Tram inspectors. They seem to possess strange supr pwrs to make me sick in stomach and weak in the knees when I sight them - even at a mile away. Another reason for an aversion to trams is my odd fear of these intimidating people of authority. Long time ago, I had a nasty run in with one of ‘em, who slapped a heavy fine slip into my palms, unapologetic that I had made an unintentional, slight misjudgment in timing. That day I learned two things: Middle-aged men dispensing fines on a Sunday morning were not the most courteous of human beings to encounter. Secondly, a good memory (for example remembering to validate your ticket) can make a huge difference to the weight of your wallet.
These days I pay promptly, my dues. But like this drizzly Monday morning, when a flock of big men in their thick blue cloaks barge into my peaceful commute, I still jolt a little and then cower in my corner, mysteriously succumbed to trepidation. Four, maybe five of them, approached half sedate civilians, like feral creatures preying on the weak. My space, though inconspicuous, was not spared. “Can I see your ticket?”
Gingerly, I sieved through my deck of expired metcards and eventually found my fare. As he took it off my hands, his face scrunched into an indecipherable expression. Two long seconds later, he hands me my ticket, breaks into a smile and hollers, “G’day, have a nice morning”.
It turned out to be a fine Monday morning, indeed. As quickly as the tram inspectors came and left, so had the rain. In my corner, I stared out the window. And as the tram trudged steadily along, I watched the deep orange of sunrise glisten against the wet tarmac streets of Melbourne.
Sunshine Cleaning (2008)
Director: Christine Jeffs
Writer: Megan Holley
3.5/5
Sunshine Cleaning is frequently dubbed 2008’s Little Miss Sunshine. No doubt, since it is the same upbeat and bears slight resemblance to it’s 2005 counterpart in storyline and style. Likewise, this film is beautifully balanced with strongly-developed characters. It is a funny yet moving plot built on a range of humorous, dysfunctional and slightly odd people, connected to each other in a common, but perhaps, complex institution: Family.
Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams), a single mother and her recently out-of-job, goth-influenced sister Norah (Emily Blunt), find a business niche in cleaning up crime scenes. Spearheaded by Rose, and as their cleaning business start to gain popularity, they find themselves unusually connected to the death scenes. As they watch their clients react to a death experience, both women start to confront their own loss – their mother who had taken her own life when Rose and Norah were only children. Together, Rose, Norah, their enterprise-minded father (Joe, Alan Arkin) and Rose’s highly curious eight-year old son (Oscar, John Spevek) take the under trodden and sometimes roller coaster journey to becoming stronger individuals and being a closer family.
While the format of this film is textbook, it is one you can “cruise” through, be entertained and yet take home a few lessons.
***
This just posted: Sunshine Cleaning review by A Nutshell Review, possibly more delved and authoritative than the above. HERE.
Portrait by Dawn Tan, handmadelove.
Dawn Tan is a Melbourne-based Singaporean artist currently pursuing a BFA in Painting at the Victorian College of the Arts. Her current semester pieces display an uncomplicated, playful interaction with nature, through the application of text glittered over pastel landscapes. When off her paint-blotched apron and away from the easel, Dawn is armed with glue, paper and vintage cloth - creating beautifully handcrafted stationery.
Visit her blog here and her flickr site here.
1. Wong Kar Wai / My Blueberry Nights (2007)
2. Royston Tan / 15 (2003)
3. Yasmin Ahmad / Talentime (2009)
This is meant to be a post about Cafe Giraffe. But I often do stupid things like shoot some great frames and then format my CF card.
Been feeling somewhat rusty on the camera. Here are 3 from the streets today, anyhow.
Amongst Giants
Three Gens
Grounded
This is from last year, in Singapore.
It does not seem that long, yet four months of 2009 has passed. Just about time I make quarter-year resolutions.
Love sinking my feet into a thick layer of fallen leaves. I’m a bit immature that way.
When autumn leaves fall, and when the autumn air actually feels like it is autumn, I enjoy some sun busking and a long stroll to somewhere different and quiet.
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