A Night Of New Experiences
Went to watch "Smell of Rain" at Sinema Old School yesterday evening. All the way up Mount Sophia - another new driving location. Never been there by any other means, too.
The Old School premise is quite cool, though remote. Well, at least it seems nice in the evening. I didn't get to walk around the compound cos the show was starting in 5 mins. The theatre and a retail shop below it are owned by 2 of our alumni members - Ryan and Nicholas, who were also the directors for another local film, "Becoming Royston". Anyway, the theatre is very cosy, filled with very long, red-leathered sofa. As expected, the turn out was quite small, around 20. Local and re-run - lethal combination for low turn-out. The visual quality was a little blurred.
The movie was a bit slow, almost reflective. There was a lot of narration and quiet scenes, filled almost entirely with actors' stoned facial expressions. Maybe they were supposed to be stone-faced. Coincidentally, the lead actor, Nat Ho was there to watch the re-run. Nicholas asked me to get an autograph from him. I was a bit shy lah, and wasn't that crazy over such things so I passed.
I couldn't appreciate how some of the parts were brought out, but one phrase from its trailer I watched a while ago was brought to remembrance: "No reliance (dependence), no expectation. No expectation, no grief." It's not a new expression. In fact, I wrote about it before in one of my posts last year. Hence, the meaning behind these 8 words, though almost a cliche, has profound meaning for me. And even more so now, with the realisation that perhaps it is this fear that's been a barrier in my personal breakthrough in developing that most desired intimacy with God. That'll most probably be the next quest for me. God help me.
Anyway, after the show, I had dinner at an open-air restaurant - Recess. The aglio olio was too blend, so I had to add my own salt, cheese and chilli flakes. The tako balls were smaller than the usual ones you get from those basement eateries. The half dozen escargots were ok. I've eaten too few times to give a fair judgment, but $2.30 per creepy-crawly gave new meanings to "hard to swallow".
The service was good - staff was friendly and ever ready to serve. But they couldn't really understand English. One set back was that the non-smoking section was on the side of the toilet where one of the staff, during the short period I was there, went for cigarette break twice. And I thought I was seated at the wrong section. The lighting was a bit too dim, but being by myself, it gave a good ambience for me to be deep in thoughts.
For some reason, it was a straight few hours of waiting around the vincinity after that. Oh well...I guess I asked for it. Sigh...how I know??? :P
The Old School premise is quite cool, though remote. Well, at least it seems nice in the evening. I didn't get to walk around the compound cos the show was starting in 5 mins. The theatre and a retail shop below it are owned by 2 of our alumni members - Ryan and Nicholas, who were also the directors for another local film, "Becoming Royston". Anyway, the theatre is very cosy, filled with very long, red-leathered sofa. As expected, the turn out was quite small, around 20. Local and re-run - lethal combination for low turn-out. The visual quality was a little blurred.
The movie was a bit slow, almost reflective. There was a lot of narration and quiet scenes, filled almost entirely with actors' stoned facial expressions. Maybe they were supposed to be stone-faced. Coincidentally, the lead actor, Nat Ho was there to watch the re-run. Nicholas asked me to get an autograph from him. I was a bit shy lah, and wasn't that crazy over such things so I passed.
I couldn't appreciate how some of the parts were brought out, but one phrase from its trailer I watched a while ago was brought to remembrance: "No reliance (dependence), no expectation. No expectation, no grief." It's not a new expression. In fact, I wrote about it before in one of my posts last year. Hence, the meaning behind these 8 words, though almost a cliche, has profound meaning for me. And even more so now, with the realisation that perhaps it is this fear that's been a barrier in my personal breakthrough in developing that most desired intimacy with God. That'll most probably be the next quest for me. God help me.
Anyway, after the show, I had dinner at an open-air restaurant - Recess. The aglio olio was too blend, so I had to add my own salt, cheese and chilli flakes. The tako balls were smaller than the usual ones you get from those basement eateries. The half dozen escargots were ok. I've eaten too few times to give a fair judgment, but $2.30 per creepy-crawly gave new meanings to "hard to swallow".
The service was good - staff was friendly and ever ready to serve. But they couldn't really understand English. One set back was that the non-smoking section was on the side of the toilet where one of the staff, during the short period I was there, went for cigarette break twice. And I thought I was seated at the wrong section. The lighting was a bit too dim, but being by myself, it gave a good ambience for me to be deep in thoughts.
For some reason, it was a straight few hours of waiting around the vincinity after that. Oh well...I guess I asked for it. Sigh...how I know??? :P
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