Nostalgia

Heard they were relooking into the redevelopment of the old capitol again. Hope it works out this time. So sad to see this icon wasting away. They've been talking about its redevelopment for years. Don't really know why it's been held up. I have many fond memories of the place. People of my era who've been there would undoubtedly remember the beautiful mosaic design on the ceiling. If memory serves me right, it was a mosaic of the zodiac. The last movie I watched there was MEMORIES, an anime that was being screened during the Singapore Film Festival. Can't quite remember when that was. lolz. I hope it can be brought back to its former glory. Maybe as a theatre/cinema. But please please PLEASE dun let it become some mall.

Patapon Demo

Okok, i'll try not to spam anymore Patapon stuff. But for those who have never tried this game or don't have a psp, you can try a PC demo version here.

Try it out and see why I'm so crazy over it.

Patapon (PSP) & Hot Shots Golf 5 (PS3) - Videos

Couldn't help it. Here are two youtube videos of these two great games!

Patapon Video


Hot Shots Golf 5 Video

Patapon (PSP) & Hot Shots Golf 5 (PS3)

My new distractions.... PATAPON (for PSP) & HOT SHOTS GOLF 5 (for PS3).

I hesitated with buying Patapon when it first game out coz I couldn't figure out what kind of game it was. It struck me as a 'lemmings-type' of game so I wasn't to interested at first. But recently, Play-Asia had an excellent sale and I manged to get the game (together with two other oldies) for less than S$35, shipping included! (I bought Caesar IV for the pc for S$7!!! Game shops are still selling the game at over S$60!).

Anyway, Patapon is an excellent game. It's basically a rhythm type game where you hit the PSP buttons in certain rhythms (so far, i've only need to learn 4 rhythms) which will then decide how the little characters (called Patapons) will behave. It's like playing the drum on a dragon boat or the war drums in those olden battle scenes. The animation is quirky and fun and the game is simple to pick up but kinda hard to get the rhythm just right. I've only started playing the game for a couple of hours and I'm hooked. If you like rhythm type games, Patapon is not to be missed.

Here's a silly trumpet mini-game where you copy the tree's rhythm to get him to drop stuff from his branches. Much like collecting dandruff. heh.

Below is an awesome battle scene which I have to reach. Given the interesting variety of troops, it's gonna take me some time to reach such a level I'm sure.


OK, my other distraction is Hot Shots Golf 5 for the PS3. I've never really liked golf video games. Always thought they were kinda stupid. But after playing the demo on the ps3 last year, I couldn't wait for the english version to be released. Maybe I'm getting... old... sigh.. but that's another story... I find HSG5 pretty relaxing to play and I really like the cartoony style graphics. It's not too difficult to pick up the game either.

The characters are really funny and animated very well. Love the little touches like all the special effects when you get the timing just right!

My slight complain is that I believe the graphics for the scenery can probably be much more awesome and realistic given the power of the ps3. But, then again, the game as a whole is interesting and the graphics do fit the style overall.

So there you have it. Patapon to keep me occupied on the bus/train. Hot Shots Golf to keep me occupied in my room. :)

Another Gundam Model

OK, I think fate has kinda arranged for me to get a little more hooked on Gundam Model Kits. Plaza Singapura was having an atrium sale and they had some HG kits. Bought this one for only $25. Decided to try something a little bigger coz this is 1/100 scale while the previous one is 1/144.

This time round, I decide to try something a little more adventurous. heh. I decided to use the Gundam marker I bought form Tokyo to try to do some of the lines on the model. I know some of you experienced model makers must be sniggering at my total noobness with model kits. I'll admit that I have never been good at assembling these things and I have never ever painted/marked even one. I had to do some googling to find out a little more of how to use those marker things. It took some effort to overcome the mental barrier of placing the marker on the shiny new parts. Believe me, it wasn't easy. I was so scared I would destroy the part!

Well, in the end, I think the outcome is quite satisfactory... especially for a model noob like me. I really like how the marker can be easily erased with a normal eraser. Makes mistakes pain-free. Below are two before and after pics. I'm quite proud of myself actually.

Next challenge? Maybe I should think of doing some painting. The stickers make the model look real cheesy. But my painting skills are even worse than my lining skills.... lolz. Let's see how things go.

Before...
After...

God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP)

This game is so good you have to play it to believe it! I picked it up just last Thursday and I finished it yesterday, which is like only 5 days! Sure, that may be pretty short for a game, but God of War: Chains of Olympus is one helluva ride. This is an action game through and through. Kill stuff, upgrade weapons and skills, kill bigger and cooler stuff and get even better stuff. Ha... I don't need much else. I also love the mythological aspect of the game. Cyclops, Minotaurs, Medusas, Sirens, Greek gods they've got them all. it's always fun to kill giant stuff - gives the game a nice epic feel. Maybe I would have liked the game to last longer. But a part of me feels I might have lost interest in it if it were some super long game. Really good action game. If you like this kinda game, it doesn't get any better than this.

Some actual game screenshots (not mine lar):

Evangelion:1.0 - Review

Since my return from Tokyo, I've been trying to find time to go watch Evangelion:1.0. Finally made time on Thursday night to catch it at The Cathay.

It's a definite must-see for fans of the original anime. I like the added scenes which help to give a sense of awe and scale to the launching of the Eva units. There were nice little touches and plenty of hydraulic-type noises! heh. I'm so easily sold.

Story-wise, I can see they've made an attempt to tie everything much closer. There is a little bit more back story so that we can understand better where the Eva units came from. Of course I think the ultimate test is how they actually end the movies series this time round. They've decided to make it into a 4-movie series. Part 2 is supposed to be out this year as well.. shiok! I can't wait.

For people new to the series, be prepared for a cliffhanger ending. If you can't take it, then you better wait for all 4 movies to be released before watching the series.

Minor irritation... happened to have some former students sitting behind me at the cinema... a couple of them were making irritating comments through the whole movie... sigh. Spoilt some of the nicer scenes. If you are reading this... shaddup next time. heh.

Tokyo Banana... Little Bites of Heaven!!

Ever since I discovered them in Tokyo, TOKYO BANANA has been a must-buy every single time I'm in Tokyo. So far, everyone I've introduced them to has unanimously agreed that they are one of the best cakes they've tasted in Tokyo. They don't come cheap. About 8 pieces for 13 dollars, which makes each piece about $1.60. But if you like bananas, believe me when I say it's worth every cent. heh.
Here's how it looks stripped of it's wrapper. It's got this lovely soft sponge layer surrounding a creamy banana filling that's not too sweet.
Here's a closeup of the Tokyo Banana with it's filling.

There are other snacks by Tokyo Banana, including wafers and a kueh-lapis type cake. They all taste nice, but in my opinion, nothing beats the original Tokyo Banana!!

Imitations have sprouted all over Tokyo. I've noticed at least two other COUNTERFEITS which taste nowhere as good as the original. There's also been a Tokyo Mango which is actually not under the same company. I bought a box to try coz I love mangoes, but I was totally disappointed.

Tokyo Banana.... just typing this blog entry is causing me to drool.... Don't miss it if you ever visit Tokyo!

Gaia Gundam Model Kit

For some strange reason, I've been itching to assemble a Gundam model kit the last two months. I think it might be related to the lack of Star Wars Lego available at the moment. I've been putting it off, but this time when I went to Tokyo, I really couldn't resist getting one as I thought the prices were pretty reasonable.

From what my brother explained to me, there were different levels of model kits for Gundam kits.. from FG (First Grade) all the way to PG (Perfect Grade). Yeah, I'm kinda noob at model kits. I remember nightmares when I was a kid trying to put together those airplane and jetfighter models. Those kits often turned out to be disasters. But I digress... Anyway, after considering my noob level, I decided to go for a HG grade, just one grade above kiddy grade I think. After sifting through the mountains of kits available, I settled on the GAIA GUNDAM, not because I knew it's background, but because I thought it looked kinda cool. lolz.

Well, I took out the kit and decided to start on it. I was impressed with how well the pieces were molded (Shows you how long it's been since I've even tried a Gundam kit). But I also realised how small some of the pieces were. It took an amazing amount of finger acrobatics (considering how fat my fingers are) to put some of the pieces together and paste on the tiny stickers as well! Here's a pic of the super small head of the Gundam on my palm. I had to paste the stickers where the eyes are.... It was no mean feat...


Well, it took my about 2 hours to put the whole thing together. I must admit it was quite enjoyable. I've decided not to try any painting or marking coz I'm really scared I'll destroy what I've done. The good thing is, the Gaia Gundam is kinda dark... so the pen markings probably won't make too much of a difference. heh. I think the whole model is pretty cool and I like how pose-able it is. I bought a model stand so that the Gundam can be posed in nicer positions. SO here are a few pics I took.
Front view...
Close-up Front View...
Buttock view...

My hands are kinda itching to try either painting it or buying the next higher grade (I think it's Master Grade) to give it a try. Here's hoping for some Gundam Model Kit sale soon!

Tea at the top of the world (actually.. just top of Singapore)

Phew. Busy busy day.

These few days have been pretty busy at work coz I have to finish some outstanding stuff before leaving for Tokyo on Sunday. Will be leading a school tour there. Quite excited coz I'll be covering at least one new place.... Tsukuba Science City. Actually ended up coming home at almost 11pm tonite from office! lolz. Can't believe I'm so hardworking.

Despite the busy-ness, I did take some time off to go for a high tea with some friends. It's literally a 'high'-tea coz we decided to go to Equinox at that tall hotel. I really can't remember the name. Seems to keep changing... I think it's Swissotel now.

The restaurant is 70 floors up and gives pretty decent views of the padang, marina bay (including the dwarf-looking Singapore Flyer) and my favourite Funan Centre. Sadly it was raining so the view wasn't as nice as it could have been. Food there's pretty normal. Not too expensive considering the nice view.... $35++. Had a good meal and enjoyed catching up with my frenz. Here's a pic of the skyline of the CBD area. Pity the raindrops on the window. lolz.

Evangelion:1.0

I've always enjoyed comics, manga and anime. But I think I truly became a fan after I started watching the original Neon Genesis Evangelion. It's a really excellent anime although the ending was really confusing. If I remember correctly, I was introduced to the anime by a fellow teacher about 10 years ago! I don't think there has been another robot anime that has left such a strong impression on me. Anyway, the new movie, Evangelion:1.0 is getting released on 13 March. Very excited! Can't wait to catch it!

The Dip

It's been a pretty busy week. With the March holiday week coming, my department has got to prepare for the departure of a few groups so there's been the usual swell in work. Although I'm on part time, I've actually been staying pretty late, working till 7.30pm on some nights the past week. So hardworking, I scared myself...

I've managed to find some time to read a book I bought a while ago. As you can see from the book cover below, what obviously attracted me was the byline - ' A little book that teaches you when to quit (and when to stick)'. I have very little patience, so I was pretty glad the book's nice and thin... only 96 pages. But it was a good 96 pages. Although not really preaching anything very new, it gave me a new framework to think about what I've been doing and where I want to go.

In a nutshell, the book is about how the things we do can be translated to the chart below. In the first part of the chart, with more effort, comes more results... very normal. In the middle of the chart, it shows that with even more effort, results suddenly take 'a dip'. The author Seth Godin then asks if we have ever planned to face the dip and if we have planned to push on with further effort so that we can reach a high level of results later on. The ability to overcome this dip or to decide if we should quit this dip even before embarking on the journey, will determine if we are successful or mediocre.

The reason why it caused me to think a little more is I wonder if I have faced my dips or tried to run away when I am in my dip. I've also been reminded to think about whether I am wasting my energy being mediocre at many things instead of being good in a few things.

When I chose to leave RI, the question I was whether I was just escaping from a dip or was I leaving for true legitimate reasons. Now that I am in my current job arrangement, am I happy coz I have settled into a state of mediocrity or should I be challenging myself to work towards and beyond my next dip.

It's kinda hard to be totally clear here coz I dun like to give a wordy review of the book. If you're facing similar questions of whether you should quit (or stick!), then consider picking up this book. At 96 pages, it's a quick and easy read.

Ah Long Pte Ltd & CJ7

Saw these two movies last week. Couldn't bring myself to write any review coz they were seriously pathetic. Here's my quick reviews of the two....


First off... CJ7. Definitely the weakest movie when compared to Stephen Chow's last two movies. It wasn't very funny. It wasn't very touching. Yes, it had a few funny moments and a few touching moments, but it was all quite average. I think he either tried too hard to move away from what he does best - making us laugh, or he was too preoccupied with the special effects which created the little alien. I am also mildly disturbed that Stephen Chow chose to use 3 girls to act as boys and 1 boy to act as a girl... i mean , come on... it can't be that there were no cute boys to cast as the lead kid rite? So-so movie. Give it at most 5/10.

Ah Long Pte Ltd.... Sigh. I didn't have high expectations at all... and even then, my expectations were still too high. This was one loooooong painful movie. The irony? The worst movie among the 3 CNY movies is also the longest. I have no idea what Jack Neo was thinking when he made this movie. His lousy jokes and poor editing aside, I have no idea why he decided to base the movie in Malaysia!! His previous movies poked fun and Singapore and I think it made some sense when we could at least pretend he was trying to make a statement by joking about us. But when he moved the location to Malaysia, he lost even that little difference his movies made. This was a really bad movie. Avoid it at all cost. 0.5/10. (The 0.5 is given to Mark Lee who at least had some funny moments in the movie).

No Country for Old Men

This movie teaches me that critics probably watch movies through some special glasses which allows them to see how wonderful & fantastic it is while I just see some other lame version through my normal spectacles.

No Country For Old Men has got glowing reviews from every major critic. It's like rated at some super high average score of 91/100 at metacritics.com

So, I went to the cinema with fairly high expectations. I found the movie soooooo boring. Yeah, there was some interesting moments. Yeah, the bad guy is somewhat spooky. Yeah, there was a chuckle or two. But I just found the whole movie pointless. I don't understand what it's about. I don't understand the ending. I don't understand the title. I don't understand anything!!

Even Jesse James, which was long and boring, had a more satisfying ending.

I think maybe I am just too shallow. I have no idea how to enjoy such a movie. At the end of the movie, I could only remark that it was some 'existential s#%t' which I can't understand.

If you are shallow like me... who enjoys movies like Transformers and Harry Potter, please avoid this movie like the plague.

If you are some arty farty dude or dudette, go for it. Knock yourself out. Whoopee.

Looking for Tuition Students

I've decided that it's time to start getting back into a bit of teaching... so if any of you are looking for Physics Tuition or if you know of anyone looking for a Physics Tutor.. leave a note here or you can contact me via msn... Thanks!

The evening after

Today's surgery went by pretty quickly. I reported at about 7.30am and I think I was prepped and ready for surgery in the operating theatre by 8.30am.

It's always a unsettling experience to lie on the bed and wait for the surgery to start. To the doctors' and nurses' credit, I think they tried hard to chat with me to get my mind off the surgery. I must confess that the best part of the surgery is going to sleep. They put the oxygen mask on you and ask you to take deep breaths. Then with a quick warning that they will be injecting the medicine, you will drift off to the land of nods in no time. The surgery went by pretty fast. By the time they woke me in the post-op ward, it was only about 9.30am.

The worst part of the surgery is the waking up and the recovery. Waking up is horrible especially if you still have the breathing tubes in you. I hate the feeling of having something down my throat while trying to catch my own breath. Today, they put me on a Vancomycin drip, the antibiotic used for my earlier MRSA infection, just as a precaution. But I think the dosage they gave me was pretty high. Within minutes of waking up, I was feeling all flushed and rashed started appearing from my shoulders upwards. It was really itchy. Thankfully, the doctor took me off the Vanco and injected some medicine to counteract the itch. After resting in the post-op ward for about 2-3 hours, I was wheeled into the day surgery ward to wait for my discharge.

After having a stone blasted/removed, the next really painful part is.... peeing. Yep. peeing. It's always difficult to pee the first time after the op. You just have no idea what is coming out. Usually, it'll be blood-stained urine and maybe some stone fragments/sand. Painful. Very painful. This time, for some reason, my operating doctor decided to give me a souvenir! I actually got a pic of the stone before it was blasted!

Finally left the hospital around 2pm. Came home, had porridge for lunch and went straight to bed to sleep off the rest of the anaesthetic. When I woke up, found my next and shoulders to be extremely stiff, like after you have exercised a muscle after a long time. I think it must be due to some awkward angle they had to place my head for the breathing tube when I was asleep.

Recovery seems quite ok for now. Other than the minor pain, everything else seems quite ok.

One down. Two to go.

sian... another surgery...

Going for another day surgery to remove another kidney stone tomorrow. Feeling sian with the whole thing coz I understand from my doctor that after this, I still have at least two more to go coz there are some kidney stones in other places.

I think I'm also a little more worried about tomorrow's surgery since the last surgery was the one where I probably caught my MRSA infection. And now that I have already caught it, I am (according to the infectious disease doctor) more susceptible to a recurrence. sigh.

I do find it a little frustrating. This whole stone business doesn't seem to go away. The last scan was also kinda demoralizing coz my doctor showed me the stones in my system. I think there are about 8 in all. One kinda big one and the others are smaller. It's like... when will it all clear up? I keep having to deal with these stones and they do affect what I want to do, like travel (coz I can't travel and coz the surgeries SUCK up all my money) and even work.

Although it's something I've kinda accepted a while back, it's still a little demoralizing to see the road ahead in the next few months. Believe me, kidney stone clearing is not the most comfortable of surgeries. I'm not gonna go into details here. Google it if you are really interested.

Oh well, it's almost 12 midnight. Gotta start fasting from food and drinks until the surgery tomorrow morning.

sigh.

How fast can you type?

Give it a try. How fast can you type?

66 words

free Touch typing

The boringest holiday of the year has begun...

It's that time of the year again...
... the time when no shops are open
... the time when no coffee shops/hawker stalls are open
... the time when we stuff our face with expensive bak kwa
... the time when tv shows are beyond crappy
... the time when we rely on movies for entertainment outside the house
... the time when jack neo releases his next not-so-funny movie
... the time when I meet relatives whom I have no idea what their names are
... the time when people ask me what I'm doing now not cause they care but it's the only small talk they can make
... the time when relatives ask when I'm going to get a gf and get married

Yes, it's the wonderful Chinese New Year.... the boringest holiday of the year!

Kung Fu Dunk

Work ended at 2pm today so I decided to catch one of the CNY movies before going home for reunion dinner. Had a choice of all three movies: Kung Fu Dunk, Ah Long Pte Ltd and CJ7. I decided to catch Kung Fu Dunk even though most of the reviews in the newspapers were really bad. I think it averaged around 1.5 to 2 stars out of 5! I am glad to say I didn't let those reviews make my mind for me. I really enjoyed the movie! It was a nice break from all the weirdish, bloody-ish movies I've been watching recently.

I think the key to watching this movie is to remember that you are essentially watching a japanese manga. There are parts that are just plain silly, but in the context of a manga, it's really very suitable.

Jay Chou does his usual good job in his I'm-so-bo-chup-that-I'm-so-cool role. Of course, it's not much different from his other roles... but you've gotta admit that he is the right person for such roles. Eric Tsang also does a pretty good job as his manager. I'm glad he practiced some self-control and didn't go over-the-top in trying to act silly. All the other roles were quite peripheral. Even the female star, Charlene Choi, was not very prominent.

The 'kung fu' elements were pretty well done and even though I don't watch basketball games, I enjoyed the way the basketball stunts were carried out. The special effects were also pretty well done. I just wished there was a little more of the 'qi' effects.

I liked the humour and pacing of the movie. It doesn't really go over the top but it's kinda silly in a manga-kinda way. Like I said, some people will be put off by the silly jokes and lack of slap stick humour. But if you think of it as a manga, it all fits very well.

Warning...Mini-spoiler: My only compaint is this little section near the end of the movie where Jay Chou's kung fu teachers swoops in to save the day. Personally, I found that whole section meaningless and force-fitted into the movie. I would have enjoyed the movie without that section at all.

Very good movie. Might watch it again. Now what next... CJ7 or Ah Long?

Coming in 2008: New Star Trek Movie

Some of you may not know it, but I'm a huge Star Trek fan. I like Star Wars too, but I must admit that I am a little partial towards Trek. It's really sad that there is currently no trek series on tv. I've been rewatching my Deep Space 9 dvds. Well, I'm really excited by the trailer for the new Star Trek movie coming at the end of this year.

Check it out at their official website: http://www.paramount.com/startrek/.

The movie's being directed by JJ Abrams of Lost, Alias and of course Cloverfield fame. I'm hoping that he'll do justice to this prequel.

Our efficient hospitals

I think there is something seriously wrong with the efficiency/organization of our hospitals.

Today, I went for some Pre-Admission stuff at Tan Tock Seng. The place opened at 8.30am... very punctual I thought. But once I was inside, the timing just went haywire. There were about three of us who were there when the door opened. I was number 3. The number you see above is my number which also reflects the time of my appt. I was pretty optimistic when I realized I was third in line. I mean, how far off timing could they go right? Well, fact is, by 8.45am, there was only one staff at the counter and the number of patients appearing in the waiting area had grown to about 10. By then, the lone nurse, who was still serving the first patient called for another nurse who was in the section behind to come help with the counselling. Why weren't there more staff there in the first place if the opening time was 8.30am?

Thankfully, when the second patient was called (around 8.50am), the nurse behind came forward to help and I got called as well. She went through the admission procedures. I've done this many times, so I kinda just nodded to almost everything she asked. I didn't waste time coz I pretty much wanted to just get the check over and done with. Even then, it took almost 20min before I was done. Now, according to what I've observed, they basically gave out counselling appointments in 10min slots. If my zippy session took almost 20mins, I wonder how much longer a normal patient with questions would take. Now, isn't that just setting yourself up to have huge delays? If they knew this timing wasn't realistic, either have longer slots or more staff.

So after my counselling, I had my pressure taken and it was unsurprisingly a little high. I'd been getting more and more fed up as I sat at the waiting area. Well, I then moved on to the next waiting area to wait for my turn to see the doctor. By the time my turn came, it was about 9.30am. Now, I know I should be thankful that I got to see the doctor so 'fast'. The last time I went for Pre-Admissions testing, it took almost an hour before I got to see the doctor. But my point was I was only third on the list. And it took me so long to see a doctor. When I left the doctor's room, the waiting area had filled up with about 6 to 8 patients. I didn't dare to think how long they would have to wait in line to see the doctor. Again, patients are already unwell. What is the point of making them sit and wait so long to see the doctor? Either have more doctors or schedule them wider apart or have a better system where the patient needn't sit there for 1 to 2 hours to wait for his turn.

In fact, the last time I went to see my specialist, I had a late appointment at 4.10pm. I waited almost 2 hours until 6pm to see him! I don't really blame him coz I know he wanted to give his patients proper attention. Why can't the hospital come up with a more efficient system to inform us if our appointments are delayed so that we can come a little later? Why make us sit and wait for 2 hours to see the doctor? Even some shops I know have started a phone sms service so customers need not sit there to wait their turn. Instead, they can walk around then received an sms when their turn is coming up.

Yeah, I am basically a bit sore about the whole thing. It's just frustrating to have to sit through such 'ordeals', especially when you are not well or when you are waiting nervously to see the doctor. I can understand that hospitals have to deal with shortage of staff, etc. But I still believe they can come up with a better system of managing patient flow. It's incredible when you have to queue for a total of 3 to 4 hours when your appointment + bill payment takes maybe only 20mins.

LTA near city hall

Always had a fascination with long corridors.

Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

OK, did Sweeny Todd break the series of bad movies? I am a little mixed with that. As a musical, it was reasonably interesting. But the songs aren't as catchy and engaging as say Moulin Rouge and Hairspray. The two actors played their role well, I did like Johnny Depp and Helen Bonham Carter in the lead roles. It was also fun to watch Alan Rickman (Severus Snape) and Timothy Spall (Wormtail) together in a movie other than Harry Potter. Sacha Baron Cohen (of Borat fame) was also great as a rival barber.

But the sum of good performances didn't strike the gold for me. I think the movie was just too dark (Tim Burton's favourite colour scheme) and I must admit I am getting sick of gornography (excessive gore in movies). There were so many throat slashings and blood spurting in the movie. Kinda turned me off.

I guess you could say the movie is among the better ones that I've seen in comparison to the recent others. But on it's own, I think it's just passable. I really need some gore-less movie right now. Something lighthearted and fun and maybe even heartwarming. Enough with the blood splatters and see-how-much-worse-i-can-kill-a-person scenes. I might even just go for something totally chick flick like 27 dresses.... yes, I am that desperate.... :-)

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Boy, is the title of this movie long. And like many reviewers have said, the movie title pretty much tells you the entire story of the movie, spoiler included. For me, the movie is just like the title. LONG. VERY LONG.

I went to the movie expecting some sort of a western - horse-riding, gun fights, etc. All I saw was a long drama set in a western. I can't say the movie is bad. It's just that it takes soooo long to tell a simple story. In fact, I pretty much enjoyed the last 20mins after Jesse James got assassinated. But the 2h 10min that preceded the assassination was very long. Long, with very little action. One reviewer on the web summed it up well, this was like literally watching a book being read. It reminds me how important a screenwriter is in translating a book into a movie. You just can't do everything that's in a book. I have to compliment the writers of the Harry Potter movies. They don't follow the books page by page but are able to pick out the best and most important parts for the movie-goer.

The high point during the movie came when a group of teenage school girls left the cinema about 1hr into the movie. They obviously thought they were going to get to ogle at their dahling BRad Pitt. Little did they expect that all they got was a long movie.

Kinda sad. So desperate for a good movie. My last few movies were quite disappointing. I wonder if Sweeney Todd will turn the tide....

Cloverfield

By now, much has been said in the media about this movie. I'm gonna keep this review short and say that I didn't like this movie at all.

Firstly, yeah, I was one of those who had a severe attack of motion sickness 15mins into the movie. It was really bad. Felt really giddy and wanted to throw up. Had to watch the rest of the movie by keeping my eyes closed and opening them only at the portions when the camera wasn't swinging wildly around. I've watched Blair Witch Project and I didn't feel sick watching that even though it was done in a similar video-cam style. I think the diff was that in Cloverfield, the camera was wildly swinging around all the time. Really made me sick.

Secondly, even as I thought about the story, I found that on the whole, it was not very exciting. We don't really learn anything about the monster. No background, no ending. The movie just felt like one of those 3D rides in a theme park.

Yeah, some reviews are saying how excellent the movie is. For me... YUCK. Nuff said.

Paprika

Finally got around to watching this movie. It's pretty highly rated and some reviews place it as the top anime movie of 2007. I've been looking out for it at VideoEzy and was glad they finally had it last week.

I've watched Satoshi Kon's previous movie, Tokyo Godfathers and thought it was a very warm show. Told a simple story but left you feeling warm and happy at the end. Paprika on the other hand, is kinda weird. I know it's about dreams mixing into reality, but I just didn't find myself getting into the characters much. In fact, although I normally prefer listening to the english dubbing, I actually changed back to the original jap track coz I felt the voicing of the characters just sounded wrong.

The animation is pretty interesting and I did find the dream sequences mildly hypnotic and engaging. But the story just wasn't very interesting to me. On the whole, I found the movie a bit of a yawn. At some points, I had to force myself to continue just to reach the end.

Maybe Paprika is just not my kind of anime. I usually prefer something with a bit more fantasy element. Personally, I wouldn't think it was that fantastic to be the top anime last year.

Was leaving the house today when i noticed these flowers in my own garden. Thought they looked really beautiful. Isn't it sad that i've never noticed then before?

Lego Star Wars T-16

Nah, I didn't spend money to buy a new Star Wars lego. Took apart my Imperial Star Destroyer and found the instructions on the internet for Luke Skywalker's T-16. The build isn't too difficult. Got it done in about 2 hours. The model is pretty big, easily more than half a metre tall from the base of the stand to the top wing tip. The only thing that I don't like about it is that the weapons (the roundish thing at the bottom) is not really connected to the ship. It's actually part of the stand. So the whole model can't be separated. It's the stand+the ship. Might try to see if I can use some parts to make some changes so the weapons are properly connected to the ship and the ship can be separated from the stand.

New Lego Stuff

OK, I've got this addiction to Lego that comes and goes. When it hits, I'll like have to get my hands on new stuff until the 'kick' dies off. Then I'll lay off it for a while until the new series comes in and I get addicted again.

It all started with the new Star Wars series that came in last week. When I saw the new stock at Novena Bricksworld, I couldn't resist it. Ended up with the new Rogue Shadow which belongs to the Star Wars Alternate Universe series. They are the vehicles which didn't appear in the movies but elsewhere like in the cartoons. Anyway, I enjoyed building the Rogue Shadow. Here are two pics of it. The only thing that pissed me off was when I found out how much it cost in the US. The original price is US$50 which works out to less than S$75. Lego Singapore had set the price at S$130!!! Even with my discount card, I paid about S$117 for it the set. Even with some shipping cost thrown in, I can't believe I should be paying so much for it. Turns me off buying the other new sets. Might end up waiting for some frenz to come back from US and getting them to bring back a set or two for me.



Well, after building the Rogue Shadow, my lego addiction kinda kicked in so I had to get another lego. But I refused to buy any of the overpriced ones. Ended up with the helicopter from the creator series which can be reassembled into 2 other models. Paid about S$41 for it. Checked the US price and it was going for US$20 which is about S$30. I guess paying S$10 more isn't too bad.


Anyway, I've been hooked on Star Wars Lego for the last 2 years or so. Here's a part of my collection of the figures from the Lego sets. Some are not displayed here, like the slave girl leia figure... too hot!! lolz...

New Gundam Megablok

Two weeks ago, my brother told me about the new Gundam Megabloks which was on sale at about S$100 at Takashimaya and Toys 'R Us. Went down and I could only find the MS-06S Char's Zaku II. The RX-78-2 Gundam was sold out. Despite my fear of Mega Bloks, I decided to give it a try coz the models looked pretty good.

Spent a few hours (almost 4hrs i think) to complete it. But, I was quite disappointed with the entire process coz:

1. Megablok bricks feel plasticky. Compared to lego, the pieces just feel lighter and cheaper. Add to that, the blocks are also matt coloured, giving it an overall cheaper look when compared to Lego's shinier/brighter looks.

2. Megablok bricks don't fit as well. A few times, the bloks dun fit properly and end up being a little loose. I rarely have that problem with lego.

3. Very bad instructions. Lego's building instructions are really very clear. When I looked at Megablok's instructions, I was often confused. Firstly, they dun list the parts required for each step clearly. Secondly, they also dun show how the bricks are joined very clearly. More than once, I had to go back because I had used a wrong brick or I had joined the parts wrongly due to the unclear instructions.

4. The building process isn't as fun. Maybe I'm a little biased. I found that the building of the model was not very interesting. Many parts were just stacking bricks over each other. For lego, the way the sets are built are much more interesting and I often find myself a little 'wow-ed' by the way they build up the model.

On the whole, while the end product looks decent, I really didn't enjoy building the whole thing. Probably will stick to Lego from now on....

Anyway, here's how the boxes look. There's a third set, but I can't find the pic...

Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

To those still going to school
May your new year be filled with experiences that will last you a lifetime. Enjoy schooling (yes.. even though you have tests/projects/exams/etc) while you can.

To those going/in NS
May your new year pass as fast as possible and may your liberation draw ever nearer.

To those who are working
May your work life be fulfilling and may you enjoy what you do.

To All
Good health for the new year!

ORIGINAL HAPPY VERSION

Saw the above cartoon in the newspaper concerning the increase in tariffs. See how chirpy they are! I thought the version below is a slightly more accurate cartoon. :P

ADJUSTED REALITY VERSION

Celebrate Life by riding SMRT!

Wow... I love these publicity slogans. I never knew that by riding the SMRT, I am celebrating life!! heh. I really wonder where these marketing companies come up with their slogans. I guess it must be from the same place where they come up with names like 'Marina Bay' for Marina Bay, 'Budget Terminal' for our Budget Termina and 'Science Centre, Singapore' for our Singapore Science Centre.

Attack of the Gurmit Clones

Loved this comic in today's TODAY. Totally captures the state of our English entertainment channel. If it's not Gurmit Singh, it's Adrian Pang. It's like, there are no other English actors in our little red dot?

Bus Fare is too cheap! Must charge more!

Strangely, this is what our Public Transport Council told SMRT when it wanted to launch a feeder bus service in Yio Chu Kang. Below is the excerpt from TODAY (26 Dec 2007):

"When the proposal was submitted to the Public Transport Council (PTC) in June, it was rejected because the fare proposed ($1.30 per trip) was not appropriate for a premium bus service, usually priced between $2 to $3 per trip."

So... isn't it no surprise that our bus/mrt/taxi fares only go up and up? Even the PTC, who is supposed to help regulate the fares, tell the companies that they are charging too low! lolz.

No more tubes

How time flies. I've been on the tube for about a month and finally, the doctor has decided that it's time to remove the tube & bottle from me. After a series of blood tests and a very expensive CT scan (costs close to $800), it seems most of the infection has subsided. When he took out the PICC, which is basically the 'plug' inserted in my upper arm, I was anticipating a painful experience, especially since the insertion process was not the most pleasant experience . It was with much relief when he simply pulled the tube out and I felt nothing. The tube was easily up to 50cm long.... kinda scary actually. Well, I'm finally liberated from the liquid antibiotics and have moved on to tablets, which I'm supposed to be on for another month. Problem is, it seems I might have developed some form of allergy to the drug. Just before the plug was taken out, some spots and a bit of rash started appearing on parts of my skin. It's kinda itchy and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it'll go away soon.

Christmas has been kinda low-key this year. I guess it's partly due to the fact that I was/am recovering from the MRSA infection. I stayed away from the main shopping areas as much as I could and laboured to finish my Christmas shopping more than a week before Christmas (a first for me!) so as to avoid the last minute crowds.

My office has moved to Toa Payoh. At first, I was pretty psyched that I would be so much nearer to home. But then I realized that our 'excellent' public transport system is such that travelling from Serangoon Gardens to Toa Payoh by bus took me just as much time as travelling to Shenton Way!! It's really weird, but I have to leave my house at pretty much the same time in order to reach my office in Toa Payoh HDB Hub on time. I think it's due mainly to the fact that the SBS bus is caught in at least 2 jams along the way to Toa Payoh and there are plenty of stops. When I took the 'private' bus service, it zipped along the CTE. The advantage of the private bus is I had a nice seat all the way to work/home. For the SBS bus, I have to rush for a seat and squeeze with the others on the crowded bus. Not a pleasant way to get to/from work.

Of course, the stupid increase in taxi fares don't really make things easier. I still can't believe the addition of the 35% surcharge during peak hours. Well, it's driven me to make an effort to wake up a couple of minutes earlier so that I won't need to take a taxi to work. I've also started thinking thrice before flagging down a taxi. It's not that I've given up on them. In fact, I think taking the cab during off peak hours (from around 10am to 4.30pm) is pretty ok. There is some increase which I think is reasonable. But if it's the peak hour, I'm gonna stay as far away from the cabs as possible. Congratulations to the rich folks who now find it easier to catch a cab during peak hours. My sympathies to the cab drivers who my have lost some income due to the crazy increases.

It's sometimes frustrating to live in a country where everything is spoken in terms of dollars and cents. Roads too crowded? Charge more to use them. Not enough taxis? Charge more to get them. Need better ministers/public servants? Pay more to hire them. Want to get faster service (like in the hospitals)? Pay a premium for the ease & speed. And the thing is, everyone in any position of authority just seems to nod their heads and say it's the only solution. And we (including me) obedient citizens just grin and bear it. Sigh.

Sorry for the somewhat disconnected post. Haven't posted in a while so just decided to have some writer's diarrhoea todae.

Hope your Christmas was a memorable one!

Sigh... back to work

Sigh, finally, it's back to work for me... My mc ends today and tomorrow it's back to the office. It's definitely gonna take plenty of will power to get up at 7am in the morning and drag myself to the office. Good thing is, my office has moved to Toa Payoh, which means significantly less travelling time to and from work. Food and shopping there is much better than Shenton Way too! Bad thing is... I've gotta go to work. Doesn't help that I've gotta bring my little bottle everywhere I go. SIGH.

The Golden Compass

last day of freedom before I return to work tomorrow.... what better way to spend it then to catch an afternoon movie...

The Golden Compass has been getting mixed reviews. In fact, in my favourite review site, metacritic.com, the scores aren't very fantastic. I've not the read the book so I went for the movie with no idea what it's about.

The actors in the movie are pretty well chosen. Nicole Kidman is excellent in her schizo role. I love her sudden outburst and how she suddenly switches from a bitch to a caring nun. Chilling! Daniel Craig has less than 5min screen time so it's pretty hard to say much about him. But from what little time he had on the screen, he seemed to be cast in a role well suited to him as well. Of course the big question is whether the new comer, Dokato Blue Richards, can pull off the role of her life. I gotta say I'm impressed with her acting in this movie. She comes across as being very gutsy with a hint of slyness. As mentioned in some reviews, when compared to how kids like Daniel Radcliffe first appeared in their movies, Dakota Blue Richards is way ahead of them in her professionalism.

Of course, the big stars here are also the special effects. I loved the world they created in the movie. It draws you into the story and makes you look forward to more whimsical creations. The animal/daemon CGI is also very well done. Other than the little morphing daemons, I was blown away by the awesome polar bear CGI. Look out for the big fight between the two polar bears... and watch out for the brutal end. I couldn't believe the movie was rated pg-13. heh.

I also enjoyed the story which was pretty fast moving. I'm sure there's much more in the book, but just like in the Harry Potter movies, you really can't have everything faithfully reproduced or each movie would be a 10hr ordeal. Until I read the book, I'll have to say the scriptwriters managed to put together a good story which held my attention from beginning to end.

The Golden Compass was not a disappointment. In fact, if you asked me to rank it together with the first movies of the other big franchises like The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, I might even say that it beats the two of them. LOTR 1 sets up a beautiful world but I didn't care much for the first story. Harry Potter 1 was a little shaky with the young actors and so-so story line. Golden Compass seems to have gotten the formula right. This is a great movie to start the December movie season!