Kinokuniya 20% sales
I've just gotten an email flyer from Kinokuniya... they're having their 20% storewide sales from the 19th to 22nd November... and I'll be away from 18th to 21st November... good thing I still have the 22nd to go and pick up the rest of my Fables collection... woohoo!
I've recently finished Jeff Abbott's thriller "Trust Me" and is halfway through Jeffrey Archer's The Path to Glory. I still have John Grisham's The Associate sitting on my book shelf waiting for me to pick it up. I might be able to cut down on books purchases given that I recently signed myself up with the National Library Board (NLB) in Singapore and I can borrow books from the public libraries now.
Have a Coke... it'll make you happy
Have you bought a can of Coca-Cola recently? I just bought one from the vending machine downstairs to go with my home-packed bread for lunch. Normally I don't pay much attention, but today, I had it placed next to my laptop while I'm browsing and reading some articles when I noticed some rather interesting images on the can.
If you look closely at this well known visual item, you'd have noticed that they've made some changes on the printed words and images. For example, they have this image of a bulging can with a caption that says "330mL of happiness waiting to be opened by you". Noticed that this is their way of getting the same message (the nett volume) across with new messages that is likely to prompt you to pick up a can. Then there's this - "Nutrition facts (per 100mL) you'll be pleased to know" and this - "What goes into making you happy" followed by the sinful ingredient (I'm surprised there's no drug in there to induce all these happiness) and accompanied by a smiley. The can also asks you to "Sit back, relax and enjoy this sparkling flavoured drink manufactured & distributed by the Happy People at" before revealing the address of the manufacturing plant.
Instead of the usual boring barcode, this can's barcode actually has hands that extends out from the barcode waving and holding bottles of Coke. Then there's also 2 faces that makes up the silhoutte of a phone indicating their consumer service line with the tag "There's a cheerful voice on the other line". One another part of the can is a silhoutte of the famous coke bottle shape made up of the following text "The record for the loudest burp is held at 118.1 decibels. That's as loud as a chainsaw. You can do better than that. Coca-Cola. Your Coca-Cola burp is already impressing your neighbour a mile down the road. With a little training, you could probably break that record. BURP. Start practising. Open happiness". (I have burped a few times in the course of typing the text up above). And finally, there's "Recycle to make the world a happier place".
After all these, how can you not be happy when you're having a can of Coke? BURRRRPPPP....
Movie Review: 2012
Roland Emerich just loves to destroy the planet - from Independence Day to The Day After Tomorrow to now, 2012. I seriously wonder if he is perhaps an abandoned alien who harboured a strong hatred for human and its civilizations. OK, this may be an idea lifted from the TV series V. Some of you might have remembered this TV series back in the 80s about green reptile-like aliens who "wears" human skins and their eyes sensitive to sunlight. The guys at TV land just relaunched a new V series in 2009, and I caught the first episode, and it seems alright, although some of the actings are a bit stiff. Oh, but I digress.
I caught 2012 at the cinema last night. After months of teasers and trailers in the cinema, you finally get to experience the whole excitement of watching the earth falls apart (almost literally) being "attacked" by the forces of nature. Come to think of it, if you've seen the trailers, you probably seen half of the destructions shown in the movie. I must admit there were parts that were quite gripping - the first flight out of LA as you watch the whole world tumbles down around you (could be an interesting theme park ride... seriously) but there were also parts that were quite draggy - like when John Cusack and Amanda Peet were kissing when the clock is counting down and impending doom is just minutes away. The supposed touching moment didn't come across as strong as what we've experienced in the Armageddon when Bruce Willis says goodbye to Liv Tyler (and Aerosmith's theme song makes it even more memorable now).
The CGI effects weren't that great either... it still felt like you were watching Independence Day kind of effect (ID4 was release back in 1996, that's 13 years ago). Many times, you couldn't help but notice the outline of the actors against what was clearly digital background (superimposed on green screens). I would certainly expect better quality considering we have gone many years ahead now, and having films like Transformers where the CGI effects were so good that it is not difficult to believe that the living machines are there for real.
Overall, it was an average watch. Trying to inject humanity into a disaster movie is not new, but unfortunately I don't quite connect with the human characters. I would really rather see more destructive effects. Maybe I should find the time to catch Discovery Channel's The Perfect Disaster.
Fables
Remember the stories you read as a kid? Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilock and the Three Bears, Sleeping Beauty and others? Well, the Fables comic series from DC Comics - Vertigo took these characters and placed them in a modern world setting with adult themed storylines.
Since I was introduced to Neil Gaiman's Sandman many years ago, I have always been drawn to titles published by Vertigo, which is an arm of DC Comics. Vertigo titles are generally meant for matured readers. I've always enjoyed the more developed characters and stories presented in the pages of Vertigo comics as compared to the mainstream comics which focused more on the superheroes theme.
After I moved to Singapore, and found that the large bookstores here (Borders, Kinokuniya, Page One) have comprehensive stocks of trade paperbacks (TPB) of comics, I was excited. TPB are reprints of a collection of a few issues of monthly releases, normally one single story arc, into one single volume, making it easier to collect and read. Kinokuniya in particular has a large section with very good selection of both mainstream and independent titles.
Limited series like Neil Gaiman's Sandman, which actually consisted of 75 monthly issues, can also be found in 10 volumes of TPB. From the Vertigo line, I've also had read the Book of Magic series which was enjoyable, but I read off my uncle's collection. I then bought the entire set (13 volumes) of Lucifer TPB, that tells the story of Lucifer Morningstar, the fallen angel who ruled Hell, and left it in pursuit of his own agenda. Lucifer is a character originally introduced in the pages of the Sandman.
After completing my Lucifer collection, I recently started purchasing the Fables series. As mentioned, the stories revolve around the familiar characters that I first learned about in my childhood storybooks. In Fables, I was re-introduced to these characters who were driven out of their homelands into New York, forming a secret community and living among the humans. There's Snow White, who is a cold and efficient deputy mayor, and her sister Rose Red, a rebel and party animal. The Big Bad Wolf (from Little Red Riding Hood and Three Little Pigs) now takes on a human form and is the law enforcer among the Fables. Then there's Jack (from Jack and the Beanstalks) who is a drifter and con artist and Prince Charming, who married and divorced Snow White, then Sleeping Beauty and also Cinderella - it makes sense doesn't it... the same Prince Charming was sleeping with these 3 ladies all along. Then there's also We also caught glimpse of Beauty and the Beast, Pinocchio (who stayed as a boy, never grows), Bufkin the flying monkey from Wizard of Oz and many more. I've only had bought the first three volumes of the series and I'm hooked. I'm waiting for Kinokuniya to have its 20% members sale and I'd be there to sweep up perhaps the remaining TPB in series, and I'm sure there'll be more characters that will be revealed.
For those that enjoy a different dose of fairy tales - perhaps with a touch of reality, you should really go pick this up for your bedtime reading.
F1 season past
Reading through the archives of my past postings, gives me an interesting perspective. It's like traveling back in time and review at things past... and shoosh... here I am back in the tail end of 2009 and get to see how things are different between then and now.
The 2009 Formula 1 season just ended, with the new spectacular Abu Dhabi race bringing down the curtain on a surprise- and incidents-laden season which see the brand new Brawn GP team winning both the drivers championship and constructor title. Jenson Button, long the underachiever among the F1 drivers, finally got his hands on the World Championship trophy. Well deserved, for how he played a part in helping the new Brawn team get off the ground in spectacular manner. Brawn team, is of course the incarnation of the previous Honda F1 team that team principal Ross Brawn, formerly of Ferrari, bought over when Honda decided to pull out of F1 due to escalating cost and the poor economic climate.
And talking of Ferrari, the 2009 season is another season in transition. They again didn't have the cars that can compete in terms of speed, handling and reliability compared to teams like Brawn, Red Bull and Williams who had worked longer on the cars for 2009. Felipe Massa did the best he could in the early races, before a horrific injury in Hungary cut his season short, and his place was taken by the laughable Luca Badoer. No offence to Badoer, but his performance in a Ferrari car during qualifying and races makes Ferrari look like a car that is consistently starting from the back grid. Giancarlo Fischicella, who replaced Badoer towards the end of the season, also didn't fare much better, which is quite baffling, considering that Kimi Raikonen still managed to respectable positions (mid-table at least...) in both qualifying and races. Also Fischicella managed a podium finish in the Force India F1 car before he got his dream move to drive for Ferrari. Maybe it goes to show that it is important to have a car designed, setup and fine-tune for its specific drivers long before the season begin. I think with that in mind, Ferrari had put together their new line up for 2010 - former world champion Fernando Alonso and the returning Felipe Massa. 2010 could be a very good season for Ferrari.
2010 could also prove to be an exciting year for the Red Bull team, who finished second in the constructor championship this year with Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel in the drivers seat. Young up and coming driver Vettel proved his mettle and finish second behind Button in the drivers championship. I do foresee interesting annual battles between Vettel and Louis Hamilton for the drivers championship for many years to come. Louis Hamilton should also look forward for a better year in 2010 as he failed to defend his 2008 title as McLaren failed to provide Hamilton and team mate Heiki Kovalainen with a good car at the start of the season. By the time McLaren got their acts together, Hamilton was already way behind the chase for the title.
Alonso's Renault team was embroiled in controversy when former driver Nelson Piquet Jr. came out and claimed that he was instructed to crash his car in the inaugural 2008 Singapore GP that helped Alonso win the race. This led to the maverick Renault team principal Flavio Briatore quitting the team. It's a team in turmoil and will look to 2010 to put the incidents of 2009 behind them.
Toyota continued to show some improvement, but not much for a team that spent the most money amongboth the F1 teams. BMW and Williams did alright, not spectacular, while the Force India team surprised some people with strong showings at the tail end of the season. The Toro Rosso team propped up the grid most of the time.
I must admit I didn't follow F1 as closely this season compared to past years. I didn't even managed to procure a ticket for the race in Singapore, but I told myself that I would buy one for the 2010 season in Singapore.
2010 should also be an interesting year with new teams given greenlight to race and over the next few months, there should be more development in terms of team setup and confirmation of race drivers. This off season should also proved to be very interesting. One team that I'd be paying particular attention on would be the Lotus F1 team, owned by Malaysian Tony Fernandez. Already having Mike Gascoyne on board as Technical Director is already a big step and signaled this team's intention. Rumours have it that they might be also getting Jarno Trulli on board, and I think that'll help because Trulli has the experience and did well for the years he was with Toyota.
I'm back... and This Is It
Wow... it's been (almost) one year since I last blogged. And I think many of you can attest, many things can happen and/or change in that period of time.
So, what prompted me to drop in and pen down a few notes here this time? Well, one of it was the insistence of one particular wings flapping creature that is close to heart, who commented, "why don't you just put in a few notes in your blog?", just the other day when we were lounging away on our comfy couch at home.
To tell the truth, I've always wanted to wait till one full year before I put something down here again. Why? No reason, I guess... just excuse for being plain lazy on having to organise my thoughts and put it down in a comprehensible manner. I realised that over the last one year, my attention span has actually gotten shorter, which may not be a good thing as I need to get myself focused again and set forth to accomplish better things in life. Thus, taking the time to sit down, give thoughts, organise them and ultimately convey them here should give me a kick start again before the year ends with a whimper... I certainly hope not.
As usual, I would think the usual items I'd be blogging on are the movies, music, books and the happenings around me (what else...). And to that, I would really recommend fans of Michael Jackson to go catch "
This Is It", the movie that recollects scenes from his rehearsals for his 50 sold out concerts in London prior to his untimely death in June this year. I watched it last Friday in digital (it was definitely clearer compared to conventional film projection) at the Cathay in Singapore and thoroughly enjoyed it. Like many my age, the music of MJ, from Beat It to Thriller to Man in the Mirror, has provided the accompaniment to our lives growing up. While watching
This Is It, apart from giving you a taste of what his concert would and could have been, it also gives you a glimpse of how meticulous, dedicated and involved MJ is in his performances (or rehearsals in this matter). You definitely feel a big loss when you stop and reflect that this great artist is no longer with us and we won't be able to see any more new brilliance coming from him. I find myself bobbing my head and tapping my feet to almost every song 'performed' during the show. The energy shown by MJ was incredible. I particularly enjoyed the works done for "You Don't Care About Us" and "Smooth Criminal". There were also new segments filmed for the concert for "Thriller" and a couple of other songs. The clapping ovation the movie received at the end of my screening showed that MJ's works are greatly appreciated by many.
I read somewhere that the DVD will be released sometime in February, so it'll make a good pick up to watch for those that didn't have the chance to catch This Is It during it's two weeks limited run. I'm still perplexed as to why they're limiting it to just two weeks, perhaps Sony is trying to boost up ticket sales by making it 'exclusive'.
Buying books on the cheap...
I've always been meaning to blog this... I bought 6 books at the Times Warehouse Sales in Singapore Expo last month for only SGD 32, albeit they're a bit old (at least 4 years old I reckon)... cheap cheap still.
It gave me an opportunity to pick up a couple of books by authors I've not read before, but mostly I still hunted for books by familiar authors.
- The Christmas Train (David Baldacci)
- Motson's National Obsession: The Greatest Football Trivia Book Ever... (Adam Ward and John Motson)
- High Crimes (Joseph Finder)
- The Tristan Betrayal (Robert Ludlum)
- The Resurrectionist (Michael Collins)
- 24 Karat Schmooze (Marc Blake)
Exhausted Mind
It's been one of those week where I feel my brain has been exhausted
as weekend approaches. Although I had just finished dinner and drinks
with colleagues after another day of pressure putting on a good show
as part of a project evaluation, I didn't feel relieved at all, but in
fact a lot more exhausted that I declined offer from PC and Stan to
join them at ICB. I just need to head home and be alone and not
putting my brain into any gear at all...
Ferrari needs to be more reliable next season
My sympathy goes to Felipe Massa. He did everything that is expected of him in the season's finale in Brazil only for Lewis Hamilton to catch a lucky break (or poor strategy by Toyota and Timo Glock) and pip Massa to the World Championship.
For many years, particularly during the years that Michael Schumacher dominated the sport, the Ferrari car was one of the most reliable, hardly breaking down and allowing Schumacher to consistently finish in the points. This year (and last year), Ferrari car has broken down more than it ever has during Schumacher's time, thus, it is a bit cruel that Massa had to loose the title the way he did this year. Hopefully, next year Ferrari will return with more consistent cars, and both Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa will both be challenging for the individual titles again!
Random jottings
This must be the earliest I've been at the airport to fly... Got here
bout 5.15am, waiting for my flight to KL at 6.50am... Gives me time to
grab a breakfast, but I think I just burped last night's dinner.
Hmmphh.
------
Oh, the 'officer' at the immigration checkpoint was kinda cute. At
least she's not one of those aunties who looks up at you from your
passport like you're this bad boy who's about to bring her daughter
out on a date... But I don't think this officer is much of a morning
person either... Don't think I got even a smile hello...
------
One of my regular breakfasts in Singapore has been the toast + half
boiled eggs + coffee breakfast set. I absolutely loves half boiled
eggs since I was a kid. Although a nasi lemak breakfast would have
been a lot tastier, but I reckon this is a slightly healthier
option...
------
It's been quite a hectic last few months of work, work and more work.
Ok, I did throw in a few sessions out with the friends in between.
Hopefully will be able to get some breaks in the last few weeks of the
year. Note to self, I need to check with HR on my annual leave
balance.
Randoms
I'm at departure lounger at the KL International Airport, waiting for the boarding call for my flight back to Singapore. I have Jason Mraz crooning away in my ears and strumming his guitar, when suddenly, I have a sense of emptiness in me. I wonder why. I had spent almost two weeks back in KL as part of catching up with work here. I had both parents and sister for company almost daily - sitting together for dinner can be simple yet good.
And oh, hi... a cute girl just sat down in front of me. Looks a bit Japanese. Sweet.
Where was I? Oh yea... I do not mind heading back to Singapore though. I've accepted that there is my base now. For how long, I couldn't tell. Not just yet. All I know is that Singapore is more work than life... at least for now. Good thing I still got a group of friends who keep me sane and level.
There's a good reason why I nominated Jeffrey Archer as my favourite author. His latest novel, Prisoner Of Birth was so good that I couldn't put it down for long and I finished it in just under a week. I am contemplating re-read his Kane and Abel. As The Crow Flies remain the only novel that I have read more than once.
There goes the boarding announcement. Looks like a full flight, as this seems like a connecting flight to a few destinations from Changi. Ciao.
Seremban Beef Noodle in Singapore
Ever since I found out that there's a
Seremban Beef Noodle stall in Singapore earlier this year, I've always been meaning to check it out to see if it is as authentic as the one found in Seremban, but for one reason or another, I never made it to Marine Parade Hawker Centre, where the stall is located.
Thus last Saturday, I woke up with a determined feel to make a journey there to sample the noodle. I invited a number of people to join me, but unfortunately, none were able to make it. Undeterred, I decided to venture on my own. I took a SGD 10 cab ride to Marine Parade and walked around before I located the Hawker Centre and finally the store. The queue wasn't that long when I joined, but the stall was operated by a lone man, so it takes a while to get your turn. While waiting at my turn, I chatted a bit with the stall owner and he confirmed it is 'authentic' as the one in the market in Seremban. He chopped the beef and parts and boil them before pouring them in a bowl of noodles. He then flooded the bowl its famous gravy. Here, you are allowed to add your own condiments, so I took extra scoop of peanuts, crunchy vegetable and extra sprinkle sesame. I picked up the tray of noodle, soup and thick chili paste and looked for a seat.
First up, I tasted the soup and yes, it is very similar to the original beef noodle back in Seremban, so it was a good start. Next, the chili also tasted similar, while the noodle tasted very close, but it was wetter than the original for my liking. But it still tasted very good, and I had ordered a large bowl for SGD 5, so I took a while before I finished it all. I'd definitely come back again, and get a few friends to come and sample this.
After that, I went for a short walk in Parkway Parade, where they had the Ferrari F1 replica car on display, in conjunction with the upcoming F1 Grand Prix later this month in Singapore. I checked out Borders there before I decided to head back to Bishan and get a long overdue haircut. The cab ride back also cost me SGD 10.
All in all, I paid SGD 20 for cab ride for a SGD 5 bowl of beef noodle. Is it worth it? You bet it is.
Of books and pasta
After weeks of hectic work, and more to come, so on Friday I thought I'd leave work early, 6pm that is, and do some shopping down at Orchard. Book shopping at Borders more specifically. My last two books were bought at airports - "Michael Schumacher: The Edge of Greatness" by James Allen in Thailand and "The Appeal" by John Grisham in KLIA.
Met up with Brandon and I quickly looked around. As usual, I'd go looking for books by authors whose works I've picked up previously. I was particularly looking for books by Colin Bateman but unfortunately the few titles that Borders stocked were those that I've already had in my collection. I think I might resort to buying future books from Amazon.
In the end, I picked up 3 books by authors I've not yet read before - "Blind Faith" by Ben Elton, "The Whole Truth" by David Baldacci and non-fiction "Cosa Nostra: A History of Sicilian Mafia" by John Dickie along with "Double Whammy" by Carl Hiaasen and "The Successor" by Stephen Frey.
At the cashier, I also signed up for Borders Preferred Member card which entitles me to 10% discount off books. It cost SGD 20.30 and I sort of recouped half of that value as the 5 books cost me just over SGD 100.
As I had cravings for pasta, we decided to head over to the Borders Bistro for quick dinner. I've been there a few times for coffee, and was never impressed with its service nor efficiency, and it was no different this time round. Service was slack but the shrimp pasta I had was good and the portion was generous. I also get 10% off the bill for the Borders Preferred Member card.
It finally rained here after over a week of dry but windy days. Unfortunately, it just had to rain on a day that I'm supposed to be playing futsal. Oh well, I'm feeling a bit under the weather so I guess it's good to take a break. Staying home allowed me to catch the Argentina vs Ivory Coast match of the Olympics 2008 men's football competition. The brilliance of Lionel Messi is a pleasure to watch. The diminutive playmaker scored one and made one as Argentina edged an impressive Ivory Coast team 2 - 1.
Talking bout the Olympics, my company allocated every employee in the office a country via a ballot. The countries selected were of course none of the powerhouse, but more of the middle tiers that wins a few medals. For every gold medal the country won, the employee tagged to the country stands to win 2 gold class movie tickets, while a silver medal wins 2 movie tickets and a bronze wins a popcorn/drink combo (I think...). I was assigned to Zimbabwe. I was hoping to get either Spain, Poland or Canada though as these were the stronger teams among the list for the past Olympics. After reviewing Zimbabwe's record, I found that they won a gold in the last Olympics through swimmer Kirsty Coventry. I then found out that she is one of the top swimmers in the world and stands a good chance of winning a gold again at this Olympics. I will do well to keep an eye on the swimming events now. Well, at least I have hope of getting something, but then again, Zimbabwe has a small contingent of 13 athletes, so I can forgot about picking too many tickets (sorry folks, no free movie here...).
Earlier today, I went on the Singapore Flyers (http://www.singaporeflyer.com/) with colleagues and clients. Nothing to shout about, those of you working in high rise office or stays in high rise condo probably gets the same city skyline view or the sea view. The only interesting thing is that I can see the F1 track's layout and the works that are being carried out in preparation for the race comes September.
The Singapore Flyer
Patriotic Singaporean kids waving their national flags
A view from above
The pit building of the F1 track
Another view of the pit building along with the start/finish straight.
Friday night out
Every once in a while, which is quite regularly, Doreen will send out email or sms suggesting dinner venue for the weekend. I love the adventurous spirit she has when it comes to food, so when I could, I would join her.
This week, she suggested Otto Ristorante, located at the Red Dot Museum Building along Maxwell Road. I met her there along with Chris after work. It is an Italian fine dining restaurant. I ordered Foie Gras for starter and a Duck Breast for main. Chris ordered a pasta for starter and veal for main, while Doreen had two starters - carpaccio and another pasta. I love my foie gras, which was very juicy and literally melted in your mouth. My duck breast was also nicely done, cooked with cranberry sauce, which was very pleasant to taste. The others were also pretty satisfied with their meals, except do note that the chef cooks the pasta al-dente style - which means the pasta is cooked in such that the middle is still slighty hard, chewy style, which is not something I was accustomed to. The bill came to about $300 for 3, so it is not exactly cheap.
After dinner, we walked down the road to check out Breeze at Scarlet Hotel. Scarlet Hotel is a boutique hotel, and Breeze is its rooftop bar. It is a nice place to hang out with friends, but it was not very crowded and we decided to check out another place. Chris has to leave us as he had to finish off his report to his boss. Doreen and I walked further down the street to check out this place called the Screening Room. There are a few rooms in Screening Room where you can rent and screen your own movies, or occasionally, they'll show some art house films. We went upstairs to the rooftop bar called La Terrazza. It was fairly crowded but we managed to get a nice comfy seat after a while and had a few drinks while catching up with each other.
We left at about 12.30 and I was satisfied with a night outing with nice food, nice chill out drinks and nice company.
WHY... SO... little update???
What has happened over the past month? A lot, and yet, not much to be blogged about.
I've watched plenty of movies over the past month... here's a quick rundown and short reviews of them:
Hellboy II: The Golden Army The action and the fantasy creatures kept me glued to my seat throughout. The bad guy (Prince Nuada) is so cool and I think he could really kick Hellboy's butt... but Hellboy's still the man (sic) with the attitude. Selma Blair still looks interestingly attractive after all these years. Apparently, Guillermo Del Toro (the director) wants a chance to pair up Hellboy with some of the classic monsters like the wolfman and frankenstein in the next installment. We can only wait with bated breath.
Ratings: 3.5 out of 5
The Dark Knight WHY SO SERIOUS...? Seeing Heath Ledger's portrayal of the fearless, psychotic Joker just gives you the chill. Myself, being a Batman fanboy, can't help but declare that Heath Ledger gave the ultimate characterisation of Joker, straight out from the most definitive versions of the comic book. He proved in this movie just why Joker is Batman's biggest threat and villain. Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent transformation into Two-Face is also done very well. It gives Two-Face a reason to go against the establishment. Does Batman plays second fiddle to his nemesis yet again? Well, Heath Ledger definitely upstaged Christian Bale in this, but Christian Bale still pulls off a very dark and moody Batman effectively, showcasing the struggle he has within - between wanting to be Batman and wanting to be normal so he can have the girl he loves.
Credit must also go to the scriptwriter and director for coming up with a matured story and tight control over the flow of the movie.
Classic scenes for me are:
- Joker fearlessly challenges Batman to run him down on his Batpod, and Batman has no choice but to swerve and crash.
- Joker in a nurse uniform... and uttered a simple "Hi" next to a disfigured Harvey Dent.
My only gripe, I didn't feel Maggie Gyllenhaal was outstanding as Rachel Dawes.
Ratings: 4 of out 5
Hancock It was an enjoyable fare, where you get comedy, action, love and drama ALL in one. What more could you ask for? A superhero who is drunk and smashes thing? Charlize Theron still looking hot even though she plays a housewife? And kid calling Hancock asshole being tossed into the atmosphere? Just enjoy it and don't think too much.
Ratings: 4 of out 5
Kung Fu Panda A very typical loser-turned-hero story. Nicely and smoothly animated, but just doesn't have the 'heart' I feel. Good for the kids no doubt, but Jack Black still shined better in his own body instead of an animated Panda.
Ratings: 3 out of 5
Get Smart It's fairly funny, as I vaguely remember watching Maxwell Smart on the TV when I was young. I must admit there's some resemblance between Steve Carrell and Don Adams but I think Adams were funnier. Anne Hathaway were hot though.
Ratings: 3 out of 5
Wanted What can I say about this? This is THE movie with attitude. It makes you want to stand up and throw your computer off the windows in your office and tell your boss to f*ck off when you're that close to snapping after days of stress in the office.
I actually went and bought the comic before I caught the movie and I must say, except for the main setup, there is no resemblance between the comic and the movie, which is not a bad thing. If you've read the comic, you'd know there's no way they'll greenlight a movie based directly on that. And did I mentioned that Angelina Jolie were smoking hot?
Ratings: 4 out of 5
The Incredible Hulk Being a regular follower of the 80s TV series, I throughly enjoyed this version. Edward Norton's portrayal resembled the Bruce Banner in the TV series - a loner who is always on the run while seeking the cure. To see Lou Ferrigno being given a cameo in this movie is also great. And, oh, having Liv Tyler in there doesn't hurt at all.
Ratings: 3.5 out of 5
21 After watching this movie, it makes me want to go start counting cards in a blackjack game. Of course, it may be easier than it seems. Entertaining fare to see how a group of young MIT students used their talent to rack up big money at the casinos.
Ratings: 3 out of 5
Untraceable I caught this (along with 21, Run Fatboy Run and Sorry If I Love You) during my flights to/from Melbourne. I decided to watch this based on raving reviews by Chern. Well, I was only mildly entertained. While the entire premise is interesting, I felt that the script could have been more high-tech, but sadly it moves to show how helpless the main protagonists are when they are supposed to be some high-tech gurus.
Ratings: 2.5 out of 5
Run Fatboy Run After catching glimpses of reviews about this movie, I decided to tuned in to this one. Set in London, so you can get the typical dry British humour, although it was directed by David Schwimmer (of Friends fame). Simon Pegg excelled as a retail store security guard who decides to compete in a marathon against a rival for the love of his life. There isn't too much depth in it, but watching Dennis persevere in his quest is uplifting.
Ratings: 3 out of 5
Sorry If I Love You (Scusa Ma Ti Chiamo Amore) I was contemplating between this Italian fare and the Chinese epic, The Warlords and I settled for this because I was in the mood for something romantic. This tells of a 37 years old creative director who runs into a 17 years old student and how their relationship blossomed and the ups and downs of their courtship. Well, it's a bit of a teenage movie feel to it (except since it's in a foreign language, you get a bit of art-house feel to it I guess...) but sufficiently expresses how love conquers all no matter what's the circumstances or environment.
Ratings: 3.5 out of 5
==================
Apart from the going to the movies, in the past month, I spent a week in Bangkok mostly for work, extending the weekend, which I went for a few rounds of massages. I also took a tour to a floating market in Bangkok. Not to be confused with the more well-known floating market in Ratchaburi, which is about 2 hours drive out of Bangkok, this smaller floating market is called the Taling Chan Floating Market. It is a popular place with the locals over the weekend, with many of them there enjoying the variety of food. It is about 45 minutes away from Bangkok, via the Chao Phraya River on a long-tailed boat. It was a good getaway from the hustle bustle of the city, as you get to experience the breeze as you ride along the river and canal. Along the way, the tour guide will also brief you on the various buildings and temples along the river.
Some snap shots from the tour:
* a temple along the river * view of a long-tailed boat * view of the boats at the floating market * one of the hawkers peddling food * view of the street market next to the floating market *My camera's battery ran flat by the time I got to the floating market, otherwise I would have snapped a lot more pictures. I also wish I had more time to sit down and sample the variety of food there. Maybe next time, with a group of friends.
================
I also flew to Melbourne, Australia, for my company's regional sales meeting. I extended my stay there to meet up with Jaime, and she was very kind to offer me a place to stay for the two nights. She also gave me a scarf, which I must say it's one of the best gifst I've got as it really kept me warm through the cold and wet Melbourne winter weekend.
Some snaps from Melbourne:
Give credit where credit is due
Over the weekend, I've watched two fantastic sportings spectacle. First was the Silverstone F1 Grand Prix where Lewis Hamilton displayed some wonderful driving belying his age to win the race with over a minute margin over his closest challenger Nick Heidfeld. The race was made more entertaining by the number of drivers who lost control of their cars on the slippery track made wet by rain. Ferrari drivers proved to be a bit of a disappointment when Kimi Raikonnen and Felipe Massa only managed 4th and 13th place respectively, with Massa losing control of his car in over five incidences. I got to hand it to Hamilton for managing a spectacular win and land himself back into the Drivers Championship race.
Right after the race, the Wimbledon Tennis Championship match was fought between 5 times defending champion Roger Federer and his nemesis, reigning French Open champion Rafael Nadal. I had predicted that this will be classic match between two players who are the top of their games. However, Nadal raced into a 2 set to nothing lead and Federer looked beaten and his confidence shattered. Late in the 3rd set, rain fell and the match was postponed with Federer still looking shaky. It was unfortunate that it was way past midnight local time and I decided to head off to bed. It is only when I read the news the next morning that I found out Federer managed to clawed back 2 sets and losing out narrowly on the 5th set. I had wanted Federer to win so that he can beat Bjorn Borg's record of 5 consecutive Wimbledon title as well putting him closer to Pete Sampras' 14 Grand Slam title. But kudos to Nadal, who is widely recognised as the best clay court player, who was able to beat the reigning king of grass on his own turf. Federer has exclaimed that this does not signal the start of his downfall and he hopes to add the Olympics gold and the US Open title to his list of titles. I do hope that he'll be able to beat Sampras' total of Grand Slam wins and set his own milestone before he retires. Federer currently has 12 Grand Slam titles.
My first visit to the doctor, as a patient, in SG
I had slight fever and body aches on Sunday, along with sore throat and a bit of cough. I had thought of sleeping it off, but I still woke up with slight fever and decided to leave work early to pay a visit to the General Practitioner (GP) near by my house. I thought I'd better take precaution as I need to fly to Bangkok tomorrow evening.
Somehow the doctors in Singapore, or at least in Bishan don't work the normal 9am to 5pm hours. A couple of clinics here were closed after 3.30pm and reopens only later at about 6pm or 7pm. So I had only 1 choice which were still open at about 4pm and I had to wait for over 45 minutes before I get to see the doctor. Mind you, this is private practice. I wonder if I had to wait this long, I might be better off visit the polyclinic or even a general hospital's outpatient clinic. So, after a 45 minutes wait, I went in, described to him my signs, and he just do a quick temperature reading and listen to my lungs. One cool thing is that he has on some touch screen computer to enter my info and for him to enter the medication.
Medicine's not cheap either. For similar illness in Malaysia, I would probably pay about RM 35, and I had to pay SGD 30 here. No wonders the doctors doesn't have to work long hours here in Singapore. So to you all GPs in Malaysia, consider moving to Singapore :P
Random Rants
I just watched the Boston Celtics blew away the LA Lakers in the Game 6 of the NBA Finals to win the 2008 Championship 4 to 2. I am of course a Lakers fan, but I must admit that the Celtics deserved their title this year. They had the league's best record in regular season, and had seem hungrier of the two teams in the finals this year. I'm also glad that KG (Kevin Garnett) finally won his championship ring. He had moved from the Minnesota Timberwolves to Boston Celtics in the off-season to join Paul Pierce and Ray Allen as one third of the Boston Big Three. And they didn't disappoint, delivering the championship title in their first year together.
I first got a taste of the famed Lakers vs Celtics rivalry and basketball generally was when I played the Lakers vs Celtics basketball game on my 286 computer close to 20 years ago. Before Michael Jordan, there were Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I remember playing with my sister and we'll both fight to use Lakers, as they have the great Kareem's skyhook move, Magic's passing and shot, James Worthy midrange shots, and little Byron Scott shooting 3 pointers with accuracy. Sometimes I'd resort to using Celtics who had their big three then - Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. I think in those days, they do show some NBA games on TV late at night, where I caught glimpse of those players that I 'play' in the computer game. Michael Jordan? Yea, he was in the game, but he wasn't great yet. There's Malone, Stockton, Olajuwon, Barkley, Drexler and many other 'legends' of the 80s and 90s.
It's a bit disappointing that the Lakers lost in this year's final, but they had been a surprise package to have won the western conference final, so well done to Kobe Bryant and the team. Let's hope they return next year with a healthy Andrew Bynum who should help them with interior toughness.
Congratulations again to the Celtics. I hope that the Lakers vs Celtics rivalry will be on again for the new few years.
***
I can't deny it anymore. My waistline is expanding and it is not a pretty sight. Pants bought from one year ago has grown tight but at least I can still squeeze into them. Not exactly a consolation. Back in KL, I used to be able to at least play futsal twice a week, which helped me burnt off some fat, but since I moved to Singapore, my sporting sessions haven't been consistent. Marky invites me to join him and his friend on Monday for futsal, but I have yet to work out a Monday that I'd travel to Turf City to join him. Wilson and his colleagues try to play futsal regularly on Thursday and I'll join when and if I could. Then Khim and gang plays badminton on Sundays in Bishan, which is convenient for me and I try to join up when I can. So there's definitely not lack of opportunities, but just that sometimes I have to travel out of Singapore, and thus I missed many of the sessions. The other problem with these sporting sessions is that you needed more than one person to be able to have proper games, which can be a challenge trying to organise a team to get together. As I am not much of a gym person - I don't quite believe in paying just to use those facilities (although I might change my mind in my later years...) - I decided that I shall go and get a pair of proper running shoes and start running.
And ran I did. But my stamina sucks. I hardly lasted 10 minutes on continuous run/jog. I had to slow to brisk walk, plus the fact I hadn't warmed up properly meant that my shin and calf muscles tensed up and made my legs felt like cement blocks. I managed to still alternate my walk with light jogs and lasted close to one hour before I called time and walked to dinner. At least I had a light dinner - glass noodle with fishball, in soup.
I am still keen for my next run, plus the community park right in front of my apartment is a convenient and peaceful place to run (unlike in KL where you probably have to drive somewhere to have a nice jogging trail with lots of greenery). I hope to build up my stamina, and it'll help me in my futsal too.
***
Juwita Suwito, is a name I've heard plenty of times although I don't quite recall if I've seen her performed. I've definitely haven't seen her live, maybe I caught glimpse of her in some obscure RTM channel some years back. Last Saturday I finally saw Juwita performed live at an event organised by the College of Radiology, Malaysia, in Bangsar Shopping Centre. I admit that she has got very good voice and I've always enjoyed the female singer/songwriter type, some popular like Alanis Morissette, Tori Amos, Carly Simon and some obscure ones like Billie Myers, Paula Cole, Meredith Brooks.
I ended up buying her Live EP -
Take Five with Juwita Suwito at Avanti, which is a live recording of her performing 5 songs. Apparently the album is only available at her gigs. She's very friendly and her mom is very supportive too - she manned the sales booth where you can get Juwita's CDs. Her mom asked me if I'd like to get my copy signed and I said why not - and tada - I have my first ever autograph music CD. Having listened to her live and her CD, I am thinking of picking up her two other studio albums. You can also find out where she performs next from her website
www.juwitasuwito.com where she lists her upcoming gigs. I suggest you give one of her gigs a try and you might be hooked.
***
Movie: Sex and The City
I initially had reservations about watching this show. After all, I had stopped watching the series after season 3 and had pretty much lost the plot of what the four girls were up to. But I decided to give it a try, after all, I had enjoyed watching the early seasons with my then housemates Chen Chen and Sandy.
I must say, at the risk of sounding gay, that this movie is more enjoyable than the recent Indiana Jones fare. I mean, I felt that I had to drag myself through some parts of Indy, but I felt engaged thorough the entire SATC. At least I didn't get some guy clapping over the appearance of another guy (read my Indy Jones review...) but I think I can hear plenty of girls/women/ladies going wild over a non-character in a movie - the walk-in wardrobe that Mr. Big built for Carrie.
Story wise, it was nothing extra ordinary. It pretty much tells fans of the movie what had happened since the end of the series and of course the progression of Carrie and Mr. Big's relationship. For me, it does provoke some thoughts and feelings when it come the issue of marriage and its meaning (like why am I not married yet... I do wonder... LOL). But ultimately, there's a happy ending for everyone (oops... spoiler?). I don't think there should be any more sequels to SATC. I mean, what would they be showing? The girls living as mothers in the high society of NY? We already have that, you can watch the Nanny's Diaries and figure out where the girls of SATC fits in there.
Ratings: 3.5 out of 5
While I am still slightly inebriated after a short session with the denizens of Block 153 Bishan Street 11 (Fay, Stan and Lawrence), I think I had better pen down my some of my more rational (?) thoughts for the night.
I had needed a 'destress' session after a day filled with some high-tensioned sales meetings, so I was glad to met up with Fay, Stan and Lawrence for a drink (3 drinks on my count...) after one of the meetings ended late close to 8pm. It was definitely a good time as we just talk and laughs at and with each others. Thanks guys. Great night out.
Among the things we talked about were the political scenes in Malaysia and the 'environment' that we were brought up with - the education system. Having just read Tun Mahathir's recent blog entry with regards to the 'racialism' situation in Malaysia, Stan and I had a debate about the merits of the national-type school and the chinese and indian language based schools in regards to having a more 'united' citizen in the face of the recent race issues that are plaguing Malaysia.
My thoughts are that the education should be revamped and only one type of school should be allowed - a school where the national language is the primary medium, and more importantly, the children of different races are raised and educated side by side, sharing and at the same time competing equally. That said, I still address the importance that the parents be given the option to enroll the child into classes pertaining to his/her mother tongue and origin, particular language and literature. I believed the that's what the Ministry of Education aimed to achieve with it's Sekolah Wawasan thing... I am saying... why give the choice on such a broad scale? Why not 'force' everyone to study and grow in the same environment? And I will not deny that we can't forget our 'roots', thus I'd still offer the flexibility to have subjects that focuses on the literacy and history of our origins. The diversity in cultural heritages and languages are way too precious and unique to this country to be forsaken altogether, but it shouldn't be the cause or excuse for segregation and discriminations.
The Malaysian education system is very outdated. It probably dated back from when Malay, Chinese and Indian educationists set up schools to cater for the population within the 'contained' community - the kampungs, the estates and the new villages. But time has changed, in the modern and metropolitan cities, people of all races are living side by side and if Malaysia truly wants to be a harmonised and united country, I believed that we need to start at the stage where all of us are best influenced and educated - the schools. Have one standardised curriculum for every schools. Make every children enroll into a school that are consist of children of every races, but give them flexibility to attend classes that are relevant to their races. At least in this case, every Malaysian child are growing up together and not segregated while casting suspicious glance over their neighbour. This is possibly the first step in creating a Malaysia that is void of tension caused by the inequality among races... because the race won't be a factor - everyone should be just Malaysian.
