gUnZ reFleCtiOnS

You Are the Apple of My Eye

2011-11-20T02:56:00.002+08:00

那些年，我們一起追的女孩

Love that is not fulfilled is always the most heartbreaking. A simple yet funny, well-acted, sincere and endearing show that will appeal to most audiences.

Drive

2011-11-06T16:13:00.003+08:00

Drive is a really well directed thriller that will keep you at the edge of your seat. Impeccable score and talented cast. Highly recommended.

Jessie J - Who You Are

2011-10-09T23:43:00.000+08:00

Raw, pure vocal talent

Incendies

2011-09-06T00:09:00.002+08:00

Incendies Trailer

An impeccably well-acted film with a tragic but immensely engaging story. This Oscar nominated show for best foreign film will leave an etch in your heart.

Adele - Someone Like You

2011-07-12T00:13:00.000+08:00

Adele - Someone Like You

One of the best live performances ever. Such an emotive song sung by a really talented singer.

Movies on the plane

2011-05-14T05:57:00.003+08:00

My super frequent travels have been keeping me away from movie theaters but luckily I still get to watch good movies on the plane.

The top of my list this years (excluding the usual suspects, i.e. oscar films) are as follows.

Under the Hawthorn Tree

My shoo-in favourite film by Zhang Yimou. It is really well-acted and the story is absolutely heart-wrenching. A perfect romantic/dramatic tearjerker which is based on a true story.

Bal (Honey)

Winner of the Golden Bear (Berlin Film Fest), this film is simple, well directed and understated. Using the lush scenery as a backdrop to the ongoing emotional turmoil, this film brings audiences deep into a child's mind and heart.

Good Films

2010-11-14T04:32:00.002+08:00

Son of Babylon

A movie filled with raw emotions, realism and utmost sorrow.

The Social Network

David Fincher is brilliant. He brought out the story in a fascinating, engaging and riveting style.

Catchy Songs

2010-11-08T03:25:00.003+08:00

Scissors Sisters - Fire with Fire

Love the vocals by Jake Shears and the musical arrangement.

Kylie Minogue - Get Outta My Way

This song has an addictive dance beat.

Maroon 5 - Give A Little More

Love the supremely catchy tune.

Firework

2010-10-31T21:59:00.002+08:00

Katy Perry - Firework

Love this music video by Katy Perry. Beautiful fireworks and story. And it is filmed in Budapest!

The Town

2010-10-29T01:24:00.003+08:00

The Town

Ben Affleck is talented! This film is tense, exciting, well written and well cast.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

2010-08-15T05:53:00.005+08:00

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

A really good crime mystery thriller with fantastic performances from the leads.

Good Movies

2010-07-26T01:36:00.003+08:00

There have been quite a lot of good movies recently. Some notable ones are as follows.

The Crazies

Inception

Off to Belgium

2010-05-30T03:39:00.002+08:00

I'll be flying to Brussels for a work trip.

Will be back next Sunday. Thankfully the volcanic ash seemed to have stopped.

It had been a really hectic week. Work has been sucking away much of my life recently.

Off to Penang

2010-05-14T03:49:00.001+08:00

I'll be flying to Penang for a short weekend trip.

Back on Sunday.

Off to KL

2010-05-03T01:28:00.000+08:00

I'll be flying to KL for a 4 day course tomorrow. Back on Sat.

Shutter Island

2010-04-27T01:02:00.001+08:00

Shutter Island

Shutter Island is an eeriely effective psychological thriller.

At least I rant in my blog

2010-04-11T03:41:00.003+08:00

It totally irks me to see someone from my facebook friends commenting about their nationalistic views all the time. Everyone has their own opinion on things, why torture other people with your own biased views again and again?

I mean get a life. We all know that you dislike Singapore, what is the point of ranting your grouses all the time? It only makes other people dislike you more.

Even reporting news gets his ire, to quote one of his status messages "In ASEAN summit in Vietnam, the secretariat says "Thailand's situation is INTERNAL matter, so ASEAN will not interfere". Still, Singapore media keeps digging out this news (if not just reporting). So, is Singapore part of Thailand??"

I mean HELLO? You mean Singapore should not report riots in our neighbouring countries? Bangkok is one of Singaporeans' top tourist destinations and we are not going to report or comment on it? Sorry pal, it's not practical or intelligent not to report the news on the issue.

Is there a "delete friend" button on facebook?

A Single Man

2010-04-05T02:47:00.002+08:00

A Single Man Trailer

Colin Firth is truly magnificent in his role in the movie.

Off to Japan

2010-02-24T16:10:00.001+08:00

I will be flying off to Japan tonight for work.

Back next Thursday. :)

Short Getaway

2010-02-18T02:44:00.000+08:00

I will be leaving for Phuket tomorrow until Sunday. :)

82nd Academy Award Nominations

2010-02-02T23:40:00.000+08:00

Best Picture

“Avatar” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
“The Blind Side” Nominees to be determined
“District 9” Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
“An Education” Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
“The Hurt Locker” Nominees to be determined
“Inglourious Basterds” Lawrence Bender, Producer
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
“A Serious Man” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
“Up” Jonas Rivera, Producer
“Up in the Air” Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

Actor in a Leading Role

Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”

Actor in a Supporting Role

Matt Damon in “Invictus”
Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”

Actress in a Leading Role

Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”

Actress in a Supporting Role

Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Animated Feature Film

“Coraline” Henry Selick
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” Wes Anderson
“The Princess and the Frog” John Musker and Ron Clements
“The Secret of Kells” Tomm Moore
“Up” Pete Docter

Art Direction

“Avatar” Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
“Nine” Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
“Sherlock Holmes” Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
“The Young Victoria” Art Direction: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray

Cinematography

“Avatar” Mauro Fiore
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” Bruno Delbonnel
“The Hurt Locker” Barry Ackroyd
“Inglourious Basterds” Robert Richardson
“The White Ribbon” Christian Berger

Costume Design

“Bright Star” Janet Patterson
“Coco before Chanel” Catherine Leterrier
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Monique Prudhomme
“Nine” Colleen Atwood
“The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell

Directing

“Avatar” James Cameron
“The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow
“Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels
“Up in the Air” Jason Reitman

Documentary (Feature)

“Burma VJ” Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
“The Cove” Nominees to be determined
“Food, Inc.” Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
“The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
“Which Way Home” Rebecca Cammisa

Documentary (Short Subject)

“China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province” Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill
“The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner” Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
“The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
“Music by Prudence” Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
“Rabbit à la Berlin” Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

Film Editing

“Avatar” Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
“District 9” Julian Clarke
“The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
“Inglourious Basterds” Sally Menke
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Joe Klotz

Foreign Language Film

“Ajami” Israel
“El Secreto de Sus Ojos” Argentina
“The Milk of Sorrow” Peru
“Un Prophète” France
“The White Ribbon” Germany

Makeup

“Il Divo” Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
“Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
“The Young Victoria” Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Music (Original Score)

“Avatar” James Horner
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” Alexandre Desplat
“The Hurt Locker” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
“Sherlock Holmes” Hans Zimmer
“Up” Michael Giacchino

Music (Original Song)

“Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
“Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
“Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36” Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
“Take It All” from “Nine” Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Short Film (Animated)

“French Roast” Fabrice O. Joubert
“Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell
“The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” Javier Recio Gracia
“Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin
“A Matter of Loaf and Death” Nick Park

Short Film (Live Action)

“The Door” Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
“Instead of Abracadabra” Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
“Kavi” Gregg Helvey
“Miracle Fish” Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
“The New Tenants” Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Sound Editing

“Avatar” Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
“The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson
“Inglourious Basterds” Wylie Stateman
“Star Trek” Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
“Up” Michael Silvers and Tom Myers

Sound Mixing

“Avatar” Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
“The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
“Inglourious Basterds” Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
“Star Trek” Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

Visual Effects

“Avatar” Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
“District 9” Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
“Star Trek” Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

“District 9” Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
“An Education” Screenplay by Nick Hornby
“In the Loop” Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
“Up in the Air” Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Writing (Original Screenplay)

“The Hurt Locker” Written by Mark Boal
“Inglourious Basterds” Written by Quentin Tarantino
“The Messenger” Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
“A Serious Man” Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
“Up” Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

Interesting Traffic-related Quotes of the Day

2010-02-02T01:13:00.002+08:00

"Sooner or later we will see passengers of SMRT found even on the roof of MRT."

"Omg just got off the bus at bugis to change to train. Got on the stop before bugis at 630 n by the time i got off the stop right after bugis it was 715.. Wats wrong with the traffic?!!"

I'm glad these people share the same thoughts as me. Is LTA even listening? I'm getting sick and tired of all the traffic jams everyday.

I wonder why

2010-01-25T22:12:00.002+08:00

Sometimes I do wonder why do Singapore get all the bashing from our neighbouring country folks.

Copied from someone's status messages from facebook.

1. From Thai diplomat in Singapore: Let Singapore enjoys their "I am better than you" pride and expressions, although, it may bother us sometime. At the end, we all know, what else can they do..... (Hmm, this is the most interesting diplomatic statement ever.)

2. From this news by Singapore ex-PM, there are two interpretations: (1) Singaporean worker is lazy and not productive (noted the word reply on "foreign" worker). Or, (2) to be good Singaporean, you must work hard like a robot..... Glad that I am Thai !! :-)

3. This is another news by Singapore PM. There is NO priority for "Quality of life". Sigh for Singaporeans.... Very glad and proud to be Thai again !! :-)

My thoughts are as follows...

I am wondering if someone can dislike a country so much, why is the person continuing to live and work here?

If Singapore was the size of China, would anyone be so obnoxious and post such biased statements?

Personally, I do not make such judgmental and presumptuous statements nor do I look down on my neighbouring countries.

I would prefer people to post such personal comments on their own blog instead of publishing such comments on other people's news feed in facebook, where people get "forced" to see such comments.

Passed

2010-01-19T22:12:00.000+08:00

Yes, I passed my ippt today! Almost got a silver but passing is good enough. :)

Marchin On

2010-01-11T01:19:00.001+08:00

Marchin On - One Republic

All The Right Moves

2009-12-21T01:12:00.003+08:00

OneRepublic: All The Right Moves

Lost and Found

2009-12-14T23:53:00.000+08:00

Lost and Found - Leona Lewis feat. OneRepublic

Adam Lambert - Sleepwalker

2009-12-08T00:20:00.002+08:00

Adam Lambert - Sleepwalker

APEC

2009-11-10T00:01:00.001+08:00

I'm so tired from APEC!

The amount of work has ballooned. The only good thing is that I get to rest at Ritz Carlton Hotel for the next 5 days.

(500) Days of Summer

2009-10-15T00:56:00.000+08:00

(500) Days of Summer Trailer

Pulau Besar Getaway (Part 1)

2009-09-21T16:58:00.005+08:00

Some of my jc friends and I went to Pulau Besar in Malaysia over the National Day long weekend (8 - 10 Aug). The island is near Tioman and it has really nice, white and clean beaches. We had booked for 2 nights stay in Mirage Resort at Pulau Besar.

Taking a cab to Mersing Jetty

Taking the speedboat to Pulau Besar

Walking from the jetty to the island

Group photo

Unspoiled, white, clean beaches

At the entrance of Mirage Resort

Having our welcome drink

View from our 2nd storey bungalow

Interior of the room

View of other bungalows

Group photo

Waiting for our lunch

We decided to explore the island after our lunch.

Isolated beach

Exploring the island

Walking to the next resort

Aseania Resort next to Mirage Resort

Relaxing at an improvised playground

On a swing

and hammocks

Pub

End of Part 1

Steamboat

2009-09-21T16:53:00.002+08:00

Edwin organised a steamboat dinner at my house on 1 August and quite a number of us were present.

Having the steamboat dinner

In my room

District 9

2009-09-01T01:50:00.002+08:00

District 9 is the most ground-breaking and emotionally resonant sci-fi movie that I have ever seen.

Graduation Dinner @ Swissotel

2009-08-28T00:10:00.005+08:00

Our School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) had our graduation dinner at Swissotel Merchant Court on 31 July 09 and many of my coursemates attended the dinner that day.

Sf and I

Tim, me and Sam

Qy, Cat and I

Ys, Qy and I

Hr, Ks and I

Me, Anthony and Qy

Paul and I

Me and Aaron

Me and Yr

Kv and I

Jeremy and I

Me and Hh

Bernard and I

Group photo

Cheers to our graduation

My close friends in uni

It was great to catch up with everyone again during graduation dinner and I am sure all of us had fun that day.

My Convocation

2009-08-27T23:54:00.005+08:00

Officially graduated on 23 July 09. Some of the pictures taken on that day are as follows.

On stage to receive the scroll

With my family

With a different background

With my mum

With my father

And my sister

Group photo with coursemates

Another group photo

With Prof Wong

The tallest 4 guys in my course are in this photo!

Bf, Bernard and me

Another group photo

The colourful cloths are nice

With Kel, Adit, Venu + family and me

With Prof Spot

Pioneer Aero Batch of Graduates

It was nice to see most of my coursemates that day and we had a good time taking lots of photos.

Daughtry - No Surprise

2009-08-23T21:25:00.002+08:00

Daughtry - No Surprise

Busy and away

2009-08-08T00:04:00.003+08:00

I've been busy, busy and busy. Not much time for any updates. I will be away at Pulau Besar over the National Day weekend.

1st Day of Work

2009-07-27T22:55:00.003+08:00

Yes, I had just started work today finally and I feel like I prefer studying already. Maybe it's because I did not have enough rest the previous day.

What I enjoyed about studying is the tremendous flexibility that we have; we can choose to attend or skip lectures, choose to answer questions or copy down answers in tutorials, plan our own study timetable for exams, etc. However for work, the flexibility is reduced to a minimum as we are now employees.

I do get grouchy when I do not have enough rest sometimes.

The Hangover

2009-07-27T21:01:00.003+08:00

Got back from my 6 day reservist on Saturday afternoon and went to watch The Hangover at night with my jc friends. The review and synopsis are as follows.

When one of their best friends goes missing, three groomsmen played by Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis must retrace their last 40 hours at the Caesars Place bachelor party where they lost him. They must now figure out what happened in their drunken stupor and save their about-to-be-wed friend.

The Hangover is an outrageously funny and well-scripted comedy that depicts a bachelor party gone wild and crazy. This show is way over the top in terms of insanity but way over the top in terms of entertainment level as well. The cast is superb in their comic timing and they deliver the jokes brilliantly, especially Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms who are the offbeat and neurotic characters in the show.

Despite the movie being crude, vile, and even racially offensive, it still shines with the strong comedic cast and better than average comedy script. This movie is definitely on the top of my list for the funniest show this year.

***1/2

Reservist

2009-07-20T01:03:00.002+08:00

Will be away for a one week reservist starting from tomorrow. :(

Marina Barrage at night

2009-07-20T00:49:00.003+08:00

Ed, Gs, Yl and I went to the famous bak kut teh in Balestier after the movie for supper. We then headed to Marina Barrage next with some snacks to enjoy the night scenery there.

Famous Bak Kut Teh restaurant

Some dishes

On top of the building at Marina Barrage

View of Singapore Flyer

Dam at night

Visitor Centre

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

2009-07-19T16:56:00.004+08:00

Watched Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince with Ed, Gs and Yl yesterday at Balestier. The review and synopsis are as follows.

Lord Voldermort is wreaking havoc throughout Britain as Harry Potter begins his sixth year at Hogwarts. The pressure to defeat the Dark Lord grows stronger in the young wizard. Using an old Potions Book which previously belonged to the 'Half-Blood Prince', Harry is able to increase his magical knowledge and prepare for battle. However, he must first help Dumbledore discover the secret to Voldermort's quest for immortality - the location of his Horcruxes. But the quest for the Horcruxes and the resulting battle at Hogwarts produce a tragic outcome - leading Harry to believe that he must head out on his own to conquer the Dark Lord.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is one of the funniest and also one of the darkest Harry Potter series as Voldermort extends his grip with his expanding group of Deatheaters and the immense havoc they are about to create. The movie starts off with the destruction of Millenium Bridge in London and the evil seeks to penetrate from within Hogwarts with the help of Draco Malfoy. Harry, Ron and Hermione have more room to showcase their acting chops this time round with more character development in their respective roles.

Love, infatuations and teen crushes get more airtime as the former kids are now full fledged teens, and they generate more laughter and emotions with the ensuing jealousy, love potion concoctions, harmless flirtations, and the tender heartache when one is not able to be with the desired person. Also, the special effects are grand and visually impressive, the storytelling deft and experienced, and the story engaging and entertaining.

At a duration of 153 minutes, I barely felt its length and i wanted more. I think that Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is one of the best in the Harry Potter movie series so far, despite the many loose ends that it leaves hanging in the air when the movie ends.

****

The Taking of Pelham 123

2009-07-16T18:19:00.003+08:00

Went to watch The Taking of Pelham 123 with Daryl yesterday at Vivo. The review and synopsis are as follows.

Tony Scott directs this remake of the original 1974 "The Taking Of Pelham 123" where Subway train Pelham 123 becomes the focal point of an audacious terrorist attack. A subway dispatcher (Denzel Washington) goes against a group of hijackers lead by Ryder (John Travolta), that take over a subway train in order to obtain a hefty ransom. The ransom must reach them within an hour or they'll start killing the hostages in the train.

The storyline of this movie is rather straightforward but the director keeps us engaged in the thriller with the experienced cast and fluid storytelling. Denzel Washington is impressive as the dispatcher who keeps his cool despite the different verbal aggravations imposed onto him, while John Travolta has a similarly strong run in his role as the psychotic and manic hijacker who kills without blinking an eye.

The two male leads meet head to head in a nailbiting climatic chase and they form the crux of this thriller with their good dramatization and character development. Two thumbs up for the good acting as well as the high thrill factor.

****

Jim's Commencement

2009-07-14T04:38:00.003+08:00

Went to celebrate Jim's commencement on Sat night. We had dinner at Ma Maison at The Central and went to Timbre @ Mt Sophia next for some drinks. Derrick arrived late and we headed to Ice Cold Beer at Emerald Hill for more drinks.

Trying Grolsch beer from waiter's recommendation

Yl and Mb

Japanese curry rice

Seafood Paella

Chicken Steak with Madeira sauce

Roast duck pizza

Timbre @ Mt Sophia

Ice Cold Beer @ Emerald Hill

Congrats to Jim's commencement although he will be studying for Masters.

German Food

2009-07-14T02:59:00.000+08:00

Paulaner Brauhaus recently had a 10th anniversary promotion and some of my jc friends went to have dinner there. Most of us ordered pork knuckle and the difference in taste between what we ate in Germany and what we ordered in Paulaner was too apparent.

Roasted Pork Knuckle (Paulaner Singapore)

Boiled (Pickled) Pork Knuckle (Bratwursthaus in Nuremberg)

The pork knuckle in Bratwursthaus in Nuremberg, Germany, is really delicious and I could never forget how tender, soft, juicy and yummylicious the pork knuckle was.

Ice Age 3: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs

2009-07-11T05:08:00.002+08:00

Went for dim sum lunch buffet at Dragon Gate Restaurant in Harbourfront Centre earlier today with Qy and Ys. $14.80++ per pax turned out to be $19 per pax with the addition of wet towels, peanuts, service charge and gst. I would not have complained about the price if the food was good anyway.

Went to watch Ice Age 3: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs after lunch. The review and synopsis are as follows.

The characters from the Ice Age series are back with Scrat still trying to catch the ever-elusive nut; Manny and Ellie await the birth of their mini-mammoth; and Sid the sloth gets into trouble when he brings back some dinosaur eggs. The gang ventures into a mysterious underground dinosaur world where they have to overcome many obstacles to rescue the hapless Sid.

Ice Age 3 is a family friendly show that is not only funny but wildly entertaining. In Ice Age 1 and 2, Scrat had been the scene stealer with his over the top antics and comical edge. In Ice Age 3, the ante is upped with the addition of Scrat's nemesis cum lover, generating even more humour this time round. The characters in this animation are lively and full of charm, especially the baby dinosaurs which are guaranteed to melt all the hearts of the audiences.

Ice Age 3 provides a conventional story about heroes overcoming many setbacks to save the victim. However, the adventure journey is fun, enjoyable and definitely heartwarming.

***1/2

My Views

2009-07-10T04:08:00.004+08:00

I would like to reiterate my views which had been published more than a year ago. This post is ever more relevant today in the light of some recent events.

Wisdom of the Day

I shall repeat the content below again as these words can be easily forgotten.

When we are angry we say the most atrocious things. We forget ourselves and become indifferent to what we say. We blast the other person without mercy, although we may not mean those words. But words once spoken cannot be taken back and it takes a long time to forgive and forget. It is very important for us to control ourselves when we are angry. We have to exercise self-control.

Extracted from http://www.geocities.com/lauho08/words.html

Anger sometimes can be a very explosive emotion to deal with. Personally when i cannot control it sometimes, it is written all over my face. I'm not saying that we should always try to suppress anger but there should be sufficient restrain involved. Sometimes, confrontation is inevitable but always try to do so with reason and logic. What different are we from animals if we do not exercise control over irrational behaviour that negatively impacts other people?

Duplicity

2009-07-10T03:36:00.003+08:00

Watched Duplicity earlier in the day with Mb and Clarence at The Cathay. The review and synopsis are as follows.

Duplicity is a story about long-time lovers, Claire Stenwick (Julia Roberts) and Ray Koval (Clive Owen), who happened to work as spies on opposite sides. Both of them team up, staging an elaborate con to rip off corporations and steal a valuable product.

This film by Tony Gilroy is a smart, slick and well-crafted comic caper that features thespians like Julia Roberts, portraying an intelligent and confident woman who was formerly a CIA agent, and Clive Owen, portraying an ex-MI6 agent who is both career-driven and deeply in love with Claire. There are numerous plot twists and most of them will catch audiences unaware of the story development.

Despite the good direction and acting, the script may be too overloaded for audiences to fully appreciate this light-hearted con caper. This film is sophisticated fun if the pacing of the movie were to be hastened just a bit and some of the excessive plot twists reduced in quantity.

***

Drag Me To Hell

2009-07-06T22:14:00.002+08:00

Went to collect my graduation gown at Serangoon Broadway earlier today with some of my uni friends. Watched Drag Me to Hell after that at Vivo. The synopsis and review are as follows.

A decision to deny an extension of a home loan to an old woman, Mrs Ganush (Lorna Raver), causes Christine (Alison Lohman) to become the recipient of a supernatural curse. Haunted by an evil spirit and misunderstood by a sceptical boyfriend, Christine seeks help from a seer to break the curse and save her soul from eternal damnation.

Drag Me To Hell by Sam Raimi of the Spiderman trilogy is a consistently entertaining horror show which infuses bits of comedy as well. The fast paced show keeps audiences at the edge of their seats with its engaging storytelling and amicable characters. Christine, who is facing problems promoting in her work life, has problems in establishing good relationships with her boyfriend's parents, and also faces major problems when the curse begins to take into effect.

It is a exciting thrill ride which does not scrimp on the shocks, scares, or gore. Kudos to Sam Raimi for packing in the substance in the usually lacklustre Hollywood horror genre.

***1/2

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

2009-07-06T02:12:00.002+08:00

Flew back to Singapore on 30 June and had been busy sorting photos over the past few days.

Went to watch Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen with my jc friends on Sat. The review and synopsis are as follows.

Decepticon forces return to Earth on a mission to take Sam Witwicky prisoner, after the young hero learns the truth about the ancient origins of the Transformers. Joining the mission to protect humankind is Optimus Prime, who forms an alliance with international armies for a second epic battle.

To put it plainly, Transformers 1 was much better. Transformers 1 had the novelty factor, some story, more character development and more intense action. Revenge of the Fallen is utterly predictable, and contains a contrived and full of clichés story.

Granted that Revenge of the Fallen has more action in general comparatively, the increased action sequences was not able to compensate for the lack of intelligent storytelling. Without substance in the story, the filmmakers deliberately lengthened the headache inducing action for dramatic effect by making the characters in the movie run a long distance instead of taking the readily available transformers vehicles.

The dearth of character development also meant a lack of connection to the characters, resulting in mind blowing action which is already desensitized and lacking the oomph factor. If there were no entertaining snippets of comedy and the special effects were not in top form, this show is nothing but a heap of rubbish.

**1/2

Back to Munich

2009-06-28T12:28:00.002+08:00

Back to Munich after 3 weeks in central and eastern Europe. Really enjoyed my time in Dubrovnik and Budapest. Will be back in Singapore on 30 June. My month long tour in Europe is fast coming to an end. Wondering when will be my next trip. ;)

Grad Trip

2009-05-30T16:20:00.002+08:00

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

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

Terminator Salvation

2009-05-30T03:06:00.002+08:00

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.

****

Aaron's 25th Bday

2009-05-29T20:56:00.003+08:00

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.

Precautions

2009-05-25T15:02:00.002+08:00

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.

Ktv and Movie

2009-05-24T04:12:00.005+08:00

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

Cha Cha Cha

2009-05-22T05:16:00.002+08:00

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

Graduated

2009-05-22T00:20:00.002+08:00

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.

Dinner Treat

2009-05-21T01:26:00.002+08:00

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...

Relieved, satisfied, happy

2009-05-20T02:03:00.005+08:00

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.

Angels & Demons

2009-05-17T23:10:00.002+08:00

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.

***

Taken

2009-05-13T02:12:00.002+08:00

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.

***

Star Trek

2009-05-12T01:49:00.005+08:00

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.

****

Delft Gathering

2009-05-12T01:39:00.002+08:00

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.

Aero Gathering

2009-05-09T18:54:00.003+08:00

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.

The Alps

2009-05-09T03:55:00.003+08:00

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.

Early Mother's Day Celebration

2009-05-09T03:14:00.003+08:00

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

My family + nanny + maid

Happy Mothers' Day to all mothers!

Ktv

2009-05-08T00:00:00.002+08:00

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.

Spending in recession

2009-05-06T02:07:00.004+08:00

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

End of Academic Life

2009-05-04T21:33:00.002+08:00

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.

Dinner and Movie

2009-05-03T18:28:00.002+08:00

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

DZ Belated Birthday Celebration

2009-05-01T02:35:00.004+08:00

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

Whining over swine

2009-04-30T01:45:00.002+08:00

Firstly, our batch of graduates this year have to face the grimmest economic situation in our generation.

Not only that, we have the swine flu situation that is becoming of utmost importance to everyone, especially for people going for grad trips to US, Europe, Australia, NZ, etc where there are confirmed H1N1 cases. Secretly, I'm praying that Eastern Europe won't get hit hard by the virus although that possibility is quite low given the close proximity to the Western side and the fact that border controls within EU are not restrictive.

What can we do? Nothing actually, just that this year's graduates are just really suay.

For updates on swine flu outbreak locations across the globe. Click here or here for the exact world locations in Google Maps.

Swine Flu

2009-04-27T03:46:00.002+08:00

Oh dear...

Swine flu is spreading like flies.

Let us all pray for the disease to be contained. The countries with people infected with swine flu are growing at a very rapid rate.

It is a very worrying sign indeed.

Donovan's 1 month Celebration

2009-04-27T01:58:00.002+08:00

My parents and I went to my sis place for Donovan's 1 month old celebration. There were quite a lot of people and I helped to look after the baby for some time while my sis and bro-in-law took care of the numerous guests.

Baby sleeping

He slept throughout the noise only waking up and crying during feeding time. According to my sis, Donovan is a night owl as well. He likes to sleep in the day and wake up at night. I guess that particular trait is ingrained in his genes already.

Brozeit

2009-04-26T01:48:00.002+08:00

Treated Derrick to dinner at Vivocity Brozeit for helping me to print my reports. It was my first time eating German pork knuckle.

The pork knuckle might look small in this photo but it is actually really big in portion

Had some Paulaner beer and watched a soccer match after the dinner. The meat portion was like the summation of meat i normally have in all the meals in 2 days. Felt really full after the meal.

Most challenging trip

2009-04-25T12:56:00.003+08:00

This Europe trip is definitely my most challenging trip that i planned so far. Within the span of my 30 days in Europe from 31 May to 29 Jun, there are...

1 pax joining on 1 Jun, 1 pax leaving on 6 Jun, 3 pax joining on 8 Jun morning, 1 pax joining on 8 Jun night, 1 pax leaving on 18 Jun, 1 possible pax joining on 21 Jun, 1 possible pax leaving on 28 Jun.

Now this is what i call a trip planning challenge. Luckily they got some experienced hands here.

Over!

2009-04-25T01:24:00.006+08:00

The roadmap for HRM was really all the lecturer gave in the exam and I'm glad that my short preparation paid off. Wasn't able to finish the last few bits but I think the overall feeling after the exam is quite fine.

Yay! No more exams in NTU! The only hurdle left is the FYP presentation on 4 May. Anyway, I went out with some of my coursemates to celebrate in town despite most of the rest having 1 last exam next tue. We had dinner at Shokudu in Raffles City. We had quite a lot of food as shown below.

Watched The International after that at Marina Square. The synopsis and review are as follows.

Interpol Agent Louis Salinger and Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Eleanor Whitman are determined to bring to justice one of the world's most powerful banks. Uncovering a myriad of reprehensible illegal activities, Salinger and Whitman follow the money from Berlin to Istanbul. Finding themselves in a high-stakes chase across the globe, their relentless tenacity puts their own lives at risk as their targets will stop at nothing - even murder - to continue financing terror and war.

This film by Tom Twyker is indeed one of the most classy thrillers that I have ever watched, a little too classy as some essential grittiness seems to be lost. The show showcases many locales like Berlin, Lyon, Luxembourg, Milan, New York and Istanbul with the city backdrops alluring and enticing. The highly architectural shoots were quite unique in cinematography and style as well. Clive Owen does quite a good job as the pained and troubled interpol agent with a vehement will to defeat the ruthless corporate giant.

However, there are some gaping loopholes in the storyline and it is a little too complicated for its own good. Audiences crave for more action and not so much technical junkie. Some of the action sequences are very intense, especially enjoyed the shoot out in New York Guggenheim Museum which was an amalgation of excitement and realism set in a unique noir-like circular rampway.

Final verdict: Loved the picturesque locales and the unique cinematography, but story is a little too laggard and action needs more oomph.

***

2 Down, 1 more to go

2009-04-22T16:02:00.002+08:00

Had my UAV examination today. I did the best of what my memory could churn out from my limited understanding and memorization of the notes. Didn't do too well or did too badly, just plain average.

Next up, HRM paper which is my final examination in NTU.

1 Down, 2 to go

2009-04-20T19:53:00.002+08:00

Cleared Business Finance today. I think it is one of the hardest electives that I have taken in NTU. Took the module due to many recommendations from my coursemates but the course syllabus had been modified to make it tougher as well as the change in lecturer. The preparation period for the exam took longer than each of my two core modules this semester. Darn, should have cleared the business elective earlier when i had the chance.

Anyway, i must start revising for my two other modules which i had barely touched yet.

AWARE

2009-04-19T18:26:00.005+08:00

I read the news in great interest recently as the political 'coup' of an organisation was virtually unheard of in Singapore until now.

What really provoked my sentiments was the way the 'coup' unfolded and the indiscriminate dispatching of the old guards who had been in AWARE for many years. Even more disturbing was their unrevealed agenda which they had evaded from answering to any of the queries.

There were many discussions on their hidden agendas and they seem to be Christian fundamentalists who seek to push their religious and anti-homosexual stance into the secular organisation which core values include non-discrimination of race, gender, religion and sexuality.

Shocking indeed, to know how far some people will go to possibly instill conservatism in people.

Exam period

2009-04-18T02:04:00.003+08:00

Another week has past. Completed my FYP on tue and it had been a mad rush to get the entire report typed out. Turned out to be quite fine in the end so i'm quite satisfied with the report. It is basically the biggest chunk of report that i have ever written. Hope that the FYP presentation will go well as well.

Been lacking the motivation to study for exams for the past few days. My final 3 papers in NTU, and i am such a procrastinator.

Crazy Air Fares

2009-04-11T01:24:00.003+08:00

Checked Emirates website and i got a shock. Check out how low the air ticket prices to Europe have dropped. The prices are inclusive of taxes and surcharges by the way.

I could have saved $137 (coz the Emirates air tickets to Munich is $741 compared to the Lufthansa ticket which i bought at $878). Never mind, never expected prices to drop so low and at least mine is a direct flight.

It's the perfect time for overseas trips considering how cheap the air tickets are now. So very tempting.

Last Lesson in NTU

2009-04-07T19:44:00.003+08:00

I had my last lesson in NTU which is my business elective just now. Relieved is the feeling i would say. Not that the modules this semester are tough, but it's just that 4 years is really a long time and i guess it is time to move on to another stage of life.

I've never really liked studying. The most fun and interesting modules that I took in NTU are Magic Voice in the World of a Singer and Introduction to Black and White Photography. Both of them are electives and i guess none of my core modules made the cut for me. Not that I think all modules should be carefree or entertaining, but I guess my interest in my specialized field had waned long ago for the effort put into the schoolwork to be so reluctant, deliberate and loathsome. Without passion, everything seems like a drudgery and i sure felt it for quite a long time. I feel that i have lost something rather than gained something during the 4 years, it's probably joy or energy. Maybe in the future, i would reminisce the days in university but i do doubt that possibility.

The best thing to come of my uni life is definitely my student exchange. Living in a foreign country for half a year is indeed an experience that i will never forget. How can i ever forget cycling to TU-Delft for lessons along Mercuriusweg and onward to Abtswoudseweg passing through the graffiti and poster clad tunnels, braving the strong winds and enjoying the company in Delft. We toiled together for some really tough exams and traveled to many different countries in Europe. There was work life balance I would say, part enjoyment and part hard work, something that seems quite rare here on this small little island.

Well, I am talking like I have graduated already. That will be official in more than 3 months time (provided i pass all my modules and FYP this semester i hope). Til then, I still have to wrap up my lagging FYP and revise for my upcoming exams.

I can't wait for FYP to end. I can't wait for exams to end. And most importantly, I can't wait to go back to Europe for my month-long grad trip! At least I got something to look forward to.

Gran Torino

2009-04-04T21:41:00.007+08:00

Went Vivocity to watch Gran Torino with Qy and Ys just now. I must say that Gran Torino is one of the best movies that I have ever watched. The review and synopsis are as follows.

Korean War veteran Walt Kowalski becomes increasingly unhappy with the arrival of some Hmong people into his neighbourhood. When neighbour Tao was caught trying to steal Walt's vintage 1972 Gran Torino, the boy is forced to work for Kowalski. Isolated from his own family members and having just lost his wife, Kowalski gradually becomes friendly with Tao and his family. Eventually he learns about Hmong culture even. Soon, Walt loses his racist side and becomes protective to Tao and his sister from gang harassment.

Gran Torino revolves around Walt, his distant family, his neighbours, his pastor, his hairdresser, and the people harassing his neighbours. Sounds boring? Not one bit in my opinion. Clint Eastwood absolutely nails his character as the stern, nationalistic and foul-mouthed war veteran who basically pisses many people off with his standoffish attitude. Deep inside, the guilt of his past memories still haunt him. The themes of this movie are quite ambitious as well, spanning from immigration and racial issues, the psychology of post-war soldiers, violence in general, to the theme of death and loneliness. This movie encapsulates all these themes and issues and they translate perfectly onto the big screen.

Sounds too serious? Nah, there is plenty of humour in the show as well. Sarcasm, comical snide remarks, blunt humour, digs, hilarious name callings, etc provide much entertainment for this show. The character development is really commendable with the sharp, acid yet personable screenplay, the impeccable acting, and the brilliant plot. Clint Eastwood does an amazing job as an actor as well as a director and in this show, we get the best of both worlds. Gran Torino is an immensely engaging, touching and endearing film that will be etched in many audiences' minds for a long time. Highly recommended.

*****

Gran Torino Trailer

Baby Donovan is born!

2009-03-31T21:36:00.002+08:00

My sis gave birth today on 31/03/09. Got a nephew now and I am now 'promoted' to the status of uncle. Ha....

Tiny baby Donovan in the crib

A closer view of Donovan

Wish that Donovan will grow up to be a strong and healthy boy.

Mum's 53th Birthday

2009-03-31T21:32:00.002+08:00

Celebrated Mum's 53th birthday on saturday.

Family photo with my dog!

and my relatives

Cutting the cake

Departures

2009-03-25T02:17:00.002+08:00

Watched Departures at with Sf, Sam and Calvin at JP just now. The review and synopsis are as follows.

Daigo Kobayashi's life takes a turn when the orchestra he played in is disbanded. Left with no job, Daigo, a cellist decides to move back to his hometown. At his hometown, he gets a job working as an funeral professional, where he sees himself as the gatekeeper between the living and the dead. Through his job, he discovers the meaning of life and what it is all about.

Departures is a dignified and respectful film that showcases the traditional Japanese ritual of sending the deceased off. The show starts off as a comedy of sorts, entertaining audiences with a hilarious tv recording and Daigo's first task which involved much puking. The show gradually moves from comedy to sombre mood with the emotional sending off everytime when someone passes. Everyone will be affected by the immense grief that the relatives go through including the undertakers. No one will be spared from the onslaught of sorrow that audiences will be able to relate to.

Asian conservative values that despise the people who earn money from the dead are discussed as well, bringing forth conflicts within Daigo's family. The cast does quite a good job with the decent character development of the main characters. Departures is an intimate study of death, life, redemption and forgiveness and it is richly layered with emotions.

****

Already Gone

2009-03-24T00:49:00.003+08:00

Already Gone - Kelly Clarkson

Love this song by Kelly Clarkson.

Adidas Sale

2009-03-21T20:43:00.003+08:00

Went to the Adidas Sale at Singapore Expo just now with Daryl and bought 2 pairs of shoes. I think many of the popular shoes are already sold out and i just grabbed the remaining decent ones that are left.

Sports Shoes

Sneakers

It's time to get rid of some of my shoes that are falling apart.

SSO Concert

2009-03-21T01:39:00.002+08:00

Went for the Singapore Symphony Orchestra Concert just now in NTU with some of my coursemates. It was free admission and the concert was quite worth the watch.

SSO in Nanyang Auditorium

A closer look of the orchestra players

End of concert

I fell asleep during some of the Beethoven pieces but I think the Hungarian Dances and 'Night on a Bald Mountain' are very nice pieces. I do prefer more upbeat and unconventional pieces.

Thinking of You

2009-03-19T02:24:00.002+08:00

Thinking of You - Katy Perry

Love this song by Katy Perry, although all i can think of now is my FYP and UAV project.

Race To Witch Mountain

2009-03-17T00:24:00.005+08:00

Watched Race to Witch Mountain in the evening just now with Ys and Qy. The synopsis and review are as follows.

Disney restarts their beloved Witch Mountain franchise with this family-friendly adventure. Dwayne Johnson stars as a taxi driver who gets more than get bargained for when he picks up two teen runaways (AnnaSophia Robb and Alexander Ludwig). Not only does the pair possess supernatural powers, but they're also trying desperately to escape people who have made them their targets.

Race to Witch Mountain is a rather entertaining and exciting show that tries to cover up the nutty story by using lots of action and some special effects. Unfortunately, I was not able to get past the stigma of watching a show with a storyline that is quite preposterous. Fortunately, there is quite a lot of action, albeit tamer and less violent, to offer with the numerous chase scenes.

Also, the cast is quite likable with Dwayne Johnson and the two affable kids who sometimes tend to sputter out technical gibberish. This Disney live action show about alien invasion is not just kiddy crap as it is quite heartwarming at times but it is strictly family film fare.

For its kid-geared genre, the movie does quite a decent job but myself as an adult audience, I seek more than just safe, heartwarming, family friendly stuff.

***

Yew Hua's Birthday

2009-03-15T16:03:00.003+08:00

Went for my regular tennis session on fri night and we celebrated Yew Hua's birthday at Chomp Chomp after that.

Group photo

Went to watch the big match between Liverpool and Man Utd at Archipelago Brewery at Circular Rd with Derrick on Sat. After watching the systematic thrashing by Liverpool (4-1), we headed to the nearby Molly Malone's Irish pub for better beers. Kilkenny and Guinness from the tap are still the best.

Watchmen

2009-03-13T00:58:00.002+08:00

Went to IT Show and watched Watchmen with Qy and Ys after school today. The synopsis and review are as follows.

In a gritty and alternate 1985 America, the glory days of costumed vigilantes have been brought to a close by a government crackdown. However, after one of the masked veterans is brutally murdered, an investigation is initiated. The retired superheroes reunite and set out to prevent their own destruction with an extra mission to watch over humanity. In the course of doing so, they unwittingly discover a deeper and far more diabolical plot.

Watchmen is undoubtedly one of the most stylish and the darkest superhero film that I have ever watched. The superheroes are far from perfect; some of them commit crimes, make errors in judgement, fight amongst themselves, and even exact justice to the wrongdoers themselves. They however stand united on saving humanity due to the impending nuclear disaster.

Zack Synder has done a brilliant job in transferring the vision of Watchmen successfully onto the big screen. The cinematography is outstanding, the visual effects are simply awesome and the action sequences are stunning. The running time of the movie stands at approximately 2 hrs 45 min but i was enraptured by the enthralling world of darkness and fear that i didn't really felt its length. The story is definitely engaging and multilayered with themes of vengeance, romance and ultimately optimism for the human race.

This movie also presents a very interesting question to audiences. Will you sacrifice ten people to save a thousand people?

***1/2

Busy

2009-03-10T22:17:00.002+08:00

Been quite busy lately. Busy with FYP, busy with preparing and going for interviews/tests, busy with job applications, busy with booking train tickets for grad trip, busy with everything.

Will only be free in May. Argg.... Hope to be able to secure a job by then.

FYP

2009-03-04T22:42:00.004+08:00

Been rushing to finish my FYP experiments since last week and will be rushing the report for the next 2 months. My weekends will now be dedicated to FYP and projects. Mr LYS who has more than 80 pages in his report keeps rubbin' it in by saying that he is slack and needs to improve his report. Going to scream at him the next time he says something like that. Seriously irritating. Ha...

My grad trip is finalized. Will be going to Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, Rothenburg, Innsbruck, Salzburg, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Zadar, Split, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Vienna, Budapest. Can't wait to go for holidays again.

Foreign Friends in Singapore

2009-03-01T18:51:00.004+08:00

A simple bus journey from Milan train station to Bergamo airport created a friendship between Janan and Heinz, and myself, Janan and Derrick stayed at his house in a neighbourhood near Heidelberg in Germany for a night last year while touring Europe.

Heinz and his wife had a day of stopover in Singapore yesterday and Janan and I brought them to some nice places in Singapore. They were quite jetlagged and climate affected due to the time zone difference and the sudden jump in temperature from around 0 degrees celcius to a hot 30 degrees celcius here. I can understand their temperature woes coz i was complaining how hot Singapore is for 1 whole week after i got back here from Europe.

Anyway, Janan had planned their 1 day itinerary and i was the driver of the day. We fetched them from the airport and unloaded their luggages at my house where they were going to stay for the night. Their first stop was Bukit Timah nature reserve.

Hindhede Quarry

View of the quarry in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve

They had a breather back at my place after sweating it out climbing half the hill. We had lunch at a hawker centre in Toa Payoh and proceeded to Little India next. We visited the Sri Veeramakaliamman temple and Mustafa Centre.

Janan and Heinz at Sri Veeramakaliamman temple

Intricate and colourful statues on the temple roof

Heinz and I in front of the main door

A closer look at the door with many bells

Walking around in the older parts of Singapore

We had dinner at Mellben Seafood to eat the famous Mellben Crab Bee Hoon and they enjoyed the meal quite a lot.

Dinner

We then proceeded to Esplanade and City Hall area to let them admire the city nights in Singapore.

Outside Esplanade

Heinz loved this shot I took (and some others below) :)

Esplanade, Singapore Flyer and Singapore River

With Merlion and the skyline of Singapore

Merlion in closer view

Parliament House

St Andrew's Cathedral

The couple enjoyed the night stroll in the city area and were impressed with the cleanliness and the night view. We ended the tour and headed back at 9 pm.

We woke up early the next day to fetch them to the airport.

Farewell group photo

Hope to visit them in Davao in the future.

Food for thought

2009-03-01T18:47:00.003+08:00

Inflexibility breeds frustration
Frustration breeds anger

Some people can be very stubborn and fixated in their 'morals' when they can just be more understanding about others and not be so focused on what is wrong and what is right. All people are imperfect, no one is perfect and instead of focusing on the negative sides of people, be more tolerant and not let anger take control of the emotions.

Overconfidence breeds errors in judgement

Yes, some people can are indeed clever. But clever people can also make mistakes. Sometimes, a bit of humility can help them by thinking that they are not always right.

Let The Right One In

2009-02-27T02:01:00.003+08:00

Watched Let The Right One In after school on wed with Stephen. The review and synopsis are as follows.

Let The Right One In is not really a horror show and is actually a vampire love story. Don't mistake this movie with Twilight because the two movies are miles apart. Oskar is a 12-year-old outcast who is frequently picked on by his classmates. He dreams of getting his revenge, but he never stands up to the boys. With the arrival of his new next-door neighbor, 12-year-old Eli, Oskar may finally have found a friend, ally, and first love. But Eli is no ordinary girl: she must keep her pale skin out of the sunlight, she can perform inhuman physical feats, and she has a thirst for blood. The bodies begin to pile up, but Oskar can't stay away from the girl who has finally given him courage.

The plot might sound a little ludicrous to some people but the storytelling is very matured and the movie never shies away from the dark themes. Mortality, love, vengeance and loneliness are the main themes of this movie and the director does quite a good job with them. The character development is great and the romance is well crafted as well. This movie is a poignant, unsettling and haunting story that will make you wonder the boundaries of love.

***1/2