After the makeup demonstration, we proceeded to another room for the demonstration of the performance techniques, follow with a short Cantonese Opera performance.

Cantonese Opera originates from the Southern part of China. It includes elements like music, singing, martial arts and acting.

There is generally a lead actor, a lead actress, a supporting actor, a supporting actress, a clown figure and a bearded male role. The female sings and speaks in soprano voice to indicate a young female role. The female performer who undertakes an old lady role will sings and speaks in their ordinary or tenor voice. There are female who act as a male role and they sing and speak in their ordinary voice or tenor voice.

The Cantonese Opera costumes are usually elaborate and handmade. One costume can cost few thousands of dollars. The costumes represent the status of the performer. The one above is likely for a princess or empress with the motives of phoenixes. The belt also represents of high statue in the society, usually for officials.

The above head piece is used for high official or imperial members. (more…)

The city of Richmond held it’s third Culture Days weekend from September 28 to 30, 2012 at the Richmond Culture Center (i.e. Minoru Public Library area). Culture Days is a collaborative coast-to-coast volunteer movement to raise the awareness, accessibility, participation and engagement of Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their communities.

Culture Days featured many free, hands-on, interactive activities that invite the public to participate “behind-the-scenes”, to discover the world of artists, creators, historians, architects, curators, designers and other creative people in their communities.

What caught my attention was the Cantonese Opera activities during this Culture Days event. The first activity was Chinese Opera’s Signature Make-up Application demonstration. This demonstration was carried out by the Vancouver Cantonese Opera which is a non-profit organisation.

How does the Cantonese Opera actor/actress transforms from the left to the right? It takes a laborious make up session and dressing up. I will show you the steps here. The makeup usually takes 2 hours from start to finish. (more…)

I am not Japanese but I have the urge to declare that "私は日本人です" to stand in solidarity with the Japanese people. Ever since last Friday when the Tohoku earthquake struck…

May you have ... Enough happiness to keep you happy. Enough trials to keep you strong. Enough sorrow to keep you human. Enough hope to keep you thoughtful. Enough failure…

Each moment in a day has its own value. Morning brings HOPE Afternoon brings FAITH Evening brings LOVE, Night brings REST, Hope you will all of them everyday. HAPPY NEW…

I came across this very interesting article on the New York Times today. The article is a bit longish but it describes how the combination of prices, adjectives, fonts, type sizes, ink colors and placement on the page can coax diners into spending a little more money.

Quoting the article:

Some restaurants use what researchers call decoys. For example, they may place a really expensive item at the top of the menu, so that other dishes look more reasonably priced; research shows that diners tend to order neither the most nor least expensive items, drifting toward the middle. Or restaurants might play up a profitable dish by using more appetizing adjectives and placing it next to a less profitable dish with less description so the contrast entices the diner to order the profitable dish.

In another section of the article it also pointed out:

A study published by researchers at Cornell found that when the prices were given with dollar signs, customers spent less than when no dollar signs appeared. The study also found that customers spent significantly more when the price was … (more…)