Grad Trip

Will be away from 30 May to 30 Jun in Europe.

Flying off in a few hours time. Cya people when I get back.

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Terminator Salvation

Watched Terminator Salvation with Edwin and Yiling just now. The synopsis and review are as follows.

Set in 2018, the film focuses on the original war between the human race and the Terminator computer network, Skynet. After destroying almost the entire human race on Earth in a nuclear holocaust, a group of survivors led by John Connor stands up to the war and together they struggle to keep those machines at bay and from completely wiping away the human race.

Critics mainly slammed this movie but I enjoyed Terminator Salvation quite a bit. The movie is highly engrossing from start to finish and it has incredibly high octane action sequences. The cast with the likes of Christian Bale and Sam Worthington did quite a good job, with the latter doing a better job. The story is better than the average action movie, with character development of Marcus Wright from start to end. He was the crux to this movie as this story exemplifies the strength of the human heart and its limitless boundaries.

However, there are some portions of the story which does not explain clearly to audiences how they happened, for example the time travel part which was not shown. Still, this futuristic action film deserves props for the intense action sequences, awesome special effects, good cast, and better than expected storyline.

****

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Aaron's 25th Bday

Celebrated Aaron's 25th birthday at Tang Dian Wang Shanghai Restaurant at Suntec yesterday. The food is just slightly above average, nothing spectacular to boost.

Eating

The lantern lighting deco is nice

Finally going to fly off tomorrow for my long awaited central and eastern Europe month long trip. Hope that everything goes smoothly throughout the trip, although i think there might be a high possibility of 'traveling until sick of traveling' syndrome.

Will be back on 30 Jun.

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Precautions

Went to get a flu jab and got a pack of Tamiflu. It's expensive! Nonetheless, having precautions is still better than having none. Better be safe than sorry.

Tamiflu

Countdown to Europe trip in 6 days.

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Ktv and Movie

Met up for ktv with my jc friends and Mb's friends going Europe together.

Ktv

Gs and Terence joined us for dinner at Sushi Tei after the ktv session and we had 2 games of bowling at Safra Mt Faber before going to Vivocity to watch The Baader Meinhof Complex. The review and synopsis are as follows.

Germany in the 1970s: Murderous bomb attacks, the threat of terrorism and the fear of the enemy inside are rocking the very foundations of the yet fragile German democracy. The radicalised children of the Nazi generation lead by Andreas Baader (Moritz Bleibtreu), Ulrike Meinhof (Martina Gedeck) and Gudrun Ensslin (Johanna Wokalek) are fighting a violent war against what they perceive as the new face of fascism: American imperialism supported by the German establishment, many of whom have a Nazi past. Their aim is to create a more human society but by employing inhuman means they not only spread terror and bloodshed, they also lose their own humanity. The man who understands them is also their hunter: the head of the German police force Horst Herold (Bruno Ganz). And while he succeeds in his relentless pursuit of the young terrorists, he knows he's only dealing with the tip of the iceberg.

This movie has such a brilliant storyline. What movie is able to combine terrorism, Vietnam war, Nazism, political activism, American imperialism and freedom of speech into one single movie? The Baader Meinhof Complex does have such a storyline which infuses all these elements together, although it can be way too ambitious.

The acting from the talented cast is top notch and Martina Gedeck as Ulrike Meinhof and Johanna Wokalek as Gudrun Ensslin are particularly impressive. The story spans over a number of years and we get the full picture from the RAF group's initiation and motivation to the implementation phase and the final captive phase.

The initiation and implementation phase were really engrossing from the sheer passion and fervour some of the individuals exhibited and their way of grabbing attention. These people would rather die than be apathetic towards events like Vietnam war, Isreali-Palestinian conflict, etc. They would not want to live their lives under fascism or a police state and they started their rebellion from throwing stones to building bombs.

This movie is a really fascinating outlook at the formation of terrorism and the drive which motivates them. The second half of the movie felt less compelling after the members of the RAF were captured. The trials and the numerous attempts by the new RAF members to free the group masterminds were exhausting and somewhat draining. The film editing could also be better if minute events that did not contribute to the overall quality of the script were removed, e.g. the squabbling over Springer's attack by Meinhof and Ensslin.

Nominated for Academy Awards, Golden Globes and BAFTA Best Foreign Film category, this German film on terrorism and political activism based on a true story is definitely quite an interesting and thought provoking movie which questions how far people should go to do greater good. Too bad about the meandering second half of the movie. Will you go against morality to save morality?

***1/2

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Cha Cha Cha

Had dinner at Cha Cha Cha Mexican Restaurant in Holland Village just now with my jc friends. It is always refreshing to try different types of cuisine. Forgot the names of some of the dishes we ordered though.

Fajitas

Spicy something

Cheese something

Beef burrito

It's nice and crispy but i forgot the Mexican name of the dish

Eating

in the restaurant

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Graduated

Another piece of good news has arrived this week.

All my grades are A- and above this semester! It is a little unexpected for me as I expected a few B grades for some of my modules. This semester has pushed my CGPA by 0.06 points.

A sweet end to wrap the end of academic life for me.

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Dinner Treat

Was 'pressured' to treat some of my uni friends for dinner due to the job offer which i should be accepting. Went to Crystal Jade Kitchen at PS for dinner earlier today. Qy got his pro camera from his sis and took some macro shot photos of the food.

Four seasons beans

Hokkien style claypot beancurd

Scallops with dried chilli

Roast duck

Aaron and Ys

Me and Qy

I'll be waiting for more dinner treats when the rest of them secure their jobs. Hehe...

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Relieved, satisfied, happy

I am still currently unemployed but the wait is over!

Failed my IPPT miserably today though.

A combination of good news and rather insignificant bad news today. A burden just got lifted off my chest knowing that I am finally wanted for a job position after quite a number of failed applications since late last year.

Thankfully, I am not faced with the situation of accepting jobs that I am not really interested in.

Hope there are more good news arriving on 22 May when the exam results are out.

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Angels & Demons

Watched Angels & Demons with my jc friends at Balestier on Sat. The review and synopsis are as follows.

Adapted from the novel "Angels and Demons" by Dan Brown, the film follows the story of Robert Langdon, a well-known Harvard symbologist investigating a murder victim, branded with the Illuminati ambigram. Following his investigation, he soon discovers that a cult group is on a trail to murder four cardinals and destroy the St. Peter's Basilica during a papal gathering.

Angels and Demons is a mystery thriller with infused religious elements and it is in parts exciting, thrilling and engaging. However, there are parts of the movie which i found to be dreary and dull as well especially in the first half of the movie. This movie is also partly a travelogue of Rome and Vatican City with the showcase of numerous picturesque churches and cathedrals like St Peter's Basilica, Castel Sant' Angelo, Pantheon, etc.

Angels and Demons is a competent thriller with many twists and turns, and it delivers the goods while maintaining the suspense and intrigue. Pity the excessive focus on twists and turns results in the lack of depth and some credibility.

***

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Taken

Watched Taken with Edwin at The Cathay earlier. The review and synopsis are as follows.

Bryan (Liam Neeson), a former secret agent living in the US, reluctantly lets his 17-year-old daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) go on holiday to Paris with a friend. Upon arrival in Paris, the two girls meet a seemingly nice young man who turns out to be a member of an Albanian crime syndicate, promptly kidnapping and forcing them into prostitution. Bryan must rely on his old skills in order to rescue his daughter from the slave trade.

Taken is a straightforward, wham-jam and humorless action thriller that boosts quite a strong performance from Liam Neeson as the over-controlling father who overcomes insurmountable odds to defeat his opponents. Sounds incredible? Yes, it is definitely unbelievable but the quick action tries to compensate for the incredulity.

The action and numerous pursuits keep the adrenaline pumping but it is ultimately a shallow exercise in moviemaking. What is lacking is the emotional core which derives from the rapport audiences build with the characters. However, this movie is rather compelling and exciting and there is one lesson to be learnt; attractive young females should not let their guards down in foreign countries.

***

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Star Trek

Went to Sim Lim Square to help Ys pick out a camera today while Qy helped him choose the computer desktop. The both of us were treated to a movie for our help and we watched Star Trek at Iluma. The synopsis and review are as follows.

Star Trek tells the incredible journey filled with action, comedy, and cosmic peril where the new recruits must find a way to stop an evil which threatens all of mankind. The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals; James Kirk (Chris Pine), a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy, and Spock (Zachary Quinto) who was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading their crew through unimaginable danger, boldly going where no one has gone before.

This science fiction action film by J.J. Abrams boosts many space warps, galactic torpedoes, space pursuits, and time travel. The special effects as well as the action is top-notch and we get intense space battles that are highly compelling and entertaining due to the strong cast and intelligent script. James Kirk and Spock have great character development and the leads fulfill their roles with good conviction. The storyline does not treat audiences like kids and we get a full fledged revitalized introduction to the Star Trek series.

Final verdict: Loads of action and great special effects propel the movie but what distinguishes it from other blockbusters are the strong character development and its emotional depth. 'Live long and prosper', i will be awaiting the sequels to Star Trek in the years to come.

****

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Delft Gathering

We had a Delft gathering at my house and we played pool, bridge and Taboo as well as having barbecue.

Playing pool

Rooftop BBQ

BBQing food!

Enjoying the food

Delft group photo + ks's gf

The guys

BBQing marshmallows

Playing Taboo

It was nice to have a gathering after the exams and thanks to Janan for organising the gathering and preparing the food for BBQ.

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Aero Gathering

Went to Claire's house on fri evening for an aero gathering plus Dave's birthday celebration. The food was good and it was great to catch up with the aero ppl. Some of us were playing bridge, mahjong, singing ktv and chit chatting. Some group photos are below.

The aero guys

Chit chat session

The birthday boy

Thanks to Claire for organising such a big gathering for so many people and preparing all the nice food. I guess the next time i see some of them again is during convocation and grad dinner as quite a number of people are going for grad trips soon.

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The Alps

Watched the IMAX documentary The Alps at Omni-theatre sponsored by NTU in the evening today. It is an inspirational and sentimental documentary that depicts the unstoppable human willpower against the forces of nature.

The incredibly sharp film resolution makes the Alps particularly stunning and jaw-droppingly beautiful. The rugged mountain range with its snow covered peaks and glaciers are really a treat to the eyes. Too bad the documentary duration is rather short at less than an hour. The documentary trailer is below.

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Early Mother's Day Celebration

Went to Crystal Jade Kitchen at Parkway Parade for an early Mothers' Day celebration.

My family + nanny + maid

Happy Mothers' Day to all mothers!

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Ktv

Been playing tennis and going for ktv over the past 2 days.

Ktving at K-box clementi

Our last carefree school holidays! Gotta enjoy and make full use of the holidays.

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Spending in recession

Been spending quite a fair bit lately. Went to Ding Tai Fung for dinner yesterday, Fish & Co for dinner today, went for some drinks at Timbre just now. I think i might need to cut back on some spending. But anyway, it's celebratory mood now.

Ambience at Timbre @ Arts House is quite nice

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End of Academic Life

Had my FYP presentation today. I think i did ok, was able to answer most of the moderator's questions although my answers were not of the greatest conviction or knowledge.

4 years passed by just like that. So very long. Finally free from all academic burden.

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Dinner and Movie

Went out with my jc friends for dinner at Billy Bombers in town yesterday and watched X-Men Origins: Wolverine after that. The roast chicken i had was quite awful albeit the large portion and the movie failed to impress as well. Review and synopsis of the movie are as follows.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine goes back to the time before the X-Men trilogy to tell the story of Wolverine's epically violent and romantic past, including his complex relationship with Victor Creed and the ominous Weapon X programme. Along the way, he encounters many mutants, both familiar and new, including surprise appearances by several legends in the X-Men universe.

Wolverine is a wannabe action fantasy film that tries to emulate its predecessors' success of the X-Men trilogy. A lack of strong directorial style, a simple storyline, an obvious lack of character development, and the lack of strong believable performances stalled the show. It is just not impressive enough for a good summer blockbuster and it falls into the term i would classify it as a 'typical Hollywood action movie'. It does not distinct itself from the rest and it stays put in the tried and tested familiar territory with the half baked dialogue and direction.

I enjoyed the ending climatic fight though. Where is Bryan Singer when Wolverine needs him?

**1/2

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DZ Belated Birthday Celebration

We went to Bugis Junction for dinner to celebrate Dz's birthday which was about 2 weeks ago during the exam period. Qy read some good reviews of Ma Maison Restaurant and we had dinner there. It was my first time eating escargot, scotch eggs, and squid ink spaghetti. I ordered paella to see how it compares to the authentic spanish ones that i ate in Valencia and Madrid.

Butter grilled escargot

Aaron and Qy

Squid ink spaghetti

Hamburger Steak

Spanish Paella!

Me, Dz and Ys

Scotch eggs

Cute table number tag to give to waiter when settling the bill

Japanese wine/liquor deco

The food was great. There was a queue outside even late into dinner time. Surprisingly, the paella served had retained its authentic flavour although the seafood could be fresher. The squid ink spaghetti had a unique and tasty flavour although the food portion was a tad little. The ambience was nice and relaxing also.

We went to Illuma next door to check out the new shopping center.

The lighting facade of the building

The interior design is unique but somehow resembles a neighbourhood shopping center

Quite a lot of the shops are still not open yet. We then went to Chjimes to have a drink before heading back.

Group photo

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