living in, living out

Recently i've been thinking of migrating elsewhere, moving away from the place i've called home for a quarter of my life and experiencing new cultures and meeting new people. i've nurtured anti-Singapore thoughts for quite some time. small clues like watchin SATC and the Big Apple's bustling scenes further nourished that idea. Of course right now i am not in the financial state to do so, but maybe in a few years time i just might.

it might be the imminent arrival of NDP that wavered my ever-growing thrist for grass on the other side. somehow, i'm not so sure anymore.

I watched the Spore Short Film Finalists, tt participated at this yr's SIFF, yesterday with PJ. nat flew our kite. some of the selection were good, some not so. and of cos our fav was Keluar Baris by Boo Jun Feng. PJ's a groupie for watching it 3 times already. but then again, it was so beautifully shot i wldnt have minded watchin it 5 times myself. while watching, i felt that BJF was ready to do a full-length feature film, and that i actually loved this more than Katong Fugue. KF was, imo, abstract and sometimes unrealistic. KB was funny, relevant, and picture perfect, so pretty u can eat every scene literally (even without its lead actor haha).

KB, for me, was more than a boy's reluctance to go thru NS. it played like a paradox: a love-hate relationship with Singapore. NS is a rite-of-passage every 18 yr old male is thrust to go through, the National Stadium is being teared down and can never return to its former glory, the typical Asian family and its dynamics. yet there was also a love for the familiar. the perfect frame of a lamp-post and a tree, so familiar along the expressway, more so resonant on my way back on cab yesterday night. the opening frame of the Changi control tower against sky a lovely shade of blue so clear. the urban views while travelling on the bus, and the rides where views and thoughts spawned. the sight of an aeroplane, and wishin we were on that plane, on our way away from all of these.

putting Kallang Roar behind was a smart piece of programming, for there's nothin more patriotic than the national football team. but KB resonated for its subtlty and familiarity, the smart frames and shots and its beautiful cinematography. there was no resolve in the end, which PJ felt was what made it diff fr KF and her onli criticism. but KB made me feel like there's still beauty in this small island tt awaits discovery.