It is no longer just Performing Arts. In the year 2009, I have dwelled into a new arena - Visual Arts.
And thus, the Arts.

In total, I watched a total of 24 performances and attended 6 exhibitions.
13 Theatre Productions
3 Classical Music
2 Choir Concerts
6 Concert/Live Chinese Pop

Here are my biased choices once again

Best Local English Theatre Production: Members Only

(Nominated: Blood Ties, Kumar: Stripped Bare & Standing Up, Own Time Own Target, $ing Dollars, Bedroom)

Best Local Mandarin Theatre Production: Bondage
(Nominated: 天冷就回来，Lot No.8, Interview)

Best Foreign Theatre Production: 宝岛一村
(Nominated: 华丽上班族之生活与生存， CATS）

Best Concert/Live Chinese Pop: 五月天

(Nominated: 林俊杰，The Answer Is... 孙燕姿, Ronald Cheng X William So）

Best Classical Music: The Stuff Of Lengend

(Nominated: Give Us This Day)

Best Visual Arts: "Black Out" Exhibition @ Qsqaure by Marquis

又跨年了。。。就在这里把这一年给看看一下，到此为止。。。

Moments of 2009 (Part 1) - Movies
It was a much better year compared to the last. There were many good shows that I wanted to catch and indeed I did. Out of a total of 70 movies that I had watched, the first round of short listed movies came up to a huge number of 38. *gasp*
Once again, in order of merit, excluding those that I have caught on DVD or online streaming, I give you my top 10 movies of the year:

1) Slumdog Millionaire
2) Avatar
3) Departures
4) Australia
5) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
6) Tokyo Sonata
7) Up
8) District 9
9) Let The Right One In
10) Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen

The writer struggled between 1 and 2. For once, he agreed with the Oscars for the year and gave the best movie of the year to “Slumdog Millionaire”. The fast-paced, entertaining soundtrack, unexpected storyline and breath-taking India backdrop made this movie a must-watch of the year. Avatar followed closely with its magnificent visual effects and incredibly real tribe of its own. Maybe the predictable plot did make it a little less colourful as it already was.

The writer struggled even for 3, 4 and 5. “Departures” was just the writer’s kind of movie. It was a moving dramatic plot with such insightful exploration of a culture in the beautiful country of Japan. “Australia”, as explained previously, was a 小品 in an epic. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” was itself curiously captivating with many afterthoughts and memorable scenes.

“Tokyo Sonata” was the writer’s kind of movie once again while “Up”, though seemingly biased as the writer is a Disney fan, was undoubtedly touching to many, be it the young or the old.

An incredibly humanized group of aliens presented through the eyes of a reporter was truly refreshing in “District 9”. “Let The Right One in” was a vampire-related movie which was one of a kind in its own genre, definitely much better than “Twilight”. A blockbluster had to be up here and well, “Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen” made it into the Top 10 in the end.

Best Horror/Thriller: Drag Me to Hell
Nominees: Eden Lake, Orphan, Paranormal Activity

Best Comedy: The Hangover
Nominees: Marley & Me, Detroit Metal City, Scandal Makers, Sell Out, Inglorious Basterds

Best Japanese: Departed
Nominees: Tokyo Sonata, Dive, Strange Circus,

Best Korean: Thirst
Nominee: Breathless, Frozen Flower, Scandal Makers, Haeundae: The Deadly Tsunami

Best Mandarin: 赤壁2

Best Animation: Up
Nominees: Cloudy with A Chance of Meatballs, The Princess and The Frog

Best Documentary: The Cove

Other highly recommended:
The Wackness, Love of Siam, The Duchess, Milk, Rachel Getting Married, The Wrestler, Doubt, Gran Torino

独自一人坐在一间房间里，电视机是开着的。是因为害怕寂寞而必须有影子和声音来陪伴着吗？但是，就只有在这夜深人静的夜晚里，心情的不安宁最是震耳欲聋的。

多人在生活里都在寻找着永远。健康，快乐，富贵，幸福。。。可是，在这百忙当中，是否有没有停下脚步，仔细地想一想， 我们所追求的是为了别人或是自己？我从小就超相信“我为人人，人人为我”。有些朋友也会说，“XX，你的人真好，有你这样的朋友多好。”就因为这样，有时候那偶尔的委屈和勉强，换来对方的快乐，这何尝不是一件好事？而我在我的读书生涯里，也结交了不少知己。但是，真正的知己又有几个呢？

最记得小时候，和我那一班志同道合的小学同学玩得不亦乐乎。如果说是“天上无，地下有”，我相信没有一个人会否认。在小六那年，大家还说一定会保持联络。但如今的我们，除了在马路上偶尔碰面打招呼与慰问，或是在 facebook 上 poke 来 poke 去外， 有多少是真正守了信用，做到了那一点呢？最气的是，给我当年的小六科学老师说中了，“小学朋友到了中学就失去联络了，你们等着瞧吧。”年少无知的我看不起大人那番无情的看法，因为我相信我们能证明他那念头是错的。结果，他对了。我身边是还有几个比较要好的小学朋友，而我也感谢他们的陪伴。因为我们可以大声地说，“那么多年了，出来吃顿饭吧！”

中学和初级学院所结交的知己到如今还有好几个保持联络。出国的出国了，做工的忙碌着，结婚的有几个，有小孩的很幸福，追求理想的少之又少。在这繁忙的城市里，稀少的时间让大家很难呼吸。大家都在自儿的岗位上完成了那应该的本分。 偶尔的聚会也变成了大家唯一能见面，了解彼此的近况。而大组聚会，虽然不能心比心地谈话，却方便了大家不少。

近几年，还是有结交了不少新朋友。能称得上是知己的，可以说是完全零。有些是朋友的朋友，同事变成朋友，兵营里的朋友，从新认识的旧朋友。大多都是因为比较谈得来才比较常联络。 算得上认识我的，寥寥无几。

说了这么多，也觉得自己在打圈圈。最近的我在学着如何自己一个人生活。以前的我，在那匆匆忙忙里，向往着偶尔的个人时间。我并不害怕寂寞，只不过想要更加去享受那无与伦比的宁静。过了这么多年，已经没有谁的选择，已经没有什么谁对谁错。眼泪流干了，只知道我知道，他知道， 某某人知道就好。

在这接近三个月的漫长日子里，有朋友知道了，就因在不同的程度上认识我，反应不一。有的远离我，有的音讯全无，有的保持沉默，有的还在错愕当中，有的悄悄告知他懂了，有的则是万般安慰。那些不知道的，可不能算不是知己。是大家无法想象的忙碌，是那不够细腻的观察，是我开不了口。就因我的任性，我的错择，造成了大家的大碍。

能在这儿知道到的知己，也就只有那几个。也因为知道的算是知己，我知道我不会变成饭桌上的话题。但是，不知道的，除了普通朋友外，还有很多很多。就请帮个忙吧，别多问，别多说，让我独自说吧。

有一名朋友曾说过，我近几年的博客都平白循述着我的平凡不过多姿的生活，缺少了对人生的看法和感觉。可能因为我做人已经麻木了，对做人处事已经有了一定的态度，写了也没什么。可是，认真地去了解自己是人生中很重要的一部分。唯一能做到的，就是不停思考和反省。新的生活方式需要新的生命吧，也就应沿着这也许是最后一次。。。

独自一人坐在一间房间里，电视机是开着的。是因为害怕寂寞而必须有影子和声音来陪伴着吗？但是，就只有在这夜深人静的夜晚里，心情的不安宁最是震耳欲聋的。