Happy 2012

The year much awaited for, 2012, has arrived. 

Many of my friends have sent me greetings of happiness and prosperity. Thank you very much. With such loving thoughts lurking around me, these greetings are surely to manifest! 

What will 2012 bring? If thoughts become things, then it is time to make our thoughts make the things we want - that means - making resolutions.

I usually do not make new year resolutions because I do not make a big deal out of the coming of a new year, in that I see time as a piece-wise smooth continuation, not one packaged into discrete modules of year, month and days.

But time seem to pass faster as I grow older, so my resolution this year is to be more conscious of spending each day to its fullest, as though it is my last (or first). Time not spent in the present moment is gone forever! Living in the heat of the cut-and-thrust economy, it is easy to forget this. Hence this resolution - an anchor to a thought.

What is your new year resolution?

For other posts on 'New Year', click here.

Acting

Finally got my showreel (an extract from the film) out.

I played the role of the father who had to relive the torment of guilt upon an unexpected encounter with his long lost daughter. I think the director is not only brilliant. I think she is also psychic! :)

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There are three things I have learned during shooting. They are to:

1. Ignore the camera

2. Ignore the crew

3. Ignore yourself.

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Some directors say that I shouldn't 'ignore myself', so I guess by that, I actually mean that I should not to be overly conscious about myself during the act. My director also told me that I shouldn't be 'acting', but just 'to be'. Once in the 'being', the rest comes naturally.

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Other than that, I think it is also important to have chemistry with your co-actor.

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Through reading scripts and characters, I have also learned to be more empathetic towards others and am more conscious and observant of my off-reel actions and behaviour. Now, I probably need less reminders to be aware that different results come from different intentions and actions committed in the moment. This awareness comes from the exercise of acting out various scenarios during rehearsals.
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Most of all, acting has taught me to live in the moment, as it is not something you can day-dream away, dread about the past, or worry about the future while in action.

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The world is a stage and we are all actors. So live it! Live in the present moment.

If you like to visit my actor's blog, click here.

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In Sickness and In Health 14 - The Present Tense

We are all to live in the present tense. It is a present continuous tense. But they will all, without exception, become past tense, and finally, past perfect.

The Futurist 1a - Art

Got this from an email today:

A Violinist in the Metro. 

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and began to play a violin;

It was a cold January morning.

He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes.

During that time,

Since, it was rush hour,

It was calculated that thousands of people went through the station,

Most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing.

He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule..

 A minute later,

The violinist received his first dollar tip:

A woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.

A few minutes later,

Someone leaned against the wall to listen to him,

But, the man looked at his watch and started to walk again.

Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 03 year old boy.

His mother tagged him along,

Hurried but, the kid stopped to look at the violinist.

Finally, the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time.

This action was repeated by several other children.

All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played,

Only 07 people stopped and stayed for a while.

About 27 gave him money but, continued to walk their normal pace.

He collected $32..

When he finished playing and silence took over,

No one noticed it.

No one applauded,

Nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell,

One of the best musicians in the world.

He played some of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway,

Joshua Bell sold out at a theatre in Boston and the seats average $100.

This is a real story.

Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station which was organised by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about

Perception, Taste and Priorities of people.

The outlines were:

In a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour:

Do we perceive beauty?

Do we stop to appreciate it?

Do we recognise talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to

One of the best musicians in the world playing

the best music ever written,

How many other things are we missing?