I don’t get some people. Now, it’s normal for people to ask other people their ages. But there are some stupid people who, after you politely decline to reveal it, just keep asking and asking as if they never heard you. And then they start trying to guess, even though you never asked them to.

Stupid Person: So, how old are you?
Me: I don’t reveal my age.
SP: Hmm… you look like you’re 20.
Me: Really.
SP: So you’re 20?
Me: I don’t reveal my age.
SP: Hmm… let me guess…
Me: *raise eyebrow at stupid person*
SP: 21?
Me: I’m not telling.
SP: 22?
Me: No.
SP: 23?
Me: No.
SP: Higher or lower?
Me: I’m not telling.
SP: 24?
Me: *roll eyes*
SP: 25?
Me: Stop guessing.
SP: 26?
Me: Like I’m going to tell you even if you guess right.
SP: 27?
Me: Why is it so important for you to know my age?
SP: I just want to know.
Me: For what?
SP: Tell me lah.
Me: …

So, what is the big deal about age? I used to tell everyone my age because I didn’t think it’s anything worth hiding. It’s just a stupid number.

But then, I got a lot of people making big, big hooha when I reveal it. In the beginning, it was very amusing. But after years of going through the same routine, it got really stale. So I decided one day that I’m never ever gonna reveal my age to anyone unless it’s for filling out a form.

And then people make a big hooha over my not telling, too.

It’s enough to make a person anti-social.

I think every age-obssessed person should get a hobby. Get passionate over something more meaningful, like playing computer games. I have a great game to recommend. It’s called EverQuest II. When you get in there, you can do more than ask people, “How old are you?”

You can ask, “Are you male or female (in real life)?” Chances are 50-50 that you guess right the first time, which then leaves you more time to do other more important things in life.

=)

Categories: Regular Blogs
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Today was another one of those days I live for.

Today, I was a fairy.

Today, I flew.

Honestly, I’ve never really thought of myself as a fairy kind of person, being a klutz and all. And, to the best of my memory, I don’t think I’ve ever played a fairy. The closest was when I played Ariel in a college production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. But I was more like a mischievous pixie than a fairy in that performance.

Nevertheless, the director cast me because he thought I look like a fairy, so I did my best to look like one.

I know. Fairies don’t clasp their hands like that. But I don’t have a lot of experience being dainty and graceful. So at that point of time, I felt a little lost.

The makeup artist said I look like a Taiwanese starlet in this picture. Hmm.

Must be the fake dolly eyelashes.

Never mind that, though. The highlight of the day was the flying. See how I am suspended in air in the first picture? I’m a little sad they didn’t get a photo of me all the way up at the ceiling. Maybe everyone was too busy looking up my dress to think about taking a photo.

Kidding! No, really. Everyone was really professional and there was nothing to look up at anyway because I was totally covered up in safety devices.

The first time I got pulled up was a little freaky. I have mild acrophobia. But I got over it really quickly, like within 10 seconds, because it was really fun. I could have done it all day.

We were filming a sequence for a short Chingay 2006 animated video clip. Yeah, it’s mostly animation but I will be making an appearance in the beginning of it.

Because it’s an animation, I will get CG wings and fairy dust! Coolness or not?!

Everyone thought I would be really tired after a few hours of “flying” but I wasn’t. After the shoot, I told the director I wanted to do it again.

I meant in the future. Like, you know, give me more action, stunt-packed roles. I will do my own stunts!

Categories: Acting Journal
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I am kind of dreading seeing myself on the big screen. I think I look weird and I think I’m not a very convincing pregnant teacher. But I can’t deny being somewhat excited because it’s going to be the first time I get to watch myself in the cinema.

I’m talking about I Not Stupid Too, the new Jack Neo movie that’s supposed to hit the screens this month.

Some weeks ago, I was called back to do a voiceover for a scene that had already been shot. Jack was there to supervise the recording and the first thing he said to me when he saw me was: “哇!原来你这么年青的啊!” (Loosely translated: “Didn’t know you were so young”.)

Haha. That was hilarious. I guess it was the dressing.

Because he was so used to seeing me bespectacled and pregnant like in picture 1, I think he was surprised when I turned up at the recording studio looking like picture 2.

The recording session was fun. Not only did I have to dub over my own voice for a couple of my scenes, I also helped to voice a nurse and a phone recording.

There’s this scene where an actor is trying to call someone and he gets this message: “We are not getting a response from the subscriber’s mobile phone. Please try again later.”

That’s MY VOICE.

Hahaha. Listen out for it when you watch the movie.

I love Jack Neo movies. I’ve seen every single one of them and it’s a great honour being in one of them. So, now that he knows how “young” I am, I hope he casts me in a younger and… er… not so pregnant role next time! =)

Categories: Acting Journal
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Stupid car park architects (or whatever they call them) just earned themselves an honorary spot on my To Murder (In My Dreams) list.

I had to go to Ubi Techpark to pick up a cheque for a past acting job, so I drove there because sometimes, driving beats taking public transport. It took me about 10 minutes to complete my business in the building, after which I proceeded to the Auto Pay Station to pay the car park charges.

The machine chewed on my ticket for a bit before telling me cheerfully: “Free parking. Please leave the car park now.” Then it spewed the ticket back out to me.

Coolness! I thought. What a nice, generous car park!

I then proceeded to drive out of the car park, an activity which took me several minutes because the damn place is a giant one-way-street maze. The numerous “Way Out” signs directed me many winding paths round and round the massive five-lobby building before finally letting me out.

At the exit barrier, I fed the machine my ticket and waited to be let out. Nothing happened for like five seconds, so I looked back at the machine and there was the message: “Please pay at the Auto Pay Station before leaving.”

WTF.

Obviously, the machines aren’t communicating very well with each other. Machine A didn’t tell Machine B that it had given me free parking privileges.

By the time a security officer came to my assistance, about five cars had lined up behind me, probably dreaming up a thousand ways to murder me for holding them up. (That’s why I have to transfer some of the hatred away to more responsible parties.)

Security Uncle came over and said, “Miss, you have to pay at the Auto Pay Station first.”

I protested: “But I did. It said Free Parking and wouldn’t allow me to pay.”

Security Uncle: “Oh, you took too long to come out.”

Well. It’s not my fault that your stupid car park designers didn’t do a good job and your stupid engineers didn’t teach your machines well.

In the end, Security Uncle had to get all the cars behind me to back up so I could reverse my way to the nearest Auto Pay Station.

The bill for all my trouble: $1.10, 15 wasted minutes and a burst vessel.

Damn.

Categories: Regular Blogs
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This is an extremely momentous occasion. Indeed. And because it’s past four in the morning, I am at a loss how I should proceed. Should I go to bed or should I write my first post because I have spent the last six hours or so setting up this new blog?

But that’s a rhetorical question since it is very obvious that I am writing my first post instead of sleeping.

Oh, what the hell. Allow me to make my announcements and then bugger off to bed.

Firstliness. I have adopted a new name to complement my acting career. So, with my parents’ blessings, I now go by the name of Shen Qiaoyun. (Pronounced Shen2 Qiao3 Yun4.)

I am extremely excited about it because it’s like, you know, getting a new haircut, just more dramatic. And I am now prohibited by law to use my old name, so call me Qiaoyun.

Second. I’m now using a blogging script because I need a new blog to reflect the new me, and I’m too lazy to revamp my old blog. And WordPress is much cooler than my old blog because it has a search function, among other things. I will never lose a blog again!

Yes, I know this blog skin is very cheena mama. So is my new name. Well, I have news for you. I’m Chinese. There you go.

With that, I shall leave you to wonder. Come back again!

Categories: Regular Blogs
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