I just downloaded the forms I need to legally change my name . . . any suggestions as to what my new name should be?
Nah, I'm not doing this on a whim and I already know what my new name is gonna be . . . exactly what it is now.
So why do I need to change it?
Well, being a child of first-generation immigrant parents there are a lot of little quirks that I've had to deal with. As some of you may know in Chinese names are read "backward" i.e. Last-middle-first. Unfortunately, this little factoid was missed by whomever was registering my name at birth so on my birth certificate my name is technically wrong, it came out middle-first-last so my middle name is legally my first name.
The same deal happened with my brother and when he registered for his teaching certificate they had to use his "legal" name on his birth certificate so he decided to legally change his name to what it was always intended to be so he could get the right name on his teaching certificate.
I originally wasn't going to bother since this hasn't been an issue for me in the past, I've been able to use my de-facto first name "Wayne" without any problems. Somehow I was able to get my Social Insurance Number and Passport under the correct name. But my mom was pretty adamant that I correct it too, to avoid any legal complications that may arise down the line for stuff like marriage certificates (not gonna happen anytime soon) or wills.
Changing your name is a hassle; there's this massive form you have to fill out (it's more complicated if you're under 18 or married which I am neither), they have to do a criminal background check and credit check to make sure you're not on the lam; you have to get a non-family member "guarantor" to sign that you've lived in the jurisdiction for at least five years, then you have to sign the form in front of a commissioner (a lawyer or civic official).
Then you send in the signed and commissioned forms along with your old birth certificate, wait 6 to 8 weeks and if everything goes smoothly they send you a change of name certificate and a new birth certificate.
Blah, it's such a hassle and it's expensive too: the cost is $137 plus the $34 I have to pay the commissioner to stamp my document. I'd be more motivated if I were at least changing my name to Max Power or something cool. It's especially pointless for me since I've already been using my intended name but I understand why my mom wants me to clear up the mistake to avoid legal problems down the line.
Damn, I was hoping to keep the old birth certificate so if I ever have to declare bankruptcy or fake my own death I can get a new identity :P
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Friday, August 31, 2007
The Far Side of Robert Lepage
I recently found a DVD copy of Robert Lepage's La face cachée de la lune (Far Side of the Moon).
I'd seen this movie (adapted from the one-man play of the same title that Lepage wrote, directed and performed himself) in the cinema when it was first released back in 2003 and remember really enjoying it.
Face cachée de la lune is typical of Robert Lepage's intimate one-man shows (he's amazing to watch live on stage as he shifts from character to character). It's a richly drawn out character study of protagonist Philippe, an aloof 40-something grad-student fascinated with the cosmos, and his relationship with his estranged gay yuppie TV weatherman younger brother André (both played by Lepage). The two brothers are coming to terms with the passing of their mother.
Lepage parallels the brothers' relationship with the US-Russian space race of the 1960s and uses all of this as a background to explore the broader themes of loneliness and isolation, reconciliation and narcissism versus the innate need for self understanding.
As it was adapted from a play, the pace of the movie is languid and it is mostly dialogue-driven. Lepage densely packs both the narrative and the visual elements of the movie with layers of symbolism and allegory. The dialogue is often very witty and it is full of subtle humour. I love the visual style; it's a simple, low-budget film but the cinematography and art direction are superb and there are several symbolic surrealist sequences (and LSD trips) that add to the visual impact of the movie.
Despite being a bit cerebral the movie is accessible and also packs an emotional punch, you really empathize with Philippe by the end of the movie but the emotion is very well-balanced, it's definitely not the over-the-top, sentimental variety.
Having been familiar with Lepage's work prior to seeing Cirque du Soleil's KÀ in Las Vegas. I was so surprised at how flat and one-dimensional that production is (despite that flying monstrosity of a stage). Yes, Lepage is known for his use of technology in theatrical storytelling but not to the point where it overwhelms the production. At the end of the stage version of Face cachée there's a surrealistic sequence where Philippe is seen floating alone through the void of space (actually the audience is looking at a large, tilted mirror and watching the reflection of Lepage rolling around on the floor of the stage), but given the significance of what the scene symbolizes this simple "technological" trick made for a really touching moment to end the show . . . sometimes less really is more.
Anyway, as you can tell, the movie is kind of difficult to explain so I suggest you watch it yourself. I'd love to hear your opinions of the movie.
I'd seen this movie (adapted from the one-man play of the same title that Lepage wrote, directed and performed himself) in the cinema when it was first released back in 2003 and remember really enjoying it.
Face cachée de la lune is typical of Robert Lepage's intimate one-man shows (he's amazing to watch live on stage as he shifts from character to character). It's a richly drawn out character study of protagonist Philippe, an aloof 40-something grad-student fascinated with the cosmos, and his relationship with his estranged gay yuppie TV weatherman younger brother André (both played by Lepage). The two brothers are coming to terms with the passing of their mother.
Lepage parallels the brothers' relationship with the US-Russian space race of the 1960s and uses all of this as a background to explore the broader themes of loneliness and isolation, reconciliation and narcissism versus the innate need for self understanding.
As it was adapted from a play, the pace of the movie is languid and it is mostly dialogue-driven. Lepage densely packs both the narrative and the visual elements of the movie with layers of symbolism and allegory. The dialogue is often very witty and it is full of subtle humour. I love the visual style; it's a simple, low-budget film but the cinematography and art direction are superb and there are several symbolic surrealist sequences (and LSD trips) that add to the visual impact of the movie.
Despite being a bit cerebral the movie is accessible and also packs an emotional punch, you really empathize with Philippe by the end of the movie but the emotion is very well-balanced, it's definitely not the over-the-top, sentimental variety.
Having been familiar with Lepage's work prior to seeing Cirque du Soleil's KÀ in Las Vegas. I was so surprised at how flat and one-dimensional that production is (despite that flying monstrosity of a stage). Yes, Lepage is known for his use of technology in theatrical storytelling but not to the point where it overwhelms the production. At the end of the stage version of Face cachée there's a surrealistic sequence where Philippe is seen floating alone through the void of space (actually the audience is looking at a large, tilted mirror and watching the reflection of Lepage rolling around on the floor of the stage), but given the significance of what the scene symbolizes this simple "technological" trick made for a really touching moment to end the show . . . sometimes less really is more.
Anyway, as you can tell, the movie is kind of difficult to explain so I suggest you watch it yourself. I'd love to hear your opinions of the movie.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
My New Porsche . . .
I recently noticed that my own drives are pretty full and decided that it was time to look for some more storage.
I ended up buying this 500 GB external hard drive by LaCie:
Apparently they partnered with F. A. Porsche for the design (the words "Design by F. A. Porsche" are even engraved on the side of the case) which might be a selling point for some but I don't really see what the big deal is. The design is simple, the lines are clean and it has a nice matte silver case but it's nothing a regular design firm (or even a recent industrial design grad) couldn't come up with.
The main selling point for me was price. The drive usually retails for $320 but I got it on sale at Future Shop (the Canadian Best Buy) for $120 which really isn't a bad price for half a terabyte of storage.
I'll finally have enough space for my files without having to resort to the stop-gap solution of burning a bunch of DVDs. Plus there's the added bonus of being able to use the drive with my laptop while I'm traveling.
It was über easy to set-up since it's USB 2.0 it's pretty much plug 'n' play although I did have to reformat it from the default FAT 32 to NTFS for better compatibility with Windows XP.
I ended up buying this 500 GB external hard drive by LaCie:
Apparently they partnered with F. A. Porsche for the design (the words "Design by F. A. Porsche" are even engraved on the side of the case) which might be a selling point for some but I don't really see what the big deal is. The design is simple, the lines are clean and it has a nice matte silver case but it's nothing a regular design firm (or even a recent industrial design grad) couldn't come up with.
The main selling point for me was price. The drive usually retails for $320 but I got it on sale at Future Shop (the Canadian Best Buy) for $120 which really isn't a bad price for half a terabyte of storage.
I'll finally have enough space for my files without having to resort to the stop-gap solution of burning a bunch of DVDs. Plus there's the added bonus of being able to use the drive with my laptop while I'm traveling.
It was über easy to set-up since it's USB 2.0 it's pretty much plug 'n' play although I did have to reformat it from the default FAT 32 to NTFS for better compatibility with Windows XP.
Monday, March 19, 2007
KODO: One Earth Tour
I longed to see a world beyond this one, so I searched for the door that would take me there. Until I open the door, I have no idea what awaits me on the other side. For now I simply dream about the unknown.
I just got back from Kodo's One Earth Tour, it was, in a word, AWESOME! I've been a fan of Kodo ever since I picked up a couple of their CDs a few years ago after Mystère piqued my interest in Taiko drumming.
Having only heard the music on CD I was surprised at how visual the show was, it really is a blend of both music and dance and I loved watching the troupe's precise movements when playing synchronously. I was amazed at the sheer physicality of the performance, the drummers' stances and the movements that they use to play exude grace and power. The performance ran the gamut between intricate, densely layered pieces involving dozens of drums to simple but masterful solos.
In between the major pieces when they were setting up the drums they had little interludes, during one they were playing these Japanese chimes and bells and it sounded exactly like the Mystère opening. I was sitting there waiting to hear the crying babies! Three of the drummers also do these little subtle comedic interludes while performing percussion and choreography, they reminded me a lot of the Blue Man Group or Les Cons from La Nouba the audience loved them and it really served to show that the group doesn't take itself too seriously. At the beginning of the first encore these guys even lead the audience in a call and response banging out rhythm patterns that the audience would clap back (Stomp does this for audience-participation at the end of their show as well).
My favourite piece was O-Daiko. It's a huge two-sided drum (pictured above) and the drummer on one side beats out a basic rhythm and the soloist on the other side freely improvises. It was amazing the soloist was giving it hard for about ten minutes non-stop. It was intense.
I'm glad they chose to perform in the Opera House because the acoustics were awesome, these drums are huge and when they play the bigger ones you can feel the sound resonate in your chest cavity. It also meant that the quieter drum pieces and the vocal solos could be performed un-amplified. There was one song performed by an amazing female vocalist who would modulate and trill the notes brilliantly, she was accompanied by wood flute and Chinese violin it sounded gorgeous.
Anyway, I highly recommend catching the show if you're a fan of music, dance or performance art, it's a thrilling night of theatre.
I just got back from Kodo's One Earth Tour, it was, in a word, AWESOME! I've been a fan of Kodo ever since I picked up a couple of their CDs a few years ago after Mystère piqued my interest in Taiko drumming.
Having only heard the music on CD I was surprised at how visual the show was, it really is a blend of both music and dance and I loved watching the troupe's precise movements when playing synchronously. I was amazed at the sheer physicality of the performance, the drummers' stances and the movements that they use to play exude grace and power. The performance ran the gamut between intricate, densely layered pieces involving dozens of drums to simple but masterful solos.
In between the major pieces when they were setting up the drums they had little interludes, during one they were playing these Japanese chimes and bells and it sounded exactly like the Mystère opening. I was sitting there waiting to hear the crying babies! Three of the drummers also do these little subtle comedic interludes while performing percussion and choreography, they reminded me a lot of the Blue Man Group or Les Cons from La Nouba the audience loved them and it really served to show that the group doesn't take itself too seriously. At the beginning of the first encore these guys even lead the audience in a call and response banging out rhythm patterns that the audience would clap back (Stomp does this for audience-participation at the end of their show as well).
My favourite piece was O-Daiko. It's a huge two-sided drum (pictured above) and the drummer on one side beats out a basic rhythm and the soloist on the other side freely improvises. It was amazing the soloist was giving it hard for about ten minutes non-stop. It was intense.
I'm glad they chose to perform in the Opera House because the acoustics were awesome, these drums are huge and when they play the bigger ones you can feel the sound resonate in your chest cavity. It also meant that the quieter drum pieces and the vocal solos could be performed un-amplified. There was one song performed by an amazing female vocalist who would modulate and trill the notes brilliantly, she was accompanied by wood flute and Chinese violin it sounded gorgeous.
Anyway, I highly recommend catching the show if you're a fan of music, dance or performance art, it's a thrilling night of theatre.
Friday, March 2, 2007
Leaving Traces . . .
I had the chance to catch Traces, the sophomore show by 7 doigts de la main a couple times this week.
The show is performed by five fresh, young graduates of École nationale de cirque; Héloïse Bourgeois, Brad Henderson, Will Underwood and brothers Francisco and Raphaël Cruz. These artists seem to have a limitless supply of energy; the performances are explosive, fast-paced and action-packed. The 90-minute show seems to zoom by in an instant.
Traces has a darker tone and a faster pace than Loft did. Whereas Loft had more existential overtones Traces is more Fatalistic. The theme is some sort of impending catastrophe and the set is a kind of make-shift fall-out shelter that the artists have constructed. There's a countdown/ticking clock motif throughout the show that really gives the show a sense of urgency and sets an ominous tone. The artists are basically racing against time to create something by which they can be remembered, to leave their "traces" on the world.
Though the backdrop is sort of bleak it really serves to contrast the actual performances in the show which have an energetic, youthful, rebellious and often whimsical quality to them. Though the performers are young (all in their early 20s) they are extremely talented and multi-disciplinary. Their style is really fresh and hip, even compared to 7 doigts' first show.
The soundtrack is mostly progressive rock and hip hop with some old school jazz and classical piano (performed by the artists themselves since four of them are classically trained pianists as well). The choreography is contemporary and urban. The two standout acts in the show are ancient Chinese circus disciplines, Chinese Poles and Hoop Diving, but the presentation in Traces is so fresh and creative it's like watching these acts for the first time. I loved the Chinese poles number performed to a Radiohead song and the gorgeous and graceful Roue Cyr solo performed to a hip hop song.
The choreography is inventive and often stunning. There's an amazing group dance and manipulation number using a basketball and another sequence where the artists use skateboards to produce a whimsical old-school Hollywood musical number that would make Fred Astaire proud. The show also had moments of beauty, showcasing the depth and range of these young artists performance abilities. There are two gorgeous hand to hand numbers (one by a Will and a Héloïse the other by the Cruz brothers) and a stunning solo aerial strap number performed by Héloïse.
The 7 fingers' style is omni-present in the show but Traces also creates it's own signature style; it doesn't have the same distinctly sexual undertones that Loft did but really emphasizes youthful energy and it's absolutely exhilarating to watch. Every time I come out of a 7 doigts show I can't help but think how the sheer creativity, inventiveness and resourcefulness of this small troupe makes Cirque du Soleil look stale and old in comparison.
The show is still new (less than a year old) so it's still a little bit rough in some places but I loved it and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
The show is performed by five fresh, young graduates of École nationale de cirque; Héloïse Bourgeois, Brad Henderson, Will Underwood and brothers Francisco and Raphaël Cruz. These artists seem to have a limitless supply of energy; the performances are explosive, fast-paced and action-packed. The 90-minute show seems to zoom by in an instant.
Traces has a darker tone and a faster pace than Loft did. Whereas Loft had more existential overtones Traces is more Fatalistic. The theme is some sort of impending catastrophe and the set is a kind of make-shift fall-out shelter that the artists have constructed. There's a countdown/ticking clock motif throughout the show that really gives the show a sense of urgency and sets an ominous tone. The artists are basically racing against time to create something by which they can be remembered, to leave their "traces" on the world.
Though the backdrop is sort of bleak it really serves to contrast the actual performances in the show which have an energetic, youthful, rebellious and often whimsical quality to them. Though the performers are young (all in their early 20s) they are extremely talented and multi-disciplinary. Their style is really fresh and hip, even compared to 7 doigts' first show.
The soundtrack is mostly progressive rock and hip hop with some old school jazz and classical piano (performed by the artists themselves since four of them are classically trained pianists as well). The choreography is contemporary and urban. The two standout acts in the show are ancient Chinese circus disciplines, Chinese Poles and Hoop Diving, but the presentation in Traces is so fresh and creative it's like watching these acts for the first time. I loved the Chinese poles number performed to a Radiohead song and the gorgeous and graceful Roue Cyr solo performed to a hip hop song.
The choreography is inventive and often stunning. There's an amazing group dance and manipulation number using a basketball and another sequence where the artists use skateboards to produce a whimsical old-school Hollywood musical number that would make Fred Astaire proud. The show also had moments of beauty, showcasing the depth and range of these young artists performance abilities. There are two gorgeous hand to hand numbers (one by a Will and a Héloïse the other by the Cruz brothers) and a stunning solo aerial strap number performed by Héloïse.
The 7 fingers' style is omni-present in the show but Traces also creates it's own signature style; it doesn't have the same distinctly sexual undertones that Loft did but really emphasizes youthful energy and it's absolutely exhilarating to watch. Every time I come out of a 7 doigts show I can't help but think how the sheer creativity, inventiveness and resourcefulness of this small troupe makes Cirque du Soleil look stale and old in comparison.
The show is still new (less than a year old) so it's still a little bit rough in some places but I loved it and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
I went to see Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater tonight, I've been wanting to see them perform for a while and was not disappointed, they are absolutely spectacular. It was definitely one of the most exhilarating dance performances I've ever seen.
I love jazz ballet because I find it much more free form and expressive than classical ballet which is too often burdened by its rigid structures. The energy and intensity of the Alvin Ailey dancers was amazing, such power, grace and precision.
The show was sold out tonight, which I rarely see for dance performances in Ottawa (outside of schmaltzy acts like Riverdance).
The troupe performed four pieces from their repertoire; Night Creature, Solo, The River and one of Ailey's signature pieces Revelations. Two of the pieces Night Creature and The River were choreographed to the music of Duke Ellington which was awesome 'cause I love The Duke's music.
Solo was an interesting piece for three male dancers choreographed to a Bach violin concerto, it was an interesting juxtaposition of classical music with modern dance.
Revelations was brilliant, it's performed to African American Spirituals and has such an amazing energy. There was a huge ovation at the end and people even stayed standing and clapped in time to the music throughout the encore which is really rare for audiences in Ottawa since it's such a conservative, uptight, white collar town.
I'd definitely recommend catching AAADT if you can, the talent of this troupe is unbelievable and they give an absolutely exhilarating performance.
I love jazz ballet because I find it much more free form and expressive than classical ballet which is too often burdened by its rigid structures. The energy and intensity of the Alvin Ailey dancers was amazing, such power, grace and precision.
The show was sold out tonight, which I rarely see for dance performances in Ottawa (outside of schmaltzy acts like Riverdance).
The troupe performed four pieces from their repertoire; Night Creature, Solo, The River and one of Ailey's signature pieces Revelations. Two of the pieces Night Creature and The River were choreographed to the music of Duke Ellington which was awesome 'cause I love The Duke's music.
Solo was an interesting piece for three male dancers choreographed to a Bach violin concerto, it was an interesting juxtaposition of classical music with modern dance.
Revelations was brilliant, it's performed to African American Spirituals and has such an amazing energy. There was a huge ovation at the end and people even stayed standing and clapped in time to the music throughout the encore which is really rare for audiences in Ottawa since it's such a conservative, uptight, white collar town.
I'd definitely recommend catching AAADT if you can, the talent of this troupe is unbelievable and they give an absolutely exhilarating performance.
Friday, February 16, 2007
The Bellagio Fountains "hijacked"
Have you heard of these "Alternate Reality Games"? Basically they're like adventure/puzzle solving video games but in a real-life setting, players solve a bunch of elaborate puzzles that lead them on a treasure hunt (think Da Vinci Code).
There's a new one that was just launched last month called Vanishing Point some of the prizes are pretty extreme like a sub-orbital space flight and the premiere puzzle was presented at CES in Las Vegas last month.
I guess the premise is the Bellagio Fountains are "hijacked" for a pirate broadcast to present the first puzzle clues, the effect is pretty neat, if they just keep the row of vertical jets
I wonder how much they had to pay Bellagio to basically turn their fountain show into a big, elaborate billboard?
There's a new one that was just launched last month called Vanishing Point some of the prizes are pretty extreme like a sub-orbital space flight and the premiere puzzle was presented at CES in Las Vegas last month.
I guess the premise is the Bellagio Fountains are "hijacked" for a pirate broadcast to present the first puzzle clues, the effect is pretty neat, if they just keep the row of vertical jets
I wonder how much they had to pay Bellagio to basically turn their fountain show into a big, elaborate billboard?
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