Movie Review: Joyeux Noel

25 Nov 2007

I bought this French movie, Joyeux Noel, from Alliance Francaise around 1 year ago and since, I haven't had the time to watch the movie.

As I made plans to go to the hair salon and be spending 5 hrs there, I decided to bring along my laptop and the vcd. So as I was sitting and waiting for my hair to be set, I took the opportunity to watch the film with my ear phones plug in. I recommend this movie greatly.

It's filled with human touch based on true stories that happened in WWI. The earlier scenes showed the war between the Germans, the French and the Scots. Bullets and bombs flying all over, dead bodies... but on Christmas Eve, a miraculous exchange happened.

It started with the Scots playing their pipes and singing. Then the Germans joining in by singing Christmas carols and finally, the different regiments (Scots, Germans & French) threw their hostilities aside and set their guns down on Christmas eve. They had exchanges of conversation in their own languages with whisky & cakes in the no-man's land. On that night, they even had a Christmas Mass together. On Christmas Day, the Lieutenants agreed to give all the dead a proper burial. Parties from all sides attended the funeral and said prayers for the dead.

This exchange is now referred to as Christmas Truce and the soldiers run the risk of being charged for treason. Through the exchanges, the soldiers turned into friends/brotherhood. They watched out for each other and deliberately gave each other shelter against ammunition and bombs.

Alas, this is short lived. Soon their superiors intercepted their letters and found out what had been happening...

Trailer of the Film: http://www.ifilm.com/player/?ifilmId=2693014&pg=&skin=tomatoes&refsite=6081&launchVal=1&mediaSize=default

Shots of Love

Acknowledgement:
Photographer: George Seet

Camera: Nikon D300

Meet the Family session

We met my family today (minus MOTH) over lunch, coffee break, dinner & coffee break.
We didn't do much except sit around, eating and drinking. Actually I don't recollect if we had some proper exchanges of information.

Everytime my mom meets her grandchildren, she would give them a really huge bag of sweets and chocolates each. Children being children will then get "seduced" by the goodies. If they spend the whole day out together, they will be munching non-stop. If I'm not around, my parents will allow my kid to continue. You know why? Out of fear that the child will scream her lungs out in public. I rather she scream her lungs out in public than to suffer months and months of medication daily.

My 3.5 year old had too much to eat today (I am referring to the non-nutrition stuff). She started coughing again. I was a bit stirred up. For a long time now, I had wanted to suggest that my mom stops giving out goodies bags like Santarina. I finally did so today. I told her that it's fine to give her grandchildren goodies but in a smaller portion as the children cannot control their urges. She then argued that they must've their sweets as they're always expecting her to give them out. I reminded her that it's nice of her to hand out sweets but as the parents, we are paying the price. What's the price? Constant visits to the doctors and hospital. Plus expensive monthly medical bills. They, as grandparents do nothing, contribute to nothing towards caring, nurturing or loving this child.

At the end of today, ie around 9pm, the 3.5 year old decided to threw her tantrum as a farewell. She wailed, cried, screamed. I knew she acted this way as she's tired. She didn't have a nap the entire day. In fact, she wasn't entertained by the whole day trip at Orchard Road spent mostly sitting at the cafe.

I told my family to leave her alone in her room. As usual, they refused to heed my advice. They tried to sweet talk her... and her wailing got even louder. It was so extreme. They asked me to give in to her requests. I flatly refused. If my child wants my attention, she gets it but through the right way. She will not get my attention by wailing for it. I want her and I need her to understand "basic respect and politeness". Actually my parents have no right to preach to me. Should I had behaved in this manner when I was a child, my father would give me one tight slap immediately. He won't even care to give me a hug.

I told them to leave her alone. My temper raised when her Auntie May went up the stairs to give her attention. This time I raised my voice and asked her to get her butt back down. May had no choice not to leave her alone.

Excuse me, I'm the child's mother. Though I give her credit for caring for my child while I'm out at work, it doesn't mean that she can override my commands or decisions.

Meet The Teacher Session

MOTH & I went to the 3.5yr old school to meet her teacher.

Don't worry, guys. It's not a complaint session, rather this is a progress report.
In summary, we were told that our 3.5 yr old has matured a lot, able to take on responsibilities to care for other children, gracious in sharing, imaginative, articulate... she is however weaker in numbers and has shorter attention span.

Her teacher observed that the 3.5yr old is always play-imagining a baby. She asked very straightforwardedly if we plan to have another baby as she said that our 3.5 yr old is surrounded by her little friends already having baby brothers and sisters to play with.

Ahem...

One month ago, I noticed that the 3.5 yr old has already gotten the ability to recognise alphabets. She will pick up leaflets, start pointing out the alphabets and pronouncing them.
She's now able to sketch her mommy, her daddy, her auntie and her pet snake. Her daddy has a round face with large eyes whereas her mommy has a slimmer, longer face. So these are huge improvements. I believe that she has benefitted from the time she spent in school and also with her auntie May.

Inflation

The hottest topic is the papers these days (other than ASEAN summit, Myanmar, Pakistan) is regarding the 5% inflation reported to be the highest ever in 25 years history.

It also drew my attention to raising costs of groceries and higher expenses of living.

I realised that in the beginning of the year, we were paying $19.50 for a tin of milk. Currently, we are paying $21.50. That's a $2 raise. If I didn't calculate wrongly, this implies an over 10% of price increase in milk. I frown at this finding. This is milk for my kid. I can't simply switch brand or not purchase milk.

Before, we were spending under $120 a week for groceries and sundries. Now, we are spending between $150-$200 per week to top up our supplies.

I have always been very careless with my finances and require a knock on my head every now and then to be more careful. So last week, I started a spreadsheet to show a record of our family's expenses. I think it's time for me to be aware of what we are spending. Example, my maid is always requesting to purchase cleaning detergents. I'm simply hand out the cash without knowing the price of each labels and how often is our requisition. Hmm... not a healthy practise.

The other hot topic in my office is regarding the salary increments for employees. Though we work in an oil & gas company, profitable, the salary increments are horrendous and unfair. Why do I say horrendous and unfair? The company in regardless of economic, political, employee's performance, has always allocate between 1% - 3% of salary revision yearly. This year, we experience GST increase by 2% and now with inflation of 5%, even an idiot like myself understands that a pay adjustment between the percentile of 1% - 3% would not allow employees to manage their household expenses.

In fact, this is one of the reason why I kinda boycott attending french lessons. Last year, I received a 2% pay adjustment. After CPF deduction, I am drawing aro $80 more per month. The scenario is this... French lesson begins at 6.30pm and ends at 9.30pm. To attend this lesson, I usually beat time by commuting via taxis & have dinner at the cafe. As a result, I could spend aro $50 that evening x 4 times a month = $200 of additional expenses to acquire a language for work. But then the company doesn't reimburse for such expenses, and after working my sums, the increment does not even cover the additional costs. The company doesn't even give me examination leave to prepare for the tests.

Maybe some of you would feel - you could commute via train or pack your own dinner to save cost.

I do not agree that I've to fork out my annual leave, extra time and extra money from my miserable pay packet to finance the language course. I am a working mother and therefore time is very precious to me. When I was taking the course, I had to sacrifice Wednesday evenings. Even by taxi, I arrive home only after 10pm. I cannot imagine how long it will take for me to commute via the train and then via bus.

Especially since English is the agreed business medium in Singapore, why should we be expected to take up this additional language for the convenience of the corporation. Perhaps the HR should organise to send the Parisians to English lessons instead. The world is evolving. Isn't it time for the French to accept global changes and challenges?

In the event should I become a fluent french speaker, what does it symbolise?
More appreciation, more salary, more advances, more advantages?

Actually with my character, if I do master the language, I will not hesitate to lash out at those incompetent ones in their mother language.

MOTH supports EGG?

Je ne comprehend pas. Pourquoi? Mon mari comprehend les decisions de mon directeur.

J'ai besoin penser à la situation. Peut-etre que je ne suis pas raison avec mon jugement.

Je ne sais plus et je ne suis plus la classe française. Parce que je ne suis pas heureux avec mon directeur et ma entreprise.

Book Review: Bangkok Tattoo

I first learnt about the author from a magazine. He is a British but had worked in Asia most of his life as a lawyer and then took a career switch to become a writer. Since then, my curiosity was aroused. Not really by the content of his book but more about his career switch. How can one take such a drastic change? So I hunted his book down at a rental book shop.

This is a thriller about murders with severed penises, prostitution, political scenes. As the title suggests, the story is set in Bangkok and about tattoos. I enjoyed the twist of the story as I never expected the ending to involve a Japanese tattooist who enjoyed gambling. He knew his works were well- soughted after and therefore, he placed tattoos of his clients as bets to yazukas. When he had lost his bet, his client would be hunted down... the yazukas will carefully peel off the skin of the client bearing the tattoo. The skin would then be carefully preserved.

Bloody. But thrilling and some parts, sexy.