[ wHat gOes arOund cOMes aRoUnD ]

This story is fictional. Any resemblance to the living is purely coincidence. Thank you.

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Joshua: I think it is better that we stop here.

Xuan: Stop here?

Joshua: I know it hurts but I will like to stop it here.

Xuan: What you mean? You want to put down the phone?

Joshua: No. I want to end the relationship here.

Xuan: Oh..... so that is your final decision.

Joshua: We can still be friends. (BULLSHIT! So typical of guys!)

Xuan: Oh k.

(Xuan hung up the phone.)

Did she cry? No. (Not a single drop of tear)

Was she devastated? No. (She went out to cut her hair on the very day.)

Was she suicidal?No. (Are u MAD?)

Regretted about the whole relationship? No. (It's OVER)

Still love Joshua? No. (He can jolly well F*** off.)

Flashback to 3 months ago...

Joshua: Can I go out with Abigail first before meeting you later? She is having some problems with Matt.

Xuan: Ok. I'm busy with work at the moment. Will call you once I'm done.

Joshua: Ok. We will be either walking around town or drinking coffee. Just let me know when you're ready.

Xuan: Ok. Bye!

Start of red light flickering in the relationship. But Xuan still chose to trust Joshua and Abigail because one WAS her boyfriend and the other WAS her friend and they had been on double dates before.

One month later... (during one double date)

Joshua: Dear, you want to take a cab home?

Xuan: Most probably. I still need to work tml. Matt, do you want me to send you home as well? It's on the way.

Matt: Hm.. Are you sure?

Xuan: Ya.. Pretty much.

Matt: Ok then.

Xuan: What about you and Abigail?

Joshua: I think I will send her home first before making my way back. I need to pass by her place anyway.

Xuan: Ok.

In the end, Matt and Xuan shared a cab home & Joshua and Abigail took a stroll back to Abigail's place before Joshua eventually made his way back.

3 weeks later... (at Joshua's place)

Xuan: Can I play with Snake?

Joshua: NO! (AND SNATCHED THE PHONE AWAY FIERCELY)

Xuan: But why not? I want to break the record.

Joshua: Low batt already.

Xuan: But you just charged it, didnt you? Something I can't see?

Joshua: No.

Xuan: Give it to me or I will walk out now. (She sensed something was definitely wrong.)

Joshua: There is something I want to tell you.

Xuan: Go ahead. (She saw it coming and expected the contents already.)

Joshua: We're both very sorry and felt very guilty.

Xuan: Hm..

Joshua: It just started. We didnt do anything wrong.

Xuan: Oh...

Joshua: Nothing happened. We just confessed that we have feelings for each other.

Xuan: Anymore?

Joshua: No.

Xuan: I'm getting out of here.

Joshua: Will you forgive me?

Xuan: I guess we need some time to cool down.

(Xuan walked out of the house and never stepped in again.)

A week later.. Xuan and Joshua broke up over the phone.

2 weeks later.. Matt called Xuan for help. He wanted to know if Abigail and Joshua were togeher. Because apparently Abigail didnt make things clear to Matt and kept on dragging. Xuan made the call and that marked the end of the friendship between Xuan and Abigail.

A month later.. Abigail and Joshua got together. (Matt is still in the dark and asked Xuan to call Abigail for him. Xuan refused to help anymore. But Matt claimed that he just sent Abigail home the other night and she gave him a good bye 'FRENCH KISS'. Xuan hung up the phone. She didn't want to know if Abigail is two-timing Joshua and Matt. It doesn't matter to her anymore.)

2 years later.. Xuan heard from a mutual friend that Abigail did it again. She initiated to break up with Joshua so that she can be with another guy. Finally, Joshua felt the heartache of being betrayed by ppl he loves.

Has time change anything? Yes. Xuan had moved on.

Morale of the story: What goes around comes around. Believe it.

[ 881 ]

Directed By Royston Tan

Produced By Daniel Yun, Eric Khoo, John Ho & Mike Wiluan

Written By Royston Tan

Starring Qi Yu Wu, Yann Yann Yeo, Mindee Ong, Ling Ling Liu & Xin Wang

Music By Funkie Monkies Productions, Poh Tiong Cai & Robert Mackenzie

Cinematography By Daniel Low

Editing By Low Hwee Ling

Distributed By Zhao Wei Films

Released : August 9, 2007

Running time : 105 min

Language : Mandarin & Hokkien

The Seventh Month - The month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar when the Gates of Hades are thrown open. During this period, ghosts and spirits and all departed souls make their annual pilgrimage back into the land of the living.

In the seventh month, Chinese folks in countries like Malaysia, Taiwan and Hong Kong burn incense and joss sticks, conduct prayers and make offerings to the returning dead. In Singapore, however, they take the business of placating and entertaining the spirits one step further. They have "getai" - makeshift concerts which pop up all over the island.

Each year, more than 500 of these concerts take place during the Hungry Ghosts Month. Entertainers lined up include comedians, magicians, opera performers and singers with garish costumes and even more elaborate dance choreography.

Royston Tan's new movie 881 unfolds against this unique cultural backdrop in Singapore. Two Singaporean girls join together to form the Papaya Sisters, a getai group that sings at performances during the seventh lunar month. Coached by their seamstress Ling Yi, the Papaya sisters struggle at first because they have no “feel” in their voices. As a last resort, they appeal to Aunt Ling’s estranged twin sister, the Goddess of Getai, for help. She grants them their wish, but warns them the price will be high. Rule No.5 states that they shall not love or be loved by any man.

The Papaya sisters hit the getai circuit and sing their hearts out with their newfound “feel”. Big Papaya is pursuing her dream in spite of strong parental objections. Little Papaya, being an orphan, is in a personal race against time to realize her potential. Like her deceased parents, Little Papaya suffers from cancer and has little time left. Through their perseverance, hard work and Aunt Ling’s amazing costumes, the Papayas become the most popular sister act in town. They use their fame to help raise funds to help Chen Jin Lang, who is suffering from cancer. But they are soon devastated by the death of their idol, Chen Jin Lang. While Little Papaya grieves, Big Papaya finds solace in the arms of Guan Yin.

Unknown to them, rival sister group Durian Sisters have become intensely jealous of the Papayas' success, and are determined to trip them up by messing up their schedule. With the help of their gangster Godfather, the Durians succeed in shutting the Papayas out of many getai. They are ruthless in their underhand attacks on the Papayas, using magical darts to hurt their rivals. Guan Yin cannot defend them, and even the Goddess is appalled by the tactics employed by the Durians. Although she grants the Papayas whatever celestial powers she can bestow, she warns them that there is a limit to her powers.

At a confrontation, the Durians challenge the Papayas to a showdown. The stakes are high: whoever loses will leave the getai scene for good. The Papayas accept, and start preparing for the big day – new costumes, new songs, new dances. The movie climaxes with a dramatic musical battle. Both sides pull out all the stops to win over the audience. But as the fight becomes more intense, the Durians attack with their laser darts and the Papayas retaliate with their celestial powers. As last, Little Papaya succumbs to her illness and passes away soon after.

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I caught the movie [881] on saturday night with CK at Bishan Junction 8. Prior to watching the movie, I actually went to surf the internet for its synposis and read a number of blogs that gave good review about the movie. In fact, most ppl praised Royston Tan for producing such a good moive. That is why I was slightly disappointed when I left the cinema. Theoretically, I should have enjoyed it much more than I would expect myself to.(No offence taken.)

My two cents worth: I dun understand the plot to a large extent. To that, I was even wondering am I breed locally? How it that possible that I dun even get a local movie? OK! I know what is 'Qi Yue Ge Tai'. I know what is the purpose of it - To serve as a form of entertainment for those 'Hao Xiong De' who roams the streets every seventh month of the lunar calendar. But I dun get the plot! I have to ask CK to tell me what is gng on and explained it to me when we walked to the carpark to collect the car.

Can someone clarify these few questions?

1. Is this 'Godness of Getai' human or God? - (She lives in a temple and behaves like a God.. but she happenes to be the twin sister of Ling Yi. And you mean she has the power to make Little Papaya contract cancer like her parents just because Big Papaya and Guan Yin kisses? Plus you mean she has the ability to take away the illness from Little Papaya when Big Papaya ask her to be merciful and she is willing to take the suffering for her because she is the one who has sinned in the first place? So what makes her?)
   
2. What is the role of the magical feathers in this show? - (It doesn't seem too logical for any God to bestow powers to ppl in this sense? You mean the feathers will help the Papaya Sisters to sing really well if they wear it during their performanace? I think I can better understand the part that Guan Yin wanted to pluck out a feather from the rooster to keep as souvenir when he planned to sold it away.)
   
3. Is Guan Yin really DEAF? - (How come he can play music and listen to it using the headphones? NO SENSE right? He can response to ppl most of the time pretty quickly. I think my response is much slower as compared to him. HAA!)
   
4. What is the matter with the mother of Big Papaya? - (All I know is she doesn't like Big Papaya to sing 'getai' but WHY? And didnt she use to be a singer as well? What happened? I was expecting an answer somewhere in the movie.. but NOTHING.. or I miss it again?)
   
5. Who wins the competition? - (There wasn't a clear-cut result, or was there?)
   

Alright. It's not fair to say that this movie is lousy.. because it is NOT! Give CREDITS to the songs.. they are really captivating Hokkien songs.. and MORE CREDITS TO MINDEE ONG & YEO YANN YANN.. they are the ones who bring this movie alive.. with thier ingenious tongue-twister of song titles in front of the 'Godness of Getai' and fascinating costumes that they wore during their performances. I went to surf YouTube for the songs.. n FOUND a good collection. Yeah!

Yen Hua (Yearning)

881 Trailer

Yi Ren Yi Ban (One Half)

The Papaya Sisters (Mindee & Yann Yann)

The Durian Sisters (May & Choy)

Maybe my money is worth it after all.