- There is a strange pattern of behaviour observed in Malaysia and Indonesia of women when startled or teased going into strange fits where they speak abnormal expletives etc. Then afterwards they have amnaesia

- It's legend as a form of possession, but 1. thy never do it unless there is a crowd like at a wedding 2. It only happens in these cultures. 3. In observation although actions seem wild they never drop the baby etc So it's pretty evident it's a form of ritual acting. People actually tease to get a show and everyone enjoys the entertainment. The research realised sufferers make no attempt to avoid the weddings etc neither to the family try to avoid teasing.

- I went to see the Michael Franti film on Thursday 24th see pc432.htm

- Website: www.filmmakersanonymous.blogspot.com

- Basically the same old problem they are technically good filmakers and they bring in good actors, but they persist in writing their own stuff so end up with crap stories. guys please use professional writers

1. 'My Father's Son' by Fikri Jermadi
- I guess he studies in Korea cos that's where it's film. The 18 year old tries to look after his alcoholic father, but being Asian he has to put respecting his father above all else even though his father causes trouble and even beats him up. Strangely his Muslim friend (alter ego) keeps turning up with the Koran in hand to remind him that he has to respect his father above all else. The thing is if he was a freethinker he would understand there is a just obeying your father and doing the right thing for him which is standing up to him and forcefully helping him to get off the booze

2. 'Cinta Itu Fizikal' by Tan Chui Mui -What is love in this crazy world.
Starts off as a brain in a jar and then goes into a bizarre future world.

3. 'The Writing on the Wall' by Khairil M. Bahar. He's won an award for his lo-fi debut feature 'Ciplak',
Not great, but better than the rest. I think this one did use a separate writer so did have a coherent storyline about a busy PR guru stopping to think "how dis I get into t is work work mode, when I studied art cos I always wante to be an artist ?". And ends with him picking up the spray can. Not 100% convincing maybe it was the acting.

4. There Is Something About Miri' by chi too
- Boring 4 minutes of a picture of a cloud

5. 'Unsecured Loan' by Juliane Block
- Very Professional - but not my cup of tea - too Hollywood storyline

6. 'Turning Back' by Isabel Taye - questioning her mixed Malay- Anglo identity
Boring - she feels Malay, but she has a hell of a strong Aussie accent

7. 'Zebra Cross' by Nurina Malinda -
The DVD didn't work

8. 'Qalam' by Hadi Koh (@ a Malay Fi lm College) A monk goes on a path of enlightenment, but does anyone want to listen?
- Boring, but he tried to make it interesting, by making it controversial - A Bhuddist monk has a spark of enlightenment and goes to talk God with other religions.
- Foreigners asked why he didn't have a Muslim character going to talk with other religions, but they are ignorant of local politics; there's no way a film student could make anything that could be seen to question Islam. If that was the story it would make more sense, but portrayed backward ways round it doesn't.

- The character speaks no English or Malay except for the word "Allah" and we see him first thrown out of a Hindu Temple, then a church, but that's not believeable cos those religions are open to dialogue . The next place where he's thrown out of a Madrasah cos "Islam, only for Muslims, you are not one of us " is unfortunately much more likely though not 100% sure. Even though he's chosen to distort the truth by saying that all religions are closed to dialogue his film would be attacked by many Muslims as they would expect films to glorify Islam not to question it. Though technically very well made the story is boring for none Muslims

It was busy.. almost full, afterwards the stars were there signing posters, but I only glimpsed them. - I got my FINAS goody bag of course.

- But those old malay films are like many Hollywood films the story doesn't seem to make sense ...... a bit of comedy a few zombies, a couple of romantic music bits and then suddenly the films ends without any warning

- The family moves to a squattertown, some comedy crashing his bike ..people arguing over the one water tap. some romantic thing with one of the 3 sisters. The dwarf guy moving in next door and then zombie sightings.

- Then people waking up up in the bedroom of their neighbours of the opposite sex... because the ghosts have put them there ..a bit bizarre really

- ah I checked the synopis now - Synopsis
- The residents of a squatter village are disturbed by ghosts of Japanese soldiers who dies in the Second World of War and buried in the sea. Amongst the villagers are Pak Sudin, Burn and a divorce with three children. Prior to this, the village which is built on an old Japanese army graveyard was peaceful and the residents were very cooperative. Of late, more and more ghosts begin to appear to haunt the villagers.

- I should have checked before

- by Rather Peculiar Theatre
- First of all the publicity people did that common Malaysian thing of playing around with English language, but in a strange way that a normal native speaker would not. All the publicity material which was very professional used the word race in the way of motor-racing so all the photos are of actors in helmets etc. However this is far too subtle, cos having set your mind up for an exciting motor race scenario as soon as the 4 playlets start you realise it's about race as in ethnicity.

- OK being Malaysian a fair amount of the text was in Malay language, so the 1st and 4th parts weren't that clear to me.

- plays 2 & 3 really stood out, because they had older experiencd actors and play 2 had a coherent plot.

-1. Marching team competition - a lttle bit abstract : a team rehearsing for a marching competition, which turns out to have cancelled anyway.

-2. It wasn't great, but it stood head and shoulders above the other pieces. Deals with the relationship between two neighbours : a Malay woman and a Indian woman. It is difficult to escape the impression that it was easier for the Malay character to be problematic than the other races. She is friendly , but she won't eat any of the Indians food. Likewise as Malays don't generally keep dogs and don't like them, when her neighbours dog is outside and the dogman comes by she lets him take the dog saying she doesn't know who's dog it is. Fair enough it's bark is irritating to her, but she did move into an area where she knew there would be dogs.

-3. Parents visit a school to collect their daughter's belongings, and it emerges that she died as the result of a scrabble game which got out of hand when pupils bega to racially loaded words. As realist theatre the plot is not possible and even as abstract Beckett style theatre is irritating and tedious.

-4. A strange fighting in the classroom piece with some musical bits.

- I had had a few busy days with not enough sleep so I was breaking my own rules. I went off to see films on Thu, Fri and Sat morning, then the play on Saturday afternoon so I was just too tired to go to the CS meeting, so I took the bus out of the city so I could sleep early after many days of sleeping after 1am. Before sleeping I stopped off to check my email. To my horror I found that my spare memory card wasn't in the reader. I always keep one card in the phone and another one in the card reader, what had happened ? How could I lose my memory card with all the important documents on ?

- The last time I used it was in the cyber-cafe in the centre of town on Friday night 26 hours earlier. I had been hurrying before the Friday films started. So maybe in my hurry I had left it next to the PC. I even remembered reminding my self to be careful as I put the 2cm black card down on the computer which was also black. So instead of sleeping I had to get a bus back all the way to the city. I left at 10pm. After an hour I got back to the cybercafe . A Japanese guy was using the same computer so I spoke to him in Japanese. I checked around and under the keyboard, but I couldn't find it. damm. I went to tell the Burma boy who works there, that there would be a reward if anyone found it. Then I went to look in the desk where the owner keeps stuff. Then the Japanese boy came looking for me, being Japanese even though I had given up he had continued to search and had found it hidden behind the back of the monitor. Wow !

- So how can there be a God when an unbeliever like me keeps getting so lucky ? This month I found my lost memory-card and last month it had been my lost keys.

IP Contradiction One stall owner told me how they reverse engineered car parts ie took original parts apart and made cheaper copies which they export. Surely that's breach of Intellectual Property, what was he doing at the show ?

- 1. day ? Why did they use the word "day" when it went on for 3 days. Just like the MACRI - Innovation and Creativity Day which went on for a week and the CIJ World Press Freedom Day which went on for 2 days. Surely the word "day" should have been replaced by the word seminar, expo, conference or festival ?

- I went to the last MACRI seminar in the morning, then some internet which was a waste of time cos everytime I use a new computer it takes me too long to shut down all the viruses. Then I went up to the Chow Kit second hand night market accidentally coming up an alley where the Ladyboys were working. I bought some clothes, but for some strange reason shoes were all very expensive there.

- I had time so I went to the tourist info centre, but then suddenly the time disappeared so I had to run to NBT to meetup with Peter for Markiza's Joni - Mitchel gig.

- As always Markiza got nervous so lost one of the songs she was supposed to sing, which makes her more nervous etc
- Markiza you are a good singer and the people come along to hear you sing, so I don't understand why you get nervous .. you are the star they've come to hear. The songs are great, it's the speaking parts that are problematic, because you are nervous it doesn't come out right. Sometimes it good like when you explain that the property developers are taking the homes of the monkeys, but most of the time the people have COME TO HEAR YOU SING. So more singing and less talking is good. - If I were the manager once you've decided the running order I would put all the music into a clear pocket folder so that all you need to do is turn the page. I wouldn't allow any last minute running order changes and I would have some ad-libs already written in the folder, so that all you need to is concentrate on playing and singing and then you don't have worry cos that what you seem to do effortlessly.
Anyway that's what I think. End of rant

- Hospitality was great and after so much free food and drink I had to buy the book I hope that I can present it to someone who can speak Malay .. Pete played a good new song, that was a quite good girl singer and lots of punk bands.

- I am always recommending the new yellow Bas Tren Guide as it has real maps showing bus routes across the city. It's good value at 5Rm from all bookshops , but my guests told me the Tourist Office knew nothing about them. So when I was nearby I went to tell them. To my surprise they went round the back and brought me one.

- So if I were you I would get down there and get one, before they start charging for them.