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December 02, 2003
Escape to the PictureHouse
I was bent on watching Sylvia yesterday but I could only find the big commercial cinemas, which of course, are not showing the movie. I managed to stumble to the East Village but found only a tiny cinema showing indie films. All the better I thought and proceeded to buy a ticket...there are so many prospective good ones but I didn't recognise any of them except for a picture that is "coming soon" and that's Le Papillon and I've already seen it twice.
So finally I decided on Ętre et Avoir - A French documentary on a single classroom school in a little village in rural Auvergne. I chose it because...well it's set in the French countryside and I have a thing about the French countryside. And also because The New York Times reviewed it (they pasted the review on the door) and said that it will make one understand why teaching is a thankless job.
Sometimes, the idea of becoming a teacher in Singapore makes me balk. There's such a huge stigma involved and teachers don't get the credit they deserve in a place like Singapore. For instance, the people I meet here, when I tell them I'm going to become a teacher, marvelled and heralded my choice. The response I get from Singaporeans is more daunting. I get laughed at or dismissed instead. I'm not saying I want to be exalted, but I do not need my ideals to be belittled into an easy-way-out to an idle life.
But then, I try my best. Not to let what others think affect me. Sure I'm not going to become some high-flying, money-churner career woman. But I'm going to do something I've always wanted to do. Infect lives a little, affect lives a little and maybe help with the world we live in and give back some of what I've taken.
The film made me cry, laugh and smile.
It was a good 104 min reprieve from the maddening crowd. :)
Posted by lainey at December 2, 2003 08:19 PM