Ek het die volgende dekade ingegaan deur die Koreaanse spioen-reeks Iris klaar te kyk. Dit was verfrissend goed en vreeslik resent. Van die nuutse geboue in Seoul is as agtergrond gebruik en die tydsplasing is Herfs. Dit beteken dat die reeks, veral die laaste helfte daarvan, moes binne Oktober en November, en dalk selfs ’n bietjie in Desember, geskiet gewees het. Die verdere implikasie is dat daar bitter min tyd vir naproduksie (“post production”) was. Met ander woorde, die redigeringstyd was bitter kort. Om so ’n kwaliteit produk te lewer, met so min tyd wil vir jou gedoen wees! Om so ’n produksie in sulke kort tyd te lewer moes ongelooflike beplanning, koördinering, en bronne vereis het; byna soos die hoogsgeheime anti-terreur kantoor waarom die reeks se plot draai. Die produksie is verfilm deur die KBS uitsaaier se Kanaal 2 – hulle verdien ’n pluimpie. Die storie handel oor relasies tussen Suid en Noord Korea en moontlike besprekings wat tot vereniging kan lei en ’n geheime wêreld wye organisasie wat dit wil verhoed. Dan is daar ook die hoofkarakters – twee spesiale agente en boesemvriende wat op dieselfde dame verlief raak en uit eindelik bloedvergieting tot gevolg het. My Taekwon-Do instrukteur sê dat alhoewel die reeks baie goed is, die meeste Koreane hulleself nie volkome daarin kan inleef nie omdat daar soveel gewere in die storie is. Gewere is buitesig in Korea. Die meeste van die tyd dra die polisie hier nie gewere nie – hulle is eerder gewapen met rubber swaarde of tongfas (knubbels). So tensy jy na ’n weermagbasis gaan, of op die lughawe gaan rond hang, is jou kans om ’n geweer in Korea te sien, bitter skaars. Ook vertel my instrukteur vir my dat die storie losweg gebasseer is op die Amerikaanse reeks 24. Ek het self nog nie die reeks gesien nie, maar met Korea se reputasie vir “culture theft” sal dit my geensins verbaas nie.
Nietemin, dit is ’n uiters boeiende reeks. Maar dis ook ’n tipiese Koreaanse reeks, en as jy Koreaanse flieks ken sal jy weet dat dit oorloop van Han – daardie vreemde Koreaanse emosie waarvoor daar nie ’n ordentlike vertaling bestaan nie. Die beste vertaling vir Han is seker "wanhoop" ’n gevoel van hopeloosheid. So wees gereed vir baie traantrekker tonele en situasies wat nie eindig soos ’n Hollywoodfliek sou eindig nie. Die hoofkarakter is die aantreklike Byung-Hun Lee. Dit het my ’n ruk geneem om agter die kap van die byl van sy aaktreklikheid te kom. My konklusie is verassend. Dit is sy groterige neusgate wat so goed by sy donker oë pas en ’n interesante estetiese herhaling tot geweeg het. Daarby saam het hy ook diep kuiltjies aan weerskante van sy mond, wat vir skaduwees sorg wat weereens die estetiese herhaling tot gevolg het. Hy het ook ’n eienaardige mond, waarvan sy bolip dikker is as sy onderlip. Die meeste mense het dunner bolippe – vernaam mans.
I spent a great part of January and February in South Africa, enjoying time with friends and family. It was good to spend time with my older brother Tiny and my younger brother Nethan. I especially enjoyed my visits with Joa and other Natal friends; Howard, Natasha, and the girls; my Taekwon-Do family; my “other” brother Michael, and my younger “brothers,” Ruan and Franco; my cousins Gavin and Irma.
In February I started teaching two great classes: 19th Century British Poetry and British & American Essays. Both classes made me feel really privileged. Few people get paid to read such great literature. I saw and was touched by The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Discovered the music of Regina Spektor, which now have become a regular on my playlist. Read, and was inspired by, Joseph Heller’s Portrait of an Artist, as an Old Man. I also read The Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis, which just helped to confirm my own ideas about the Tao.
May I participated as an examiner at the main ITF dojang in Seoul.
To me it is all about an artistic play with light and shadow, colour and composition. And as an artist, I like to walk that tightrope of provocation . . . And I feel it is complimentary to this blog. I try to be really honest and frank about myself. I'm practising the art of self-revealing; it is not always easy, but if I want to be a true artist, I believe that is what is required of me. But of course there is only so much my audience can learn about me. Art, be it in word or in image, is always just a representation of the real, it is never the real itself. Posted by
Flessie (Gebasseer op die ontwerp van tradisionele potwerk.)
Kallie-grafie (My gunsteling -- ek hou baie van kaligrafie.)
(Image Source: MentalHelp.Net) I’ve been, what is compassionately known as, a “bereaved”: someone who is experiencing bereavement; the act of mourning over the death of a loved one, especially a relative. This I have been on more than one occasion. I could therefore call myself somewhat experienced in such matters and would consequently like to share what I found most irritating about sympathizers.
At the death of my mother quite a number of relatives thought it their obligation to share with me their condolences. Some went about it in a bearably quick fashion, but others thought it appropriate to ‘talk’ to me, to share some words of wisdom and comfort. A few would even evoke God into their commiserations. The bereaved is expected to listen to such addresses, shake their heads in agreement and whimper words of confirmations. This is the last thing a bereaved wants to do. One does not want to listen to the good intended, but otherwise ill-timed gurglings of other people. One is not in the mood to listen to other people’s attempts at making sense of it all, when you are yourself incapable of processing the ‘sense’ and the ‘nonsense’ that is life. The best sympathizers are those that make their condolences quick and sincere. The best condolence I received after the passing of my mom was from an acquaintance that merely said: “I’m sorry.” He’s words were heartfelt and to the point. He did not tarry. The condolence did not require any effort on my part – I did not have to listen attentively nor respond. Neither of these are things the bereaved have energy for. Appropriately timed, and of an appropriate length, a hug is also appreciated by some bereaved. At my girlfriend’s funeral the father of a friend of mine gave me an earnest hug. It wasn’t stiff and hastily over as if the sorrow of the mourner will carry over like an infectious disease. Nor was it unnecessary long. The hug should be cordial, but free to be lengthened if the bereaved requires the comfort of the embrace for a little longer. The focus of the affection should be the bereaved, not the sympathizer. I remember at the gravesite of my mother’s funeral someone hugging me, and then started to sob. I ended up comforting this person when I was supposed to be the one comforted. That’s just bad bereavement etiquette. If you feel uncomfortable speaking to the bereaved, or feel unsure about what to say, or think that you may start to cry yourself when you try to comfort the bereaved, then rather keep your distance. The bereaved do not have the emotional energy to handle your discomfort, loss for words, or emotional breakdown. Stick with a standard but sincere “I am sorry for your loss,” and move on, or sent a card with a similarly short and sincere message. If you are very close to the bereaved, like a best friend, then your support is required. Let the bereaved know that you are there for them, you’d be happy to help however possible, and that you have a shoulder to cry on and are willing to listen if they feel like talking. And then, just stay close and keep your mouth shut. There is comfort in your presence. The bereaved will talk to you if he or she feels like talking. Don’t pressure them into anything. Just be. However, while your closeness can be comforting, you should also allow the bereaved some time alone to work through the anger and sorrow by themselves. Some people cannot let themselves go emotionally in the presence of other people. It is therefore necessary for you to give them the space and opportunity to express themselves in private.
This is a music video my brother was involved in making in 2008. I think he did some of the camera work and editing, if I remember correctly.. This past year he spent in Sweden working as an intern at LifeStyleTV. This coming year he will be studying in the Cape (South Africa), while working part time at a media centre that produces religious material for the Hope Channel Network.
Yeah! I’m finished with all my work for this semester! The grades had to be in tonight (Sunday, December 27th). This coming week is the “Grade Confirmation Period.” Basically it is a time for students to bug professors, hoping that we will change their grades. Our goal is to make them understand that the grades they got is not our doing, but are the grades they earned. And then on Friday I’m leaving for vacation! First I’m going to Hong Kong for a few days, and after that South Africa. I cannot wait!
Verlede maand het Karen Zoid se “Beste van” album die lig gesien, genaamd “Ultimate Zoid.” Ek het twee Karen Zoid-albums. Haar eerste een, “Poles Apart” (2001) en haar 2005 album, “Media.” Op die laasgenoemde album is die snit “20 jaar” ontstellend vir my. Ontstellend mooi. Dis ’n song wat my wil maak trou en kinders kry, en jy weet hoe voel ek oor kinders kry! “Pleased to meet you” is ’n ander snit wat baie met my resoneer. Dit begin met die woorde: “They say that in your twenties, you try and find yourself...” maar gaan dan verder, waar jy in jou dertigs jouself weereens moet herontmoet. Die refrein lui: “Please to meet me / How am I? / Can I help me? / I must try...” Dit spreek met my omdat ek self nou in my vroeë dertigs is. Ek ken myself – het myself werklik in my twintigs leer ken, maar besef noudat ek in my dertigs is dat terwyl ek aansienlik meer seker is oor wie ek is, die reis nou eers begin het. Dat ek werklik nou eers kan sê, ek is bly om my te ontmoet, kan vra hoe gaan dit (werklik) met my, en kan wonder hoe ek myself kan help. In my twintigs was ek te onseker om eerlik te wees oor hierdie tipe vrae, en moontlik ook te selfsugtig om gesonde antwoorde op die vrae te kon bied. Tussen “Media” (2005) en die huidige “Ultimate Zoid” (2009) het Zoid nog ’n album gemaak, “Postmodern World” (2007). Dan is daar ook “Chasing the Sun” (2003) tussen “Poles Apart” en “Media” waarop ek uitgemis het. Alhoewel ek nie vertroud is met hierdie twee albums nie, is seker dat beide waardevolle bydraes tot die Afrikaanse rocklandskap maak.
Three posts in a row… Clearly I’m procrastinating. I still have to grade some exam papers, but instead I’m surfing the Net and coming up with more things to post about. Luckily the grades are only due Sunday at midnight, so I still have time. What do you do on Christmas?
Korean Rum Diary (where I saw this video for the first time) wrote an interesting post on what seems to be Korea’s “Culture Theft” habit. I have written on occasion about the problems I have with plagiarism among my university students before. Apart from plagiarism, there is the problem of cheating. Before every exam week, administration sends a serious request to all examination supervisors to be vigilant against cheaters. It seems that cheating is a rampant problem. In a survey we performed last semester, we were surprised at the results. While most students say that cheating is wrong, many also said that given the opportunity they would cheat if they knew other people are cheating because the competition for high grades is so great. And then there is the problem of “sharing.” There is the general attitude that students showing answers to each other during tests are not cheating, but sharing. Keep in mind that this is a communal culture where sharing is very common. After all, people even eat communally from the same bowls.
Neem nou hierdie weergawe van die Volkslied deur Ras Dumisani. Ek is eerlik as ek sê ek hou van die nuwe Volkslied. Ek hou van die meertaligheid, van die integrasie van beide Afrika en Europeuse temas, van die fases in die lied. Maar goeie genugtig -- ek hou nie van Dumisani se verkragting van die lied nie. Gepraat van mense wat ons land se naam deur die modder sleep; ek bly oor Julius Malema wat bietjie aan die bek geruk word. En dit nogals deur die Kommuniste Party! Wie sou dit kon voorspel? Malema wat deurgans sulke nasionalistiese / sosialistiese uitsprake maak, soos dat alle myne genasionaliseer moet word, word nou deur die Kommuniste Party gekritiseer vir sy aandadigheid. Kan jy nou meer!
Die oposisie party COPE is nou een jaar oud, maar blyk om te kwyn. Hopenlik kan hulle 'n tweede asem kry sodat Suid-Afrika se partyprofiel 'n gesonder demokrasie sal toon. Een ding kan 'n mens omtrent Suid-Afrika sê: Dis altyd interesant! Met soveel karakters het 'n mens nie sepies soos 7de Laan nodig nie. Hou bloot die nuus dop.
Russel Crow and Ben Affleck play the leading roles in this espionage journalist-detective drama. A very good thriller story well worth seeing! Trivia: Brad Pitt and Edward Norton were originally casted as the leads.
It took little effort for me to become engrossed in the alternative reality presented in the science fiction film Avatar. Regardless of the extreme “otherness” of the world, the audience is quickly sucked into the wonderful and colourful world of Pandora, with its blue natives. The film made me wish that I was a pantheist. It is well worth the see on the big screen. I did not see it in 3D, but I’m sure it must be fabulous. Maybe I’ll go watch it again, just for the 3D experience. The director is James Cameron: Titanic (1997), Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991), Aliens (1986), The Terminator (1984). While not a Titanic fan, Judgement Day is one of may favourite movies. Anime:
After that dreadful excuse of a vampire movie New Moon, I hoped to redeem all that is loved about the vampire genre, and upon suggestion of a fellow blogger I got myself season one and two of the True Blood TV series. Vampires in the South of the USA feeding on rednecks have potential, but will it stand the test of time? To be honest, I don’t know. What is certain, though, is that True Blood is much better than Twilight saga. For one thing, the vampires are actually vampires – not anaemic models that glitter in the sun. Personally I thought that season one was just an excuse for soft porn on late night TV. Season two toned down on the sex, and beefed up on the gore. While True Blood is not the best in the vampire canon, it is watchable. Vampire fans are happy that there is something with fangs to watch; and it contains sex and violence for the men, and love stories for the women. I’m still waiting for truly seductive vampires, like in Interview with a Vampire.