As 2007 Approaches...

I'm back from China and Hong Kong. Ha, so the trip was okay overall. I didn't shop much except for bags. Heh. Anyway, better than nothing right?

It's been depressing moment for shopping in Singapore for me. Everywhere is sale here. But, there are either no suitable size left for me, no more clothes I want left in good shape or the clothes still bear expensive tags (for me at least haha). I'm very sad that there is this top in Topshop which I've been wanting to buy for 2 months. It's original price is S$66 and then it's discounted to S$40. But the sizes left are 14 and 16. The top is already baggy, so it's left to your imagination how I'll appear if I bought it :( :( I've checked 3-4 outlets of Topshop, but only Wisma had it. Until a few days ago I guess. I went back to check it again (and actually to get the code number of the top) today, but it's gone. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA :'(

Let's talk now about pleasant stuff. I have been watching some movies for the past week. Hmm, as I've written in the previous entries, I caught two French movies. I forgot to write that while in Indo I watched Jackass 2 the movie. Hahahahah it's very crappy but hilarious. I laughed so hard watching it with my brother. Even now thinking of some of the stunts makes me smile or giggle. I never expected that I'll enjoy the show a lot, and I was reluctant when my brother said, "Let's have watch some comedy. Hmm, Jackass 2!" Hahahaha.


So what's the last movie you caught in 2006? Mine is a total letdown!! People, please don't watch Stranger Than Fiction. Or at least, don't have too much high expectation. Kyaaaaaa. It's an absolute disappointment. Boring. Monotonous (and the list of negative adjectives continus...). At least it's not as bad as Happy Feet I think (though someone begs to disagree).

If I didn't watch Stranger Than Fiction today, the last movie I watched in 2006 would be Blood Diamond. Which is terrific! It was beyond my expectation haha. Obviously one of the reasons I watched it is because of Leonardo and much reports that his acting is brilliant in the show. Well, I agree actually, though I still think his performance in The Departed is better, because I think the role in the Departed is much more demanding. Actually I feel some sense of irony watching Blood Diamond. I wouldn't say why now. Maybe in the later years. Anyway, I've found someone who's easily fascinated by blue eyes haha (I still despised Jonathan Rhys Meyers, despite his nice blue eyes :P).

*thinks of Jonathan Rhys Meyers swooshing his butts... and laughs hysterically*

Anyway, I'll leave my review of 2006 for another time. 2007 is just minutes away. Yes, MINUTES away. I pray for a fantastic 2007. Hopefully not much tragic things would happen. I have long accepted the fact that any year would never leave by without any tragic things happening. It would be too unreal. The world has been especially tragic in the recent years.

Anyway, smile people. This is the world we live in. Welcome 2007!

Happy New Year. Hope it'll be a blessingful year for you and your family.

Cheers, Olivia :)


PS. Movie reviews later too. After 12.00 am at least.

In Deep Thought..

Hello. Sorry that I haven't written for ages. If you're wondering what have happened to me in the past week....

Was I...
1. Paddling from Hong Kong across South China Sea?
2. Waiting for my prince charming to wake me up from my beauty sleep?
3. Lost in the forest with Little Red Riding Hood?
4. Too obsessed with James Bond?

Haha. If your answer is either 2 or 3, you're wrong. 4? Hahaha, nope. 1? Partly true. I didn't paddle across. I went on a road trip to China. A mini road trip hehe.

Hong Kong --> Shen Zhen --> Guangzhou --> Macau --> Hong Kong

Shen Zhen: just sightseeing with some shopping

Guangzhou: lots of cheap bags! though sadly 75% of the shops only allow ordering and wholesale purchase :( Well at least I got some bags haha.

Macau: Jackpot! Jackpot! Jackpot! Hahaha... I gambled away about HK$300 on Jackpot hahaha. Sigh. I wasn't that lucky with Jackpot this time :( Oh yeah, the casinos are not really strict with your age in Macau. Anyway, I'm only 2 months away from my B'day! Weeee.

So I haven't really shopped a lot in Hong Kong.. though sale has been going on everywhere (except Zara *cough cough*). I keep reaching Harbour City late, and by then Nine West and FCUK would have closed haha. I shall come earlier tomorrow.

Hmm.. so the year 2006 is coming to an end soon. I guess I learnt some stuff this year. Especially my family members. It's strange that as my relations with Mom deteriorates, mine with Dad and Bro improve. I realised this year that I got my lame genes from my Dad O_O hahaha. I don't know what's going on with my Mom O_O I guess now I understand how my brother really feels sometimes. My mom likes attention, but she can't be bothered with giving other people's attention. Heh. I guess I know why now my brother and I are more quiet compared to her.

Anyway I'll write again soon. Clubhouse is closing :( I watched this movie yesterday which I don't really like. To the person who watched Mystic River twice, I guess you wouldn't like it as well. Cause it has no ending. Maybe it's supposed to be open interpretation O_O

Later.

PS Happy belated merry xmas! May this Christmas brings joy to you and your family. Oh ya by the way, I spent my Christmas in Macau. Haha. Most sinful Christmas I've ever had.

Yay!

I've bought the Muse concert tickets :D :D

I guess I was damn excited when I found out that actually if I purchased the tixs by today, it'll be $85 and I would save $25 from buying in January instead. Yay!

Ahh.. Mango has started sale in Singapore =( (thx j.lo for the info). I must try to go there when I go back to Singapore (which is Sunday).

Last but not least, one of my handsomes have got 2 Golden Globe nominations for one category. Yup, ONE category. I'm so proud of Leo :) (I can imagine somebody going "Ah, fat man!" haha)

Later.

Hello World

Hello. Sorry for the lack of updates lately. I’ve been lazing around in Jakarta. I've just changed to the new Blogger. So far so good. I haven't really explored it in depth.

Here are some key words of what I’ve been doing for the past 13 days:
-Katamari Damaichi (this Japanese rolling game in PS2)
-The Right Word (the ultimate GP vocab book! *note the sarcasm*)
-Differential Equation (oh I don’t mind doing Maths for homework)
-GP essay outlines (somebody must be sick of this word *winks*)
-Final Fantasy XII (I just found out 2 days ago that one of my eyecandies is playing this game too O_O how interesting)
-Buying pirated DVDs (well, I counted and it’s about 8-9 DVDs)

I hate to admit it that I’ve not been watching many movies lately. Well, it’s one movie in 13 days O_O Such a shame thing to say for a movie aficionado. I need to watch more movies! At least I watched that movie yesterday. It was Brick! I’ve been wanting to watch this movie for ages *shrieks* Well, it lives up t

o my expectation, I’m glad to say that (you don’t know how disgusted I was with Happy Feet after being totally let down by it). The ending is sweet but kinda astonishing.

(The movie is reviewed below)

I've been playing Final Fantasy XII like crazy. Yesterday I played 7 hours O_O Today I played 5 hours. I'm trying to curb my time with PS2. I want to watch more movies and do more maths! I hope I can finish with Maths by Friday. Then I can do GP comprehension haha.

By the way, the next thing I'm gonna tell you might surprise you. I'm.. going.. Hong Kong again! Hahahaha. I know, the last time I visited it was last month. But, this time I may be going to China via Hong Kong. So I may be spending only 2-3 days in Hong Kong, while the rest of the trip in China. I think I'll mos

t probably be back by 28 December. This is because I need to do some Internet homework. Ughh.. it sucks when I can't really do it in Jakarta. The Econs Breeze wouldn't just work. Might be because of Zonealarm (it's a firewall programme). But, my bro's com doesn't have Norton. So I can't turn it off. Gah.

Let me leave you with some nice movie pictures. Such pictures do inspire me of studying Cinematography (which is kind of like Photography in the form of film) after my masters hopefully.

From Manhattan, directed by Woody Allen

Brick by Rian Johnson

I still can't find Casino Royale's gunbarrel shot (clear version). I just loveee that picture.

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Movie Review
Brick (8.0 stars out of 10)
There’s a lot of hype for this movie from magazines and movie websites. I guess it really deserves it. This movie feels fresh for me, maybe it’s because I never thought that the mystery detective genre can be set in high school. If you’re wondering what Brick is, well it refers to a brick of drugs (marijuana some sort?). The ending leaves me very surprised. There’s one scene towards the end that makes me go “Oh.. my.. gawd..” because of how fast it happened. Ehm, if you’re wondering whether this movie is too serious for you, well I don’t think it’s too serious to be watched by teenagers. I enjoyed this show thoroughly.

007 doesn't mind, does he?

Hello! So, I'm back in Singapore... and leaving for Indonesia today! Haha. The past 2 days have been rather great. 2 days ago, I went for the Japanese Exchange programme thingy and interacted with some Jap students. Thanks to Steph Ng for getting me a slot :) Eh despite the language barrier, we managed to communicate with 'Tarzan' language, and for my case, through drawings. The students are grouped and sent for different activities. So for my case it was drawing. Despite falling into the same group as the irritating group of ACJC boys *cough cough*, me and 2 other people managed to get another table. Which mean I didn't have to interact with the rowdy group of boys (ugh, i hate them).

Haha here comes the crazy thing which I did. I... watched... Casino Royale for two consecutive days. That's right... TWO consecutive days haha. Yes yes I'm kinda crazy. Hmm, the first time I watched it, I was really smitten by the amazing blue-ness of Daniel Craig eyes. Ooolala. (You know that I'm such an eye person haha). The second time I watched it.... I was more crazy about his eyes hahaha (not to such an insane level though). I remembered there's one scene where at his back was the sea, and so I was comparing his eyes with the sea. Oh my gawd.. their colour was amazingly similar O_O In the words of one woman who was describing Hayden Christensen eyes (well for me this will refer to Daniel Craig), "I feel like swimming in his eyes." Hahahaha.

Anyway Casino Royale was good. It was beyond my expectation! Haha. Then yesterday, before watching Casino Royale (again), I watched Happy Feet. Which is horrible >.<>.< (both movies are reviewed below) You may ask why I'm willing to watch Casino Royale twice. No it's not because of him actually. It's because I got nothing better to do, and so I was following someone's suggestion *ehem ehem*. I guess both of us are crazy haha. Anyway the ticket was $6.50 for both days (we watched Casino Royale in the Cathay and Cathay Orchard). So yeah it wasn't that bad. I paid $7.00 for Happy Feet, cause we watched it in Lido. If I paid $9.50 for Happy Feet, I'll be very p***ed off. Haha. Thankfully.

Later :)

P.S. I only found out 4 days ago that Jude Law was in Hong Kong last Friday O_O Oh my gawd. In the same island as Jude Law haha. He was there to celebrate Dunhill 40 years anniversary in Hong Kong. Oh my gawd.... I was like 3 MTR stops away from the venue. Ughhhhhh. Anyway, he was only in Hong Kong for 40 hours (what's with number 40). Ha, better luck next time.
--------------

Movie Reviews
Casino Royale (7.5 stars out of 10)
This movie has proven a lot of naysayers wrong. When it was revealed who the next James Bond was, many people called him 'too blond. too bland'. Some even called him James Blond. Well, they are so wrong haha. As I've said, this movie is beyond my expectation. It's fast-paced (excluding the back part.. which is rather draggy), and just when you thought the movie was finishing, it revealed a twist. This James Bond is more realistic to today's world. No invisible car. No funny gadgets. Yet it's more gritty, darker and realistic. The movie's really action-packed and enjoyable. This movie will be in my recommended list of 2006, which I think is a rather disappointing year for movie. Oh on the last note, I love how they do the iconic shooting to the screen thing. It's so much better than Sean Connery walking and hopping to the screen in Dr No. Hahaha.


Happy Feet (6.0 stars out of 10)
Too much singing. An absurd plot. This movie is a major disappointment for me. I thought it'll be terrific or something. The movie is very draggy and there aren't much funny moments. The only good thing about this movie is the very realistic animation. There's one scene which I really like. It's the one where the penguins are braving against the wind in order to reach the unknown world. How the people managed to make the snowscape so real is amazing. Well, that's the only good point I think haha. If you're gonna watch this show, don't have too high expectation.

Missed but Didn't Mind

So, due to my flu, I didn't go to watch Man Utd vs Chelsea match yesterday. Actually me and Mom was contemplating to watch at Hard Rock Cafe or Marco Polo Hotel, but it's also already too late at night (12.00 am) so yeah decided to stay at home. At least I'm glad to find out it comes out as a draw.. better than defeat for Man Utd right? :)

This spurred me even more to subscribe cable in Singapore. BUT, yesterday I found out that the cable provider which currently holds EPL broadcast license in Hong Kong has lost its bid for the next 3 or 4 season EPL broadcast license to another provider. So this is interesting. I don't know whether to wait for next year and immediately subscribe to the other provider, or to be desperate enough to subscribe to the current license holder and switched to another next year haha. I think I'd most probably wait till next season then I'll subscribe cable.

Ahh, the weather has been sickening :( and thus I fell sick. The weather is either rainy or sunny. Then if you wear a jacket outside, when you have to go into the MTR station, you would have to take the jacket off cause it'll be too hot inside :( I think I fell sick because of this.

I'm going back to Singapore tomorrow. Though I'm not sure how long I'll stay in Singapore. Most probably 2-3 days.

I keep forgetting to write this. But last week, when in Macau, I was reading Book of Revelation (from the hotel's bible haha). I don't know if it's the full version or not. But it's scary enough. Thinking of how dramatic and scary the doom day could be frigtens me.

Anyway, later :)

Hello World

Hello. This past few days have been rather okay. Nothing significant happened.

I'm glad that I'll be returning to Singapore next week. Not 6 december. That will be way too long. Though it means that I'll miss The Science of Sleep... I really want to watch that show! :( I don't think it'll ever make it to Singapore *thinks of Gael Garcia Bernal haha*

I'm not surprised that this round of trip would not yield much shopping purchase. Besides the DVDs (about 8 in total?), I only managed to get 2 bags, and just today a pair of jeans haha. Okay I should be thankful that I got something at least :)

There are a few stuff which I like while looking through some shops. Some tops from Mango, and a pair of pants-cum-skirt which I saw in French Connection haha. It was sooooo cute. Though the price doesn't really make sense. So I shall wait for sale (as usual).

Finally I found a shop (or more of a booth actually) that sells cult jeans in Hong Kong (eg. True Religion, Paper Denim, Blue Cult.) The price... let me say... is amazing. Haha.

I watched my first ever Alfred Hitchcock show yesterday, which is titled Vertigo. It also becomes the oldest movie I've ever watched thus far. Anyway, it was terrific. Something different from the modern films that I've been watching lately (well, excluding Manhattan, which is a Woody Allen movie). It was kinda scary.. haha. Not horror kind of scary.. more of suspense.

(Both Manhattan and Vertigo are reviewed below).

Let me ask you (to girls only), do you prefer to have 1) smaller frame but shorter height or 2) more curvacious frame but taller height ----> harder to find clothes haha.

I found out that Kanye West concert in Hong Kong will be held near my house O_o Like 10 minutes walk haha. Sadly I would have left Hong Kong on the same day. I wonder if I could hear the singing from my flat. (The distance is a bit more than the distance between my SG house and Ashlee Simpson concert venue). Some construction has started on the place (it's outdoor, open-spaced, with the beautiful backdrop of Hong Kong Island).

More later :)

PS Can't wait for the big football clash tomorrow... if only I can watch it for sure.

PPS Eh, found out from a magazine that one Adidas outlet in Causeway Bay sold the same jacket worn by Robbie Williams jacket in the Rudebox cover. How interesting.
-------------------------

Movie Reviews
Manhattan (6.5 stars out of 10)
I guess I have a too high expectation for this movie. Too high I guess. It falls short of my expectation. Some people said that it's one of the best Woody Allen's works. Well, I kinda disagreed. I found the plot cliche and rather draggy. Well, at least I can appreciate the beautiful cinematography of this movie. This movie is shot in Black and White (it's a 1979 movie by the way). There's one scene which I will never forget. I'll show you the picture another day.

Vertigo (8.0 stars out of 10)
Well, let me say that this is the prime example of how important is score and sound effects in suspense/thriller movie. The plot is interesting, with lots of character development and twist. It's thankfully not as eerie as I expected haha (though I'm still not ready to watch Psycho haha). Ehm, I learn a lot about filming techniques from this movie. I guess this movie really stands out from other movies that I've watched thus far. If you're a movie buff, well this movie is a must watch. True classic (oh, classic is also the iconic staircase zoom shot haha).

Interesting.

I keep forgetting to write this. There's a Krispy Kreme shop in Hong Kong hahahah so happy. So yeah, I had my first bite of it 3 days ago (I never had the opportunity to visit Indo's Krispy Kreme =( ) So delicious! I think the donut shop in Indo called Jacko tried to copy it. Well, the Krispy Kreme's donuts are still better.

Today I'm amused by the fact that the director of Se7en, Fight Club and the upcoming Zodiac had directed some music videos for Paula Abdul O_O That's interesting... but it's still not as bad as the fact of a director who did both X-Men III and Jessica Simpson's "A Public Affair" video haha.

Hmm,yesterday I saw this news on Channel Newsasia on James Bond being beaten by the penguins in box office. Then they have a clip of Daniel Craig as Bond in it. My father saw the new Bond and said, "How come he's not handsome?"

Hahahahahaahahahahaha.

First Time

.. So here are the final reviews of The Departed and Volver (and some other movies).

Movie Reviews

The Departed (8.0 stars out of 10)
I love how Scorcese adds more layers to the characters and more complexity to the plot of the movie as well. Well, whether you'll like this one or Infernal Affairs more depends on whether you like more direct stories or more complicated stories. Hmm, one thing that is not different from the two movies is the Cop being an annoying character. Matt Damon is super annoying here haha. Some people may say that Jack Nicholson steals the show. Well I think he does. Just that Mark Wahlberg steals more attention than him. Anyway, everyone should go and watch this show.

Volver (8.5 stars out of 10)
First thing first, ehmm.... some of the wedges worn by Penelope Cruz are soooo pretty haha. Okay, I thought this movie is very beautiful and has a lot of meanings to it. Well, one main theme is this movie will be death (a number of events associated with death occurred in the movie). This movie is better than I expected. Anyone who likes light-hearted movies will like this. Ehm, if anyone wants to watch this when it is released on March 2007, do tell me. Cause I want to watch it again heh. Oh ya, guys will enjoy some scenes in the movie (no it's not that open, just that it teases you :) )

Janji Joni- Joni's Promise (7.5 stars out of 10)
I thought this is a different kind of comedy with more unique plot and characters, though it gets draggy towards the end. Well, the movie circles around a boy who is in charge with transporting film reels around theatres. The movie explains that some theatres have to share movie reels, because the distributor are not willing to pay more for additional movie reels. And so the boy is in charge with transporting parts of the film reels as a movie progresses in 2 theatres. I heard that this is one of the better Indonesian movies that come out over the recent years, and I was not disappointed by it after watching it. One memorable line: (the narrator talks about how everyone would certainly be able to relate at least a movie to their lives, then the camera falls on a lady. The lady said...) "I think my life is like Bridget Jones', but where's my Hugh Grant?" Oh ya, another reason of me catching this movie is because it is shown in Cinema Europa, which is a special theatre for Indie Films in GV Vivocity. The chairs are nice to sit on haha. Anyway, I had a good laugh watching this show.

Sex, Lies and Videotapes (7.0 stars out of 10)
This is the first ever feature film by Steven Sodenbergh, who directed Erin Brockovich and Ocean Eleven too. Anyway, I really wonder how he was able to tell a great story using only limited number of settings. Hmm, don't get the wrong idea from the title. It's more verbally suggestive than visually suggestive. I was quite surprised that the Dad of Seth in OC played one guy in this movie who was having an affair with his wife's sister. The movie is edgy and kind of unconventional. Something different from what I usually watches. You'll either hate or like this movie.

In The Mood of Love (7.5 stars out of 10)
Before I continue, I'd like to say that I think I'm a bit of crazy of watching 4 movies in two days haha. Okay, I've been wanting to watch this movie! Because I've heard many wondeful things from it, and also... slightly because inside got Tony Leung (without beard haha). Anyway, I enjoy the movie. I think the director really places a lot of emphasis in creating different moods in the movie. The setting and the cinematography are carefully constructed for each scene. One thing that I found out of this movie is its rather unusual style of editing. Some scenes are purposely left to be choppy. I found the ending really sad :( On the last note, Maggie Cheung's very pretty in this show. Her cheongsams are beautiful as well hehe. Hmm, some people may find this movie very boring.
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Okie, done with movie reviews. I've just come back from Macau actually. And guess what? I had my first experience of gambling haha. I tried Jackpot and Roulette. Seriously, I think Jackpot is the lousiest way of losing money in Casino. Roulette is so much more fun haha. Dad, Mom and I usually shares the tokens and the bets hoho. My father said that gambling is like adult's kind of gaming. Haha by the way, I could relate this gambling experience to my Project Work project on gaming addiction haha. Now I know how similar both forms of addiction are, though gaming is more of free of charge, while gambling is really about your money. Though most of the time I was in Wynn Casino (I stayed in its hotel too, which is absolutely gorgeous), I also visited Sands Casino, since I was kinda curious of it as it was going to build Marina Bay's IR. Well, I think Sands is a beatiful casino, nicer than Wynn I must say, albeit there are more people in Sands, and too much smokers :s Seriously I hope the Marina Bay IR will be nice. I don't mind Harrah or Genting winning the Sentosa bid.

One thing I learn today is that one person must learn to admit one's mistake, or else you'll lose the respect of others. If ever I make a mistake and I deny it, please poke me :) and I'll be grateful.

:) more next time.

Okay, I can talk about it (or them)

Hmm... so if you're still wondering which movie I watched yesterday, well since I've watched another one, I can tell it to you now. Haha, it's the Departed :D :D :D

Before I start, from now on, my blog font will be bigger :) (so that no one gets eye sore or something muahaha.. though the original font size looks okay from my server O_O)

Anyway, I'd like to do something different for this entry.... Let me recount of my experience with The Departed and Volver (that's the other show). Well, before I reached Hong Kong 2 days ago, I found out last week that there is the possibility that both shows will still be played in Hong Kong when I reached there. Well, thankfully 1 or 2 theatres are still playing them when I reach here.

Before watching the shows
Which of the two movies do you look more forward to in Hong Kong?
Well, it'll be Volver. This is probably due to me having accepted the fact that I'll never catch The Departed in the theare ever.

Why are you interested in both movies?
The Departed: because of good reviews and of course Leonardo DiCaprio haha.
Volver: Good reviews (especially for Penelope Cruz's acting)

Which of the two movies do you think will be better?
Well, I thought the Departed will be much better. Maybe it's because the movie reaches more masses than Volver does, hence the higher number of good reviews for the Departed.

Do you think Leonardo DiCaprio is handsome?
Err duh. Haha. In a matured manner.

Do you think Penelope Cruz is pretty?
I think she's so so haha.

If you have to choose watching between the two movies, which one will you choose?
Volver. (I've accepted over Departed's M18 rating.)


After watching the shows
Which of the two movies do you enjoy mored?
Hmm, surprisingly it's Volver. Well, both movies are good, but I thought Volver leaves more lasting impression than the Departed. However, both movies are still worth watching.

Did Martin Scorscese butcher Infernal Affairs?
Nope. Actually he makes the story more complex and gives more layers to the characters. I guess you'll understand the personality of the characters more.

Which one is better then: Infernal Affairs or The Departed?
Hmm, if you're the kind of person who like more direct story, then it'll be Infernal Affairs. More hours and more complex plot? The Departed. Sorry I still can't decided which one I like more. I think it's better to let the two movies stand on their own.

Is the M18 rating justified?
Nope actually. I don't think the HK version is censored or anything. I don't know, I thought the level of violence is okay. Just some shootings on the head of some people haha.

What makes Volver so special?
The twists of the story is one. I think the revelation towards the end of the movie is kinda surprising and makes you understand certain events in the movie. Penelope's acting, I have to agree, is superb. Hmm, I heard this movie is one of the more tame ones by Pedro Almodovar. (Bad Education anyone?)

Which movies would you recommend?
Both. Please go and see both of them.

What do you think of Leonardo DiCaprio and Penelope now?
Well, my level of craziness of Leo will not shoot up. Haha he doesn't look that astonishingly handsome haha.. more of rugged kind. Penelope... I think she's pretty now.


More tomorrow. The Clubhouse is closing :(

Heh.

I watched a movie that makes me really happy today. I won't tell you what it is yet, until tomorrow. Because I'm planning to write about it tomorrow along with another movie.

Clue 1: The movie will definitely be in my top movies of 2006.
Clue 2: I feel like hugging someone's face (hahaha.... once you know the movie, you'll know why I said that)

Anyway, it was my first time going to Tai Koo area in Hong Kong for ages (hmm, I don't think that the Tai Koo sugar cubes are found in or named after this area haha). Hmm, the Cityplaza shopping centre kinda reminds me of Times Square in Causeway Bay. Same owner? O_o

I didn't expect that the movie will be housed in this special room called "Director's Club". Haha, it's basically like the GV Gold Class room in Singapore (though since I've never been to Gold Class before, I can't compare the standard of both cinemas). So anyway, I have to pay HK$175 to watch the movie haha. That is like.. S$35 O_O Expensive I know. But I think it'll really kill me if I decide not to watch the movie. I'll regret in a crazy manner. Anyway I've been wanting to watch it ever since I found out in Singapore that Hong Kong may still play the movie when I reach here. Well, since the cinema is the only one left to play the show, I have no choice but to watch it there. But anyway, I'll be watching another show in another place tomorrow (a closer one). Actually the place last played the movie on Wednesday. I don't know why, but they decided to reopen it for the coming weekend. Haha, I'm really grateful for that :D The ticket will cost about HK$70. So yeah :)

Let me review some movies that I've watched over the week. Hmm.. interesting choices I must admit.

Movie Review
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (7.5 stars out of 10)
Hahaha, this movie is hilarious. I thought the pairing of Val Kilmer and Robert Downey junior is interesting. Hmm, the part where Val Kilmer shoots from his ehem ehem (covered of course) will forever be left in my mind I guess haha. Now I wonder why Singapore never showed this movie last year (or did they? Too little publicity?)

Y Tu Mama Tambien (8.0 stars out of 10)
I love how the story progresses. You just have to compare how the story begins and how it ends. Hmm, I must admit that this is the most erotic movie I've ever seen in my life. Thankfully no elephant was shown (hmm, a prosthetic one doesn't count okay!). The casting is perfect too. Oh, and the cinematography is brillianttttttt! Ahh. I don't know why some part of the road trip reminds me of the outskirt of Bandung haha.

Haha okie more reviews tomorrow.

Last note: I want a Calvin Klein jeans!! :( Some jeans are on sale but no more sizes for me :(

Anyway to make it simple, I just want a new pair of jeans.

Ahhh.. Sogo sale is like crazy.

Overseas at the moment..

Hey, I'm in Hong Kong at the moment. I think I'll be here for at least 2 weeks or so (depends on whether my parents will change the departure date from Hong Kong).

If I ever go MSN online, then I'll only be in MSN by 10.30 pm. 10.30 pm is the time in which the Clubhouse (which houses the computers at the bottom of my apartment) closes.

So yeah :)

More later.

Astonish Me!

MUSE : A source of inspiration.

The sad truth is that I haven't found anyone (again) whom I can execute my photography ideas. The reasons seem to fall under the categories of either mood or gender suitability. As many people would have known, ACJC girls are pretty. Some of those I know are pretty, but I think they're unsuitable for the concepts I plan to do. Maybe someday some events will prove me wrong, leading me to see a different side of the person? Hmm.

Or does this event trying to guide me to turn to self-potraits? My tripod is in Hong Kong. So too bad, can't carry out any plans.

Hopefully aircon valley will rescue me from this artistic crisis.

Cheers :)

PS. Miss Mos when I think about this.

Pigf***er

30s f-bombs between two people.

17 of them are said by me haha.

Before you get the wrong idea, we were just reading a South Park script. That explains the vulgarity haha. We were looking for a script where we can swear a lot... since we'll never do it in real life (unless the circumstances are really bad).

Hey, I'll only swear when I'm acting. Won't do it in real life, unless I'm really really annoyed by someone.

This will surely go to my list of most memorable moments of 2006. It's an extremely funny moment.

Kids, please don't read the script. South Park isn't as innocent as they seem to be.

More Artistic Satisfaction

Today I went to visit some venues of the Singapore Biennale 2006. I went around with Serene, Sabrina and Peggy. After visiting some of the more isolated sites myself yesterday, I went to City Hall and Tanglin Camp again.

Let me begin by recollecting yesterday's experience. Having nothing to do and no one other than myself living at my house currently (yes, my mom has decided to take a course in Hong Kong), I went to Waterloo Street, Queen Street and the Sultan Mosque in Bugis. Hmm, let me say that some of the art installations are interesting. However, I left home a bit late, and so the installations in St. Joseph and St. Peter and Paul churches are already closed. I shall visit those churches again one of these coming days (cause the Singapore Biennale will be finishing on this Sunday, 12 Nov. And.. some of the sites will have Friday as their last day of exhibition). I must say as of yesterday, the most memorable exhibitions are those in Sculpture Square (where there are lots of broken ceramics on the floor), a Hindi temple near Sculpture Square (can't remember the name >.<>

Today I found some more memorable artworks in Tanglin Camp (it's accessible through the shuttle buses available for the Singapore Biennale period). Hmm, one of the most interesting ones are one where there is a mic in the room and it faces to a wall pasted with a giant picture of japanese ladies screaming. You know those kind of if you see an idol and then you'll scream. Those kind of scream. Not like Ju-on kind of scream. Anyway, you're supposed to speak into the mike. The louder you speak into the mike, the louder the women will scream for you haha. So, I jokingly said to the mike, "Am I pretty?" And of course they screamed for me haha. I guess it's very good to raise one's self-esteem.

Oh here's some pictures of the displays.

Another of my favourite art installation. One of the most beautiful and artistic room I have ever seen.

In one of the art installations. It feels like I'm in an igloo O_O With Sabrina


The metal structure thing behind Cineleisure which I overlooked haha.

Oh yeah, if you're visiting some of Singapore Biennale venues partly because of the badge collection, the badges are already out of stock in City Hall and Tanglin Camp. The isolated places still have them though.

Later dudes :)

Idiotic

I feel so stupid today, after discovering some structures that have existed like for 2 months, and still I didn't know they are art installations O_O I feel like strangling myself haha. How can I be sooo blind? Anyway, I'll post the pictures tomorrow. Then you'll see how stupid I am.


If you don't notice those structures as well, well all I can say is I know how you feel haha.


Oral Presentation is over! YAY! I think the OP went really well. I guess the practice paid off. Thanks for the great time together, AC 014. Though sometimes I feel like strangling some people, but still I enjoy working with you guys ;)

Signing off as a PW group leader.

Finally..

The following conversation has been translated from Indo haha.
Olivia: "Mommy, see what I win from MTV!"
Mother: "Eh, Leonardo. Ha, that's all you win from MTV?"

Ai yohhh why is her reaction so anti-climax? The 3 posters are super big, gigantic, humongous (spelling?), titanic (ahaha). I don't think I'll paste it to my wall just like that. I'll frame it. The posters are the double-sided ones. Double-sided= Super Expensive in real life. There is this movie memoribilia shop in Esplanade and Suntec City called "Popcorn" which sells high-quality posters. Double-sided posters are sold $35 each there. So, I think if ever I decide to sell the posters (which is very unlikely), I'll be able to fetch $100 at least hahaha. Since I'm not gonna hang the posters at the moment, I shall paste the other movie posters first. If you're wondering which Departed movie posters they are, they are the ones hang in the Singapore bus stops. The individual posters of Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon and (ehem ehem) Leonardo Dicaprio. I'm especially excited to hang up the Leonardo poster *ahh..*


Oh ya, speaking of Leonardo, I dreamt of him last night hahaha. I dreamt that he was my classmate (in real life he's already 32, so this will never happen in real life) and then he gave me a fish tank full of sea creatures for me to take care of haha. Why fish tank? I don't know. Spongebob Squarepants?


Spongebob Squarepants lead me to think of Nickelodeon, which shares office with MTV in Singapore hehe. The MTV office is sooooo cool. I think every receptionist wannabe should dream of working there. I went to the previous MTV office before in Tanjong Pagar. At first, when I looked at the lobby of the building where the new MTV office is located (it's beside Dhoby Ghaut MRT), I thought I won't be as nice as the previous office. Turns out that I was wrong. It was sleek cool and very modern. Ahh, if ever I can work on MTV.


You know like last week I was talking to my Mom on whether I should try to work in Disneyland during the long break after As. Well, I was so determined that I went to check out the job requirements in the HK Disneyland website. I was extremely disappointed when I found out that every job required you to be fluent in basic Cantonese. Ahhh... so sad. Le hoi! (hahahah, don't know how to type that). All I can say properly in Cantonese is the question of where is the toilet haha. I guess the Disneyland visitors would be asking me that if I ever work in Disneyland HK.


I watch the Prestige (again) with Emma today. Ahh, Christian Bale is so hot :D :D :D Though he didn't go topless or anything hahaah (unlike Hugh Jackman... somebody must be happy). Anyway, the Prestige posters are out of stock in the Cathay box office. Sigh. No tearing of poster haha. Then we went to Plaza Singapura and went to Times Bookshop, because the Prestige poster on its front glass wall caught our eyes. It said something like if you purchase the book, you'll get the premium. We didn't realise that the cover of the book is displayed in the details beside the poster, until one of the bookshop assistants point out to us where the Prestige books are. Oh my gosh. The cover of the book is soooooooo frickin' (excuse me) ugly. It's horrendous and doesn't do justice to the book. I've seen the book with another far more nice cover. So in the end, I didn't purchase the book. Though I was quite tempted too seeing a Prestige poster being rolled up behind the cashier haha. The poster is a double-sided one too. Sigh.

I watched Silence of the Lambs 3 days ago. It is reviewed below. I've borrowed from Emma 2 Monty Python movies. I will see if they are as lame or lamer than Airplane! Hahaha.

Oh ya, I didn't realise this until Emma said this. You'll get why I smile every time I thought of it. She said, "I know why you want to watch the Prestige over and over again. It's because Bale keeps saying 'I love you, Olivia'". Hahahaha... I seriously never thought of that O_O

Later folks!
--------------------

Movie Review
Silence of the Lambs (8.0 out of 10 stars)
I would honestly said that this is one of the best movies I've ever watched. But it's not the kind of the movie which I'll watch over and over again (like say Life is Beautiful or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). This movie is very character-driven. It is scary, but not a horror kind of scary. It's more of a psychological thriller. Anyway, I like how the plot layers the characters and moves the movie forward. I don't know why, until now, I can still imagine in my head the part where Anthony Hopkin's character Hannibal said "I ate the liver of a census man with a chiati.." blah blah.. and then he made this very funny sound and expression. It just freaks me out. Anyway, to movie buffs out there, I'd strongly recommend you to watch this show. (However, do not show this to kids, or else they may be traumatised particularly by a scene, like someone haha).

OMG! OMG!

OMG.... I've just had a heart attack. Here's the reason why.

This is an extract of an e-mail which I received today:

Hi Olivia,

Congratulations! You've won a goodie bag from The Departed, MTV's Movie of the Month this October. It contains:

(a) a notebook; and

(b) a 3 piece poster set of Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson

A similar letter was also sent to your registered address.
.
.
.
.
Cheers,

The MTV Screen Team


Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh omg omg this is sooo surreal. So happy! *thinks of putting all the posters in my bedroom wall*

*Olivia smiles crazily*

Our Lives Revolves Around Buts.

Dilemma really gives people stress, and I just hate being put in it. So yesterday, out of the blue, an Arts Council member called to inform me that there was to be an interview today. But... (as always, there's the but) the interview would start at 6.30 pm, while I finished school at 3. Plus, I've promised Emma to watch The Prestige with her today in Vivocity. I also already cannot wait to go for Vivocity. So, I called back the person to tell her that I'd like to give up the interview.

But.... (again -.-), today The Prestige tix for 3.40 pm sold out. So sadddd.... cannot see Christian Bale again!! (oh by the way, one of my friends have been converted from Hugh Jackman to Christian Bale fan after watching the movie haha). And so, Emma and I decided to walk around Vivo instead. Oh my gawd.. it's so so so nice. SUPER nice. A lot of shops. I really like the rooftop garden thingy. I totally agree with Emma, it has the beach-y feel to it somewhat haha. I love all the artworks and art installations everywhere on the shopping mall complex. Too bad the weather hadn't returned to its finest form, and so the view cannot be enjoyed to its fullest. Nevertheless, I'm so coming back on December 2006, when the shopping mall would have been fully opened.


I ate Carl's Junior today for the first time ever. It's nice. Though eating Carl's Junior can really be a messy experience. I think we really need to shoot "How to eat Carl's Junior burger glamorously" video... and "Hot to eat Carl's Junior's Onion rings glamorously". Well, the burgers are gigantic and onion rings as well. They're quite oily as well. Very sinful. But as sinful as Mcdonald's? Hmm... maybe. But I think it's far more delicious than McD. A delightful sin? Haha.

Emma is very high today.

Ah scrap that.

Emma and Olivia are very high today.

Except that Emma is exceptionally much higher.


So in the end, I decided to go to the interview. I kinda expected that they'll ask about my sudden change of decision. At least I knew how to answer that one. The rest of the interview was okay. The interview was quite unconventional I guess haha.

You know it's a strange thing that yesterday I was reading "Memoirs of Geisha", and there's one part where Sayuri, one of the characters, said that she had always been looking for a sign for her to see a new purpose in life. Well, I guess the failed attempt of buying the ticket is that sign for me. Well, wanting to be an Arts council member is not really a purpose in life. It's just part of my life's path.


Tomorrow's Hari Raya Puasa. Indo soo nice.. the holiday surely is very long. Why is Singapore government so stingy of giving holidays? Sigh anyway, one day is better than nothing right?

Hmm.. I should rot today. Watch a movie?

Oh ya oh ya. Guess what? For The Time Traveller's Wife, the wife would be played by Rachel McAdams! Ahhhhh so happy!! I think it's a great casting choice. Now, let's wait who the time traveler will be. If you haven't read the book, well I highly recommend it to you!

3 more days to Max-imum satisfaction haha.

Later.

The Prestige

Haha, I can't believe that all the hoola is reaching its end. After following its development on every stage very closely, The Prestige has eventually arrived in Singapore (2nd country.. after Italy's Rome festival.. to show it hehe).

So as you can see, since I have a great anticipation towards movie, I die die must watch it the first day of release (haha though there is sneaks like yesterday.. but it took place at about 9 pm.. so too late.)

I like the movie sooo much that I decided to post a review in IMdB haha. First ever proper review I've ever done in my life... so mind the formal tone.

Here's the review:

Another Magical Work by Nolan
8 out of 10 stars

After watching 4 of Christopher Nolan's shows, I really have a high expectation of this movie. In addition to the great director, the cast selection is superb as well. Well, thankfully I'm not disappointed by this movie.

"The Prestige" is filled with twists and turns. I think how you see the twists and turns will affect what you think of the movie eventually. Some people will be fascinated by them (like me), while others won't. Well, the story can be basically summarized to two themes, Deceit and Obsession. I thought Nolan chooses a great way to present the story. Though the back and forth narration may confused some people, I thought it really works well for the movie, teasing audience to figure out how the story really goes. I feel that the type of flashbacks here is different from those used in Nolan's "Insomnia" and "Memento", though they are effective for their respective movies.

I watched the show with some book spoilers in mind. To those who had read the book, well, the story is rather different from the book. The ending especially. The movie does not mention about the descendants of the Magicians at all.

Hugh Jackman's and Christian Bale's acting are amazing. One supporting actor which I think stands out is David Bowie's Nikola Tesla. His charisma really makes his character interesting.

Like other Nolan's movies, this movie is visually stunning. You won't be disappointed by its cinematography.

Despite being a great movie, I don't think that this movie will be one of the major contenders for Oscar. The genre doesn't really suit well with Oscar type of movies.

Nevertheless, in my opinion, this movie is one of the best movies this year, and is definitely a must watch.

*******

I'm still waiting for its approval hehehe.

(I couldn't write the following stuff in the review.. so yeah). So am I happy? Yes, like duh. I thought that Christian Bale would look awful in the show. But turns out I was wrong. Though he didn't go topless (unlike Hugh Jackman who did it once haha), he is still hott!!!! Hahaha. I'm planning to watch it again for the second time :) And I've found a person to do it with.

Well seriously I think I'll only watch it 2 times. Not 3. Hehe. I'll get the DVD most probably.

More later dudes :)

Freak Accident

Haha, you know as a Manchester United fan, I was really happy to find out that two of Chelsea's goalkeepers got injured in a game, even causing John Terry, their central defender, to stand in the goal line during last few minutes of the game.



BUT......



Today I found out that Peter Cech, their first-choice keeper, which is a really really good goalkeeper, had a skull fracture.

That is really really really bad.

I'm really worried for him. I don't want his playing day to end in such a tragic manner. He's still young.. I think 24 or 25.

I never thought things like skull fracture do happen in Football. Most of the time the injuries are related to foot, or bottom part of the body.

I don't know why, but this suddenly reminds me of the accident in which Shay Given, a Newcastle goalkeeper, had his bowel torn during one of this season Premiership matches. That's already bad... but Peter's accident is so much worse.

Peter, I sincerely hope you'll get well soon.

There's A Long Way Ahead, Baby.

Let me warn you. This is gonna be a looooong blog entry, teehee. So anyway, last week, with the completion of my promo exam (yayness), I travelled to Hong Kong on Saturday. At that point of time, the haze in Singapore is really awful.

Taken on 27 July 2006


Taken on 7 October 2006

You see, despite both pictures being rather dark, well, you can see that they're different kind of darkness haha. I think that the haze had never been as bad before throughout my 7 years stay here in Singapore. Anyway, the situation is thankfully getting better :) Though it is still not good enough to convince me that the photo marathon by Canon will be a memorable one. Besides this, I have last minute Drama open house commitment :s which kinda sucks when they tell you about it last minute. Henceforth, no photo marathon for me this year. Next year maybe? (hey, i'll need a break from my 'a' level mugging. Unless I'm desperate for studying time at this period of time next year).

Photos are taken from my house haha.

So the trip to Hong Kong didn't go as well as I want it to be. First of all, there's already lots of winter clothing. Which means I got less stuff compared to what I'd usually get during Summer season. Well, at least I got some stuff haha. Better than nothing right? And.. I managed to get some movies (3 are rather old, 1 is rather brand new if you count 6 years recent) for a rather cheap price. All are DVDs, and below S$14, 2 are $10. Originals haha. So yeah, it was worth it! I've watched 3 out of 4 during my 4 days stay in Hong Kong.

Billy Elliot... checked.

Four Weddings and A Funeral... checked (by the way, I don't know why but Hugh Grant's eyes are reallly nice here haha.)

Silence of the Lambs... not yet haha.

Last but not least.... Airplane! Ok this show is the oldest show I've watched thus far in my life. It's a 1980 show. Older than my brother. AND, it's the lamest show I've watched thus far in my life. But, a good sense of lameness (not like Deuce Bungalow: Europen Gigolo, which is horrible horrible... I can't emphasise enough... it was a torture to watch it. All thanks to my friend haha). I tell you okay, seriously all the lame asses in this world should watch this show (sorry for the choice of words haha).

Check out the use of wordart dude.
Those are the times where Microsoft hardly exists haha.

All the movies, as usual, are reviewed below.

Oh yaaa... I'm pretty depressed that there's this Spanish movie that has opened in Hong Kong. It stars Penelope Cruz, and it has been getting really really really really good reviews. I sincerely hope that when it comes to Singapore, it'll play in Picturehouse, so that I can at least go and sit at the Picturehouse for once in my life. The movie is called Volver. Hope it'll eventually come to Singapore. Unlike Brick (I want to watch this shoooooww) which I think would never make it here :( (hey, I thought that my favourite old man's show "Good Night and Good Luck" will never make it to S'pore a few months ago haha)




By the way, I got the nice shiny postcards of Volver from Agnes B. Hong Kong. So happy :D

On the way to Hong Kong, I watched Toy Story, which is good. Well I watched it when I was small, when I barely understood English. I guess when they translated a language to another, some of the sentence's meanings would be lost. I remember not laughing as much when I watched it for the first time.

Then on the way back to Singapore, I watched another Pixar movie (whoa a journey that begins and ends with Pixar), Cars. Well, it's not as good as Toy Story, but still it's enjoyable.

Both movies are reviewed below.

Ehm, buying a plush toy of two pigs can be counted as shopping right?

At first I thought of buying one of them, but then, I don't want to separate them. They look like a happy couple to me haha. You know, when you squeeze the pigs' nose, they make a sound. I don't know how to describe it. You know like the toys with air in it, then when you squeeze it it produces sounds? That kind of noise.



You know sometimes I thought what it would feel like to direct a movie. Since acting is not a very easy thing to do, I'm curious how directing will feel like. I'm still cracking my head of what to write if I ever write a script one day. I want it to be a deep, thought-provoking kind of thing, not a shallow romantic comedy (and certainly not teen movies). So yeah, maybe I'll wait when I grow older, then I'll get used to some themes. I notice that good movies tend to have at least one of these elements: violence, coarse language, and some sexual theme? I don't know why. Whether or not I'll have to do something with any of them, it is still to be seen.

One of the great directors which I'll certainly look up to is Christopher Nolan. Oh my gosh, his movies are great. I watched another movie of his (the third one of him) today, it's title Insomnia, starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hillary Swank. Though the movie is a remake, it's a really really good movie. It really puts the audience on the edge an stuff. Well, this guy also did Momento, which is kinda legendary, and haha Batman Begins.

I want to watch some more old movies, including those done by Stanley Kubrick and Alfred Hitchcock. I'm curious of their filming style. Though their movies may bored terribly, I'll still watch Martin Scorscese and Clint Eastwood movies, cause their movies are oscar-worthy most of the time (which I still don't get for Mystic River). I'll watch some by Peter Jackson too, cause you can see from his earlier works how he has progressed as a director. Surprisingly I never thought of really including Steven Spielberg's movies until now haha. Maybe I'll watch Jaws, Close Encounter of Third Kind and Jurassic Park (again). I can barely remember Jurassic Park!!

Before I forgot, there's this story which I read while doing Chinese revision paper haha which I found quite touching. Maybe I'll try filming that. I can't believe that if I ever film this, my first film would be based on a Chinese story. Hmm, how interesting.

I ponned school yesterday and watched Little Miss Sunshine. Well, I've got to say, it is one of the best show released this year! Go and watch it if you can! Please!

And guess what? The Departed is M18! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. So irritating! I really wanted to watch it really really badly. And now after all the publicity through the posters and magazines and other stuffs, the rating board rate it as M18. Like what theeeeee.....? First is Black Dahlia, then Harsh Times (which got pushed back in schedule again haha) and then this.. Even for this rating, they cut some scenes, which I assumed got to do with Jack Nicholson's character's sexual side haha. It is written that M18 is for coarse language and violence. Well after watching Jarhead in which the f-word is said like 200 times, it couldn't get that bad right? Haha. Sooo.... I have to wait for maybe 3-4 months for the DVD to come out.. for me to see Leonardo Dicaprio. I think he looks sooo hot :D Though he's different from his Titanic days, still it's different kind of handsomeness. Now he looks more matured I guess haha. And well, like my other handsomes, he have nice eyes :D Sorry about me and guys with nice eyes haha.

Oh ya, I can't believe that Christian Bale and Leonardo is of same age, 32. Like, huh?!

Sigh let me end this entry here (with the reviews below). Or else it'll never gonna end haha. On the last note, I've just seen videos of Hugh Jackman dancing and singing.. he's good.. though he looks a bit gay sometimes hahaha (there's one video where he makes wolverine look gay in x-men's behind the scene).

6 more days to the Prestige :D Abrakadabra!

To those who make it till this point (without any skipping haha), thanks for reading! More later :)

----------------------------

Reviews Gala


Toy's Story (8.0 out of 10 stars)
Hmm, at first I thought Cathay Pacific was gonna show Scanner Darkly. But mysteriously it wasn't played, though it was listed in the programme list. Anyway, so I decided to watch Toy's Story. And I don't regret it :D For me it's the best Pixar show thus far. I somewhat enjoy it more than Finding Nemo. I just keep cracking up by the antics of the toys. This movie somewhat reminds me of the Toy Story game I used to play in SEGA (omg, Sega is so ages ago). Maybe I should start watching older Disney shows as well, and see how I feel about them. I am especially curious, according to Tomatoe, how gay the prince of Snow White can be haha. When I watched it when I was small, I didn't find him weird or anything haha.

Four Weddings and a Funeral (7.0 out of 10 stars)
Well, besides Hugh Grant's blue eyes, nothing really catches my eyes in this show. Though the story is quite well-written by romantic genius Richard Curtis (who did Love Actually, Notting Hill bla bla), it kinda lacks something special. The story gets quite boring towards the end, and the ending is kinda prectable, especially if you want the ending to be a happy one. This is the best known movie done by Mike Newell, who did the last Harry Potter, according to some people. If you're looking for some good fun, well you'll enjoy this show. If you're looking for a movie with a more layered, complex story, then look somewhere else.

Airplane! (7.5 out of 10 stars)
What can I say? This movie somewhat lives to my expectation. I found out about it in Empire, which calls it one of the greatest comedies around. Since I trust Empire a lot, I decided to purchase the DVD of this movie. I have no regrets. Though the story at the front starts quite slowly, once the plane takes off, the fun really takes off too. Despite not getting some of the jokes (since they're presumably based on things of the 80s), the movie is still hilarious. It's like in every scene of the movie, there must be something funny going on. Once again, to all lame people out there, go and watch this show! To those who are not lame, watch this movie and you'll appreciate the art of lameness ;)

Billy Elliot (8.0 out of 10 stars)
I enjoyed this show tremendously. It's beyond my expectation. Looking at Jamie Bell, I thought that he really had grown. Well he was last seen in Green Day's "Wake Me Up When September Ends" video and in King Kong. He looks so cute here... and his talent is amazing. His dancing is brilliant, full of energy and expression. You can really see how much effort he puts into the character, as the character struggles to make his family appreciate the art of dancing. The acting of other casts are brilliant as well, though sometimes the scenes on the other family members may distract you from the central character. Nevertheless, Billy Elliot is a fine show.

Cars (7.0 our of 10 stars)
Unlike Toy Story, I found this show to be more adult-oriented. The story is not that children-friendly compared to other pixar movies I think. Well first of all, you can't do anything much with cars. I mean what kind of funny stories can you develop from them? Unless you're someone really really good with story creation. You can't make cars that cute either haha (unlike Nemo). Anyway, I still kinda enjoy it. The story isn't that bad, though I think it's kinda forced? I don't know how to say it. Anyway, looking forward to Ratatouille next year (however you spell it).

Little Miss Sunshine (8.0 out of 10 stars)
Oh my, this story puts me into a lot of giggles. I thought that story is really meaningful as well, a different kind of thing from others this year. The story is kinda simple, and yet how the directors are able to create a lot of layers to the character and the story is amazing. The movie may starts rather slowly, but it works I think, cause it really tells the background of each character and their personalities. The little girl, Abigail Breslin, is an amazing actress. I just found out yesterday that she's the girl who said something like "Can I have a glass of water?" in Signs haha. She looks so different here. I think the pinnacle of the movie is the ending scene, the beauty pageant scene. Which is sooooo hilarious. Steve Carrell's acting (the 40 year old virgin guy as many of you would know him by) never fails to make me laugh as well. Oh, and Grandpa's as well haha. *suddenly thinks of the Superfreak dance haha*. Anyway, go and watch this.

Insomnia (8.0 out of 10 stars)
Another fine work by Christopher Nolan. The story is really full of twists and irony. I read that this adaptation is rather different from the original, for the better sense actually. I've got to say that Al Pacino's acting is brilliant. I like how also the movie tries to potray the insomnia which Al Pacino's character is going through in creative ways. You can see some of the trademarks of Christopher Nolan's movies (flashes of events= memento?). The place where the movie is shot is beautiful as well. Some scenes of the movie are really tense, and somewhat as the movie progresses, you'll tend to be supporting the protagonist (Al Pacino), despite the bad things he had done. Robin Williams acting is so-so (it's not comedic by the way). I thought his in Good Will Hunting is better :) Maybe it's because of the shorter duration of his appearance compared to Al and Hillary.



Wah, I took about 1 hour to do this entry, without break.

Haha dream on.

Today I dreamt that I'm going to get a vocal coaching lesson. So I went for the audition, then the person-in-charge made me sing some Indo songs (hahaha). Later, I found out that my vocal coach is gonna be..... Liam Gallagher of Oasis.



Sorry, but there's never gonna be any way that I'll want him to be my vocal coach. Though I have to admit that he has one of the most unique vocal in the rock music.

So, let things be what it is.

2 more to go...

Soo.. 4 down and 2 more to go. 4 more days to freedom! :D Ehm, today's papers are Chinese and Maths. Seriously, having Maths in the morning can be both a good and bad idea. Good.. because you feel fresh in the morning. Bad.. because it's 3 hour long and by the end of the paper, I feel mentally drained and retarded haha.

Hmm, today, when I visited HMV, I realised that I've not been there for ages. There are so many albums that I haven't tried, and I only found out that the first floor entrance of HMV has been completed haha, though it is smaller compared to the previous one. The ground floor of Heeren has completely changed over the past 2 months. There is no more fountain (oh memories! the days where they held the autograph sessions there haha). There are some newer albums which I like, for example, The Killers' "Sam Town", Basement Jaxx's latest and MOS Dance Nation. Ehm, some that I don't really like includes Justin Timberlake's Future Love/Sex Sound, Beyonce's B-Day (the album gets annoying as the album approaches towards the end, though her vocal power is amazing) and (surprisingly) Scissor Sisters :( :( I thought that their collaboration with Elton John will be a great one. I don't know, I find it too cheesy.

HMV was playing Evanescence's latest album so loudly that I can barely hear some of the albums properly. This is worsen by the fact that some headphones only have one ear-side working haha. I don't really like Evanescence's latest album. After hearing it being played (extremely loudly), I found it kinda monotonous.

I'm happy to find that Nick Hornby's "A Long Way Down" hardcover version is being sold in HMV at a cheaper price than its original price and Kinokuniya's price. Originally, I think it was about $35. And now it's going for $24!!! Ahhhh.... I'm so gonna buy it, regardless of the time that I may not have to read it haha.

You know some strange people have been approaching me in Orchard Road. Last week, a guy spoke in Chinese to me in Wisma escalator. At first I couldn't understand him. Only when he repeated his words, then I realised that he's saying, "xiao mei mei, can I get to know you better?" Then his friend behind him started laughing, and both of them laughed. I just said "Whatever" to them. Then today, near Heeren, there is this old man who was speaking non-sensically and distributed me a pamphlet (on faith of God). The guy kind of freaks me out. Then in Cineleisure, there's this malay guy who approached me. At first he said he wanted to ask some questions for survey. But then he started asking me to pretend to sign up for freelance agency.. cause his company wants blah blah blah blah. I just said sorry no and left.

This is soooooo freaky.

At least I managed to calm myself down by thinking of a verse from the bible which my Mom asks me to read as frequently as I can before going to sleep. It's about God's protection on those who believe in him. I feel so much better after thinking about it.

Sigh, what's with all the weird people.

Anyway, more later.

Fear

Two of my greatest fears of being a photographer are:

1. Becoming predictable
2. Losing my touch (well you get what I mean)

I think i'm having the second one at the moment. Though I would not have to worry about it too much now.

After promos, I got a number of concepts that I'd like to do :D I know that things can be overturned.

Anyway, 2 days ago, I decided to watch the video of Scissor Sisters' "Comfortably Numb". I don't have that song in my computer, and the cassete tape of it which I bought broke down haha. Then I was curious, since the song is a cover, how the original song would sound like. It was originally sung by Pink Floyd. Haha... I think it's really a world's apart.

Pink Floyd's version.

Scissor Sisters' version.

Well, honestly, I prefer the Scissor Sisters' version haha. If you're really surprised by how contrasting the two songs are, well, I won't be surprised haha.

On the last note, if one day you decided to say "I love Scissor Sisters" to a person, well don't be surprised if the person give you a funny look. You should say, "I love the band Scissor Sisters". People who knows what the real meaning of scissor sister is would know why haha.

I tell you honestly, you wouldn't want to find out what it. (I found out about it accidentally :S)


Later.

The Retarded

Hmm.. let me update you on the chocolate situation. Two days ago, my brother and mother decided to try the 85% cocoa chocolate. Well, as expected, both thought that it is really bitter. While my Mom managed to swallow her piece in with the help of peanuts, my brother did not finish his piece. He tried it with the peanut, and it failed on him. He tried it with Ceylon tea (I don't know what kind of tea it is), and it failed on him too. He tried adding sugar to the tea, and it failed him too. Haha. He said he can't taste the sugar, though usually one spoon of sugar is enough to make ithe tea sweet. He said the chocolate tastes like chinese medicine. Hahaha. So in the end, I have to sadly see a small piece of the chocolate being thrown away. For goodness sake, it's Lindt Chocolate. So I have the right to be sad about it :D

So today was my Econs and GP papers. Hmm.. surprisingly they were okay haha. Can't wait for Promos to be over baby! I can't stop thinking of what I'll be doing after the promos haha.

Ehm, for those people who are interested about the development of PS I Love You, ehm, the casting is getting stranger. Gerard Butler, who plays the phantom in Phantom of Opera, as Gerry? Errr....... hopefully this movie doesn't destroy the book. The book is one of my favourites :)

Ok today I found out about something really amusing. I think it is one of the most amusing things this year. Robert Downey jr has been casted as iron man. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Biggest joke of the year?

Ok let me give you a clearer picture:

Iron Man

Robert Downey Jr.

Haha, can you imagine them both combined together? Hmmm.

Today, I saw the newest edition of FiRST. And it kinda sucks haha (though I haven't read it properly). But... I saw the promotional poster for The Departed there. It's sooo niceeee. So when I reached home, I immediately went to the internet to see if they have a wallpaper of it. They don't :( :( :( I want it!! It's sooo niceeeeeeeeeeee.

I can't wait for Empire baby :D


Later :)

"Sweet" Like Chocolate

I haven't written anything about Chocolate for a while. So let me write about my recent fascinating encounter with chocolate.

As many of you would have known, I love Dark Chocolate. And I LOVE Lindt Chocolate :D Well, 2 weeks ago, I went to Cold Storage, and suddenly have the urge to buy a chocolate bar :D Hmm.. before I list down the choices, let me show you my favourite:

Now let me show you my choices:



So which one do you think I bought? By the way, the higher the percentage of Cocoa, the more bitter it is.

So which one do you think I bought?





The answer is:Haha (hope you're not having a cheap thrill :P just kidding).

I've never tried any of the 3 bars (by the way, the 99% excellence cocoa doesn't exist in Singapore), and so I go for the highest in Singapore, 85% :D I thought that since I like the dark chocolate thins, I'll have no problem liking the 85% one haha. Wrong idea I guess. It's totally different from the thins. This is THE dark chocolate haha (get it?) It's bitter. More bitter than the other brand (whose name I can't really remember, Swiss something, in Cold Storage too). Haha. Actually I'm fine with it :) Like what my father said, dark chocolate doesn't make you eat a lot of chocolate at a go. Plus.. it helps to lower high blood pressure haha. When I told this to my Mom, she joked, "You're so young and you're already worried of having high blood pressure." Haha, prevention is the key, my friend.

Hmm... enough of Chocolate talk for the moment :) Oh, on a last note, go and buy Lindt Dark Chocolate thins. It's not bitter I tell you, well compared to the 85% one. I think I'll never buy the 99% one if it ever exists in Singapore haha (even if the package looks damn nice).

October, Come!

Haha, yesterday I found out that "The Fountain", a movie which I'm really looking forward to, will only open on my B'day next year. Sigh sigh sigh. It'll be released in November in US, so why the long wait in Singapore? O_o

Hmm, I can't wait for October. That'll be the month where my promo would have ended.. and the month with a number of nice movies :D I don't know why today when I saw the ending of Batman 3, I started thinking which Batman movie, number 3 or 4, is the campier one? I used to think that number 3 is the campiest after watching 4, but now I'm having second thought. I'm still not in the position to say which Batman is the best though, since I'm yet to watch the first, and I can barely remember the 2nd one.

Speaking of Batman, I don't know why but I suddenly think of the push up scene haha.

Oh ya, I haven't written about this in my blog. My house will most probably be going for en-bloc sale :( :( :( I hate it! Why must it happen at this point of time? I can't see myself living in other areas of Singapore. I think moving to my neighbour Leonie Hill would already be a weird experience. I'm forcing myself to imagine how my life would be if I live in Four Season haha. Do you know I saw an advertisement of the apartment across mine, "Futura" (in which one J2 ACJC girl whom I've not seen for some time lives), being offered for new condo development on the newspaper last week. The feeling is really nauseating when I saw it. Urgh.

Sigh, I hate the word en-bloc now.

Hmm, Emmalyne said today that Jonathan Leong's version of Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol is so-so. Well, I thought it's kinda okay. Not as bad as I expected it to be :D

I haven't gone to HMV for a long time :( :( I want to listen to Justin Timberlake's latest album, and most probably some other albums as well. Well, maybe I'll do it this Friday or next week.

Okie, gtg for studies now :)