In town this week for F1 Rocks Singapore With LG is Hollywood starlet Lindsay Lohan. An interview of Lohan was featured in the article “Lohan ‘hearts Singapore’” published in Life, The Straits Times on Friday, September 25 2009.
Published interviews often include non-verbal cues which the interviewee exhibits during the interview and in this interview, Lohan used several non-verbal cues such as outward appearance, tapping of her fingers and initiating changes in the location of the interview.
One aspect of non-verbal cues that we tend to overlook is punctuality, but this non-verbal cue is one that can give us an insight into the other person. In this case, Lohan was over an hour late for the interview, and in the article, the phrase ‘true to diva form’ was used to show the significance of punctuality. Very Important Persons (VIPs) are usually the ones who show up fashionably late for events. This non-verbal cue has been used, perhaps unintentionally, to show Lohan’s status as a celebrity.
Her dressing was another point to note, a floral skirt matched with a black top and a cropped jacket makes for a fashionable outfit suitable to be worn in hot, humid Singapore. It is not over-the-top, but more of a simple, girl-next-door charm which makes people feel more comfortable around her. Feelings can affect a person’s behaviour and thinking and by giving the impression that she is approachable to the press, she makes things easier to proceed.
During the interview, Lohan was ‘all smiles’ and ‘on her best behaviour’. As a celebrity, Lohan understands the importance of giving others a good impression. She ‘patiently fielded questions’ and with the exception of ‘rapidly tapping fingers on her knee’, she showed no outward signs of boredom. Lohan shows her professionalism by maintaining her smiles, with no negative comments about the interview.
Half way during the interview, she suggested a change in location for the interview, moving from a chair to a bed. This action shows that Lohan is reinforcing the fact that she is the one in control of the interview.
There was a mention of Lohan’s public image and her actions at New York Fashion Week earlier this month. Those were put in to show the difference in Lohan’s behaviour then and at the interview. Seeing her then and now gives you two vastly different impressions of Lohan.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Week 3 blog entry
Formula 1(F1) season is back in Singapore again, to the joy of many F1 fans, myself included. However, in recent seasons, F1 has seen many setbacks, from the withdrawal of BMW Sauber and Honda, to the latest F1 scandal, ‘Crashgate’, involving Renault, Nelson Piquet Jr., Flavio Briatore and Patrick Symonds.
In the article “F1 veers towards madness” by Rohit Brijnath in The Straits Times on Friday, September 18 2009, the author picked out, summarized and interpreted certain information about the CrashGate scandal. Many readers would also have done the same given the widespread coverage of CrashGate.
F1 in recent years have more negative than positive news and CrashGate is just the latest in a series of scandals. Following SpyGate and LieGate, CrashGate is set to be, if it is already not, F1’s biggest news in the 2009 season. Within the past two to three weeks, hardly a day goes by without an article in the newspaper commenting on CrashGate. With such bombardment of information by the mass media, even non-F1 followers would have developed their own perceptions about the sport.
F1 is a fairly new sport to Singapore. 2009 is the second year that Singapore is hosting the race, at the Marina Bay Circuit. It is a novelty for local fans who are unable to attend races held at other circuits and for Singaporeans in general. But with such scandals, it is a matter of time before the novelty runs out. Fans follow F1 for the excitement, the speed and the technology, not for scandals that drag the credibility of F1 through the mud.
What made the Renault team do what they did? To give Alonso his podium finish? For the team to get constructor points? Why did Piquet Jr. do it? Was it for an extension for his contract so he could stay in F1? Alonso got his podium finish, Renault got their points and Piquet Jr. got a one-year extension for his contract with Renault (for your information, Briatore sacked Piquet Jr. after the Hungarian Grand Prix, which some speculate was what caused the leak of information that brought CrashGate to light). It is understandable that winning was the driving force behind it, but why a crash? Taking such a drastic step with such high risks.
If it is true that F1 teams have to resort to underhanded methods in order to win, then it is a sad thought that this sport, where we expect the highest level of sportsmanship, would have sunk so low. Winning may be the goal of all sports, but it is not worth risking a life for the sake of winning one race. In the future, people may look back at F1 and CrashGate will be one of the scandals that will marr the history of a sport that enthralled millions.
In the article “F1 veers towards madness” by Rohit Brijnath in The Straits Times on Friday, September 18 2009, the author picked out, summarized and interpreted certain information about the CrashGate scandal. Many readers would also have done the same given the widespread coverage of CrashGate.
F1 in recent years have more negative than positive news and CrashGate is just the latest in a series of scandals. Following SpyGate and LieGate, CrashGate is set to be, if it is already not, F1’s biggest news in the 2009 season. Within the past two to three weeks, hardly a day goes by without an article in the newspaper commenting on CrashGate. With such bombardment of information by the mass media, even non-F1 followers would have developed their own perceptions about the sport.
F1 is a fairly new sport to Singapore. 2009 is the second year that Singapore is hosting the race, at the Marina Bay Circuit. It is a novelty for local fans who are unable to attend races held at other circuits and for Singaporeans in general. But with such scandals, it is a matter of time before the novelty runs out. Fans follow F1 for the excitement, the speed and the technology, not for scandals that drag the credibility of F1 through the mud.
What made the Renault team do what they did? To give Alonso his podium finish? For the team to get constructor points? Why did Piquet Jr. do it? Was it for an extension for his contract so he could stay in F1? Alonso got his podium finish, Renault got their points and Piquet Jr. got a one-year extension for his contract with Renault (for your information, Briatore sacked Piquet Jr. after the Hungarian Grand Prix, which some speculate was what caused the leak of information that brought CrashGate to light). It is understandable that winning was the driving force behind it, but why a crash? Taking such a drastic step with such high risks.
If it is true that F1 teams have to resort to underhanded methods in order to win, then it is a sad thought that this sport, where we expect the highest level of sportsmanship, would have sunk so low. Winning may be the goal of all sports, but it is not worth risking a life for the sake of winning one race. In the future, people may look back at F1 and CrashGate will be one of the scandals that will marr the history of a sport that enthralled millions.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Week 2 Entry
In recent times, it is considered fashionable to have a unique date on one’s certificate of marriage. August 8, 2008, 08/08/08, was probably one of the most desired wedding dates, more so in Asian countries and especially among the Chinese.
The number eight, 8, ‘ba’, sounds like ‘fa’, which means wealth or prosperity in Chinese. 08/08/08 has three ‘8’s, which bodes a prosperous start to a newly wedded couple’s life. Moreover, having the date of the Beijing Olympics on the marriage certificate is also something that a Chinese national can be proud of. In 2009, one of the favourite dates for weddings was September 9 of that year, 09/09/09. The number nine, 9, ‘jiu’, means everlasting in Chinese, and is seen as an auspicious sign for long-lasting marriages.
Language is a part of communication that can influence the way we think and act, as shown by the large number of marriages in China on 08/08/08 and 09/09/09. If ‘eight’, ‘nine’, ‘everlasting’ or ‘prosperity’ is pronounced differently, there probably would not have been as many marriages specially scheduled for these particular dates.
In the article ‘090909 - 366 couples wed’ dated September 9, 2009 featured on The Straits Times website, 366 couples tied the knot in Singapore, compared to a daily average of 64. This phenomenon was also observed in China where the number of weddings hit a record high again this year repeating the 2008 trend.
The Chinese culture places a strong emphasis on having weddings on auspicious dates, and many Chinese couples take into consideration the corresponding dates in the Lunar and Gregorian calendar.
If not for 09/09/09 happening to be during the seventh lunar month, also known as the Ghost Month, the number of couples who got married in Singapore on that day would have been much higher. For many South-East Asian Chinese, the seventh lunar month is not seen to be an auspicious time for weddings and should be avoided if possible. While a one-day record for marriages was broken in China on 09/09/09, the number of weddings in Singapore for the same day fell to 366, almost half of that in 07/07/07. Such is the impact due to slight differences in cultures between China and South-East Asia.
By taking beliefs and attitudes from cultural traditions, we view and understand what is shown to us differently. The younger generation tends to be less superstitious than the older generation but in Asian cultures, the elderly are viewed to be more experienced and respected and tend to have the final say on the choice of wedding dates.
However, as the world becomes more cosmopolitan, the boundaries between cultures will eventually become blurred. Also, an auspicious date may give a good start but how the marriage will work out ultimately depends on the parties involved.
---
Credits:
1. ‘08/08/08 – A special date’
(http://theweddingplannerireland.wordpress.com/2008/01/18/080808-a-special-date/)
2. ‘090909 - 366 couples wed’ By Ng Xiao Yan and Ess Aubrey Gabrelyn
(http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_427318.html)
3. Lucky "999" day sees tens of thousands Chinese wed
(http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-09/09/content_12023487.htm)
The number eight, 8, ‘ba’, sounds like ‘fa’, which means wealth or prosperity in Chinese. 08/08/08 has three ‘8’s, which bodes a prosperous start to a newly wedded couple’s life. Moreover, having the date of the Beijing Olympics on the marriage certificate is also something that a Chinese national can be proud of. In 2009, one of the favourite dates for weddings was September 9 of that year, 09/09/09. The number nine, 9, ‘jiu’, means everlasting in Chinese, and is seen as an auspicious sign for long-lasting marriages.
Language is a part of communication that can influence the way we think and act, as shown by the large number of marriages in China on 08/08/08 and 09/09/09. If ‘eight’, ‘nine’, ‘everlasting’ or ‘prosperity’ is pronounced differently, there probably would not have been as many marriages specially scheduled for these particular dates.
In the article ‘090909 - 366 couples wed’ dated September 9, 2009 featured on The Straits Times website, 366 couples tied the knot in Singapore, compared to a daily average of 64. This phenomenon was also observed in China where the number of weddings hit a record high again this year repeating the 2008 trend.
The Chinese culture places a strong emphasis on having weddings on auspicious dates, and many Chinese couples take into consideration the corresponding dates in the Lunar and Gregorian calendar.
If not for 09/09/09 happening to be during the seventh lunar month, also known as the Ghost Month, the number of couples who got married in Singapore on that day would have been much higher. For many South-East Asian Chinese, the seventh lunar month is not seen to be an auspicious time for weddings and should be avoided if possible. While a one-day record for marriages was broken in China on 09/09/09, the number of weddings in Singapore for the same day fell to 366, almost half of that in 07/07/07. Such is the impact due to slight differences in cultures between China and South-East Asia.
By taking beliefs and attitudes from cultural traditions, we view and understand what is shown to us differently. The younger generation tends to be less superstitious than the older generation but in Asian cultures, the elderly are viewed to be more experienced and respected and tend to have the final say on the choice of wedding dates.
However, as the world becomes more cosmopolitan, the boundaries between cultures will eventually become blurred. Also, an auspicious date may give a good start but how the marriage will work out ultimately depends on the parties involved.
---
Credits:
1. ‘08/08/08 – A special date’
(http://theweddingplannerireland.wordpress.com/2008/01/18/080808-a-special-date/)
2. ‘090909 - 366 couples wed’ By Ng Xiao Yan and Ess Aubrey Gabrelyn
(http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_427318.html)
3. Lucky "999" day sees tens of thousands Chinese wed
(http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-09/09/content_12023487.htm)
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
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