My name is Olive and I am a florist. People love roses. It is Valentine's Day today, the busiest day of the year for us.
It is eight o'clock in the morning and we are already very busy. The first customer is picking up his order of one orchid. I know him very well, he gives his wife plants every year on Valentine's Day. She loves gardening, and if she's any good, the plants will thrive in her garden for many years to come. This is a love that will never die. The second customer is a young man. I am not sure what he wants to do, but he doesn't know what kind of flower he's going to get for his girlfriend, so I asked him what's she is like.
"What is your girlfriend like? Maybe I can find something for her here."
"She works for a law firm, very busy. I think she likes puppies, but then who doesn't like puppies? This is our first Valentine's so I am at a lost here."
"You can go with a safe option. I think twelve roses bouquet will do very well. What do you think?"
"You are an angel. Saved my life. I will pay for it now, thanks."
He looks totally relieved. I can't believe that this guy has gone out with his girlfriend for a year. He doesn't know his girlfriend at all. He doesn't know what his girlfriend's favourite flower is? Do they ever talk to each other? I hope he will be with this girlfriend after today.
Five minutes later, the guy comes back to the counter. He's forgotten the card.
"I need a card, too. I'd like to buy this one."
He picked a hideous red card, with a huge bunch of red roses on top and very bold golden letter: Happy Valentine's Day! on top. I gave him a dubious look and smiled nervously. He gets the cue.
"Do you think this is too much?"
"Yes."
"Which one should I get?"
"I think you should go for the dog card. You said she likes puppies?"
"Yes. That's a great idea."
"Good luck, and have fun with her."
"I will. I am taking her out to dinner tonight. It's a surprise."
Surprise is never good. I hope he is taking her to a nice restaurant. I hope he knows what he's doing. I also hope that the girl is not expecting him to propose because I know he's not in a jewelery shop. He's not exactly original with his choice of flower, and I don't think he has any original idea in his head.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Heaven headquarters
Once upon a time there was an angel who sings in the heaven. She has golden hair that smells like jasmine, her eyes are blue, and her voice is truly divine. Apollo is in love with her and pursue her with his harp. They sing together in heaven, enjoying the live on immortal.
One day, the angel wakes up to find Apollo gone. He is chasing a girl through the forest because he fell in love with her. With tremendous speed, Apollo caught up with her and the only thing she could do was turn into an olive tree. She is rooted to the ground forever. Her silver hair turned into the leaves, and her slender limbs turned into the tree trunks. Her heart is forever bound to Earth.
The angel's heart is broken. She went out of their sanctuary and jumped from the sky. Apollo cannot find her among the immortal. She has abandoned her immortal life and become a mortal.
Apollo is still trying to find his angel, the one who sing with a divine voice from Heaven. This is why Apollo left Heaven and come to Earth. He is trying to find angel and apologies to her about his infidelity, and beg her to return to Heaven with him. He still loves her, and he doesn't want to lose her.
This is the story of Olive, the girl who became the Olive tree, and the story of Apollo, the man who loved two girls. The angel is still missing, but you can hear her voice on the radio. You can hear her when you are singing. You can hear her, but you can't find her. This is the story about the girl who is running away from Heaven, a renegade angel whose voice is like the lark. She doesn't dare to open her mouth when she's on Earth, otherwise Apollo will surely find her.
Up until now, he is still trying to find her. Or maybe, he's trying to find Olive.
One day, the angel wakes up to find Apollo gone. He is chasing a girl through the forest because he fell in love with her. With tremendous speed, Apollo caught up with her and the only thing she could do was turn into an olive tree. She is rooted to the ground forever. Her silver hair turned into the leaves, and her slender limbs turned into the tree trunks. Her heart is forever bound to Earth.
The angel's heart is broken. She went out of their sanctuary and jumped from the sky. Apollo cannot find her among the immortal. She has abandoned her immortal life and become a mortal.
Apollo is still trying to find his angel, the one who sing with a divine voice from Heaven. This is why Apollo left Heaven and come to Earth. He is trying to find angel and apologies to her about his infidelity, and beg her to return to Heaven with him. He still loves her, and he doesn't want to lose her.
This is the story of Olive, the girl who became the Olive tree, and the story of Apollo, the man who loved two girls. The angel is still missing, but you can hear her voice on the radio. You can hear her when you are singing. You can hear her, but you can't find her. This is the story about the girl who is running away from Heaven, a renegade angel whose voice is like the lark. She doesn't dare to open her mouth when she's on Earth, otherwise Apollo will surely find her.
Up until now, he is still trying to find her. Or maybe, he's trying to find Olive.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Chapter 2 Opposition continues
Most of our old problems are gone when the people left Earth. Global warming? There's no factories running now, no cars in the streets, there's virtually no human factor in the equation. Deforestation? There's no one here to cut the trees down. Wars? There's no people to fight with or fight against. Another set of problems set in, though. The commodities are scarce simply because there's no one here to make them. If you cannot make something that you want to have, you are not going to have them. There's no fancy cars. There's no fancy dresses. Luxury items are the thing of the past, and we are just trying to survive this.
Do kids still go to school? Hell ya. We try to teach them as much as we know here on the farm. They learn to handle guns in classes as well. It's a survival class where you are trained to keep yourself alive. You learn English, mathematics, science, history, and social science, and you also learn cooking, shooting, hunting, and crafting because you can't live without those skills. If you don't know how to do things yourself, you are going to die out there.
One of the good thing is that we know there are other colonies out there. The closest one is outside the neighbouring town, also on a farm. Travis Cornwall owns it, he's got about fifty people living on his farm at the moment. We talk on the radio everyday just to make sure that each other are alive and kicking. It's reassuring to know that someone is out there, waiting for this shit to end as well. However, it is difficult to find other colonies now. It's not that we haven't been trying, it's that it is just silent out there.
A figure appeared on the screen when I wasn't looking, but now the figure is clear as day. It is a woman in a white shift dress, she is not wearing any shoes. I have never seen her around here before. She is probably one of the zombie type. I better see if I can talk to her, or if she is too far gone, just shoot her on the spot.
"Hey, you out there. What's your name?"
Asking someone's name never get very far if they are sick so I try this approach first.
"I am Anna. Can you open the door?"
"I am afraid I cannot do that. We aren't sure if you are infected or not. You must excuse me for doing that. We don't want to die, you know."
"Sure, I was infected. But they cured me. Something really bad happened at the hospital. I know you don't care about that, they are a bunch of sick people, but I think you should know about what's going down."
"Yes. Just tell me over the intercom. I will let you in if I am sure you are safe."
"They are sending people from the moon to take the vaccine from me, but the virus got to the rest of the hospital staff so now the place is lock down. The people from the moon have decided to bomb that place, I just got out in time."
"So how are you sure that you are cured?"
"I've had the virus for almost a year now. Do I look sick? Do I sound sick?"
"No."
"Tell you what. Why don't you send out a syringe and you can look at my blood? Do you have a nurse in there? Or a doctor? She or he will tell you that I am safe."
"Yes, but I don't trust you."
"Well, I can tell you that they are coming for you guys next."
"What?"
"Yes, that's right. The last communication went like this, the people from the moon are coming to destroy your colony because they think you brought the plague to the quarantined people in the hospital. They don't care about whether you live or die. They just want to eliminate the troublemakers. Whether you did or did not bring the plague to the people in there is completely irrelevant to them. They want to repopulate Earth. Your little holiday is over."
"How do I know you are not just lying through your teeth just to get in?"
"I don't need to get in. I am immune to the plague now. I just need a place to stay. I also recommend you all leave this farm before they send the troops."
"I can't leave this place. This is my place."
"It's up to you. This place may be bombed first, then they are going to send in the ground troops. It's not going to be pretty."
"Those bastards. They left us then they want to kill us? What are we to them? Cattle?"
"Probably worse than that. They think you guys are sick. They are going to say that you killed all the people in the hospital and you are a terrorist."
"That's rich coming from them."
"I think I know a place where you can go."
"Where? This place is probably still safe for now, right?"
"You have to get out of there."
"What do you recommend? Miss, you look young, what do you know?"
"If you have some vehicle on the farm, load all the people into them. You have to come with me and go to the Star City."
"Why? What's there?"
"There's no one living there, there's only sick people, and that makes that place safe because they aren't going to send their soldiers that way to find you. It's too dangerous, and it's too far away from the hospital. If you have some friends, bring them. You really don't want to be in the firing line now that they found a cure for this thing. You've sat it out for long, don't you want to live to see another day?"
"I need to talk to the people in here. They have to make the decision to go or stay by themselves. I am the leader here, but I am not a cruel leader."
"Better talk to them quick because I don't think they are going to let you live for that long."
Faith, Angus and Chance are all in the lounge. I asked them to ask the others to come and start a meeting. I told them that Anna is at the door and everything she told me. Something big is happening out there, and if we are leaving this place, it is going to take some time to pack and get ready.
"Do you think she's lying? What do they care about us?"
"I don't think she is. Why should she say that they are going to come and kill us all? It's got nothing to do with her. She can run away before telling us and watch from a safe distance."
"You are right, Peter. What should I do now? Pack?"
"Yes. Bring everything that's useful and dump the stuff here if we aren't going to need it. If we are going to Star City, we need all the fire power we've got."
"And then some balls. This is not going to be easy. There's going to be kids coming, too."
"Don't worry about the kids, they are all trained up. It's an opportunity for them to be in the real world."
"Are you crazy? They are going to be really freaked out. They've never killed a sickie before."
"They will have to do it someday, why not today?"
We decided to let Anna in. According to her, we have two hours to get everything and leave this farm. There's no negotiation with them. It's interesting to hear what people have to say to that, and plenty of them want to stay put.
"Sander, you want to stay, and John wants to stay, too. I think I want to leave. So what's going to happen is this: the people who wants to leave will get ready within the hour, and the faster you can pack your stuff, the better. We don't know when they are going to attack, and we don't know how heavy the fire is. Sander and John can go into the underground bunker and hide this out, but I am not sure whether they will send in ground troops. They may assume that everyone is sick here and not check up on you. Sander, there's an exit to the bunker on the other side of the farm, and I will give you the key to that. There's a vehicle there. I recommend you to abandon the bunker when they start poking around here. It's hard to say what they will do if they see you. They may assume you are sick and shoot to kill, they may embrace you like a brother, but no one is certain. If you think you are in danger, get the fuck out."
"So I guess I will be in the Television Room, then?"
"Sure. You should always keep a person there just in case. You don't want to miss any action or you will die."
"Are you going to take a radio with you?"
"Sure. And I do want to come back to my farm after this is over. This is my farm, and I don't want to give it up."
"No one is saying you should. I will see you when I see you, then."
We took a look at Anna's blood. It is showing signs of the bug, but she is not dying. The number of the bug is decreasing. She's still quite weak, and I don't know how she survive out there.
"I thought you would have no power to escape from that place."
"I was pretty lucky. There's a window in my room. I jumped out and ran. There were so many of them."
"What do you want to do? You know you may not survive if you come with us."
"Oh, I am not going to sit here and wait to be killed. I've lied on that bed for so long that I don't think it's time for me to stay still any more. I want out. I want to do something once in my life and survive."
There is not much to pack for me. I've known that this day will come, but I didn't know it is this soon. I remember riding my bike up and down the farm, helping my father doing farm work. One day, the people came to our farm and demand us to leave with them.
I remember father saying that he'd rather die than leave the farm. He certainly did die in the end when the plague hit us, but not before then. Mother was there as well, and they kept the farm going. There were enough food for all of us, money ceased to mean much, but we survived. We are still surviving now, but it is going to be a hell lot harder to survive on the road.
I look at Anna and think about my mother. I think there is a lot to do, and no one else is going to do them except me.
Do kids still go to school? Hell ya. We try to teach them as much as we know here on the farm. They learn to handle guns in classes as well. It's a survival class where you are trained to keep yourself alive. You learn English, mathematics, science, history, and social science, and you also learn cooking, shooting, hunting, and crafting because you can't live without those skills. If you don't know how to do things yourself, you are going to die out there.
One of the good thing is that we know there are other colonies out there. The closest one is outside the neighbouring town, also on a farm. Travis Cornwall owns it, he's got about fifty people living on his farm at the moment. We talk on the radio everyday just to make sure that each other are alive and kicking. It's reassuring to know that someone is out there, waiting for this shit to end as well. However, it is difficult to find other colonies now. It's not that we haven't been trying, it's that it is just silent out there.
A figure appeared on the screen when I wasn't looking, but now the figure is clear as day. It is a woman in a white shift dress, she is not wearing any shoes. I have never seen her around here before. She is probably one of the zombie type. I better see if I can talk to her, or if she is too far gone, just shoot her on the spot.
"Hey, you out there. What's your name?"
Asking someone's name never get very far if they are sick so I try this approach first.
"I am Anna. Can you open the door?"
"I am afraid I cannot do that. We aren't sure if you are infected or not. You must excuse me for doing that. We don't want to die, you know."
"Sure, I was infected. But they cured me. Something really bad happened at the hospital. I know you don't care about that, they are a bunch of sick people, but I think you should know about what's going down."
"Yes. Just tell me over the intercom. I will let you in if I am sure you are safe."
"They are sending people from the moon to take the vaccine from me, but the virus got to the rest of the hospital staff so now the place is lock down. The people from the moon have decided to bomb that place, I just got out in time."
"So how are you sure that you are cured?"
"I've had the virus for almost a year now. Do I look sick? Do I sound sick?"
"No."
"Tell you what. Why don't you send out a syringe and you can look at my blood? Do you have a nurse in there? Or a doctor? She or he will tell you that I am safe."
"Yes, but I don't trust you."
"Well, I can tell you that they are coming for you guys next."
"What?"
"Yes, that's right. The last communication went like this, the people from the moon are coming to destroy your colony because they think you brought the plague to the quarantined people in the hospital. They don't care about whether you live or die. They just want to eliminate the troublemakers. Whether you did or did not bring the plague to the people in there is completely irrelevant to them. They want to repopulate Earth. Your little holiday is over."
"How do I know you are not just lying through your teeth just to get in?"
"I don't need to get in. I am immune to the plague now. I just need a place to stay. I also recommend you all leave this farm before they send the troops."
"I can't leave this place. This is my place."
"It's up to you. This place may be bombed first, then they are going to send in the ground troops. It's not going to be pretty."
"Those bastards. They left us then they want to kill us? What are we to them? Cattle?"
"Probably worse than that. They think you guys are sick. They are going to say that you killed all the people in the hospital and you are a terrorist."
"That's rich coming from them."
"I think I know a place where you can go."
"Where? This place is probably still safe for now, right?"
"You have to get out of there."
"What do you recommend? Miss, you look young, what do you know?"
"If you have some vehicle on the farm, load all the people into them. You have to come with me and go to the Star City."
"Why? What's there?"
"There's no one living there, there's only sick people, and that makes that place safe because they aren't going to send their soldiers that way to find you. It's too dangerous, and it's too far away from the hospital. If you have some friends, bring them. You really don't want to be in the firing line now that they found a cure for this thing. You've sat it out for long, don't you want to live to see another day?"
"I need to talk to the people in here. They have to make the decision to go or stay by themselves. I am the leader here, but I am not a cruel leader."
"Better talk to them quick because I don't think they are going to let you live for that long."
Faith, Angus and Chance are all in the lounge. I asked them to ask the others to come and start a meeting. I told them that Anna is at the door and everything she told me. Something big is happening out there, and if we are leaving this place, it is going to take some time to pack and get ready.
"Do you think she's lying? What do they care about us?"
"I don't think she is. Why should she say that they are going to come and kill us all? It's got nothing to do with her. She can run away before telling us and watch from a safe distance."
"You are right, Peter. What should I do now? Pack?"
"Yes. Bring everything that's useful and dump the stuff here if we aren't going to need it. If we are going to Star City, we need all the fire power we've got."
"And then some balls. This is not going to be easy. There's going to be kids coming, too."
"Don't worry about the kids, they are all trained up. It's an opportunity for them to be in the real world."
"Are you crazy? They are going to be really freaked out. They've never killed a sickie before."
"They will have to do it someday, why not today?"
We decided to let Anna in. According to her, we have two hours to get everything and leave this farm. There's no negotiation with them. It's interesting to hear what people have to say to that, and plenty of them want to stay put.
"Sander, you want to stay, and John wants to stay, too. I think I want to leave. So what's going to happen is this: the people who wants to leave will get ready within the hour, and the faster you can pack your stuff, the better. We don't know when they are going to attack, and we don't know how heavy the fire is. Sander and John can go into the underground bunker and hide this out, but I am not sure whether they will send in ground troops. They may assume that everyone is sick here and not check up on you. Sander, there's an exit to the bunker on the other side of the farm, and I will give you the key to that. There's a vehicle there. I recommend you to abandon the bunker when they start poking around here. It's hard to say what they will do if they see you. They may assume you are sick and shoot to kill, they may embrace you like a brother, but no one is certain. If you think you are in danger, get the fuck out."
"So I guess I will be in the Television Room, then?"
"Sure. You should always keep a person there just in case. You don't want to miss any action or you will die."
"Are you going to take a radio with you?"
"Sure. And I do want to come back to my farm after this is over. This is my farm, and I don't want to give it up."
"No one is saying you should. I will see you when I see you, then."
We took a look at Anna's blood. It is showing signs of the bug, but she is not dying. The number of the bug is decreasing. She's still quite weak, and I don't know how she survive out there.
"I thought you would have no power to escape from that place."
"I was pretty lucky. There's a window in my room. I jumped out and ran. There were so many of them."
"What do you want to do? You know you may not survive if you come with us."
"Oh, I am not going to sit here and wait to be killed. I've lied on that bed for so long that I don't think it's time for me to stay still any more. I want out. I want to do something once in my life and survive."
There is not much to pack for me. I've known that this day will come, but I didn't know it is this soon. I remember riding my bike up and down the farm, helping my father doing farm work. One day, the people came to our farm and demand us to leave with them.
I remember father saying that he'd rather die than leave the farm. He certainly did die in the end when the plague hit us, but not before then. Mother was there as well, and they kept the farm going. There were enough food for all of us, money ceased to mean much, but we survived. We are still surviving now, but it is going to be a hell lot harder to survive on the road.
I look at Anna and think about my mother. I think there is a lot to do, and no one else is going to do them except me.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Chapter 2 Opposition
Opposition, 3005
Rule number one, never open the door to strangers. We live in a dangerous world. You cannot trust anyone. If you open the door to strangers, everyone will die. Do you want that on your conscience? Rule number two, kill first, ask later. If in doubt, just pull the trigger, you don't want to get infected. Rule number three, don't trust the scientists and doctors. They don't know anything, even though they think they know everything. Where did the plague come from? It was probably from a lab ran by scientists and doctors, how can you trust them? Rule number four, people from the Moon are traitors, people in the hospitals are zombies, people who are walking around are probably sick and will become zombies, you can shoot them all because they either left you behind to die or they will kill you. Rule number five, you can only trust your map, your car, your gun, your food, your water, they keep you alive, nothing else matters.
My name is Peter Bates and I am the Opposition Leader. Our colony is the closest to Hope Hospital where they keep all the sick people. We are also quite close to the space port where the rich and famous ran away to the beautiful little place called Moon. I was a farmer, my family and my friends came to me after everyone left. Some of them didn't make it into the colony, some of them did. We have our own water supply, our farm produce uncontaminated food, we even have a stash of weapons.
The Bible said that the end of the world will come, and it certainly has come. People are being judged, but I don't know whether they are judged fairly or not. The plague takes everyone, it is blind. It takes children, it takes women, it takes men, it takes evil people, it takes good people, it takes the rich and the poor. Have we seen any angels yet? I haven't, and I certainly look forward to see one.
Chance is my best friend. He is a farmer as well, but he had a chicken farm. His sister Faith came with him. Chance is tall and strong, he's good at shooting. He brought most of the weapon to my farm. Faith is a nurse, she took some medical supplies with her. She has light blond hair. Faith had a baby and she didn't like to talk about it because no one knows who the father is. She lost the baby to the plague. Angus and Blair are twins. They lived in town. Angus worked in the corner store, Blair worked as a mechanic. They brought some food and tools. My parents died a few years back, leaving the farm to me. I was going to get married with my fiance, but we lost touch. I don't know whether she's still alive or not, but I think she understands that I can't go out there to find her. It's too dangerous.
More people have came to the farm and some of them built their own houses or tents in the paddock. We put up a wire fence around the perimeter after the people got violent and started to trash the place. A door went up as well, heavy and thick. People brought their animals, kids, toys, food, supplies, clothes, cars with them. We are trying to sit this one out although no one knows for sure how long this is going to last.
Rule number one, never open the door to strangers. We live in a dangerous world. You cannot trust anyone. If you open the door to strangers, everyone will die. Do you want that on your conscience? Rule number two, kill first, ask later. If in doubt, just pull the trigger, you don't want to get infected. Rule number three, don't trust the scientists and doctors. They don't know anything, even though they think they know everything. Where did the plague come from? It was probably from a lab ran by scientists and doctors, how can you trust them? Rule number four, people from the Moon are traitors, people in the hospitals are zombies, people who are walking around are probably sick and will become zombies, you can shoot them all because they either left you behind to die or they will kill you. Rule number five, you can only trust your map, your car, your gun, your food, your water, they keep you alive, nothing else matters.
My name is Peter Bates and I am the Opposition Leader. Our colony is the closest to Hope Hospital where they keep all the sick people. We are also quite close to the space port where the rich and famous ran away to the beautiful little place called Moon. I was a farmer, my family and my friends came to me after everyone left. Some of them didn't make it into the colony, some of them did. We have our own water supply, our farm produce uncontaminated food, we even have a stash of weapons.
The Bible said that the end of the world will come, and it certainly has come. People are being judged, but I don't know whether they are judged fairly or not. The plague takes everyone, it is blind. It takes children, it takes women, it takes men, it takes evil people, it takes good people, it takes the rich and the poor. Have we seen any angels yet? I haven't, and I certainly look forward to see one.
Chance is my best friend. He is a farmer as well, but he had a chicken farm. His sister Faith came with him. Chance is tall and strong, he's good at shooting. He brought most of the weapon to my farm. Faith is a nurse, she took some medical supplies with her. She has light blond hair. Faith had a baby and she didn't like to talk about it because no one knows who the father is. She lost the baby to the plague. Angus and Blair are twins. They lived in town. Angus worked in the corner store, Blair worked as a mechanic. They brought some food and tools. My parents died a few years back, leaving the farm to me. I was going to get married with my fiance, but we lost touch. I don't know whether she's still alive or not, but I think she understands that I can't go out there to find her. It's too dangerous.
More people have came to the farm and some of them built their own houses or tents in the paddock. We put up a wire fence around the perimeter after the people got violent and started to trash the place. A door went up as well, heavy and thick. People brought their animals, kids, toys, food, supplies, clothes, cars with them. We are trying to sit this one out although no one knows for sure how long this is going to last.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Alice in New Zealand
Chapter 1 Happy birthday to you
It is my sister Alice's birthday today and I am still trying to find a present for her. Should I get her a nice dress? There is the blue one that shows off her beautiful shoulder, and then there's the red one that shows off her legs. Should I get her shoes? There is the red one that she can dance with, or the black one that she can wear to work, then I remember that she doesn't work anymore. She doesn't really need a dress, either. She's lying on the hospital bed, sleeping, dreaming a dream that I cannot be a part of.
Dr. White is very supportive about my visits. She said that Alice can hear everything that goes around her, but I doubt that. If Alice can hear me, I am sure she will give me a slap in the face and tell me to go away. My parents no longer visit Alice. They don't think she will ever wake up.
I've decided to bring her a cake. She loves chocolate cake. I saw one decorated with strawberries and pink cream in the cake shop. A red and black cake in a green box is now sitting in my car, all ready to be eaten. I am sure the nurses and the doctors will be delighted by this cake, and Alice will enjoy the happiness around her.
The construction around the hospital is a pain. It is difficult to find the entrance, and it is hard to find a park. However, I manage to squeeze into a small space between a BMW and a Range Rover. With cake in hand, I wait for the automatic hospital door to open.
The view from Alice's room is spectacular. You can see Lake Rotorua quite clearly, the blue mirror that reflects the afternoon sun. I brought her fresh flowers, too. Golden daisy are the same colour as her hair. Nurse Julia brought a table and a knife for the cake. I light the candles on the cake, a reminder of how old Alice is and how long she's been in a coma. The futility of the situation is evident, but I don't care. This cake is for Alice as much as for me and everybody else around her. It is not pointless to love someone even though they don't respond to you. She's still here somewhere, hanging on by a thread, and no matter how thin the thread is, I am going to hold on to it a bit longer.
"Amy, that is a great looking cake. Have you made a wish yet?"
"It's not for me, it's for Alice."
"Well, why not. How about we both make a wish? It is a birthday cake after all."
"You are right."
We both closed our eyes and made wishes. I wish that Alice will wake up and I wish that it will happen soon. I wish that she's well wherever she is. I wish she's warm and comfortable. I wish she's happy.
I still have a while to wait for her to wake up, but I won't have to wait forever. The smell of the cake has attracted a crowd into the room, including Dr. White, the Head Nurse, Nurse Rachel and Nurse Mary. We cut the cake up and share the tasty treat around the room.
"She's looking better today. What do you think, Rachel? Do you think she looks better?"
"Yes, she does. I think she will wake up soon, any days now."
"It won't surprise me if she wakes up now, to be honest. What do you think, Dr.White?"
"It will be wonderful if she wakes up today. It is her birthday."
"How's your parents, Amy? They are doing well?"
"They are fine, Julia. They are enjoying their retirement and spending time with the grandchildren."
"How's Robin holding up? Have you seen him lately?"
"He's well. He's been quite busy with his collection lately, going to New York and Paris next month."
"That's fantastic. Bring him here next time."
"I will."
Robin is Alice's boyfriend. He's a designer with his own boutique shops in Wellington and Auckland. He's expanding his empire and going overseas to show his collection. He is the only other person who visits Alice regularly. I am amazed by his staying power with Alice. His world makes me distrust him, but as far as I know, he doesn't have another girlfriend. He's the one bringing her nice clothes and new blankets, flowers and fruit, and sometimes a soft toy. He brings music as well, and sometimes reads books to her.
They live in the suburb of Wellington together. It is no surprise that Alice loves gardening, she's a landscape artist. She spends her spare time planting flowers, trees and vegetables in her garden. There's a swing underneath the biggest tree. There are two chairs and a table for afternoon tea as well. A fountain at the back of the garden features a woman's statue covered with moss. Robin's workshop is in the garage. He creates colourful garments from fantastic fabrics. He loves using bright colours, bold cut and draping, with lovely details. He's talented, and Alice loves the fact that Robin is flamboyant and dramatic. I thought Robin is gay the first time I met him, and I would be lying to say that I don't have doubts right now. How can this man be straight and this daring? Only Alice knows.
Chapter 2 Into the dream
The last thing I remember is walking into the club Cave with Robin that night. His friends are celebrating the successful runway show, drinking and dancing the night away. Robin is in his element, drinking Metropolitan followed by vodka shots. I must have a lot to drink as well because I don't remember too much after my seventh drink.
Robin must know what had happened although I am not entirely sure. I was dancing in the strobe light, shaking my arms and head to the music, then it was all black. I must have tripped on someone's foot and fell and hit my head.
It is my sister Alice's birthday today and I am still trying to find a present for her. Should I get her a nice dress? There is the blue one that shows off her beautiful shoulder, and then there's the red one that shows off her legs. Should I get her shoes? There is the red one that she can dance with, or the black one that she can wear to work, then I remember that she doesn't work anymore. She doesn't really need a dress, either. She's lying on the hospital bed, sleeping, dreaming a dream that I cannot be a part of.
Dr. White is very supportive about my visits. She said that Alice can hear everything that goes around her, but I doubt that. If Alice can hear me, I am sure she will give me a slap in the face and tell me to go away. My parents no longer visit Alice. They don't think she will ever wake up.
I've decided to bring her a cake. She loves chocolate cake. I saw one decorated with strawberries and pink cream in the cake shop. A red and black cake in a green box is now sitting in my car, all ready to be eaten. I am sure the nurses and the doctors will be delighted by this cake, and Alice will enjoy the happiness around her.
The construction around the hospital is a pain. It is difficult to find the entrance, and it is hard to find a park. However, I manage to squeeze into a small space between a BMW and a Range Rover. With cake in hand, I wait for the automatic hospital door to open.
The view from Alice's room is spectacular. You can see Lake Rotorua quite clearly, the blue mirror that reflects the afternoon sun. I brought her fresh flowers, too. Golden daisy are the same colour as her hair. Nurse Julia brought a table and a knife for the cake. I light the candles on the cake, a reminder of how old Alice is and how long she's been in a coma. The futility of the situation is evident, but I don't care. This cake is for Alice as much as for me and everybody else around her. It is not pointless to love someone even though they don't respond to you. She's still here somewhere, hanging on by a thread, and no matter how thin the thread is, I am going to hold on to it a bit longer.
"Amy, that is a great looking cake. Have you made a wish yet?"
"It's not for me, it's for Alice."
"Well, why not. How about we both make a wish? It is a birthday cake after all."
"You are right."
We both closed our eyes and made wishes. I wish that Alice will wake up and I wish that it will happen soon. I wish that she's well wherever she is. I wish she's warm and comfortable. I wish she's happy.
I still have a while to wait for her to wake up, but I won't have to wait forever. The smell of the cake has attracted a crowd into the room, including Dr. White, the Head Nurse, Nurse Rachel and Nurse Mary. We cut the cake up and share the tasty treat around the room.
"She's looking better today. What do you think, Rachel? Do you think she looks better?"
"Yes, she does. I think she will wake up soon, any days now."
"It won't surprise me if she wakes up now, to be honest. What do you think, Dr.White?"
"It will be wonderful if she wakes up today. It is her birthday."
"How's your parents, Amy? They are doing well?"
"They are fine, Julia. They are enjoying their retirement and spending time with the grandchildren."
"How's Robin holding up? Have you seen him lately?"
"He's well. He's been quite busy with his collection lately, going to New York and Paris next month."
"That's fantastic. Bring him here next time."
"I will."
Robin is Alice's boyfriend. He's a designer with his own boutique shops in Wellington and Auckland. He's expanding his empire and going overseas to show his collection. He is the only other person who visits Alice regularly. I am amazed by his staying power with Alice. His world makes me distrust him, but as far as I know, he doesn't have another girlfriend. He's the one bringing her nice clothes and new blankets, flowers and fruit, and sometimes a soft toy. He brings music as well, and sometimes reads books to her.
They live in the suburb of Wellington together. It is no surprise that Alice loves gardening, she's a landscape artist. She spends her spare time planting flowers, trees and vegetables in her garden. There's a swing underneath the biggest tree. There are two chairs and a table for afternoon tea as well. A fountain at the back of the garden features a woman's statue covered with moss. Robin's workshop is in the garage. He creates colourful garments from fantastic fabrics. He loves using bright colours, bold cut and draping, with lovely details. He's talented, and Alice loves the fact that Robin is flamboyant and dramatic. I thought Robin is gay the first time I met him, and I would be lying to say that I don't have doubts right now. How can this man be straight and this daring? Only Alice knows.
Chapter 2 Into the dream
The last thing I remember is walking into the club Cave with Robin that night. His friends are celebrating the successful runway show, drinking and dancing the night away. Robin is in his element, drinking Metropolitan followed by vodka shots. I must have a lot to drink as well because I don't remember too much after my seventh drink.
Robin must know what had happened although I am not entirely sure. I was dancing in the strobe light, shaking my arms and head to the music, then it was all black. I must have tripped on someone's foot and fell and hit my head.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
The Plague
Anna Anderson, eldest daughter of Henry and Victoria Anderson
Daniel Anderson, eldest son of Henry and Victoria Anderson
James Anderson, second son of Henry and Victoria Anderson
Betty Anderson, second daughter of Henry and Victoria Anderson
Cynthia Anderson, youngest daughter of Henry and Victoria Anderson
Cole Anderson, youngest son of Henry and Victoria Anderson, also the youngest in the family
Henry Anderson, father of Anna Anderson
Victoria Anderson, mother of Anna Anderson
Louis Anderson, father of Henry Anderson
Elizabeth Anderson, mother of Henry Anderson
Dr. Donovan Carrington, chief in Hope Hospital
Dr. Frederick Weston, chief surgeon in Hope Hospital
Nurse Mercedes French, Anna’s nurse
Dr. Christian Sorenson, surgeon in Hope Hospital
Nurse Erica Moore, surgical nurse
Dr. Laura Grant, surgeon in Hope Hospital
Nurse Brent Carson, surgical nurse
Peter Bates, leader of the Opposition
Chance, Opposition member
Faith, Opposition member
Angus, Opposition member
Blair, Opposition member
Sophia Mann, president of the Moon
Angela Mann, daughter of the president
Connor Mann, president’s husband
Kane Grant, Laura’s father
Francis Grant, Laura’s mother
Chapter 1 Plague
Earth, 3005
The year is 3005. We have used up all the oil reserve and depleted the mineral resources on Earth. Earth, the place we call home, once green and lush, is now covered by buildings that goes into the sky and domes of natural reserve that protect life from noxious fumes in the atmosphere and the heat from the sun. We moved to the Moon and built outposts there, cities rose from the gray sand, once a quiet satellite, now a busy place where you can do sight-seeing, business, shop, study, and live.
When the plague first strike, a huge exodus started. People moved to the Moon to avoid infection. People who could afford traveling went away first, with their servants and nannies. They took money with them, boosting the economy on the Moon. People with connections in the government also got away because they are setting up new countries there. University professors, lawyers, architects, labourers, farmers, entrepreneurs, engineers, nurses, doctors and teachers left. People who are already infected stayed behind, under the care of hospital sat up by the state. Scientists stayed behind to find the cure, soldiers stayed behind to stop riots and police were there to keep order. It was desperate time, people who were sick tried to get on the space shuttle so they don’t have to live on Earth. They want hope, they want to stay with their family but they can’t.
I was left behind with the others in the hospital. Earth is still as beautiful as the day when I was born. The grass is still green; the ocean still blue, the sky still cloudless and sometimes it rains. You just have to see all the wonders in the world under the dome. My family is long gone, living on the Moon. I am lying on my bed most of the time, fighting the plague, and my nurse reads me letters from my dad, my mum, and my cousins. They encourage me to get better so I can live on the Moon with them in the future, but I know I will never be allowed to leave Earth. This is my home, and I will have to stay here and see what’s going to happen next.
I don’t watch television anymore. People are looting the shops, taking what’s left in the shop with them, throwing rocks at the police, and stealing everything like that’s going to solve their problem. No, it is not going to make you better. Children are hungry, wives don’t have anything to cook in their pan, and men are angry because no one cares about what’s happening to them. Most of them can’t afford space travel; some of them are not even infected with the plague. It’s anarchy everywhere, there’s no law anymore. People leave the cities where they used to work and live in the countryside, most barricading their fortresses together with people who are like them, in the fear of getting infected by the people who are sick. On the other side, there are people who are sick, dying, bleeding, and losing their mind, when their pasts are forgotten. What a waste. That’s what the scientists are working on, a cure to help us get better, and now all they can do is make us feel better when we are dying. I wonder when they will give up on us and live on the Moon because it is more realistic than curing us, even I know that.
“Anna, how are you feeling today?”
“I feel fine, thanks.”
I am glad that I am not bleeding yet, the disease progresses slower on me for some reason, but I know my time is short. Once I start to bleed, it is going to be over very fast. I will forget my childhood, then my teenage years will be wiped from my memory, and finally I will lose myself. I will be in a lot of pain, and in the end all the people die.
“Temperature is normal, blood pressure is within range, and if you don’t have this virus in your blood stream then I will pronounce you healthy and let you go home.”
“I am beginning to think that I am not going to die, but that’s hoping a lot.”
“Maybe the drug is working on you, and you are young and healthy when you caught this bug so I don’t see why you can’t survive. You may be the first survivor.”
“We all have to die some day, doctor. I don’t mind dying, it’s not so bad.”
“But your life just started, why do you want to die, Anna? Everybody wants to live.”
“Why? My family lives on the Moon, they send me money and everything else, but they won’t come down and see me. They are afraid of me, afraid of what I’ve become.”
“Yes, that’s because you have the plague. If you are cured, they can see you any time. You will have your life back and it will be a medical miracle. We will certainly need a blood sample and do some research on it.”
“Go ahead. I don’t think I will survive this, doctor. Sometimes, I feel my life is slipping away from my fingertips and I can’t hold on anymore.”
“You never seem to be able to give up on life, though. You are the only person who is still alive after a month of exposure; in fact, you are in the earliest stage of the disease where there’s no visible symptom. I think if we want to fight this monster, we have to help you fight it, Anna.”
“What are you going to do?”
“We have to study you, but that’s only if we can get consent from you. You are conscious, and since your relatives are far away, we have to get you to sign a few documents. We will make sure you are not harmed in any way.”
“Are you going to give me more treatment so I will be completely cured?”
“We have an experimental procedure that can help you regenerate. What we can’t do is eliminate the virus from your body, but you are doing that quite successfully yourself, and we need to understand the mechanism of that.”
“My immune system just works differently to the others. I guess I am strange.”
“Humans evolve against diseases, and in your case, you body is changing so you can survive. If we don’t have this mechanism, then the human race would have died out a long time ago.”
“What does this experimental procedure involve? Some witch’s brew, I gather.”
“Not quite what you have in mind. It’s reptilian DNA that we’ve extracted from frogs and crocodiles, we have successfully regenerate tissues after modification in the concoction and that worked. We are still testing it against other species right now, but it looks promising. The shot, when it is developed fully, will help all the people who have the disease to regenerate new cells. Your immune system will become a model so we can boost the immune system of the others to a better condition to fight the disease. After all, we can only save those who can save themselves.”
“Welcome to the brave new world. Doctor, I will hold your promise of recovery now and go back to sleep. Come back with a cure, I am bored by this staying in bed business.”
“Who likes to stay in bed whole day anyway, it’s time to get you out of your bed and back to walking around doing stuff other people can do. It will be fun for me.”
“I hope you know what you are doing.”
Gillian, the new girl, is in a bad state. She will move into intensive care soon, she’s lost her memory of the past, and is starting to bleed a lot. I hope doc will help her die peacefully. Her father is the interior minister; I remember watching him on the news, riding in a black hovercraft with his bodyguards, looking glum when the plague started. She isn’t supposed to be here, though. I thought her family moved away from Earth in the beginning, with all the other important government officials.
“When did she come back to Earth? I thought she moved away.”
“She did, but her friends are still on Earth so she came back to visit them. She caught the virus yesterday.”
“It’s progressing fast. Why is that? I’ve never seen someone this serious so fast.”
“I don’t know. I can’t do much for her anymore, she is dying. Stop compression and time of death is 2:35 p.m.”
There’s not much left of the young girl on the table. Her face is distorted from the flesh-eating virus, blood soaks through her pretty skirt, and her bracelet is still shining under the harsh light. Her spirit had left her body long ago, and her chest is still rising and falling from the air pump, but that will soon stop. It’s quiet now.
People keep coming in everyday in different stages of the plague, some of them can still talk, complaining about pain when they were first brought in, some of them lost their memories, and can’t remember whether they have eaten or not. Some of them, like Gillian, are at the end stage. They die very quickly after the last struggle, their bodies still strong because it’s our instinct to fight to survive, but weakened by the virus. There is a lot of blood, and in the end there’s no sound.
Night falls when they come to take her away, dabbing gauze on her face, trying to make her look better with no avail. They changed her clothes, covering her mutilated body with fine fabric that will accompany her forever in her grave. Her parents didn’t come to see her before she past away; they will watch her body on a screen, buried in a beautiful spot on Earth. They will never visit her grave, in fear of catching this deadly disease. They will mourn her far away in the space.
“It’s time for you to get your operation, Anna. We are going to take you to the Jungle.”
“Just tell me I am better when I wake up.”
“You will be, Anna.”
I fall into the best dream of my life. I am living in a cottage, cooking a meal on the stove; there are flowers everywhere outside the window. Butterflies are playing tag in the garden, with bees working hard on collecting honey. I can hear the river rolling down the land and cattle grazing the greenest grass, and lamb running around the paddock behind their mother. It had just rained, and I can see the faint rainbow in the distance. It’s quiet, but I feel so happy and contend. I sip my lemon tea and put my feet up on the sofa, relaxing in the afternoon.
Doctors are injecting cloned cells into my blood stream, modified by reptilian DNA that can regenerate more easily. I breathe steadily under anesthesia, sleeping as they work on my body, inch by inch, wishing that I will recover from this terrible disease. One day they will be able to help the others, too, and people will no longer die from this plague.
My dream takes a dramatic term. It’s starting to rain again, the storm comes in and the wind is howling. It ravages through my garden, pushing the windows and the main door tight towards the house, I have to go to bed, afraid for my life. I can hear the roar of nature, and the scene changes. I am in the middle of the storm, looking up, I see the white Moon in the sky, and the shuttles coming and going from the Moon. I see my parents holding my hands, giving me toys to play, my brothers and sisters singing beside me, and the day when they all left, their teary farewell. I remember mother brushing my hair, father holding me when I was eating my lollipop. I remember riding my first tricycle, my first pet, and going to school. I remember everything, but suddenly the storm is back and I can’t find my past. It’s lost forever. I have to go back to where I was, when I was happy and carefree.
I see the town where I used to live and it is deserted now, the barbwire still holding the sick back. There are nothing left in the shops, all looted and disturbed. My school have no school kids anymore; they have either left or died. The school yards are no longer a place for fun, but a place for weeds to grow. There is no traffic on the street, no cars in sight, lots of rubbish on the ground, and no sign of life. The colourful advertisements are still there, standing in the storm, and the park is still there, devoid of children and adults walking and running, playing and laughing.
The population of Earth has dropped 90% after the plague hit us. 50% of people died, while the other half moved away or stayed behind hiding somewhere in the rural area. Officially, Earth is uninhabited by people now because not a lot of people stayed behind. Unofficially, about 500 people still live in the surrounding area where I stayed, not daring to venture into town, hiding with one another underground, in a cave, or in their own nuclear bunkers. Nobody lives in the cities anymore because it’s too dangerous, you will catch the disease if you are not careful.
I walk to the train station, the clocks are still running on time, but no train will ever come to this station again. There are no buses and no trams on the road, but the trees are still growing, shaking in the wind. I stand in front of the train station looking towards the end of the street, wishing that I am home with my family, enjoying dinner, talking and laughing. I wish that everyone is back here on Earth, living our lives, it can be difficult at times, but happiness is around the corner.
“How are you feeling, Anna?”
I open my eyes; my arms are connected to lines going into my veins, drips of life supporting me through this critical hour. There’s so much light in the room, I can see well again. I flex my fingers, and the joints are no longer stiff like before.
“I feel great, doc. What’s your assessment?”
“Your joints are regaining its formal function. With the right amount of physiotherapy you will be able to walk again soon. You will have to learn to do everything again, and it will not be easy.”
“Life is never easy, doc. I think I will be able to do it, though. I want to get better.”
“No more of that dying nonsense, good. That’s the spirit I know. You are a fighter, not a loser.”
“What should I do now? Can I do something straight away?”
“I think you should call your parents and tell them that you have done this operation. They will want to know how you are doing. They may come down to Earth to see you if you are well enough.”
“Are you sure? That’s great news. I haven’t seen them for a while.”
“I thought you might like that so I have them on the line now, you can talk to them without holding the receiver. You don’t have enough strength to do that just now, but you will in the future.”
“Hi, mum, hi dad. How are you guys?”
“We are good, darling. How are you feeling, Anna? I heard that your doctor has given you a ground-breaking operation, and you will get better soon. You father and I am going to visit you on Earth. We will organise everything and see you in hospital. When you are well, we will take you to the Moon for a trip. You can come and live with us, or get your own place on the Moon if you like.”
“Yes, sky is the limit, mum, if one is healthy. I still have to work on my rehabilitation.”
“You can do that anywhere, darling. You can rehabilitate on the Moon. I am sure the doctor can arrange something for you here, close to us. You see, we have moved to the Moon and life on the Moon isn’t so bad.”
“No, it looks great. I want to see you guys.”
“Yes, we miss you, too. I am going to get the tickets to Earth straight away. We will see you soon, we will be able to hold your hands again, and stroke your hair. Anna, I miss you so much. We want to be with you now.”
“Dad, you can. I am so happy.”
I am happy and contend now. My future is bright again, even though it will be a long hard road, I can walk it with my own legs again.
My bed is soft, sleep beckons and I fall into my dream again, and this time, I am surrounded by people who are healthy. Kids are running around in their shorts and skirts, playing tag. Adults are walking to work, sitting in the park and looking at pigeons, riding in buses, trams, and bicycles. People are driving on the road again, the noise is deafening, but I feel alive.
All that will change overnight. My life is taking a huge turn again, and the future is unknown to me.
The Moon, 3005
The once barren land is colonized by people from Earth after the plague hit all the countries. People who built the first station on the Moon are living there long term now, having conquered the rough terrain as pioneers. People are traveling beyond the galaxy, going into deep space, exploring more possibilities.
What about that nagging question: are there aliens out there? Of course, the answer to that question is affirmative. People have not only seen them in their telescope now, they have met them and talked with them. We understand so much more about the aliens now that they are no longer classified. Children go to school with alien children, speaking their language and learning about their culture. Alien cooking is big everywhere, with exotic fruits and vegetable on the table. Their advanced technology also helps people on the Moon a lot.
The white moonstones are shining under the sun. Henry and Victoria Anderson live in the beautiful building in the suburb. Their children have left home, eldest son Daniel married with two children of his own, also living on the Moon. Their daughter Anna is on Earth in the hospital. Some of her brothers and sisters are still studying, some of them are working, some of them are homemakers, and some of them are exploring the universe.
The Moon is governed by Sophia Mann, president of the Moon. A politician on Earth, she was propelled to the top after the move to the new capital of civilization. People who managed to leave their home behind needs reassurance, Sophia gives them that. Scientists are still trying to find the cure for the plague so humans can return to their homeland in the future, although the task seems to have hit a brick wall.
Anna is recovering. Sophia is reading about her progress and is contacting her parents to tell them the good news, when she has to deliver many bad news, this is a change. One woman is not going to die. Sophia feels so happy, she misses her home on Earth, even though all her relatives live on the Moon now. She misses her garden with flowers blooming, trees that have lush green leaves, river that runs through fertile land, and ocean that crush against the sandy beach. She will be able to go back home soon.
"Henry, did you talk with Anna? How's she doing after the surgery?"
"Very well. She's recovering. They are still running some tests, but they are quite confident that she will make a full recovery. It's a miracle, isn't it? So many have died already."
"I hope we can find a cure. This has gone on for too long."
"You're right. How's Angela? She's still studying?"
"Yes, she's doing quite well. She's going to graduate from law school soon. How's Cole? He's graduating as well?"
"He's decided to open his own company with his friends. I am not sure how he will do, but you know how young people are, they will never listen to their parents. I hope he knows what he's doing."
"You never know, young people are quite resilient now. We have been through a lot."
"Yes, everyone has. It's time we find happiness again."
"How's Victoria holding up? She must be stoked that Anna is getting better."
"She is. She's setting up a room for Anna at home, getting the medical equipment into the house and hiring nurses to care for Anna. It's not easy to find a nurse willing to care for a plague patient. We are trying our best."
"I don't blame them. It's a life and death decision."
"The only thing we can do is to raise the wage and benefits. We can't promise anything at this stage. We don't know enough yet."
"Everything will be fine. They tend to sort themselves out. Henry, I am really happy that I can deliver good news today. We are getting somewhere finally."
"Yes, I better let you go. Talk to you later."
Sophia's secretary came into the room at that moment, holding a folder, she starts reciting her schedule:
"Madame President, it is time to meet the Interior Minister. You have a meeting with Health Minister at 2 p.m. regarding the progress of Anna and the vaccine. The finance minister wants to have a meeting at 3 p.m. so I put him in. The new Casino building is giving him headache, I have some information here which may or may not help the situation. You are going to a Plague Fund-raising tonight. I've picked out your outfit for you, the First Gentleman will meet you in the car."
"Thank you very much, Lydia. Anything else?"
"No, ma'am."
"Can you ask John to make hazelnut coffee for me? I really need something for this afternoon, thank you."
"Yes, it will be here straight away."
Daniel Anderson, eldest son of Henry and Victoria Anderson
James Anderson, second son of Henry and Victoria Anderson
Betty Anderson, second daughter of Henry and Victoria Anderson
Cynthia Anderson, youngest daughter of Henry and Victoria Anderson
Cole Anderson, youngest son of Henry and Victoria Anderson, also the youngest in the family
Henry Anderson, father of Anna Anderson
Victoria Anderson, mother of Anna Anderson
Louis Anderson, father of Henry Anderson
Elizabeth Anderson, mother of Henry Anderson
Dr. Donovan Carrington, chief in Hope Hospital
Dr. Frederick Weston, chief surgeon in Hope Hospital
Nurse Mercedes French, Anna’s nurse
Dr. Christian Sorenson, surgeon in Hope Hospital
Nurse Erica Moore, surgical nurse
Dr. Laura Grant, surgeon in Hope Hospital
Nurse Brent Carson, surgical nurse
Peter Bates, leader of the Opposition
Chance, Opposition member
Faith, Opposition member
Angus, Opposition member
Blair, Opposition member
Sophia Mann, president of the Moon
Angela Mann, daughter of the president
Connor Mann, president’s husband
Kane Grant, Laura’s father
Francis Grant, Laura’s mother
Chapter 1 Plague
Earth, 3005
The year is 3005. We have used up all the oil reserve and depleted the mineral resources on Earth. Earth, the place we call home, once green and lush, is now covered by buildings that goes into the sky and domes of natural reserve that protect life from noxious fumes in the atmosphere and the heat from the sun. We moved to the Moon and built outposts there, cities rose from the gray sand, once a quiet satellite, now a busy place where you can do sight-seeing, business, shop, study, and live.
When the plague first strike, a huge exodus started. People moved to the Moon to avoid infection. People who could afford traveling went away first, with their servants and nannies. They took money with them, boosting the economy on the Moon. People with connections in the government also got away because they are setting up new countries there. University professors, lawyers, architects, labourers, farmers, entrepreneurs, engineers, nurses, doctors and teachers left. People who are already infected stayed behind, under the care of hospital sat up by the state. Scientists stayed behind to find the cure, soldiers stayed behind to stop riots and police were there to keep order. It was desperate time, people who were sick tried to get on the space shuttle so they don’t have to live on Earth. They want hope, they want to stay with their family but they can’t.
I was left behind with the others in the hospital. Earth is still as beautiful as the day when I was born. The grass is still green; the ocean still blue, the sky still cloudless and sometimes it rains. You just have to see all the wonders in the world under the dome. My family is long gone, living on the Moon. I am lying on my bed most of the time, fighting the plague, and my nurse reads me letters from my dad, my mum, and my cousins. They encourage me to get better so I can live on the Moon with them in the future, but I know I will never be allowed to leave Earth. This is my home, and I will have to stay here and see what’s going to happen next.
I don’t watch television anymore. People are looting the shops, taking what’s left in the shop with them, throwing rocks at the police, and stealing everything like that’s going to solve their problem. No, it is not going to make you better. Children are hungry, wives don’t have anything to cook in their pan, and men are angry because no one cares about what’s happening to them. Most of them can’t afford space travel; some of them are not even infected with the plague. It’s anarchy everywhere, there’s no law anymore. People leave the cities where they used to work and live in the countryside, most barricading their fortresses together with people who are like them, in the fear of getting infected by the people who are sick. On the other side, there are people who are sick, dying, bleeding, and losing their mind, when their pasts are forgotten. What a waste. That’s what the scientists are working on, a cure to help us get better, and now all they can do is make us feel better when we are dying. I wonder when they will give up on us and live on the Moon because it is more realistic than curing us, even I know that.
“Anna, how are you feeling today?”
“I feel fine, thanks.”
I am glad that I am not bleeding yet, the disease progresses slower on me for some reason, but I know my time is short. Once I start to bleed, it is going to be over very fast. I will forget my childhood, then my teenage years will be wiped from my memory, and finally I will lose myself. I will be in a lot of pain, and in the end all the people die.
“Temperature is normal, blood pressure is within range, and if you don’t have this virus in your blood stream then I will pronounce you healthy and let you go home.”
“I am beginning to think that I am not going to die, but that’s hoping a lot.”
“Maybe the drug is working on you, and you are young and healthy when you caught this bug so I don’t see why you can’t survive. You may be the first survivor.”
“We all have to die some day, doctor. I don’t mind dying, it’s not so bad.”
“But your life just started, why do you want to die, Anna? Everybody wants to live.”
“Why? My family lives on the Moon, they send me money and everything else, but they won’t come down and see me. They are afraid of me, afraid of what I’ve become.”
“Yes, that’s because you have the plague. If you are cured, they can see you any time. You will have your life back and it will be a medical miracle. We will certainly need a blood sample and do some research on it.”
“Go ahead. I don’t think I will survive this, doctor. Sometimes, I feel my life is slipping away from my fingertips and I can’t hold on anymore.”
“You never seem to be able to give up on life, though. You are the only person who is still alive after a month of exposure; in fact, you are in the earliest stage of the disease where there’s no visible symptom. I think if we want to fight this monster, we have to help you fight it, Anna.”
“What are you going to do?”
“We have to study you, but that’s only if we can get consent from you. You are conscious, and since your relatives are far away, we have to get you to sign a few documents. We will make sure you are not harmed in any way.”
“Are you going to give me more treatment so I will be completely cured?”
“We have an experimental procedure that can help you regenerate. What we can’t do is eliminate the virus from your body, but you are doing that quite successfully yourself, and we need to understand the mechanism of that.”
“My immune system just works differently to the others. I guess I am strange.”
“Humans evolve against diseases, and in your case, you body is changing so you can survive. If we don’t have this mechanism, then the human race would have died out a long time ago.”
“What does this experimental procedure involve? Some witch’s brew, I gather.”
“Not quite what you have in mind. It’s reptilian DNA that we’ve extracted from frogs and crocodiles, we have successfully regenerate tissues after modification in the concoction and that worked. We are still testing it against other species right now, but it looks promising. The shot, when it is developed fully, will help all the people who have the disease to regenerate new cells. Your immune system will become a model so we can boost the immune system of the others to a better condition to fight the disease. After all, we can only save those who can save themselves.”
“Welcome to the brave new world. Doctor, I will hold your promise of recovery now and go back to sleep. Come back with a cure, I am bored by this staying in bed business.”
“Who likes to stay in bed whole day anyway, it’s time to get you out of your bed and back to walking around doing stuff other people can do. It will be fun for me.”
“I hope you know what you are doing.”
Gillian, the new girl, is in a bad state. She will move into intensive care soon, she’s lost her memory of the past, and is starting to bleed a lot. I hope doc will help her die peacefully. Her father is the interior minister; I remember watching him on the news, riding in a black hovercraft with his bodyguards, looking glum when the plague started. She isn’t supposed to be here, though. I thought her family moved away from Earth in the beginning, with all the other important government officials.
“When did she come back to Earth? I thought she moved away.”
“She did, but her friends are still on Earth so she came back to visit them. She caught the virus yesterday.”
“It’s progressing fast. Why is that? I’ve never seen someone this serious so fast.”
“I don’t know. I can’t do much for her anymore, she is dying. Stop compression and time of death is 2:35 p.m.”
There’s not much left of the young girl on the table. Her face is distorted from the flesh-eating virus, blood soaks through her pretty skirt, and her bracelet is still shining under the harsh light. Her spirit had left her body long ago, and her chest is still rising and falling from the air pump, but that will soon stop. It’s quiet now.
People keep coming in everyday in different stages of the plague, some of them can still talk, complaining about pain when they were first brought in, some of them lost their memories, and can’t remember whether they have eaten or not. Some of them, like Gillian, are at the end stage. They die very quickly after the last struggle, their bodies still strong because it’s our instinct to fight to survive, but weakened by the virus. There is a lot of blood, and in the end there’s no sound.
Night falls when they come to take her away, dabbing gauze on her face, trying to make her look better with no avail. They changed her clothes, covering her mutilated body with fine fabric that will accompany her forever in her grave. Her parents didn’t come to see her before she past away; they will watch her body on a screen, buried in a beautiful spot on Earth. They will never visit her grave, in fear of catching this deadly disease. They will mourn her far away in the space.
“It’s time for you to get your operation, Anna. We are going to take you to the Jungle.”
“Just tell me I am better when I wake up.”
“You will be, Anna.”
I fall into the best dream of my life. I am living in a cottage, cooking a meal on the stove; there are flowers everywhere outside the window. Butterflies are playing tag in the garden, with bees working hard on collecting honey. I can hear the river rolling down the land and cattle grazing the greenest grass, and lamb running around the paddock behind their mother. It had just rained, and I can see the faint rainbow in the distance. It’s quiet, but I feel so happy and contend. I sip my lemon tea and put my feet up on the sofa, relaxing in the afternoon.
Doctors are injecting cloned cells into my blood stream, modified by reptilian DNA that can regenerate more easily. I breathe steadily under anesthesia, sleeping as they work on my body, inch by inch, wishing that I will recover from this terrible disease. One day they will be able to help the others, too, and people will no longer die from this plague.
My dream takes a dramatic term. It’s starting to rain again, the storm comes in and the wind is howling. It ravages through my garden, pushing the windows and the main door tight towards the house, I have to go to bed, afraid for my life. I can hear the roar of nature, and the scene changes. I am in the middle of the storm, looking up, I see the white Moon in the sky, and the shuttles coming and going from the Moon. I see my parents holding my hands, giving me toys to play, my brothers and sisters singing beside me, and the day when they all left, their teary farewell. I remember mother brushing my hair, father holding me when I was eating my lollipop. I remember riding my first tricycle, my first pet, and going to school. I remember everything, but suddenly the storm is back and I can’t find my past. It’s lost forever. I have to go back to where I was, when I was happy and carefree.
I see the town where I used to live and it is deserted now, the barbwire still holding the sick back. There are nothing left in the shops, all looted and disturbed. My school have no school kids anymore; they have either left or died. The school yards are no longer a place for fun, but a place for weeds to grow. There is no traffic on the street, no cars in sight, lots of rubbish on the ground, and no sign of life. The colourful advertisements are still there, standing in the storm, and the park is still there, devoid of children and adults walking and running, playing and laughing.
The population of Earth has dropped 90% after the plague hit us. 50% of people died, while the other half moved away or stayed behind hiding somewhere in the rural area. Officially, Earth is uninhabited by people now because not a lot of people stayed behind. Unofficially, about 500 people still live in the surrounding area where I stayed, not daring to venture into town, hiding with one another underground, in a cave, or in their own nuclear bunkers. Nobody lives in the cities anymore because it’s too dangerous, you will catch the disease if you are not careful.
I walk to the train station, the clocks are still running on time, but no train will ever come to this station again. There are no buses and no trams on the road, but the trees are still growing, shaking in the wind. I stand in front of the train station looking towards the end of the street, wishing that I am home with my family, enjoying dinner, talking and laughing. I wish that everyone is back here on Earth, living our lives, it can be difficult at times, but happiness is around the corner.
“How are you feeling, Anna?”
I open my eyes; my arms are connected to lines going into my veins, drips of life supporting me through this critical hour. There’s so much light in the room, I can see well again. I flex my fingers, and the joints are no longer stiff like before.
“I feel great, doc. What’s your assessment?”
“Your joints are regaining its formal function. With the right amount of physiotherapy you will be able to walk again soon. You will have to learn to do everything again, and it will not be easy.”
“Life is never easy, doc. I think I will be able to do it, though. I want to get better.”
“No more of that dying nonsense, good. That’s the spirit I know. You are a fighter, not a loser.”
“What should I do now? Can I do something straight away?”
“I think you should call your parents and tell them that you have done this operation. They will want to know how you are doing. They may come down to Earth to see you if you are well enough.”
“Are you sure? That’s great news. I haven’t seen them for a while.”
“I thought you might like that so I have them on the line now, you can talk to them without holding the receiver. You don’t have enough strength to do that just now, but you will in the future.”
“Hi, mum, hi dad. How are you guys?”
“We are good, darling. How are you feeling, Anna? I heard that your doctor has given you a ground-breaking operation, and you will get better soon. You father and I am going to visit you on Earth. We will organise everything and see you in hospital. When you are well, we will take you to the Moon for a trip. You can come and live with us, or get your own place on the Moon if you like.”
“Yes, sky is the limit, mum, if one is healthy. I still have to work on my rehabilitation.”
“You can do that anywhere, darling. You can rehabilitate on the Moon. I am sure the doctor can arrange something for you here, close to us. You see, we have moved to the Moon and life on the Moon isn’t so bad.”
“No, it looks great. I want to see you guys.”
“Yes, we miss you, too. I am going to get the tickets to Earth straight away. We will see you soon, we will be able to hold your hands again, and stroke your hair. Anna, I miss you so much. We want to be with you now.”
“Dad, you can. I am so happy.”
I am happy and contend now. My future is bright again, even though it will be a long hard road, I can walk it with my own legs again.
My bed is soft, sleep beckons and I fall into my dream again, and this time, I am surrounded by people who are healthy. Kids are running around in their shorts and skirts, playing tag. Adults are walking to work, sitting in the park and looking at pigeons, riding in buses, trams, and bicycles. People are driving on the road again, the noise is deafening, but I feel alive.
All that will change overnight. My life is taking a huge turn again, and the future is unknown to me.
The Moon, 3005
The once barren land is colonized by people from Earth after the plague hit all the countries. People who built the first station on the Moon are living there long term now, having conquered the rough terrain as pioneers. People are traveling beyond the galaxy, going into deep space, exploring more possibilities.
What about that nagging question: are there aliens out there? Of course, the answer to that question is affirmative. People have not only seen them in their telescope now, they have met them and talked with them. We understand so much more about the aliens now that they are no longer classified. Children go to school with alien children, speaking their language and learning about their culture. Alien cooking is big everywhere, with exotic fruits and vegetable on the table. Their advanced technology also helps people on the Moon a lot.
The white moonstones are shining under the sun. Henry and Victoria Anderson live in the beautiful building in the suburb. Their children have left home, eldest son Daniel married with two children of his own, also living on the Moon. Their daughter Anna is on Earth in the hospital. Some of her brothers and sisters are still studying, some of them are working, some of them are homemakers, and some of them are exploring the universe.
The Moon is governed by Sophia Mann, president of the Moon. A politician on Earth, she was propelled to the top after the move to the new capital of civilization. People who managed to leave their home behind needs reassurance, Sophia gives them that. Scientists are still trying to find the cure for the plague so humans can return to their homeland in the future, although the task seems to have hit a brick wall.
Anna is recovering. Sophia is reading about her progress and is contacting her parents to tell them the good news, when she has to deliver many bad news, this is a change. One woman is not going to die. Sophia feels so happy, she misses her home on Earth, even though all her relatives live on the Moon now. She misses her garden with flowers blooming, trees that have lush green leaves, river that runs through fertile land, and ocean that crush against the sandy beach. She will be able to go back home soon.
"Henry, did you talk with Anna? How's she doing after the surgery?"
"Very well. She's recovering. They are still running some tests, but they are quite confident that she will make a full recovery. It's a miracle, isn't it? So many have died already."
"I hope we can find a cure. This has gone on for too long."
"You're right. How's Angela? She's still studying?"
"Yes, she's doing quite well. She's going to graduate from law school soon. How's Cole? He's graduating as well?"
"He's decided to open his own company with his friends. I am not sure how he will do, but you know how young people are, they will never listen to their parents. I hope he knows what he's doing."
"You never know, young people are quite resilient now. We have been through a lot."
"Yes, everyone has. It's time we find happiness again."
"How's Victoria holding up? She must be stoked that Anna is getting better."
"She is. She's setting up a room for Anna at home, getting the medical equipment into the house and hiring nurses to care for Anna. It's not easy to find a nurse willing to care for a plague patient. We are trying our best."
"I don't blame them. It's a life and death decision."
"The only thing we can do is to raise the wage and benefits. We can't promise anything at this stage. We don't know enough yet."
"Everything will be fine. They tend to sort themselves out. Henry, I am really happy that I can deliver good news today. We are getting somewhere finally."
"Yes, I better let you go. Talk to you later."
Sophia's secretary came into the room at that moment, holding a folder, she starts reciting her schedule:
"Madame President, it is time to meet the Interior Minister. You have a meeting with Health Minister at 2 p.m. regarding the progress of Anna and the vaccine. The finance minister wants to have a meeting at 3 p.m. so I put him in. The new Casino building is giving him headache, I have some information here which may or may not help the situation. You are going to a Plague Fund-raising tonight. I've picked out your outfit for you, the First Gentleman will meet you in the car."
"Thank you very much, Lydia. Anything else?"
"No, ma'am."
"Can you ask John to make hazelnut coffee for me? I really need something for this afternoon, thank you."
"Yes, it will be here straight away."
Friday, November 02, 2007
Frankly mistaken
They have invented an alarm clock that's shaped like a hand grenade that you can throw against the wall and still won't break, but I can tell you that I don't hate my alarm clock that much. When it rings in the morning, I get out of bed without too much complain. It's probably because I am doing what I want to be doing, and my dearest Sofie is always there for me.
Sofie is my personal assistant, and she's an angel. Where are my keys, Sofie? They are right there beside your coffee mug, Donovan. Have you picked up my dry cleaning? Yes, I've put them in the closet for you. What am I doing at 3 o'clock? Your photo shoot is at 3 o'clock. What will I do without Sofie? I don't know, probably throw my alarm clock to the wall and watch it disintegrate and why Sofie didn't turn up to work and get me one of those hand grenades to throw against the wall.
I can smell coffee, and toast when I open my eyes. It is another beautiful day and I am ready for anything you throw at me.
“Good morning, Donovan. Do you remember what day it is?”
I need to rake my brain with ideas, and something magical has popped in my brain. It’s amazing that I remembered what I am going to do today. I know what I am going to do today, and I am going to be busy for three months.
“Am I having dinner with Abbey tonight?”
“Yes, you are taking her to Star Struck. I’ve organised your suit and transportation for tonight. Good luck, Donovan. They always get you to do the hardest part first, and you know what that means.”
I know exactly what she meant. I spent two nights in a hospital in Greece last time, and I had two stitches the other time in China. I had wounds to prove that I am a hard-working citizen. A lot of people think what I do is a piece of cake, but it’s not. I went through university working my butt off, and became a full-time waiter before I got discovered. Then I told jokes in front of kids, danced with ladies wearing pink tutu, jumped into icy cold water, walked for days in the desert, and finally got to where I am now. Yes, it pays well, but it is never easy.
“I hope that I don’t have to go to the hospital today. I hate that. They make a big fuss out of it and I look terrible on the picture.”
“But think of the nurses, Don. They are always very taken with you and give you extra jelly.”
“I hate jelly. Sofie, I think you enjoy this because then I won’t be losing stuff and you don’t have to work so hard when I am in the hospital when other people are taking care of me.”
“That’s true. You should get injured more often. I am kidding, Don. You better get moving otherwise somebody might not be so happy.”
Ed is a big softie, even though he seems to be angry at everybody all the time. In fact, I won’t work with him if he isn’t a nice man. He knows what he’s doing, and I have made many good films with him. Before I jumped into icy cold water, he was already in it showing me what I should do. When we were hot and thirsty, he didn’t cool himself off.
“Hi, Donovan, we are shooting an explosion today. Go see Betty. Ah, here comes Claudia.”
Claudia is the leading lady, and although she is as cute as a button, nobody really likes her. She has the softest blonde hair, impossibly long eyelashes and blue eyes that shine like lakes in the mountains, and a great dress sense, but she’s a bitch. I have never met such a bad-tempered woman before. Her personal assistant always looked hassled and sleep-deprived, unlike Sofie, always cheerful and pretty. She almost dropped her coffee on Claudia just now, and Claudia hissed at her under her breath, telling her to get out of her way and leave her alone. She clutched her schedule book and coffee and stood as far away as possible from Claudia, but still in her earshot so whenever she wants something, she can get them for her. What a poor girl. I hope she can find a better star to be personal assistant for, or better yet, become a star herself. She doesn’t have to take Claudia’s shit anyway.
“Good morning, Claudia. Are you ready to get blown up yet?”
“No, and I never will. Donovan, where did you find Sofie? Cynthia is useless; a log will help me out more than her. How much do I have to pay you to get Sofie to be my personal assistant?”
“I don’t think I will ever let Sofie go, she’s too good. However, if you don’t want Cynthia, I can take her off your hands. What do you?”
She looks at Cynthia for two seconds and nods to me.
“Fine, just be careful because she pukes, pours coffee on you when you want to drink it, forgets appointments, and is ugly as hell. In fact, I think I can live for one day without an assistant.”
No, you can’t, but I am not about to point out the obvious to her. I am too preoccupied with the coloured wires on the bomb to say anything intelligible.
“Which one should we cut?”
I concentrate on the bomb and ignore the timer and consider my options for a minute. If I cut the green wire, the bomb is going to go off and Claudia and I will be blown to pieces but this is a movie so no one will really get hurt. If I cut the blue wire, then the bomb is not going to go off and I save the day like the script. What if I cut the black wire? There was no explanation given on the script there. Feeling mischievous, I cut the black wire.
The timer stopped to count down and the bomb didn’t go off! Oh, Ed, you are a genius! He knows that I won’t cut the green wire and blue wire because they are just too boring.
“Cut, cut, cut. You have to do this again. Claudia, why aren’t you sweating? This is a bomb that’s going to explode. We are not in Fifth Avenue shopping or strolling in the Central Park!”
He hasn’t noticed that Claudia is somewhere very far away from here. I wonder what the Queen is thinking about, her next victim to torture, perhaps. I don’t think it matters. Just get back up from the dungeons, though.
Another bomb is on the table in five minutes time and we are back to the “Choose which wire to cut” competition. This time the Queen is concentrating on what she is doing and showing some signs of distress, she’s fidgeting, she is sweating, and she just can’t stay still while she’s looking at the diminishing numbers. However, just before I cut the wire, she screams and a mobile goes off somewhere in the studio. We have to start filming again.
Claudia is clutching at her heart and she looks like her world is going to end. I am sure she’s fine, and Cynthia, the loyal personal assistant runs to her Queen’s rescue. She has a water bottle and a towel for the sweating Claudia, but that’s not what she needs.
On a closer look, I know she is a goner. Her blue bullet-proof jacket hasn’t saved her life because the bullet went straight through her head. The last few minutes of her life were recorded on the camera, but I doubt that the killer was caught on camera. I just can’t help but survey the people standing beside the camera, including my beloved Sofie. They have stood beside the killer and they don’t know who it was. Someone had pulled the trigger on Claudia, but we don’t know who it was because no one was looking in that direction.
My life has just gone a little bit more interesting and the day’s filming has been suspended. A very distraught Cynthia is taken home by Ed’s PA, and the police is starting an investigation. I don’t know when we will be able to start filming, and Claudia’s murder will hit world wide media soon.
On the bright side, maybe I will get that vacation I’ve been dreaming of taking and go back home since I won’t be working for a while. They will have to find another actress as good as Claudia to replace her character, we will probably have to rewrite the script a bit to accommodate the new character and that can take months. I just hope this whole project can go ahead, though. I am looking forward to shoot another blockbuster.
“Donovan, what are we going to do? Are you going to take on Mellissa’s new project?”
“No, Sofie, I am going to take a holiday with Abbey from today. I am not going to work when Claudia is dead, that’s just wrong. I know what you are going to say, she’s not worth mourning, but I need a holiday. I don’t think I can start a comedy right now. I can’t make people laugh anyway.”
“Yes, you can, but if you don’t want to do it then I will organise it for you to go down to see your family.”
“I bet the police will want to talk to me. What do you say, Sofie? Did you see anyone suspicious?”
“I think everybody is suspicious, but it’s just me, Don. Claudia is not an actress loved by everybody, but who will hate her enough to kill her? I doubt that anyone in the studio is.”
“Also, if we finish this movie then everybody can go home and have a holiday. I don’t think somebody would be stupid enough to kill the leading lady. It will just delay the shoot and we won’t be paid. This is giving me a headache; I think I will sit down for a minute.”
“Good idea. I will get coffee for both of us.”
The smell of coffee revives my mind and what has happened today is played out like a movie in my mind. I was looking at the bomb most of the time, but if I had looked up then I would have seen the killer with the gun. I am probably the only person who can see who killed Claudia. With this thought, I shuddered. I can’t be the eye witness to a murder! Or, can I?
I don’t remember anything that’s remotely useful at this stage. Look sweaty, check. Look at Claudia, check. Look worried, check. Look at timer, check. Cut the green wire, check. It was the right thing to do, to remember what had happened in great detail, but I know that it’s beyond my intelligence. I just hope that I don’t come across as a schmuck to the police. I know I am not a smart cookie, but that’s ok. I’ve worked hard and that’s got me where I am now.
The police are using Ed’s room for interviews, and his desk has been tidied up a bit, making room for the files and the coffee that everybody needs in the morning. I think they have chosen a great detective for the job, she’s attractive, she can get you talking without too much stress and you might admit that you have done something wrong even if you hadn’t. She is like your next door neighbour, friendly and bubbly. She’s young, but I know she’s got brains.
“Bianca Otto. Good morning, Donovan. It must have been a big shock seeing Claudia dead. I am sorry that you have to see it, but you understand that we must make enquiries about this matter.”
“Yes, of course. What do you want to know?”
“It’s very simple. Can you tell me who was in the room when you are doing the bomb scene? Tell me the names.”
“Ed was there. My assistant Sofie, Cynthia, Robert, Miriam, Cole, and Alice were all there. Let me think…I think Tom and Scott were there, too.”
“That’s great. Have you seen anybody new on the set? Someone you have never seen before?”
“I don’t think so. Wait, I remember now, there’s this new guy called Sam. He was there. Of course, how can I forget? He is the writer.”
“We want to know more about Claudia. Does she have a boyfriend? What kind of person is she?”
“She is going out with John Summers at the moment, and if you read the magazines, you can find plenty of pictures of them together. They’ve been going out for three months now and I don’t think there’s anything bad between them. Claudia has got a temper, and she isn’t your run-of-mill goody two shoes actress, she is, with no better word, a bitch.”
“I get the impression from the others that she is not very good, too. Do you think that somebody can kill her for that?”
“No. I can’t think why. A lot of actresses are like that and none of them got killed over that. I don’t think that’s the reason. I can’t stand her, but I wouldn’t kill her. It’s not going to make my life easier.”
“Exactly, that’s why we are puzzled, too. Claudia’s death doesn’t benefit anybody. You guys lose a leading lady, her man loses a famous actress girlfriend, her family loses a daughter, the American audience loses a talented actress, and we are given a difficult task.”
“I understand. I am trying to think back who could have done it, and I just realised that I could have seen who shot her.”
“That’s not exactly true. From where you were, you couldn’t have seen the shooter. His or her angle was too high. In fact, the person who shot Claudia must have done it from this room because the trajectory was very high.”
“Shot from this room? What do you mean?”
“There’s a window at the end of this room and we believe that the window was opened at the time. Someone had a gun aimed at Claudia when you were doing the scene for the second time, and because she was standing behind you, she was the only person who can see the shooter. You were facing the other way, crushing above the bomb and looking down. You couldn’t see the shooter unless you turn around and stand up, facing the window.”
“I see, and anybody can get into Ed’s room. It wasn’t locked.”
“No. Somebody from the outside could have come into the studio and shot Claudia. That just made our life more difficult, but we will have to deal with that. Can you tell me about Sam?”
“Ed doesn’t normally use scripts from new writers, but after he read Sam’s script, he’s totally hooked. He has fantastic ideas and a great storyline, very realistic and interesting. Ed gets the writers on the set so they can discuss what changes can be made straight away.”
“Have you talked with Sam?”
“Not this morning. I have talked with him about the script before, though. After I have read it, I really like my character and I am glad that I was selected to play the main character.”
“I have also read the script, and before anyone is cleared everyone in the room is a suspect. You understand that you can’t leave the country without notifying us?”
“Yes. I am not going to run away. I plan to take a holiday out of town for a while, though. I don’t want to stay here. Is it ok?”
“That’s fine. Leave your contact details with us and we will contact you if we need more information.”
“I am sorry that I can’t be more help.”
“You are help enough. We have cleared up some facts here. Thank you for talking with us. If you remember anything, call me on this number.”
Bianca Otto smiles at me and starts drinking her coffee. I noticed that she is reading our script and the room has been searched. They have taken away the evidence in such short amount of time; the cops must have been working very hard.
Sofie looks a bit worried, but I am sure she will be fine. She nods to me after I sat down beside Ed. Ed is completely shocked. He is pasty and sweating, but I told him that he doesn’t have to worry about anything. It’s not as if he shot Claudia.
“No, I didn’t shoot Claudia.”
He looks like that he has and I am worried that he may tell Bianca something incriminating without knowing it himself.
“Of course you didn’t. You were too busy directing. Don’t worry about this, Ed. Just chill out and go fishing. You hardly ever have the chance to go fishing now.”
“That’s true. I am too busy working. I should take a fishing trip.”
He sounds convinced, but his face is still white. I hope he’s planning his fishing trip instead of worrying about the interview with Bianca.
“Ed, none of us could have killed Claudia. We wouldn’t kill her anyway, it’s waste of bullets.”
“I know I shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, but she deserves to die. She’s been terrible to everybody. I wonder when she got that way.”
Miriam will probably be the only person among us who can pull the trigger, but she was behind the camera so she couldn’t have done it. She loves hunting and was a shooting champion in her town. She doesn’t look worried at all. I don’t think Bianca can get anything out of her because she’s as straight as an arrow. She believes in justice. Robert is the sound engineer. He and Miriam are both from Texas, working their way up the film industry, they have been friends for a long time, and both of them have worked with us for a long time.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea talking about bullets, Miriam. The cop will ask you about your shooting record and guns.”
“Ed, I have nothing to hide. I have been hunting animals for twenty years and never missed. I have never had an accident before, either. If I want to kill Claudia, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to use a gun. The police will be onto me straight away. That’s why I never break the law because I know that I will be the first one who is under suspicion. Over the years, I never even have a speeding ticket!”
“It is going to take hours, maybe days. I want to get back to my girls.”
“Don’t worry, Alice. You can go after I am done. I am sure the police will let you go home.”
Ed offers Alice some reassurance. I think he’s not so worried anymore. Cole is sitting at the end of the roll, silent.
“What did she ask you, Donovan?”
Sam asked me what everyone has on their mind.
“She asked me who were in the room, and I told her. She asked me about Claudia, and she said that she was shot from Ed’s room.”
“Really? How do they know that?”
“It was the trajectory of the gun, I don’t know anything about that, but she said that it was too high to be from our level. It was shot from above.”
Miriam gives us a bleak smile.
“They are conducting the investigation from the room so they have got all the evidences out of that room, which means that they haven’t found much at all.”
“Does anybody know who may have killed her? Does she have any enemy?”
Everyone laughed at Sam’s question.
“It’s pretty hard to find anybody who isn’t. She’s widely hated by the actors and actresses, and the PA companies try to steer away from her. Her family and boyfriend seem to be the only ones who can tolerate her behaviour, and that’s just a handful of people. So what you should have asked was: ‘Who wasn’t Claudia’s enemy?’ The answer to that are her family and boyfriend.”
Sofie has walked out of Ed’s room unscathed. She smiles weakly to us and says that it’s Ed’s turn to see Bianca now.
His worry expression is back, but he turns to face everybody and gives all of us an encouraging nod before disappearing into his room.
“What did she say?”
“She didn’t say very much, just that the shooter was in Ed’s room. She is building a picture of Claudia’s life from us. I think we see her from our own eyes, and these information will help her put together the life of Claudia before she died, and hopefully, find her killer.”
Sofie is very smart. I don’t know why she
Sofie is my personal assistant, and she's an angel. Where are my keys, Sofie? They are right there beside your coffee mug, Donovan. Have you picked up my dry cleaning? Yes, I've put them in the closet for you. What am I doing at 3 o'clock? Your photo shoot is at 3 o'clock. What will I do without Sofie? I don't know, probably throw my alarm clock to the wall and watch it disintegrate and why Sofie didn't turn up to work and get me one of those hand grenades to throw against the wall.
I can smell coffee, and toast when I open my eyes. It is another beautiful day and I am ready for anything you throw at me.
“Good morning, Donovan. Do you remember what day it is?”
I need to rake my brain with ideas, and something magical has popped in my brain. It’s amazing that I remembered what I am going to do today. I know what I am going to do today, and I am going to be busy for three months.
“Am I having dinner with Abbey tonight?”
“Yes, you are taking her to Star Struck. I’ve organised your suit and transportation for tonight. Good luck, Donovan. They always get you to do the hardest part first, and you know what that means.”
I know exactly what she meant. I spent two nights in a hospital in Greece last time, and I had two stitches the other time in China. I had wounds to prove that I am a hard-working citizen. A lot of people think what I do is a piece of cake, but it’s not. I went through university working my butt off, and became a full-time waiter before I got discovered. Then I told jokes in front of kids, danced with ladies wearing pink tutu, jumped into icy cold water, walked for days in the desert, and finally got to where I am now. Yes, it pays well, but it is never easy.
“I hope that I don’t have to go to the hospital today. I hate that. They make a big fuss out of it and I look terrible on the picture.”
“But think of the nurses, Don. They are always very taken with you and give you extra jelly.”
“I hate jelly. Sofie, I think you enjoy this because then I won’t be losing stuff and you don’t have to work so hard when I am in the hospital when other people are taking care of me.”
“That’s true. You should get injured more often. I am kidding, Don. You better get moving otherwise somebody might not be so happy.”
Ed is a big softie, even though he seems to be angry at everybody all the time. In fact, I won’t work with him if he isn’t a nice man. He knows what he’s doing, and I have made many good films with him. Before I jumped into icy cold water, he was already in it showing me what I should do. When we were hot and thirsty, he didn’t cool himself off.
“Hi, Donovan, we are shooting an explosion today. Go see Betty. Ah, here comes Claudia.”
Claudia is the leading lady, and although she is as cute as a button, nobody really likes her. She has the softest blonde hair, impossibly long eyelashes and blue eyes that shine like lakes in the mountains, and a great dress sense, but she’s a bitch. I have never met such a bad-tempered woman before. Her personal assistant always looked hassled and sleep-deprived, unlike Sofie, always cheerful and pretty. She almost dropped her coffee on Claudia just now, and Claudia hissed at her under her breath, telling her to get out of her way and leave her alone. She clutched her schedule book and coffee and stood as far away as possible from Claudia, but still in her earshot so whenever she wants something, she can get them for her. What a poor girl. I hope she can find a better star to be personal assistant for, or better yet, become a star herself. She doesn’t have to take Claudia’s shit anyway.
“Good morning, Claudia. Are you ready to get blown up yet?”
“No, and I never will. Donovan, where did you find Sofie? Cynthia is useless; a log will help me out more than her. How much do I have to pay you to get Sofie to be my personal assistant?”
“I don’t think I will ever let Sofie go, she’s too good. However, if you don’t want Cynthia, I can take her off your hands. What do you?”
She looks at Cynthia for two seconds and nods to me.
“Fine, just be careful because she pukes, pours coffee on you when you want to drink it, forgets appointments, and is ugly as hell. In fact, I think I can live for one day without an assistant.”
No, you can’t, but I am not about to point out the obvious to her. I am too preoccupied with the coloured wires on the bomb to say anything intelligible.
“Which one should we cut?”
I concentrate on the bomb and ignore the timer and consider my options for a minute. If I cut the green wire, the bomb is going to go off and Claudia and I will be blown to pieces but this is a movie so no one will really get hurt. If I cut the blue wire, then the bomb is not going to go off and I save the day like the script. What if I cut the black wire? There was no explanation given on the script there. Feeling mischievous, I cut the black wire.
The timer stopped to count down and the bomb didn’t go off! Oh, Ed, you are a genius! He knows that I won’t cut the green wire and blue wire because they are just too boring.
“Cut, cut, cut. You have to do this again. Claudia, why aren’t you sweating? This is a bomb that’s going to explode. We are not in Fifth Avenue shopping or strolling in the Central Park!”
He hasn’t noticed that Claudia is somewhere very far away from here. I wonder what the Queen is thinking about, her next victim to torture, perhaps. I don’t think it matters. Just get back up from the dungeons, though.
Another bomb is on the table in five minutes time and we are back to the “Choose which wire to cut” competition. This time the Queen is concentrating on what she is doing and showing some signs of distress, she’s fidgeting, she is sweating, and she just can’t stay still while she’s looking at the diminishing numbers. However, just before I cut the wire, she screams and a mobile goes off somewhere in the studio. We have to start filming again.
Claudia is clutching at her heart and she looks like her world is going to end. I am sure she’s fine, and Cynthia, the loyal personal assistant runs to her Queen’s rescue. She has a water bottle and a towel for the sweating Claudia, but that’s not what she needs.
On a closer look, I know she is a goner. Her blue bullet-proof jacket hasn’t saved her life because the bullet went straight through her head. The last few minutes of her life were recorded on the camera, but I doubt that the killer was caught on camera. I just can’t help but survey the people standing beside the camera, including my beloved Sofie. They have stood beside the killer and they don’t know who it was. Someone had pulled the trigger on Claudia, but we don’t know who it was because no one was looking in that direction.
My life has just gone a little bit more interesting and the day’s filming has been suspended. A very distraught Cynthia is taken home by Ed’s PA, and the police is starting an investigation. I don’t know when we will be able to start filming, and Claudia’s murder will hit world wide media soon.
On the bright side, maybe I will get that vacation I’ve been dreaming of taking and go back home since I won’t be working for a while. They will have to find another actress as good as Claudia to replace her character, we will probably have to rewrite the script a bit to accommodate the new character and that can take months. I just hope this whole project can go ahead, though. I am looking forward to shoot another blockbuster.
“Donovan, what are we going to do? Are you going to take on Mellissa’s new project?”
“No, Sofie, I am going to take a holiday with Abbey from today. I am not going to work when Claudia is dead, that’s just wrong. I know what you are going to say, she’s not worth mourning, but I need a holiday. I don’t think I can start a comedy right now. I can’t make people laugh anyway.”
“Yes, you can, but if you don’t want to do it then I will organise it for you to go down to see your family.”
“I bet the police will want to talk to me. What do you say, Sofie? Did you see anyone suspicious?”
“I think everybody is suspicious, but it’s just me, Don. Claudia is not an actress loved by everybody, but who will hate her enough to kill her? I doubt that anyone in the studio is.”
“Also, if we finish this movie then everybody can go home and have a holiday. I don’t think somebody would be stupid enough to kill the leading lady. It will just delay the shoot and we won’t be paid. This is giving me a headache; I think I will sit down for a minute.”
“Good idea. I will get coffee for both of us.”
The smell of coffee revives my mind and what has happened today is played out like a movie in my mind. I was looking at the bomb most of the time, but if I had looked up then I would have seen the killer with the gun. I am probably the only person who can see who killed Claudia. With this thought, I shuddered. I can’t be the eye witness to a murder! Or, can I?
I don’t remember anything that’s remotely useful at this stage. Look sweaty, check. Look at Claudia, check. Look worried, check. Look at timer, check. Cut the green wire, check. It was the right thing to do, to remember what had happened in great detail, but I know that it’s beyond my intelligence. I just hope that I don’t come across as a schmuck to the police. I know I am not a smart cookie, but that’s ok. I’ve worked hard and that’s got me where I am now.
The police are using Ed’s room for interviews, and his desk has been tidied up a bit, making room for the files and the coffee that everybody needs in the morning. I think they have chosen a great detective for the job, she’s attractive, she can get you talking without too much stress and you might admit that you have done something wrong even if you hadn’t. She is like your next door neighbour, friendly and bubbly. She’s young, but I know she’s got brains.
“Bianca Otto. Good morning, Donovan. It must have been a big shock seeing Claudia dead. I am sorry that you have to see it, but you understand that we must make enquiries about this matter.”
“Yes, of course. What do you want to know?”
“It’s very simple. Can you tell me who was in the room when you are doing the bomb scene? Tell me the names.”
“Ed was there. My assistant Sofie, Cynthia, Robert, Miriam, Cole, and Alice were all there. Let me think…I think Tom and Scott were there, too.”
“That’s great. Have you seen anybody new on the set? Someone you have never seen before?”
“I don’t think so. Wait, I remember now, there’s this new guy called Sam. He was there. Of course, how can I forget? He is the writer.”
“We want to know more about Claudia. Does she have a boyfriend? What kind of person is she?”
“She is going out with John Summers at the moment, and if you read the magazines, you can find plenty of pictures of them together. They’ve been going out for three months now and I don’t think there’s anything bad between them. Claudia has got a temper, and she isn’t your run-of-mill goody two shoes actress, she is, with no better word, a bitch.”
“I get the impression from the others that she is not very good, too. Do you think that somebody can kill her for that?”
“No. I can’t think why. A lot of actresses are like that and none of them got killed over that. I don’t think that’s the reason. I can’t stand her, but I wouldn’t kill her. It’s not going to make my life easier.”
“Exactly, that’s why we are puzzled, too. Claudia’s death doesn’t benefit anybody. You guys lose a leading lady, her man loses a famous actress girlfriend, her family loses a daughter, the American audience loses a talented actress, and we are given a difficult task.”
“I understand. I am trying to think back who could have done it, and I just realised that I could have seen who shot her.”
“That’s not exactly true. From where you were, you couldn’t have seen the shooter. His or her angle was too high. In fact, the person who shot Claudia must have done it from this room because the trajectory was very high.”
“Shot from this room? What do you mean?”
“There’s a window at the end of this room and we believe that the window was opened at the time. Someone had a gun aimed at Claudia when you were doing the scene for the second time, and because she was standing behind you, she was the only person who can see the shooter. You were facing the other way, crushing above the bomb and looking down. You couldn’t see the shooter unless you turn around and stand up, facing the window.”
“I see, and anybody can get into Ed’s room. It wasn’t locked.”
“No. Somebody from the outside could have come into the studio and shot Claudia. That just made our life more difficult, but we will have to deal with that. Can you tell me about Sam?”
“Ed doesn’t normally use scripts from new writers, but after he read Sam’s script, he’s totally hooked. He has fantastic ideas and a great storyline, very realistic and interesting. Ed gets the writers on the set so they can discuss what changes can be made straight away.”
“Have you talked with Sam?”
“Not this morning. I have talked with him about the script before, though. After I have read it, I really like my character and I am glad that I was selected to play the main character.”
“I have also read the script, and before anyone is cleared everyone in the room is a suspect. You understand that you can’t leave the country without notifying us?”
“Yes. I am not going to run away. I plan to take a holiday out of town for a while, though. I don’t want to stay here. Is it ok?”
“That’s fine. Leave your contact details with us and we will contact you if we need more information.”
“I am sorry that I can’t be more help.”
“You are help enough. We have cleared up some facts here. Thank you for talking with us. If you remember anything, call me on this number.”
Bianca Otto smiles at me and starts drinking her coffee. I noticed that she is reading our script and the room has been searched. They have taken away the evidence in such short amount of time; the cops must have been working very hard.
Sofie looks a bit worried, but I am sure she will be fine. She nods to me after I sat down beside Ed. Ed is completely shocked. He is pasty and sweating, but I told him that he doesn’t have to worry about anything. It’s not as if he shot Claudia.
“No, I didn’t shoot Claudia.”
He looks like that he has and I am worried that he may tell Bianca something incriminating without knowing it himself.
“Of course you didn’t. You were too busy directing. Don’t worry about this, Ed. Just chill out and go fishing. You hardly ever have the chance to go fishing now.”
“That’s true. I am too busy working. I should take a fishing trip.”
He sounds convinced, but his face is still white. I hope he’s planning his fishing trip instead of worrying about the interview with Bianca.
“Ed, none of us could have killed Claudia. We wouldn’t kill her anyway, it’s waste of bullets.”
“I know I shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, but she deserves to die. She’s been terrible to everybody. I wonder when she got that way.”
Miriam will probably be the only person among us who can pull the trigger, but she was behind the camera so she couldn’t have done it. She loves hunting and was a shooting champion in her town. She doesn’t look worried at all. I don’t think Bianca can get anything out of her because she’s as straight as an arrow. She believes in justice. Robert is the sound engineer. He and Miriam are both from Texas, working their way up the film industry, they have been friends for a long time, and both of them have worked with us for a long time.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea talking about bullets, Miriam. The cop will ask you about your shooting record and guns.”
“Ed, I have nothing to hide. I have been hunting animals for twenty years and never missed. I have never had an accident before, either. If I want to kill Claudia, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to use a gun. The police will be onto me straight away. That’s why I never break the law because I know that I will be the first one who is under suspicion. Over the years, I never even have a speeding ticket!”
“It is going to take hours, maybe days. I want to get back to my girls.”
“Don’t worry, Alice. You can go after I am done. I am sure the police will let you go home.”
Ed offers Alice some reassurance. I think he’s not so worried anymore. Cole is sitting at the end of the roll, silent.
“What did she ask you, Donovan?”
Sam asked me what everyone has on their mind.
“She asked me who were in the room, and I told her. She asked me about Claudia, and she said that she was shot from Ed’s room.”
“Really? How do they know that?”
“It was the trajectory of the gun, I don’t know anything about that, but she said that it was too high to be from our level. It was shot from above.”
Miriam gives us a bleak smile.
“They are conducting the investigation from the room so they have got all the evidences out of that room, which means that they haven’t found much at all.”
“Does anybody know who may have killed her? Does she have any enemy?”
Everyone laughed at Sam’s question.
“It’s pretty hard to find anybody who isn’t. She’s widely hated by the actors and actresses, and the PA companies try to steer away from her. Her family and boyfriend seem to be the only ones who can tolerate her behaviour, and that’s just a handful of people. So what you should have asked was: ‘Who wasn’t Claudia’s enemy?’ The answer to that are her family and boyfriend.”
Sofie has walked out of Ed’s room unscathed. She smiles weakly to us and says that it’s Ed’s turn to see Bianca now.
His worry expression is back, but he turns to face everybody and gives all of us an encouraging nod before disappearing into his room.
“What did she say?”
“She didn’t say very much, just that the shooter was in Ed’s room. She is building a picture of Claudia’s life from us. I think we see her from our own eyes, and these information will help her put together the life of Claudia before she died, and hopefully, find her killer.”
Sofie is very smart. I don’t know why she
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Shaoguai the cool rabbit and Paul the cute rabbit
I can remember the day when I first saw Shaoguai, the toy rabbit that I got from my uncle. She has a pink nose, some runaway whiskers, a yellow coat of fur, and two intelligent eyes. My uncle's sister makes dolls and this rabbit was one doll that she made. Shaoguai has been my friend ever since.
Fuzzy and I had a party with all our furry animal toys once. We poured juice and played piano with our dolls. They sat on the piano chair and sang with us. That was a fun day.
I can also remember the day when I left Taiwan and I had to leave all my dolls there. What kind of life will I have in New Zealand? I know it's going to be great, but I will miss my dolls. It's great that we have finally moved our dolls here.
Paul the cute rabbit was originally known as Posh, the older rabbit, Ginger was his friend. Dad found him on Mr. Ho's farm. We later found out that she is a he, so we renamed him Paul. He likes to eat grass, apple peel, and other fruit. He doesn't like silverbeet so much. He had escaped several time, but didn't know that he had to leave our house to get back to the wild. He just hid under our house. Dad eventually caught him with a torch light that petrified him.
Richard said Shaoguai should have her own TV show. It just reminds me of the rabbits cooking stew for the lion to eat so the lion won't eat the rabbits. What kind of TV show should Shaoguai be in? It must be a comedy or a game show, where all the furry animals answer questions and be smarter than people!
Why do people keep pets and furry animal toys? They are friendly and they listen to you. You can play with them, have party with them, and have lots of fun with them. When you are down, they are there for you. They are cuddly and warm.
Fuzzy and I had a party with all our furry animal toys once. We poured juice and played piano with our dolls. They sat on the piano chair and sang with us. That was a fun day.
I can also remember the day when I left Taiwan and I had to leave all my dolls there. What kind of life will I have in New Zealand? I know it's going to be great, but I will miss my dolls. It's great that we have finally moved our dolls here.
Paul the cute rabbit was originally known as Posh, the older rabbit, Ginger was his friend. Dad found him on Mr. Ho's farm. We later found out that she is a he, so we renamed him Paul. He likes to eat grass, apple peel, and other fruit. He doesn't like silverbeet so much. He had escaped several time, but didn't know that he had to leave our house to get back to the wild. He just hid under our house. Dad eventually caught him with a torch light that petrified him.
Richard said Shaoguai should have her own TV show. It just reminds me of the rabbits cooking stew for the lion to eat so the lion won't eat the rabbits. What kind of TV show should Shaoguai be in? It must be a comedy or a game show, where all the furry animals answer questions and be smarter than people!
Why do people keep pets and furry animal toys? They are friendly and they listen to you. You can play with them, have party with them, and have lots of fun with them. When you are down, they are there for you. They are cuddly and warm.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
The Fashion police is out
I love watching Project Runway! What's hot and what's not? These designers have talent, and they deserve to go to New York and show their work on the runway. We are not talking about amateurs. We are talking about designers who have already been making clothes for years. We are talking about people who have good ideas. http://www.projectrunwayshow.com/ I think that it's a great show and it's the program to watch for princesses!
I just can't take my eyes off the Lancome Colour Design award in Sydney http://images.google.co.nz/imgres?imgurl=http://anina.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/04/24/b_02.jpg&imgrefurl=http://anina.typepad.com/anina/2007/04/lancome_colour_.html&h=500&w=670&sz=103&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=UfD7Pvf9qmr0WM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=138&prev=/images%3Fq%3DThe%2BLanc%25C3%25B4me%2BColour%2BDesigns%2BAward%2Bfor%2BModern%2BFemininity%2B-%2BRobby%2BTjia%2B%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den If you want femininity, this fashion design award showcases dresses that goes with the softest pink and light purple, honey yellow and futuristic silver. What's not to love?
It's almost November. Just keep your eyes peeled for the summer fashion. It's time to get your colourful tops and short skirts out! There's no excuse for dowdy winter things anymore. It's time to put on bright colours and say hi to summer. Don't forget to put on sunscreen before you leave the house otherwise you may turn into a very red lobster! That's just not a good look.
Going to Europe soon. I heard on the radio that men in Paris are wearing wool and nothing underneath. Yes, it's going to prinkle your skins. I don't know how they manage that, but it's supposed to be chic???? That's the price you have to pay for being handsome, I guess.
I just can't take my eyes off the Lancome Colour Design award in Sydney http://images.google.co.nz/imgres?imgurl=http://anina.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/04/24/b_02.jpg&imgrefurl=http://anina.typepad.com/anina/2007/04/lancome_colour_.html&h=500&w=670&sz=103&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=UfD7Pvf9qmr0WM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=138&prev=/images%3Fq%3DThe%2BLanc%25C3%25B4me%2BColour%2BDesigns%2BAward%2Bfor%2BModern%2BFemininity%2B-%2BRobby%2BTjia%2B%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den If you want femininity, this fashion design award showcases dresses that goes with the softest pink and light purple, honey yellow and futuristic silver. What's not to love?
It's almost November. Just keep your eyes peeled for the summer fashion. It's time to get your colourful tops and short skirts out! There's no excuse for dowdy winter things anymore. It's time to put on bright colours and say hi to summer. Don't forget to put on sunscreen before you leave the house otherwise you may turn into a very red lobster! That's just not a good look.
Going to Europe soon. I heard on the radio that men in Paris are wearing wool and nothing underneath. Yes, it's going to prinkle your skins. I don't know how they manage that, but it's supposed to be chic???? That's the price you have to pay for being handsome, I guess.
Princess
There's an academy for princess. You can learn to become a princess. You can marry a prince to become a princess. Apparently, princesses write diaries, too. So how do we become a princess?
Sarah, the most inspirational princess in "Little Princess" said that every little girl is a princess in their father's eyes. How do we grow into a mature and beautiful princess and learn to be independent? The answer is not simple, but you don't have to have piles of gold or live in a castle, you can become a princess.
The first thing you have to do is to understand the quality of a princess. A princess is compassionate. She cares about other people in the world. You can help the others by doing volunteering work, like reading for people, taking people to where they want to go if you have a driver's license, or you can garden for them. You can do many things for the community, for example, recycle rubbish and plant trees and flowers in your garden. Flowers and trees will make your home look like a castle.
A princess is also intelligent. You can learn languages so you can communicate with people from other countries, and you can find out about their cultures. The history of the world will help you understand what is happening right now because it is like a mirror to the current events. How do you know which tiara to buy if you don't know math? How can you pick the best diamond if you don't know minerals? Before wearing your lipstick, have you ever wondered what's in the make-up? Chemistry will help you understand the natural ways of making yourself beautiful, and how beautiful rubies and diamonds form.
Love is also important to a princess. What do you love to do? Do you like singing, or playing guitar? A princess will develop her hobby and be good at what she's doing. Riding a horse is also important.
I think the most important quality of a princess is that she has to be brave. Who needs a prince to slay the dragon when you can do it? We go through life solving many problems and go through obstacles everyday. We are brave and strong. A princess who is strong and brave will take on the challenges in life and win.
You go to work everyday thinking that your life is so hectic that you never have the time to live in a fairy tale. You go to school to study and other people keep getting you down. You sit in front of the computer trying to find a person to talk to, but you can't, because you are too afraid to talk to anyone. You wonder where your childhood dream of becoming a princess have gone. It's not too late. You can start on changing your life and become a princess and everybody can do it. You don't need a tiara to be a princess, but you have to get off the couch and act right now.
Sarah, the most inspirational princess in "Little Princess" said that every little girl is a princess in their father's eyes. How do we grow into a mature and beautiful princess and learn to be independent? The answer is not simple, but you don't have to have piles of gold or live in a castle, you can become a princess.
The first thing you have to do is to understand the quality of a princess. A princess is compassionate. She cares about other people in the world. You can help the others by doing volunteering work, like reading for people, taking people to where they want to go if you have a driver's license, or you can garden for them. You can do many things for the community, for example, recycle rubbish and plant trees and flowers in your garden. Flowers and trees will make your home look like a castle.
A princess is also intelligent. You can learn languages so you can communicate with people from other countries, and you can find out about their cultures. The history of the world will help you understand what is happening right now because it is like a mirror to the current events. How do you know which tiara to buy if you don't know math? How can you pick the best diamond if you don't know minerals? Before wearing your lipstick, have you ever wondered what's in the make-up? Chemistry will help you understand the natural ways of making yourself beautiful, and how beautiful rubies and diamonds form.
Love is also important to a princess. What do you love to do? Do you like singing, or playing guitar? A princess will develop her hobby and be good at what she's doing. Riding a horse is also important.
I think the most important quality of a princess is that she has to be brave. Who needs a prince to slay the dragon when you can do it? We go through life solving many problems and go through obstacles everyday. We are brave and strong. A princess who is strong and brave will take on the challenges in life and win.
You go to work everyday thinking that your life is so hectic that you never have the time to live in a fairy tale. You go to school to study and other people keep getting you down. You sit in front of the computer trying to find a person to talk to, but you can't, because you are too afraid to talk to anyone. You wonder where your childhood dream of becoming a princess have gone. It's not too late. You can start on changing your life and become a princess and everybody can do it. You don't need a tiara to be a princess, but you have to get off the couch and act right now.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
The most lovely thing
It's rare to see
The most lovely thing
Showing on his face
Like summer's light
Warm up your inside
You can almost sense
His gentle presence
Caressing my mind
Through the longest night
The most lovely thing
Comes from within
Like the whitest snow
On the slippery slope
Or the tasty fish
Caught on our line
The deepest wood
Failed to consume
The boat anchored there
Will one day sail
To the lovely place
Where we embrace
The most lovely thing
Is when we begin
The most lovely thing
Showing on his face
Like summer's light
Warm up your inside
You can almost sense
His gentle presence
Caressing my mind
Through the longest night
The most lovely thing
Comes from within
Like the whitest snow
On the slippery slope
Or the tasty fish
Caught on our line
The deepest wood
Failed to consume
The boat anchored there
Will one day sail
To the lovely place
Where we embrace
The most lovely thing
Is when we begin
What to do when it is raining and cold
What should you do when it is raining and cold outside? I recommend reading, listening and playing music, cooking, and crafting. Can you not find a suitable book on your bookshelf? Try the local library, and if you live in Hamilton, New Zealand, try http://www.hpl.govt.nz/ for online catalogue. I remember that the slogan goes something like this: you can sit in your living room and drink coffee in Paris, walk down the street in New York, go deep into the ocean, climb to the moutain top, ride a horse in the Wild Wild West, because you can dive deep into books with facinating stories when it's wet and cold. What's your favourite kind of book? Mystery, romance, history, Western, non-fiction, magazines, they can all be found in the library.
If you know how to play a music instrument, winter is the best time for you to stay inside and make some noise. If playing is not your forte, you can always turn on the radio or put on a CD and listen to music. Piano is not a hard instrument to play, and you can play the classics and the contemparory songs without sounding funny. Guitar is also a good choice, you can also sing along with family and friends. Playing in an orchestra is also a good activity, and no matter how hard it rains, it can't stop you from playing! Radio plays all sort of good music, and you can choose a station that plays the songs you fancy. It is also cheaper than buying records and CD. There's always iTune and downloads nowadays, but if you are fed up with broken iPod, just turn on your old radio. You may find something refreshing and the radio may still be working.
Cooking is enjoyable as long as you know what you are doing. The first thing is to go to the market and get your ingredients. Good ingredients will make cooking easier for you. Choose fresh vegetables, fruits, meat and dairy products for cooking. Remember to check out what's on sale, lamb chops and salmon can be cheaper and affordable when they are on sale. The second important step is getting the right tools. Knives, chopping board, pots and pans are essential if you want to make a good meal. Recipes also helps if you want to try something new, however, if you find a good recipe that works for you, stick to them. Build a few signature dishes and you can branch out from those. It is always easier if you have some ideas about what to put on the table, and if you want to do something fancy, practice before inviting twenty friends to party at your house. Soup is great for cold winter nights, and one that's not so hard is beef soup. Chop four potatoes, one tomato, and one onion into small blocks. Chop gravy beef into similar size blocks, and boil it in water. Pour off the water, add chopped onion to the beef. Add potato and tomato and water enough to cover all ingredients. Stew until the meat is tender. Does it already smell good in your kitchen? Yes? Good on you.
Are you keen on cross stitch? Or are you more of a quilter? Cross stitch is a great activity in winter time when you can't go out walking or running. Kids can also do it, my friend's made a cute duck cross stitch when she was in high school. You can also do it with your friend. I remember making a small quilt bag in primary school. It was so beautiful. You can also knit a jersey to protect yourself from the cold, make hat and socks for your little niece and nephew, or make a scarf from your darling man. I also read about making doll house, sewing, scrapbooking, making beads, and putting jigsaw puzzle together (that's not really crafting). Where is your doll going to sleep tonight? She needs a house. Make small chairs and bathtubs and she can live in a dream world in no time. Do you like the blue lake, the green grass, beautiful fairies, cute cats and nice puppies? Yes, you can sew them and keep them on your wall, put them on your pockets or bags and show them off to your friends. Do you have photographs and don't want to stick them into photoalbums? Have you been travelling and never got around to putting the photos and tickets together? You can put them in your scrapbook. Use vibrant colours, borders, and put together a scrapbook that's full of memory. Colourful beads, starts and hearts, you can get them in emporium or from mail order catalogue. Mix and match the colours and try something different. You will be amazed by your own creation, and it is better than something that you buy from a shop! Jigsaw puzzles start off as something that's out of order, and when you complete the picture, it can utterly beautiful, stunning, moving, and it's worth spending time doing them. Put it together with your sister, brother and friends. It can be a challenge, and something fun to do when you can't go outside.
What to do when it is raining and cold? You can try different things and can't complain that you are bored in winter time anymore.
If you know how to play a music instrument, winter is the best time for you to stay inside and make some noise. If playing is not your forte, you can always turn on the radio or put on a CD and listen to music. Piano is not a hard instrument to play, and you can play the classics and the contemparory songs without sounding funny. Guitar is also a good choice, you can also sing along with family and friends. Playing in an orchestra is also a good activity, and no matter how hard it rains, it can't stop you from playing! Radio plays all sort of good music, and you can choose a station that plays the songs you fancy. It is also cheaper than buying records and CD. There's always iTune and downloads nowadays, but if you are fed up with broken iPod, just turn on your old radio. You may find something refreshing and the radio may still be working.
Cooking is enjoyable as long as you know what you are doing. The first thing is to go to the market and get your ingredients. Good ingredients will make cooking easier for you. Choose fresh vegetables, fruits, meat and dairy products for cooking. Remember to check out what's on sale, lamb chops and salmon can be cheaper and affordable when they are on sale. The second important step is getting the right tools. Knives, chopping board, pots and pans are essential if you want to make a good meal. Recipes also helps if you want to try something new, however, if you find a good recipe that works for you, stick to them. Build a few signature dishes and you can branch out from those. It is always easier if you have some ideas about what to put on the table, and if you want to do something fancy, practice before inviting twenty friends to party at your house. Soup is great for cold winter nights, and one that's not so hard is beef soup. Chop four potatoes, one tomato, and one onion into small blocks. Chop gravy beef into similar size blocks, and boil it in water. Pour off the water, add chopped onion to the beef. Add potato and tomato and water enough to cover all ingredients. Stew until the meat is tender. Does it already smell good in your kitchen? Yes? Good on you.
Are you keen on cross stitch? Or are you more of a quilter? Cross stitch is a great activity in winter time when you can't go out walking or running. Kids can also do it, my friend's made a cute duck cross stitch when she was in high school. You can also do it with your friend. I remember making a small quilt bag in primary school. It was so beautiful. You can also knit a jersey to protect yourself from the cold, make hat and socks for your little niece and nephew, or make a scarf from your darling man. I also read about making doll house, sewing, scrapbooking, making beads, and putting jigsaw puzzle together (that's not really crafting). Where is your doll going to sleep tonight? She needs a house. Make small chairs and bathtubs and she can live in a dream world in no time. Do you like the blue lake, the green grass, beautiful fairies, cute cats and nice puppies? Yes, you can sew them and keep them on your wall, put them on your pockets or bags and show them off to your friends. Do you have photographs and don't want to stick them into photoalbums? Have you been travelling and never got around to putting the photos and tickets together? You can put them in your scrapbook. Use vibrant colours, borders, and put together a scrapbook that's full of memory. Colourful beads, starts and hearts, you can get them in emporium or from mail order catalogue. Mix and match the colours and try something different. You will be amazed by your own creation, and it is better than something that you buy from a shop! Jigsaw puzzles start off as something that's out of order, and when you complete the picture, it can utterly beautiful, stunning, moving, and it's worth spending time doing them. Put it together with your sister, brother and friends. It can be a challenge, and something fun to do when you can't go outside.
What to do when it is raining and cold? You can try different things and can't complain that you are bored in winter time anymore.
Sandcastle
I was reading a craft magazine last night, and one of the cross stitch reminded me of the fun of making sandcastles. What's the best way to make a good sand castle? The expert online http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/262547/sandcastle_building_101_professional.html?page=2 explains that adding sand to water to form a wet mixture is the best way, and true enough, that's what I had always done when I was a kid. Wet sand is easier to manipulate, you can form the mixture into shapes and forms easily, and after I had made the sandcastle, I put a layer of dry sand to solidify the sandcastle.
I always had the urge to build a castle with river around it, and this wasn't easy. If you have too much water, your castle crumbles and gets washed away. After several attempts, I found that a shallow river around the castle works best.
What other shapes can you build on the beach? I saw a TV programme once, you can build a dolphin large enough to be your dinner table, and form low benches beside the dolphin and have a nice beach picnic. You can use the material on the beach to decorate your sandcastle as well. Small stones, seashells, grass, and seaweed all give the sandcastle an authentic look.
There are more possibilities when you can get some of your friends involved in the sandcastle making processes. You can build a bat mobile, dinosaurs, or even a peguin if you want. Let your imagination run wild, you can spend hours building the sandcastle and when the project is finished, what an accomplishment! It can be big, it can be small, it can be scary, it can be cute.
Next time when you go to the beach, you can sunbath, swim, and don't forget to bring bucket, spades, and start building a sandcastle. There are sandcastle building competitions around the world. When the sun is out, the beach is beckoning, remember to have a lot of fun getting dirty in the sand dunes.
I always had the urge to build a castle with river around it, and this wasn't easy. If you have too much water, your castle crumbles and gets washed away. After several attempts, I found that a shallow river around the castle works best.
What other shapes can you build on the beach? I saw a TV programme once, you can build a dolphin large enough to be your dinner table, and form low benches beside the dolphin and have a nice beach picnic. You can use the material on the beach to decorate your sandcastle as well. Small stones, seashells, grass, and seaweed all give the sandcastle an authentic look.
There are more possibilities when you can get some of your friends involved in the sandcastle making processes. You can build a bat mobile, dinosaurs, or even a peguin if you want. Let your imagination run wild, you can spend hours building the sandcastle and when the project is finished, what an accomplishment! It can be big, it can be small, it can be scary, it can be cute.
Next time when you go to the beach, you can sunbath, swim, and don't forget to bring bucket, spades, and start building a sandcastle. There are sandcastle building competitions around the world. When the sun is out, the beach is beckoning, remember to have a lot of fun getting dirty in the sand dunes.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
House update
We have bought a house in Dinsdale. It has six rooms, three kitchens, three lounges and four bathrooms. Huge house. Fuzzy and I have each been assigned two bedrooms, and we have plans for the new house as well. We will move into it on 1 June.
I may be living in the rooms in front of the house so I can see people coming and going. Those rooms will be at the back of the house. Mum and dad will live in the largest bedroom and the bedroom beside it. They will have the bathroom with disability features.
I am looking forward to decorate my room to my liking, and hopefully will get a computer set up in my office that is connected to the internet. There are three computers available at home and only two of them are online.
I will sleep in the other room. It has two wardrobes! I am so happy.
I may be living in the rooms in front of the house so I can see people coming and going. Those rooms will be at the back of the house. Mum and dad will live in the largest bedroom and the bedroom beside it. They will have the bathroom with disability features.
I am looking forward to decorate my room to my liking, and hopefully will get a computer set up in my office that is connected to the internet. There are three computers available at home and only two of them are online.
I will sleep in the other room. It has two wardrobes! I am so happy.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Renovation plan
Previously, this blog has been the place where I post what I have written, and it had been a while since I have posted serious stuff here.
I think I will just write little snippets below. It's not necessarily an article or poem that I have written.
"Corner shop of seashell and Turtle" is the title of this blog. I like marine life, but have a phobia of swimming in Open Ocean. I guess it is a phobia that I must conquer one day. It is also a phobia that has real base: what if a big fish comes along and bite you? I have to learn more about fishes to not be afraid of them.
We are moving into a new house soon, and I hope we will get to buy this house north in the city. The house is not huge, but it sits on a huge section. I already have some ideas about how to decorate my room. Dad said that he wants to get gray carpets and paint the wall creamy white. I like it! It's a great idea. We will also get short hair carpet, but of course, we need to look and touch the real carpet in the carpet shop before we buy anything.
I have collected a lot of seashells from the beach, and when I buy my own house, I may get a turtle from the pet shop. I had a turtle once when I was two years old. It was caught by my uncle, and it ran away after a while. Mum reckons that it ran away back to the ocean during a flood, and I dread that the Chinese person caught it and ate it! I hope not. He was my favourite pet. I took it around the house in my tricycle.
I also own a marine life duvet, and blue bed linen. One of my dolls is Nemo. I am all set for an ocean life deco.
Don’t know whether we will change the curtain or not. I am sure we will do something about it. Dad also said that we will buy new electrical appliances! Ya! New washing machine and refrigerator will be bought after we moved into the new place. I am looking forward to moving now. However, we are still at the packing stage right now. Previously, this blog has been the place where I post what I have written, and it had been a while since I have posted serious stuff here.
I think I will just write little snippets below. It's not necessarily an article or poem that I have written.
"Corner shop of seashell and Turtle" is the title of this blog. I like marine life, but have a phobia of swimming in Open Ocean. I guess it is a phobia that I must conquer one day. It is also a phobia that has real base: what if a big fish comes along and bite you? I have to learn more about fishes to not be afraid of them.
We are moving into a new house soon, and I hope we will get to buy this house north in the city. The house is not huge, but it sits on a huge section. I already have some ideas about how to decorate my room. Dad said that he wants to get gray carpets and paint the wall creamy white. I like it! It's a great idea. We will also get short hair carpet, but of course, we need to look and touch the real carpet in the carpet shop before we buy anything.
I have collected a lot of seashells from the beach, and when I buy my own house, I may get a turtle from the pet shop. I had a turtle once when I was two years old. It was caught by my uncle, and it ran away after a while. Mum reckons that it ran away back to the ocean during a flood, and I dread that the Chinese person caught it and ate it! I hope not. He was my favourite pet. I took it around the house in my tricycle.
I also own a marine life duvet, and blue bed linen. One of my dolls is Nemo. I am all set for an ocean life deco.
Don’t know whether we will change the curtain or not. I am sure we will do something about it. Dad also said that we will buy new electrical appliances! Ya! New washing machine and refrigerator will be bought after we moved into the new place. I am looking forward to moving now. However, we are still at the packing stage right now.
I think I will just write little snippets below. It's not necessarily an article or poem that I have written.
"Corner shop of seashell and Turtle" is the title of this blog. I like marine life, but have a phobia of swimming in Open Ocean. I guess it is a phobia that I must conquer one day. It is also a phobia that has real base: what if a big fish comes along and bite you? I have to learn more about fishes to not be afraid of them.
We are moving into a new house soon, and I hope we will get to buy this house north in the city. The house is not huge, but it sits on a huge section. I already have some ideas about how to decorate my room. Dad said that he wants to get gray carpets and paint the wall creamy white. I like it! It's a great idea. We will also get short hair carpet, but of course, we need to look and touch the real carpet in the carpet shop before we buy anything.
I have collected a lot of seashells from the beach, and when I buy my own house, I may get a turtle from the pet shop. I had a turtle once when I was two years old. It was caught by my uncle, and it ran away after a while. Mum reckons that it ran away back to the ocean during a flood, and I dread that the Chinese person caught it and ate it! I hope not. He was my favourite pet. I took it around the house in my tricycle.
I also own a marine life duvet, and blue bed linen. One of my dolls is Nemo. I am all set for an ocean life deco.
Don’t know whether we will change the curtain or not. I am sure we will do something about it. Dad also said that we will buy new electrical appliances! Ya! New washing machine and refrigerator will be bought after we moved into the new place. I am looking forward to moving now. However, we are still at the packing stage right now. Previously, this blog has been the place where I post what I have written, and it had been a while since I have posted serious stuff here.
I think I will just write little snippets below. It's not necessarily an article or poem that I have written.
"Corner shop of seashell and Turtle" is the title of this blog. I like marine life, but have a phobia of swimming in Open Ocean. I guess it is a phobia that I must conquer one day. It is also a phobia that has real base: what if a big fish comes along and bite you? I have to learn more about fishes to not be afraid of them.
We are moving into a new house soon, and I hope we will get to buy this house north in the city. The house is not huge, but it sits on a huge section. I already have some ideas about how to decorate my room. Dad said that he wants to get gray carpets and paint the wall creamy white. I like it! It's a great idea. We will also get short hair carpet, but of course, we need to look and touch the real carpet in the carpet shop before we buy anything.
I have collected a lot of seashells from the beach, and when I buy my own house, I may get a turtle from the pet shop. I had a turtle once when I was two years old. It was caught by my uncle, and it ran away after a while. Mum reckons that it ran away back to the ocean during a flood, and I dread that the Chinese person caught it and ate it! I hope not. He was my favourite pet. I took it around the house in my tricycle.
I also own a marine life duvet, and blue bed linen. One of my dolls is Nemo. I am all set for an ocean life deco.
Don’t know whether we will change the curtain or not. I am sure we will do something about it. Dad also said that we will buy new electrical appliances! Ya! New washing machine and refrigerator will be bought after we moved into the new place. I am looking forward to moving now. However, we are still at the packing stage right now.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
To my dearest turtle
To my dearest turtle,
How are you today? I hope you are working hard out on your assignments. You told me that you have four assignments before the holiday. You will be able to finish them all with flair! I am sure of it.
I thoroughly enjoyed our day together listening to the guitar duo. It is the hours that I spend with you that are precious, my turtle. You are so lovely in your dark shirt...it feels so smooth.
You are going over the Tasman to enjoy the sunshine coast and warm sea water. You are taking the current from New Zealand to Melbourne, Autsralia. You will sit on the beach and get tanned. You will shop till you drop. You will be happy in the summer holiday, won't you? Don't worry about what will happen later, just enjoy the hours of your life. The sand will not change until infinities and the time will slip through your fingertips. The rain will come again, and the sky will change its colour, but my love to you will never change. It will always be there in the air, following you and guarding you against harm.
How are you today? I hope you are working hard out on your assignments. You told me that you have four assignments before the holiday. You will be able to finish them all with flair! I am sure of it.
I thoroughly enjoyed our day together listening to the guitar duo. It is the hours that I spend with you that are precious, my turtle. You are so lovely in your dark shirt...it feels so smooth.
You are going over the Tasman to enjoy the sunshine coast and warm sea water. You are taking the current from New Zealand to Melbourne, Autsralia. You will sit on the beach and get tanned. You will shop till you drop. You will be happy in the summer holiday, won't you? Don't worry about what will happen later, just enjoy the hours of your life. The sand will not change until infinities and the time will slip through your fingertips. The rain will come again, and the sky will change its colour, but my love to you will never change. It will always be there in the air, following you and guarding you against harm.
Friday, September 16, 2005
Seashell Number 2 - Kung Fu Hustle
I don't care what other people think about this film. I love it. There are those blockbuster films that are so annoy and crudely done that after you come out of the theatre, you forget about it. Then there is a film like Kung Fu that will stay in your mind because it is so different to all the others, a dark stone in a bottle of white.
A funny film, a parady to The Matrix and many old matrial arts movies in Hong Kong, Kung Fu follows the steps of a unknown guy from the city full of sins and money to the poorest apartments in 1940s.
What does a fat landlady, a thin landlord, a sissy tailor, a quiet chef, a coolie, a nobody, and an old crazy man have in common? They are all masters in martial arts.
The choreography is great. The color and the cartoonish presentation of the story are mesmerising. You are treated with quick cut and straight forward story.
We are living in a world where reality and imagination blends and blurs our vision. Kung Fu is so unrealistic, yet the emotion in this film is so real that you can cry and laugh long after you come out of the theatre. There is love. There is friendship. There is fear. There is rich and there is poor. There is inequality, and there is justice.
Just feel that this movie is a little bit too short because it is so good that I didn't want it to end. I just want to live in that dream world where the good guys will win and the bad guys will lose.
A funny film, a parady to The Matrix and many old matrial arts movies in Hong Kong, Kung Fu follows the steps of a unknown guy from the city full of sins and money to the poorest apartments in 1940s.
What does a fat landlady, a thin landlord, a sissy tailor, a quiet chef, a coolie, a nobody, and an old crazy man have in common? They are all masters in martial arts.
The choreography is great. The color and the cartoonish presentation of the story are mesmerising. You are treated with quick cut and straight forward story.
We are living in a world where reality and imagination blends and blurs our vision. Kung Fu is so unrealistic, yet the emotion in this film is so real that you can cry and laugh long after you come out of the theatre. There is love. There is friendship. There is fear. There is rich and there is poor. There is inequality, and there is justice.
Just feel that this movie is a little bit too short because it is so good that I didn't want it to end. I just want to live in that dream world where the good guys will win and the bad guys will lose.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Seashell number 1 - The Legacy (Virginia Woolf)
Virginia Woolf's three pager The Legacy is a great little piece about English love. It is set like a detective story. You believe that the hero is in love with his wife, who recently died and left a legacy to all her friends. He is totally unaware of what had happened in her life before her death because he had been busy as a politician. He had been ignorant until after the funeral when he is left alone with all the things that she had in front of her.
He has been given the legacy of her diary. A happy marriage she had from the beginning: travelling, listening to speeches he made in a big hall... He was her God, he was the centre of her universe. However, towards the end of her life, she met a mysterious B.M., initial of a man who is possibly a left wing activist who thinks that she should change for the better. Who is B.M.? This mysterious person is soon transformed from just friend into someone who is more intimate. She dined with him alone when he is not in town.
What is happening? The man is totally clueless until his past finally catch up with him: his wife is having an affair with B.M., and B.M. is his wife's secretary's brother.
B.M. and his wife have killed themselves because their liason is forbidden. Their affair will destroy this man, his career in the parliament, and will destroy each other's life. They have no children: there is certain amount of regret in his tone, but the reason may also be apparent: she is still a child.
A short piece showing the love between two person can be so disatrous. The man will be forever affected but unable to do anything because he didn't do anything before her death. His career is saved, but his heart is not.
This short story reminds me of Romeo and Juliet, the couple who came from rival families. The woman in this story comes from the upper class, with good breeding and sensible brain. She wants to do something in her life to make the life of others different so she goes and help the poor. However, can she really change? No. She is unable to give up her easy life to be with someone she loves. B.M. was unable to do anything, either. Is it because he is poor? Is it because he had to work to earn money so he killed himself to be with her after death? We are not given the details, but we can picture him in our mind. He is a ragged man, wearing old waistcoat and dirty hat, possibly no hat because he is a socialist. He does not have a proper job because he does not want to work for the upper class, but he does not have the labour skills to do the hard job, either. He probabaly come from a middle class family, but his parents didn't leave him much to go by.
I like this story because it is short and to the point. It finishes at the right point, not revealing much so you can be imaginative. Virginia triumphes again.
He has been given the legacy of her diary. A happy marriage she had from the beginning: travelling, listening to speeches he made in a big hall... He was her God, he was the centre of her universe. However, towards the end of her life, she met a mysterious B.M., initial of a man who is possibly a left wing activist who thinks that she should change for the better. Who is B.M.? This mysterious person is soon transformed from just friend into someone who is more intimate. She dined with him alone when he is not in town.
What is happening? The man is totally clueless until his past finally catch up with him: his wife is having an affair with B.M., and B.M. is his wife's secretary's brother.
B.M. and his wife have killed themselves because their liason is forbidden. Their affair will destroy this man, his career in the parliament, and will destroy each other's life. They have no children: there is certain amount of regret in his tone, but the reason may also be apparent: she is still a child.
A short piece showing the love between two person can be so disatrous. The man will be forever affected but unable to do anything because he didn't do anything before her death. His career is saved, but his heart is not.
This short story reminds me of Romeo and Juliet, the couple who came from rival families. The woman in this story comes from the upper class, with good breeding and sensible brain. She wants to do something in her life to make the life of others different so she goes and help the poor. However, can she really change? No. She is unable to give up her easy life to be with someone she loves. B.M. was unable to do anything, either. Is it because he is poor? Is it because he had to work to earn money so he killed himself to be with her after death? We are not given the details, but we can picture him in our mind. He is a ragged man, wearing old waistcoat and dirty hat, possibly no hat because he is a socialist. He does not have a proper job because he does not want to work for the upper class, but he does not have the labour skills to do the hard job, either. He probabaly come from a middle class family, but his parents didn't leave him much to go by.
I like this story because it is short and to the point. It finishes at the right point, not revealing much so you can be imaginative. Virginia triumphes again.
Monday, August 22, 2005
Ideas
Zoospy in Dynasty of Qin.
What kind of animal?
Boy or girl?
Timeline?
Plot? What kind of story?
Is it going to be a series?
What kind of animal?
Boy or girl?
Timeline?
Plot? What kind of story?
Is it going to be a series?
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
One raining afternoon
One raining afternoon, I went to university to wait for my friend to turn up to see me. I can't explain the expectation that fills my heart, it is like a full cup of delicious coffee. I can't keep my eyes on the screen when he walks up to me. We start talking. It is like magic. I stop pretending to do any work and stand up with him so we can walk together and enjoy this chilly afternoon together.
He is sick. He has too much pressure these two months, doing homework, solving problems, having tests and exams. Everything seems to pile on him and driving him up the wall. That's why he is sick. His body is telling him to stop, but he can't. He has to face the challenge and stand up to it.
I am glad that I came to see him. We walk together to the clinic. Not wanting to read any magazines because they don't appeal to me anymore, I enter the doctor's office with him. Get a steam bath, the soothing doctor says.
He is sick. He has too much pressure these two months, doing homework, solving problems, having tests and exams. Everything seems to pile on him and driving him up the wall. That's why he is sick. His body is telling him to stop, but he can't. He has to face the challenge and stand up to it.
I am glad that I came to see him. We walk together to the clinic. Not wanting to read any magazines because they don't appeal to me anymore, I enter the doctor's office with him. Get a steam bath, the soothing doctor says.
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