之前接到了《仁心侠旅》的节目，所以不停出国。目前还剩两个国家的拍摄。预告片应该很快会在电视上能看到所以希望大家拭目以待。

在出发之前和回来之后的空窗期间，我正在拍一部电视电影《等一等爱情》。

在戏里，我和许立桦的缘分横跨十年。

拍摄时很开心，但因为抽不出时间发表文章，所以没办法在博客上和大家分享。

希望大家有兴趣的话，可以 follow me on Twitter (@JoannePeh).

Since “Your Hand in Mine”, many of you have not seen me on television much. That is because I am still in the midst of filming.

A couple of months back, I started filming “An Activist Journey“, where I travelled to an Asian country each time, to learn about a specific social issue and what some people are doing about them.

Currently, I am left with two more countries and I believe the trailer and official website for this programme will be out soon.

In between my trips, I am filming a telemovie, “Love in a Cab”. Julian Hee stars in this feature film with me as we crossed paths over a 10-year period.

I have a lot of fun on set with an extremely young and dynamic crew, but because I don’t have  time to upload the photos, I’m not able to share much with you on my blog. However, you can follow me on Twitter (@JoannePeh) if you’d like to be updated on what I’m up to.

Stay tuned!

Picture taken on set

Now I need to go to Legoland!!!

Someone putting on the final touches of this Lego display in Legoland, to commemorate the inauguration of President Barack Obama

They made the people from bricks too! Not those with features painted on yellow bulbs as heads!

Barack Obama in Lego. WOW!

After my research online, I decided I want to build my own city, and thanks to the Twitteers who gave me a list of shops to go to in Singapore, I found one of the sets that would make the city.

Ta-da...my very first second set of Lego! (P.S. I had one set in childhood)

Huge box, small packets!

If you want to chart my progress, and see which are the two sets that I’ve ordered and are currently on their way, remember to follow me on Twitter for the latest updates!

Meanwhile, check out the remaining sets I’m waiting to get my hands on, that will help me complete my city.

Cafe Corner

Town Plan

Market Street

Look at what some others have done!

This was built by Ralph Savelsberg.

See the remaining town he built.

Bumper Car Ride built by Danila Dandily Martyakhin

A close-up in daylight.

There are countless talented Lego builders on the Internet. If you’re keen to see the evolution of Lego Police stations, you can check out Joshua’s blog.

As for me, I think his evolution is not quite complete, because he left out the Space Police collection.

Space Police Central

Lego really opens up a world of role play and possibilities!

If you’re a Lego Fan or if you know someone who’s really good at it, please share.

While most who commented thought that there’s nothing taboo about it because we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, pun intended, there is also a point raised by Diane Leow, that somewhat explains why some adults, who are not necessarily resistant to reading children/teenage fiction, will never be seen holding the book in a public place. A media student herself, she said that “the media industry is so critical on what we read (some newpapers are crap vs “good” newspapers) and what we wear etc. etc. that one can’t help but be self-conscious about what they read. “

As for me, I think it’s important to read young adult fiction because in a way, they represent what is the current fad and in order to communicate and relate to them effectively , we need to immerse in their sub-cultures.

Actually, I started this thread because one random day, I had the sudden urge to read  ”The Diary of A Wimpy Kid”, so I “un-embarrassingly” asked my friend if I could borrow her daughter’s collection.

My Current Reads

I finished the first book the day I brought home the collection and I have to say it is very entertaining because it is a straightforward and unapologetic perspective offered by a teenager, whose particular stage in life is never comprehensible to the adults.

The truth is our parents were all teenagers once, so why can’t they seem to understand and stop nagging?

Because more often than not, they try to relate to the current teenagers by applying what they went through during their own years, completely disregarding the societal, environmental, economic changes that have occured since then.

It is the same stage in life, but it happened in a different time and place, so it’s no longer applicable to the current teenagers. Very often, parents’ attempts  to communicate end up being “incessant nagging”, from the perspective of the teen, which eventually results in the 3Rs – resistance, reluctance and in some cases rebellion.

For me, I find it hard to go back to a previous stage in life once you’ve moved past it. The only way I can, is to immerse myself in the literature of that time, to hopefully gain something that I’ve lost along the way. Not that during my time, the Diary of the Wimpy Kid was around though. Which is why I bought “A Wrinkle in Time“, to return to the kind of stories that I was familiar with when I was a child.

Somehow, children’s book written around the same time, like those by Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl, packaged lessons that both children and adults can learn in an imaginative world.

It’s nice to go back in time once in a while, to remember what it was like when we didn’t have so much baggage to lug around.

It was a huge privilege and honor to represent MediaCorp TV and my particular Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame started on the 7th August at lamppost 73 along Marymount Road.

Steven Chia was representing News and Shan Wee for Radio.

We had to report at CHIJ Toa Payoh that rainy morning and was told not to bring anything that couldn’t fit into our shorts pocket.

Here's Shan passing me the torch along Marymount Road.

The torch weighed 700g and wasn’t as heavy as I thought it would be, which I think is significant because the YOG spirit was never meant to be a burden.

The fact that many torchbearers come from all walks of life goes to show that YOG is not just for athletes or youths. It’s an event that everyone can participate!

After I completed my 100m, I hopped on the bus and headed to RI where there were a few interviews carried out.

Speaking of which, there was one that got some buzz on the Internet forums.

This is a perfect example on how using emotionally charged words in headlines can completely twist the story and mislead the reader.

I don’t know for sure, but I highly doubt it’s the reporter’s call because if that was her angle, it would have unveiled itself in the story. You see, she would have to interview people to get quotes to support her story.

Some potential interviewees would be:

The torchbearer after me – to ask if she felt she waited too long for me to arrive;

my support runners – if mine was the slowest run of the day;

and definitely the organizers – to find out the consequences (if any) as a result of my “selfish” act.

Now wouldn’t that be a story! But since there was nothing in her story to suggest that she was trying to fault me for my “selfish act”, I presumed the headline was designed by someone else after the story was written, which is not uncommon practice according to what I studied in journalism school.

I believe that if someone impartial were to read the article without first seeing the headlines, that would not be the natural conclusion they arrive at. Although I wouldn’t go as far as to completely rule out the possibility.

It’s easy to misunderstand the first paragraph in the absence of a full context because the reader has not been informed of it. The article did not include what was briefed to the torchbearers prior to our run; nor did I tell the reporter what my support runners said to me during my run. Even though these mundane information provide a context, which will allow the reader to better form their judgement, they just don’t add value to the story and is often not the focus of an article, in a newspaper whose main aim is to sell papers!

Having said that, it’s sad that whoever chose the headlines had to put a dampener on the celebration of something as rare as this. It was a day where strangers came together, regardless of race, age, gender, occupation, to support and cheer one another on like friends and made us truly one united people.

I’ve never been more proud that my country is hosting the YOG.

Go for the Gold!

This year, it was held at Padang and by serendipity, I managed to get last minute tickets (at 5.20pm!) to the parade.

There was a massive crowd around City Hall area as everyone tried to catch a glimpse of the sky performances. We weaved through the mass of people and finally got to the venue, hot and confused. Thankfully there were a lot of ushers around to point us the right way.

I’ve never seen so many uniformed men converge at one venue!

We were supposed to be seated at the Green sector, but we were told there were no more seats, so we ended up at the Yellow sector and this was the sight that greeted us when we popped our heads out of the scaffold spectator stand.

I’m guessing you have to come early to “chope” seats? Anyway, we ended up sitting on the steps which was a lot less stress-free because it would be really disruptive to the rest if we needed to answer nature’s call.

The sea of red is gorgeous!

The backdrop complements the celebrations, especially when night fell and the lights took over.

I found out from the magazine in the goodie bag that there were 7 different designs of it.

I plucked out the candy portion and ate only the biscuit!

The President driving past our section.

I love the sounds of these jets! I especially like the display where 2 jets criss-crossed one another and when one of the jets took a vertical climb up into the sky.

The entrance and exit points for the formation performers were on the side I was sitting on, so I could snap these “behind-the-scenes” photos!

The flash on my camera reflected off the costumes of these performers.

Sparks and aerial performer really took the show to another level! The lights casted on the columns of the Supreme Court really made the show exceptionally colourful!

The costumes made them look like characters off some video game. Quite scary!

The aerial shot of this was gorgeous from the screen, where Kit Chan was perched at the tip of the crescent moon. It was the perfect formation for us to recite our pledge.

One thing came to my attention when I received an email from a girl a couple of days ago. She wrote to ask me about someone who is a “friend” on my Facebook account. According to her, X is some agency director who offered to help her get a job in PR, an industry she is very keen in. I composed a response to her and felt there’s a need to make this public because this could potentially be a dangerous scenario and it worries me that there might be some girls in the same situation but did not write to me.

Here’s the truth: I do not know all the “friends” I have on Facebook. The choice to add everyone was made in the past, and since my account became quite full, I have decided not to approve any more friend requests unless I know them personally. That is not to say that everyone on Facebook in my “friends” list could be frauds, or predators, but it’s important to know that there’s a need to be cautious. I cannot vouch for them and what they do, so don’t assume that just because they’re a “friend” of mine on Facebook that it’s okay to let down your guard and trust them.

Having said that, I don’t really have a method to help you sniff out the bad. It all boils down to communication and instinct. Sometimes you can write to “friends of friends” to see if the person is legitimate, or you can check out their profile, visit their websites to see if the company does exist and whether or not it’s what it says it is.

Facebook can help us network very quickly, but it can also be a dangerous place because there’s too much that we don’t know.

If anyone has any advice to share, please do.

In the meantime, do be careful because I want everyone to be safe.

When I got to Tokyo, I was appalled at the fashion display on the streets and in the shops. It felt like the gloomy Japanese economy has taken a toll on its fashion and people’s taste in clothes.

Summer is typically about light-weight fabrics, bright colours, sundresses, floral patterns, shorts, swimwear, straw hats, slippers, espadrilles etc. Somehow, the way the Japanese put it together just wasn’t aesthetically appealing.

The Bad…

Everything looks like some part of the fabric has been chewn off.

I don't get the whole T-shirt in a dress look. It's everywhere in Tokyo and hardly fashionable!

T-shirt, tube floral dress, tights and a printed bag just doesn't go!

There's something interesting about pairing shoes with floral dress, but this combination just doesn't look sharp or sweet.

No-no!

This looks sloppy.

Maybe if they switch tops, it might work better?

These sundresses look like sleeping gowns.

The sales girls tend to wear the outfits sold in the stores. Floral jumpers is one of those outfits that is unflattering for most. It looks frumpy because you don't see the waist nor the hips!

All is not lost, it is a matter of finding the right cut and knowing if your body type is suitable. Much of  Japanese fashion is borrowed from Hollywood celebrities, modified with a twist of their own style. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

Nonetheless, here’s what I found in the August issue of Japanese magazine “Gisele”.

A jumper can look flattering if the proportions are right.

Long sun dresses - without a T shirt inside.

If tube and spaghetti styles are too revealing, choose sundresses with sleeves.

The Good..

If it's too revealing, throw on a cardigan.

Or cover up with a loose fitting shirt.

Or just make sure you style your hair, put on make-up and go really cute with it!

I think this is nice, but I do wonder if having a belt might give her a bit more shape.

The Quirky…

There's something very pretty in this conservative get-up. Her hairstyle complements the look!

I like the way she is able to multi-task with ease and still look so stylish.

I think young girls look very good when they dress like that.

The blue patch of hair sets her apart from the rest!

We have a lot of fashion options here, and I’ve seen girls wear clothes better than some of the examples shown here.

What do you think? Can Singaporeans do better?

Map of the theme park

My first time taking this ride!

I'm happy already!!

The ride inside is very colourful and very cheery, and you get to see different countries, different costumes!

India!

Thailand!

I’m not going to show you too much! It’s quite a long ride and there’s a lot to see, so I would say take it twice if the queue isn’t that long!

The window display do not give you a fraction of an idea of what is being sold in the shops!

She is so adorable!

This is battery operated and would actually light up!

Adding a few inches to my height.

Mardi Gras Mickey Hat

I also like The Monsters' Inc Ride!

You shine the torchlight that is attached to the car at specific points for a surprise!! Very kiddish but fun!

Monster's Inc Helmet

Sully's my favourite cartoon character!

I regretted not buying this toy. His shy expression sort of works in this picture!

Life-sized Sully!! The queue to take a photo with him was cut off by the park ranger, so I couldn't pose with him.

Totally mismatching!

Aww...I thought this pair was really cute!!

UP

I forgot his name, does anyone remember?

Uncle!

This was the restaurant where we had our lunch. The portion sizes are pretty decent. I had the rotisserie chicken.

Cinderella's Castle

This was a gift shop inside the Cinderella Castle. I love the frescos on the wall, they are so incredible detailed!

A craftsman at work

Art pieces for sale

I've been to Tokyo Disneyland 3 times, and not once did I manage to watch the fireworks. That night it was canceled because of bad weather.

]]> http://joannepeh.com/2010/07/25/mad-hatter-jo/feed/ 16 joannepeh disneyjo9 disneyjo18 disneyjo13 disneyjo20 disneyjo19 disneyjo21 disneyjo14 disneyjo28 disneyjo1 disneyjo2 disneyjo3 disneyjo24 disneyjo25 disneyjo7 disneyjo6 disneyjo5 disneyjo15 disneyjo8 disneyjo4 disneyjo11 disneyjo10 disneyjo12 disneyjo16 disneyjo27 disneyjo22 disneyjo24 disneyjo23 disneyjo26 http://joannepeh.com/2010/07/25/disney-overload/ http://joannepeh.com/2010/07/25/disney-overload/#comments Sun, 25 Jul 2010 06:18:58 +0000 joannepeh http://joannepeh.com/?p=4398 Continue reading →]]> I went to Anaheim Disneyland, Los Angeles, a year ago, and somehow Tokyo Disneyland still excites me more. I think it’s got to do with the Japanese and their “kawaii” spirit. Unlike the American Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland seemed to have more toys, accessories, apparels and cute collectibles; snacks and food are made in the likes of Disney characters; the containers/tubs in which they come in are designed for keepsake; almost everyone in Tokyo Disneyland, adults and children alike, has at least one Disney item on them.

I truly felt like I was on the happiest place on earth, because everyone was loving Disneyland, albeit in an overt fashion.

This was from the Winnie the Pooh popcorn pushcart. Honey flavoured popcorn! There are different popcorn flavours that come in different collectible tubs at different pushcarts.

Another variation of popcorn tub

Hairbands like this are very common.

Another variation of hairband...Dumbo-inspired.

You also have hair clips like that...

Even the guys have fun with accessories!

These masks are sold in the shops too!

I lost count of the number of Mickey Mouse heads on this lady who was in front of me in a queue for a ride. I love her backpack!

Close up of her T-shirt.

Close up of her companion's bag strap.

Minnie tee!

Mickey printed on an umbrella.

Or, you can get a Mickey Mouse raincoat from the shops!

And here's the Minnie Mouse raincoat to match.

Sorry you can't see this clearly, but even the traditional costumes they are wearing is printed with Disney!

It wasn't unusual to see many young people wearing traditional costumes during this season.

Mickey and Minnie are dressed in the traditional costumes as well! We tried looking for memorabilia of the Disney bear in the middle, but could not find it. I remembered from my last experience that there is an entire shop devoted to Disney bear in Tokyo Disneysea, so that's probably where this came from.

Not one, not two, but a whole family of toys, that I can't tell which is hung from where!

Looked to me like there was some beauty contest going on, because I saw several little girls dressed in princess costumes around the park.

Doesn’t this look like it’s a lot of fun?

好久没有用中文发表文章，不过觉得要谈这部电影，还是用中文比较贴切。

我对这部电影的认识是从电影院播放的一段很短，但是很震撼的预告片。

记得当时看了预告片之后，就开始对这部电影很感兴趣。

前几天被邀请观赏《唐山大地震》的首映会之后，只能说这预告片并没有透露这部电影细腻的故事描述和演员精湛的演出。

电影结束后，大家都是红着眼眶踏出戏院。它并不煽情，但它很诚恳，很真实，也让我认识到人是如何面付悲伤。

有位同事认为本地的导演们应该看这部电影，才不会要求我们在演绎悲伤时，做一些夸张的动作或表情。我呢，则在想，电影或许和电视的演绎方式不能相同。

当观众在毫无干扰的情况下，望着这么大的银幕，演员内敛的演出当然能有效的表现出来。演员更不能有太大的动作或太夸张的表情，要不然就会令观众反感。

但是如果是电视剧，家里尽管有再大的电视机，还是免不了杂音和干扰。广告本身就是一种干扰。那这么一来，要是演员太内敛的话，是不是观众就感受不到我们的情感呢？在说，有多少人是坐下来，目不转睛地从头看到尾？每个演员都内敛的话，会不会导致观众跟不上剧情，因此觉得很闷呢？

你们有什么见解？

我想就是因为这点，让某些演员和导演意见不和。也没有谁对谁错，因为都是希望能把最好的呈现给大家。不过，我个人觉得演员忠于自己人物的情感是很重要的，因为只要我们脑子里有一丝情感上的不平衡，就真的很难有说服力。这种内敛的表演方式有时在导演的小荧光屏上是感受不到的，那怎么办？太夸张会很假，内敛的演出导演有时又感受不到，那什么才能称得上是自然，真实的演出呢？是否可以在电视剧的其他制作方面下手，比如音效、剪辑等，来取得平衡呢？

当然我们不能混淆内敛和木訥。我们也不能否定一部好的电视剧或电影是多方面的结晶。

所以演艺一直都很吸引我，因为它是个很灵活的艺术，没有对没有错，有开始但没有终点。

希望大家能给《唐山大地震》一个机会，感受我们在新加坡没有机会遇到的天灾，所留下的疮痍不是到处可见的废墟，而是心灵上无法弥补的裂痕。