Shades of Freedom
In writing my feature article about the Freedom Film Fest 2008, which made a stop in Kuching last month, I had the novelty of being censored. I wasn’t aware that there was an official directive regarding this issue because I’m at the feature desk, where we write about unimportant things like movies and food. If the sub-editor didn’t catch it, my ass will probably be sitting unemployed somewhere.
I’m not gonna bother reposting my article here, but I would like to highlight two things I learned about freedom:
1. Print
A couple of my fellow journalists, when alerted that the FFF is in town and presented with the programme, remarked that they did a crap job publicising it here. Some were interested in attending, but were otherwise wrapped up by other things already.
I didn’t hear about it myself until I received an invitation via Facebook two days before it started. I brought this up with FFF coordinator Elaine Foster, and she told press releases were sent out to the Kuching media a month before they came. I believe her.
2. Web
The wonderful thing about the web is that everything’s readily available there, if you’d only look.
The only film featured at FFF that was shot in Sarawak is something called “What Rainforest?“, which highlighted an issue that is better known outside Sarawak than it is within, thanks to the reason why I got censored. The Kuching audience in the theatre that afternoon were very interested. Most readily admitted that they had no idea this is happening and they asked a lot of questions.
The people behind the film have uploaded the whole thing online, which you can view here. I also have the DVD, which you are welcome to borrow if you prefer it in that format.
We’ll file this whole affair under “things I probably won’t have noticed to begin with”. Thanks, cogwheels of fate!
Proof that I was there.
– Both photos courtesy of FFF.
Pyramid of Psylence
So. We’ve seen this pyramid of Psylence tagged all over Kuching. Now who anything about it?
On a related note, I must say that the quality of graffiti in Kuching has improved.
The Dresshack Toolbox
by tarlia on October 24, 2008
in decluttering diary
Oue definition of ‘dresshack’:
The original meaning of “hack” was a quick, elaborate and/or bodged solution (Wikipedia). At dresshack, our clothing and costuming solutions come in all shapes and forms – quick and clever, elegant facades hiding messy interiors, liberal use of safety pins and glue guns, and lot of experimentation.
Being part of a dresshack group with two base of operations that isn’t at my house (no space) means we have to keep our equipment mobile. Peggy has an electric sewing machine which she totes with her when needed, so she is our chief sewing machine ninja. (I have a 29-year old Butterfly Sewing Machine which required both mum and myself to move from her room to mine.)
Whether or not our sewing machines are mobile, we dresshackers sure accumulate a lot of bits and bobs. I have all my things neatly stored in a drawer somewhere, easily accessible when I need a spool or ribbon or some embroidery thread. Since I can’t lug the entire chest of drawers with me, I bought a plastic toolbox and moved my things over.
Dresshacking also means there are a lot of on-site alterations or fixes, as we learned from the ‘Trash It‘ project. It’s handy to be able to pack everything we might need into our toolbox and bring it along.
Since I’ve come to the point where I need a toolbox, I suspect I’ve achieved the status of apprentice needle pusher.
