Universal language

I was sitting in Green-room (a room for actors chillin when they are not on stage) reading an article about Dustin Lance Black's struggles to make Milk happens in W, when I heard somebody sang "Kendati selautan segunung/Permata di kanan dan kiri/Selagi jantungku berdegup hingga tiba saat terhenti/Dialah dihati" with perfect enunciation! It was Nico singing that verse while listening to his iPOD. It amazed me too that he told me he was trying hard to find the song after listening to Siti's beautiful rendition from Royal Albert Hall concert years ago. Since he found that song, he said he's been listening to Siti's over and over again and can't help falling in love with her voice.

Weeks ago he asked me who's the best singer in Malaysia and with no doubt I said Siti Nurhaliza three times so he could pronouce it correctly. I didn't expect that he's gonna be really into Siti, considering the fact that he doesn't know Malay to understand Siti's songs. He said "The beauty of arts is universal. Arts speak universal language."

I don't understand Italian but after listening to this song, a collaboration between three great legends, Andrea Brocelli, Chris Botti and David Foster to produce the mesmerizing piece, Italia, I couldn't agree less with Nico.

Busy ending

I know Addin's gonna be laughing reading this post, but, seriously, I AM gonna be busy towards the end of this semester (huh! Almost done with Junior year!). After doing wardrobe for "You Can't Take it With You" last semester, it feels like eating garam belacan and mempelam, that from the moment you start dipping, you can't stop it, because the hotness needs to be kept on going. So, I requested to do backstage work again this semester. Since, my You Can't Take It With You's fierce partner, Kat Garrow - she just recently decided to go with Kait, her real name, but I call her Kat anyways, is in "The Shape of Things" cast, we decided to do "Much Ado About Nothing". The play is set to be in Miami and the cast is gonna be Cuban!

"Kat Garrow!!!" I yelled her name when I saw her walking out of Performing and Arts Hall across the street.
"Hanif Kamis!!" She ran across the street and gave me a hug. The yelling at each other's name part is not something unusual when you are around or inside Performing and Arts building, as people who see this would assume that you're one of those crazy actors practicing their scenes or Evelyn in The Shape of Things is doing another thesis.
"We need to bring sexy back to the backstage this semester." I said after we agreed to do Much Ado.
With her left hand being rested on her left hip, another hand pointing to the air and her body leaning back a little bit, she went "Nah-ah....we're not bringing sexy back, because sexy NEVER LEFT!"

Much Ado's gonna run from April 17th to 25th. With some matinees, it means my life will be pretty much in that building. Hmm... wait a sec...isn't my major Actuarial Science?

Prepared to be lucky

Lately, my Zune's playlist is full with original soundtracks. Atonement OST has taught me the beauty behind OST that is curcial to be incorporated in a film. Of course, I have owned several OST's before Atonement - thanks to Miss Eti for introducing Craig Armstrong. Slumdog Millionaire, Brokeback Mountain, Mystic River, Changeling, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Chicago, and Moulin Rouge are among films that I've collected their OST. However, the best part of this is what Tyla Tharp said in her The Creative Habit: Learn it and use it for life, "digging your grooves".

Listening to all these great composers, I started to gain interest knowing their other works. This process also introduced me to another world of creativity in arts. For example, after being mesmerized by melodramatic soundtracks in Cinema Paradiso, I've come to know Ennio Morricone, Italian Academy Award-winning composer for Cinema Paradiso itself and other great films such as the astounding Once Upon a in America. The soundtracks Cinema Paradiso and Deborah's Theme relatively from both films mentioned, have been re-arranged and played by numerous musicians in all over the world and one of them is the great comtemporary jazz trumpeter, Chris Botti. This is the point I think I got my "groove". Botti's music expressively pulled me into the ecstactic jazz music. Other than that, his music makes me wanted to listen to opera songs, which I never thought I would fall in love to. Nessun Dorma popularly sang by the legendary late Luciano Pavarotti, which is also an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot, is one of the songs recomposed and played by Botti.

On top of that, his music has become a part of my daily routines. Again, Twyla emphasizes that it is important to have a solid rituals of preparation in order to pull out creativity in daily life. Botti's music gives me a solid ritual as I wake up turn on his music, grab a cup of coffee, stand next my room's window, look outside at people walking to classes and I feel like I'm lilting in this beautiful rhapsody. This ritual really helps me creating my character in my theater class, such as imitating different styles of walkings with different feelings - being late to class, enjoying a sunny morning, walking while eating, etc. 

After all of this crap that i just wrote, I think your creative endeavors can never be thoroughly mapped out ahead of time. You have to allow for a suddenly altered landscape, the change in plan, the accidental spark - and you have to see it as a stroke of luck rather than disturbance. Habitually creative people are, in E.R. White's phrase, "prepared to be lucky". I'm lucky enough to know Chris Botti.

p/s: I just bought (BOUGHT! - i don't buy DVD except for this one) Chris Botti in Boston which features Sting, Josh Groban, Katherine McPhee, Lucia Micarelli, John Mayer, and Steven Tyler! 

A cherished regret

Do see this great film. I just saw it for the 2nd time. A commentary will be posted.

A tag from Justin

1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle. remember! SHUFFLE !!
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must write that song name down NO MATTER HOW silly it sounds.
4. Put any comments in brackets after the song name.
5. Put this on your journal/blog.

1. If someone says, “Is this okay?” … you say?
'Lay Your Hands On Me' by Bon Jovi - (there's a lot of imaginary circumstances could be created from "Is this okay?". I take it personal. Hence, "lay your hands on me" is appropriate..ahaks!)

2. How would you describe yourself?
'Chasing Car' by Snow Patrol - (Hell yeah! My fav number! "Those three words are said too much..")

3. What do you like in a girl?
'Mind Trick' by Jamie Cullum - (indeed!)

4. How do you feel today?
'The Pieces Don't Fit Anymore' by James Morrison - (hmmm...i'm thinking of something specific..)

5.What is your life’s purpose?
'Details in The Fabric' by Jason Mraz - (I need to draw, color, bring it alive!)

6. What is your motto?
'Submarine Attack (The Curios Case of Benjamin Button's OST)' by Alexandre Desplat - (referring to the scene. Life is full of wars!)

7. What do your friends think of you?
'Uninvited' or Alanis Morissette - (really?)

8. What do you think of your parents?
'Elephant' by Damien Rice - (My Goodness! This is the greatest piece from Damien Rice. For you mom and dad)

9. What do you think about very often?
'Lucky' by Jason Mraz feat Colbie Caillat- (To be lucky I need to be generous)

10. What is 2 + 2?
'I'll Stand by you' by The Pretenders - (2+2 Double dates? Such a nice old school song for a date!)

11. What do you think of your best friend?
'The Half Killed (Atonement OST)' by Dario Marianelli - (wow...honestly, my best friends change along the way in my life. Or does that mean I don't have best friends? They're Half-killed along the way?)

12. What do you think of the person you like?
'Glasgow Love Theme (Love Atually OST)' by Craig Armstrong - (This is when instruments in a beautiful song speaks to you about beauty)

13. What is your life story?
'Falling Slowly (Once OST)' by Glen Hansard - (How i appreciate Humanity so much..love Glen's music so much)

14. What do you want to be when you grow up?
'Live High' by Jason Mraz - (Yeah! Live High, Live Mighty! Live Righteously!)

15. What do you think of when you see the person you like?
'Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)' by Boyce Avenue - (Self explanatory)

16. What will you dance to at your wedding?
'Time after Time (Accoustic)' by Bon Jovi (Perfect!)

17. What will they play at your funeral?
'Hidden' by Craig Armstrong - (amazingly crafted for such event)

18.What is your hobby/interest?
'Catch the sun' by Jamie Cullum - (I'm ready for that! Can't wait for summer!)

19. What is your biggest fear?
'Benjamin and Daisy (The Curios Case of Benjamin Button OST)' by Alexandre Desplat (afraid of having such relationship between Benjamin and Daisy)

20. What is your biggest secret?
'Love Letters (Atonement OST)' by Dario Marianelli - (I have never written any love letters. Not a secret anymore.)

21. What do you think of your friends?
'Thankful' by Kelly Clarkson- (well said)

22. What will you post this as?
'People Can't Change (Changeling OST)' by Clint Eastwood - (Partially, true.)

23.say something bout the person tagged you.
'Under the influence' by James Morrison - (yeah! influence from others to tag others!)

My "pencil"

As suggested by Twyla Tharp in The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life, this is my "pencil" for now:

To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come

-The tragedie of Hamlet, prince of Denmarke

V-day

Ophelia:

To-morrow is Saint Valentine's Day,
All in the morning bedtime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your window,
To be your Valentine.
Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes,
And dupp'd the chamber-door;
Let in the maid, that out a mind
Never departed more.

(William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5)

It has occurred in my past twenty years that I never celebrate Valentine's Day. (Yes, I chose "celebrate" as the action here). For the sake of respecting Islam I was told not to honor one of Early Christian martyrs, Valentine, to keep my faith from straying away, in general. Thence, had I known in my life in Malaysia not to celebrate Valentine's Day.

Last week I attended an acting workshop conducted by Shakespeare & Co., which headquarter is in Boston, MA, one of the established theater companies throughout the world. Monologue above was recited by my fellow in theater class, Amy, at the workshop. The question of "intention" in celebrating Valentine's Day aroused, when I was wondering my action of not celebrating it. I DO want to celebrate Valentine's Day, but MY intention is not to honor Valentine, may be appreciating my beloved one on the same day as other couples do, or appreciating Shakespeare's oeuvre.