#515-My ode to Tong Hua

Is it weird that the lessons on belonging are still in the back of my head even now? I must confess that I'm not much of a reader now but in the past few months this has all changed because of Tong Hua's works. It's sad that her books are obviously written in Chinese and with my current ability I have no hope of appreciating it in its original language but thankfully there is Miss Koala and her wonderful translations. Even though it has been translated her work still retains her unique lyrical but tear-jerking style. I swear only Tong Hua can make me down a box of tissues as if it's nothing out of the norm and it is only Tong Hua that has made me put my money where my mouth is by buying all of her books known to existence (that's apparently 15kg right there according to my dad). Call me a crazy kid I know but it's because there are limited translations/summaries available forcing me to buy them so I can slowly catch up on the chapters that aren't translated. It was also because I was doing a Taobao order and I have no idea how but I found Tong Hua's books and then one thing led to another and I ended up finding sellers who were selling the entire collection. WIN!

So this holidays I can't wait to read Yun Zhong Ge, I know I have no way of avoiding the waterworks but the story is just so poignant and special that I have no qualms with giving up hours of my time to translate it all for my own reading. In other words, who uses Google + because I somehow get a lot of views there...strange.

Also after reading the plot line for Tong Hua's modern novel, I have to say that it is so farfetched that I completely trust Miss Koala's conviction so I just wanted to clarify that I love most of Tong Hua's works like Bu Bu Jing Xin, Da Mo Yao, Yun Zhong Ge, Ceng Xu Nuo, and Chang Xiang Si. I've also started watching Perfect Couple which is a drama that Tong Hua wrote, her first official screenplay and not as a novel writer whose work is adapted into a drama. I love Wallace Huo and Tang Yan's chemistry, they were killing in Chinese Paladin 3, you'd think they were the main lead if you didn't watch the entire series from start to finish. But they are paired again, finally and they means eye candy for us. Wallace also did a duet with Ding Dang who is an amazing Chinese singer and of course it sounds amazing. I really wish she would come and perform in Australia along with Mayday, I would not hesitate at all to go and see them in person.

#514 - Nike She Runs 2014

Nike She Runs

WE DID IT!

Inflatable jumping area, so fun (:

My name!

Late night pho :)

Official result

Reward for finishing (:

My new babies

(:

Every runner's name written on a giant "She Runs"

GUY SEBASTIAN. /swoon

First 10K done and we were both totally unprepared. Ran a total of 7K and the rest was power walking or very slow jogging. Such an amazing experience, Nike provided heaps of fun things in the event! Everyone else was like super fit, but eventually we just got used to our speed (:

Anyway, I know, I know, I'm neglecting the blog! It's getting so hectic.

Mid sem: fun fun fun which I am now paying the price for. Shenyun, clubbing, the Star, dnms until 6.30AM, 4.30AM food run, longgg talks, family catch up, Roundhouse party (so over this place now), I can't even remember everything I did but I remember going out a lot and enjoying the break. Getting into EDM as well! Gonna leave it at here. Till next timeeeee, dear readers (:

#513- What is up with Bu Bu Jing Qing

So Tuesday was the premiere date for the second season of Bu Bu Jing Xin otherwise titled Bu Bu Jing Qing, which for the record, is not written by Tong Hua though the first season was, the second season has nothing to do with her other than the fact that they are using her characters but transporting them into a modern story. At that same time that this is airing, c-drama Perfect Couple is also airing which happens to be Tong Hua first gig as a screen writer and I am super excited to watch it because the dream hunk that is Wallace Huo will be in it and he has amazing chemistry with the female lead Tang Yan, didn't like her that much in Chinese Paladin 3 but their chemistry was undeniable even though they played the secondary couple. For those who are a bit late to the Bu Bu Jing Qing bandwagon, you may at first because outraged by the lack of a coherent and comprehensive story that bears any resemblance to the first season which to be honest was just perfect (I am kind of a  Tong Hua fan girl but mainly for her period works and not her modern stories). Though of course this confusion is mirrored by basically any fan who watches these tv version of the drama, to sum it up there are multiple version sod BBJQ released, one is the dvd version (YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING THIS ONE), the tv version (STAY AWAY FROM THIS) and several uncut versions but really to be safe just stick to the dvd version which is the original uncut version. The difference is that because all dramas have to undergo SARFT approval, a lot of period dramas that are not historically accurate get butchered and are awaiting airing for ages like what is happening to Da Mo Yao and Yun Zhong Ge. So after the popularity of BBJX and Palace/Gong (Do not watch this is it is pretty much a copycat of BBJX so as some who respects Tong Hua and loves her work I don't want to encourage the bastard that is Yu Zheng who pretty much ruins everything he touches take the upcoming remake of Return of Condor Heroes) there was a wave of time-travel dramas, unless you live in China you wouldn't think that there were a lot being released but apparently there was and because of that 2 girls committed suicide in hope that they could time-travel together which pretty much sparked a ban on time-travel material being aired on Chinese screens. It is because of that BBJQ is not what it should be, at least on tv and what is even more ridiculous is the fact that Gong 3 and the Gong franchise can continue to keep on shelling out dramas without a problem but BBJQ has to get cut and redubbed (GROSS), my god that Yu Zheng have connections there.

So all-in-all if you thought you were crazy thinking that the trailers and 16min releases were a far cry from what you actually saw then you are correct because the tv version has Zhang Xiao having no recollection of her like as Maertai Rouxi and what is even more confusing is the snipets that showed Zhang Xiao watching BBJX. Me being me, as a drama addict, I have rounded up some useful Youtube channels that you should watch BBJQ on, if you are using chinese sites or anywhere else stick to videos that show a SOHU logo because that is the DVD/internet version that you want which isn't uncensored however I am told that Sohu will stop uploading the videos from ep 5 onwards so switch over to Teng Xu as the sharing site.

Otherwise go to these youtube channels that do all the hard work for you. Credit to these amazing people for sharing especially the one behind the english subtitles (let's be friends so we can talk dramas):

Raws: https://www.youtube.com/user/chenxiang1213/videos
English Subtitles: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7wD2CBbj7WkD_Mu-2DjC5Ikn_rZl-TVa

#512 - Something worth sharing

A wonderfully written piece:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-18/meagher-the-danger-of-the-monster-myth/5399108

'One of the most dangerous things about the media saturation of this crime was that Bayley is in fact the archetypal monster. Bayley feeds into a commonly held social myth that most men who commit rape are like him, violent strangers who stalk their victims and strike at the opportune moment. It gives a disproportionate focus to the rarest of rapes, ignoring the catalogue of non-consensual sex happening on a daily basis everywhere on the planet. It validates a limitation of the freedom of women, by persisting with an obsession with a victim's movements rather than the vile actions of the perpetrator, while simultaneously creating a "canary down the mine" scenario. Men who may feel uncomfortable by a peer's behaviour towards women, may absolve themselves from interfering with male group norms, or breaking ranks with the boys by normalising that conduct in relation to "the rapist". In other words he can justify his friend's behaviour by comparison: "He may be a ___, but he's not Adrian Bayley."

The monster myth allows us to see public infractions on women's sovereignty as minor, because the man committing the infraction is not a monster like Bayley. We see instances of this occur in bars when men become furious and verbally abusive to, or about, women who decline their attention. We see it on the street as groups of men shout comments, grab, grope and intimidate women with friends either ignoring or getting involved in the activity. We see it in male peer groups where rape-jokes and disrespectful attitudes towards women go uncontested. 

The monster myth creates the illusion that this is simply banter, and sexist horseplay. While most of us would never abide racist comments among a male peer-group, the trivialisation of men's violence against women often remains a staple, invidious, and rather boring subject of mirth. We can either examine this by setting our standards against the monster-rapist, or by accepting that this behaviour intrinsically contributes to a culture in which rape and violence are allowed to exist.

....
The idea of the lurking monster is no doubt a useful myth, one we can use to defuse any fear of the women we love being hurt, without the need to examine ourselves or our male-dominated society. It is also an excuse to implement a set of rules on women on "how not to get raped", which is a strange cocktail of naiveté and cynicism. It is naïve because it views rapists as a monolithic group of thigh-rubbing predators with a checklist rather than the bloke you just passed in the office, pub or gym, cynical because these rules allow us to classify victims. If the victim was wearing x or drinking y well then of course the monster is going to attack - didn't she read the rules? I have often come up against people on this point who claim that they're just being "realistic". While it may come from a place of concern, if we're being realistic we need to look at how and where rape and violence actually occur, and how troubling it is that we use a nebulous term like "reality" to condone the imposition of dress codes, acceptable behaviours, and living spaces on women to avoid a mythical rape-monster. Ok, this rape-monster did exist in the form of Adrian Bayley, but no amount of adherence to these ill-conceived rules could have stopped him from raping somebody that night.'


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On a related note, we've been completely overlooking the big issue. 

#511- Excuse me

I've really taken posting to this blog to be a once a week ritual (don't hate me). In between well everything I really don't see anyone as sad as that is. I should really cut down on procrastination and the strange thing is that I'm not even madly following a drama, just Empress Ki now really and follow Miss Koala's translations of Lost You Forever, she is my drama idol <3333. I have this post in my drafts folder now for a file but come mid-semester break I am going to write the best piece on Tong Hua which will be literally me but in words. Look forward to it.

#510 - Connect

"I guess when you’re young, you just believe there’ll be many people with whom you’ll connect with. Later in life, you realise it only happens a few times." 

- Celine, Before Sunset



 

#509- Joining the wisdom gang

Went to the dentist today to get my teeth cleaned and a check up because I haven't been in ages. Then the big reveal happened- cue DUN DUN DUN soundtrack (I think you know what I'm thinking of here)- and I have to get my wisdom teeth taken out. I'm a bit late to the party, but I think if all goes according to plan I will be getting them out this winter break. Apparently my are growing out quite straight but the whole point of getting them out is because there is no space in my mouth to accommodate them (sounds a bit weird there). So I plan to stuff myself with food before they get taken out. Also, to those who have already gone through this, did you get knocked out?