A Theory of Evolution

Ever noticed how quickly kids are growing up these days? And I don't mean just physically (they are getting bigger thanks to modern day diet ... McDonald's and Burger King ...) but intellectually too. The way they speak, what they talk about, sounds far more advanced and mature than, say, when I was at their age (like, six). And when they get their hands on that computer mouse ... The thing is, each generation of kids is actually getting smarter than the last so it's as if the human race is evolving so fast - okay, perhaps not quite in the X-Men fashion - but fast enough that, within the few decades, children will stop being children at around six.

What a scary thought!

A Very Heavy Heart

Twenty-one Hong Kong tourists were held hostage in Manila on Monday (Aug 23) while on their way home. Six were released by the Filippino gunman, an ex-policeman alleged to have been wronged by the authorities, earlier on in the day but the incident ended in bloodshed, leaving eight Hong Kongers dead. This is a total shock to a city where this kind of violence and horror exists only in movies. The public has yet to come to terms with what'd happened. Why was the rescue operation so badly planned/executed? Why the police there so badly trained? Did the Filippino tour bus driver escape or was he a culprit? Were those tourists who died shot by the gunman or by the police? There are still so many questions left hanging in the air ... in the meantime, several families have been completely destroyed by this tragedy: A woman who lost her husband and two daughters while her son is still critical in the ICU, a child who lost his parents and the tour guide, who alerted his company about the hold up, is also dead ...

Life is so unpredictable ... our thoughts go out to all the families and friends of these victims and I hope some of the questions above will be answered by an independent inquiry.

The Revenge of Kitty Galore

Okay, the only reason why I'm writing this entry is because of this (super cute) photo. Well, I must confess I did actually GO and see this kids movie -- wait for this, with my parents (they are like my kids these days, a complete role reversal whereby I have to ensure they behave etc) -- and it was really a lot of fun. My mom said after the show that I laughed the loudest in the cinema -- and probably scarred the living daylight out of all those kids sitting around me. The movie is a kinda James Bond meets Silence of the Lambs only Kitty Galore is kinda harder to follow... half way through the movie I had NO idea what was going on and I don't think the kids knew either ... but I guess that is hardly the point (what IS the point?) Have to say the canine leads (ha-ha) aren't as cute as I'd hoped but the feline heroine (a grey Siamese? Couldn't really tell not being a cat person myself) is a rather lovely cat... anyway, one revelation of this movie (which only garnered one out of five stars in reviews ...) is ... like, hey, is that Chris O'Donnell of Robin (sidekick to Batman) fame?!? What ever has happened to him? Well, I guess The Revenge of Kitty Galore kinda answers that ... 

A Question Hovering Over My Head (2)

Whatever has happened to Kate Bush? As I'm typing this, I am listening to her earlier albums (tapes!!!) The Kick Inside and Never for Ever, which are EXCELLENT. Controversial too. Apparently the title track The Kick Inside is about a young woman leaving her brother a note before she commits suicide (she is ~ gasp ~ bearing his child). I mean, when she penned the song, it was the 1970s and the world then wasn't as open as it is today. To sing about incest?!? A very sad song. Babooshka is another one I like. It's Russian for grandmother but, in this case, it is a headscarf this woman uses to disguise herself in order to seduce her own husband incognito. Interesting: would he fall for her? Would she even want to find out? (check out the choreography for this stunning videio! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot3cVY1JESQ) Army Dreamers is anti-war while Breathing is on abortion. They just don't write this kind of songs anymore. I also find her music quite Chinese/Japanese (Oh To Be In Love) so I guess she was also influenced by the East (check out the cover of her debut album)..

My dad used to play her music when I was a kid - her voice esp. in Them Heavy People - simply stuck in my head FOR YEARS. Much latter, I was "reintroduced" to her music when I was at university. The guy who lived opposite me used to play her music, loud, all the time. Anyway, every now and then I will play her music to remind me what a genius Ms Bush is. Currently I just LOVE the track L'Amour Looks Something Like You. Very beautiful.

Onto other subjects ~ just bought a new Nokia (after I traded in some of my older phones ...) last night and it's fantastic! Just hope I don't get bored with it too soon. Also last night I went out drinking with some colleagues and after a number of vodka and martinis (?) one of us was force-feeding poor Ponyo with beer ... the poor thing ...

Gulp, gulp, gulp ...