Month: January 2013

In 6 Months

/ carlenetan / 2 Comments

I know exactly where I’ll be on 19th July 2012 🙂  Mat and Gen are going to say ‘I do’.

I’ve been really blessed with some really wonderful friendships.  One of them is with Gen who I met some 12 years ago when we produced a children’s series for Channel 8.  Yes, you’re reading it right, it was Channel 8.  I bet her Chinese teacher and mine are laughing their heads off at that fact but yes, we, 2 convent girls, did produce a Channel 8 program a long time ago.  Through the years we’ve seen each other through tough times and shared many joyful moments with never ending bantering and laughter.  Like a little sister, Gen and I share parallel experiences that’s quite uncanny.  She gets me and I can always count on her to be honest with me when I need it most.  So I was extremely honoured when she asked if I’ll be one of her bridesmaids and I replied, of course 🙂

I couldn’t be happier that she’s found Mat.  A sweet chef who’s been a hoot to get to know.  He’s perfect for Gen and grounds her like no one I’ve known to be able to do before 🙂  Besides their wedding, I can’t wait for the beautiful babies they’re going to make :p

It’s going to be a fun 6months coming up!!  Stay tune for wedding progress.

Pitch Perfect

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Doesn’t everyone love surprises?  I know I do.

Note to self: the unexpected is key to engaging storytelling.

I think sometimes the world we live in where information is abundant and the marketing of any product leaves nothing to the imagination, I don’t get surprised that much anymore.  Most movies are rehash of stories we only know too well. Even if we knew the ending, it’s how you tell the story that can be unexpected.  The other thing is knowing and understanding the medium you’re working in.  Such are the scriptwriting takeaways from my Singapore to Hong Kong plane ride.

Here’s the lesson plan.  On a plane while you’re putting the final touches to a strategy plan for the new year, Pitch Perfect is pretty much the right movie.  To which I’m happy to report surprised me and managed to get me to bounce along with the somewhat contrive coming of age story.  Also, maybe because they referenced one of my favourite coming of age movies, The Breakfast Club and music from Simple Minds.  ‘Nuff said.  I think so too 🙂

Since the final touches of my strategy plan is done, here’s a little more than my 2 cents of Pitch Perfect.  Maybe it’s just me but singing always make for fun movies.  I’m always up for movies that make me ponder, explore my inner motivation as a human being and exquisite craftsmanship but I’m also the kind that go to the movies for a fun time.  Pitch Perfect was just that.  Enough of Glee and Smash or yet another Step Up movie, Pitch Perfect is somewhere in between all of that.  The story was very predictable but the covers were fun and when Simple Minds is used, it was the perfect plane movie to be playing in the background.  I really wouldn’t mind watching it again at home during a new year holiday too.  Hello Mediacorp Ch 5, yes, instead of Rush Hour. kthxbyeee 🙂

From me in Hong Kong, with my iPhone playing Simple Minds and getting ready to leave my hotel for my dinner meeting, hope you’re having a happy Tuesday too.

P/S: I’m pretty sure there’s a scene for my next script in there somewhere.

It is 2013

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It was an intense December that literally flew by.  With work, family and friends, I couldn’t have wrapped up 2012 any better.  Released our beta at work, made time to catch up between family and friends and tried to find pockets of solitude time.  There are things I’m beginning to understand more as I get older.

At least I always think I do and as the old year gives way to the new year rolling in, I get older and realise I’m still learning and probably will never stop.  In the cusp of years changing, I’ve learnt a hard lesson that among the joy, there is and always will be sadness.  At the same time, a trust is building.  One that is quite absent of logic and is all faith.  One that was so serendipitously strengthen by a prayer that a dear friend unknowingly sent when I most needed it.

God, give me the grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed,

Courage to change the things which should be changed, and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,

Enjoying one moment at a time,

Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace.

Taking, as Jesus did,

This sinful world as it is,

Not as I would have it,

Trusting that You will make all things right,

If I surrender to Your will,

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,

And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen

Emphasis is all mine.

My first week of 2013 pretty much sums up life.  There will be ups, there will be downs and each day is an opportunity to learn to surrender.

Here’s to a blessed 2013 to you and your loved ones.