch this All Star series. Seriously. But that was the single most best Sunday I’ve ever had in my entire existence, and I’m not even exagerrating. Stay tuned, folks.

Movies

Let’s start with the good points. My personal Top Five films of 2006 :

(1) The Prestige

The most underrated movie in a long, long time.. The Prestige is a movie that should’ve deserved a lot more recognition that it did. A story about two rival magicians in the Victorian era, the movie holds a lot of intrigue, mysteries and suspense, and slowly unravels its conclusion in a deliciously beautiful and diabolical way that only Christopher Nolan knows how to. The Prestige is MAGICAL. I had this movie at the Number 2 spot, but after writing this short synopsis, it has been changed to number 1 - made me realize what a great movie this was.

(2) V For Vendetta

This story is about a revolution. It’s as simple as that. It’s hard to pinpoint what exactly what I find amusing about this story, butthe storyline is brilliant. Some may find it a snoozefest, but to each his own. I loved every second of the movie, and it also inspired me to cook lots and lots of eggs-in-a-basket.

(3) Cars

I was ready, oh so ready, to hate this movie when I walked into the movie theater. I was merely there to accompany my nephew and niece for their movie treat. I did not expect myself to be heartily entertained, and actually moved after watching this film. Yes, it did get my eyes a little misty in the middle of the movie. And that’s the only reason that I can think of that might make me hate the movie a little. Damn you, McQueen.

(4) Dorm

Now why can’t our local films be more like this. Use a tired old cliche and turn a ghost movie into a coming of age story. The movie was poetic. I would say hauntingly poetic, but the story is not scary. Yes yes no doubt we have a ghost in the story, but the ghost wasn’t used for cheap thrills, nor was it used for comical effect. It was just.. beautiful. If anything this supernatural story certainly rivals that of “Stand By Me”. Too bad, like Nang Nak, this movie will disappear into oblivion, without the public fully realising what a magnificent piece of Thailand cinema this was.

(5) The Devil Wears Prada slightly edging out Casino Royale at a close 6th place.

I love Prada for it’s totally unashamed campiness. I love Casino Royale for its total butch manliness and the end to metrosexual Bonds. But I’m gonna have to edge out Prada because.. bitch you don’t wanna piss off Meryl.

So those are my top movies of last year. I’m sure there are a few that I missed that’s worth a mention but oh well. I do feel a need to mention a little on our own little ‘gem’ - this CICAKMAN. I was intrigued by all the hooplas, so I actually paid for the tickets to catch this movie. I was pleasantly surprised with the comic book effect in the opening credits and thought I was going to be in for a treat. Boy, was I wrong. The CGI effects were all very impressive I have to say, but why was there a need to emulate Putrajaya iinto pseudo-NYC ? Whatever, that doesn’t bother me that much.. but for fucks sake, they spend millions to make the movie, and they can’t come up with a better script? Next time, pay a screenwriter to write something.. decent. Is that what Malaysians are really looking for? Slapstick comedy, lawak tak kelakar, a villain that acts as much as he’s been acting for the millionth time he’s on tv that you just wanna shout shut.the.fuck.up.SHUT.THE.BLOODY.FUCK.UP.AZNIL everytime he appears on screen? Seriously folks, we are one step further technologically speaking. Now it’s time to leave stupid acts and idiotic unfunny lame assed jokes out of this and do the local movie industry some justice.

Music

I have always been a little ‘late’ in getting new sounds.. most probably because I avoid stations like Hitz.fm like the plague. You know, radio stations that glorify whatever shit that’s currently ‘top’ in the States? Even bullshit ’songs’ that don’t even carry a tune like that fucking Timberlake’s new ’song’. Absolute filth. You call that music? Fuck my ass. Seriously, the music that the youngsters are programmed to nowadays make me wonder what the future holds for them. Chewah.. macam la aku ni tua sangat. And then there’s radio stations that keeps playing Coldplay all the time. God help me. Anyway, I have been resigned to my iPod collection and a few limited radio stations that don’t play these kinds of filth. I have been tuning to more country music this year, thanks to the Cars movie. Yeah I used to laugh at people who listen to Country music, but hey, it’s really not that bad. You know, Rascall Flatts, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban. They’re alright y’all. I do still enjoy the occassional pop and Brit Rock but I’m also venturing out to more Jazzy and some Easy Listening music (Diana Krall etc) - you know, the kind of music that I used to call Elevator Music. I call them my Dinner Party playlist. Good god, I think I really am getting old. At the top of my head, my top tunes this year (in no particular order - and probably not from this year either) : “Find Yourself” ~ Brad Paisley, “Bad Day” ~ Daniel Powter, “Breathe Me” ~ Sia, “You Give Me Something” ~ James Morisson, “Home” ~ Michael Buble, “Dakota” ~ Stereophonics.