Ya, I know. I have not posted here in a long while. Looks like this is quickly becoming rene's blog.
Came across this video. Was very moved. You should watch it:
And as for me contributing more some time soon? We'll see.
Showing posts with label video. Show all posts
Showing posts with label video. Show all posts
Friday, September 5, 2008
Friday, August 15, 2008
ReNe: japanese shows
While we don't watch TV, we do spend an obscene amount of time on the internet. Speaking just for myself, I probably qualify as addicted. Anyway, in lieu of TV, this was what I spent two hours last night watching -- japanese tv/game shows on youtube. Not that the shows below span 2 hours; the first is ten mins, the second is six. I highly recommend the first.
Cat weight lifting
Human Tetris
Cat weight lifting
Human Tetris
Sunday, August 10, 2008
ReNe: about parades
I had not planned on watching the Beijing Olympics (because I never did watch any of the previous Olympics), but after reading a review about the opening ceremony in the local news, I got curious and downloaded the opening ceremony.
We were very impressed (despite the poor quality of the file; I couldn't be bothered to wait to download the HDTV version). What we liked about it:
1) the Chinese national anthem (more stirring than Majulah Singapura), the sharp goose steps, and the way the guard flipped the flag before it was raised (we liked it so much we went back to watch just that part a couple of times!)
2) the 2008 drummers
3) the entire first part of the parade where they introduced the inventions from ancient China; the scroll LED display was particularly ingenious. I really like that segment of the parade; it was very gorgeously done, from the theme to the choreography to the costumes.
The second part of the parade (the schoolchildren reciting the poem, the duet, the parade of the minorities), well, it pales in comparison to the first. Still, everything was very well done.
The sheer mass of people on the field and the amount of work they must have put in was staggering. It was, and I mean it in a good way, chest-thumping on an epic scale.
Ironically, the Singapore National Day Parade (NDP) was held a day after the Beijing Opening Ceremony, but I didn't watch it. I've not watched NDPs in years. Why? For one, I think it's a gross waste of money and resources, which can be put to better use in many other ways. For another, one NDP runs into the next year's... they're not terribly unique. They've become rather boring. People still rave about the previous Olympics opening/closing ceremonies -- what country/city did what, who sang what, etc. Maybe what Singapore should do is to hold a parade once every five years and make it unique. Make it infrequent but make it memorable.
Or, make a supremely grandiose gesture and donate the millions that would have been spent on the NDP entirely to charity. I'm sure everyone, Singaporeans and foreigners alike, would remember such a move for years and years. After all, people here in North America remember that Singapore bans chewing gum and caned some American boy for vandalism (when someone asked me that, I was like, 'WTF, even we, from Singapore, forgot about him years ago'). For once, I'd like to be approached by strangers saying, "oh, you're from that nice and generous country".
We were very impressed (despite the poor quality of the file; I couldn't be bothered to wait to download the HDTV version). What we liked about it:
1) the Chinese national anthem (more stirring than Majulah Singapura), the sharp goose steps, and the way the guard flipped the flag before it was raised (we liked it so much we went back to watch just that part a couple of times!)
2) the 2008 drummers
3) the entire first part of the parade where they introduced the inventions from ancient China; the scroll LED display was particularly ingenious. I really like that segment of the parade; it was very gorgeously done, from the theme to the choreography to the costumes.
The second part of the parade (the schoolchildren reciting the poem, the duet, the parade of the minorities), well, it pales in comparison to the first. Still, everything was very well done.
The sheer mass of people on the field and the amount of work they must have put in was staggering. It was, and I mean it in a good way, chest-thumping on an epic scale.
Ironically, the Singapore National Day Parade (NDP) was held a day after the Beijing Opening Ceremony, but I didn't watch it. I've not watched NDPs in years. Why? For one, I think it's a gross waste of money and resources, which can be put to better use in many other ways. For another, one NDP runs into the next year's... they're not terribly unique. They've become rather boring. People still rave about the previous Olympics opening/closing ceremonies -- what country/city did what, who sang what, etc. Maybe what Singapore should do is to hold a parade once every five years and make it unique. Make it infrequent but make it memorable.
Or, make a supremely grandiose gesture and donate the millions that would have been spent on the NDP entirely to charity. I'm sure everyone, Singaporeans and foreigners alike, would remember such a move for years and years. After all, people here in North America remember that Singapore bans chewing gum and caned some American boy for vandalism (when someone asked me that, I was like, 'WTF, even we, from Singapore, forgot about him years ago'). For once, I'd like to be approached by strangers saying, "oh, you're from that nice and generous country".
Friday, January 18, 2008
MiKE: The Story of Stuff.
I got the link to this site from my course instructor. Good video. More people should see it. And act on it.
To watch the whole video online, go click on this link. Here are some teaser clips:
To watch the whole video online, go click on this link. Here are some teaser clips:
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
MiKE: TED videos.
I've been watching these videos for the past day and today. Very interesting. Gives one hope for the future, and alternative ways of considering the world that we live in; different from the world that mass media would like to scare us to be. TED is the Technology, Entertainment and Design conference, which, brings together some of the best minds in the world for an idea exchange.
Here are some of the ones that I liked, including this, with special relevance to education, which I think should be required viewing for all educators:
Here are some of the ones that I liked, including this, with special relevance to education, which I think should be required viewing for all educators:
Thursday, September 27, 2007
MiKE: soul moving music
I was introduced to Ryuichi Sakamoto during my undergraduate years, when I was selecting music for some event which I participated in. Someone loaned me SoundBytes, and never asked it back. Soundbytes was much more electronic, but later albums I bought included 1996, MotoTronic, Smoochy, and Beauty. Stumbled upon videos of his live performances on youtube, and was reminded again why I love his work so much. Oh, you need to be seated patiently in a somewhat contemplative mood to 'get' this. If you are in a rush, don't bother.
"Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence"
"Bibo No Aozora"
This last one is actually based on an Okinawan folk tune (Asadoya Yunta). The other day when I went shopping for Japanese groceries here, I actually heard a version (not his, obviously) played on the sound system in the store.
And lastly, who could forget the haunting melody from The Last Emperor:
"Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence"
"Bibo No Aozora"
This last one is actually based on an Okinawan folk tune (Asadoya Yunta). The other day when I went shopping for Japanese groceries here, I actually heard a version (not his, obviously) played on the sound system in the store.
And lastly, who could forget the haunting melody from The Last Emperor:
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