Lights, camera, action!

Alright, I know, this post is long overdue. I should have done this a long time ago. I'm sorry. I beg for your forgiveness. Such sins have been committed, I wallow in remorse.

Haha, self-apology done for an assignment that has been tasked to an event that which happened months ago. I wonder if my memory is still vivid enough to recall what ever that had happened during GEMs Video Project.

OK... quick flashback, my group was doing a video production on the theme "Come Together". We managed to concoct a feasible story plot of which we filmed once we sorted out all the loose ends. Yes, I remember now, the last time I blogged about GEMs, I stopped right before the part about filming. Thank goodness for Grey Matter.

Henceforth, my post for today will be leaning towards the events of the filming process per se. I've never acted in any type of production before, and by truth, was reasonably nervous on the day of filming. Despite my jitters, deep inside I knew that we had almost got everything prepared and ready to shoot. Stage fright, I guess? Although I've never really been one for that.

Must be due to the addition of recording lenses. I don't really like taking pictures in the first place, and you want me to appear in a video which would probably show thousands of frames containing me inside them within a minute? It was definitely mind-crushing. But I thought, "What the heck, there's a first time for everything.", and so I just went ahead and tried to give it my best, as I've already done from the start. So why not continue? It was just an extra segment where a camera had to be involved, that's all.

Throughout the few days of filming, everything had not been as smooth as planned. But that was to be expected, we're still amateurs at this media matters after all. Let me just try to list out some of these problems to the best of my memory's ability.

Firstly, sound recording. As we were making our video during curriculum time, background noise was to be expected. However, the problem was thrown into the manifold when we realise our equipment was picking up more of the background noise rather than our voices. We had to raise our voices significantly, which actually made it seem quite unnatural, but that's just my opinion though.

Next, cast allocation. Many of the filming groups had to use the actors from the other groups due to the lack of manpower. Which was actually fine, initially. But then came the part when the same actors had the need to be present at two different teams at the same time. Thankfully, the issue was resolved, all that was required was some patient waiting. This was also the point where Theodora sent me an urgent S.O.S, pulling me out from my M.A.P.S project straightaway. By the way, Theodora, glad to have helped, and sorry for not being there all the time.

Well, there weren't actually much problems, not any major ones which I know of. Moreover, I was enjoying myself the entire time. Perhaps I should say that I was immensely worn out by being the scriptwriter-cum-cameraman-cum-actor-cum-director at certain times, but to me, it was really an experience to behold. Filming had shown a whole new aspect towards me at those moments.

Just to sum it all up, it has been a good move to use a Video Production to better gear us towards the English Language, writing the script itself had already been stressful, not to mention the voice screaming inside your head when the camera had commenced recording, "Pronounce your words properly, you're a GEM on camera now!" Ugh. Don't get me started on my camera fear again.

On a final note, I really hope we can meet up soon for another GEMs meeting. Last I heard, we still have editing to do on the videos we filmed.

The night is just a quieter version of day.

Holidays are coming to an end, and with that comes the beginning of a new year. Anyone have plans on how to celebrate The Countdown yet? I hope homework is close to completion for the most of you, or else... you're going to be in for it. Really, in for it. Just kidding, nothing but just some positive encouragement for my dear friends.

In this long holiday, how many have felt the overbearing boredom overcoming us as we run out of options other than clearing up our schoolwork? Many, unfortunately. However, not to be daunted, many great hobbies and talents have arised out of people solely because of boredom. At least this shows that shifting your brain into neutral for a while can do some help of refueling yourself. What activities do you engage in when you're feeling suppressed by, well, the irony lies in that the feeling of being suppressed by nothing can almost be the problem itself. You're almost too free. For me, basketball relieves some of that suppression, jogging, or badminton. I don't need to stress how exercise has the ability to cut down on stress, I believe everyone already knows that.

Or if you want something more of a passive nature, and since this is GEMs after all, I suggest poetry, or other forms of writing. Poetry for me isn't something hectic like rushing out a school work Literature essay. It's more like an...outlet. An outlet of expression. There are always some things which cannot be expressed solely by plain adjectives. We may need to involve word play, personification to better bring the message across. It may be confusing to some, but insightful to others. Well, to me, at least. I get inspiration from some of daily life's commonplace happenings and objects, things that have that enlightening value.

That being said, I can't really say much about the quality of my poems. Haha, I only pen these pieces in my free time or when I'm stressed, so don't complain too much when the words sting your eyes. As for this one, I was just strolling the streets at night alone when a few funny frights actually got my poetic juices flowing.

Fangs of the Night


Frosty winds scavenge across my cheeks,
Who knows what may stick out from dark corners and peek,
Numerous monsters and different freaks,
All waiting for your anticipated fear to leak.

Day turns to night,
Same places can conjure up horrible sights,
And I really want to know what's on my right.
Not thinking much with all these fright.

A dog only barks madly,
When it sees something we can't spot visually,
Dim lights may appear ghostly,
But not until the lights themselves go out completely.

A rustle in that bush may hide a spooky recluse,
"Come and get me",I silently mused.
But when a nearby electric circuit fuse,
You will know that your soul can be easily reduced.

The temperature drops steeply at this ungodly hour,
Every dismal shadow grins like a bloody flower,
Suddenly the air tastes acridly sour,
I have a feeling that tonight the time will pass considerably slower.

~Penned against a frosty chill,
William.


Normally, my inspirations don't come like this. But this time, the origins of some of the lines were ...should I say, weird?

-"Frosty winds scavenge across my cheeks"
Oh, for goodness sake, I should've brought a jacket.


-"Who knows what may stick out from dark corners and peek"
Argh, something out of the corner of my eye moved.


-"And I really want to know what's on my right"
Yes, the previous thing I saw at a far corner was on my right.


-"A dog only barks madly"
Actually, this was just one of the residents' pet yipping away. I was like, "Shut up, you stupid critter! You're disturbing the neighbours!"


-"Dim lights may appear ghostly"
This popped into my mind when a street lamp flickered right above me.


-"A rustle in that bush may hide a spooky recluse"
This, see the dark bush at the centre of the photo. I'd heard some sweeping sounds behind it, but in the end, it was just an old man wanting to get home...


-"Suddenly the air tastes acridly sour"
This one's true. There was a gust of wind, it really tasted sour.

Well, that's all for now. I hope you didn't mind the fluidness lacking in the poem, but I just hope you'd enjoyed it. Thank you and good night.

A rush of adrenaline.

One often feels unconsciously stirred by events in one's life which may make a difference. There are so many times when we will reach a fork in our road, where a wrong choice can leave an ugly scar in the tarmac. The situation could be made worse if it is not just you alone making the choices and walking the journey. When your choices tend to affect other people, there will come a time when deciding between these options can turn people into a wreck. How long can these cracks hold up before they turn into huge gaps?

Truth to be told, this isn't my first time making decisions which can affect a whole lot of other people, but every time is a new experience. Just because there was once a success does not mean the flowers will keep on blossoming for you. In the recent GEMs video project, where I am the main scriptwriter for the video involving NDP, these feelings come in unstoppable surges. One man's meat is another man's poison, and I understand that no one script can be a 'one size fits all' in terms of likings. I know that any form of criticism would be constructive and a mere passing remark, but then again, you tend to feel uneasy. Simply because you feel the duty you have towards everyone.

Alright, I know I may be overexaggerating in the previous two paragraphs. I don't want people to start thinking I'm stressed to the point whereby I'm about to be diagnosed with a nervous disorder. However, I'm just trying to increase the impact of my message. True, a lot of effort will have to be put in to ensure the success of any large-scale project, but who says that fun cannot be derived from the whole process?

Up till now, the GEMs video project has given me several insights and experiences to many aspects of the English Language. I had much enjoyment in writing the script, and I'm also sure that tomorrow's rehearsal will be a delightful one as well. I just hope that I can get the logistics and everything else right to the highest possible extent.



I can see that all GEMs are working to their utmost diligence. Celebrate towards a more wondrous English learning experience, and here's a toast to all GEMs, cheers!

~Poetic-wise, in such a tranquil night, one shall lift his martini glass in a silent toast with the full moon in the sky. The chilling yet comforting midnight breeze being his only company, he downs the soothing liquid.~

"What's in a name?"

After an arduous period of examinations, it is finally time for the next GEM session. We often hear of this saying, "At the end of the tunnel is light." Perhaps the examinations are the tunnels and post-exam activities like GEM Workshop is the light? That being said, today's GEM workshop was definitely the place I wanted to be for the afternoon. The main reason would be because of the free air-conditioning, but since that's radical, I shall just say that GEM is...erm, beneficial for our language learning?

The agenda for today was for us to continue our work in preparing for our drama project. It is nice to know that I have such great members in my team, which allowed us to waste no time in coming up with a feasible story plot and script. However, I get a feeling that this is only the tip of the iceberg, the trail will only get harsher as we progress along. Oh well, obstacles don't really exist to block us, they are there to increase our strength as we chip them away bit by bit. We have a plot which is "very NE" (quoted from Miss Mazlinda), which is good, isn't it? We do study and work in a NE school, after all. Minushi, Theodora and me will be meeting up on our own to further expand upon our project. And again, I'm gladdened to have team members who have initiative, it just makes work so much easier, and less messy.


That's Theodora on the left and Minushi on the right.


Sourced this from Theodora's blog, hope she doesn't mind... Hmm, of course she doesn't. She doesn't have any reasons to.

In the midst of our discussion today, Theodora and me stumbled across the topics of names. As said by Shakespeare, "What's in a name?", therefore I proceeded to ask Theodora on the origins of her seemingly unusual name. Turns out that "Theodora" is a Greek name. Further research
shows nothing relating to Greek history, maybe negligence on my part. However, I did find out that "Theodora" relates a lot to royalty. Sourced from Wikipedia, it states: " -Flavia Maximiana Theodora, daughter of the Roman Emperor Maximian and second wife of the Emperor Constantius I Chlorus.
-Theodora (6th century), Empress of the late Roman Empire and wife of Justinian I, considered a saint by the Greek Orthodox Church"

Hmm, interesting. Anyway, onwards.

Names are chosen for us by our parents, and they often hold deep meaning. Most names are chosen in the hope that their child would turn out to be a success in the future. For example, the Chinese would often like to choose names whose roots lie in 'courage', 'virtue', 'intelligence' and the likes. How about your name? Have you ever tried to find out for yourself or asked your parents about the significance behind it?

A misplaced opportunity

GEM was cancelled today, I'm not sure whether I should be glad for the extra time or disappointed for having missed such a wonderful workshop, even if it's only 1 session. My schoolwork seems to always accumulate in an endless mountain-like pile waiting for me to complete. On the other hand, GEM has also become an outlet of enjoyment for me, a way to destress.

Well, I just finished reading a novel called "Come Back To Me", a romance novel, actually. It's set around the 5th-6th century, involving the Norse and the Saxons. What happens here is that 3 couples were wedded among unhappiness initially, because their marriages were between the Norse and Saxons in order to attain peace between the two groups. The first two marriages had gone smoothly, and the couples now live in bliss despite the fact that they were forced into it at the beginning. Only the last marriage between Dragon and Rycca remains, their journey to marital happiness was one fraught with turbulence and plots against them. And generally, the story is about their love.

So what am I talking about here? I'm talking about 'Reading'. Although I've used a fictional novel as an example, reading as a whole is extremely effective in improving our language abilities. So I've found out. You can trust the teachers' words when they tell you read more. Or if you cannot bring yourself to believe a teacher due to some unknown inner psychological mechanism, you have my word on it. From Enid Blyton and Dr. Suess in Primary 1 to Andy McNab and Matthew Reilly in my Secondary School days. Or from 'Talking Science' (it's a science magazine for little children) to Reader's Digest and the newspapers, reading has always been an inseperable part of me. To me, it doesn't make any difference for novels, or magazines (No FHM or Playboy for me, I'm serious!).

While reading articles on the net or the papers enable you to gain knowledge, novels bestow upon you the ability to escape into another world vastly different from ours, and thus everyone should make reading a daily activity. In fact, whenever I'm whiling away my time waiting for someone or anything to that effect, I just grab any reading material I can find and start poring through it.

Since GEM is about speaking good English, I do suppose reading would help greatly in that aspect. Tonight, I gaze upon the stars, and see the worlds of many others. Among them, I see myself, book in hand, reading while enjoying the cool autumn breeze which ever continues to flip the pages of my life for me...

English Teachers

Like all teachers, they only want the best for us. Math teachers force us to practice more so that we familiarise ourselves with the questions, geography teachers try to use imagery as much as possible so that we can better comprehend the complex works of Nature. How about English teachers? Many of my classmates perceive English as a boring language, mayhap because the teachers in these lessons often rattle on about something which sounds insignificant such as grammar, sentence structure, and report formats. The importance of language is what sets up apart from being mere apes, and the fact that we are far more sophisticated than the monkeys is due to our ability to communicate specifically. Moreover, our IQ level has been proven to have actually lost to the monkeys.

Note the term, 'communicate specifically'. Not just a grouping of weird '00-hs' and 'e-kks'. Therefore, grammar remains a significant factor in conveying our message to others clearly. Hmm, do I need to remind all of you about the importance of adhering to grammar rules by using the video from my previous post as an example? Maybe a new reminder is needed... I just sourced this out, more focused on just humour itself, but useful as a reminder nonetheless. Haha!



Well, that being said, it's really not the theory part of languages that attracts me. This word may sound a bit far-fetched, but 'Passion' is the thing you need to keep your interest up. I got this idea from Mrs Julia Raj, who commented that I wrote with passion after reading one of my literature assignments back in Secondary 2. Hah, see the awesomeness of English teachers now? They're not just some scarecrow standing in front of the whiteboard babbling stuff which not many understand. The power of languages is...infinite.

Blogging in GEM

Apparently, the GEM management decided that blogging had some positive effect on our language ability. Thus, here I am, whiling away my time doing something I've always liked at the expense of school time. How great? Practice is a great way to improve one's English proficiency, and without the usual essays and report writing, blogging is another great way to keep the gears of our words and mind grinding effortlessly.

Anyway, when I first heard that we could post videos on our GEM blogs, one idea immediately shot into my brain. There was this video about being a grammar Nazi which made me smile in humour.


Enjoy!