a la piscine

what good my spanish classes have done me! i could only think of the word for swimming pool in French. but since these two languages are somewhat similar i guess i'm on the right track....

anyway it was a nice hot day, as i was hoping it would be! and so i mosied on down to the buona vista pool (after first getting stuck in traffice at farrer road) and had a nice bit of a swim.

until that is, this whole group of guys came along.

and when i saw a group i meant like a troop. a horde. of ... i dunno ... ns guys?

and they just took up one whole section at the end. meaning that i couldn't swim a proper lap. so i decided to heck with it and swam the breadth instead.

but swimming the breadth really doesn't feel like exercising really....

christmas time is here again

amazing really. christmas came without warning. the end of 2003 is nigh.

but really, merry christmas to one and all.

the storm clouds are a-brewing at the mo tho

and yep i got some more loot (buying christmas pressies for meself this year)
here's what i bought:
School Of Rock OST
Singles OST (to replace my lousy ole tape)
Beth Gibbons and Rustin Man - Out Of Season
Stereophonics - Performances and Cocktails

yeh i think i went a little overboard on tuesday.

loot

ooh got some good stuff today!
Damien Rice's O
Aqualung's Aqualung
The Beautiful Girls' Learn Yourself
Dido's Life For Rent
Longview's Mercury
The Strokes' Room On Fire
~
*happy*

estoy enferma

hmmm i had hoped this sore-throat-that-looked-like-it-was-turning-into-a-cough-and-then-not thing had gone away.

and then while watching Infernal Affairs 3 just now, i started sneezing and when i got home, i began sneezing non-stop for a while! the weather is not helping. it's a little cold-ish for singapore, having rained all of yesterday and a little of today.

honestly the sneezing didn't do much to my viewing of the movie. i was flat out BORED.

and confused initially cos Infernal Affairs was shown last year (i think) and i didn't remember much about it except that it was like watching an MTV cos it was damn slick.

so they jump u right into the movie but cut to ____ days before Yan's death. ___ days after his death. and stuff like that. there was way too much flashbacks and flashforwards that i got seriously lost.

and it was terribly boring and it had Kelly Chen in it for the longest time.

i mean that girl seriously cannot act and she also needs an image consultant. (look at those eyebrows man!)

good buys

forgot to mention that i headed to work real early on monday just to visit the Life! annual sale! The money goes in aid of the School Pocket Money Fund so my $34 was wisely spent. hahaha....

here's what i got: Counting Crows' Hard Candy, Nelly Furtado's Whoa Nelly, Corinne May's Fly Away and Foo Fighters' One By One.

Also Ethan Canin's Carry Me Across The Water, Paul Auster's The Book Of Illusions and some kinda weird book that i can't remember the name of, let alone why i bought it.

and all for 34 bucks! no too shabby there.

i'm listening to Whoa Nelly and i must say that's a great buy. She surprises me, although i've heard some of her radio hits like I'm Like A Bird and On The Radio.

She's not your average pop princess and i'm sure she would hate that title. She's got a pretty nasal voice but her songwriting talent sure makes up for that.

As for Hard Candy, I've no idea why I bought it really cos I just got the Best Of last week! must have been the low low price that drove me to get it.... i am such a sucker for bargains.....

would also like to add that i love the Blackeyed Peas' Elephunk!

I bought it.... well technically i bought it as a christmas present for my cousin but being me i had to open up the packaging and somehow it slipped into my computer and a copy got burned.

This album of course has Where Is The Love? (nominated for Song Of The Year grammy award) and Hey mama which sounds very sean paul and is indeed the iPod ad song.

but the rest of the album is a whole lot of fun too. good buy this one. altho of course not really my buy....

rock on!

man am i glad i decided to go to work yesterday. i had been battling a sore throat and i thought, hey good excuse not to go to work yeah? But that would mean my colleague would be on her own and i hate doing that to people.

So i turned up at work and in my inbox find a preview invite to School Of Rock, the movie I've been dying to see! I'd already missed the previous 2 screenings so I was doubly glad to see this email!

School Of Rock's the latest Jack Black movie. His name might not sound familiar to some but he did a great turn in High Fidelity as the foul-mouthed record store clerk, as Shallow Hal, as the wasted loser brother in Orange County. Well that's all i can think of for now...

He's a loser guitarist with a penchant for 20 minute solos and stage-diving. But his band wants him out and his roommate wants the rent.

So he pretends to be his roommate Ned (played by screenwriter Mike White) and takes on a substitute teaching job at an elite prep school running by the stiff principal (Joan Cusack)

he's in it for the money really but finds out that his students are some pretty darn good musicians. So he gives them a school project -- to form a rock band.

It's a great movie even for non-music fans. Just watching Black kick out the jams onstage is worth the $8.50!

and my first thought after watching the movie was - hmmm gotta go that soundtrack!!

first will see if i can get it off someone for free....ha

(this by the way is not my official review. i'm still cracking my brain over that one. how to write something that's not terribly gushy.... man i hate when i love a movie that i'm to review. it's so easy to slime something....)

sleepless in singapore

yea i've had a rough night. got home from work at 1220 or so, took a quick shower and settled down to work on my piece. i won't say more about the piece at the mo cos i dont want to jinx it. but i was having such a TERRIBLE time writing it.

i'd been thinking about it during the 9 hours or so of work. while subbing a story i'd get an idea and jot it down on a piece of paper. well that's not really true, i can't sit at a computer/table to write stuff. i somehow always write better when in motion -- bus rides are very good and so are walks. but not swims. it's very interesting how my mind totally blanks out in a swimming pool -- must be the chlorine.

so i threw in a sentence here and there. adding bits and pieces to the story. but it just didn't seem right. i had some sort of writer's block.

kenneth was kind enough to deliver supper. mmm fries and coke. those fish dippers thing were getting a little soggy though!!

i tried working on the sofa in the living room, on my bed and on the computer. nothing really seemed to work. my piece was only halfway through and it was already 3am.

i decided that was it. i'd write something, no matter how bad it was and try to reach the 700 word minimum. 700 seems like a terribly short piece. it is but i was seriously at a loss at how to fill those 700 spaces.

so i finally went to sleep at 4.

then i woke at 8.

as in eyes wide open awake.

amazing.

and got back down to work again. the supper did manage to sustain me until now (930am) but my stomach is beginning to grumble a little. a nice milo should do the trick.

but i am done with it. i wouldn't say it's perfect but i'm pretty satisfied. plus i just want to stop thinking about it and forward it already. But i'm so worried that i'll suddenly get some sort of divine inspiration.

just forward it already! the early bird catches the worm doesn't it?

yes it does.

ok here goes.

wish me luck.

sobered

i just learnt that another guy from hcjc passed away last month. i didn't know him but i knew of him. i must have seen it in the papers as he died in a motorbike accident but his name didn't register at all.

another shameless plug

yep doing it again.

this time it ain't a review/preview but rather a list of the best and worst movies of 2003. (sort of)

here's an example:


* The 'What Were They Thinking?' Award: Brad Pitt voices Sinbad in the animated movie, Sinbad
Why would anyone pay to LISTEN to Brad Pitt?

new cds

finally laid my hands on Pearl Jam's newest album. Well technically Riot Act is still their newest as Lost Dogs are a collection of Bsides and other rarities, including almost every fan's fave Yellow Ledbetter. The first CD is a more upbeat rocking collection, which includes surf hit Gremmie Out Of Control, Jack Irons' Whale Song and Stone Gossard singing his Don't Gimme No Lip.

The second CD, which I haven't finished listening to yet - I like to take it slow, listen to it in bits and pieces - sounds more retrospective although I noticed that track no 12 is DIrty Frank which is a crazed drunken-ass type song so maybe not as retrospective as I thought.

What I also like about the CD is that the band adds little notes about the songs. Like Mike McCready saying what he likes about a Vedder song etc. Pretty damn cool.

Yes I'm a big fan. Have always been. Omigod. it's been almost 10 years since their concert here in Singapore (which is of course the best concert I've ever been to - unless I get to see them again that is) at the Indoor Stadium. It was seriously too cool. Mudhoney opened for them and I remember they started with Black, in total darkness. It was crazy in the beginning, with chairs being passed over head, turning the expensive seats (i was in the 6th row!!!) into a mosh pit of sorts. Man I would like to relive that night.

digital bears

ha realised i didn't get a chance to post my thursday outing to the gala premiere of Brother Bear here.

First time i attended a gala premiere so pretty exciting! (haha so sua ku i know)

It was held at the Eng Wah cinemas at Suntec. And the whole complex was for the premiere. So that was pretty cool. There was a mini reception with free drinks and some finger food but we kinda arrived a little too late and were only able to grab a drink. Some weird apple juice thing.

The movie was the usual Disney crap really. Very Lion King - instead of lions, it's bears this time around. a couple of hilarious moments with some moose with dreadful Canadian accents (ie full of Ays) but other than that a regular bore, even more so if you'd seen Finding Nemo. Two thumbs down really.

But what I did like was its crisp, crystal clear quality!!! It was in digital format and truely excellent.

Ah yes, there was also a goodie bag- mouse pad, snacks (cereal and prunes - how terribly good for the bowels!!!), some foot cream (?) and some brother Bear merchandise (unfortunately comprising tissue paper and weird candle things)

but it was fun.

argh

i have lost my post on my bangkok trip! bloody hell....

i am not going to write it out again so here's the gist: 3 nights in bangkok, nice 5-star hotel along the chao praya. did the usual MBK, siam square, chatuchak. bought some stuff but not the shopaholic-crazy-buynewbagcosnomore space- type of shopping. ate some pretty good food. (and finally that great crispy pancake with coconut dessert!) danced at a patpong bar with decent live music (yes....patpong bar, not too enticing but this wasn't too bad). had drinks on the rooftop bar at the Banyan Tree Hotel (on the 60th floor - gorgeous view of bangkok!) all in all had fun, didn't spend too much money, didn't want to go back to singapore and work.

jingling his way across the north pole

WILL Ferrell spends much of the movie dancing and prancing his way through New York City dressed as an elf, with a perpetual idiotic grin on his face.

With his previous antics in Old School (including a drunken midnight run in the nude) and Zoolander, you expect manic chaos to erupt anytime. But not in this movie. Because Elf is all about good, clean, yuletide fun.


Buddy the elf is a little different from the other elves at the North Pole. For one, he's more than 1.8m tall.

The elves haven't been conducting weird genetic experiments on themselves. Buddy's simply a human adopted by the elves after he crawled into Santa's sack 30 years ago.

But Buddy, despite his Gulliver-in-Lilliput stature and his lone baritone voice in the choir, doesn't realise he isn't an elf.

When he finally learns the truth, he decides to head south to the 'magical city' of New York to find his real father.

Buddy's even more of a misfit in Manhattan than at the North Pole. Escalators and elevators confound and fascinate him, he waves at people hailing taxis and gobbles discarded gum, ignoring Santa's warning that it's not 'free candy'.

He finally meets his dad, children's book publisher Walter Hogg (played by a crabby James Caan), who, as Santa warns, is on 'the naughty list'.

After a DNA test, Buddy moves in with his new family, creating havoc in the Hogg household and office. He also becomes smitten with a department store 'elf', Jovie (Zooey Deschanel), after being mistaken for a store employee.

But will he be able to find any Christmas spirit in the jaded Big Apple?

(This being a happy G-rated Christmas tale, we all know the answer to that question, don't we?)

Ferrell toes the line with his wide-eyed, stranger-in-a-strange-land role, but never pushes it too far. Buddy comes across as sweet and somewhat endearing, rather than a big creep.

Jon Favreau, better known as an actor (Serendipity) and a writer (Swingers), takes a crack at directing and makes a Christmas movie that the whole family can enjoy.

Elf is no Bad Santa. The gags are clean, with only one burping scene (one!) and no naughty words. Yet it's not too squeaky Disney-clean that one cringes throughout the two hours.

Favreau also doesn't overload on the Christmas theme, unlike previous candy-coated festive films like The Santa Clause. His sets are kept simple, minimalist even. The production team stayed away from the big-budget CGI and created a classic look with muted backgrounds which bring out Buddy's bright costume.

Favreau also coaxes great performances from his cast. He leaves Ferrell with enough room to explore his 'elfness' and lets Deschanel show off her gorgeous singing voice with a rendition of Baby, It's Cold Outside. Edward Asner, an old hand at Christmas movies, plays Santa in a less-than-conventional manner -- slightly weary and wondering if he's getting too old for the job.

Ferrell describes Elf as 'a battle against cynicism. Things have gotten away from what the true spirit of the holidays are'.

But don't worry too much about the underlying message, just sit back and let the laughs roll forth.

Heck, it's fun just to watch Will Ferrell prance around in yellow tights.

drowning out the voices

i would like to not care about the news for a while. i'm tired of having bbc/cnn/cna at my back all day, all night. i wish the wires would stop churning out news for once and leave everything as it is. why must do much happen in the world everyday?

heaven or hell? can't tell

went with lena to Max Brenner's Chocolate Bar at the Esplanade yesterday. Man was the Esplanade packed! people were just milling about, doing god know's what really.

The Esplanade seems to be the newest family destination which is a terrible pity cos it would be tons nicer there without all those bratty kids running around.

Especially in the library. I mean, hell there's not even a kids' section in the esplanade library so why the hell are all those kids there??? pisses me off!

i kinda like the chocolate bar. it was nice and empty when we sat down at 3pm. i ordered a venezuelan dark hot chocolate and she had a traditional italian. They both came in 'hug mugs' where the mugs are meant to be held with two hands as there isn't a handle and it's shaped like a teardrop.

I really liked my hot chocolate. It was chocolatey but not too sweet, which léna's was (to the point that she had to add some water to dilute it)

but it all went downhill from 430 onwards when it started getting crowded. The staff of 4 started looking all harrassed and we had to wait ages to get the bill. That's not the worst part. One of the staff leans over to us and said $11.10. So we got out the money and then another staff member finally presented the bill which said $10.45. I know the difference is only a few cents but it just doesn't reflect well on the customer!

What I didn't like was there didn't seem to be a manager or some kind of senior staff around. Max Brenner has some kind of reputation. and altho this is the first outlet in singapore, surely better service shld be provided.

service in singapore just plain sucks. that's all.

overediting

ha after watching Master and Commander did i learn (from The Guardian) that the book the film was based on was a little different. Well the differences are actually quite significant. Here's the excerpt from Justine Elias' article:

Master and Commander: the Far Side of the World
In Patrick O'Brian's novel of British naval heroics, the year is 1812 and the enemy ship is American. For the movie, Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) commands his ship in 1805, and he's after a French vessel - because US audiences a) didn't realise there was an American Navy back then; b) think Mel Gibson won the American Revolution at the end of The Patriot; and c) hate everything French.

psst .... wanna buy me a christmas present?

yes i have decided to advertise my wishlist here. just for fun really.

here's what I am currently coveting:
- apple's iPod or if strapped for cash Creative's nomad zen will do.
- a new phone. considering samsung v200, motorola e380 or the nokia 7250i
- CDs: Damien Rice's O, Temple Of The Dog's, Temple Of the Dog, The Flaming Lips' Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots ah don't need this one anymore! just picked it up meself on dec 8! (was also tempted to buy the Temple Of The Dog one but it was 26.90!!!)
- DVDs: Road To Perdition, LOTR: The TWo Towers, Nightmare Before Christmas, Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back
- Books: Seabiscuit (Laura Hillenbrand), Scorsese On Scorsese, a year's subscription to the following: Vanity Fair, Empire

don't think that's all! i am merely collecting my thoughts here....hahaha.

movie marathon

well sort of.

but this has got to be a new record for me - three movie previews in three straight days!

It all started on Tuesday, when i skipped Spanish class (sorry Colin!) to watch MASTER & COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD, starring Maximus himself, Russell Crowe.

Now I am no fan of Russell Crowe, don't like the way he seems to carry himself around in real life but this man is a pretty darn good actor.

Although some might say he's doing a reprise of his Gladiator role, he took command of the film from start to finish. It was all him. Although the ship's doctor, played by Paul Bettany, might have stolen some hearts as well, with his compassion and kind soul.

This ship movie is no Pirates Of The Caribbean, you feel as if you're in the same boat as the almost 200 men. You can almost smell the stench of sweaty bodies packed together. It's a little gross but that's how it was then.

I think director Peter Weir did a beautiful job and I definitely enjoyed the fight scenes. Nothing too gory.

CRAZY FIRST LOVE.

Movie number two. This was on Wednesday at the Shaw Preview Theatrette, which I never knew existed until today. Essentially it's in Shaw Centre, on the 13th floor. Seats about 50 people. Leather seats I might add! Mostly used for media previews and perhaps private functions.

Crazy First Love is a Korean romantic comedy, similar to My Sassy Girl. The main actor is the same as My Sassy Girl and the actress previously seen in The Classic.

Since it's a shortie, lemme post my review:

MOST people fondly remember their first love. In Tae Il's case, he's still very much in love with Il Mae. But her father won't let him have her.


The two have been best friends ever since Tae Il's mother breastfed Il Mae after her mother died. Her father bestows her to Tae Il, who first has to achieve certain conditions which include getting into university, and passing the judicial exams.

It's all part of a plan really, to head Tae back into the right path and away from his truant, vagrant ways. But the plan pushes the two of them apart when Il Mae becomes bored with her new, straitlaced beau.

Cha Tae Hyun plays the same role as he did in the hit film, My Sassy Girl -- the lovelorn fool. He's dorky, awkward and hardly the catch of the day, but will do anything for his girl.

But he's good at playing the fool and it's entertaining to watch his antics.

However, Mae (The Classic's Son Ye Jin) is hardly the 'Sassy Girl' that Jeon Ji Hyun was.

While Jeon was spunky and a great foil to Cha's dorky character, Son seems to be apt in the ways of wide-eyed looks and little else.

Crazy First Love is, unfortunately, a very obvious rehashing of the My Sassy Girl formula. But unlike My Sassy Girl, it fails to charm.

And third, ELF

Starring SNL's Will Ferrell, who was previously seen in Old School, Elf is well, a Christmas movie. It's pretty fun to watch, with very clean gags, so all in all a family film.

It turned out to be more entertaining than I expected and not as slapstick as I feared it might be. The charmer in this film was Zooey Deschanel, whom I last saw in Almost Famous (the boy's sister). She has the most amazing singing voice! And her song even appears on the soundtrack (Baby It's Cold Outside).

Ok I admit that the movie borders a little on the sweet side here and there (as in sickly sweet) but it doesnt go as far as the Disney saccharine sweetness that sometimes makes you want to run out and hurl. So I thought it wasn't too bad.

BUt for a Christmassy movie, Love Actually (also pretty sickly sweet at times) would be a better bet.

And that's your neighbourhood movie reviewer signing off for now. but i will be back next week with my official review of ELF and also the review of BROTHER BEAR (DAmn! another Disney cartoon - when will they ever give up???)

i am not the one

You are Morpheus, from "The Matrix." You
have strong faith in yourself and those around
you. A true leader, you are relentless in your
persuit.


What Matrix Persona Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

new addition

visited my dad's cousin today. she just gave birth a week ago to a beautiful baby girl. The darling thing was so alert and curious and, as everyone remarked, seemed as if she were a few months old. But nope she's only 8 days old! I wish i had brought along a camera as she's such a pretty baby. I was wondering though, what type of relation do we have? I'm always confused by this second cousin thing. what exactly does that mean? She is my dad's cousin's daughter. So what does that make her?

anyway, the family's renting an apartment at Mandarin Gardens (around the East Coast area). It is a little small (2 bedrooms) but has a gorgeous view of the sea. I know Singapore's sea isn't much to look at but to be able to look out and not see someone else's room, that would be so ideal! And what I liked about that estate is that it's an old-ish estate which means, plenty of space. I mean, have you seen all those new condos? the blocks are SO close to each other!

Here's what else we did: had lunch at eastern and northern chinese cuisine (that's what i think it's called - essentially Dongbei) so we had the usual - xiaolongbao, wuotie, noodles and lots of other dumplings and what they called 'Chinese pizza'.

This restaurant has become pretty famous recently. Not because of the food (which wasn't too bad although i still prefer Lao Beijing!) but because of the owners and their daughter Zhang Manlu who represented Singapore in the recent Elite Model Look competition (which was held here). She didn't win (the top three winners were naturally Caucasians) but she did clinch a modelling contract and apparently the whole family is going to move to New York. While I can''t say that Zhang is pretty she has a certain look and her height is definitely to her advantage (definitely hereditary - her father, who was at the restaurant, is so tall! former basketball player i think)

Anyway, besides doing a lot of eating, also saw the French movie Fanfan La Tulipe.
It was a hilarious farce really - done in the way only the French can! I have to admit I always did like Vincent Perez, ever since I watched him in La Reine Margot with Isabelle Adjani (who is also starring in a new French film Bon Voyage). This time Perez is acting alongside Penelope Cruz, who attempts to speak convincingly in French. My French is tres mauvais (not even sure if tt is right!) but she seemed to do an ok job. Definitely much better than anything Bai Ling massacred in Taxi 3.

It was an entertaining fun, light, movie.

Something I believe Master And Commander (yes, Russell Crowe does it again) Which i will be previewing on Tuesday probably won't be. But I will be looking forward to a good battle on the high seas.

Ahoy there!

loved it actually

shameless post really: here's my review of the movie Love Actually. hey it's my bloody blog....

LOVE Is A Many Splendored Thing. All You Need Is Love. Love Is All Around.

Aren't love songs just beautiful? Magical even? Or they could be just be full of crap really - depending on one's mood.


And that's what the movie, Love Actually, is like - a hodgepodge of stories about love: beautiful shiny love, puppy love, lust, parental love, unrequited love, true love and not-so-true love.

So this film can either be a captivating, fun ride or a bumpy one in which you need to stagger out of and be sick.

The new bachelor Prime Minister, played disarmingly by none other than the king of maladroit Brits, Hugh Grant, falls for a member of his staff (EastEnders' Martine McCutcheon).

His sister Karen (Emma Thompson) is a wound-down wife and mother whose husband Harry (Alan Rickman) is starting to stray.

Her recently widowed friend Daniel (Liam Neeson) tries to connect with a stepson he hardly knows.

The boy, in turn, hopes to win the heart of the most popular girl at school.

A lovelorn American (Laura Linney) finally acts on a long, unspoken office crush but there is a major obstacle in the way.

A writer (Colin Firth) heads to France to nurse his broken heart and finds himself falling for his Portuguese cleaning lady.

A delivery boy/waiter risks everything on a trip to the US, where, he is convinced, all the hot American girls will lap up his British accent. ('I'm Colin, the God of Sex. I'm just on the wrong continent, that's all.')

Ageing rock star Bill Macky (Bill Nighy) makes a last, desperate stab at a Christmas remake of the song, Love Is All Around - titled, imaginatively enough, Christmas Is All Around.

There is one more love story which Singapore audiences will not get to see - a couple of porn star stand-ins who become interested in each other for real. (The movie has been given a PG rating in Singapore, so nothing risque please!)

This is one busy busy movie, with plenty of characters and many stories going back and forth such that, after a while, it feels like you're watching TV and switching channels. And like channel surfing, some stories catch your attention and some don't.

But there are some enticing little nuggets that pull the movie out of mediocrity.

The Prime Minister is cajoled by three little girls into singing Christmas carols outside their house.

Rowan Atkinson (of Mr Bean fame) turns up as a jewellery salesman with a passion for gift wrapping. The Singapore audience, long conditioned to associate him with anything funny, spontaneously bursts into laughter the moment he steps into the movie.

But the real scene-stealer is Nighy, who threatens to take the limelight away from the more established stars with his randy old rocker hijinks and his crappy Christmas song.

The movie is Richard Curtis' directorial debut. He also wrote the screenplay. Incidentally, he was also the hand behind the scripts for Four Weddings and Funeral and Notting Hill - both successful in the box office.

And he seems to have written himself into a corner with the myriad of characters and stories that have to be squeezed into a mere two hours and also make sense. Although he does a decent job for most of the movie, the resolution of some of the relationships leaves the audience wanting more. The story of the straying husband, for example, is left hanging, as if something crucial was edited out due to time constraints.

However, truth be told, it is hard to go wrong with this star-studded cast.

But you might leave the cinema wondering if Hugh Grant (who looks to be Curtis' favourite lead, having starred in both Four Weddings And A Funeral and Notting Hill) will ever venture out of the romantic comedy genre. After all, how many more fumbling idiots are there left to play?

Unless Curtis keeps churning these 'Made-for-Hugh' roles out, that is.

movie update

It's been a while since I've paid to see a movie. The last one was... The Swimming Pool. So ok, maybe not that much of a while.

This time, my $8.50 went to Identity, the John Cusack/Amanda Peet/Ray Liotta movie about 10 travellers stranded at a deserted motel on a rainy day.

I think the movie worked and it made me and my movie-watching pals talk about it after, which to me is usually a mark of a pretty darn good movie. Unless of course the talk is like 'why the hell did I fork out $8.50 for that show???'

Here's the basic premise: With all roads washed out and all forms of communication dead, a group of people become stranded at the motel along with the shifty manager (John Hawkes). Among the stranded are Ed (John Cusack), a former cop turned limo driver; Caroline (Rebecca De Mornay), a self-absorbed actress; Paris (Amanda Peet), a prostitute attempting to escape her profession; Rhodes (Ray Liotta), a cop transporting a prisoner (Jake Busey); Lou (William Lee Scott) and Ginny (Clea DuVall), bickering newlyweds; and George (John McGinley) and Alice (Leila Kenzle), a married couple travelling with their young son.

But a killer is on the loose and the bodies start piling up.

That's all I would like to say about the story as revealing anymore kinda would spoil it all actually. And the show did have an interesting twist. And one that makes you actually have to think a little.

As a thriller goes, it was a fun watch, to guess who'll be next and who the crazed killer is. And of course to get a little nervous and creeped-out knowing the killer is lurking around.

But the most important thing is that it is not only just about creeping the audience out. That very interesting twist about 2/3s into the show does a complete turnaround.

Identity is directed by James Mangold (Girl, Interrupted and Kate And Leopold) and he does a great job at splicing the stories of how the travellers end up in the motel. I thought a little similar to some bits in Guy Ritchie's Snatch but totally different at the same time.

I would have to put this movie as one of the better films I've seen this year. And it's not just because I like John Cusack but because it really did work.

Oh yes, another movie I did see was Rugrats Go Wild. A combination of the Nickleodeon staples The Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys.

This is by the way the third Rugrats movie and the second Wild Thornberrys movie but it's all Rugrats, down to the very corny songs. I did see The Wild Thornberrys Movie last year. Unimaginative title aside, it was a pretty decent show. Rugrats Go Wild was my first encounter with the Rugrats on the big screen and I was often tempted to run out of the theatre and dull my senses with some alcohol.

been matrixed yet?

i can't help it.

it's just gotta be put up. altho i'm sure many pp have already seen it already.

Matrix Leloa-led

call me

been bluejacked lately?

tengo sueno

I'm tired. very.

i'm sure you understand. it's a saturday night. 825 pm to be exact. and here i am. at work. well not technically at work as i am making a blog entry right now.

but i am at the office and i am supposed to be working.

is this what my life has become? the world of work and nothing else? these few days it's seriously starting to feel that way.

the pm shift is taking its toll on me.

i feel suffocated and i just want to break a window open and jump out. before you take that too literally, i just mean that i want to be out in the fresh air. i'm sick of all this airconditioned air. it's very stifling.

(big sigh.....)

i want to get out of here.

this is a good time to sing a song:
help me if you can i'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being round.
Help me, get my feet back on the ground,
Won't you please, please help me.

sad? really?

SKAL

Ahh.....

There's something very clean about Scandinavian food -- well the little of it that i've tried i mean.

It reminds me very much of Japanese food -- and I'm not the only one who thinks so!

Recently featured in the New York Times Magazine, Ethiopian-born Swedish chef MARCUS SAMUELSSON will be opening a Japanese restaurant in NYC soon.

Here's what he said to this question: "Is there anything the slightest bit similar about Japanese and Swedish cuisines?"

Aesthetically, for sure. You have clean lines, minimalist. Also, the way we eat fish. Swedish people eat several different pickled herrings. Japanese several different sushis. And we compare them -- how's this pickled versus that pickled?


I guess it is true. Both cuisines involve a lot of fish. Although consumed in very different ways.

Anyway, I am getting to my point and that is the new-ish Scandinavian restaurant at Wheelock Place called SKAL. I have no idea what that means so don't ask.

It opened.... a couple of months ago, is my guess. Taking the place of that organic cafe opposite Olio Dome.

They don't have a very extensive menu and there are the usual Scandinavian suspects like Swedish meatballs and gravlax.

Their set lunch and dinner are pretty good value for money. For $12.90 (lunch) you get a two course meal with coffee/tea. Not sure how much the dinner costs but I believe you get a dessert (but some of the main courses are the same for both)

Here's what I had: A herring cocktail to start and panfried salmon for the main.

And I must say, it was the best salmon (not counting sashimi of course) i've had for a while. It was nicely done, still, well, juicy. Juicy's not exactly the right word cos it sounds like í had steak but the salmon wasn't dry so juicy is the opposite of dry... sort of.

Anyway, the salmon rested on a bed of cabbage and sliced apples. And some new potatoes, just boiled, were scattered around. Not a colouful sight, as you can imagine but I did like the combination of apples and cabbages. It was quite tasty, the apples adding a nice sweet touch.

Going back to the starter, the herring was quite nice, but then again I do love smoked fish. It was more like a herring potato salad thing with some sort of a mayonaise-ish dressing. Placed in a martini glass.

My dining companion started off with the gravlax, which an article on FoodTV Canada explains as Gravlax is a special kind of preparation that uses a salt/sugar cure and aromatics to both preserve and flavour fresh uncooked salmon. The cure penetrates and removes a great deal of moisture from the fish, and introduces just enough salt to effectively "cook" it.

The result is "cure-cooked" fish with a firm texture and a delicate and delicious flavour. It is quite a bit milder than smoked salmon.

But a quick taste of the gravlax told me that it was a little too salty for me.

I had to say the same for the steak (also part of the set lunch menu). It came with some root vegetables (ie carrots and potatoes) and a brown gravy. not terribly inspiring and I'm not a fan of a flat piece of steak.

(my idea of a good steak, in case you are interested, is a juicy thick piece of ribeye -- medium please. And the best ribeye steak I ever had was at Morton's. But that's a place I'll probably never go to again -- because of the price. sigh...)

All in all, it was a good lunch. And a nice alternative to the mad crowd at Ikea for sure. I'd like to go back again. Maybe try their meatballs or that interesting platter of open-faced sandwiches. Smoked fish and bread? Mmmm I'm there!

On another note, I visited the newest branch of the Baker's Inn chain at Paragon.
It was the usual, service wasn't very good, cakes were good. But I definitely hated the location. Itwas one of those in the middle of the shopping corridor types, if you know what I mean. Half of the seating was inside, with some fascinating Philippe Starck-like plastic chairs and fuschia! (fuschia!). The other half was outside (but not outdoors I hasten to add!) and people wandering the shops of Paragon would walk past us. Making for interesting fodder for people-watching, although everyone who ventured past seemed mostly to be boring families with bratty kids.

I think I prefer the Plaza Sing branch but haven't dared to head that way ever since Carrefour, Best and all those other big boys opened up there.

mucha gracias

I've been blogging for a while now and it still amazes me that people enjoy reading blogs.

i dunno about other people's blogs, but on my blog, i just post a whole lot of crap that i am currently thinking about or obsessing about at the mo (like the flaming lips - yeah!!) and people still read my posts! i am amazed really. of course not like i have a big audience, if i were to be ranked among say the bloggers of singapore (which are a pretty decent number for a small island, i think) 'my hits would probably at the bottom few.

so anyway, after all the rambling i have finally gotten to the point.

I want to say a big thank you for reading. And a bigger thank you for all those who bother to post a comment! I truly appreciate it!!

eyes wide shut

my two trial daily disposable lenses rest in a nest of tissue paper on my desk, reminding me of the 10 or so minutes i spent trying to remove them from my eyes.

Yup. My first try at wearing soft lenses. Not too good ay.

I've always been a RGP (rigid gas permeable) or hard lens user. Ever since Sec 2 i think. Might surprise some cos my degree is pretty low. (I've been wearng glasses since Pri 6 and my degree is 175/150 with astig of 100)

Yeah alright, I'm a vainpot. I never liked to wear specs. But these days I always wear them.

I think it all started during the 6month internship. I'd never spent hours in front of a computer before but with the internship at SCV, doing video editing, I had no choice really.

And that was when my contact lenses, perfectly fine until then, started becoming real uncomfortable.

Mostly because when you stare a computer screen, you blink less and in an airconditioned environment, your eyes get real dry. So it didn't work out. I wore specs a lot. But school began and the contacts beckoned.

Now, working here and staring at two computer screens (one a mac, the other a pc) for what... 8 hours a day, it's the same deal. So my specs never leave me. I don't wear them all the time but I always make sure I bring them.

I decided though that I'd like to get some lenses, for weekend use maybe. (yes vainpot again). So I've got a few trial pairs. acuvue toric ones. and will see how it goes. hopefully the next day i put them on (tomorrow maybe?) taking it off won't be such a problem.

I know some people think that puttig them on is much worse but not in my case. I've never had problems with putting contacts in or putting eye drops and stuff. But taking them out?? OUCH!!! The thought of 'pinching' the lens from my eye kinda freaks me out a little. sigh....

best bands

Whoo hoo! The Flaming Lips have topped The Guardian's list of The 40 Greatest US bands today!

This is why:
"1. The Flaming Lips
There is something cheering about the Flaming Lips, who are hitting their artistic and commercial peak 20 years after their debut album. But it is not just their long career that makes the Oklahoma trio unique. Their most recent albums, The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, have made them possibly the most experimental band ever to reach the Radio 2 playlist. Their warm and inclusive sound has developed from a feedback-laden din to a kind of compressed Americana: folk rock, Broadway show tunes, hip-hop beats, 1960s pop, Disney singalongs and Detroit techno are brilliantly condensed in an epic, joyful psychedelia. Coyne's cracked, off-key vocals are the final piece in the jigsaw, lending their songs a rare emotional power. He may not always hit the right notes, but he always sounds as if he means every word: no mean feat when you're singing about a robot invasion of earth.
Sound: 19
Songs: 20
Gigs: 20
Style: 16
Attitude: 19
Total: 94 "

Others that made it include the Foo Fighters, Justin Timberlake, Pink, Wilco, Beyonce, Dolly Parton (???), Bruce Springsteen, The Strokes. But Numero Uno still belongs to The Flaming Lips.

The Guardian also (of course) have a list of the top 40 bands in Britain today.

not that fantastic

Much has been said about Whitebait & Kale that Australian-styled restaurant at Camden Medical Centre.

Asiacuisine gave it an overal rating of 88/100 which is pretty good.

But on my visit there I was disappointed.

We started with the whitebait, which according to Charmaine was pretty yummy. But it wasn't crispy enough instead it was chewy. But it still managed to be pretty addictive - -just couldn't stop.

The bread that was deposited in front of us was disappointing. It was a little damp and uninspired. It was at room temperature and didn't really seem too fresh.

I chose the panfried barramundi with cannelli beans and pesto. I really do like the fish but as I found out yesterday, just not panfried. I thought it spoiled the taste of the fish really. Leave the panfried-ing to salmon! (oh then again, just leave the salmon - it's best raw!)

My dining companions (as they like to be known in restaurant reviews) had teh linguini with mud crab and the speciality - the snapper pie.

I didn't try the pasta but here's a word of warning: prepare to get your hands dirty.

The first sign was the nutcracker placed not too discreetly in front of her, and then the large empty bowl ('for the shells'). Last came the finger bowl, which the waiter thoughtfully explained to us as he laid it on the table.

The snapper pie which I did try, wasn't as good as it sounded. It was just an ordinary puff pastry covered broth type thing. Ok that doesn't really explain it too well but I don't like the idea of a fish pie really. Pies should be more.... meaty. Like those delicious Australian beef pies (which you can even find at the Sydney airport!)

The desserts did fare better. We had the bete noir and the white chocolate mousse. Although I'm a chocoholic and a white chocolate hater, I prefered the mousse.

The bete noir is like a moisty chocolate cake (teeny slice though) and it comes with some cinnamon ice-cream, a slice of pear and peach. The fruits seemed a little out of place and cinnamon with chocolate? please.

The mousse came with some berries n had a sour-ish berry sauce thing over it. My friend said it was like something from Jamie Oliver. Yeah it did look like something he'd do. But it was quite a large portion so best to share really.

Price? We spent about 35 each. shared starter, mains and dessert. No drinks although I was tempted by the Kit Kat Martini (one of about 25 varieties I was told).

Service isnt too bad but they could be nicer when trying to clean the table and remove your plate.

oh what a beautiful morning

now that is something you'll seldom hear from me but I was just admiring the serenity, the calmness of Singapore in the wee hours of 5 am.

I was on my way to work in a lousy old bus with a cranky bus driver. But as I stared out of the window in my half-numb state, I realised that I like going to work at this time. It was such a different Singapore then usual. The roads were empty, except for some taxis prowling. The air was cool and breezy. And it was quiet. Peaceful. Words one would hardly use to describe this country most of the time.

But those words work for the morning.

Some peole think it's a little crazy to begin work at 530 AM. Yeah I thought this way too when I first started but I've since changed my mind. It's a gorgeous time to start work, that is provided you are an early riser.

The hard part for me isn't the waking up. Sure I grumble and am pretty cranky at 5. But the problem is getting to sleep, especially when switching over from the night shift.

But unfortunately, I will be heading back to the PM again next week. After only a two-weeker in the AM. On the bright side, I get to sleep in again!

On another note, The Guardian has an award for British blogs. Have a look at the judges' sites! here

obsessed

with the flaming lips (see column at left). must go buy CDs!! must get Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots - i mean how could i resist a title like that?

i just wish i had listened to them earlier - sad.

Ooh cheap music

hahahahaha....

got 2 cds today for six dollars. that's three dollars each.

ok so they're secondhand-ers.

but hey they work fine and they are: Dave Matthews Band's Crash and 10,000 Maniacs MTV unplugged, which i've been meaning to get for ages. (yes i know they have disbanded a long time ago)

my new favourite band - The Flaming Lips! Go to their site and have a listen to their new album Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots. (How could you not love an album titled that?)

Intolerable Cruelty

The Coen Brothers (Joel and Ethan) are in my opinion, the best pair of filmmakers Hollywood has ever seen.

I mean, have you seen The Man Who Wasn't There, The Hudsucker Proxy, Fargo and The Big Lebowski? Those are deliciously dark humorous shows. Unfortunately haven't managed to see the rest of their films but did manage to catch their latest, Intolerable Cruelty, for free of course.

It's a decent movie. I would rate it much higher if it was a movie by someone else actually, if that makes any sense.

But coming from the Coen brothers, i kinda expected more.

Don't get me wrong, it's a great show. It was funny, wickedly funny and you get to see George Clooney play a bit of manic yet still charming divorce attorney. Man is he good!! I'm not a Catherine Zeta-Jones fan but she did a nice turn as the golddigger type.

Geoffrey Rush was a bit wasted in the role, he was only in the first 10-15 min and then disappeared until the end. And so was Billy Bob Thornton, in another supporting role (watch him in The Man Who Wasn't There - brilliant!!)

Might make more comments later but i oughta get back to work.

My rating- 7 out of 10. or a B-. whichever u prefer - numbers, letters, symbols..

new

.... and improved? i hope!

yup the monomania has undergone a change, an update, an improvement?

i think the previous design didn't really work cos it looked like it was had frames but it really didn't so that sidebar was so wrong. This one looks a little cleaner, but i have to admit, i took it off the blogger site so there must be thousands, millions even, looking the same. How sad.

Here's another movie-related site that i thought was really good. Empire's Turkey Dozen (translation: worst films). Read it here

here's a gorgeous example of an excellent movie review of a really terrible show (altho i haven't seen it, i technically shouldn't comment on it. but then again, i wouldn't pay to see it.)

"Ach. Oy. Woe and poo, bleccch and uck! ZZZZZ-zzz."
Washington Post on Gigli.

In the meanwhile, I am so bloody tired. slept at about 1230, woke at 2something with the feeling that it was already 5 something, convinced myself i was just dreaming, slept until 4 and then just couldn't get back to sleep again.

And to top it all, the bus was supposed to pick me up at 505 and it only came at 515. Ten minutes of sleep I could have spent more wisely!

So kinda cranky and zoned out right now. the medium cappucino from spinelli's upstairs (only $3!) wasn't good enough.

how will i get through the rest of the day????

feel incredibly spacey. yet alert enough to check over my shoulder to see if the boss is near!

All caged up

I have a new found respect for Mr Nicolas Cage.

It wasn't just after watching his latest film Matchstick Men, but also becos I saw him on Inside The Actor's Studio, which is always a great show.

I guess i never knew how far his acting career has stretched. I always think of Cage in the post-The Rock/Con-Air era. I've forgotten that he's been in Raising Arizona, Honeymoon in Vegas and of course, Leaving Las Vegas, for which he won an Oscar.

Unfortunately I missed out on Adaptation, and hopefully will get my hands on the DVD soon.

but he is a real versatile actor, although he still doesn't impress me as much as Chris Cooper, whom I think did a fantastic job in Seabiscuit.

What I do respect Mr Cage for is changing his name. Staying away from the name of Coppola which means a helluva lot in Hollywood. Yup Francis Ford Coppola is his uncle and that makes Sofia Coppola his cousin. Apparently he chose the name Cage becos he likes the composer John Cage, whose music he admires for its adventurous feel.

And I have to admit, i like the way he talks, kinda casual, low.

where does the time go?

It's been a busy week at work for me. On top of the usual stuff like copyediting, copytasting, putting up pictures, checking the mainsite and managing my site, I've been working on three preview/reviews (have to call them that as we still use the Lifers reviews) and doing this timeline on Mahathir! (woohoo - everyone's favourite prime minister!)

It is of course for his stepping down this month. Hope i can get it done on time. Might have to go borrow something from the library! And read up on him!!!

Movies this week
I've already mentioned the American Wedding one i saw on Monday.

On Wednesday i caught Seabiscuit, which was a truly amazing show. Of course there were parts that didn't work but I liked it on the whole and that Chris Cooper, he's just amazing!! I really admire his acting and am very glad he won the Oscar for Adaptation altho i didn't get to watch that.

In Seabiscuit he plays the somewhat reclusive horse trainer. Very quiet, reserved, easygoing guy, he somehow comes across the best among the three. (the others are Tobey Maguire as the jockey and Jeff Bridges as the owner)

On the whole a fantastic film. Even if you're NOT into horses or racing and all that, it's a definite must-watch!!

I did get to see Matchstick Men last night. It's the latest from Ridley Scott, if you would believe. Yep the guy who made Gladiator, Hannibal and Black Hawk Down makes a non-action film. It's one of those con job films. NOt as snazzy as Ocean's Eleven but it was pretty good.

Nicolas Cage and Sam Rockwell star as the 'con artistes', as they like to be called. They do small time con -- cheating people out of hundreds of dollars at a time. And decide to go for the big time, which could net them 80Gs.

But then there's the problem of Angela, Cage's new-found daughter.

So he brings her along and teaches her a thing or two.

To not spoil it all, let's just say that the ending is a little convoluted but it works out well in the end.

The person i really liked in the movie was Sam Rockwell. I've never seen him act before, at least I don't think so. He was supposed to have been real good in Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind, which was his big break i believe. Should try to get my hands on that DVD along with a whole slew of other stuff.

Scorsese on Scorsese
After reading this book, I realise there are so many films that I have not seen! And that I should see.

I would go out and get the DVD/VCD. With prices falling it's not too expensive. But what I don't want is to spend money on it, go home and watch it and find out that the censorship board have been a little too eager (as usual) with that trimming shears.

I'd like to say more but this blog's getting too long and I"m getting hungry.

Confession

I have to admit it. I watched American Wedding -- the third installment of the American Pie series (for free i might add) and i liked it!

Can you believe it? I liked it. i laughed at the bloody jokes -- the shit jokes, the sex jokes, the crude physical humour, even that 'special haircut' scene (ok maybe that one not so much, i was more like grossed out by that one).

My review will be out soon
But after watching the movie, i realised I so hate watching movies on me own.
It sucks. It's always best to watch movies with someone else. To compare opinions, to compare favourite cute guys (altho there weren't any in American Wedding) etc etc.

Shucks.

on another note, will be back to the am shift next week. am i looking forward to waking up so bloody early? no. hell no.

but heck i guess i can do stuff after work (i always say that but the probability of that is very low).

Ah, on Monday, attended a 'Masterclass lecture' (as the MDA called it) by Alan Rosenthal, a pretty well-known documentary maker. He showed us quite a few interesting docus and talked about how he became a documentary film-maker. He was actually a lawyer before he turned to docu-making. (!)

pity about the story

was a week for movie watching -- saw Le Divorce and Secondhand Lions

Le Divorce is based on a best-selling book by Diane Johnson, which i;ve heard isn't too good -- neither is the movie.

It's like when youré putting together a jigsaw puzzle and there are some pieces that look like they fit but they actually don't.

I left the theatre thinking that the show on the whole was alright, watchable but it had so many pieces that didn't fit right. It was very disjointed, and while watching it, I would feel like something's missing.

Generally the film opens with Isabel who's visiting her sister in Paris. The sister's French hubby has just left her for another woman -- so that's where the divorce part comes in.

Then there are the subplots== a tussle about the ownership of a painting that might be by Georges de la Tour; Isabel's affair with an older married Frenchman who once had a relationship with her boss, an American writer; a crazed, jealous husband whosé wife is the one the French hubby's seeing (there's a real hilarious scene at the top of the Eiffel Tower, altho the director probably didn't mean it to be funny)

So the potentially great ensemble cast was let down by a crappy script. Kate Hudson (who gets to wear the best clothes!), Australiá's runner-up darling Naomi Watts (as a very dowdy sister), Matthew Modine, Glenn Close, Stockard Channing, and an assortment of French people (including a v cute Jean-Marc Barr)

Secondhand Lions was a whole lot better. Thanks to Michael Caine, Robert Duvall and Haley Joel Osment.

The film is written and directed by Tim McClanies. Having previously written the screenplay for The Iron Giant and directed one obscure film, you are forgiven for asking Tim who?

But he does a pretty darn decent job with a well-used storyline.

Can't say the same for James Ivory, who directed Le Divorce. Ivory, who also directed 'the beautiful A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries, has a thing or two to learn from McCanlies.

feel fat?

i just had to add this: The Online Gym!

culinary literature

i love to read about food. i think it's an art to write about cooking and food. how does one go about describing something like the first bite of a smooth chocolate mousse for example?

I sure can't. that's why i turn to people like Nigel Slater (The Observer's Food Monthly, among others) and occasionally Jeffrey Steingarten (Vogue's food writer) to tempt me and conjure up the most sublime images.

The New York Times also has a pretty darn tasty food section, with an occasional write up by the 'domestic goddess' herself Nigella Lawson.

And the London Times carries articles by sardonic restaurant reviewer Giles Coren and jamie oliver's old stuff. well at least it did. not to say that everything is gone, rather, you'll have to pay for it becos of their switch to the e-paper version. so there goes that.

San Francisco Gate is not too bad either, plus it's free.

im sure there's lots more stuff out there that i haven't mentioned. let me know what else.

(eurythmics)

I don't care if you won't
Talk to me
You know I'm not that kind of girl.
And I don't care if you won't
Walk with me
It don't give me such a thrill.
And I don't care about the way you look
You should know I'm not impressed
'Cause there's just one thing
That I'm looking for
And he don't wear a dress.
I need a man...
I need a man...
Baby baby baby
Don't you shave your legs
Don't you double comb your hair
Don't powder puff
Just leave it rough
I like your fingers bare.
When the night comes down
I can turn it round
I can take you anywhere.
I don't need love
Forget that stuff
You know that I don't care
I need a man...
I need a man...
I don't need a heartbreaker
Fifty-faced trouble maker
Two timing time taker
Dirty little money maker
Muscle bound cheap skate
Low down woman hater
Triple crossing double dater
Yella bellied alligator...
I don't care if you won't
Talk to me
You know I'm not that kind of girl.
And I don't care if you won't
Walk with me
It don't give me such a thrill.
And I don't care about the way you look
You should know I'm not impressed
'Cause there's just one thing
That I'm looking for
And he don't wear a dress.

bon appetite!

Oo la la! had an excellent dinner last night at Sebastien's, a delightful French restaurante at Greenwood Avenue.

It was crowded and real noisy (my friends joked about how our tiny Asian lungs cannot compete with those of the mostly European crowd at the restaurant) Could barely hear each other talk sometimes!

Ah now for the degustation menu (well not exactly, we ordered a la carte)



we started off with a portobello salad (unfortunately we shared A portobello mushroom)
and i had one of the specials of the night, the osso bucco, which came with a nice buttery mashed potato. It was somewhat like that beef bourguignon. the meat was nice and tender (hardly needed the knife!) but i still prefer the one at Pontini which had a less heavy-going sauce.

Mel had the duck confit - always good. But she didn't like the amount of salad they gave. Should have ordered it myself!!

Yubin chose the lamb - also another good choice. That was what i had the last time (also the first time) i was there. It comes with an interesting assortment of diced veg, comprising squash, tomatoes, eggplant and others.

and char went with the glazed pork ribs, also another special of the day. It was very sweet but the meat was oh so tender!

We decided we still had space for dessert, but this is not to say that the portions were small. This is no teenyweeny portions the size of a one-dollarcoin type of place. it was good hearty food.

So we went for the poached pear and the peach melba. unfortunately not very good choices! they were very sweet and had quite a... acquired? taste. not something i'd try again, to be honest.

But it was overall an excellent meal and definitely will be heading back again - next time i will order the duck!!

Quick aside: have been meaning to post this URL for the Julie/Julia project where this lady (julie) is cooking her way thru the Mastering the art of French Cooking hence, Julia (Childs). very interesting

sharp dresser

It was a cold rainy morning. The perfect weather to sleep in.
Unfortunately I had to drag myself out of bed before 9 and get ready to leave.

But it was worth it, because I got to attend a press conference for My Teacher Mr Kim.

My Teacher Mr Who? you might ask.

It's a new Korean film. Very big becos it was the first K film to have its rights bought up ... BEFORE production was over. (The Others like Il Mare and My Sassy Girl only had their rights bought up... AFTER production was over, so you must understand the significance here)

Anyway, the lead actor Cha Seung Won and director Jang Gyu Sung were at the Goodwood Park HOtel to answer questions from the media. Unfortunately I'm a nobody so didn't score a one-on-one.

But it was quite interesting, with the bulk of the questions focusing on the dramatic issue of bribery in schools - that's what the show features, as Mr Kim is sent into 'exile' for not being discreet about the bribery.

I would say that 80% of the questions were about that. So it was very tedious.

Especially since everything had to be translated to and from Korean.

But hell, Mr Cha was a feast for the eyes!

Tall (1.88m), with a sharp sense of dressing, and a nice deep voice (although i would hardly call Korean a romantic language), he was pretty darn good looking. Well he did start out as a model after all.

But you'd be disappointed if you watch the movie, he's so much better looking in person.

If you understand Korean click here and if you don't click here anyway cos it's a cute site. (just click on the korean words below the chalkboard)

zombies alert!

just came back from watching the preview of 28 days later. the latest story from alex garland, of The Beach fame.

it's a zombie flick, a doomsday, outbreak-ish type of film.

Here's the premise:

a group of animal rights activists break into a lab to free the poor chimps which get tortured there. besides being kept in small cages, the poor fellas are forced to... watch tv. essentially violent images mostly from the news - strikes, protests etc.

but a lab tech warns them that the chimps have been infected. they don't believe him. who would - he tells them they are infected 'with RAGE'. so they free a chimp and it fells raving mad on one of the activists and bites her. She begins to puke blood. and then it goes to black.

and 28 days later, we meet jim, who's just woken up from a coma in a london hospital. the hospital is empty, just full of upturned furniture. it's the same outside. there's no one. but when he steps into a church, he meets one of the infected. they're easy to spot, blood-shot eyes, and crazy arm movements. and of course, they don't speak, only making odd baby-like noises.

they chase after him and he gets rescued by a couple of other survivors. and they meet somemore survivors.

and that's all i'll say. cos i dont want you to go saying that i've spoiled the whole movie by telling you what it's all about. let me just tell u this though: STAY UNTIL THE CREDITS ARE OVER! don't be kiasu and rush to leave the cinema yeah?

anyway a good show, much better than expected. and if i'm not wrong, all shot on digital. which makes it seem even more unHollywood than it already is.

by the way, if u are wondering who's acting in 28 Days Later, don't. They're pretty much unknowns.

long day's journey into the morning

wow had a seriously long day at work yesterday, which ended with me managing to catch (just in the nick of time btw) the 130am bus home. and to add to my troubles i couldn't get the door of the minibus to open!! the driver (who was really really nice) even had to come out and open it for me!

anyway, i blame it all on SM lee. he's turning 80 on tuesday and ST just had to do an 8 page spread on him. and STI just had to do a webspecial based on that spread. and i just had to be put in charge of it (altho the truth is i didn't really know what i was doing - so it was all thanks to my web designer and webmaster that it managed to get up!)

Btw, i was extremely appalled at an article in today's Sunday Times, about the murders in South Australia. i wasn't appalled at the murders actually but rather this little sentence just stuck in my mind and pissed me off.

And here it is: They referred to their killing as 'playing', and often played the song Selling The Drama by the group Live when they killed. One line from the song goes: 'Hey, now that we won't be raped, hey, now we won't be scarred like that.'

Why am i pissed off with this sentence? becos I listen to Live and i think they make pretty darn good music. And I don't like the inference that the writer makes about listening to the music. I've listened to that song, many many times, and i like that song. And am i out there killing people? NO!!

I've been reading this book Killing Monsters: WHy children need fantasy, super heroes and make-believe violence by Gerard Jones.

He's trying to explain how violence in video games and tv shows aren't always harmful, and in fact how it can actually help lower aggression in a kid. and how ít's crazy that people are trying to ban violent tv shows/video games esp after Columbine.

And i think music can also be included in that argument. So wat if the murderers listened to that song when they were doing the killing? would it have been included in the story if they so happened to be listening to classical music at that time?

Jones also includes in his argument the many faulty 'experiments' that were used to show how media violence affects children. But i shan't go into detail here - this blog is already too long. Instead, check out a short excerpt of his book right here.

Thank you for listening! (or in this case, reading)

food is king

How fascinating! The venerable New York Times's J. W. Apple Jr has written an article on Singapore's food when he was here on a visit. Our very own foodie Seetoh of Makansutra fame was his host.

And man is he a good food writer!
A classic Peking duck with skin as crisp as parchment was accompanied, for example, by five-spice duck foie gras. Crisp prawns were served with wasabi mayonnaise. Meltingly soft tofu, better than any I had ever tasted before, was house-made with puréed spinach, like tagliatelle verde. A jellied dessert was flavored with lemon grass. It was Singapore on a plate, or rather several plates, brought up to date: traditions blended without strain.

Poetry from the palate, for the palate! (hell it's making me hungry!!)

Read the article

time to shang yue

i had almost forgotten about the Mid-Autumn fest until a colleague mentioned last night that it was the fifteenth.

I'd been stuffing myself with mooncakes way before that that i didn't even realise the actual date hadn't passed yet.

We've had a variety of mooncakes at the office including green tea and even champagne truffle mooncakes (this is a snowskin kind with a white chocolate champagne truffle in the middle of each small mooncake - really divine altho it doesn't sound that way)

But I''m more of a traditional lotus paste snowskin (NO egg yolk please!) type of mooncake eater.

The best is of course those that emerge from the kitchen of me own house! Have been helping me mum to make mooncakes the past couple of weeks (we started early so as to ensure that Maki was able to take some homemade ones back to Japan) and we've actually done this for quite a few years.

And i have to admit, it is pretty fun. Making sure the colouring is right otherwise the light green skin will turn out to be some glow-in-the-dark type or hazardous waste material warning type of colour.

And making sure there's the right amount of lotus paste for each mooncake so it won't look too stuffed or too flat. (this is probably the more tricky part) and whacking it out of the wooden mold properly so the pattern will be distinct and even.

ah gotta go get lunch and then get ready to head to work....

Movie Mania

I have been on a movie-watching mania these few days.

It all started with Legally Blonde 2 last friday and then Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl on Sunday.
A couple of movie previews were on during the next two days so I got to watch a touching Korean movie called My Teacher, Mr Kim on Monday and a somewhat different American (obviously non-Hollywood) film called Camp, which is essentially about a group of teens who attend a theatre camp during the summer but also tries to embrace various issues like teenage sexuality ie homosexuality.

And today, saw Turn Left Turn Right starring the very delicious Takeshi Kaneshiro (who was i kidding when I said he doesn't look good with that floppy girly hair....he does!) and Gigi Leung. The movie's based on an illustrated book by Jimmy Liao or something like that. It was definitely hyped up a lot here, mostly cos it's co-produced by Mediacorp''s Raintree and the two stars did make a rare trip to Singapore.

But I was disappointed. It was trying too hard and the harder it tried, the more 'Oh man!' it got. What I mean is that, the show is all about destiny and coincidences and how this guy and this girl are destined to meet and yet they never meet although they're staying steps away from each other. So it gets painful (that's where the Oh man! remark comes in) when they pass each other and not notice or they miss each other in the lift or the train or the park or the bridge.....

I felt that another show that i've watched recently put forward this idea or issue about fate and destiny better and that was My Sassy Girl. If i explained it, I'd have to reveal quite a bit of the story so will just say, go rent or buy the dvd/vcd of My Sassy Girl. it's definitely worth it.

flaming lips

Attended a little office party (of sorts) at an ex-colleague's house (recently retired with a very nice golden handshake, also recently recovering from hip surgery! which the company paid for btw) I think there were about 15 of us altogether at the party. The boss was conveniently on a business trip to Olso.

The food was fantastic! there was naan (store bought actually), chicken curry, veges, a real tasty prawn sambal. And the bartender (the colleague's son) wasn't too bad. He did a potent Long Island Tea. altho i don't think youre supposed to add OJ to it!

So great food, great conversation, great company and of course lotsa alcohol! It was my first (and i think for many of the others, their first too) time drinking sambuca, that italian liquor made of aniseed. Spicy.

What happens is that you gulp down the drink (pour shot-style in a small glass), taking care not to get any on your lips, gargle a little and open your mouth wide (keeping the drink in your mouth ie not swallowing it) Someone (preferably not afraid of fire!!) lights a match or lighter and lowers the flame into your mouth, thus igniting the liquor, thus creating a mini fire in your mouth! Sounds a little freaky doesn't it. Just remember to swallow! don't spit it out! Might just burn a hole in the carpet.

The drink is pretty tasty, similar to licorice, which i never took a liking to, so i didn't have seconds. Plus i was driving back later.

Today, went to see Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl.

IT WAS FANTASTIC!! TWO THUMBS UP! (afraid i just had to shout that out!)

i was so looking forward to seeing this show, for months. and it did not disappoint! It was definitely an adventure and who cares if it was based somewhat on a ride in Disneyland? It was fun, exciting and it had Johnny Depp! Doing what he's best at doing, being well... weird.

I'm afraid I am very biased, as I am a big Depp fan, ever since....secondary school (quick aside here: the recent episodes of Alias made me really happy - also had my sec school pinup faves - Christian Slater and Ethan Hawke - but my opinion of Mr Hawke has dimished somewhat ever since his affair with some other actress. i mean for heavens' sakes man, you already have Uma Thurman!!)

Anyway, back to Mr Depp. Sigh.... he always has such a charm. And this time although he plays a bit of an effeminate pirate (he's got beaded hair and wat looks like eyeliner!) he's still got it. At the age of 40, Mr Depp is still my fave.

I mean, who cares about the scrawny Orlando Bloom (with that disgusting little mustache of his) - ok i have to admit it, i do somewhat care about Mr Bloom, but only as Legolas! Everytime he had a romantic scene with Keira Knightley, i was like...ah heck get on with it already!

I do realise I am rambling on quite a lot so here's a quick bit about another movie i saw, this time on Friday. Legally Blonde 2 with that darling Elle Woods herself.

A lot of reviews have scoffed at that show. It's true, the storyline isn't all too strong but it was entertaining. She is such a darling, you just can't resist! and my friend was like....oh love those shoes...it's true, Elle Woods has such fashion sense, it's so inspiring!!!

mala gente

had to also mention that Juanes was the big winner at the latin Grammys!!! woo hoo!

of course i am listening to his music right now, altho it's not reflected in my sidebar at the moment (at work lah, trying to churn this out real fast so i wont get caught - oh who cares anyway!!)

ah just visited the juanes site and they have more stuff in english now! maybe he has more non-spanish speaking fans now!
or they could be trying to market him to the rest of the world - ie Enrique (gross!) who i've just learnt is acting alongside the spanish god himself Antonio Banderas in Once Upon A Time In Mexico. (how scary - havin to see moley enrique for longer than a music video!)

nuts

hmm thought david blaine was insane, Guardian writer Tim Dowling just tried out living for 24 hours in a 7ft by 7ft by 3ft 'coffin', just to see what it'll be like when Blaine does it.

More

confessions of a dashboard

Dashboard Confessional - i'm hooked!

A friend told me about it, describing it as 'heartbreaking'. i checked out their site and listened to their free downloads from the new album (a mark, a mission....) and i loved Ghost Of A Good Thing! heartbreaking? hell yeah.

so i've been doing some downloading - what to do, i can't find it in the stores.
and I've discovered Screaming Infidelities, Sweet Summer and A Plain Morning. Much more cheerful than Ghost. But all falling into the 'emo' genre. tho i've heard that dashboard confessional hates that term.

meanwhile, picked up Beck's latest and the quintessential Nirvana album - both for thirty bucks (total) at your friendly Borders store. This time, i mean it. The cashier actually showed an interest in my purchase, saying he was glad someone finally bought the beck album as it's a good one. exactly! a little more weepy than Beck's usual but good nonetheless.

i always thought that sales staff/cashiers at borders didn't know shit so this guy proved me wrong for once.
ok maybe they don't don't know shit but many of them seem like they don't care at all. wrong attitude man. the exact reason why i don't buy from HMV. bad attitude!!!!

quack quack

had my first ever visit 2 a physiotherapist on dad's recommendation. good location! just 9 floors above california fitness-- sprained yr ankle while running on thee treadmill? strained a muscle lifting weights?hjave no fear we're just up here!
as u can see im still doin the one-handed type.

it was an interesting trip. learnt a couple of things:
uno - it's not tendonitis! ir=t's a sprained ligament at the wrist....hmmm second ligament ive sprained - the other was 5 years ago - on my leg.

dos - i'm hyper-mobile (at least that's wat i heard him say) meaning that my joints are very flexible - which he demostrated by twisted my wrist like it was made of rubber. i kinda freaked. not becos it was painful, but becos it was being twisted at an angle i never thot possible - very scary i tell u 2 have yr hand manipulated like that.
this explains my constant sprained ankles and i think my weirdedout thumb (remind me 2 show u, in case u havent seen it yet - whoever u are - im a regular freak show! i can see it now...my name in not-so-bright lights - COME SEE THE AMAZING HYPER-MOBILE LADY! IF YER DUN KNO WAT WERE TAKLKIN ABT, ALL THE MORE YER SHOOLD COME N SEE!)

anyway, i got ultrasound treatment n heat treatment n a wrist brace to emphasize my injury - im hoping to get some extra sympathy here! (just kidding)

but i stil gotta go 2 werk. damn!

hands down

i take my hadns for granted. almost everyone does. but not today, at least not for me.
i'm typing this as a simpletext doc, at work. wif only my left hand. why? its not some weird experiment but rather out of necessity -- my right wrist bloody hurts like hell wwhen i position it over the keyboard or the mouse.

so i'm one-handed today. that's why the lack of capital n the bad spelling. n graammar. too difficult to backspace. it's on the wrong side of the keyboard -- hard to reach.

today's maki's last day in singapore. (she's my sis' japanese friend, n i hope my friend too!)
i mentioned tht i'd like to vvisit japan soon n she's so enthused abt it. she asked last night when i'll be going n where i'd like to go. doubt that it'll be next year tho as i'll be heading to canada 4 sis graduation (imagine that! she's graduating so soon!) n hopefully do some travelling -- prince edward island to visit green gables perhapps! (did read somewhere that it's really popular with japanse tourists)

speaking of which, maki told us that she was not taught about what really went on during ww2. the whole japanese in singapore thing. she only found out here, in that exhibit in sentosa. surrender chambers i think it's called. which is sad, as that means many young japanese people dun really know what went on. so i'm glad she came n that she saw it.

anyway am amazed i've bothered 2 write all this. my hand needs a rest !

being creative for a change

found an old poem (can it actually be called it? well...it does rhyme....) that i wrote a couple of years ago. and posted on my rememory page. haven't visited that site for so long. everything looks remarkably tacky.

nyway, may i present :  "The Bus Seat Symphony"
Thursday 23 August, 2001

The Bus Seat Symphony

The bus seat beside me
It creaks to its own beat
To others a nuisance
To me a treat

It dances to its own tune
It sings a melody
To the ears of the eager listener
It sounds like Bohemian Rhapsody.

nothing much doing

haven't done much updating of my blog, unlike some people who are very good and update it with something interesting everyday!

news-wise, a lot of bad has been going on. viruses rampaging (computer viruses i mean), just subbed a story on israel threatening to missile strike palestinian leaders (!!!) - while i'm not on the side of the palestinians (the recent bus bombing killed 6 children) israel's methods aren't exactly likeable either. why is there so much rage, tension, frustration? i'm just glad i live in singapore.

oh yes, have also been thinking of what to get my dearest mumsy for her birthday. She's turning 50 soon!
we're gonna try a new restaurant - whitebait & kale - supposed to be aussie-style seafood place. at camden medical centre of all places. so, u know, we could just pop in for a lipo session and then head for some mussels and fish n chips after, how lurvely.

shall end my post with sthg i found on the bbc website (who would've thought!) on alternative film endings.

bbc online readers were invited to send in their suggestions and here are a few of the good ones (well at least i thought they were funny!)

Richard Dreyfuss' character in JAWS throws back the sheet in the autopsy room and says, "You were right, it WAS just a boating accident." Film ends.
John, US

I like this answer:

Men in Black - Will Smith can't be bothered chasing the guy at the beginning of the film and lets him run away. World gets destroyed a few days later.

Sliding Doors - she took the bus instead.

Lawrence of Arabia - gets posted to the Guildford Army recruitment centre instead of the Middle East. Doesn't quite have the same ring.

The Devil's Advocate - Keanu Reeves says no to the job and spares us his appalling acting 'talent'. Even better, the 'one' drowns in the Matrix after being ejected from his little glass box. Castaway - Madonna drowns...
J&A, Azerbaijan


In the first five minutes of 'Memento' - 'Don't you remember Sam, the butler did it'
Richard Hockey, UK

weekend doings

had a rather packed weekend! on friday, had dinner with a couple of RGS friends at Ember, located at Hotel 1929, this funky new hotel in Keong Saik Road. apparently owned by a rich family and it's known for its branded furniture and ridiculously low rates. (well not ridiculously low, but for this kind of boutique hotel, pretty decent).

Ember is a fusion-type restaurant. Very popular from the looks of it. It was full, but the restaurant can probably only hold 30 odd people. But my friend had to make a reservation a week ahead, so that says something. (but probably doesn't say as much as the fact that she couldn't get a table at Buko Nero at all....not for the rest of august. same thing happend to me several months ago, i called early in the month but all the friday, saturday and sunday slots for that month were taken up!)

anyway, the food was great!

I started with a mushroom soup and my friend had a crabcake, somewhat asian-style.

And for the main course, a delicious chilean seabass which came with a delightful butter-fried array of fresh mushrooms (it was mushroom heaven that night!!). My dining companions (!) had: lamb loin, which came with spinach; and chicken which came with a mashed potato with a blood orange sauce (it looked pretty good but she mentioned that it tasted a bit like soap)

and speaking of soap, we had a pretty soapy dessert. it was a warm banana tart with lavendar ice-cream. tastes a whole lot better than it sounds, trust me. but a little soap-like!

we did also share a lemongrass martini. it sounded good, somewhat different and refreshing. we decided to give it a try and if it was as good as it sounds, to order one each.

but we were wrong!

the lemongrass part was great. all of us thought it was a nice refreshing taste, although a little sweet. but we were left wondering... where's the alcohol? you had to think about it a little and then would realise, that there is a hint of alcohol. whatever alcohol, i'm not sure. but i presume vodka.

a virgin martini??

we hung around in the restaurant until we were the last ones and started to feel a little bad at making the staff wait for us (they had already started setting the tables for tomoro)

verdict: definitely will go back again but have a feeling i'll give the set dinner a try. It sounds like a decent meal. 4 courses for 38++. my dinner came to about 40+

the next day (saturday) had bit of hi-tea at Raffles Hotel (empire cafe). where they sell local food at wince-worthy prices ($15.50 for chicken rice!!) so popped into ah teng's bakery for their $6 scone set (scone + jam and a coffee - in my case a cappucino...mmmm...)

the eating wasn't over yet! for dinner, headed over to east coast to have a yummy seafood time. we had:
fried baby squid (always a fave of mine! crispy, a little sweet)
scallops with veg
steamed prawns
crayfish with sambal - which seriously was not sambal. it was more like the gravy that comes with chilli crabs
chilli crabs of course!

its thanks to the presence of my sis' two friends (from japan and the netherlands) that we get to eat seafood... always seems to be reserved for visitors. but that's good as it's way too rich to be a regular meal. anyway, always leaves me craving for more. if i ate it too often, i'd definitely not enjoy it as much (and also be WAY TO FAT)

On Sunday, we made some mooncakes (snowskin kind) for the japanese friend to try.
for lunch, we headed to Lao Beijing (probably my fave chinese restaurant?) at Novena Square where we had to wait for about 25 minutes before getting a table.

ordered a set for four, which includes some tofu, san(1) bei(1) ji(1) - some chicken cooked in a claypot, guotie (chives version), xiao(3) long(2) bao(1) - which unfortunately didn't seem to be made too well that day, as they collapsed a little and some of the meat juice got wasted; popiah; dessert (aboling and redbean pancake)

but the day was still young and we attended the Ballet Under The Stars (which included a russian-style classical ballet, a modern dance called Stamping Ground and The Graduation Ball) and picnicked under a cloudy sky.

blackout

there were some pretty big news this morning when i got into work.

a major blackout hit the northeastern us and canada, stranding people in subways, lifts, airports, hotels....

perhaps some kind of coincidence: my own house had a short power outage around midnight. think the switch for the water heater might have tripped the system.

here's a story about how the media covered the blackout from New York itself. from the New York Times of course

another piece of news somewhat closer to home: JI chief Hambali has been arrested. good news for everyone, i'm sure. of course except the ji members! it's a relief as he was one of the head honchos in that terror group.

musing on music

i never understand how people can work in silence.

that's just not for me. it's too weird. it's too quiet. which might be ironic as most people think of me that way - quiet

the best way to work, perhaps the only way i can work, is to
pop a cd in and play something good. it's almost an instinctive move, whenever i start up the mac at work or the pc at home, to run IE and then itunes or musicmatch jukebox.

sometimes i will sit at the pc just to listen to something.

i guess music is just a nice form of escape, the same as movies and books.

on that note, i watched a movie preview on tuesday, for a Disney family-friendly flick Freaky Friday.

hmm...was trying to put up my little review but this stupid mac doesn't have Word on it...pathetic.

and blogger isn't too mac friendly either. all the 'instant' html codes like bold, italic and hyperlink, all gone...i've gotta put them in meself.

perhaps my job does have some use!

just adding onto my note here about music. it's interesting how the albums i covet tend to be by bands that are made up of guys or by guys. why don't i listen to music by women? isn't that like the lilith fair thing?

well i used to. i did like sarah mc i have to confess. but that was before she exploded onto the airwaves and bored me to brain-death. i did or well i still do own several of her albums, mostly purchased via those 10 CDs for 1cent music membership things. wish we still had that...

i also own a beth orton, fiona apple, tori amos, dixie chicks, the corrs (well they sorta count, don't they? i mean who cares about the brother?), jewel (and this was way before she got played to death on radio ok!) diana krall (well didn't exactly purchase this, Joan gave me her extra copy) hmmm...that's all i can think of for now.

on the guys side: juanes, alejandro sanz, green day, soundgarden, lifehouse, lotsa pearl jam's, u2....

music and movement

ah....added to my spanish music collection with Alejandro Sanz's MTV unplugged. i'm afraid i had to succumb to the MTV empire's album becos it was the one with two of his best songs - Cuando Nadie Me Ve and Amiga Mia.

So now I have three (count em!) Two by my favourite Juanes and one by Sanz. Doesn't he have a great name?

happy.

but i would be so much happier if i could also have:
Andy Stochansky's Five Star Motel
Stereophonics' You Gotta Go There To Come Back and Just Enough Education to Perform
Pete Yorn's musicforthemorningafter
Audioslave's Audioslave
Eva Cassidy's Songbird

blog away

ooh more than one post in a day. how exciting.

i just wanted to talk about blogging. i've been looking at other people's blogs recently and noticed how different mine is to many (but i'm sure not all)

there are those which are fancy but i don't think whistles and bells are important in a blog.

what's important? content. muy importante

and what's lacking in mine? interesting content. content that would interest the casual browser.

i don't write about what i do each day, as if that would interest anyone.

it would probably look like this.

woke up at 445. changed, got ready to catch the bus.

had breakfast, lunch and then headed home. blah blah...

it would make an award-winning drama no?

i guess i could use a blog to discuss various issues, of importance to me. like the recent jakarta bombing, ji, singapore economy?

but heh...

no thanks

so what do i use this blog for?

simple:
- to air my views on various inane subjects
- to post some links that i've found while at work (skiving as usual) and think i'd make use of them in the future
- to write down some stuff i've thought of (sometimes i do get crazy thoughts too...)
- to relieve my boredom

rejection

i got my rejection letter from mediacorp radio today.

one small step for mediacorp, one giant stumble, fall, plummet for me. OUch

but i wasn't really expecting an offer. i had this feeling, when i entered the interview room, that they had already found their man (or in this case, woman). it seemed like they were talking to me merely because i was there, next in line, and they were abiding by the schedule, giving me some of the recommended talk time.

so it wasn't like a 'damnit damn them all to hell' reaction to the letter but rather a 'ah, alrighty then' one.

ndp 2003

ah...yet another national day here in singapore. and what did i do? the same as every year.... stay at home and watch the parade on TV! (it's kinda like a family tradition which i recall only breaking once - when we actually went to the national stadium to watch the parade... courtesy of an aunt working in the civil service)

was it any different? well...same performers, similar songs (one new one though!) and the usual propaganda-laced messages.

in truth, it wouldn't have been that bad if they hadn't started chanting ONE PEOPLE ONE NATION ONE SINGAPORE so many times....

did catch Mr Goh's NDP speech yesterday. sorta expected it to be long but realised, ah...that's the national day rally, not the speech. this one was done ala the US President's State oF The Union Address, seated somewhere (the Istana?) and reading from the teleprompter. looking serious yet personable, to appeal to the television viewer.

but he said the expected. didn't learn anything new.

the most exciting news of the day (8 august) was that Ricky Martin had an orchid named after him! i suppose now anyone can claim that she deflowered Ricky Martin. (sorry couldn't help that....it was there for the picking)

Taking it all on

i went for the interview yesterday. for the producer/presenter job. i passed the voice test (though my voice shook - that doesn't sound right - but made it through that) and i miraculously passed the written test (name two challenges that indonesian president megawati sukarnoputri faces and how she can solve problems that will arise from these challenges = and other tricky questions of that sort. just like taking GP all over again)

but i didn't get a good vibe during the interview. plus it didn't help that the interview before mine seemed so much longer, plus the girl who was being interviewed was a former journalist (talked to her after the written test - after we were through griping about how sucky the test was)

well will just see how it goes i guess.