SPEECHES (INTERNAL USE ONLY)
MC SPEECH 1 - REHEARSAL
Jean
Time: Before Everyday a Story.
Prep: Screen countdown, translation on screen, ICON SHOT 1.
Welcome everyone! Thank you all for coming and being with us on this very special evening. I am Jean and I will be your MC tonight.
As you know tonight is a surprise party for the lady of the hour. Isabella is on her way and thinks she is going to a musical at the Arts Academy. When she gets here; let’s give her the “Surprise!!” together. She will be standing right around here with uncle Philip (head table). Wherever you may be standing or sitting at the time, it’s ok. Stay where you are and hold up your hand to give her heart fingers in the sky. Like this. High up. The screen will flash 3,2,1. Then all together “Surprise!!”. Ok? Let’s try it once now.
John is now backstage preparing his stuff. Insider info: there will be more than a few surprises tonight. There’s this story to why he chooses today 2020/0202 and also this place for the event. Knowing John, everything has a hidden meaning; every song, every detail is chosen meticulously to string together to create tonight’s 108th letter. So many mysteries! I can’t stand it. Hope everyone enjoy what’s in store this evening.
Anyways. Everybody please remember my cue. 3,2,1; heart fingers, and yell Surprise! Ok. They must be arriving soon. Let’s get ready!
MC SPEECH 2 - MEMORIES
Jean
Time: After Can’t Take My Eyes
Prep: Screen countdown, translation on screen, ICON SHOT 2. Party title on screen
3,2,1… SURPRISE!
Welcome everyone to the party, I am your host Jean. Tonight’s theme is Beauty and Magic of the Unseen World. Please join me to honour the Lady of the hour...
John told me to start with a disclaimer: This is all John’s fault. Isabella is innocent. :-) Tonight is supposed to be one giant letter to finish a promise John made to Isabella. And this is letter 108; everything is meticulously arranged and has special meaning. If you want to find out the ending, stay on till the last page.
Hope Isabella is good with surprises. Living with John I think she has built up immunity. (:-)
Personally, I think the real surprise is why this party took sooo long. Aren’t they already married? ...but actually NO surprise as John likes to take his time... (:-)
Speaking of time, you will notice many references to it are made throughout the evening. It is said that.. “Memories are time frozen into little crystals..” How romantic! must have heard that on a diamond commercial somewhere (:-)
So let’s put everything down for the evening and have a magical time together.
(Hold up glass. Propose toast)
Here’s to wishing everybody a memorable 20200202!
Let me now bring up our magic master Zenneth for his finale.
“May the evening BEGIN...!” (Music timing)
JC SPEECH 1 - TWINS
Time: After Adriatic Sea
Prep: Translation cards for MV and for speech
This feels like a dream.... Having everybody here with us tonight.
A bit dramatic, I know. Wouldn’t really be me if it’s not a bit strange. To be honest, this is one of those things you don’t know why you do it; you just know you gotta do it. So here we are.
The last few months I lived the life of a spy. I communicated with conspirators who have code names, scrub emails, phone messages... For someone with poor short-term memory, it was quite a stretch for me.
Big thanks to everyone helping me keep this a secret. But the real surprise is Isabella already found me out. I lost the bag back in Oct. It’s next to impossible keeping secrets from her. She and I are like conjoined twins. She knows exactly what I’m up to, she sees everything, the good, bad and the ugly. It’s scary. This kind of connection is like live electricity. The feeling is very hard to describe but is very real indeed. So with the help of good music and my schoolboy poetry, I will try my best to capture this feeling to write that last letter.
Just now I overheard Jean talk about diamonds. (Raise glass) Here’s to memories that last forever...
Let’s have dinner.
JC SPEECH 2 - BEAUTY & MAGIC
Time: Before Cape Porcupine
Prep: Translation card for speech
Some people came up to me a bit confused. In the last video there are photos and video footages of us mixed with clips from our favorite movies. Yes, that was us in the desert, courtesy of Andy there who took that fantastic drone shot. And no, that wasn’t really me on the spaceship going to Mars...(:-)
Tonight’s theme is Magic and Beauty of the Unseen World. The next two videos are about beauty and magic. I have had a lot of help from friends putting together these videos. To go with Helene’s enchanting, beautiful voice, a very special friend Dr Francis gave me invaluable guidance in producing the monochromatic shots we took in Inner Mongolia last year. He is one of 2 B/W masters in the world right now and at age 83, he travels the world and takes incredible pictures. He would still wake up at 5 in the morning to chase sunrises in the desert with us. You can find more of his incredible photography on the event website.
The second video is edited to Isabella’s favorite song. Morten helps me produce the video with incredible timelapse photography. He is somebody I admire a lot. To bring back the footages you will see next, this crazy guy, sorry, this guy with incredible passion, travelled across the entire SA continent for an entire year - on his own. Also, he has something to say to which I happen to resonate a lot. His message is included at the end of the video.
Tonight, these original videos are shown for the 1st time in an open audience. Hope you enjoy them and may they be a reminder of all the magic around us.
Enjoy.
JC SPEECH 3 - THANK YOU
Time: Before Mediterranean
Prep: Translation card for speech
Friends, I hope you are enjoying your dinner. I blew the budget on the set so no steak tonight. :-)
Tonight is about a lot things. Love. Memories. Beauty.. But it all started with a promise. A promise I nearly did not keep because I tell myself I am too busy. I must make a small confession to my dearest Isabella. The last few months were probably the hardest thing I have ever done. In other things, I still have second chances. With you, I only have one precious chance. All this, is for you... For love.
After confession I must now bring out the real culprits! Last year Albert and Alice were the coolest bride and groom in Bali. White wedding 30 yrs in the making. It was one of the most beautiful things I have seen.
Albert, a promise in the pending section for 30 yrs! You are currently the record-holder. I concede defeat! (:-) (Pass mic)
(Albert and Alice Speech)
Next, I also wish to bring up another couple whom I wish to thank. We have been at odds for most of our lives; but tonight - on a night that celebrates love, he and I saw eye to eye. For the last few months he conspired with me. My born-again father who is 8 yrs young.
(Pass mic to Pa)
It’s time to hear from the lady of the hour. This woman has the superpower of making me want to behave. Because of her, I can feel myself becoming a better person. This once in a millenium evening 2020/0202 is dedicated to my wonder woman - the person who helped me find love. Ladies and gentlemen, the lady of the hour...
(Pass mic to Isabella)
Has everybody seen this on the table? It is a Chinese translation of my schoolboy poems. The Chinese version is so much better than my original version I feel a bit embarrassed. Some of the words are so elegant I don’t think I have even seen them before. This is courtesy of Da Meow, our cultural pioneer, “Da Meow, you need to show me how to pronounce this word… Thank you…” And then, there’s King hard at work on the live stream, John from Shanghai and Sarah will join us shortly with some real music, the young people who are babysitting inside… The Chunky Onion team… And, in the next MV you will see another amazing drone shot from Andy… There are many to thank - here with us or elsewhere on live feed. A big shout out to all the dear friends who have been so generous with your help. When I see these incredible people I see life and I see love. This next video is for you.
(Go to stage)
JC SPEECH 4 - DO YOU FEEL IT?
Time: After Adriatic Sea POE
Prep: Invisible Ink and UV light reveal backboard graphics
(bring up the young people)
Are you having a good time?
Do you FEEL it? (YES!)
Do you LOVE it? (YES!!)
Do you BELIEVE LOVE IS REAL? (YES!!)
(Music Starts. Everyone sings to Something just like this video)
MC SPEECH 3 - SURPRISE
Jean
Time: After I Want Something Just Like This
Prep: Balloons
Thank you everyone for an awesome evening. The afterparty commences shortly. There will be a bus for you in around 15mins.
Before you go, John has one more surprise for you. It will be posted on the event website going live later tonight. Don’t forget to check in and claim yours. He says it’s better than diamonds. I had a sneak preview. It’s beautiful.
MC SPEECH 4 - AFTERPARTY
Jillian & JL
After ACT I (~ 9:00pm)
Prep: Interview team
Welcome to the REAL party! Can I see a show of hands where everyone is from ?
While we wait for the others to arrive in about 30 mins; I will come around and do some interviews. Give me your best shot in 2 sentences. The questions are: [Interiew questions drawn from bag] Before we kick this into high gear, let’s have some food and drinks. And enjoy the music…
John says “music is a mode of transport...” What else can take you to a different time and place in a single heartbeat?