I didn’t cry; I was too nervous the whole movie. HOWEVER, I did eat popcorn with M&Ms mixed in and slightly melted. Seriously. I should really have my own cooking show. I can call it “Butter and Chocolate”.
To give a brief historical and political background on Burma – the country has been ruled by a military dictatorship since 1962. In 1988, there was a massive uprising – students who were calling for an end to military rule and the establishment of a democracy. Thousands of demonstrators were killed.
In 2007, there were again massive protests, this time for sudden doubling of fuel prices. Thousands of people took to the streets and were joined days later by a great number of monks. (The estimated total number of monks in Burma, according to the film, is about 400,000). Despite warnings by the military, people continued to take to the streets. Eventually the military just kept firing shots into the crowds until they dispersed. Even monks were beaten and killed.
Political dissent in Burma? Obviously a big no-no. Also a big no-no? Non-government controlled news. Burma VJ centers on the 2007 protests and a group of underground video reporters called the Democratic Voice of Burma. Because all foreign TV crews are banned from entering the country, members of the DVB risked their lives to capture what was going on and smuggle their tapes out of the country. Their footage was broadcast not only around the world but also back into Burma itself via satellite. It was incredibly brave what these reporters did, as three of them are now in jail, probably for life. The rest of the DVB has disbanded, and some have fled the country. As you see in the film during the protests, one man with a camera, believed to be a Japanese reporter, was shot dead in the street.
I don’t even know what to say about this film, except that 14 hours later, I am still thinking about it. It was one of the most incredible documentaries I have ever seen. I was reminded of the Latin American filmmakers of the mid to late 20th century, who used their cameras as guns that shot 24 frames per second. And I was reminded why I wanted to be a filmmaker in the first place…
You can probably see Burma VJ on HBO (if you have it) or should be able to get it on DVD soon. But definitely watch the trailer and you’ll see what I mean.
The Peranakan Museum – I went here with an American woman I met named Belle. In the Malay speaking parts of Southeast Asia, the term ‘Peranakan’ means “child of” or “born of” and is used to refer to the people of mixed ethnic origins. The focus of this particular museum is on the Malaysian – Chinese group, the biggest of Southeast Asia. There was an exhibit of Peranakan jewellery called “Baba Bling”. I did not add the emphasis which makes that title even more awesome.
Opening night of ARTSingapore – Contemporary Asian Art fair – with VIP access! I was invited by this very interesting Singaporean woman I met named Sharmini. One of the best parts of the evening was getting to see where she lived and meeting her children. The art was typical in terms of contemporary art for me – some I loved and some I absolutely hated. But the coolest piece I saw was a sculpture by a Korean artist named Hwan Kwan Yi. He makes these sculptures of squashed people that make you feel so tripped out and a little dizzy and nauseous! But very cool just the same. I pulled this photograph off the internet – with the other people standing there, you get more of a sense of what I’m talking about. Right?!!!
Today was my first day as a volunteer for Action for AIDS. I was looking for volunteer work in Singapore, particularly in some sort of medical capacity. I had spoken to someone at Singapore General Hospital, who informed me that all the public hospitals have shut down their volunteer programs in fear of H1N1. When I did some research on NGOs as an alternative, I found AfA. Perfect, since I don’t really know why but I’ve always had a fascination with HIV and AIDS.
It’s durian season in Singapore, and you can smell it from a mile away . It’s a very strong, weird odour, kind of like a mixture of fruit and sour cream and onion Pringles. I just checked out the durian entry on Wikipedia. There were some interesting descriptions of the taste and smell from writers and chefs. Here are some samples: “Like eating sweet raspberry blancmange in the lavatory”, “Completely rotten, mushy onions”, “Your breath will smell like you’ve been French kissing your Grandmother”, “Its odor is best described as pig-shit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock”. The taste, in a word, is indescribable.
Upon arrival in Singapore, I was told by an ex-pat teacher – don’t be surprised if you are asked “Have you eaten yet?” by your co-workers about twenty times around lunch time. It’s more like a “Hey, how are you?” than a genuine concern that you haven’t, in fact, eaten yet. But even so, you can’t believe how much Singaporeans talk about food. In fact, it’s not uncommon while eating with my colleagues or my mentor not only to discuss the meal in process, but also talk about other amazing foods and meals to be had in the future.
