A Week's Worth of Media

Exposed to lots of good stuff this week. Like a suntan that never reached a burn, I remain emotionally unscathed (I'm very impressionable) yet enriched with Vitamin D (for distribution, dissemination, divulgence). What a lame intro! I'll stop right now.

Movie of the 星期：ZODIAC: THE RACE BEGINS
Singapore's first full-length CGI film. The Jade Emperor, King of Heaven, has declared that a race be held to determine the order of the Zodiac. As the animals move towards the Heavenly finish line, their strengths and weaknesses (as the Chinese see them) are revealed and legendary relationships between certain animals formed. Some of the myths are tweaked for dramatic effect, but the Chineesy tradition of it all blasts through the story with all the power of Heaven's command.
Highlights: the Snake Mother's song about leaving her egg babies to pursue a higher calling; the animation of the Dragon as it cracks its tail to make rain; the Jade Emperor's hat.

**spoiler alert (can you spoil a Legend?)**

And of course, for those of us born in 1984, the Rat wins by confidently navigating a fine moral line and following through with his great ambitions. And he sings a song. Basically, we're the best ever. ilLEGAL DVD AVAILABLE in a CHINATOWN near you!


Websites of the 星期: www.2point6billion.com
A blog about business, trading, and economic issues in China and India. The tax/trading stuff is beyond boring, but if you visit, check out the 'Culture' entries. I particularly liked the linked article from China Economic Quarterly exposing certain myths in sociopolitical analysis of the two economic giants of the East, i.e. the economic benefits/downsides of a democracy versus communist rule.

www.pandafix.com
For when you need a fix.


Television Show of the 星期: LITTLE BRITAIN

Wacky comedy show following the lives of fat, stupid British people (played by two talented guys, David Walliams and Matt Lucas), with an amazing narrator to tie it all together. Well, they're not all fat and stupid (like Vicky Pollard here). Some of them are gay. And the Prime Minister is old-hottie Giles from Buffy. A cross between Monty Python and Mr. Show. Injected with crystal meth. In a fat suit.


I can't comment on much else by way of Media...it's mostly Western stuff and that all arrives here late and Censored. I'll leave you with this:

Activity of the 星期: MAKING UP SONGS ON THE SPOT

Check these lyrics:

Ev'ry convenience store has its own smell
This one smells of licorice
That one's a sulphuric hell
Actually it's old zongzi
The bamboo leaf's gone baaaad! (oo, it's soo baad)
China is a smelly place
But You smell totally raaaad.
You smell soo rad...
So totally rad...